Week 1 – The Beginning
When I first got out of the airport, the first thing I had to do was to get to campus. As it was early in the morning along with the fact that I had little time to settle down before orientation, my sightseeing was limited to views along the MRT (train). Nonetheless, the architecture of Singapore was stunning. Apartment complexes were commonplace, and the houses were slightly different from the ones at home. The main city was fairly westernized and modernized, but the cultural districts had its own unique charm to them.
The diversity in Singapore is similar to America but flipped around. Asian races (Korean, Chinese, Indian, Malay) were commonplace with few Caucasian residents in the mix. I wouldn’t want to judge the culture that quickly, but I met this nice auntie along the bus ride to campus. She was concerned since I was a newbie in Singapore and she gave me tips on getting around and staying safe. People will help as long as you ask.
Orientation at NTU was similar to any other college. We got a campus tour and found all the food courts (very important!) and the college showcased its amazing statistics and how it’s internationally recognized.
We were given a primer on college life at the auditorium. One notable thing that I remembered was how adamant the presenter was about ensuring the availability for mental health. It’s something that usually gets cast off in other nations. Considering the rigorous work ethic in eastern countries in general, it was a good gesture to ensure we had a good mindset going in and leaving the school.
There was also a small Singapore city tour that happened two days after. We went to the cultural neighborhoods and saw the Merlion. I found it a little unfortunate that Chinatown was very touristy with mostly shops when another area of a shopping district felt more like a real Chinatown than Chinatown itself.
