Q

I’ve been meaning to blog about my local exchange at SMU (which i thoroughly enjoyed), but with work starting and weekends fermenting away from my computer, it has not yet materialized.

Maybe some day i’ll do a more detailed post? But for now a brief recap so i don’t forget good memories.

1. The people!

There are many, many people i don’t know in SMU – but i didn’t get the “so alone amidst a crowd” feeling even once. I suppose it’s because i’m on exchange and therefore expected not to know anyone. Also, everyone’s really friendly! You are quick to respond if you ask for help, and it feels pretty corporate so there’s no real clique-ing up or anything.

I’d have thought an SMU exchange would be spent with the St Nicks girls, but since they are either a) overseas b) on LOA or c) super busy, i hung out mostly with the Hwachong guys! Without this exchange i wouldn’t have had the chance to catch up with everyone for a whole sem, so for that i’m really grateful. Shout out to Jianyi who buddied me through my otherwise hollow Thursdays!

It was also nice having Shereen in my class (first since 2009)! Since uni, she has been so busy as a law student it’s almost impossible to poach her for some R&R. I do treasure my lessons spent with her a lot + flash HTHT sessions here and there.

2. Campus

Absolutely love the campus. Firstly, it is BLOODY ACCESSIBLE. I take less than 40 min to get to school. NUS back home is absolute hell, and since i’ve always lived in RC, i’m talking once a week (which is bad enough).

Secondly, the library is amazing. It’s clean and bright. I avoid NUS library because it feels infested with old germs and grime. The feel of SMU is pretty much a more corporate UTown. BUT NEARER.

I like how everything is gleaming and new. It tingles the raven-esque part of me that craves shiny objects. Also you can walk from one end to another within 10 min? Please do not attempt this in NUS because it will take more than an hour.

3. Course Material & Classes

I had a glorious 2 day work week, and 4 courses. It was overall pretty chillax LOLOLOL. At least in terms of Psych, NUS is a lot more hardcore. We focus more on the academic side of Psych, i guess – whereas SMU is more about application. It’s only after i took some SMU psych mods did i realize how academically rigorous NUS Psych department is. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because i love being challenged and it is the scientific rigor that founded my obsession with Psych.

The workload was very manageable, and the tutors are are very willing to guide you along. I can’t speak for all modules though, only the ones i took (see below). Just make sure you do some basic preparation, and actually bother about the graded work lol. I wanted to take exchange easy, so tbh i slacked off way more than i would’ve allowed myself in NUS. The only parts i put extra effort in were project group work, cause i didn’t want to be that exchange deadweight.

Overall, i did pretty well! BUT it may be because of the modules i took. I think many other SMU students take on extra workload/have other work/take tougher mods. I’m not very sure what the norm is in SMU, or even what my GPA means (we use CAP), but hey! Many As! I’m happy enough. I heard that SMU students get higher than 4 (which is their max GPA) though. :O

4. Food

This is one thing i’ll miss the most about SMU… THE FOOD CHOICES. Don’t understand when SMU friends complain there’s “nothing much to eat around here”. NO!!! You don’t understand!!! There’s Dhoby Ghaut, Raffles Place, Bugis, Bras Basah… there is nothing you CANNOT eat around here! From cheap hawker food to school food to upscale cafes… everything is there omg! I found so many food gems and am so, so sad to leave them behind!

Things i will miss: 18Chefs (student meal!), Makisan, Nam Nam, the Cold Storage salad Shereen and i love (it is SO GOOD), momolato gelato, Food Summon hawker centre… EVERYTHING!!!

–

I’m already missing SMU wehhhhh ;-(