Ho Jie Hui
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne

" I have found the SEP to be a very enlightening experience for me.   Being in a different university of a different culture has opened my eyes to the different views of people and their method of working…

 During the course of the SEP, I visited different areas of the country and had also ventured outside to the neighbouring countries to explore.  I found the trip, the overall independence of self, very enriching. It gave me opportunities to reflect upon and compare the differences between Singapore and the outside world, that part that I had seen.  I was very satisfied with my trip and was very thankful that I had this chance to go overseas to explore and widen my horizons. It truly had been a very rewarding time and the lessons that I've learnt would be sure to be invaluable in times to come."

Isabella
City University of Hong Kong

"...On the 2nd semester of AY2008/2009, I was granted the opportunity to study in City University of Hong Kong for one semester. It was a very memorable and enriching experience… Academic wise, I feel that SEP is a new eye opener… the IS department is under the Business Faculty and I learnt the modules from a new point of view. Without neglecting the technology aspect of IS, the lecturers taught IS modules with a more focused approach on the management aspect.  In conclusion, I am grateful to go for SEP as I learn to be more mature, independent, and to gain a wider perspective in life. I am thankful to NUS for giving me this once in a life time chance to study in another university and to immerse in a new culture in another country."

Yi Suqin
Chinese University of Hong Kong

"....CUHK is in New Territories (one of the island in HK), personally I think this is the best campus in HK as the environment is wonderful! It is a big campus with wonderful facilities like gym, tennis court, indoor basketball / badminton / table tennis court and etc, fresh air everyday and lastly you see mountains everyday!!

For the first month, I get to meet so many people, mainly from my hall and other exchange students. Students from all over the world came to this school and during the welcome dinner, students from different countries, different schools are grouped together to seat in one table. English is our common language, but soon we get to hear people speaking in Dutch, French, Mandarin or some other languages..."

"...Overall, there are a lot of "first time" and a lot of unforgettable events. Such experiences are precious and meaningful. I strongly encourage everyone to walk out of his or her comfort zone and go for exchange. even if it means graduating a semester later, it still worth it! (But if you map your modules well, you will still graduate as per normal).

Financial problem is not an issue, throughout this whole SEP, I did not take a single cent from my parents. You can always apply for SEP award and SEP loan. (With these two, you can at least go to Asia countries like HK/China).."

Chew Yan Jun
University of Waterloo

"..University of Waterloo is one of the few schools Bill Gates visit for his recruitment of IT professionals. Is is no doubt the Department of Computing, Faculty of Mathematics possesses brilliant and humorous professors that engage you in both their lessons and challenging lab works. Besides Computing, the Psychology Department also holds very valuable experiences in their lecturers and very fruitful lessons can be learnt...."

"..Missing home might be an issue, yet the friendly and cheerful Canadians almost instantly help you fit in. Be it in school, at the malls or simply strolling in the park, winter experience can never be more peaceful..." 

Tan Chong Wee

Technical University of Munich

"...Academically speaking, studying at the Technical University of Munich was a rather different experience compared to the system I am used to back in NUS. Classes were generally smaller in size which allowed for more personal interaction with the lecturer or tutor. However, since the classes I opted for were mostly conducted in German, I definitely had to put in more effort in order to understand what was going on. The lecturers were usually accommodating and would do whatever is possible in their capacity to help me out with any language or administration related issues. Students who are not particularly proficient in German should not be put off by this though, since German universities are gradually converting their lectures to use English as the language medium. The change has been taking place over the years and there is a significant amount of lectures which are offered in English..."

Lu Zhongwei

Keio University

"...Studying in Japan was something that I always dreamt about - until NUS Student Exchange Programme (SEP) made my dream into a reality. Being so excited about going to the land of the rising sun, I booked an early flight out, the first to reach Japan amongst all my friends in my batch, and took to exploring and traveling around on my own for the first few days. The cool weather, people dressed in thick coats, strange train systems struck me deeply, and later the gradual change in seasons from Spring to Summer..."

 

"...With the cool weather departing, my friends and I witnessed the beautiful, bright Cherry Blossoms that came with spring. It was a wonderful start for my semester at Keio University, where I took many lessons in Japanese, grilling over and over the necessary language nuances. Being one of the top universities in Japan, the facilities were very modern, with four campuses, situated in Tokyo and Yokohama...."

 

"...Overall, this exchange has been a super fun, fulfilling and enriching experience for me. My own regret was the short length of 4 months, there are so many places left to visit, so many things to try, and so many modules to take! If I have a chance, I would return for a long term visit during fall and winter...."