Exchange students are common in NUS these days- lolling about at The Deck, sitting next to you in the lecture theaters, basically blending in with the myriad of buzzing students. Besides adding to the vibrancy on campus and helping to create the identity of a truly global university, these students also leave Singapore with fruitful experiences not just of Singapore but of Southeast Asia.

Reasons for choosing NUS vary. Some, like Luke Swanson, 24, from Iowa State University in Minneapolis, United States, chose it because Singapore with its multi-racial make-up serves as the gateway to Asia. Others like Martin Kubli, 24, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland, came here because the Lion City’s status as an aviation hub offered the ideal “base” for backpacking throughout Asia. But for others like Tiffany Huang, 19, from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines chose NUS for its proximity to home and its stellar reputation.
The difference in curriculum is one of the greatest issues; although some of their experiences weren’t exactly positive. Ricardo van der Heijden, 24, from Eindhoven University of Technology in Netherlands found the bell curve applied for grading somewhat annoying. “It’s strange to require a teacher to give a certain part of the class always A’s only because they are better than the other students. This means that you can get different grades on the same test given in different semesters.” On the other hand, Luke enthused about the difference in dynamics of the tutorials. Back home, tutorials are more “business-like” and formal. In NUS he recalled, “We discussed and delivered to the class in a fun fashion so people could relate to it. Once, we referenced to Final Fantasy [a video game series] and some of the information definitely stuck with me.”

Besides school and the notorious chewing gum ban, adapting to the “Uniquely Singaporean” way of life proved far more interesting than they initially imagined. Living in a flat in Commonwealth, Martin was tickled by the sight of the elderly practising their morning Tai Chi. Singlish [English lingo spoken by Singaporeans] also definitely took some getting used to. Tiffany found it “weird that people add a “lah” at the end of their sentence, it’s not part of the sentence but they have to add it in”.

Being away from home for a period of no less than 6 months is tough but what all of our interviewees missed wasn’t family or friends, especially since they are “virtually around” via social platforms such as Skype or Facebook.

Rather it was access to their favourite comfort food. For Luke, it’s the ranch dressing from the States that he craves the most. Subway may be an American franchise but he dismisses the ranch dressing as a mere imitation. “We have it much unhealthier but it tastes so good.” While for the sweet-tooth Martin, “I miss desserts back home. Those in Singapore are different. Good quality tiramisu, coffee and chocolates are hard to find in Singapore…”
With the exception of Tiffany, the rest have returned to their respective countries to continue their academic pursuits at the beginning of semester 2. Nonetheless, the continued migration of exchange students into NUS promises to develop the culture and vibrancy of this hallowed institution.