Libraries are packed, extracurricular activities slows down, and studying is at an all time high– yup, it’s midterm season.
Academics in NUS has a slower pace than NU because NUS has a semester system. Instead of the usual 3 hours of lecture per week , modules usually have 2 hours. Nonetheless, midterm season is very much real and can be stressful as all the midterms for every module will usually be packed into the first week after recess week. In NUS, many classes provide webcasts ( recorded lecture video for every lecture) which has come very much in handy for me in my midterm studies as I can go back and rewatch the lecture and pause or skip to my liking and made me really wish NU will pick up on webcast technology also. The only thing that I would have wanted in NUS in terms of academic resource is office hours. None of my modules have standard office hours from the TA or the professor, so it is a little hard to get outside of class help. Even with the slower pace, NUS still is definitely academically challenging and all the professors I have are very engaging.
As I reach the midpoint of my stay in Singapore, I have started to feel a little homesick. Even though I love Asian food, I have come to miss American food and have tried out the McDonalds in Singapore to try out the Singapore McDonalds specialty called the McSpicy (a very spicy chicken burger) and crab flavored curly fries. I always feel kind of guilty when I don’t eat something more local, but the McSpicy was definitely worth trying out.
