Engineering Exchange at NUS, Singapore Past Review

By (ECE, Rice University) for

National University of Singapore: Singapore - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Singaporeans are just as smart as Americans, but will get paid half the salary. In indonesia, you can hire a servant for 200 per month. You get get a computer programmer, for 400 per month, and the best programmer for 2000. This means, 30 thousand in Indonesia is like 150,000 in America. In Cambodia, a policeman will be your tour guide. Everyone is always nice to you if you treat them with respect.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors don't give homework and you often don't see step by step solutions. Your first exam might be the final exam, which isn't helpful. There is a website, which I learned in the last month, that provides old exams, but they don't have solutions.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I'm not really sure what this question is asking.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Prince George's Park. <br /><br /> Get the A room, pay the extra 100. You still probably won't get it, so submit a work order and say you have asthma, because some guy I know did that. It's super hot. However, you get a Single.

* Food:

Cheap and delicious asian food

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Swim with whale sharks, go to the 5 dollar water park in chinese garden, eat sushi and dim sum buffets.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

On campus hospital staff are frinedly.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 2-3 per meal. don't buy books, I was silly and did that. the culture is different. A professor was shocked when I told her I bought the books, she said I didn't actually need them.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? My card didn't work. Nothing excepts visa here except atms.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? N
Language acquisition improvement?

Go to the country that is near by.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Any student that likes Asian food, even if moderately. I know one guy from Germany who came knowing he didn't like rice. Now he does.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Systems and Control

Course Department: EE2010
Instructor: Loh Ai Poh
Instruction Language: English
Comments: She's really approachable, but won't show you solutions, because homework is never turned in. Take advantage to meet with her in person.
Credit Transfer Issues: I hope it transfers.
Course Name/Rating:

TR3001

Course Department: New Product Development
Instructor: Ng Kiang
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Mainly just a couple of projects, it would be good if you aren't used to doing projects, but I am so I didn't get much out of it.
Credit Transfer Issues: Our business school doesn't offer flat BUSI credit.
Course Name/Rating:

New Venture Creation

Course Department: TR3002
Instructor: Douglas Abrams
Instruction Language: English
Comments: He owns a venture capitalist firm and invites you to a competition/workshop, which normally costs $200, but he lets you in for free. You need to miss a few days, but it was really worth it. I learned more in this than in his class.
Credit Transfer Issues: Our business school doesn't offer flat BUSI credit.
Course Name/Rating:

Bahasa Indonesian 1

Course Department: LAB1201
Instructor: A couple of them
Instruction Language: Bahasa Indonesia/English
Comments: I really enjoyed it. I wish I could take more. It is really fun, although the project forced me to skip classes for practices taught my teachers. All the teachers are really friendly. This is the reason I wanted to study abroad, to take this class, and it was well worth it.
Credit Transfer Issues: Our school won't transfer credit for a language they don't offer.
Course Name/Rating:

EE2005

Course Department: Electronics
Instructor: Heng
Instruction Language: English
Comments: He does show you step by step solutions, which were really helpful. We did turn in homework for this class. His final was really hard, but it was hard for everyone.
Credit Transfer Issues: I hope it transfers.