Written by: Justlyn Yeo
Edited by: Soh Ying Qi & Dominic Koek
Photos by: Justlyn Yeo
Exchange University: King’s College London
I was very much looking forward to exchange because I wanted to escape the stress and rigour of school and experience a whole new world out there. I’ve always wanted to visit the United Kingdom (UK), and London was the top choice for me.
Manage your Expectations
One of the most important lessons that I’ve learnt on exchange is to not have expectations. This may be an unpopular opinion, but the shift in perspective has changed my life. The thing about going on exchange is that people often only show you the good stuff – the good food, the many places they’ve travelled to, the beautiful scenery they’ve seen, and so on. However, they often miss out the “less ideal” parts – the cold, the three hour journey you take to hike to a place just for an insta-worthy shot, the loneliness you feel away from home – you only really realise these when you’re out in the world on exchange. I went into exchange with great expectations, given the rosy idea of “the best time of my life” stuck in my head. However, reality sank in soon enough. The first few days and weeks were pretty sad because reality didn’t live up to expectations. Despite so, I gradually saw things in a different light. I realised that I went in with too many expectations and ended up with experiences that fell short. If only I cleared my mind of expectations, and welcomed whatever experience that came in my way, things would then always be relatively better.
It worked well for me. Getting to the top of Arthur’s Seat – braved the winds and steep steps, cool stuff. Going to school every day – walked 45 minutes to class, great workout. Settling our daily meals – having to wash plates left by irresponsible level mates, no problem. Living in an overseas environment becomes a much more enjoyable and exciting experience when you learn to take things easy and not expect the ideal situations.
An Opportunity for Self-Discovery
I’m really glad that I chose London as my exchange destination because the city is just so inspiring and it allowed me to reflect and set goals on what I want to achieve in life. I think what really struck a chord with me was London’s art scene, and it just inspired me because there are just so many artists doing what they love and they were so good at what they were doing – which gave me confidence to pursue what I really want to do at this point in time, even though I might not be great at it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s really easy to get sucked up in the hustle and bustle of life here in Singapore. The break from Singapore has really been a refresher and rejuvenator in life.
Greenwich Urban Village Fete
Transportation
A subway shot taken during one of my walks back from school
The grass always seems greener on the other side. However, it really isn’t necessarily so! During exchange, I really began to appreciate Singapore’s transport system. Honestly, you can’t get cheaper public transport at this level of accessibility and comfort than in Singapore. My heart died a little each time I tapped out of the station because £2.40 just slips out of my card. Things became slightly easier with a 16-25 rail card because the fares became £1.60, which still hurt me from time to time. Therefore, we (the few of us who lived together at the school’s hostel Wolfson House) decided to save and commute 45 min by foot to and from the Strand campus every day (it was fun bonding time, truly).
Art Scene
View right outside our hostel (Wolfson House)
One of the shops at Portobello Market
Nonetheless, the art scene in London was what really struck me. I appreciate the vast variety of art museums available in London and how much the city embraced art. There were many artists all around, and one of my favourite things about exchange was being able to visit the different markets every weekend. The long stretches of arts, food, and music meshed together were truly a feast for the senses. It was just so amazing seeing many artists embracing their talents and being so good at what they’re doing. I really loved how welcoming and accepting the place is, and I’m heartened that Singapore is slowly working towards being a home like that.
Exchange Tips: Personal Top Picks
1. Get a 16-25 rail card
This is an absolute LIFESAVER. Basically, this gets you 30% off all your subway/train fares, which means saving £0.80 every trip on the subway (that’s $1.30 saved)! Also, if you’re into travelling around the UK, you can get that discount off your train tickets which could really add up to more than £100!
2. LEON has the best burgers
The amazing LOVe burger
I think I’m the only one who raves about these burgers, but YOU’VE GOT TO TRY IT. LEON is a heathy fast-food chain that you can find all around England, and the LOVe burger is truly one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten in my life. Trust me on this because I ate this burger over 10 times on exchange (not exaggerating).
3. Go Green
One of the things that I really love about the UK is their eco-conscious culture. Remember to bring along your reusable bags because disposable bags are mostly chargeable! Pro-tip: Bring your reusable cup along, and you’ll get discounts on your coffee!
4. Walk to school
This sounds mad, but it is absolutely worth it. Despite the 45-minute walk to school every day, I had no regrets because it’s the best time you can use to bond with your pals and get fit at the same time! The weather is also cold enough that you won’t perspire and you can clock those 10,000 steps every day for your Healthy365 app.
Stopping for cheap Magnum during one of our walks
5. Tesco Reduced-to-Clear
Okay, this is beginning to sound cheapo, yet these are true hacks for students studying in a place with high standards of living. Cooking overseas (especially with friends) is the best way to save on meals, so the Tesco Reduced-to Clear section is the rack we always make a beeline towards. It’s a really great section, especially if you live near to a supermarket because you can get good meat, along with dessert at less than half the price!
Favourite Moments in London
1. Wolfson Pals
Heart-to-heart-talks (HTHTs) at night
One of our missing-Asian-food meals
These people have truly been the highlights of exchange because of all the things we’ve been through together, such as braving the cold and travelling to school together, racing to Tesco to get reduced-to-clear food, cooking dinner together almost every other day, and taking photos with fake northern lights – these friends really made exchange so much more fun. I really enjoyed all the meals and experiences we that had together – the times spent together is the top highlight of exchange that I’ll treasure.
Pancake breakfast day
Group photo after racing across Tower Bridge to catch the artificial “Northern Lights”
2. Art Markets
I know that I’ve mentioned this above, but I think this really deserves a top spot in my exchange journey because the art scene here is so amazing and diverse that it really inspired me to be more creative and daring. You’ll never run out of things to do in London because there’s an art market or event going on every other week, and it’s always a new experience at every corner.
3. Food
Of course, I can’t end this piece without food! I really love the café scene in the UK and the food there is simply AMAZING. I can never forget the pancakes (The Breakfast Club has the best), the coffee (Monmouth Coffee..), and the carrot cakes I had on exchange.
The markets were also amazing, such as Borough market, Portobello market, and Bricklane market – you need to visit them to experience the beauty yourself.
Final Pro-tip: Walk more so you can eat more – you won’t regret it.
About UniverSalPals
UniverSalPals is an initiative that invites students who have gone for the NTU-USP Study Abroad / NTU Global Education and Mobility (GEM) Explorer Programme for a semester to chronicle and share about their adventures, changes in perspectives, and growth paths on exchange. Living in a foreign environment for 5 months isn’t a long time, but you can’t say it’s short either. You’ll be surprised at how much a semester exchange abroad can teach you – both about the world and yourself.
