Details

• Singapore
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Preparation for NTU is pretty straightforward in my opinion. At least in terms of organizational matters such as student visa, housing, courses, etc., the NTU Staff held multiple online info sessions and were pretty quick to answer any questions via email. Apart from this, there are, of course, things like culture or weather (especially humidity) that are quite different, but a few hours of general research about the country you want to stay in for a few months seems pretty obvious to me. For anything culture-related, the cultural competence course at WU was pretty good and informative. A few more things I would recommend are getting a low-fee debit/credit card (e.g., Revolut or Wise), getting travel insurance (which I already had with my Erste Bank credit card), and getting the recommended vaccines for SEA if you plan on traveling a lot. In terms of transportation, I flew very cheaply (700€ round trip) with the Emirates Student discount. From the Airport to NTU, I recommend taking a Grab as it's not that much more expensive than the MRT but far more convenient and faster. Lastly, you definitely need to join the NTU Telegram group for exchange students, because it's super helpful to already get to know people beforehand and ask questions while you are still in Austria.

2. Accommodation

I chose on-campus housing because it was far cheaper than living in the city and also more convenient. It only took me max. 10 min to get to all my classes, with the slight drawback that NTU is far west of the city, so it takes around an hour to get to the center with the MRT. NTU offers single and double rooms with and without AC, which are randomly assigned. I got a non-AC single room, which was overall fine, but you may want to invest in a small portable AC unit. The room was pretty bare bones with a desk, bed, wardrobe, and chair. Everything else you either have to bring from home, or you can buy most necessities cheaply at IKEA at Jurong East. Overall, almost everyone I know chose to stay on campus because it's far more affordable and offers a good opportunity to meet both locals and fellow exchange students.

3. Academic life at host university

In terms of amenities, there are plenty of on-campus options, including restaurants, canteens, supermarkets, convenience stores, a large sports center, and gyms. In addition, there are a lot of spaces both in the different dorm-halls and also in the main buildings to meet people, study, or work on projects (especially the main library and The Hive are very nice buildings). The teaching style was, in my opinion, very similar to WU's, although that might differ for you, as I only took courses that involved projects and no final exams. One key difference is that grades are curved, so you are more or less directly competing with your classmates, but it didn't have any negative effect on my grades. Lastly, in terms of course recommendations, I took two business courses (Strategic Management; Management Principles, Skills & Competencies) and one language course (Spanish 1), all of which were pretty interesting and not too difficult. Many other students also chose to take more creative courses in the Media and Arts department or sports courses. If you want to do this, it's key to use your free elective ECTS for this.

5. Every day life in the host country

Singapore is a very modern and extremely safe place, both on and off campus. On campus, 3 bus lines are free for all NTU students and get you around the whole campus (Red/Blue Lines) and into the city (Green Line). In addition, there are also public buses that drive to various locations on campus and also into the city. Once you are in the city, however, the fastest way to reach most major attractions/places by public transport is the MRT (subway). To pay on the public buses and the MRT, you hold your credit card on a reader when you enter and when you leave. If you are a few people who want to go somewhere together, simply sharing a Grab can also be very cheap and convenient. In terms of activities, there are plenty of options on campus. All halls/dorms have their own little community with organized get-togethers and also sport options. Additionally, in the first few weeks you have the option to join various clubs. I personally joined the Tennis Club, which had a 20 SGD membership fee, and we had rally sessions every week. Apart from clubs, there are plenty more sports options (Track, Tennis, Basketball, Table Tennis, Football, ...) that can be booked for free (1hr per Week per Student). Lastly there are, of course, a lot more events and activities throughout the city, but I would look up things to do once you get to know some people.

6. Testimonial

My time at NTU in Singapore was genuinely one of the best and coolest experiences of my life. I got to meet so many different people from around the world and made long-lasting friendships. Another big highlight was traveling in Asia, especially China and Japan. Even if you may have doubts right now, I assure you it's going to be worth it.