Learning in School

If anyone was to ever ask me if I would recommend studying abroad my answer would instantly be "YES." I have learnt so much since arriving at NTU about communications and marketing as well as work ethic.

First of all, I really love the learning style and testing for the Communications courses that I am taking. At a first glance, the Asian school system is what one would expect it seems very intense and yes, everyone is always studying.

That time I volunteered to be in another group's video commercial to represent diversity!

In terms of academic performance, as my local student friends have told me you have to do well, there is not really a choice. A lot of students are on scholarships to university and to maintain them they have to keep their GPA high, the same applies for living in residence.

Parental pressures are also a huge factor for schoolwork stress, many of my friends have told me that they were canned as a child if they did not receive top marks as a form of discipline. They would feel ashamed for letting down their parents and would be embarrassed with their peers if they did not get top grades.

For my personal workload here, I can really only speak about the communications faculty "Wee Kim Wee School of Communications". All of my coursework so far has been very hands-on, application of knowledge such as designing a new media campaign for a hotel in Singapore that we have to do in-field research of to learn our insights and competition.  Unlike UWO, I have no big theoretical based papers and everything is done in group projects and is weekly applied learning not essays.

For example for my Creative Strategies class, each week I create a marketing campaign or new media campaign for various products, industries (basically whatever my professor chooses).  A lot of the time we get real clients who pay us for our strategic thinking and therefore we forfeit our rights to our ideas. I recently won a campaign for The Singapore Maritime Industries, because they have the misconception amongst local youth as only a "blue collar" on the boat career path. We presented out client insights, consumer insights, marketing timeline, print ads and so on to the client. My TVC (television commercial storyboard) which i hand drew in cartoons was one of the selling points that allowed us to win $300 - $60 each!!! Although I get frustrated with weekly group projects because it involves a lot of time management to meet and discuss our ideas, it has been really practical learning that I can hopefully apply to whatever my future education or career will be. I certainly think that what I have learned has been more topical.

I think my favourite thing about school here is my COM231 class where we create weekly marketing strategies. My group is comprised of my American friend Kara, three local students and myself. Each week we get together and have lunch or dinner and go over the content. This past week I asked for them to take me to a "must-go" place in Singapore. We went for Xiaolongbao at a restaurant in Raffles mall right downtown.

Hot and Sour Soup and Spinach with Sesame Seed Dressing to Start

The intricate process involves 18 folds to twist each dumpling shut

 The restaurant is world famous for their dumplings things. Although I call them dumplings I was informed they are NOT, they are a type of steamed bun or baozi from eastern China, especially Shanghai. It is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets, hence the name (xiaolong is literally small steaming basket). Xiaolongbao are often referred to as soup dumplings or simply dumplings in English but are not regarded as "dumplings" in China. You suck out the soup inside of the dumpling before you re-dip it into vinegar and soy sauce with ginger. I hope when I am in Shanghai I eat lots of dim sum like this. It is absolutely nothing like what we have in Canada, the pastry/noodle is so light and soft that it is the meat (pork/shrimp) that is filling.

I cant wait to have it again!!!