Diving Into Southeast Asia September 02, 2026
By Eleanor C (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/12/2026 to 05/07/2026 with
National University of Singapore: Singapore - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned so much about Singapore's history and Southeast Asia in general, which was really interesting and made my academic experience worthwhile. I think that getting to travel and talk to locals is also super valuable.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed my professors (took majority History and Social Sciences courses) and actually found all of them to be very personable, organized, good lecturers, and passionate about their work. The academic rigor was also around the same level as Wellesley. However, NUS is quite a test-heavy school and utilizes a curved grading system, which took some adjustment, especially coming from a liberal arts college background. Some lectures for certain courses are also conducted online or done in a blended learning style, so that might be something to keep in mind. While I didn't personally experience this issue, many of my friends in STEM majors said that they did not receive midterm test results or feedback in general, which made effective studying difficult. I also personally experienced issues with limited class engagement and participation from peers, which I felt negatively affected my learning quality, especially given the context of the discussion-heavy courses I was taking. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There were some fun events arranged for exchange students, but I did feel like this program was pretty decentralized and students had to figure out the majority of things by themselves. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I enjoyed the suite-style arrangement of NUSC dorms, as it provided both space for privacy with my single, as well as room to connect with my suitemates in more communal spaces. When I did purchase AC, it worked really well. The laundry facilities were also very clean. My only minor complaint was with the limited number of elevators in my dorm, locked staircases in certain places, as well as a lack of accessible kitchen facilities. |
| * Food: |
The food in all of the NUSC canteens around campus is extremely good and affordable, with lots of cuisines and restaurant stalls to choose from. I would give this 5* easily! However, I unfortunately did not enjoy the NUSC dining hall food very much, so I wasn't a big fan of the mandatory meal plan. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My suitemates were all super sweet, but I do feel like it was somewhat difficult to connect with local students outside of an academic context, as most people were pretty locked in all the time or went home regularly on the weekends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Be aware of potential expensive walk-in costs, even with the mandatory health insurance. |
| * Safety: |
Singapore in general is a really safe place! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I have mixed feelings because of the academic style, but would lean towards yes. |
Finances
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* 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) |
Food and other expenses are generally quite affordable, with the exception of alcohol if you plan to go out. If you choose to purchase AC, that adds additional expenses, but some might find it necessary depending on the season/personal heat tolerance. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80 (most of the time)-$150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure you have a credit card without international transfer fees or a local bank account to prevent everyday expenses from adding up. Eat in hawker centres and canteens rather than sit-down restaurants most of the time to save money. Most restaurants also do not serve you water with your meal, so bring a water bottle to avoid beverage expenses. Make sure to take advantage of Singapore's many free events, as well as the many student discounts you can get with your Student's Pass/NUS at famous Singapore landmarks, museums, restaurants, etc.! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If your phone only has eSIM, make sure to do your research ahead of time and that you have a chance to purchase an eSIM card with a local phone number before your Student's Pass appointment because a lot of people had issues with this! Also make sure to have cash on hand because a lot of places in Southeast Asia, particularly hawker centers, only accept cash or PayLah, which requires a local bank account. NUS also has 8 am classes, which can be a big problem if you're not a morning person and need to commute via the very crowded campus shuttle. |
