Christy Reece

The University of Adelaide, Australia
Exchange to National University of Singapore, Singapore

I have had the most incredible time in Singapore! This exchange would not have been feasible if not for the Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme and I am very grateful to have been part of the programme. I still remember the moment I got off the plane at 3am on 6 January. Stepping outside after 5 hours of air-conditioned air, I couldn’t help but gasp at the 85% humidity and the warm 25oC. I must confess I think my first thought was “What have I gotten myself into?!” But I was met at the airport by my very lovely welcome buddy who escorted me home, showed me how to find my room and chatted with me a while until I was sleepy enough to go to bed and then things just got better and better!

To my surprise and delight it only took a few days to adjust to the climate. The night times are gorgeous here and I have spent many an evening wandering around with friends, enjoying the breeze and the cooler temperatures. Being from Adelaide I have limited experience with rain, so every time there’s a rain storm here it’s still a pleasure. Usually accompanied by wonderful lightning displays, I watch the gutters turn into mini-waterfalls, and it doesn’t matter if I get a little damp walking from place to place (for some reason I still haven’t bought an umbrella) because it’s still not cold, and I know I’ll dry off soon.

I received student housing on campus along with many other exchange students, making it easy to make friends with amazing people from many different backgrounds. Some crazy adventures ensued as we explored South East Asia together. My first excursion from Singapore was a weekend trip to Borneo. I don’t think I’ll ever forget getting airborne in the little 5-seater boat that was trying to take me and 3 friends to Bako National Park, which required venturing into the South China Sea, and holding on tightly as the boat struggled to work its way through high tide and choppy waves. I saw monkeys for the first time when we made it to the park, which was almost as exciting as the trip there!

I have also found my studies here to be an adventure all of their own. To my surprise I performed in skits for all my psychology classes, including biological psychology, as well as making a children’s book for social psychology. I have loved finding out how another school teaches the same topics I study at Adelaide. There were times I found it difficult to adapt to the differences in teaching style, but I think the challenge was good for me. There was a lot of group work involved for some of the assignments, which also gave me the opportunity to establish some good friendships with local students and I have loved experiencing a different culture. Most people speak English in Singapore, as well as at least one other language, so I haven’t had to worry about a language barrier. I am very taken with some of the vocabulary, like the way people say they are “attached” instead of “in a relationship”. I’ve also learnt how to use chopsticks, more or less. I spent much of my time dropping things and losing track of my noodles, but it was fun all the same and the food here is great! It’s been a real treat not cooking or washing dishes for the last 4 months, and since there are cafeterias in the student housing I’ve really enjoyed having dinner with friends every night.

I don’t think I could have had a better time here. I have met many very beautiful people whom I will really miss, although thanks to the wonders of Facebook, keeping in touch is much easier. I also learnt a lot in my courses and so much about myself while being here. In fact I’ve loved it so much I have applied to return next semester, and would recommend to anyone and everyone to go on exchange! Once again I would like to express my gratitude to the Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme for making it possible for me to come here.

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