It’s been a while since the trip, but with the experience that it was, a recap won’t be a difficult feat to accomplish.
Having lived in the UK for the duration of my studies, the first and most obvious change was the climate – on average the UK maintains around 16°C regardless of the season. Singapore on the other hand does not obey the rules of Celsius; it stays at the comfortable warm breeze of the flames of hell. If absolutely every single building (apart from our bedrooms) wasn’t air conditioned, long trousers would not have the need to exist there. Also when it rains, it rains hard, which is also why there are overhead structures setup everywhere to make sure people don’t get caught out in the rain. I think, the pictures below give a good feel of how the country looks like. In short – it’s clean and well maintained.
Once I learned to deal with the slight warmth boost, the place became amazing. Even after long evening lectures, the general atmosphere is fresh, so much so, that jogging in the evening on their university (NUS) stadium was far more refreshing than tiring.
The people in Singapore are very friendly towards exchange students and are happy to help if you find yourself lost or confused.
While the studies weren’t easier than in Southampton, you shouldn’t expect less when picking Electronic Engineering or Computer Science as the degree to pursue.
The food was cheap and easy to find, with the quality being no less than great, although usually very spicy.
Getting around is also very easy – free university buses drive around frequently and if there’s any need to go farther out, the MRT and buses have you covered. The transport in Singapore is the most efficient I’ve seen so far.
And once you’re done with the studies, you realise that the positioning of the country allows you to, very easily, reach the surrounding countries and explore even more than you could have anticipated. Have a good plan and you’ll have the best time of your life. I sure did.
