Fun and Low-Stakes Study Abroad May 22, 2023
By A student (Computer Science, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/06/2023 to 05/07/2023 with
Yale-NUS College: Singapore - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned to be independent and do almost everything on my own; the ease of transportation makes this much easier than at Wellesley. It was worthwhile, but I really missed my friends that graduated while I was abroad.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Very similar to Wellesley. A liberal arts college with lots of foreign professors and a cross-registration program with a nearby, prestigious university (NUS). Course quality varies greatly by professor--I got lucky but others didn't. This will probably become more apparent as the school nears closure. Office hours exist but may not be as extensive or utilized as at Wellesley. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Admin dealing with exchange students was very kind and helpful in person, but it may be difficult to get answers about things such as the complex registration system. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Spectacular in every way except my room got mold a month in, and that seems to be a common problem. Otherwise, suites in high-rise buildings with stunning views, built less than ten years ago. Infra is very responsive to room/maintenance problems. Laundry is free! |
| * Food: |
Advice: eat out. Really. UTown is close and full of cheap eats. I ate at least one meal a day away from the dining halls by the end, and that greatly improved my mood and quality of life. Dining halls are alright. Individual dishes are very hit or miss. If you are Asian, like me, you may like the food better than Wellesley. But it's just pretty bad Asian food, as opposed to pretty bad American food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As a person of Chinese descent who wears a lot of Uniqlo, I felt like I fit in perfectly until the moment I reveal my American accent. The blend of cultures in SG was very similar to my own blend. I had difficulty adjusting to the accent in the first week but that wasn't a problem afterwards. I did hang out with mostly exchange students, but that does differ by individual experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Initial healthcare visits cost money; I did not try. SG only accepts digital vaccination certification, not the US vaccine card, so if you can't get a digital cert from your state you had to get a serology test. |
| * Safety: |
Singapore is so safe that they led exchange students on a tour of the supposedly sketchiest place. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
If you want to save money you can by eating every meal at the dining hall and not traveling around SE Asia |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you're comfortable with local markets or hawker centres, everything from food to groceries to toiletries is so much cheaper. Otherwise, try a grocery (like Sheng Siong) that is not within a mall. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | It's hard to make friends and start all over again. A semester is shorter than you think. You will miss your Wellesley friends a lot if you won't see them again. Singapore is more humid than you think; do everything possible to ventilate and dehumidify your room. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
