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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November 2017
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