Sa-Wat-Dee-Ka everyone! My name is Pinyapat Manasboonpermpool. You might know by now that I am from Thailand.

Packing up my life into a suitcase, I chose Singapore as the destination for my second exchange! Why Singapore? I believe that I can learn many enthralling things from both the locals and the other exchange students, explore places and even visit the other countries nearby. I decided to embark on this second exchange after spending the first exchange in the states with the same purpose of stepping out of my comfort zone and adding on new stories to my life.

One month has already passed; I can definitely say that I could have not made a better decision. Singapore is a place that allows me to experience multiculturalism like nowhere else. I have become more knowledgeable and worldly-wise, such that I now have a better understandings of the people from different beliefs, religions, cultures and backgrounds.

While attending classes at SMU, I experienced some differences between my home university and here. The most obvious aspect is the class participation. SMU students contribute their knowledge in class discussions and they learn from one another. This would never happen that often in my home university back in Thailand. The professors would rather give the lecture according to the textbook, and the students choose not to voice out their opinions but read the slides and take notes quietly. When a professor asks any questions, there will always be no hands up, unlike at SMU where the students here are eager to participate.

For me, I do love listening to such classroom discussions. It is very effective for me to learn from my classmates as if they help to increase my knowledge. However, I am still quite scared of participating in class because I feel like I have nothing to say, which is a problem when participating counts in some percentages for the overall grade, ha-ha.

One thing that I wish I knew before coming here is that not every Singaporeans can speak English. Normally, people can switch from English to Mandarin, Malay, or Tamil languages. Some people, like the elderly, speak Chinese more fluently than English.

If I knew this, I would have taken some Chinese or Malay courses before coming as I wish to understand the locals better. Also, as I am one of the Temasek-Foundation scholars, I do volunteering work and engage with seniors who speak Chinese or dialects only. I realize I could not fully interact with them. It would have been more pleasant if we did not have any language barriers.

Jane, from Mahidol University International College (Thailand), currently on exchange at Singapore Management University

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