Vicky LEE

Macquarie University, Australia
Exchange to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Participating in an Exchange Program has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life and I had the opportunity to go on a semester’s exchange in 2010 to Singapore. Whilst Singapore is a small island country, it has so much to offer.

Singapore was the perfect country for me to learn in, as the national language is English. It was the perfect example of east meets west and by the end of my exchange, many “Singlish” words were added to my vocabulary. Nanyang Technological University was the perfect host. This university offered the best teachers, resources, accommodation, food, transport and variety of exchange students which all contributed to the best possible experience one could have abroad.

The students at NTU were not only from Singapore, but from all over the world. We got to know each other quite well through events and ice breakers organised by the Office of International Affairs. On weekends, we would just hail a cab and go across the border to Malaysia or book a flight late Thursday afternoon and fly to other parts of South-East Asia just to explore for the weekend.

During my 4 month stay in Singapore, not only did the experience give me the chance to get to know the country and understand the culture, it also allowed me to form close friendships with some of the local students and in particular, my roommate. Singaporeans are hospitable and friendly and 2 years on from my exchange, I have kept in contact with my roommate and even travelled with her to other countries.

The workload I experienced during my time at NTU was on another level. Our classes were delivered in the form of seminars rather than lectures and tutorials. These seminars were…wait for it…4 hours long! This may throw some of you off but we had plenty of breaks and I really learnt a lot from these lessons. These seminars facilitated our learning in the form of group discussions and I took away from these experiences, valuable knowledge and better communication skills.

From my exchange, I not only grew through my education, but through facing personal challenges. It was difficult to leave home and be thrown into unfamiliar territory but by the end of my stay, I was able to familiarise myself with the culture. I mastered their transport system, the store maps of every shopping centre on the infamous Orchard Road as well as the best locations for traditional foods from char kway teow to chilli crabs.

I’d like to acknowledge the Endeavour Cheung Kong Awards as I wouldn’t have reached my potential on exchange without this scholarship. Endeavour Cheung Kong promotes studies in the Asia-Pacific region and I sincerely encourage students to choose Asia as their destination for exchange as the continent has endless growth and development opportunities to offer.

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