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Module registration for business modules is similar to how we choose courses at UHM; however, rather than knowing the results of your add/drop selection immediately or on a first-come-first-serve basis, the system closes twice per day during business days. The NUS Business School operates on its own module registration link and here are a few tips:
Registering for my modules was stressful, but overall I managed to eventually secure the minimum 3 modules that I needed to count as a student at NUS. At first, I was given finance, accounting, and economics courses but the accounting course was an introductory one and therefore, I had to drop it. I was notified later that I either did not meet the pre-requisites for finance or the class was oversubscribed (full) for economics. After working around with the system and going through the very limited courses (~20 courses) that were available to exchange students, I finally settled with a introductory marketing course and two management classes. As an accounting major, I am not sure how I will accommodate to the two upper-division management courses that I was allocated with; however, I am finding these topics quite interesting and I can notice the difference in teaching styles between professors here at NUS and at Shidler. The coursework is tough, but I am ready to take on this next semester in a new environment amongst new faces! Note: Most professors post the syllabuses and lecture notes before the first day of class so make sure to access it via IVLE or LumiNUS (the newer system for accessing your modules; both sites operate like Laulima) and see if there is anything important! For textbooks:
After a rocky 11 hours and 10 minute flight to Taiwan, I alighted at Taoyuan International Airport on December 24, 2018 and rode the Taoyuan Metro, followed by the Taipei MRT to Shipai Station. Prior to Singapore, I stayed in Taiwan for two weeks before taking a 4 hour and 45 minute flight to Changi Airport. Taiwan I was fortunate to be able to spend the holidays with my grandparents and relatives in Taiwan. Despite the cold weather, I used the opportunity to explore the outskirts of Taipei or places less visited by tourists. The trip to Taiwan was short; however, I was able to stock up on any necessary items that I needed for my semester exchange in Singapore. Since the things that I needed were much cheaper in Taiwan, it was ideal that I brought enough items to last a month or more. Singapore - PGP House When people say Singapore is hot, it is definitely hot and humid! Since I did not have much luggage with me, I took the MRT from Changi Airport to Kent Ridge ($SG 1.95). The whole trip took about 1 and a half hours, but the scenery along the East-West Line (green) gave me a glimpse of what Singapore had to offer. From buildings lined up symmetrically to the bright-colored neon signs of Singaporean businesses, I could not wait to immerse myself in the culture. As a non-graduating exchange student, we are allowed to check-in earlier before the NUS students begin to move in on January 13th, thus the first week on my floor was empty. I was allotted a Single Type C bedroom in Prince George Park's House (Block 23) which is essentially a part of Prince George Park's Residence but with more of a hall culture behind it. Hall culture means that there are a lot of activities for you to do and since PGPH is made up of only five blocks, we are a tight-knit group. At PGPH, you are expected to share bathrooms, showers, and the kitchen in a common area with your fellow housemates on your floor; therefore, if you are not comfortable doing so, I would advise asking Housing to relocate you to another Residence/Hall. Upon arriving at your room, there is only a mattress, an empty closet, and a desk with a chair for you to do your studies at. I bought most of the things for my room in Taiwan, but items such as pillows, bedsheets, and blankets were purchased at IKEA on Alexandra Road. Near NUS is Clementi Mall which is the nearest mall for your one-stop shopping needs as the mall has mostly everything you would need. If you do not wish to go too far after moving in, then PGPR has its own mini-mart. Since Singapore's weather will always be around the mid-thirties (celsius or about 85°F), I would not suggest studying in your room if you do not have AC. At PGPH, there is a reading room on the first floor where my housemates and I study at. There are also TV rooms, break rooms, seminar rooms, and printing rooms with AC in the other blocks (housing units) at PGPR available for us to use. Orientation for Non-Graduating Exchange Students/Registration Part Two After moving in, there was orientation the next day at Lecture Theatre 27. At orientation, information about safety, code of conduct, module add/drop, Global Relations Office, and more were presented to us. I met people from Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong at orientation. Each of them came from different majors which was quite an interesting aspect to see. We all brought very unique topics to the table and became friends really quickly! As for registration, all you have to do is bring a passport. However, the ICA offsite enrollment process happens on the same day so if you are lucky to be the very first ones in line and you have everything ready to submit for your student pass, you are ready to begin your student life at NUS. (Pro tip: get to registration early, especially since we are from the United States, thus we are placed in the first or earliest block with at least 10 other countries. If you go early, you'll have everything done in an hour on the same day!) Bizad Orientation Day and Welcome Party Having taken care of registration part two in the morning, it was time for another orientation organized by the NUS Business School's Bizad Club. At orientation, we were welcomed by Dean Dr. Helen Chai and informed about the module registration process for business modules only. The module add/drop website opened on that day and we had until Tuesday of the following week to secure any courses that we would like to take or drop those we do not want. The Bizad Club were kind enough to organize a short tour around the Business School were we had the chance to visit several study areas that they frequent as well as how our classes would look like in either Biz 1 or Biz 2. We were broken up into groups according to where we resided which was PGPR and I actually met someone in my group who was living on the same floor as me! After the short tour, I had a short break to rest before heading back to University Town for the welcome party. I met more people from Montreal, Canada and a few of the students in the Bizad Club. Many of them were finance majors and it was interesting to hear that NUS students did not have the opportunity to secure classes as how exchange students did. They secure their modules based on a bidding process which allowed me to understand why business modules were highly sought after even by NUS students who were not a part of the Business School. PGP House Reception - Be Frugal and Pay it Forward. One last event after settling in was the reception for PGP House. As I brought up earlier, PGP House embodies a hall culture meaning that there are several interest groups (clubs) ranging from badminton to baking and even movies! I joined the baking interest group that night and met a few of the IG founders. At the event, we were introduced to our hall master, resident fellows, managers, and resident assistants. I had the honor of speaking with our hall master, Professor Prahlad Vadakkepat as one of my fellow housemates and I wanted to know more about the sustainability effort that PGP House is known for. PGP Houses' motto is "Be frugal and pay it forward," which Professor Vadakkepat pointed out means to thrive with our housemates, find ways to give back, and ultimately have fun :) Arrival Tips:
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Apa Kabar, Ni Hao! My name is Irene Chen. I am currently a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa pursuing a BBA in Accounting & Finance. Join me on this journey through Singapore!
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