EXCHANGE REPORT: National University of Singapore (NUS)

EXCHANGE REPORT: National University of Singapore (NUS) Fransisca R RAHARDJO Spring 2015 Exchange Page 1 of 7 1 P a g e

Table of Contents Page Part I Activity Log 2 Part II General Exchange Information 4 Part II Checklist.. 7 Part IV Best Practices of Host University... 8

Part I Activity Log January 2015 It was a very exciting moment when I first came to NUS. The campus itself was very large and green with a lot of open areas. I met so many people around the world during the orientation week. I had a chance to meet hundreds of other exchange students that were not limited to Business Student. Many of them were from diverse background, such as Engineering, Mathematics, or even Politics and Real Estate Department. The Business School Enrollment Class is different from other schools. Unlike the other departments in NUS, we used separate system to plan and enroll the classes. Although we were given a talk to learn the Business School Enrollment system during the orientation week, unluckily, it was a hectic time during the enrollment period. As a result, we had to submit our request manually in NUS Business School Office. Fortunately, everything went well even though the system crashed. February 2015 I started to join many student activates in the second month of studying in NUS. NUS has plenty opportunities for student to learn new things, meet new friends, and most importantly, have fun. I joined several volunteering opportunities, such as being a volunteer in National University Hospital (NUH) with NVAC and learning magic to entertain unfortunate kids with NUS Caretalyst. I was also active in many unique activities, such as teaching Bahasa Indonesia in NUS international Language Exchange Program and picking free French and dancing class. March 2015 I was pretty busy with projects and mid-term exams in early March. Since I am a Marketing and Management student, I always had project and presentation in all my classes. Nevertheless, they were pretty inspiring for me as I often found most of the presentations and projects in NUS interesting and challenging. I learnt a lot not only from the teachers but also from the project and my classmates. I have to admit that students in NUS are generally very smart and confident when proposing and presenting their ideas. April 2015 It was almost the end of my exchange program in NUS. There were several final exams and presentations that I had in the end of April. Besides exams, homework, and presentations, I also had my exchange farewell party in this month. The best part about this month was I have very long period of vacation time before the official final exam period in NUS starts. Surprisingly, as a marketing student, I do not have any final exam during the official exam period. As a result, I finished all of my classes before the reading week or study period, which means that I finished my semester early and had long period time for holiday.

Part I Activity Log May 2015 Since I finished all my classes early, I had long holiday before the official semester ended. I began my holiday starting from mid-april until May 10 th, 2015. I took this opportunity to travel with my exchange friends to Bali and also to go back to my hometown before leaving Singapore. Finally, I had to check out from my residence on May 10 th, which was also the last day of Spring Semester 2015. Yet, going exchange to NUS is a truly fascinating and an unforgettable moment of my life.

Part II General Exchange Information Visa Procedures NUS provides the documentary support for visa procedures. During the preparation period or few months before leaving, NUS s representative sent me email and asked me to fulfil some supporting documents. Then, I have to submit my application to the official department website. I was required to pay such an amount to Singapore government authority in order to process my student pass application. I continued to process my student pass application after I arrived in Singapore. I need to come to the school event that has been prepared for exchange students in order to complete the Student visa application. I was required to bring my supporting documents that have been notified earlier, such as my printed application, payment proof and my formal personal photo. Once I had successfully completed my application, I need to collect my student pass, which looks similar to the HKID card, after a month in school. Orientation Activities NUS had many exchange student activities which we could participate in for free. The activities are scattered throughout semester, especially during the first month. NUS provided so many unique activities, such as whole-day tour around Singapore, company visit to Tiger Beer, House Family Activities, and Chinese New-Year Celebration. International Services & Activities NUS provided international services and many cultural activities for exchange students. We could basically find the information from direct email and official school or society website. NUS also provides mobile application to update the latest news and activities. Accommodations There are several hall or residence options that exchange students could choose. Students were asked to rank their preferences in the housing or accommodation application that was distributed few months before arrival. Most of the residential in NUS provides single room with non-ac facilities. I personally lived in Prince George s Park (PGP) Residence type A with AC and private bathroom. I had to pay almost twice from the normal or common type of room as it is equipped with unlimited use of AC and a bathroom inside. The environment in PGP is green and convenient as they have supermarket and two canteens inside the residence. It is also located near business school which takes only around 3 minutes by bus Course Registration NUS pre-registers students in their courses before arrival. However, NUS only enrolled four out of five classes that students had chosen. Students must fill their preference for any courses they wish to take in the NUS online application. For myself, I decided to change almost all my pre-enrolled classes due to my school credit requirement. To change our classes, we have to do it in the NUS Business School System within the specific time period. Unfortunately, the system crashed during that period and I have to do it manually in the School Office. Luckily, I managed to get all five classes that I would like to take in NUS

Part II General Exchange Information Teaching & Assessment Methods Teachers at NUS come from various International background. The Assessment Methods that NUS used are similar with HKUST, which are mainly from class participation, project, homework, presentation, and examinations. Sports & Recreation Facilities There are many sports and recreation facilities at NUS. Of particular interest are their climbing walls, infinity pools and modern gym. NUS owns several museums that are both on and off-campus. Students could register and enjoy complementary tickets or special discount price when visiting the museums.

Cost/Expenses The total expenses will depend on how much a student travels and shops during exchange. For the whole semester, I spent around 500SDG to travel to Bali in Indonesia as well as Kuala Lumpur and Malacca in Malaysia. My biggest expenses was from my living cost as I chose to live with private bathroom and AC. It costs me around 3600SGD for the whole semester accommodation. For monthly expenses, I usually spent around 800SDG which includes food, transportation, daily necessity, internet and shopping. Social Clubs/Networking Opportunities I joined several student clubs, such as the volunteering and language society. I was an active member of two different volunteering activities. I also contributed in NUS language organization, and actively participated in my residential activities. Besides the student clubs, several networking opportunities were prepared during the orientation weeks. Health & Safety NUS has health clinic located conveniently on-campus. Unfortunately, Exchange students have to pay for the doctor consultation and medical cost. The fee is pretty affordable, which is around 35SDG per consultation, excluding the medicine. The health clinic is big and well-equipped, located in the Health Center across the YIH building. Food I mostly bought my food at the on-campus cafeterias which serve diverse type of food. There are plenty options available, from local Singapore, Indian, Chinese, until Italian cuisine. NUS has more than four cafeterias that are located almost everywhere, such as in YIH, Business, Engineering, and Art building. The size of each canteen is generally big or similar to food court (hawker center). Transportation To get around NUS, there is school shuttle bus provided. For Off-campus transportation, I normally take the metro, bus, or taxi to travel around Singapore. There is no discounted MRT price given for Exchange Student in Singapore. However, the transportation in Singapore is generally affordable or more or less the same with Hong Kong. Climate The climate is normally very hot with occasional winds. It often rained during the first few months of my exchange (January to February) and thus makes it not so hot. Well, it is best to carry your umbrella around! Communication It is easy to communicate by using emails at the computers in the campus library. The Wi-Fi is everywhere except inside our bedroom. They only provide LAN cable in our room, therefore, it is best to bring or buy the Wi-Fi router so that you can get the Wi-Fi access inside your room. The mobile internet in Singapore is pretty affordable, which is around 20SDG per month. Cautionary Measures As it may rain in January to February, it is often a good idea to bring an umbrella out. Umbrella would also be helpful to cover yourself from the hotness of sunshine during the very hot period in Singapore

Checklist Checklist Passport Pass Photos Blanket Bed Sheets Pillow Laptop Camera Sunblock Umbrella Wi-Fi Router

Part IV Best Practices of Host University (Optional) Best Practices of Host University All in all, NUS provides a bunch of student activities that student can choose from. Some of them are very unique that you would never think about it. NUS also provides exceptional class experience, such as from the interesting projects and brilliant classmates. Go check their mobile application to know what is happening and available for you! If more information is needed, get my contact from SBM Exchange Team by emailing at bmugexch@ust.hk. I would be more than happy to help you! Last but not least, have fun and do not forget to seize every single opportunity that you have while going exchange to NUS! Good luck! Cheers!