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Nanyang University - Singapore

for more comments, please check out the binders in 1055 BIF

Sites

  • Clark Quay - night-life! check out these clubs: Dbl0, Butter Factory, Attica, Zouk, Zirca, hang out by the bridge near Attica and grab drinks from the 7-11 near by
  • Little India - basically like a little India!
  • Esplanade - a nice place to walk around. The performing arts building (esplanade) is shaped like a durian (a really strong smelling fruit that they enjoy here A LOT) and the famous Merlion statue is also a hot spot to take pictures. The Merlion is this half-lion half mermaid statue (there is history behind the statue design)
  • Orchard Road - the Michigan avenue of Singapore
  • Chinatown - good deals for souvenirs
  • Bugis - night shopping and hookah places nearby at Arab Street
  • Singapore Flyer - a ferris wheel? It is a popular thing to do if you are here visiting

Transportation

  • MRT - a subway/train system
  • Bus
  • Taxis at night
  • Buy an ez-link card to save on fare. There are two public buses that go through campus, 199 or 179, both lead to Boon Lay which is the closest MRT stop that will take you to the city or clubs, etc. (unless you take the 179 and get off at Pioneer MRT stop—it’s a newly built stop).

Jargon

  • “Lah” - similar to man. Like Hey, man. Adding “lah” at the end of sentences.
  • Saying, “yes, can!” or asking something by ending with “can?” such as “let’s go to the beach.. can?” response: “can, lah!”
  • They speak English.

Attire

  • Same as America. No sweats.
  • It is really hot there so the usual summer attire works. Topless on beaches is totally inappropriate in Asia though.

Dining

  • Malaysian, Indian, Indonesian, and Chinese dishes
  • Vegetarian is available
  • Fried rice, naan and chicken curry, and a whole lot of other dishes
  • Kaya Toast – SO YUMMY! It’s a type of jam on toast
  • Lots of sushi
  • Dumplings, steam boat
  • Mee goreng – fried noodles
  • Chili crab: Singapore’s famous dish!
  • Not many choices on campus

Cultural Differences

  • Singaporeans are very hard working.
  • The government regulations/restrictions
  • Many different cultures from SE Asia living here: Malaysians, Indonesians, Indians, Chinese, etc.

Entertainment

  • Esplanade has shows like Cats and then smaller performances almost daily
  • Clarke Quay- place for clubs, night life
    • Dbl 0, Zouk, Attica, Butter Factory – clubs
    • Vino Vino – free flow of wine + tapas from 6-8pm
    • New Asia Bar- in the Swiss hotel. If you go before 9pm or so (you should double check the time), you get free entry and happy hour drink specials? It is high-up and has a nice view of Singapore!
    • Underwater World Aquarium
    • Sentosa Beach - man-made beach but a popular spot for the younger crowd. Kinda pricey if you eat or drink here but fun with friends.
    • Tiger Beer Brewery - take a tour of Singapore's beer brewery
    • Chocolate buffet - Fullerton Hotel

    Housing

  • Dorms - great being close to other students, but VERY far from town
  • Few students lived off campus

“I lived on campus Hall 11.. I would prefer to live in Hall 12, 14, 15. I WOULD LOVE to live in Hall 3 or 16 because they have the newest furnishing with air-conditioning. But they are renovating all the halls to have air-con soon so it won’t be too bad. But living on campus is the best way to hang with all the exchange students easily and it would be annoying to live off campus and commute as the school is all the way on the west coast, a bit far from town.” – Saly Sebastian

Budget

“No. Asia is cheap. I spent $9000 including school.” – Nani Bhat

“I set a rough budget based on my scholarship money and what I saved from my internship the previous summer. I spent about $1300 on airfare round-trip to Singapore and back to Chicago and about $700 on the dorms for the semester. For all the traveling I did around SE Asia, I probably spent about give or take $3000, maybe? But creating an excel spreadsheet while you travel to keep track of how much you are spending is a great idea!” – Saly Sebastian

Classes

Nanyang Technological University:

  • AA202 (accy 302)
  • AB 102 ( Fin221)
  • GV 171 (Karaoke class)
  • HP 802 (Human Resources)

“Not bad. MUST STUDY.” – Nani Bhat

  • BA310 (AB105)
  • FIN major course (BA219-Management of Risk and Insurance)
  • FIN321 (BF322)
  • A movie elective course (COM227)

“My professors were generally really helpful and nice to the exchange students. The locals are also friendly as there is much group work although they are sometimes weary of joining a group with exchange students because they know we travel so much and don’t do a lot of “work”… None of the courses I took were unmanageable. Some were a little bit more time-intensive. Overall, the exams and homework were similar to things at U of I, some were easier, some were a bit harder. The students here study a lot and are very inefficient with their time, focusing on unnecessary details.” – Saly Sebastian

Preparation Before Studying Abroad

“Spoke with older members who are pursuing my degree to see which courses I should take at the U of I and which would be okay to take abroad. I mapped out my schedule for different possibilities. Spoke with a college advisor at the business school at U of I.” – Saly Sebastian

Travel

From Singapore, students traveled to:

  • Bangkok, Thailand
  • Ko Sumui (full moon party)
  • Hong Kong, Macau - China
  • Borneo
  • Bali, Indonesia
  • Kulau Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Vietnam
  • Cambodia
  • The Philippines
  • Japan

Cheapest place to travel to:

“All easy, all cheap.HK is hardest and most costly.” – Nani Bhat

“All of the above!! Malaysia and Indonesia are probably the cheapest and easiest since they are the closest though. The Philippines was a bit more expensive but it depends on which islands you want to go to.” – Saly Sebastian

Airlines:

  • Tiger Airways
  • Air Asia
  • Jet Star
  • Fly or bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and get cheap flights out of there. Ferry to Indonesia (Bintan)

Recommended hostels:

  • Cambodia – Jasmine Guesthouse in Siem Reap
  • Indonesia (Bintan) – Nostalagia Yasin Bungalow
  • Hong Kong – Yes Inn

Fun things to do in the other countries:

  • Thailand - snorkel trip/island-hopping around Koh Phi Phi and Phuket; in Bangkok, just walk around, go to the mall see locals; weekend market
  • Ko Sumui - Only partying
  • Hong Kong - Victoria Peak, Soho, Light Show
  • Borneo - Kota Kinabalu Mountain
  • Bali - Surf
  • KL - Chinatown Market, Reggae Bar
  • Philippines – Boracay island is AMAZING!
  • Vietnam – Cu Chi tunnels
  • Japan – Shibuya district for shopping, fashion, entertainment
  • Malaysia – Tioman beach or Langkawi beach

Favorite Memory

“Reggae Bar and meeting the Australian Hockey team.” – Nani Bhat

“Playing cards and drinking on the beach of Boracay, Philippines with friends from around the world under the night sky and with music in the background.. amazing!! J” – Saly Sebastian

Advice

“TRAVEL!” – Nani Bhat

“Even though you are on vacation, be alert of your surroundings and remember that you are not invincible. Be careful when you are trying adventurous things that you would not normally do. You can still get hurt!” – Saly Sebastian

***While in Singapore, you definitely need to club and travel to other countries!

***While in Singapore , you definitely need to go to the bridge in Clark Quaye with friends and have a beer (or sprite!)!

All answers provided by:
Nani Bhat – Spring 2008
Saly Sebastian – Spring 2009