memories carved at the back of my brain

My SEP exchange overall was a bittersweet one as I definitely missed the comforts of home and friends in Singapore while being overseas but it was sweet to indulge in new cultures and environment. The nostalgia of home was often experienced when we are lonely especially in cold winters which have rather long dark hours. However, it was one of the most memorable times of my life whereby we get to travel around, meet new people from other countries as well as to really know ourselves better.

The partner university that I went was Lund University in Lund, Sweden. It is a rather small university town whereby it is populated with mostly students (both international and local) but also a rather cozy one as well. Probably the first thing that impacted on us was the difference in the main language of communication and signboards which was in Swedish but luckily for us, the Swedes can converse well in English so we didn’t have much difficulties in getting around. There were old cathedrals around the city which were at least a hundred years old and yet it is beautifully maintained. Some of the old buildings was converted as school buildings as well. Looking around, you can see that the people were much happier and relaxed there given the slower pace of life and being in a welfare state. Smiles were often seen on the Swedes faces and it is common to see families going out together and spending quality times with one another.

Being suddenly thrown into a slower pace of life took us back but we accepted almost immediately. It is like being more relax and carefree with our lives, which is so different as compared to back in Singapore with a fast-paced life. However, one of the things which we didn’t like was the short opening hours of the shops which closed at 4pm on weekends to allow the people to spend more time with their family as well as to cut back on the cost of employment of the staff to extend their working hours on weekends. Imagine that we can shop almost the whole day back in Singapore! The only exception was perhaps the supermarkets where we still can get food from early morning to late nights which are the most important.

There was also different in the way of how the people viewed education. There was obviously less emphasis on the grades with the students being allowed to retake their examinations until they passed and hence the students can take to learn at their own pace. It was more of really absorbing and appreciating what we are all interested in learning. Being a science student, it was really encouraging to see how different they are in their researching and lectures. The lectures were without the usual handouts that we can download from the internet but instead we have to hand copy down the notes written on the blackboard. We call the professors by their first name and this helps to pull the students and lecturers closer and we can feel free to raise any questions given that the class was small as well. The laboratories sessions were held in upgraded and clean laboratories in small groups and we get the full attention of the teaching assistants and there was more emphasis in getting to be equipped with the lab skills and experience rather than the yield of the end product. The lab reports were also to be resubmitted until it was perfect so that the teaching assistants know that we have totally understood what we have been doing which was different from the usual lab report grading in NUS. We don’t get too distracted from the aim of going to school which is to get educated and know more information instead of just chasing all out for our grades. We truly learn from the less emphasis on grades instead of just doing last minute studying for examinations and tests.

Being on exchange also allowed us to meet people from different countries and hence the different cultures. I stayed in an international corridor whereby there were 10 rooms in one corridor and all of us came from different countries. I get to try out different cuisines from other countries and also learning out the different cultures. We were like a family staying together in a corridor whereby you can just knock on each other’s door and have a chat when we get too bored or stressed out from work and we enjoyed each other’s presence. I also get to know a close Swede friend whom I am still keeping in contact with and learning about their different events and special days going on in Sweden though I am back in Singapore. The occasional gatherings and outings with friends helped me to feel less lonely and homesick in Sweden and made everything more enjoyable.

Overall the exchange experience was enjoyable and it was a good chance to learn to be more independent and cherish what we have back in Singapore. The time spent overseas allowed ample time for self-reflection as well as knowing how to handle relationships and friendships better. Sweden is a beautiful and nice country to live in despite the higher cost of living and hence I will recommend NUS students to go there and experience a wonderful SEP experience.

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okay just some updates as well. its week 11! so omg. been usually busy in lab from morning till evening like almost non-stop other than the times to slack when the reactions are ongoing and theres nothing that you can do about it when it needs to run for at least 2 hours or even up to 3 days. the progress have been relatively okay though slow with my 2nd complex came out! woohoo! clean IR, NMR n MS spectra! going to oxidise it soon! going to take leave from lab soon to start mugging when i have test on wk 12 and 13. have found some time to exercise as well thanks to new found kaki val who have been a nice and patient and fun mentor =) repicked up running as well which i used to hate in JC but now i realised its quite enjoyable to run w/o stress to pass napfa etc. and i hit my new achievement of swimming 50laps almost non-stop! haha. though exercising is tiring but at least it keeps me more alert and awake during labs and lectures at night and at the same time help to lose some weight as well =) and had badminton with the rest of the lab people as well back on thurs! its was fun but gabriel keep smashing the ball at me.. sandy take revenge for me! haha.

okay bet i gonna disappear from here soon. hopefully not for good. meanwhile jiayous people! =)