STUDENT EXCHANGE BLOG(OUTBOUND)

Topics

My Pre-departure Checklist Just Arrived… Orientation My Place My First Class People I Met Out of Classroom Money Goodbye Sharing

My Profolio

My Name: YIM MAN WAI

My Host University: National University of Sinapore(NUS)

My Department: Biology and Chemistry Department(BCH)

My Programme: Applied Chemistry

My Exchange Period: Year 2 Sem B

Pre-departure checklist

Once I can apply for the exchange programme in NUS successfully, officers there will send me a rundown to allow me to know what I should do in certain days, so that I won’t miss any deadline. To certain extent, the rundown included what I had to bring when I went to Singapore.

And the officers there are very helpful, once I had any problems, they would reply me very quickly.

In Singapore……

Overall, the exchange in Singapore is very unforgettable. Despite the busy studying, I can meet many different exchangers in NUS and travel the countries near Singapore by making use of a recess week, a reading week and those weekends……

Orientation Activities

NUS provides many activities for the exchangers to familiar with Singapore and NUS, like City Tour and the host family scheme. In those activities, exchangers can meet with many different local students. Like City Tour, there were two students guiding us around the main attractions in Singapore

Just arrived……

I am so lucky, there was a buddy who leaded me to NUS to check in my hostel. After settling down, the buddy guided us to buy the necessities and had our first lunch in Singapore. Further, I discovered that NUS was so large I didn’t know how to get back to my hostel at first. Because of the large campus, shuttle bus service is provided.

Places near school hall buying necessities

Very large campus!

My Place The accommodation is quite nice. When I first come to the hall, my hall mate lent me the cleanser and mop to tidy up the room. The students there are so helpful

Although there are many residents in the hall, it is very safe to live in the hall. Many residents do not lock the door when they attend the lectures or have dinner in the hall canteen

My room

Raffles Hall – my place to live

My First Class There were many students attending the lectures. Further, some courses used “flip-classroom”. Flip-classroom means students should have the curiosity to learn the corresponding topics. The role of the lecturer flip-classroom is a facilitator to help students learn better by asking question. Flip-classroom is quite different from traditional lectures because I have to learn by myself by watching videos. However, I can control my pace of learning by having flip-classroom. The learning experience was quite enjoyable indeed.

People I met

I have met some friends in classroom, hall and some school activities. For Singaporeans, they usually teach us Singalish for communication. I teach them Cantonese in return. Further, they will offer helping hand very readily whenever you need help. Therefore, I have a quite good relationship with Singaporeans. To further extent, NUS has provided me many opportunities to meet other exchangers.

Food in Singapore

• There are many different types of cuisine, like Chinese, Indian and Malay.

• In the campus, there is a wide range of variety of food for students to choose. The price ranges from HKD 9.6 to HKD 24. Overall, on-campus food is inexpensive

• The price of food outside campus is similar to those in HK

Yum Cha in Singapore

Famous Bak Kut Teh in Singapore

Chicken Chop and Kiwi fruit juice in the canteen in NUS cost only HKD 27!

Out of classroom

Besides, there is a group which is called octopus can allow me to know more about the Singaporean Culture and Background.

Further, this group allows me to meet some exchangers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University(SMU), so that I could meet more exchangers.

Out of classroom To further extent, my hall has some events as well, like the supper, in order to improve the relationship among hall mates/block mates.

Hall Supper

Out of Classroom Travelling around Singapore

Marina Bay Sands

Gardens by the Bay

A rehabilitated hotel near National Museum of Singapore

Out of Classroom

Singapore Airshow 2014

Out of Classroom in Singapore

St John’s Island

Pulau Ubin for cycling

East Coast Park for watching the sun rise

Wild pig attacked the bicycle in Pulau Ubin

Travelling Singapore is a very good location for travelling around South East Asia with very cheap prices. The most common places that exchange students would go are Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sari Lanka and Australia.

And there is a recess week and a reading week, so many exchange students will make use of time to travel around. I have been to Malaysia and Indonesia during the time in exchange.

Indonesia - Bali Besides beaches, there are a lot of nice views in Bali.

Very beautiful sun set in Pura Uluwatu

Batik in Bali

Batur volcano in Bali

Malaysia - Langkawi

Very tasty traditional Malay food – Zam zam

Skywalk in the highest mountain in Langkawi

Malaysia - Penang

Artist Work everywhere in Penang!

The view of George Town

Traditional Nyonya Beaded Shoes Museum

Malaysia - Melaka Melaka is a very beautiful place with many historical sites. Many different construction styles buildings and church can be found.

A Church

A very beautiful park in Melaka

Melaka River which was very important for transporting goods from other places in the world to Melaka

Money

• Daily necessities in Singapore are a little bit higher than those in HK, but some shops sell them cheaply

• ATM is available around the campus, money could be obtained from the bank account in HK

Goodbye and sharing

Happy moment passes very quickly. To say goodbye to Singaporean friends and those exchangers, it is a little bit difficult for me to do so. However, I hope we will see each other again in one day.

Workload in NUS is not so heavy(however, the workload depends on what courses you enrolled). Studying in NUS is a very good experience to me. I can contact with different aspects in Chemistry. It widens my horizons.

The most unforgettable part is to explore several places in a few months. And I think I may not have another chance to live a foreign country for several months.