Details

• Singapore
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

WU application process is relatively straight forward and doesn't include many intricacies. Just be honest in the interview and the motivation letter so you won't get caught on a lie. The only really important part I want to emphasize - is the choice of the exchange destination. Even tough this report is about Singapore, there are plenty of other awesome destinations available and you should definitely look into them. This way you will find the best fit for you personally. I suggest looking for high-ranking universities in the parts of the world you really want to visit and get the experience of living in (e.g. North and South America, Asia or Australia) This exchange can be the only possibility you will get in the near future to get this unforgettable experience of living in another part of the world! Therefore, I don't recommend any of the European universities even if they have better ranking than other ones.

2. Accommodation

NTU provides its own on-campus housing and 9 out of 10 times exchange student stay there. There are A LOT of housing blocks for students, which are split into "halls". The good part is that there is plenty of room to house almost every exchange student (I know only a few people out of 750 exchange students, who were denied housing). However, each hall can vary significantly in the quality of rooms, amenities, location on campus and social life. If you get lucky and are assigned a "good" hall, you can expect a pleasant experience with all the amenities, quality rooms and a big group of other exchange students to befriend. However, if you get unlucky and get assigned a "bad" hall like in my case, your experience of living at NTU will be significantly worsened. Additional info: AC is not always present in the rooms and it is only determined by luck whether you get it in your room or get a ceiling fan. It is also not free, so you will have to spend around 50 euros a month if you use it often. You can put a preference between a double room and a single room. However, I should say that single rooms are tiny. I think they are literally smaller than a prison cell. So if you are a social person, I recommend a double room. Plus you will save around 130 euros per month on rent. Price: Double w/o AC: ~270 euro Double w AC: ~300 euro Single w/o AC: ~400 euro Single w AC: ~430 euro Bathrooms are communal in all halls and almost always have a problem of people not flushing the toilet. Cockroaches are also not uncommon guests. No Wi-Fi or fridge in all rooms and halls. Only LAN connection and mobile internet are available. Other housing options are extremely inconvenient, due to the distant location of the university from the city center and outrageous prices (usually around 1000 euros per month in order to live in an apartment with 4 other people)

3. Academic life at host university

Quality of courses: NTU is the 12th ranked university in the world. One would expect a major difference in the quality of courses provided when compared to WU, right? Wrong! Well, at least partially. NTU is a technological university (it is in the name) therefore, engineering, biological and computer science courses are truly exceptional and were praised by many exchanges student I have met. Courses in the sphere of business, finance and economics on the other hand were lacking when compared to engineering courses. They are not bad, but not mind-blowingly better than at WU. One course in particular (AI in Accounting and Finance) was so bad and poorly structured, that I couldn’t believe it was held at the university of such esteem. Overall, I recommend finance courses the most. Unless you want to try yourself out in other fields such as computer or data science. Learning culture: As many people know, Singapore has a very strict studying culture. Local students spend a ridiculous amount of time in the library and even sleep there with their head on the table. However, in reality getting good grades was not as challenging as I anticipated. I got decent grades (A-,A-,B+,B+,B) for my courses by studying in a very relaxed mode and spending much more time traveling, partying and having fun with my friends. So don’t get anxious about fierce learning in Singapore, it is mostly a myth. Unless you are an engineering student, those guys were really consumed by the studies. Campus: Campus is BIG. There is not much else to say about it. Architecture is very utilitarian for the most part with the exception of a few fancy buildings. Infrastructure is present, but is often overwhelmed by the sheer number of students. When compared to the national university of Singapore, it becomes evident that this one got the short end of the stick.

5. Every day life in the host country

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ Cost of living in the section 4 is the BARE minimum. This means not a single euro wasted and you choose the cheapest options. Only study, eat, sleep and repeat. If you are planning to take everything from your exchange, it will be around 7500. This will include traveling, partying, some restaurants, amenities outside of campus and other expenses for a comfortable living. Everyday life in Singapore and in NTU specifically can be challenging. First and foremost, heat and humidity are insane. It can vary from person to person, but for me who is vulnerable to heat, it was almost unbearable at first. It got somewhat better after a month, but I was not able to fully adapt to it even at the end of my exchange Secondly, food was a big problem for many exchange students. It is usually very greasy and spicy. It is possible to find some dishes that you like, but then you get bored from eating the same thing. In the middle of our exchange there were probably not a single person, who didn't miss the food from home. Moreover, cooking yourself is basically not an option, because you don't have any utensils and even a communal fridge. Last but not least, differences in culture are also a major factor, which you have to adapt to. Singapore is home to many nations, but Chinese, Indians and Malay make up most of the population. It will take a while to get used to many differences in how people live in this side of the world. These are three main challenges I wanted to highlight. Otherwise, Singapore is a well-developed, safe and urbanized city state. You can find all possible activities there. From good clubs to all kinds of sports. Everyone will find something fitting for them. However, the best part is without a doubt - traveling and exploring Asia. Don't miss out on the opportunity to visit as many countries as your passport allows ;)

6. Testimonial

Challenging in the process, but unforgettable experience. I would never regret going on this exchange. It gave me many friends, new emotions and a ton of fond memories.