Hi, my name is Deloraa Sebastian and I am a third year law student who has just completed a year abroad in Singapore. For my year abroad, I spent the last 10 months studying at Singapore Management University (SMU) and travelling around Southeast Asia.
Our semester started a lot earlier than Southampton, with classes starting on the 18th August so I had to arrive a week earlier to get myself settled in. I spent the first week exploring the main attractions of Singapore which included the famous Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and Changi Airport which features the famous Jewel.
During orientation, SMU introduced what classes would look like with seminar style lectures that lasted three hours long (yes it really did last three hours!) and what the semester as a whole entailed. They also encouraged exchange students to take the opportunity to travel around Southeast Asia as Singapore is famously seen as a focal point for many people to travel around SE Asia.
I did not take this opportunity lightly as I had the privilege to travel to 7 countries during my year abroad which included Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Laos and even Australia. Some of my favourite memories included seeing the sunset on a beach in Perth and taking the slow boat from Chiang Rai (Thailand) to Luang Prabang (Laos) for 2 days and 1 night, where the views were incredible.
Other than the main attractions in Singapore, the food was definitely a highlight. A favourite delicacy of mine was Kaya toast which consists of slices of bread spread with Kaya on top and normally it is served with ‘kopi’ and soft-boiled eggs. SMU campus also had a vast variety of food, drinks, and dessert to offer ranging from their acai bowls to their Korean bibimpap. Additionally, a staple of Singaporean culture also includes hawker centres which exists pretty much everywhere in Singapore. Hawker centres are open food courts with many individual food stalls that provide authentic and affordable food, and these were definitely a life saver when low on cash!
Looking back on this year, if I had to describe it in one word, it would be ‘unexpected’. Getting to study at such a prestigious university, having the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, travel to so many different countries and explore different cultures was such a privilege and an unforgettable experience. To anyone thinking of doing a year abroad, I highly recommend it. It will seem intimidating at first and landing in a country where the culture is different will definitely be daunting, but it is such an invaluable opportunity and I am so grateful I took the leap!