#angelachang

Looking back on the past few months, I have a lot to say about this journey. As a kid, traveling to or studying in Singapore has always been my goal, and I am fortunate enough to cross it off my bucket list through the study abroad program. 

The environment of NTU was nothing close to what I imagined in the first place. Located on the west side of Singapore, the campus and nearby areas look pretty different from the city area. It could be inconvenient and energy-consuming many times while trying to move around from such an isolated place; however, staying on campus, I had a chance to expose myself to nature, to be surrounded by a variety of wildlife and learn to conquer up and down hills on my way to class each day. Academics-wise, core courses I took were super challenging to me but added value to my knowledge in the STEM field, which matches one of my goals of studying here. I also experienced being graded against my peers in a true bell-curved manner: it did stress me out as I was unfamiliar with the grading system and the structure of classes, but I also realized that reaching out for help is highly important, especially being alone in a new place.

(One last view of the NTU campus - Thai Dynasty had just opened right before I left, didn't get to try it)

My exchange experience has become more interesting as I look at Singapore as a person born and raised in Taiwan, and as a college student studying in the US. Frankly, the US is still new to me given that I have been living there for only a year and a half thus far, and therefore I found myself frequently comparing things in Singapore to those in Taiwan. The similarities are salient in both Asian countries in terms of languages, food and the public transportation system. However in Singapore, things are obviously pricey, but still quite affordable compared to prices in the US (depending on the situations, cost of living could be even higher than in Ann Arbor). 

Interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds was the most thrilling part. Living in a huge cultural melting pot where people are authentic to their own culture while showing inclusivity to each other, I was exposed to several languages with different accents in daily life, which added a level of difficulty both in academic settings and daily conversations. Languages and linguistics have been one of my greatest passions, and I was amazed by how languages have evolved based on regions (for example, Singlish!), and how different it could be in terms of the ways people express themselves despite talking in the same language (another example, when Asians and Europeans who are both non-native English speakers communicate in English). I also got to pick up a few phrases in Southeast Asian languages both from the locals and through travelling. These are things I believe I would only get to observe, experience and learn in the local cultural context.

(Singapore City Center View!)

The whole journey was full of surprise, chaos and challenges. My experience abroad both as an exchange and international student has taught me that a long-term stay away from your hometown is nothing the same as going on vacation for just a couple days, or even a few weeks. The workload of academics as well as the efforts and time it takes to adapt to a different cultural environment are always beyond expectations. My favorite part of the semester was people — my professors, and my friends I met in the hall, in class and in student clubs. By bonding with them, I truly felt like I have built a strong support system who would offer me a hand whenever I was lost or struggling. The kindness and tolerance they showed me have also reminded me that there is a broader community out there in the world, and that it is crucial to stay respectful, curious and open-minded at all times.

I would not describe my semester-exchange as “fun” or “one of the best decisions I’ve made so far.” In fact, it felt like I reached a goal I had set for a long while rather than making a decision to come here. However, the memories shared with a group of new people and takeaways from the experience have made my time here really rewarding, and I am truly grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Just a few days away from my second journey where I will be conducting research at National University of Singapore, I am excited to gain hands-on experience in engineering, explore more places I didn’t get to pay a visit yet, and keep putting myself out there in the unexpected to grow.

Goodbye Singapore, and see you again very soon!

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

Finally... I pushed through final exams! The last week at NTU was filled with chaos, fatigue, gratitude, and so many emotions. Finals started happening the week right after classes had ended, yet all of my finals were scheduled on the last week (which was lucky because I needed more time to study, and unfortunate because I had to study instead of traveling).

Two of my exams took place on May 5th (one in the morning, the other in the evening, not fun :l), and the last one on the morning of May 7th. They were two-hour, closed book exams with multiple choices, short/long answers with calculations. The main difference in finals between NTU and Umich was that at NTU, students were assigned to "exam halls" where several exams happened together at the same time. That being said, exam halls were huge and the school used prerecorded announcements from a speaker to state the rules, so that everyone were able to hear them clearly. I took my exams at 3 locations: School of Biological Sciences (SBS, they turned the lobby into an exam hall), Nanyang Auditorium and The Wave.

Tip: Extra bus routes to certain locations were provided during the exam period, so make sure to look out for the email!

After my exam (CIRCUITS!) on the 7th, I got to leave the campus with my friend, relaxing and hanging out! A lot of people were leaving Singapore (including myself) on the last week, so I tried to seize the chance to see as many friends as possible to create last-minute memories.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

The garden is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's open daily and free of entry except for the National Orchid Garden. My friend and I went there on a peaceful but cloudy Thursday afternoon and got to walk around for a bit before it started pouring. The garden was extremely large and gorgeous, rich in unique plants, animals and wildlife. Whether it was strolling along the rainforest trails or relaxing at the swan lake, I was so glad to enjoy the stunning landscape while catching up with my friend.

Marina Bay (Second time here!)

I came to Marina Bay the first week arriving in Singapore, but this time my friend recommended the Marina Bay water/light show happening at 8pm. We got there early in the evening, took a short walk around the bay and Marina Bay Sands (the mall, for air-con because it was so warm), and sat down at the deck by the bay to wait for the show. The water dance with fancy lights lasted for 15 minutes and was quite enjoyable with Singapore night scenes in the city center.

Bugis Mall/Haji Lane

Unlock one more mall in Singapore! Besides Jurong Point, Jurong East and the Star Vista, my friend introduced me to Bugis Mall. It's located in the east side and is the mall most Singaporeans visit often. We weren't particularly there for shopping (actually, we went in to get boba because we got so thirsty after lunch), but it was pretty nice to visit a new mall! Near the mall there were also some spots worth taking a look. We made it to Haji Lane, a street that gave an exotic vibe and featured different food options and souvenirs.

Food

One thing I always love about hanging out with friends is the opportunity to try out good food! I feel lucky to have friends who know about good restaurants/food stalls (and are willing to take me there!); plus, there are so many cuisine options in Singapore due to a mix of cultures. I had the best Bánh Mì (Vietnamese sandwich) at a Hawker Centre 10 minutes away from Jurong East MRT station, and I wouldn't have found such an amazing place if my friend didn't recommend it! Thai food have been one of my favorite cuisines, and I also got to try a few Thai restaurants here (Having travelled to Thailand twice, I know they're actually not the most authentic but the food still tasted good!).

And that wraps up the last week of my life at NTU! For the next and final post, I'm going to share my reflections about my study abroad experience. Special thanks to my friends whom I've got to spend time with - Goodbye and I wish y'all all the best!

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

As I prepare for finals which take place next week, I've been staying on campus to study while most of my friends are currently traveling outside of Singapore. However, I enjoy my time here because I got to explore more about the NTU campus before leaving! Even though I'm planning to come back to Singapore very soon (literally a week after the semester-exchange program ends), it's not quite possible to visit NTU again due to its ISOLATED location.

Only about 2 weeks left here at NTU, the campus doesn't seem to be less confusing to me. I no longer get lost in places I go to almost every day such as my hall/nearby halls, North/South Spine areas and certain tutorial rooms, but there are so many hills/ramps/staircases that make walking on campus a "climbing up and down" jouney. When I intend to take a stroll back late at night after a study session, it's usually more energy-consuming than expected (plus, the weather is not helping). Besides that, every time on the way back to my hall room, I always remind myself I lucky I was to be assigned a room on the 3rd floor, just by looking at the staircases leading to upper hills where other blocks of the hall are located :>)

(On my way back to Hall 9)

NBS

Nanyang Business School (also known as "Gaia"), a building I always went through on my way to language classes and The Hive. It's a building with open spaces and lots of networking events take place here (often, there are free food provided).

(Gaia)

North Hill Gym

The best gym accessible for every student. There's a larger one at The Wave (Sports & Recreational Centre), but it's only open to atheletic trainings. The North Hill Gym is located within North Hill Halls, and the canteen and a perfect hot pot place are right next to it. It's relatively small compared to the gyms at Umich, but still well-equipped except that people have to wait/ fight for treadmills.

(My regular workout spot)

Yunnan Garden

A Chinese-style garden located near The Hive and School of Social Sciences, and it's a walkable distance from my hall (around 10-15 minutes)! During the past two weeks, I have been going for walks in the evenings before it gets dark. Simply climbing up hills, passing through Hall 2 and Hall 1, wandering around the garden just to see the plants and enjoy the tranquility for a mental break from studying.

(Yunnan Garden in the evening!)

Get ready for the last week at NTU and I'll update y'all after my finals!

Keep my fingers crossed,

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

One thing I'm proud of during my life in Singapore is that I haven't turned on the AC in my room: Not even once after it was fixed!

Two words to describe Singapore weather would be "hot" and "humid," more accurately, EXTREMELY hot and humid. There are no seasons, so that's why people say "Semester 1/2" instead of Fall/Winter semester. It rains more in a few months within a year (like a wet season), but personally, I feel like it's been raining almost every day since January until now... Rains are torrential and usually last for a short period of time from late afternoons to evenings (there are some exceptions that it just rained the whole day, followed by rumbles of scary thunder). It would be pretty helpful to carry an umbrella with you or wear a poncho, based on personal preference.

(POURING...)

As for budgeting, $1 SGD is roughly converted to $0.76 USD, which shows only a difference in a few cents. Prices could be comparable to those in the US if you go shopping around the city center, but things are usually cheaper and more affordable at school. Let's look into an example of how I typically spend money in a day. For breakfast, a Kaya toast set is $2.3 SGD, and for lunch/dinner, there are certain food choices for me: Pasta Express, Mixed Veggie Rice, Chicken Rice, Bibimbap and Crowded Bowl. The costs are approximately $3.5~6 SGD, an acceptable range for college students.

(Singaporean traditional breakfast - a Kaya Toast set)

(mixed veggie rice, Crowded Bowl (like "make-your-own salad bowl"), Bibimbap and chicken rice)

Eating at malls (which I usually do with friends from time to time) would definitely cost more ($12-20/person); commuting to malls by either buses or buses + MRT is not expensive, but prices vary depending on the distance you travel. A tip for transportation costs: Download "SimplyGo" app and you can track your transaction details if you pay by ApplePay!

(Boon Lay Bus Interchange - connected to Jurong Point mall and the Boon Lay MRT Station)

Cost of living in Singapore is generally considered pretty high. Because of the size of the country, most of the stuff is imported and thus results in higher prices among all Asian countries, which, in turn, has become a big culture shock to me after living in both Taiwan and Ann Arbor.

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

Finally pushing through the final week of classes filled with quizzes, tests and oral presentations! On Friday, after catching up some well-deserved sleep, I got to hang out with some Taiwanese friends I met in the Tennis club! As international students who have already been in Singapore for a decent amount of time, they took me to a mall - The Star Vista, located right next to the Buona Vista MRT station. We followed recommendations on the Internet and found an amazing Korean restaurant! We shared dishes and the price was $30 SGD per person - quite expensive but it was worth it as an end-of-semester celebration!

(Kimchi Stew with ramen, Chive Pancake and Fried Chicken!)

Now that classes ended, I'd like to reflect on a few things I have observed in courses and how academics was different from Umich. Here at NTU, be ready to experience being graded in a true bell curved manner (even for language classes!). The school is honestly untransparent about grades and since the letter grade heavily depends on your peers' performances, one way you could do is to email professors individually to ask for average score and grade distribution to know about your class standing. I have finals for 3 of my classes, each weighing 60% of my final grade (that's also the main reason I'm staying here on campus, locking in for finals...)

EE 2101: Circuit Analysis (equivalent to BIOMEDE 211) is one of the core courses I took this semester. Besides online lectures, in-person review lectures and tutorial sessions, there are 2 labs where students should attend based on their assigned time slots. The lab structure is more similar to that of physics lab at Umich. We were divided into a group of 2, worked on the questions following the manuals, and submitted a lab report by the end of the day. Personally, labs were super challenging for me, but I was pretty lucky to have helpful lab partners and friends who walked me through the process when I got lost.

(A snippet into what the circuit lab looked like - It took me a while to learn how to turn on the machines, read data/waves and work on the breadboard)

Language classes were my favorites! I learned a lot from both of my Spanish and Korean lessons. In Level 1, everyone was new to the language, so there was no pressure practicing with my peers; it had been super fun, and I got a chance to make some friends just by talking and STRUGGLING together. The school does expect a lot from students even in Level 1: We started writing essays and having long conversations for oral tests (describing pictures, presenting on the stage) even though our vocabularies and understandings of grammar were still limited.

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

So here I graduated!

This Tuesday, GEM Trailblazer hosted a "graduation" event for all GEM exchange students - there were food, performances, games, graduation caps decoration, and finally, a cap throwing ceremony that marked the end of our exchange semester! (Though classes continue until next Thursday).

Engaging myself in campus life, I feel so lucky to have found such an amazing community with local, international and exchange students. I've enjoyed sharing my experience with all of them who came from a variety of backgrounds.

(Graduation event - Echoes of the Cosmos!)

(Cap throwing!)

Trainings for sports clubs have come to an end as well. We had our last 4K run this Wednesday evening in the rain (still super fun!) My time in Runner's club will definitely be one of the best memories at NTU. Runs were casual, and I got to explore more about the campus and tested my limits while trying to conquer different routes. More importantly, every person was super sweet and welcoming; it was amazing getting to bond with them and enjoy free iced drinks after each run (I had so much Red Bull)!

I also appreciate the chance to join the tennis coaching sessions hosted by NTU Tennis Club. Before coming here, the last time I played tennis was in high school, so it's been fantastic that I get to pick up my skills again and improve them while meeting new friends in the club!

(Final run in the rain!)

The last two weeks of school have been extremely chaotic. Tests, quizzes, assignments, group projects, oral presentations... every day feels like a battle. Additionally, I've found that juggling tasks from both NTU and Umich, especially with a 12-hour time difference, has been one of the most challenging parts as an exchange student. There are always things going on at both sides which I'm not willing to miss out, and I believe that while building new relationships here, it is also crucial to keep in touch with my friends back in the US and family in my hometown because they are always my support system no matter where and how far away I am. The realization has taught me the importance of staying on top of things and motivated me to practice time management skills, which is a huge takeaway from my study abroad experience.

The picture below shows one of the most beautiful buildings on campus - ADM (Art, Media, and Design), where I often pass by while walking back from North Spine. Random snapshots on the way back to my hall and cheers to the end of this semester!

(ADM Building)

See you very soon,

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

Greetings from JB, Malaysia! This weekend, my friend and I decided to go on a short trip to JB to de-stress at the end of the semester. Except for booking the hotel, we didn't have any itenary because we meant to make the trip SUPER CHILL. Plus, travelling to Johor Bahru was pretty easy by public transportation.

The overall travel time took almost 2 hours (literally about the same as travelling to Changi airport by buses and MRT)! The MRT ride took us to Kranji station; from there we took the bus to Woodlands checkpoint, and hopped on another bus to JB checkpoint (yes, I was on the bus and all of a I already crossed the border in Malaysia).

(The connector from JB Sentral Station to City Square)

JB Sentral Station/City Square

Once we got through the JB customs in JB Sentral Station, there was a connector leading us straight to a mall - City Square. A variety of food options, clothes shops, a bookstore and convenience store, everything was very cheap compared to Singapore (and the US <:) My friend and I tried food at a local restaurant and got some treats from FamilyFMart (a common convenience store in Taiwan but not ib Singapore).

The bookstore, Popular, has become one of my favorite spots in Johor Bahru. The population of Chinese decent people is huge in Malaysia, but what's special about the bookstore was that they sold a lot of Chinese books - in both simplified and traditional Chinese (Traditional Chinese is used in Taiwan while most people from other areas use simplified one).

(FamilyMart and Bookstore!)

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee

The next day around noon, we called Grab (Uber) and headed to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, a historical, old street 10 minutes away from City Square. In JB, Grab would be the most convenient way to move around because it's not the safest to walk on the streets, especially at night. There are some cafes, thrifting shops, and a super famous bakery which sells the best banana cake (but unfortunately, it was closed).

(Lunch - Nasi Lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf), Kaya butter toast and iced Milo - only $6 SGD!!!)

(Accessories and Cafes)

JB is not a place full of attractions, but you can always have fun just eating and shopping! I spent so much time in the bookstore and a cute Korean-style accessories shop, and still felt like it wasn't enough! My friend and I will definitely go back either to stay for a couple of nights or enjoy a day trip with good food there.

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering

SIngapore has a reputation of "a city in a garden" due to its approach to urban planning and sustainability. The country believes that by developing a green and clean environment, the quality of life can be improved, and further attracting tourism and investment. When walking on the street, you can see green spaces everywhere: parks, nature reserves and gardens! As much as I love being in the nature and have visited Gardens by the Bay when I first got here, I will never get tired of exploring more greenery in this city.

Jurong Lake Gardens/Chinese Gardens

Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Botanic Garden are the two most iconic gardens. However, because of NTU's location, traveling to the east side/city center is very time-consuming (also, the cost of public transportation can be expensive). Fortunately, there is a beautiful, huge garden in the west area that is accessible by a short ride of buses or MRT.

Taking MRT to either Chinese Garden or Lakeside station, it was fun to see many Chinese architectures while enjoying the scenic view. Walking in nature after a long week with friends, or alone, is a perfect way to relax. The sky was unfortunately cloudy the day we visited there, but I have made a mental note to go biking and chill in the coffee shop next time.

(View of Chinese Garden)

Changi Airport (My favorite airport so far!)

The most STUNNING airport I've ever seen. It's hard to believe an airport can be a tourist spot. But Changi Airport, as huge and modern as it is, has 4 terminals and a lot of fun facilities! The airport is very high-efficient since everything is automatic: checking in with kiosk, dropping bags, identity check, going through the security checkpoint...the whole process took no more than 10 minutes (and usually there is no line). Going through customs is my favorite part because regardless of your citizenship, all you have to do is scan your passport and you're good to go! (again, no lines and waiting time).

I had the opportunity to see the tallest indoor waterfall located in Jewel (one of the malls connected to Terminal 1) when I flew back from Indonesia. I got so lucky to see the Light & Music Showcase they put on daily at 8pm! It was a special experience to have dinner and watch water cascading down with changes in lights and colors.

(airport!)

(Jewel Rain Vortex (waterfall!) and Chandelier (a long slide + 16m-tall play structure))

(Light & Music Showcase at 8pm!)

Food

Not until I got here did I realize ice cream tastes the best with bread. No cones, no cookies, no cups, just a piece of bread folded into half. Besides bread and ice cream sandwich, I finally got to try the most famous Kaya toast - Ya Kun Kaya Toast. A traditional Kaya toast set comes with two pieces of toast with Kaya jam/butter, two half-boiled eggs and a cup of hot coffee or tea of your own choice. Usually, we add soy sauce and pepper into the eggs and dipped the toast with eggs (I tried not to add anything but the butter was too sweet).

(Ya Kun and chocolate mint ice cream sandwich)

Approaching the end of the semester, more coursework is, sadly, eating up my leisure time. Before starting to lock in for finals, I'm going on a trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia with my friend next weekend. Stay tuned!

Checking out from March,

Angela Chang

Biomedical Engineering