Hello, my name is Liliana and I am an English with World Literature student at Liverpool, currently on a year abroad at the National University of Singapore!
It’s hard to fathom just how quickly this year has passed. I can’t quite believe that I am already so close to the end of my time here. How is it just one week until I hand in my final assignment, when it feels like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to my family at the airport?
Singapore is such an amazing city with so much to offer, and I feel so lucky to say I have lived here. The food is incredible and really affordable, it is extremely safe, and there are always activities happening across the city.
NUS Global put on so many events for exchange students throughout my time here, alongside the wide range of co-curriculars and student groups available. It was through these that I made some of my closest friends, mainly fellow exchangers, from all over the world. I’m so grateful to Singapore for bringing us together!
Some of my favourite memories together include watching Formula 1, going to concerts, travelling around Asia (really easily) and watching the sunset over Marina Bay Sands.
Academically, being on a full year abroad meant that I could take modules outside of my degree, including Chinese & Southeast Asian culture studies. A true highlight was studying the history of Chinese Medicine, in which we were required to visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine hall. It was a cultural experience I don’t think I could ever have anywhere else.
Through the good, there have been a few challenges too. As a disabled student, accessibility can sometimes be difficult on campus and I have felt moments of homesickness, but the support staff at NUS are so helpful and always willing to listen. Whilst difficult at the time, I’m grateful for these experiences, they have helped me grow in confidence and overall as a person.
This year has taken me further than I ever imagined, and I will forever be grateful for the things I have learned throughout.