Garden City Is So Impressive

By Linying SHI (International Commerce 111)

Singapore won the reputation of "Garden City" in the world because of its beautiful landscape, and I feel lucky for studying in Singapore. Thanks to the mild climate, young lady can always wear suitable dresses, which is a happy thing for girls. I do love the pleasant and agreeable environment in Singapore. From street parks to flyovers, from courtyard balconies to building roofs, each and every corner is decorated with flowers and grasses, shaping Singapore to be one of the most environmentally-friendly country in the world. To ensure the beauty, penalties are stipulated for any misbehavior in traffic, environment or public orders.

On weekends, I would participate in outdoor activities to the MacRitchie Reservo - the oldest reservoir park in Singapore. Sometimes, local Singaporean organize hiking activities through posters and APP software to invite people who love sports and social activities. Walking in the Park and chatting with friends, we can enjoy being so close to nature.

Our school is located in the western coast, so West Coast Park always is my priority to relax myself after daily study. Sometimes I was overwhelmed by  homesickness, but the sound of the waves always helped me to get rid of the  loneliness. Here, in this park, I could hear the birds, see the squirrels, and smell the fresh air.

Friends around me are from different places, such as Singapore, China, India and Malaysia, but the study life in NUS is a challenge for all of us. In fact, speaking and writing are commonly the most difficult parts for English learners. Singapore bilingual teaching environment is obvious an advantage especially for Chinese students. The atmosphere of multicultural integration helps students to successfully overcome the adjustment period.

The Central Library in National University of Singapore covers an area of 34,170 square meters, with 4,840 seats and rich collections. What interesting is that smarter classmates are always working harder. And teachers told us the key to study is reviewing. With reviewing, I can absorb more new knowledge. Therefore, with the purpose to review lessons and pass these exams successfully, my school life started from the Central Library. Luckily, our teachers always welcome students to ask questions, which inspires students to learn by himself or herself. Group discussions and presentation works are an essential part of our life.

In order to gain more experience in the National University, I joined the financial department at Graduated Students Union. Our union operates autonomously, and services of which aim at students. Every month we organize some interesting activities to shorten the distance among students from diverse cultures.

In May 2016, I attended the three-day Leadership Camp in Malaysia with other 60 students from different majors. During the camp, we took various challenging activities like climbing a wall within 1 minute 23seconds, balancing on a wooden platform (8 seconds). In those days, we waked up at six a.m. to catch the nice sunshine and enjoy the sparkle stars at night. What’s more, we also made our own rafts from PVC pipes and plastic barrels (it wouldn’t have been done it without the help of teamwork as I am not good at knot tying). We just used mesh tins (no gas stove) to cook the most number of dishes, including delicious chicken porridge, and won the cooking competition. I learned what it means to be a leader. This was a really wonderful camp I never had experienced in China. I really appreciate my friends and assistant teachers for bringing me such an awesome experience for me in my overseas  life.

In this year of graduate study, every day is not the same in this lively school, and I do still remember every sunset by the sea and the green grasses on the island. Now, my dear classmates set off for their own life journeys, but the memories blending happiness, harvest and the Singapore’s scenery stays in our hearts. And undoubtedly, this is also a new start point for me.

​