By Maia Trevelyan

Kia ora! My name is Maia, and I’ve been at Nanyang Technological University for three and a half months—almost halfway through my exchange. It wasn’t until I started seeing summer photos from friends back in New Zealand that I realised how much time had passed. I left in the middle of winter, bundled up in warm coats, and spent nights with the heater on full blast. It’s surreal to think I’ve been abroad this long because it still feels like I just arrived. Although I was excited to go on exchange, I was also pretty nervous. Now that I’m here, I can wholeheartedly say I highly recommend studying abroad, and NTU is an incredible place to be! Here are a few key points I think would be super relevant for anyone considering it:

Singapore (General)

The saying “rules are made to be broken” definitely doesn’t apply in Singapore. There’s a correct way to do almost everything, and it’s often legally required. At first, the structure of life here surprised me, but now it makes complete sense. One amazing thing about Singapore is the abundance of free activities. The photos I’ve attached show some of the many free light shows and concerts open to the public. Travelling on a budget is definitely possible here!

The Food

Words can’t do justice to how incredible the food is. I’ve had so much amazing food, I’m not sure how I’ll adjust to life back in NZ! Both on- and off-campus food far exceeds my expectations. Local Hawker Centres offer between 20 to 60 stalls, each specializing in different cuisines and dishes. The variety is overwhelming at first, but you quickly get used to it—and even come to love it.

The People

The people I’ve met here inspire me, encourage me, and believe in me, and I’m truly grateful to have formed such meaningful connections in a short time. That’s the beauty of going on exchange—everyone is also looking to make lifelong friends, so finding your tribe is easy.

Campus

The NTU campus is HUGE. I have to take a bus every morning to get to class. During orientation, we toured the campus, and I’m pretty sure we walked the same 300-meter stretch five times; it felt like a maze! I still get lost after one semester, but locals are always happy to help, and I’ve only been late to class once. The infrastructure is also really impressive. We have tutorials in “The Hive,” a dim sum-shaped building that has a library, café, student activities centre, and about 60 tutorial rooms. Campus food options are extensive and budget-friendly. Unlike in NZ, students here don’t cook their own meals; breakfast, lunch, and dinner are bought on campus. Standard meals generally cost between $3-10, making groceries likely more expensive.

Study

Most NTU students are intelligent, ambitious, and hardworking. I’ve noticed a difference in the difficulty of content and assessments compared to Waikato. Everything here is graded on a bell curve, which can be challenging to grasp. In short, students are ranked relative to each other, and grades are assigned based on that ranking. This system has its complexities—while it fosters a hardworking environment, it can sometimes discourage collaboration.

Getting Around

In New Zealand, I relied heavily on my car, as do many others! Adjusting to public transport has been a big shift. No students here own cars because of Singapore’s high car levy, making standard cars cost around NZD$150,000, which encourages people to use public transport. I wasn’t a fan of taking buses and trains at first, but now I wonder what NZ would be like with reliable infrastructure—it would truly transform the country.

Overall, my exchange has been incredible and fully met my expectations. I have no regrets about coming here. If anyone has questions about studying abroad, Singapore, or NTU, please feel free to reach out to the UoW Global Experiences Team, and they can connect me with you!