Study abroad: Andrea's story
Published on 28 October 14
Ahead of next week's Study Abroad Fair, we spoke to students who have been there and done it. This is Andrea's story, who spent a semester at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore:
Time goes by so quickly. I still remember how excited I was when I was about to board my flight to Singapore and now I'm back in Manchester worrying about how not to forget my umbrella when I go out next time. How I miss Singapore weather! But there is so much more about my year abroad that made it a worthwhile experience.
I went abroad for one semester through the Worldwide Exchange Programme. Probably the best thing is that you know you are going on exchange so early as you need to submit your applications by December in 1st year (or December in 2nd year if you are on a 4-year course). It gives you so much more time to prepare for a different culture, make travelling plans, research about the university and what you want to do during your period abroad there.
Also, going abroad motivated me to achieve good results in my first year, even if it didn't count towards my final mark - the offer was conditional upon my grades. The International Programmes Office was also really helpful with providing me with information about the application procedure and reminding me about deadlines. There is nothing to be afraid of there as they make the application process really easy to cope with.
So, I boarded my plane in December (0 degrees in Vienna) and arrived to Singapore (31 degrees!). I remember how excited I was to get on an already full MRT (underground train service in Singapore) and go to my campus. NTU has an awesome garden campus; it really seems out-of-place in comparison to the vibrant Singapore business district. I was lucky enough to get a room with air-conditioning and my journey has begun.
The university workload is really a bit more than in the UK, but it all depends on courses you take while abroad. At NTU they are really good in finance and accounting modules, so I tried to match my course choices according to Manchester requirements as best as I could. When it comes to the grading scheme, you are compared to other Singaporean students in order to obtain the mark. This can be a bit demanding as the culture there is really hard-working. Nevertheless, it all contributed to improving my time management skills and now I am able to cope with my workload more effectively.
Assessment was also continuous and we had lot of quizzes, reports or projects to do. Teamwork is a key word in most classes, and from the first seminars I was assigned to a group of students that I was supposed to work on class assignments for that particular module. It was really great to meet all these people in classes as we got to know each other better when in smaller groups. We could discuss issues about our countries and differences more effectively and I really enjoyed the module structure there.
I didn't have as many lectures as I did in Manchester, as the classes are more seminar based. I learned from lecturers in a much smaller seminar classes (40-50 students). The approach is much more personal and lecturers are really helpful when it comes to giving information about assessment. Also they always find time for additional support for exchange students as they know it is a bit hard to adapt to so many new things.
Singaporean culture is also amazing. It is all about amazing food choices, great welcoming people and cultural heritage. I enjoyed trying new cuisines, going to lot of parties and local clubs, and most of all travelling.
While on exchange you make such an extensive network of friends as well! In my second week I organised a group on Facebook and we travelled together to Kusu Island. I got to meet so many new people from other exchange countries (USA, Canada, Australia, China, France, and Germany to name a few) on this trip and I travelled with this group of friends a lot. Singapore is such a great place to visit other South East Asian countries. I visited Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia but I'm definitely craving for more and I am planning to go back. At the end of the semester my family came to see me and we travelled to Bali for a holiday - the best family holiday ever!
Although I was already abroad here in the UK for my degree, going studying to another country was another completely different experience. If you have a chance to go abroad, take it! It doesn't matter whether you are a home or international student. Go out of your comfort zone and discover new possibilities!
Try something new that you never thought you would have done before because that is what moves one forward! After my exchange, I feel more mature as a person, not afraid to go somewhere unknown on my own. I feel more prepared for what is to come out there when I finish university this year.
The Study Abroad Fair is taking place on Tuesday 4th November, 12pm-4pm in Academy 2 in the Students’ Union and gives you the opportunity to explore the options for spending a period abroad at an overseas university as part of your Manchester degree.