Writing this based on my own experiences thus far, and may not be applicable/generalisable to everyone else

1. You will become more independent (even if it means being forced to)

Another reason why i decided to embark on an exchange program that is ten thousand kilometres away from the comfort of home is because i want to become more independent. Sure, there are other ways to learn and become more independent back home. But nothing is better than being thrown out there in reality and really learning to be independent all on your own. I wouldn't deny the fact that i'm spoiled in ways where i don't have to cook or do much laundry back home. But coming all the way to Canada, i have to do my own laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, household-essentials shopping, cleaning up, paying for my bills, settling administrative stuff such as banking etc. Doing all of these while juggling with classes, exams, assignments, projects and traveling ain't an easy feat. And it really makes me so much more appreciative of what my mum have done for my family. And cooking, by itself, is already such a horror. But i managed to survive with some cooking101 tips from my mum via Facetime. So i guess i can safely say that i have been cooking and eating well...? At least i didn't burn down the kitchen while cooking my pasta LOL. Speaking about pasta, i love cooking ham pasta with pesto sauce, it tastes so so so good!

2. You are really on your own

You mostly have to rely on your own, really (especially if you are the only Singaporean in this school. You go to orientations by yourself, you cook for yourself, you go shopping (mostly) alone and you head to classes alone. The first few days in school was crazy because i kept losing my way around campus. And it doesn't help when the school here is x10 bigger than SMU haha. But of course, the Canadians here are really nice so you can definitely approach them! When i first arrive in school on move-in day, a staff was there to drive us around in a buggy to get our residence keys. He also helped to unload and carried two of my heavy luggages up to my room, which is on the 3rd floor. And the way he carried it, oh my god, its like it doesn't weigh anything at all. Ok, i digressed a little too much haha. But anyways, i guess if you face any problems, you have to solve it on your own because well, you are on your own. I haven't face much difficulties thus far, except probably when i was locked out from my Canada's online bank account because i stupidly keyed in the wrong postal code and having difficulty changing my phone plan and paying my phone bill online because the system kept rejecting my card. But all is well, because i just had to call their customer service to settle everything. I did have quite a tough time talking to them because they talked so quickly over the phone and their accent were so strong (which is why i absolutely hate making calls to international service centres back home) and half of the time, i'm just focusing really hard on figuring out what they have just said. Glad to say that i did well despite the communication barrier because everything's settled? Hahaha yay to Jolene!

Another reason why i would say that "you are on your own" is because you are so far away from your support system (your friends, family etc.) One thing that i'm starting to miss about is getting to see my family (especially my mum since she's a homemaker) before i leave the house and when i get home. And needless to say, the constant rants to them about school and life in general (hahaha). Telling them over Facetime is so different because you are aware of the physical distance and sometimes, you just don't want to share everything because you don't want them to worry. And well, also because there's nothing they can do about it anyways. Nearly 2 months since i left Singapore and you may ask, do i miss home? Yeah a little but i guess the feeling will get stronger gradually (and definitely more so on my birthday)!

3. You will learn that being alone does not necessarily have to mean you are lonely

After my 1 week of solo traveling, it changed me a lot as a person. In the past, i absolutely hated doing things alone. But now, i like traveling alone and damn, i enjoyed it a lot. Which is one of the reasons why i'm heading out alone to explore over here too (my plans for the coming reading week: Niagara-On-The-Lake and Downtown wew!). I realised that traveling alone can be really therapeutic! You get to be selfish - you can take however long to take as many photos as you want, you can be indecisive about what you want to buy, you can stay at a place for as long as you want. Basically, you can do everything at your own pace! I did went out with a couple of friends whom i have met from school but sometimes, i feel bad about having to keep them waiting, so i will take lesser pictures or eat a little faster. But when you are alone, its different. You can go anywhere you want and no one can stop you. One thing that i will always make sure is to shop for groceries alone because well, i take an awful lot of time to buy my stuff. I can be rather indecisive as to whether i should buy this or that (i blame it on exchange student budget, need to be thrifty you know) and also, i check labels for calorie count (i swear i only start doing this on exchange) LOL. So now you know why i will take so much time at supermarkets! But anyhow,  if you ask me whether i will travel alone again? Definitely yes! Of course, being alone means if you get lost, you will probably have a mini panic attack (but its all part of the fun and adventure right?). You just need to be a little sure of your directions and have your phone with you (google maps and transit/bus maps is the way to go!!) Now, i can truly understand why some people love to travel alone!

4. You get to step out from your comfort zone
Probably mentioned earlier but you get to do things that you don't usually do back home. I find myself being friendlier and keeping my temper and everything in check? You will learn that sometimes, you need to make the first step and approach someone to make small talks. While on exchange, you can expect to experience something new everyday! At least i'm still trying to get used to the "hey how are you" greeting line from and to everyone whom i have met. Anyways a little tip to that is that they don't expect you to tell a whole grandmother story about your day. You just gotta say "Good, thank you. And you?" because its just basically the same as us saying "hello" to people back home. Also, you know if you were to drive, you are supposed to really stop the car at the stop lines right? They really do it over here even when there's no pedestrians crossing the road, which is kinda amazing because well, Singaporean drivers don't really do it right... haha

5. You become more attached to your home country
Yeap, there's nothing better than home. As much as i like how peaceful it is over here, i still love Singapore (and i used to think other countries will be way better than Singapore, but what was i thinking really)! Nothing beats the convenience of our transport system, the local food and every other thing that i can think of. And this is coming from someone who have to carry 2 luggages down and up the staircases to take the subway at NYC because there's no lifts and having to wait 30 mins to an hour for buses in St Catharines. Thank you for everything Singapore, although i guess it did made us a little spoiled LOL. 

6. You will learn not to take things for granted

The thing about traveling and studying abroad is that you get to see things that you don't normally see. I saw so many homeless people in US and my heart broke a lttle every time when i saw them. Even seeing some people looking through the bin and trash for food isn't uncommon in US. And you know what sucks the most? It is knowing that there is only so much that you can do for them. So now, i'm just trying my best to avoid wasting food which is a little hard because the portions here are all so huge. On a side note, the size of a loaf of bread that is sold at the local supermarket here is twice the size back in Singapore. So whenever i ate something huge for lunch, i will tend to skip my dinner or have something really light like yogurt or fruits! Or if i foresee that i will be eating out for dinner, then i will just have something really light like biscuits for lunch! Get to save money and food at the same time (although it sounds a little sad lol).

7. You will find out what you want and what you don't want

Likewise, you will find out what you like and what you don't like. I didn't hang out with many of the other exchange students while i'm here (except for some) because most of them are really into drinking, partying and clubbing, like all day every day. And it is really not my thing (as nerdy as this may sound). Not so sure if its because Singapore's culture is really different from theirs? Well, i know that there's definitely people who drink/club/party in Singapore (like duh) but they are like so mild in comparison to the people whom i have known over here. Not going into the details but the point is, if you don't like it, then you have the choice not to do it. Plus my housemates don't smoke, drink or party either. So i guess its somehow "fated" in a way haha.

8. You will adapt to the new environment, somehow

Is it easy adapting to a new environment? Not really but you will, somehow. Coming to a foreign country to stay, even if its just for 4 months, is like having to start everything again. Making friends, getting the studying momentum on again, knowing where to get everything etc. is all part of the package. The first few days is going to be tough but everything will get better subsequently. Plus, time is passing by so fast and the next thing you know, you are so overwhelmed by all the projects and assignments. Before you know it, you will be moving out of residence and heading back to where you came from. Honestly, i can't believe how quickly time has passed! It's already Week 5! Part of me is excited that time is passing by quickly because i can't wait to get back and eat some legit home-cooked food and local food (prata, chicken rice, popiah). I totally blame this on Instagram and Snapchat - don't ever look through your social media when you are craving for local food or when you are really hungry.

9. You become more price-conscious

Like i have mentioned, exchange student budget. The things here are really expensive so you tend to think twice and be like "do i really need this? will i be using this?" even when it comes to getting food like pasta, jam and biscuits. I thought i wouldn't have to get much household stuff while i'm here but hahaha i was so extremely wrong. I need to get a pot, spatula (if not how to cook), water container, water kettle, plate, bowl and the list goes on. All these may not seem a lot but when you put them all together, it costs a lot. So i always try to get the cheapest stuff that i can find, like cheapest bowl, cheapest spoon, cheapest container etc. since i will only be here for 4 months (less than 3 months to go)! Doesn't make sense to spend so much on things that you will only be using for 4 months and wouldn't be bring them back home right...


Did i ever regret coming on exchange?
Not really. I have been learning a lot and with every experience, i feel like i'm growing a little (mentally of course lol). Of course, everything is tough here - getting used to do everything yourself to studying. Studying here in Canada is, by no means, easier than Singapore even though courses on exchange are on a pass/fail basis. I feel like i can't relax because i don't know how to not study as hard as while i'm in SMU? I always have this nagging feeling that if i don't work hard, i might not pass. Plus, it really sucks if you don't pass all your courses while on exchange ok. So yeap, gonna put in my best effort even though my tourism lectures are super boring and draggy......

Thats all for now! Will definitely be back to write about NYC next week, because its reading week woohoooo! Happy and excited for reading week though i have a long list of assignments to work on sigh.


Stay safe and happy always, guys x