Thomas LOFTUS

Student of Griffith University, Australia
Exchange to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

My Exchange in Singapore

My name is Thomas Loftus, and I took part in a university exchange through the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards Programme. My home university is Griffith University in Brisbane, and I have been on exchange for two semesters at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I am a mature age student, studying for Bachelor of Arts Degrees in history and sociology. I studied at Nanyang from trimester 2, 2017 to trimester 1, 2018, during which time I took on the highest allowable full-time course load in both trimesters, and I also studied courses online in trimester 3, 2017.

The exchange has been a life-changing experience. I have lived abroad before because I had taught English overseas for a long time. However, being on exchange, learning and developing your own future path is a very rewarding experience. I was able to learn history from a different perspective, and gain insights that I might not have known had I stayed in Australia. In addition, the sociology courses I took contained very practical components. Besides classroom learning, I was given the opportunity to do research in the field, gaining valuable information about inter-cultural relations between different ethnic groups.

As an island country in Southeast Asia, Singapore has a modern public transport system, with multi-lingual announcements and signage to help people who speak different languages to find their way around. It has been quite affordable to get around town. Even taking a taxi occasionally is affordable compared to taxi fares in my home country. Singapore has a world class airport, and it is just a couple of hours flight away from other destinations in Asia. During my exchange period, I visited China, Malaysia and Indonesia, giving me the opportunity to meet with old friends and make new contacts. I have also made new friends in Singapore, including Australian friends who study in other cities, and I have met a special partner, so it has worked out very well for me here.

Living in any foreign country has its own challenges, and inevitably, participants will miss some of the comforts at home. Even so, this experience has certainly helped me to get my degree in a new and exciting way. It has been a very rewarding experience academically and personally, and I believe I have become more motivated than before to complete the Degree and develop a fulfilling career that will help me to enjoy a good quality of life after graduation. I recommend anyone who is a little adventurous and who also has performed well academically in their home country to apply for an exchange trip abroad for two semesters.

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