Hi Everyone, my name is Rich. Well, Richard in Asia, because people tend to give me a funny look when I say, “Hi, I’m rich.” Doh. I’m a senior business student at LeBow, and I’m back again in Asia to share my stories with those prospective study abroad enthusiasts (yes, you) who can’t handle the wait before their departures. If you’ve been perusing the Dragon’s Abroad page, you might have stumbled upon my Hong Kong adventures. Feel free to check it out if you’re not already set on Singapore! This blog is a continuation of my study abroad experiences in the start of my last year at Drexel. Read on to find out more…
It wouldn’t hurt to start with a brief overview of the campus right? After all, you’re probably wondering what to expect. I’ll keep it short. NanYang Technical University (NTU) is a closed community campus in the West located about forty minutes from the center of Singapore and an hour and a half from the airport through the MRT (mass transit system). It’s not that bad, trust me. The airport is the eastern tip of Singapore. To put it in perspective, it takes less than two hours to go across the entire country. It won’t hamper your night life, don’t worry. You’ll have other issues to worry about that you can feel free to Google. Food is cheap, dirt cheap. And there will always be a canteen (cafeteria) within a five minute walk of wherever you are on campus. There’s also eight libraries, kinda insane. Dorms are separated guy/girl each floor; sorry guys. There’s a kitchen with a sink, portable stove (like the hotpot heaters), toaster, detergent and not much else. No microwave, but all 7 Elevens have on site microwaves you can utilize for frozen foods you buy. Rooms in Halls (on campus housing) are spacious and dirt cheap. On the flip side, housing is based on a random ballot system. No one is guaranteed housing. Housing off campus costs the same as Drexel, on campus is half the price. The campus is enormous, and most people take the free shuttles to get from one place to the next. There are shuttle stops outside each hall and at building sites. Local buses also stop at these shuttle stops. The main buses to get off campus are 179, 199 or the free shuttle “Campus Rider/Campus Weekend Rider” which all take you to an MRT station. The campus itself is gorgeous. Picture a tropical jungle. Add in some palm trees with coconuts and twenty first century engineering and you’ve got some sort of architectural masterpiece. That’s NTU in a nutshell.
If I could give you some advice, I'd like to mention that Singapore is a heavily regulated country. That is, there are a lot of strict laws here and rules to follow. But don’t be afraid; there’s a saying here that locals shared with me. “In Singapore, do whatever you want as long as you don’t get caught.” I’m not endorsing illegal drugs, but feel free to ignore the designated crosswalks and run for cover (using discretion for cops) if the sky suddenly decides to torrential downpour on you which happens every hour during August. Also, you get this little card (visitor’s pass) when you get off the plane or that you fill out while on the plane with a warning that says death to those who bring in drugs. Do. Not. Lose. It. It is oh so important in getting that little document called a Student Pass (visa) that’ll let you come as go as you please during your exchange. Lastly, make sure you read everything, I mean everything, on your endless list of instruction packages before you come here on exchange. Overlooking one item can cost you fifty bucks that could have bought you fifteen meals here, or so Confucius might have said. I’ll elaborate more on the instructions pertaining to course registration in a different post.
And finally, don’t forget to enjoy yourself although I’m sure I need not tell you twice. Singapore has so much to offer from cuisine, culture, entertainment and more. Take this picture of the Marina Bay Sands area for example.