A year abroad can seem daunting and unrealistic for some students, especially when traveling to places with completely different cultures to your own. Nervous about picking somewhere so alien from your home comforts? Don’t panic…I’m here to tell you the truth about studying abroad in Asia.
What is Asia really like for a UK student?
Is Asia as intimidating as the rumors say? I would say, not really. Asia is so diverse, with an incredible mixture of cultures. It is very different from the UK in almost every aspect. However, learning about different ways of life was intriguing. There are differences in the food, architecture, sense of humor, work ethic, drinking habits, transport…the list goes on. I found those differences interesting to learn about rather than intimidating. If you embrace change with a positive and curious mindset, it will help shape you into a better person.
What about Singapore?
Singapore is very unique because it has a mix of so many cultures in one small place. It’s a cultural experience you won’t get anywhere else in the world. For an Asian country, it is very westernized and everyone speaks English. There are so many international students and expats from Europe, USA, and Canada. For the social side at least, it wasn’t too difficult to make buddies. I’ve made some of my closest friends while I was away, most of whom are in the UK or Europe. I also made really good friends with many locals. They may seem a bit shy when you first meet them but (top secret) they absolutely love western people. If you make the effort with them, you’ll make friends with locals in no time (and they know where all the good food places are).
Asian university workload
Let me tell you, there is no messing around with university work while you are away. This is especially true if you want to travel and socialize during your studies. If you work super hard, you can play super hard. I went to the National University of Singapore (NUS) which is a highly prestigious university. The workload was very high. You are graded on a bell curve, so you are in competition with the rest of the students there. However, if you want to push yourself and really dive into your work, it will give you a big advantage when you get back to your home university. The work was super interesting and I loved delving deeper into it. I’m definitely more prepared to further pursue a career in my field.
My NUS experience
I study biological science at the University of Sheffield. Asia is probably the best place in the world to undertake tropical ecology-related courses. The experience I had during my time there was absolutely incredible. I was able to study subjects such as terrestrial, marine and freshwater tropical ecosystems. I was in the rainforest every week working on different organisms for example birds, insects, and plants. I visited a protected intertidal environment and was able to observe up close soft and hard corals, sea cucumbers, stingrays and other awesome creatures. During my holiday, I completed my PADI Open Water Certificate in Malaysia. Overall, just totally mind-blowing.
What kind of person are you?
The financing, travel planning, and culture shock might seem overwhelming and not worth the effort. For some, this is true. It depends on what kind of person you are and what goals you have. Are you adventurous, determined, strong-minded? If you are, these traits will be enhanced during your time away. If you aren’t, you might find that you are forced to be these things.
Weighing up your options…
Let’s go through some pros and cons of completing a year abroad in Asia:
Pros:
Food in Asia is amazing. When I mean amazing, I mean AMAZING.
Architecture is stunning and unique. You’ll get to see all those ‘gap year’ temples your friends have been posting pictures next to. Asia has some of the oldest and most modern buildings in the world.
Improve your cultural awareness: you’ll essentially learn how to live in a whole new culture. It may take a few weeks, maybe even a few months to adjust, but you will adjust.
Higher standard education than the UK.
Meeting new friends from all over the world: you’ll make so many buddies that you won’t know what hit you (and you can visit them in all their cool home countries).
Weather is HOT HOT HOT. If you don’t like 33-degree heat, then I would suggest Canada.
Traveling is easy and cheap. I visited Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Austrailia.
Cons:
Expenses: The obvious question is how much is this going to cost? It’s expensive. However, if you budget correctly, it is more than doable to complete a year abroad. Grants are also available. For example, I won the DUO Singapore Exchange award which granted me approximately 6,000SGD (£3000). Do your research and ask the Global Opps team what you might be eligible for.
Higher workload and different assessment criteria. You’ll need to adapt to this.
Different lifestyle: you won’t have your home comforts like English Sunday dinner or made Dairy Milk chocolate (although you will have TimTams which are a close second).
There will be stresses and homesickness. But they’ll pass.
Still unsure?
Remember, go somewhere because you want to. It’s ok to feel nervous or sad or stressed because, inevitably, you will feel these things. Just learn how to deal with them and it will make you a stronger person. And it’s only a year, right? You have about 80 more to spend in the UK! I would suggest taking the leap and trying something new. Asia can be tough to adapt to, but when you do, you’ll have the most incredible time. You’ll be itching to get back after you’ve completed your year.
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