Want to know what our students have been up to during their time in Singapore? Our on-course staff member, Charlotte, fills us in with all the details from days 1-3.

Day #1: Welcome to Singapore!

Students arrived for our very first programme in Singapore excited and keen to explore the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus straight-away, perfect for our Course Director and tutors who’ve had a couple of days to settle in and find their way around!

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We had a delicious welcome meal on campus and headed back to halls to catch up on sleep before classes began first thing Monday morning. Our subject options for this year in Singapore are Business & Entrepreneurship and Medicine, two interesting options for students considering a career in these fields. The first lectures introduced new topics and set out the structure for the week, allowing our students to get to know the tutors and learn more about their specialisms.

After lessons and afternoon professional development workshops, we headed into the city on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) to the heart of the financial district. Incredibly beautiful and high tech, office buildings of international business headquarters make for a spectacular sight just before sunset (although some of our group were more impressed by the super cars that filled the streets of Singapore..!)

We walked down to the Gardens by the Bay, which just after dark came alive with lights and colours as huge flower sculptures blossom towards the skyline. We explored the gardens and watched the hourly light show ‘Garden Rhapsody’, before grabbing some dinner in the food court. On our way back to the MRT we passed through the Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore’s most iconic hotels, constructed as three towers with a three-acre park on top with the world’s largest infinity pool, sadly no swimming that night! Back to NUS we headed for late night snacks and to bed.

Day #2 & #3: Debating & Ice Skating

Another busy day in Singapore started with classes on campus, followed by workshops in debating and critical thinking, helping our students to prepare for the academic future.

After lessons, we hopped on a bus into the city to the National Stadium and Kallang Ice Rink, for which proved to be most of our groups first time on the ice. After a wobbly first few minutes (and a long line of students holding onto the bar, snaking round the rink) everyone started to get more confident and enjoy being outside their comfort zone, there were a couple of falls, but with thick gloves and resilience, the students always got straight back up - an impressive feat.

Wednesday night came round before we knew it and it was time for Quiz Night on campus, an all important Oxford Summer Courses tradition! Everyone did really well, and displayed some impressive niche knowledge! After Quizzing, we headed for dinner in the food court where you can try delicacies from around the world including incredible Thai and Indian food as well as delicious fresh Malaysian and Chinese noodles and soups - something for all tastes! We went to bed full and sleepy.

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Why not take a look at some of the photos they've captured so far? Head to our Instagram to see.

And be sure to come back in a couple of days to see what the students have been up to in the next instalment of the Singapore Diaries!

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About the author

Rhys Mackenzie is the Website Marketing Manager at Oxford Summer Courses. With extensive experience in SEO and digital content management, they are passionate about showcasing the best that Oxford has to offer. Their previous role at Experience Oxfordshire gave them a deep appreciation for the city's unique cultural and academic offerings. Learn more about Rhys here.