By deciding to study abroad you've already decided to branch out of your comfort zone so I applaud you on that! However, while abroad I suggest that you take the chance to branch out of comfort zone even more and to try new things! (All safe things now!) And it all starts with putting yourself out there. I understand that it can be intimidating but you never know what you could gain from taking a chance. I've been in Singapore for almost one month now and by just branching out of my comfort zone I've gained so much! Friends Two weeks ago I went to Marina Bay Sands area to watch the National Day Fireworks with a few friends (Photos can be found in the Gallery tab). That day, I knew I wanted to watch the fireworks but I didn't have any friends to go with. The day prior, I attended a coffee chat hosted by the NUS Peer Advisers and got put into a group of other exchange students. Our leader was a local Singaporean and made a Facebook group chat for him to contact us. So on the day of National Day, a girl who wasn't able to attend the coffee chat but was part of our group messaged the group chat and asked if anyone wanted to go and see the fireworks with her. I've never met people through social media and was a bit nervous to just hang out with someone I haven't met before but I decided to give it a try. So I asked her if I could come along with her and she was very friendly and welcoming. An hour before going to meet her I felt nervous, intimidated and thought "What if she doesn't like me?" "I don't need to go out, I could just stay home and video chat with my boyfriend" I was going to cancel, but then a different thought floated into my mind "What do I have to lose and what do I have to gain?". I really had nothing to lose, I would most likely just stay in my room, not go to see the fireworks and miss out on an opportunity to see an event that occurs once a year in Singapore. However, I could gain a friend and witness something new and possibly once in a lifetime. So weighing my options I decided to go and was surprised to see that the girl, Thao, had two other friends with her, her boyfriend Richard and a girl named Alisha. Alisha and I became really good friends and later she introduced me to her friend Erin and now a few weeks later, the two of them are my closest friends here! I also still hang out with Thao and Richard as well, and I would've never met any of them if I hadn't put myself out there. I think about that decision often because if I hadn't taken that chance I would've never met the friends and have the memories that I have today. Activities In the past few months I've become very interested in acting, singing and dancing. I don't have much experience in any of those arts but am just interested in learning more, so I decided to put myself out there and try to get involved in the various art activities/clubs NUS offers. I took advantage of this opportunity and auditioned for the NUS Choir, Resonance (Acapella Group), Dance Ensemble and Stage (Theater Club). Although all the experiences were intimidating, and some even embarrassing, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to try out all of those different activities because I made a few friends on the way! I also took the chance to join the NUS Judo Club and since I did judo in high school the team has allowed me to practice with the senior class. So now a few weeks into school I'm proud to say that I am a part of NUS Stage, NUS Judo Club and am taking Jazz Dance classes offered by the NUS Center of Arts, a class specifically for students who always wanted to learn about the art but never had the chance (that's me!). I'm so thankful I branched out of my comfort zone and have been able to get involved in extra curricular activities at NUS. I hope to continue these activities when I return to UH. Nus Stage! This photo was taken after our first acting class. I truly hope that if you're going on exchange, you take the chance to branch out of your comfort zone because you'll never know what you could gain and how much you could grow! (Branches and growing? Get it?! :D)
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My first day of school was on August 14, 2017. I'm taking 3 modules. Each module is 4 credits so it fulfills the 12 credit requirement for MIX and Shidler. Note: If you decide to take only 3 courses are you're a Freeman Scholar, the courses must all be business courses! NUS Module = Shidler Course FIN3103B = FIN 435 Financial Markets FIN3101B = FIN 307 Corporate Finance MKT1705X = BUS 312 Principles of Marketing I decided to take only 3 modules because I would still be able to graduate on time and I wanted to take advantage of being at NUS and get involved with as many school activities as I could. As well as travel occasionally! Modules at NUS tend to be about two or three hours long, however professors dismiss you 25 minutes early in order for you to get to your next class. So if you decide not to take a class because it ends at the time that another begins you should be okay because the teachers take into account your travel time to the next class. The first week also consisted of a Student Life Fair. I believe this fair only takes place in the fall so if you happen to be studying abroad in the fall, I highly recommend visiting this fair! The fair takes place in UTown and all of the clubs at NUS are in attendance. There are performances, free goodies, services (henna booth, wirecraft keychain, caricature, photo booth) and most of all the opportunity to join any of the clubs at NUS! There are clubs for your major, culture, religion, favorite hobbies and sports. Photos of Alisha, Erin and I from the photo booth at the fair!
On Thursday, July 27th I departed Hawaii with puffy eyes and a stomach full of butterflies. This was my second time flying alone and my first time with a layover so I was a bit worried I would miss my flight. Thankfully we arrived in Japan on time and I was able to find the correct gate. I had a 4 hour layover at Narita Airport and then we were off to Singapore! For those of you who may not know, the Shidler College of Business has nine clubs that students can join to help them build their community service experience, networking skills and gain friends! I'm in BEST (Business Executive Society of Tomorrow) and through this club I met lots of amazing people I'm lucky enough to call my BESTies. One of these BESTies, is Tiga, a friend I had the opportunity to serve on board with, and who happens to currently live in Singapore! I flew in a day before check-in and he and his family were extremely kind enough to let me stay with them till I checked in to NUS. On top of that Tiga and his brother Adam showed me around a bit and I was able to experience some of the great food and sights of Singapore! On Monday, July 31st I moved into my dorm room in UTown Residence. I met my roommates Marie and Ida, who are friends from Denmark that requested to stay together. They're both really nice and I'm picking up some Danish. I spent the first few days unpacking, getting things for my room, and just trying to make it a bit more homey. I also registered (click NUS Registration for specific information about the registration process at NUS) and attended the International Student Orientation. Apparently there are more then 900 exchange students here! So far, I've met someone new from a different country everyday! After the International Student Orientation, Business School Orientation and Registration we had a week of freedom before school started. In this week I had the opportunity to explore a bit and get settled into NUS but the highlight of that week was visiting the Singapore Botanical Gardens, the National Orchid Garden located within the SBG, Gardens by the Bay and witnessing the celebration of National Day. Over these past two weeks, I've already learned so much about Singapore, other countries and especially about myself. These past two weeks have also shown me how lucky I am to have such an amazing support group. I'm so thankful for my friends, boyfriend and family for their encouragement, support, all of the sacrifices they've had to make and their continuous love. Although I am alone, knowing that they are always there for me, I'm never lonely.
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About MeMy name is Jackie Agena and I am a junior at the at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I am full time student majoring in Management Information Systems and Finance. Categories
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