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By the time this blog post is fully up, I’m in Taiwan running around with friends which means finals are done and so has this past semester at NUS :( Right now, I'm slowly trying to recover from last week's no-sleep sessions at HSSML in Biz. It's been brutal these past 3-4 days, a bit scared of what my final results will be when June hits but as what everyone reminds me - take it slowly, day by day. In the previous blog and a few others, I’ve shared some things on NUS and the final words that my professors have left for us. For this blog, I'll give a final reflection on all Singapore has to offer to me since I will not be back in Hawaii for another month half. To start, Asia is the gateway to a lot of things, especially Singapore. Although I can truthfully say I was not in Singapore at least 25% of the time, but for the remaining 75% where I had classes, assignments, and places to visit/do - I finally realized something. I realized that I have so much room for improvement and NUS is like a boot camp where you will go through many, many periods of self-doubt. Yet, it is all a part of the learning process and it also reminded me that no one is perfect. Through it all, however, I knew I was perfectly where I wanted to be despite all the imperfect moments that tested me to see whether I would make it through. And I did. Since grades are not out yet, I cannot 100% say that I kept all the promises I promised, but I would not have wanted to study in another country besides Singapore. It's true that the weather is terrible, though the brightly lit red sunsets are the best (especially from the PGPH kitchens where I'll study at & the Helix Bridge at Marina Bay). There were many places that I could not squeeze in to visit during my last three days in Singapore; however, if you hover over "Candids" and click "S'pore", you'll find that I explored as much as I could when I wasn't studying. To the North of Singapore, you'll find forests and undeveloped land. To the South, you'll find Chinatown, Harbourfront, and Marina Bay. To the East, you'll find Changi and the National Stadium as well as East Coast Park. And to the West, lies NUS. Scattered throughout Singapore will be the endless shopping malls/department stores where you'll probably visit just to beat the heat. Definitely can't forget about the hawker centers and public libraries where you can fill up your stomach then head over to study. Lastly, Singaporeans have their own unique culture and history so don't forget to make a few Singaporean friends :) It's true the modules are hard - even harder when you barely have much of a choice on what you can take and it's not an introductory course either. I took two upper-division management courses and introduction to marketing without any previous knowledge on any of the concepts that I learned throughout this semester. Although this meant extra work, I walked away from every single module with a fresh set of knowledge that I know will be crucial to the last few semesters I have at Shidler. The group projects I took part of challenged me on how important it is to be a good teammate. If it were not for my teammates and coordinating every single task, I would have struggled much more than I already was. It's true you will stay up for a couple days before your final exams trying to cram a whole semester's worth of notes into the little time you have. Prior to leaving Singapore and after the official last day of classes, I still had my marketing final to take. There were 80 questions, one hour half time limit, and 17 chapters to read. Most of the final exams are taken at the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall but always double check via EduRec. At the same time, do remember to take breaks as well. As much as grades are important, so is your health. Most importantly, it's true you'll have fun regardless. From eating out at the hawker centers to monthly or weekly theatre/concerts at the Esplanade to lounging around at the public libraries around Singapore, I'm sure my definition of fun is different from yours. But, Felice and Jonathan kept me company throughout the whole time at NUS and I managed to meet up with Anna in a couple of places which is enough for me. In the countries I did solo trips to, the local people all had a story to tell and I was there to listen. Because I know that a year from now, I will look back at all the pictures I took and remember all the stories I lived to hear. There are many things I still want to say, but right now I'm not sure how to formulate it into words - all these emotions that I feel. And I'm sure I have said a thousand thank you's up until today, but thank you. I thank the Freeman Foundation for funding and giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad. I thank the Shidler College of Business and the University of Hawaii at Manoa for providing me with the rigorous education I needed to be on par with the curriculum at NUS. I thank my close friends and the new friends I met for being there for me every step of the way. I thank myself for getting through the unspoken challenges I faced during the course of this semester. And I thank you, whoever is reading this, for supporting me as well. It's also impossible for me to name everyone, but the Freeman Foundation, the Shidler College of Business, the University of Hawaii of Manoa, the National University of Singapore, and everyone else has left a lasting impact on me that I will forever be indebted to. Though some things I wished I did a little differently, but we can't always get what we want. And if things don't work out in the end - I've accepted that some battles aren't meant for us to win. These past few days in Taiwan, however, I'm just trying to take it day by day. I miss Singapore, but I miss the eerily quietness of home, taking care of my cousins, and being a tour guide around Taipei. Thank you, I appreciate you, and I'm going to enjoy the remaining time I have left with my family and friends in this country I love. Singapore | My Final Days. Once my finals were done, I finally had the time to go to Marina Bay. Unfortunately, the Merlion Statue was receiving repairs and I am unsure when it will be open to the public again. But, the road along Esplanade opened up so it was much easier trying to access the Helix Bridge. As I slowly walked from Raffles Place to Marina Bay, the sun began to set. So I found a spot down at the pier and waited for my last and final sunset in Singapore. The sky lit up red, then purple, then orange pink and all I could think of was, "wow". Singapore sunsets are definitely something else. I'm just sad I couldn't go out more as much as I wanted to. After that, I caught up with Jonathan for one last meal before he goes back to Florida and I Taiwan. Did a few last minute photo shoots on top of the carpark at the People's Complex in Chinatown. Ate at Maxwell's for some chicken rice and Old Airport Road for Malaysian cuisine which I miss (if you have a heart for tofu beancurd, Whampoa has the best). And that concludes my one semester in Singapore :( However, upcoming will be Taipei and the many different cities/counties in Taiwan so stay tuned! Life as I know it - I hope all is well. - Irene a small side story:
Walao! Five months ago, I touched down in Singapore and now I'm leaving to go back home :( The very first day I arrived in Singapore, I dragged at least 60 kg worth of luggage to NUS because I couldn't afford Grab at the time. Mind you, it was a good 20 minute walk up-hill then down-hill before you arrive at PGP if you walk from Kent Ridge, 40 degrees celsius weather too. After check-in, I realized I had no idea how to get out of the building because they only ever tell you how to get in. That's when I met Felice. Gradually, we bonded over the random events that PGPH held throughout the semester and toured quite a bit of Singapore together. I have a habit of observing people and I noticed that while Singaporeans are really nice, it's hard to fit yourself into their friend groups. Most of the time, either you meet other exchange students during the few social events they have at the beginning of the semester or you'll be stuck in the library by yourself. And that is something I know I should've taken more initiative of when it comes to meeting people, but it also helped me meet a few people I knew I could rely on even after we part ways. If you're capable of forging friendships easily, good for you. But, if you're like me then it does get a little harder especially when everyone is already under a lot of pressure at NUS. And for that, I am grateful I met Felice as well as my group mates who kept me afloat this semester. One of my group members, Charmaine, likes to joke whenever she sees me and asks, "Did you go back to Hong Kong for a day trip again?" Although I know she's joking, it made me realize just how much I've been traveling too. Whether it be by myself, with Anna and Jonathan, or just a quick trip home - I stumbled into a lot of things that I would have never imagined before arriving in Singapore. Waking up to sunrises in Penang, going home for Lunar New Years in Taipei, photo shoots with Anna in Hong Kong, almost freezing to death in Seoul, trying not to get attacked by monkeys in KL, unknowingly ended up in Bangkok during Songkran with Jonathan, and watching the most beautiful sunsets in Bali - the highlight of everything is definitely the close friends who were with me and the new friends I met along the way. I can truthfully say that these trips were not as cheap as I'd like to make it, but it was well worth these past few years of savings. It's been rough, too - none of these trips were a smooth ride, neither was this semester at NUS. And I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with either. I guess my point is, hustle hard but remember to slow down too. Because it's not everyday we get chances like these where I can travel, while worrying about school, cheesing from cheek to cheek. It's sad to think that I might not have another opportunity like this, at least I made the best of it. Though I didn't make a lot of friends in Singapore, I made up for it throughout the places I traveled to with the realest people I know. Familiar faces, unfamiliar faces - they've all been nothing but supportive :) Ask me the day I arrived, I would never have known that I would travel to these few countries around Asia the moment i sat down on my bed in PGPH. Now, I'll be reminded of all the crazy shenanigans in these countries that have become so dear to me. And Singapore has become home as well, maybe not somewhere I'd live the rest of my life at but I wouldn't mind returning a few days a year. If that happens, I'll be at the hawker centres catching up on all the chicken rice and carrot cakes I already miss :( Feeling all the feels. Comments are closed.
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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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