Hello everyone! I have been here for a little over three weeks and have experienced so much excitement that I cannot simply express it in words. I arrived to the National University of Singapore (NUS) at the end of July and was greeted by a student that currently attends NUS. She helped me find my way back to the university and aided with my check-in process. NUS provided me with housing in their newest addition to campus called University Town, or UTown for short. UTown hosts academic based programs, such as the University Scholars Program, in these residence halls. Each hall appears to have a theme to it, similar to how Thurston Hall is broken up into floors based on academic interests. I currently reside in the Graduate Residences, which is a large high-rise building that provides an excellent view of some of the many buildings of Singapore. The picture in this post is the view from my room on the eighteenth story. I have three suitemates that share the bathroom and living room area; I was delighted to learn that my suitemates are all from different places in the world. They are all seniors; one is from Sweden, another is from Canada, and the last one is from France. So far, it has been a great joy to learn about their cultures and what daily life is like for each of them back home. We talk about anything from stereotypes to healthcare and education systems in their home states. Another added bonus is that each day, I get a mini-lesson on the Swedish language! ...continue reading "Week One- Hello from Singapore!"
