The introduction program of NUS was supposed to start one and a half week before the semester started. However, the introduction program was cancelled this year. I arrived in Singapore exactly two weeks before the semester started. I only had to do some registrations during this period, but basically I had two weeks of holidays, which was nice and relaxing as well. There were some possibilities to join a mentor program, however, there were only a few mentors, and most people were too late signing up. Unfortunately, I did not get any mentor. My advice is to apply for a buddy program directly when you get an e-mail.

Another thing I would like to highlight, is that it might be a good idea to book a hotel for your first night. My flight was four hours delayed, and I arrived at 2AM in Singapore. I did not want to take the risk that no one could give me the keys for my dorm in the middle of the night, so I decided to stay in a hotel. However, because it was night, I could not book a hotel online (it was already the “next day”). I did not had a sim-card yet and everything was closed at the airport, so I could not make a call to a hotel. In the end, I could contact my family and they booked a hotel for me! It would have been more relaxed and time-saving if I thought of this before I left. 

The things that costed most money were the plane tickets and the accommodation. I got a travel stipend from KI, where I could cover my tickets with. My accommodation costed approximately 12.000 SEK for the whole semester. I saved a lot of money by choosing for a shared room.

Furthermore, daily life costed quite some money. I did not had a kitchen in my building, I had to eat in a food court every day. There are several food courts on the campus, where they sell meals for 30-60 SEK. You can find food courts everywhere in Singapore and these are way cheaper than restaurants. Usually, the campus accommodation has a meal plan, but for my college, this was under construction.

Going out in Singapore is quite expensive, unless you go on a Wednesday (ladies night). Also, many clubs and bars have guest lists for exchange students, which give you free entrance. Furthermore I have spent money on things during the weekend, such as museums and going to restaurants. Also, I have traveled to surrounding countries during some weekends.

The official language in Singapore is Malay. However, almost everyone speaks English, which is the second language in the country. Chinese and Tamil (Indian) are the other languages that are spoken in Singapore. The culture from Singapore is very different from the culture in Sweden. In school, everyone is very competitive. The food is mostly Asian (rice and noodles) and the climate is very warm.

Some social activities were organized by NUS, however, these had only few spots. I could join some activities, such as a biking trip and a weekend to Malaysia. In my opinion, it was easy to meet new friends in the dorms. A lot of international students were living together. We arranged our own activities every week. Also, many sports activities were organized. I joined a running group, were we trained three times a week. There were also other clubs, such as cooking, gaming, etc.

Next to this, I also travelled to the neighbour countries during my exchange. I have been away several weekends to Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. It is relatively cheap to book flights in south-east Asia. However, for some countries you might need a visa.

Overall, the exchange was a great experience. I learned a lot at NUS and about other cultures. I think it will affect my future because the exchange taught me a lot about other topics and how to work together with people from all over the world. It was amazing to meet so many ambitious students and to live abroad for a while. I would recommend everyone to go!