Departure
My journey before Singapore
My plan before going to Singapore was to go to California to visit my parents and to Korea to visit my grandparents. My first journey before Singapore was to visit my parents in Los Angeles. During the stay, my parents and I traveled to LA, Las Vegas, and Utah. After spending 20 days in California, I visited Korea for two months before Fall 2022 semester started. I mainly stayed in Seoul with my grandparents and traveled to Busan, Gyeongju, Pohang, Gapyeong, and Incheon. I traveled to places with my grandparents, relatives, and my Korean friends. It's been a while since I went to Korea due to COVID pandemic, and my primary purpose in visiting Korea was traveling with them. Since COVID regulations have been eased a little more than before, I was able to travel to many places and made valuable memories. I met many good new friends throughout my travels and a group of Singaporeans in Gapyeong. They were friendly and willing to meet me in Singapore since one of them was a NUS student. Knowing a local NUS student had relieved me before going to Singapore.
My way to Singapore
After having a good time in Korea, I flew for about 7 hours from Korea to Singapore on July 28. Since most of the flights were overnight, I arrived in Singapore at 6:30 am the next day and had breakfast at the airport. Immigration took about 30 minutes and they required SG ICA Arrival Card (it's called a card but actually is an online form to be filled out before arriving in Singapore and recommend to print it out), vaccine record (it depends on the officer and I wasn't asked to provide it), and a copy of IPA letter.
After breakfast, I took Grab (taxi) to my hall with my 30 kg and 15 kg luggages and Grab was the only taxi app that worked with my US credit card. Singapore has many taxi companies such as Grab, Zig, Gojek, normal taxis, etc. Many students prefer Grab or Gojek over other taxi apps because they allow adding multiple destinations which are convenient and cheaper.
Since I arrived exactly on the official move-in day, I didn't have to apply or pay an extra fee for early check-in.
My plan before going to Singapore was to go to California to visit my parents and to Korea to visit my grandparents. My first journey before Singapore was to visit my parents in Los Angeles. During the stay, my parents and I traveled to LA, Las Vegas, and Utah. After spending 20 days in California, I visited Korea for two months before Fall 2022 semester started. I mainly stayed in Seoul with my grandparents and traveled to Busan, Gyeongju, Pohang, Gapyeong, and Incheon. I traveled to places with my grandparents, relatives, and my Korean friends. It's been a while since I went to Korea due to COVID pandemic, and my primary purpose in visiting Korea was traveling with them. Since COVID regulations have been eased a little more than before, I was able to travel to many places and made valuable memories. I met many good new friends throughout my travels and a group of Singaporeans in Gapyeong. They were friendly and willing to meet me in Singapore since one of them was a NUS student. Knowing a local NUS student had relieved me before going to Singapore.
My way to Singapore
After having a good time in Korea, I flew for about 7 hours from Korea to Singapore on July 28. Since most of the flights were overnight, I arrived in Singapore at 6:30 am the next day and had breakfast at the airport. Immigration took about 30 minutes and they required SG ICA Arrival Card (it's called a card but actually is an online form to be filled out before arriving in Singapore and recommend to print it out), vaccine record (it depends on the officer and I wasn't asked to provide it), and a copy of IPA letter.
After breakfast, I took Grab (taxi) to my hall with my 30 kg and 15 kg luggages and Grab was the only taxi app that worked with my US credit card. Singapore has many taxi companies such as Grab, Zig, Gojek, normal taxis, etc. Many students prefer Grab or Gojek over other taxi apps because they allow adding multiple destinations which are convenient and cheaper.
Since I arrived exactly on the official move-in day, I didn't have to apply or pay an extra fee for early check-in.
Campus life
Housing Experience
Sheares hall was my third choice when I applied for housing at NUS and got a single room without AC.
A single room has a bed, a closet, a table, drawers, and some empty spaces. However, every room is empty at first so I bought an official essential package from the NUS website which comes with a pillow, a blanket, a bed cover, two towels, a trash bin, a dustpan, and a broomstick. Each floor has different facilities and my floor has a pantry that students used to cook and eat food together. Sheares Hall is made up of five blocks from A to E with the addition of Block F which houses our facilities and special rooms. Block A to E are equipped with a lounge, laundry room, and kitchen in each block. For laundry payment, I recommend buying a NETS card (a public transportation card that can get from 7 eleven) if you don't plan to open a local bank account.
Block F has special rooms such as seminar rooms, a library for students to study in, the Multi-Purpose Hall, a gym, and a room for students to relax and enjoy games. It was very convenient to have a 24-hour library in my hall which I could go to study at any time.
In addition, Sheares hall has a strong family culture with weekly block events and Open Door Policy. The friendships forged from late-night suppers and maggie parties are ones that last a lifetime. I tried to attend as many of the weekly block events as I can and every week had different themes and activities which made students participate more. After the weekly block event, each floor mate used to eat late-night food together and share their thoughts on the events.
Sheares hall provides dining for breakfast from 7:00 am to 10 am and dinner from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Need to be aware that Saturdays are breakfast only and Sundays are dinner only. The meal options offered are prepared in Halal, Non-Halal, and Vegetarian, Residents are given meal credits, redeemable through the dining app for meals during each meal period and each meal is 2 to 3 meal credits.
Campus Experience
Since Sheares hall was 5 min away from business buildings, I usually walked to classes and eat lunch at canteens (the deck and terrace, which are within walkable distance from business buildings.) I took three business courses and one language course (Spanish). Spanish course was held in Utown which was 15 min away from my hall by a shuttle bus so I also used to eat lunch in Utown and study at the education center located in Utown. NUS has many canteens, restaurants, and cafes all around the campus with different cuisines, and trying new foods was one of my favorite thing to do on campus. Utown, MRT station, and the central library were the busiest bus stops on campus therefore, I recommend taking a shuttle bus at least 15 min earlier in advance for your classes.
Sheares hall was my third choice when I applied for housing at NUS and got a single room without AC.
A single room has a bed, a closet, a table, drawers, and some empty spaces. However, every room is empty at first so I bought an official essential package from the NUS website which comes with a pillow, a blanket, a bed cover, two towels, a trash bin, a dustpan, and a broomstick. Each floor has different facilities and my floor has a pantry that students used to cook and eat food together. Sheares Hall is made up of five blocks from A to E with the addition of Block F which houses our facilities and special rooms. Block A to E are equipped with a lounge, laundry room, and kitchen in each block. For laundry payment, I recommend buying a NETS card (a public transportation card that can get from 7 eleven) if you don't plan to open a local bank account.
Block F has special rooms such as seminar rooms, a library for students to study in, the Multi-Purpose Hall, a gym, and a room for students to relax and enjoy games. It was very convenient to have a 24-hour library in my hall which I could go to study at any time.
In addition, Sheares hall has a strong family culture with weekly block events and Open Door Policy. The friendships forged from late-night suppers and maggie parties are ones that last a lifetime. I tried to attend as many of the weekly block events as I can and every week had different themes and activities which made students participate more. After the weekly block event, each floor mate used to eat late-night food together and share their thoughts on the events.
Sheares hall provides dining for breakfast from 7:00 am to 10 am and dinner from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Need to be aware that Saturdays are breakfast only and Sundays are dinner only. The meal options offered are prepared in Halal, Non-Halal, and Vegetarian, Residents are given meal credits, redeemable through the dining app for meals during each meal period and each meal is 2 to 3 meal credits.
Campus Experience
Since Sheares hall was 5 min away from business buildings, I usually walked to classes and eat lunch at canteens (the deck and terrace, which are within walkable distance from business buildings.) I took three business courses and one language course (Spanish). Spanish course was held in Utown which was 15 min away from my hall by a shuttle bus so I also used to eat lunch in Utown and study at the education center located in Utown. NUS has many canteens, restaurants, and cafes all around the campus with different cuisines, and trying new foods was one of my favorite thing to do on campus. Utown, MRT station, and the central library were the busiest bus stops on campus therefore, I recommend taking a shuttle bus at least 15 min earlier in advance for your classes.
Week 0 8/1 - 8/7
Fortunately, I was able to register for all in-person appointments for NUS student card and student pass (STP visa). Therefore, I could collect my NUS student card the next day I arrived in Singapore and was able to use it as an identification card around campus and a room key in my hall. For a student pass (STP visa), I went to a sports center twice, and once to register, once for the actual collection. Register required me to bring a passport and a passport-size picture and I got a paper that was needed for the actual card collection. There was about 10 days gap between registering and actual collection, however, it wasn't a matter if it was within your IPA expiration. I used a student pass as an official identification card in Singapore and when I travel around Singapore.
Week 0
During week 0, I explored Singapore with my local Singaporean friend who I met in Korea. She took me around the NUS campus and taught me how to use essential NUS apps such as NUS NextBus (shuttle bus), LumiNUS, Canvas (both for courses), etc before the semester starts. In addition, she introduced her go-to markets (Fairprice and some Chinese markets) and malls (Vivocity and Clementi) for grocery shopping so we went grocery shopping together, and helped me set up my room. After done setting up my room with her, we went to Hawker center and Sentosa island. There are two ways to go inside Sentosa, one is a free cable car and one is walking by the ocean. Since it was my first time going to Sentosa, we decided to walk so I could explore Sentosa better. A hawker center is an open-air food court that sells variety of cheap foods. It's mainly owned by Malaysian Chinese therefore, most of them speak in Chinese. Even though I took one year of Chinese at UH, it was difficult to understand and order food at a hawker center because most of them use dialects such as Hokkien, Cantonese, and Teochew. After spending some time with local Singaporeans, I got used to their dialects and was able to understand them better than before.
A day before the first day of the semester, I went out for an exchange student night out for the first time. We went to Lau Pa Sat hawker center which is one of the big hawker centers and well known for best outdoor satay place. It is one of the touristy places in Singapore and many locals also go for a variety choice of food there. After dinner at Lau Pa Sat, we walked to Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay which are open until late at night. Both places are very famous places in Singapore and I do recommend going and bringing your family or friends when they come to visit Singapore. After this first night out, I went to Gardens by the Bay many times and got an annual entry pass for two domes which are cheaper with a student discount. Finally, I saw the Merlion, the official mascot of Singapore, and watched the Gardens by the bay light show from Marina bay. The light show is every day at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm for free. ( I really recommend going to Marina Bay and watching the light show from there!)
Week 0
During week 0, I explored Singapore with my local Singaporean friend who I met in Korea. She took me around the NUS campus and taught me how to use essential NUS apps such as NUS NextBus (shuttle bus), LumiNUS, Canvas (both for courses), etc before the semester starts. In addition, she introduced her go-to markets (Fairprice and some Chinese markets) and malls (Vivocity and Clementi) for grocery shopping so we went grocery shopping together, and helped me set up my room. After done setting up my room with her, we went to Hawker center and Sentosa island. There are two ways to go inside Sentosa, one is a free cable car and one is walking by the ocean. Since it was my first time going to Sentosa, we decided to walk so I could explore Sentosa better. A hawker center is an open-air food court that sells variety of cheap foods. It's mainly owned by Malaysian Chinese therefore, most of them speak in Chinese. Even though I took one year of Chinese at UH, it was difficult to understand and order food at a hawker center because most of them use dialects such as Hokkien, Cantonese, and Teochew. After spending some time with local Singaporeans, I got used to their dialects and was able to understand them better than before.
A day before the first day of the semester, I went out for an exchange student night out for the first time. We went to Lau Pa Sat hawker center which is one of the big hawker centers and well known for best outdoor satay place. It is one of the touristy places in Singapore and many locals also go for a variety choice of food there. After dinner at Lau Pa Sat, we walked to Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay which are open until late at night. Both places are very famous places in Singapore and I do recommend going and bringing your family or friends when they come to visit Singapore. After this first night out, I went to Gardens by the Bay many times and got an annual entry pass for two domes which are cheaper with a student discount. Finally, I saw the Merlion, the official mascot of Singapore, and watched the Gardens by the bay light show from Marina bay. The light show is every day at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm for free. ( I really recommend going to Marina Bay and watching the light show from there!)
Week 1 8/8 - 8/14
All of my classes were in person and I was happy with my choice of classes and professors. In addition, all of my three business courses were conducted in business building therefore, it was very close and convenient to walk classes from my hall.
During the first week, there were a big event in Singapore so we had a day off and went to Marina Bay to see a parade. August 9 is the National Day of Singapore and the day is set aside to commemorate Singapore's independence from Malaysia which took place in the year 1965. Marina Bay was very crowded and hard to find a seat around the parade time. Luckily I could joined the my exchanger friends and watched a fabulous firework. Since the national day is a big holiday in Singapore, I recommend going 3 to 4 hours earlier to get a best spot!
I wanted to ride a bike in Singapore but scared to ride it during the day because the roads in Singapore are narrow and curvy therefore, I decided to ride a bike at late night from China town to my hall. It was a long ride, one hour and 20 minutes, and very tired but one of my unforgettable memories in Singapore. Renting a bike in Singapore can be easily done by app and cheap (SGD 1, USD 0.75 per 30 minutes.)
On the weekend, I went on my first solo trip in my life to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and met good friends from Switzerland and the Philippines. Chili crab is one of famous foods in Singapore however, it is expense for students which is around SGD 70 to 130 (USD 53 to 98.) Therefore, I tried chili crab in Malaysia and it was one of the best chili crabs I have ever tried and was a half price. I recommend going to the Jalan Alor food street which is a famous outdoor food street in Malaysia. I finished my first solo trip successfully and came back to Singapore.
During the first week, there were a big event in Singapore so we had a day off and went to Marina Bay to see a parade. August 9 is the National Day of Singapore and the day is set aside to commemorate Singapore's independence from Malaysia which took place in the year 1965. Marina Bay was very crowded and hard to find a seat around the parade time. Luckily I could joined the my exchanger friends and watched a fabulous firework. Since the national day is a big holiday in Singapore, I recommend going 3 to 4 hours earlier to get a best spot!
I wanted to ride a bike in Singapore but scared to ride it during the day because the roads in Singapore are narrow and curvy therefore, I decided to ride a bike at late night from China town to my hall. It was a long ride, one hour and 20 minutes, and very tired but one of my unforgettable memories in Singapore. Renting a bike in Singapore can be easily done by app and cheap (SGD 1, USD 0.75 per 30 minutes.)
On the weekend, I went on my first solo trip in my life to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and met good friends from Switzerland and the Philippines. Chili crab is one of famous foods in Singapore however, it is expense for students which is around SGD 70 to 130 (USD 53 to 98.) Therefore, I tried chili crab in Malaysia and it was one of the best chili crabs I have ever tried and was a half price. I recommend going to the Jalan Alor food street which is a famous outdoor food street in Malaysia. I finished my first solo trip successfully and came back to Singapore.
week 2 8/15 - 8/21
After finishing my class, I went to a 2D cafe to meet new exchange friends and became good friends. Therefore, I went to all-white night out with them and had a great time. The all-white event was for all exchange students from NUS and other universities in Singapore and the dress code was all-white.
The next day, I went to National Gallery Singapore and which is a national museum that has the world's largest public collection of Singaporean and regional art from the Eastern world, specifically from Southeast Asia. Free admission for NUS students with NUS student card so I recommend visiting at least twice because the gallery is huge that takes some time to watch. It is a great place to visit with friends!
On the weekend, I went to Johor Bahru, Malaysia by bus with friends since it was very close to Singapore (takes 30 minutes to cross the border) and cheap (SGD 4, USD 3.) With your passport and student's pass, you are all set to cross the border (however, they may require a visa depending on your country of passport.) We explored the city by visiting temples and shopping malls.
The next day, I went to National Gallery Singapore and which is a national museum that has the world's largest public collection of Singaporean and regional art from the Eastern world, specifically from Southeast Asia. Free admission for NUS students with NUS student card so I recommend visiting at least twice because the gallery is huge that takes some time to watch. It is a great place to visit with friends!
On the weekend, I went to Johor Bahru, Malaysia by bus with friends since it was very close to Singapore (takes 30 minutes to cross the border) and cheap (SGD 4, USD 3.) With your passport and student's pass, you are all set to cross the border (however, they may require a visa depending on your country of passport.) We explored the city by visiting temples and shopping malls.
Week 3 8/22 - 8/28
During week 3, I explored the areas that I have not gone to before by myself. I went to a hawker center and tried Popiah. It is a Fujianese/Teochew-style spring roll filled with cooked vegetables and meats, eaten during the Qingming Festival and other celebratory occasions. Personally, it was not my favorite Singaporean food but it was worth trying local food. One of my favorite local foods was Bak Kut Teh and which is a pork rib dish cooked in broth. They served the pot with a candle so it was warm until I finish the soup. The taste is herby, garlicky, and peppery which can be strange for some people but it reminded me of Korean soup that my grandmother used to cook for me. After trying Bak Kut Teh, I started to try Korean food in Singapore and was surprised that NUS has a Korean restaurant on campus. Overall Korean foods in Singapore were authentic and good.
The Singapore Night Festival is an annual street festival celebrating the arts and Singapore's rich cultural heritage at the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct. This festival consisted of 14 night light installations, 6 projection mapping installations, and more than 30 performances. My friend and I only could go to some night light installations because it was a big event. Most of the performances required an appointment and were fully booked. For next night festival, I recommend booking in advance so you can enjoy more than 30 performances!
The Singapore Night Festival is an annual street festival celebrating the arts and Singapore's rich cultural heritage at the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct. This festival consisted of 14 night light installations, 6 projection mapping installations, and more than 30 performances. My friend and I only could go to some night light installations because it was a big event. Most of the performances required an appointment and were fully booked. For next night festival, I recommend booking in advance so you can enjoy more than 30 performances!
week 4 8/29 - 9/4
During week 4, my hall had Sheares hall initiation held every semester by seniors. It was one of my hall's cultures that we needed to go through some mazes and treasure hunt and yelled what do I like about my hall. I was a bit shy at first since it was the first official hall event I attended but I became friends with the students living around my room at the end. After this event, we had a hot pot together with the students on my floor.
After class, I went to Sentosa island again with my friend and tried Korean black noodles with my local friend. In addition, I went to Singapore night safari the world's first nocturnal wildlife park. Night safari offers a tram which you can ride and they take you to six zones or you can walk trails. My ticket included an animal show and enjoyed watching it.
After class, I went to Sentosa island again with my friend and tried Korean black noodles with my local friend. In addition, I went to Singapore night safari the world's first nocturnal wildlife park. Night safari offers a tram which you can ride and they take you to six zones or you can walk trails. My ticket included an animal show and enjoyed watching it.
week 5 9/5 - 9/11
My hall had the back-to-school block event in which everyone wear their school uniforms and play games. Since I didn't bring any of my school uniforms to Singapore, my friend let me wear her middle school uniform. Singapore school uniforms were really different from the US or Korea which I'm more familiar with. Their uniforms are more casual and diverse. It was interesting to play local school games and experience local culture with them.
The next day, I met Korean exchangers and Korean international students and had dinner with them. We made a good friendship and went on a Thailand trip together later on. On the weekend, I visited Bintan island, Indonesia by ferry. The ferry fare was about SGD 70 (USD 53) round trip and took about an hour and a half. They required a visa on arrival and it cost about IDR 500,000 (USD 33). Bintan island is nature-friendly, cheap, easy to go and has many activities to do so I recommend going on a weekend!
The next day, I met Korean exchangers and Korean international students and had dinner with them. We made a good friendship and went on a Thailand trip together later on. On the weekend, I visited Bintan island, Indonesia by ferry. The ferry fare was about SGD 70 (USD 53) round trip and took about an hour and a half. They required a visa on arrival and it cost about IDR 500,000 (USD 33). Bintan island is nature-friendly, cheap, easy to go and has many activities to do so I recommend going on a weekend!
week 6 & recess 9/12 - 9/25
After comeback from the Bintan island trip, I was focused on my courses and finished all of my assignments before recess started. During recess, I went to Thailand for 7 days with the Korean exchangers. We visited Phuket, Phi Phi island, Bangkok, and Krabi. Every place had a different architectural style and I was impressed and could learn about their architecture since most of my Korean exchangers were architecture majors. They made the trip more interesting and meaningful to me. One of my favorite trips during the exchange semester was the Thailand trip because the country has big cities and good nature at the same time. Therefore, we spent a few days in Bangkok and the beach areas so everyone was satisfied. In addition, Thailand is clean and cheap and people are friendly so I recommend putting Thailand in your trip plan!
week 7 & 8 9/26 - 10/9
During weeks 7 and 8, I mostly focused on my courses and got some rest. I went to my hall's library to study for my exams and got most of my food on campus. After studying, I used to ride a bike to the parks near my hall with boba tea as a reward for the day. Singapore is very safe to ride a bike at night so I had no problem going out at night. During week 8, I discovered my favorite restaurant in Singapore with my friends I took my parents and friends from Korea to this restaurant and they all liked it. The name of the restaurant is Dong Fang Mei Shi Fan Dian located in China Town. I 100% recommend visiting the restaurant if you like Chinese food!
week 9 10/10 - 10/16
My parents flew from California to Singapore to visit me and we spent two days in Singapore. I took my parents to Sentosa island and my favorite Chinese restaurant. We had a great time in Singapore and went on a cruise to Malaysia. It was 4 days cruise trip that stopped by Penang and Klang and come back to Singapore. Our cruise had a swimming pool, bumper car, sports courts, restaurants, casinos, and performances. We enjoyed the time on a cruise and landed in Penang safely. Penang is known for good and tasty foods so we tried local foods and liked them a lot. After spending a day in Penang, we got on a cruise again and headed to Klang. There weren't many things to do in Klang so we took a taxi to Kuala Lumpur and went to Batu Cave and Jalan Alor food street. My parents and I really enjoyed the cruise trip and came back to Singapore.
week 10 & 11 10/17 - 10/30
During week 10, my parents traveled to Vietnam and I went back to my school life. My hall had a student concert at Shears hall sports center and my friends performed at the concert. Therefore, after finishing studying, I went to the sports center to watch their performance and support them because teams got prizes based on their performances. It was very fun to have an event like this in my hall.
After an exam, my friends and I went to karaoke in Singapore for the first time. It released all of my stress from the exam and motivated me to keep studying for my courses. On the weekend of week 11, I flew to Cambodia and met my parents there. Cambodia also required a visa on arrival and it cost about USD 30. The interesting thing about Cambodia was they take USD in most of the stores, therefore, we didn't exchange money much and mostly used USD in Cambodia (they preferred USD over their currency.) Cambodia gave me a very different impression from the countries I have traveled to because it was exotic to me. However, I really liked exploring Cambodia, and the Cambodians I met were nice to us. The most impressive place to me was Angkor Wat because the structures were so sophisticated and huge. My parents and I spent a great time in Cambodia and they went back home.
After an exam, my friends and I went to karaoke in Singapore for the first time. It released all of my stress from the exam and motivated me to keep studying for my courses. On the weekend of week 11, I flew to Cambodia and met my parents there. Cambodia also required a visa on arrival and it cost about USD 30. The interesting thing about Cambodia was they take USD in most of the stores, therefore, we didn't exchange money much and mostly used USD in Cambodia (they preferred USD over their currency.) Cambodia gave me a very different impression from the countries I have traveled to because it was exotic to me. However, I really liked exploring Cambodia, and the Cambodians I met were nice to us. The most impressive place to me was Angkor Wat because the structures were so sophisticated and huge. My parents and I spent a great time in Cambodia and they went back home.
week 12 10/31 - 11/6
Since week 12 was a week right before our last week in this semester, I started to meet my friends to say goodbye. It was really sad to say goodbye because we all knew that it is very hard to meet each other again in the future so tried to make a last good memory. One of my friends volunteered to draw henna for NUS students and donate money to orphanages. I was very happy that I could help her and see her for the last time.
NUS held a Halloween party for exchangers so I went to the event with my friends and had a great time. The next day, I visited Universal Studios Singapore on Halloween day with my local hall friends. USS had a Halloween Horror Nights event and there were ghosts and zombies walking around scaring people. We went to haunted houses and rode attractions until 2 am and came back to the hall together. It was a very fun and good opportunity to get closer to my hall friends but was sad at the time because it was our last time hanging out. I am glad that I could make a good memory with them before I left Singapore.
NUS held a Halloween party for exchangers so I went to the event with my friends and had a great time. The next day, I visited Universal Studios Singapore on Halloween day with my local hall friends. USS had a Halloween Horror Nights event and there were ghosts and zombies walking around scaring people. We went to haunted houses and rode attractions until 2 am and came back to the hall together. It was a very fun and good opportunity to get closer to my hall friends but was sad at the time because it was our last time hanging out. I am glad that I could make a good memory with them before I left Singapore.
week 13 11/7 - 11/11 last week!
Before the final exam week, NUS gave us a reading week right after week 13 to allow students to prepare for their final exam. However, luckily, all of my courses didn't have final exams so I could travel on the last week. My friends and I decided to go to Bali, Indonesia because it was one of the most popular travel places for NUS exchange students. Bali was very nice to travel as expected and we had really good memories. Bali also required a visa on arrival and it cost USD 35. The transportation in Bali is very packed and slow so I recommend taking grab taxi. In addition, I do not recommend renting a bike to travel around Bali because there were so many bikes on the street and it was dangerous to ride them with local bikers. In addition, I heard about many injured cases from NUS exchange students. The natures in Bali were amazing and it reminded me of Hawaii at some points which I missed since I went abroad. Overall, I really enjoyed the Bali trip and was happy that I finished all my trips successfully and safely.