For Rosalie Wang, the familiar sight of Canadian geese and deciduous trees on McMaster’s campus was replaced by vibrant jungle where monkeys, geckos and lizards roam freely. This was her new reality during an exchange at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the island nation of Singapore.
While studying Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at McMaster, Rosalie’s adventurous spirit led her to pursue a study-abroad experience. She sought a university renowned for its biomedical and biotechnology innovation and a culturally diverse environment—NTU in Singapore, a country with four national languages, was the perfect fit. In short order, Rosalie applied and made the necessary arrangements to make the more than 30-hour journey to her new summer home.
The cleanliness of Singapore and diversity of people was something Rosalie noted on her train ride from Changi Airport to NTU’s campus that lies outside of a bustling city centre. “There wasn’t really any culture shock because there were people of all backgrounds around me,” she says. “I found everything really well organized and accessible, which made me feel safe.”
Rosalie’s peers at NTU gave her a warm welcome. “Everyone was incredibly nice,” she says. “My classmates went out of their way to support me and help me integrate, and there were plenty of activities for international students to feel a sense of belonging.”
In the classroom, Rosalie described it as “a different kind of challenging than at McMaster.” Fewer practical requirements and less frequent assignments meant she could study on the move. It also meant one test or assignment might be worth your entire grade in a course.
Despite taking courses at NTU and continuing online McMaster courses, Rosalie carved out time to use her dorm room as a launch pad for weekend trips to nearby bucket-list destinations.
During her semester at NTU, she visited nine other countries – the Netherlands, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia – sometimes traveling solo, other times with friends she met on exchange.
Back in Singapore, she happily embraced the hot and humid jungle climate and took long bike rides along the waterfront. “I enjoyed renting dollar bikes and finding a spot to watch the sunset and city lights illuminate over the water,” she recalls.
Now in her fifth and final year at McMaster, Rosalie has felt a marked shift in her life since her exchange. “I was almost a completely different person than I am now,” she says. “I matured in a lot of ways and approach challenges and stressful situations differently. I communicate better, understand how to work within limitations and built confidence in myself. I’m much more self-assured.”
Bringing new perspectives of her own and that of her professors and classmates on exchange to her studies at McMaster, Rosalie feels her worldview has broadened. “I’ve seen a different data sample than what I’ve seen normally,” she says.
Rosalie’s NTU experience has inspired her to consider grad school in Singapore after gaining some industry experience in biotechnology or pharmaceuticals. She’s also inspired to share her pro tips on facilitating an international exchange with interested peers.
“You won’t gain anything from an exchange if you don’t step out of your comfort zone. Things might not go as planned, but that’s part of the whole experience.”
