Experience report
ANR: 482971
Name: Ilse Beenders
E-mail: ilse_beenders@hotmail.com
Exchange semester:fall 2014
Academic year: 4
Host University: Singapore Management University
Country: Singapore
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station? Was an
orientation or introduction activity organized? How was accommodation organized? Does the
university provide you with accommodation? What kind of accommodation does the university
provide? Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for a place
to live after you arrived?
Upon arrival, there was no pickup provided. I went to a short-term hostel (sleepy kiwi) since the
university does only provide a long-term hostel which had not enough places for all the exchange
students. I also was informed that this long-term hostel was not that good, so I decided to look for
accommodation by myself. I met some other girls in the hostel and went to search for accommodation
with them. It took us a few days to arrange everything, so 10 days after arrival I could move in the
apartment. SMU organized one introduction activity, which took only one afternoon and was not that
useful.
TOPIC: Location of university/city
Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located in the city? What is the best
place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting things to see and do in your host
city? What was different than in Tilburg?
SMU is the only university in Singapore that is located in the city centre. It has a green campus with
many places to eat, drink or do sports. There are always many activities taking place in the
concourse. Singapore is way different than Tilburg is. You simply cannot compare it. It is a city as well
as a state and country where about 4 million people live in, with many different nationalities and
cultures, it is a real melting pot. Everything is super clean, modern and organized. If you are looking
for a place where you can experience Asia but also want to feel home, you definitely should choose
Singapore.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take and why? Which courses would you recommend? What did the courses
add to your program at Tilburg University? How does the university compare to Tilburg University
concerning the level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English, workload, etc.? Overall,
were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange? Please describe the
campus of your host university.
I took four courses:
- Family business – a little bit boring, I did not learn that much
- Enterprise development – best course! Really interesting and inspiring if you want to start
your own business
- Retail Management – complements marketing courses in Tilburg, nice professor
- Strategic management accounting – has not that much to do with accounting, not what I
expected to be. More about sustainability so for me not interesting.
The level of these course was lower than the ones in Tilburg, but the workload is higher. I only had
one final exam, and the other grades were determined by class participation, group work, essays and
papers. In the beginning, it is difficult to deal with group work, since Singaporeans are only satisfied
with an A+, so they won’t let you do anything since they think exchange students are dumb. I decided
to drop one course since the workload was too high for me, so I only passed 3 courses.
TOPIC: Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students? Did you have contact with local
students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How did you get along with the local
students and other exchange students? Did you travel to other places/countries during your
exchange?
There are many activities organized by the different student parties. Every week, you get so many
emails to join activities, so it is easy to come into contact with locals. I only had contact with the locals
of my groups, and more contact with other exchange students, since there are every week parties
organized by SingaporeUni. Travelling is a big part of your exchange when you go to Singapore. I
went to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and The Philipines. From Singapore, it is
very easy and cheap to go travelling, even just for a weekend, so try to plan your lectures during 2 or
3 days of the week so that you can travel for a few days.
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg University?
What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you spend most of your
money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money on? Please outline your
approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange: housing, food, textbooks, etc.
The last few years, I saved money to finance this period. Living expenses were way higher than in
Tilburg.
Housing: 600 EUR per month
Food: 400 EUR per month
Textbooks: 150 EUR in total
Travelling: 7000 EUR in total
Going out: 100 EUR per month
Transportation: 40 EUR per month
Most of my money I spent on travelling. Travelling almost every weekend costs a lot of money in the
end, but it was definitely worth it! So I would definitely recommend spending your money on travelling
instead of on alcoholics.
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host culture to
your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange? What was different
about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like about your host culture? Do
you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to learn more? How
would you describe your host countries culture? If you travelled to other cities/countries during your
exchange, were they different than your host city/country, and how?
I had a culture shock when I arrived in Singapore. I couldn’t understand the people since they have a
really strong accent, they speak ‘singlish’. The culture is different from my own culture since people
are so much more friendly but also really indirect. Therefore, I had sometimes no clue what people
really meant. They are also very polite, therefore, I realized that western people are sometimes very
rude and respectless. The other countries surrounding Singapore are very different. They are very
unorganized and most of the time very dirty, but the people are even more friendly and always willing
to help you.
TOPIC: Personal development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things differently if
you had the chance, and what would you do differently? What was your best experience, and what
was your worst experience? What will you remember for ever about your exchange period? What was
the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange period?
I learnt that I have to be less direct. People can be offended by my directness. I also became more
friendly and adjust more to other people, keeping in mind that they have a different culture and other
traditions.
TOPIC: Tips for future students
Would you recommend an exchange period? Would you recommend your host university? What
should prospective students bring with them/leave behind? What preparation is required for going on
exchange to this destination? Was there anything you should have done in preparation that you didn’t
do?
I definitely recommend an exchange period, especially in Singapore. It combines the best of Asia and
the best of the west. You can experience other cultures whilst feeling home in a modern and clean
city. There is no more preparation required to go to Singapore than to other countries on exchange,
but a course in ‘singlish’ will definitely help ;). It is also good to make a travel plan, so that you do not
go back and forth but you travel smart. Also keep in mind the rainy seasons!
TOPIC: A picture is worth a thousand words
If you took any pictures or made any videos that you would like to share with future exchange
students, please include them (or e-mail them separately). Pictures that show your daily life or
symbolize your exchange period are especially interesting for future exchange students.