Thank you Lindsay, Yuki and the entire NTU programme for an amazing international exchange experience! This trip to Singapore was my first visit to Asia. I was able to visit some amazing places, meet a bunch of interesting people, and learn quite a bit about Singapore and its neighboring countries.

Singapore is definitely different from the United States, however, it is relatively easy to adjust and feel at home. It is a very clean and comfortable place to live. Everyone, including classmates, professors, local Singaporeans, and expats are overwhelmingly friendly. The warm weather was also a very nice break from the winter in Chicago!

I enjoyed all my courses at NTU and I had great interaction with my professors and classmates. Classes were interesting - not just because of the course content - but because of the international perspectives that I gained through discussions with my classmates. I really enjoyed hearing about how life and work is different in SE Asia as compared to the United States.

Someone mentioned to me early on in my exchange programme that one of the greatest things about Singapore is its proximity to other countries and how easy it is to travel. I didn’t fully understand this until the end of the term. I was able to do quite a bit of travelling around the region. Some trips were more educational and cultural - such as visiting temples and museums, while others were more fun - hanging out on beaches in Thailand or scuba diving in Bali.

Overall, it was an incredible couple of months. Thank you to NTU and all the amazing people that made it such a memorable experience.