Travel Editor Lydia Don gives us her top tips for adjusting to life in Singapore as an exchange student
Making the transition to life in Singapore can be challenging in many ways, especially if you have not lived in, or even experienced, Asia before. As somebody born and bred in the UK, moving to Singapore did pose some major culture shocks. Before relocating, the longest I had spent away from home at any one time was just under 3 weeks. 4 months on from making the big move, I will reflect on what to expect in Singapore, and how certain challenges can be managed.
The Humidity!!!
Singapore is humid beyond belief. I have never experienced humidity like it, and I have been on a fair few summer holidays in my time. Singapore does not have seasons like we do in the UK: as I write this article, it is the 1st December and it is 31 degrees. Believe me, the humidity makes it feel hotter. This is hard to deal with when you want to go out exploring to many of Singapore’s nature trails and beautiful streets lined with Peranakan shophouses. Of course, wearing suncream and carrying around a cold bottle of water is a given. However, also buying a portable fan is massively helpful. It really helps when you are wandering around or in non-aircon hawker centres. Many locals carry around umbrellas with UV protection; their popularity makes them readily available in 7/11 and Fair Price.
The Working Culture
Singapore is famed for being one of the world’s major business hubs. Their focus on the economy cannot be missed. You will be wandering around the likes of Fort Canning Park, feeling immersed in nature until you turn your head and see modern skyscrapers climbing into the sky. This focus translates into the work/life balance – or lack of – in Singapore’s education and work settings. Students will study throughout the night as they face uncompromising pressure from parents and Singapore’s meritocratic society to be the best of the best. As a conscientious student coming to Singapore knowing the stakes are much lower for me (needing only to pass my year abroad), seeing students constantly working does induce anxiety at times that you are not doing enough. This is something, as an exchange student, you will have to come to terms with. It does sound silly at times, complaining that you feel anxious because you’re not doing enough work. But the best thing you can do is remind yourself that you got to Singapore, and was chosen to do a year abroad, because you are naturally a hard worker who is dedicated to their studies. This is all you need to get through your year abroad, amongst the regular reminders that it’s only pass/fail! Try not to let other people’s studying tendencies put you off exploring the city you are so eager to learn about. Your year abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity – take this as your time to focus on living life to the fullest before the inevitable stress that final year will cause you (sorry for the reminder).
The best thing you can do is remind yourself that you got to Singapore, and was chosen to do a year abroad, because you are naturally a hard worker who is dedicated to their studies
Losing Perception of Time
The consistency in the weather does make relating experiences, or memories, to the time of year in which you did them quite difficult. I have found myself visiting the same place again after a few months but being unable to recall exactly when I first visited. As I sit in Nylon Coffee in Outram, I am still confused about when I first came here – I know it was at the beginning on the Semester in August, but that’s about it. It does wreak havoc with your brain at times. In the UK, you can relate experiences to months or seasons – in Singapore, this is so much more difficult. That is why taking pictures of everything and making memories out of anything you do is so important. Granted, you will probably be doing this anyway as members of the social media generation. But I do really want to stress the importance of this – it really does make it easier to recollect when certain things happened, and they are lovely memories to look back on when you return to…Birmingham (again, sorry for the reminder).
In the UK, you can relate experiences to months or seasons – in Singapore, this is so much more difficult
Payment Methods
I can hear the sighs through the screen, and can see your eyes glazing over, as you read the subheading to this section. But hear me out. When I came to Singapore, I thought, “oh, they’re pretty modern and advanced, I won’t need to get a different payment method, Visa and Mastercard will be fine everywhere!” And how wrong I was. Yes, some places do take Visa and Mastercard, predominantly in touristy areas and places with large expat populations which tend to be much more expensive. Chains, local or global, do also accept the payment methods we use in the UK. However, as students, we will still be subjected to the constraints of a student budget. Therefore, it is natural to rely on hawker centres and cheap hole-in-the-wall restaurants. These places hardly ever take Visa or Mastercard. It is wise to look into getting the likes of DBS Paylah or using methods such as Paynow, Grab Pay or getting yourself a NETS card from your local 7/11. We often have to scan QR codes to pay for food at hawker centres, requiring you to have one of the previously listed methods of payment. This is something I wish someone had told me before coming here, because I have consistently found myself needing to buy food and being unable to if I do not have cash on me.
Making Friends Quickly!
As exchange students and travel fanatics, naturally we want to travel! Singapore offers travel opportunities in abundance, being around 2-3 hours away from destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, just to name a few. Whilst some people do enjoy solo travel, the prospect of exploring Asia on your own can be quite daunting, especially if you are unfamiliar with the different languages, cultures and customs associated with each country. Therefore, making friends quickly is something you will need to get used to doing as soon as you arrive here! Since most people studying in Singapore are only here for one semester, they are eager to make travel plans as soon as they get here. So, making friends instantly seems customary here. As someone who usually finds it hard to make connections with people quickly, this was something I found challenging at first. However, believe me when I say it does get easier, and just be easy on yourself if you are travelling with people without knowing them fully – this is entirely normal! You will find yourself seeing the same people at least every other day, so you naturally get to know them very quickly. Plus, exchange students are sociable, and all intend on making friends, so everyone is open to socialising and getting to know one another.
Since most people studying in Singapore are only here for one semester, they are eager to make travel plans as soon as they get here
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