May 29, 2025, by Jackie Thompson
Travel and karaoke: A year abroad in Singapore
By Ciaran Price. Studied at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on a second-year politics and international relations
As an international relations student, the idea of living in Asia held massive appeal for me. My natural first choice was NUS, in a highly-developed, English-speaking city, which had warm weather all year round, and is a cultural melting pot that mirrors my hometown, London.
It’s regional connectedness made it super convenient to travel to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, both in the uni holidays, but even over a long weekend. Over the year, I went to Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan!
Soon after arriving, I met a group of British exchange students who quickly became my friends. Together, we started to explore the city as tourists, navigating life abroad together, which later led to feeling like real Singaporean locals.
I was studying on an integrated course, meaning my grades counted towards my final degree, unlike most of my friends – it wasn’t a major issue though, and rarely caused me to miss out on social events. If anything, it forced me to massively improve my time management skills, and I ended up striking a near-perfect balance between uni work and enjoying life abroad.
No such thing as a super student
My choice of politics modules was wide, much more so than it would have been in my second year at Nottingham. Initially, I was worried about falling behind in classes at a very academically prestigious university, but getting to know the local students made me realise they really weren’t so different from the rest of us.
People still crammed for tests, left assignments to the very last minute. The last week of term, it was nearly impossible to find space in the central library. They waffled their way through seminars when they’d not done the required readings.
A few modules had group projects, which not only improved my collaborative skills but were also a good way to make friends with local students, a few of whom I’m still in close contact with. I also joined the NUS fencing society which allowed me to meet a range of different people. Socialising with both local and exchange students allowed me to maintain a good balance of feeling a connection to home, while still experiencing life surrounded by Singaporeans
‘You’re from London? I know King Charles’
Making friends with exchangers almost normalised the fact that, come any break in university teaching, we’d all be jetting off to a new destination. Whether it was Bali over reading week, Vietnam before December exams, or Hong Kong after my final coursework submissions, the experience of studying abroad provided unrivalled opportunities to travel with friends or solo.
Highlights include marvelling at the milky way while climbing a mountain in Borneo, and trying (but failing) to impress the local children with my football skills on an island off Malaysia’s east coast. The experience of travelling solo, while daunting initially, came to be everything I could have hoped for, and I’m glad to have fully embraced the opportunity to see a different side of the world.
Travelling requires both planning and flexibility – having clear aims in mind is important, but so is realising that one missed flight or a change of plans due to monsoon rain is never the end of the world. While it was a new experience for me, the independence and self-confidence I gained from solo travel came to match the joys of sharing adventures with friends.
Go for it!
The year abroad experience has given me the confidence to think about working abroad in the future. While the university team was supportive throughout the entire process, having to organise visas, accommodation and a new uni application presented some initial challenges. Overcoming those improved my confidence and has opened my career horizons to a global scale. I was a different person by the time I landed home in May, having grown significantly as a person.
The academic element felt important at the time, to be sure, but looking back it was just a small part of the benefits I developed. The months flew by in a whirlwind of travel, karaoke nights and a newfound love for running – which helped me explore parts of the city I would have otherwise ignored.
Whether on an integrated programme, as I did, or as an additional year or semester, I encourage everyone to consider opportunities abroad. For many, it is a transformative life experience, with unforgettable memories, new friends from all over the world, and key skills and qualities that will be a huge benefit wherever you work in the future.
Find out more about studying abroad through the university and if you think a global career might be for you, check out our advice and resources to help you with the planning including free access to GoinGlobal, an international careers database.
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