By Sadhana G

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

 – Arthur Ashe

 

As Singapore has gone into lockdown mode recently, I felt that its the right time to share some of my best experiences during Masters coursework in the Lion City.  There is a memoir that’s deeply etched on my mind. ‘Hurray!’ was one word that came into my mind, when I found out that my far fetched dream had been realised through just one e-mail. I was admitted into the Asian Studies program at the prestigious Nanyang Technological University in the Garden city called Singapore.

In this article, my main motive is to comprehensively analyse the list of pros and cons of studying in the Red Dot. It was an amazing interlude in my life. Without further adieu, let’s check out the compilation.

The Amazing Things about Being a Graduate Student at NTU

• You learn from the best 

Singapore is a melting pot of cultures. Only the brightest innovative minds worldwide, are carefully handpicked for curated courses in the world’s finest ranked University.  I still clearly remember that there were students from all over the world, from the USA to Australia, across varied professional backgrounds from teaching to Ministry of Defence. It is always a refresher to listen to first-hand stories from a globalised audience and learn the path of growth from them.

• An opportunity to diversify interests

Singapore is the safest and one of the lowest-risk havens to try out an eclectic mix of activities. You will have an enjoyable time doing stuff, for which you will be never judged.  From delectably tasting global cuisines, volunteering for diverse group of NGOs which caters to different needs, nightclubbing, learning Japanese/Malay/Chinese, hiking across natural parks, bungee jumping, zip-lining etc. you name it, you have it. My dearest friend introduced me to Bibimbap (Korean signature dish) which i tried for the very first time and fell in love with it, ever since. 

• Develop competitive drive

Singapore is well renowned for offering un-compromised world-class quality education. It has a very competitive school curriculum as well as rigorous university schedules to equip students with the right skill sets for any profession.  With the latest tightening of immigration policies & limited job opportunities, most of the students in my class, started to look-out for jobs, within a month after they settled into their short term courses. I started out an active job-hunt on online portals, as well. As a result of Singapore’s highly competitive job market, even a laidback student puts in the best efforts to fetch any job.

• Becoming Independent

Away from the cocoon- called home, Singapore was the best place, to start out to become independent. I had only heard of the term before. Later, became quite aware  and realised the profound meaning of it in Singapore. Doing everything from opening a bank account to fetching groceries for amateur cooking attempts, I glimpsed and learnt to brace and accept all these outwardly threats, posed by the world. Had I not stepped out of my cozy comfort zone, I wouldn’t have had the chance to view the world in different dimensions and learnt the art of independence.

Above mentioned positive takeaways, were the best things I had scored, during University days in Singapore. Now, let’s peek into the dark side.

My Challenges into this Wild and Wonderful Journey 

• Tendency to lose oneself

This is entirely subjective. Not everybody is prone to losing their identities when living abroad. To make this more clear, when subject to social peer pressure, one might end up doing weird things.  For example, I know someone who went from a complete teetotaller to someone who drank like a fish and had trouble managing the post-hangover effects for quite sometime. And the only reason is because he wanted to socialise with everyone in the party and thought he would be looked upon if he didn’t drink. 

• Breaking rules can land you in D-E-E-P trouble

As much as  the Merlion is popular in Singapore, so are the rules of this country. Especially, breaking any strict rule might even lead one to a hefty fine or worst case scenario- Caning.  Be sure to never sidestep any of the rules as listed publicly. From chewing gum to littering, to not eating durian in public places, you can take a look here to get a rough idea on the WHAT-NOT-TO-DOs in Singapore. 

• The Missing musings

Despite my projection as a bold, independent person who is capable of providing tips on how to cope up with studying in a foreign land, I do not regret nor deny the very fact, that I missed home like hell.  It’s innately obvious that  the Pani puri that you get in any local Indian restaurant in Singapore, does not resonate the same taste as the one you taste in a pakka (proper) chaat shop in India. Also the festivals! How can one equate the celebration of Diwali in India with Singapore?! Unimaginable.

CONCLUSION

As quipped perfectly by Sherlock heart-throb, Benedict Cumberbatch,

“The further you get away from yourself, it is the biggest challenge. Not to be in one’s own comfort zone is the greatest fun in life.” 

So, pack your bags and get ready to explore the world through your lens of rights and wrongs. And a sturdy way to do that is to enroll yourself in a University or apply for a job in a foreign land. Always start out your journey with hopes that, 

‘There is no definite right or wrong. You write the rules in your life’s rule book.’

About the Author

 

 

 

 

Sadhana G. completed her M.Sc. in Asian Studies from NTU, Singapore.  Though she is an engineer by profession, writing is her passion, and nothing makes her feel happier than expressing and exploring her creativity. You can e-mail her at gsadhana92@gmail.com if you liked this article, or if you have any queries about life and studies in Singapore. She writes on Medium as well, and is open to freelance writing assignments.