How my exchange experience challenged and changed me

Learn more about exchange opportunities at our Business School Undergraduate Global Exchange Webinar at 11am on Tuesday 8th June, 2021. Register via Zoom.

Bachelor of Commerce student Martin Ang shares his insights into the challenges of exchange at Singapore Management University.

The opportunity of exchange is a chance to truly challenge yourself: another country with people you've never met and studying at a university that you've only read up on through Wikipedia. It is nerve-racking and exciting at the same time, but by the end of it, a truly rewarding experience.

My exchange experience was at Singapore Management University, which was located at Singapore's city centre. Food is plentiful, with hawker centres cooking up tasty home-cooked style street food, and there's always a bubble tea shop around the corner to quench your thirst. The country is full of attractions, ranging from the concrete jungle of Orchard Road, to the gorgeous Gardens by the Bay, and the Singapore Night Festival can give you a glimpse of why it's termed the city of lights.

The studying was quite full on. I was doing five subjects at the time. Classes were small, capped at about 35 students, in rooms not too much bigger than the tutorial rooms at the University of Sydney. It was different, and almost felt like I was back in high school. Professors would ask students questions on a routine basis and would remember names of students. Assignments were heavily focused on group tasks and presentations. Because of this you were meeting and discussing with a bunch of different people from around the world, understanding where they were from and how they also found themselves in Singapore. It was easy to get lost in conversation.

Getting accustomed to the study culture was a bit of a challenge, but a worthwhile one. Local students study hard and marks are scaled, making it competitive. So don't be surprised if at the end of a presentation, you see arms raised with students waiting to poke holes in the presentation you cooked up the night before.

The main thing that exchange gave me was a newfound confidence in myself: the knowledge that I could venture out in the world by myself without the familiarity of friends or family. I think this is the main takeaway from exchange. It may not revolutionise your career but it will change you as a person.

To students thinking of going on exchange, I say stay safe and embrace the experience - you won't regret it.

Written by Martin Ang (Bachelor of Commerce)

Learn more about exchange opportunities at our Business School Undergraduate Global Exchange Webinar at 11am on Tuesday 8th June, 2021. Register via Zoom.