Overall, I am very fortunate to have been chosen by the International Business Studies Department to participate in this extraordinary program. The amount of support I was given from the Professor and the staff was incredible. The program is not just educational but fun as well. For example, we visited a few museums, tried local cuisine, saw all of the sites, and even went to the beach. The balance of educational opportunities from company visits to cultural visits and fun activities is perfect for a trip like this. Most of my expectations of Singapore lined up pretty well. Everything from it being a westernized version of China, all the different cultures in one city, and being a massive hub for international finance and trade. The amount of public transport in SIngapore would put a city like New York City to shame. There are metro rails everywhere, bus stops every few blocks, and since the country is a city state there is a lot of walkability. We ended walking, on average, eight miles a day, which also allowed me to lose weight while I was there despite all of the excellent food I was able to enjoy. During the trip, we had regular update meetings with the Professor and our guide to make sure we were all still doing okay and that everyone knew what to expect. If there was anything that someone was uncomfortable with such as heights, eating certain foods, or anything else they were able to accommodate and make sure everyone was having a good time. Going to a country like Singapore makes you appreciate many things we take for granted here such as cars, A/C everywhere, lots of different food, and of course the weather. It was very hot there, 92 degrees fahrenheit with high humidity, and most of the buildings either had no air conditioning or it was barely on. The coldest temperature it has ever been in Singapore was in the 1990s and that temperature was 66 degrees fahrenheit. Ultimately, if you are thinking about doing an international trip whether it be Singapore or somewhere else I have two words of advice for you: Do it.
Center for International Business Studies Blog