NTU Course Review: LMS Year 3 Semester 1

NTU Course Review
Nanyang Technological University
LMS Year 3 Student (Semester 1, Y2018)
Linguistics & Multilingual Studies GER-PE Courses: Language Change, Intercultural Communications, Making of a Civilization

Other Courses: Cultural Intelligence: How to be an Explorer of the World 

Language Change
Course name: Language Change
Course Code: HG3021
Assessment: 
      ·         Two Written Tests           -              (25% & 25%)

·         Group Presentation        -              (15%)

·         Class Participation            -              (5%)

·         One Final Essay                 -              (30%)

Course Review:
Language Change is sort of like a continuation of Francesco (Jr)’s Level 2 courses; Etymology and Cryptology. For the uninitiated, fret not, because Francesco will spend some time to go through some of the Level 2 material so that the students are able to think through the lenses of Historical Linguistics (A very important perspective for Linguists, I am sure!).

Reading-wise, it is not too heavy probably about 1-2 research papers per week. Expect to learn more about Historical Linguistics, with more examples than what is found in the Level 2 courses. By the end of the course, you should be well versed with how the Italian town of Borgomale got its name or how the legend of Lamoling gave rise to placenames in the island of Alor. Do take note of the examples the professor went through in class as you can use them as essay examples during the 2 quizzes you have to take. Also, the Final Essay is very important as it could very well be the differentiator between your classmates and you, so spend some ample time to write the essay.

Intercultural Comms
Course name: Intercultural Communication
Course Code: HG2021
Assessment:

·         Two Essays         -                              (30% & 30%)

·         Group Presentation        -              (30%)

·         Class participation            -              (10%)

Course Review:
This was quite an interesting course for me, in particular because I have a growing interest in Intercultural Communication ever since returning from Summer exchange in Russia where I had many interactions with people from all around the world, giving me a new lease of curiosity regarding intercultural communication. That said, this course was loaded with knowledge, especially from a Linguistics perspective, on this subject.

A good thing about this course is the rather interactive way of learning. Stephanie, who is well-travelled, would fill her lessons up with her interesting life stories on intercultural communication and her wisdom regarding the subject. Sometimes, they even go beyond the reading material and I had a fascinating time trying to peer into the lenses of my prof. The lessons are also punctuated with discussion time regarding our own opinion or experiences on the subject matter, thus it was really quite fun. To do well, you do have to put great effort in your essays and be punctual in your submission. Also, try to work well with your group members and put up a good presentation as for this sem, other groups were really great. In addition to just a presentation, the group will also have to come up with a one page write-up on their presentation.

Making of a Civilization
Course name: The Making of Civilizations
Course Code: HH1007
Assessment:

·         2 Group Presentations (+ Class Participation)       -              (15%)

·         1 Archaeological Dig                                                        -              (5%)

·         Two Book Reviews                                                          -              (30%)

·         One Final Exam                                                                 -              (50%)

Course Review:
To be honest, this was a really really interesting module to take. And I even got to take it as a Linguistics Ger-Pe (Which has its Pros and Cons. Pros: Clear LMS Ger-Pe. Cons: You can’t SU). As you can see from the Assessments, there are a lot of things to do, and they all constitute small percentages. In fact, there was supposed to have been 3 Group Presentations before time stopped such lofty targets.

Nevertheless, for someone interested in knowing what a Historian or Archaeologist actually does or how history is recreated, this is the module to take. Each lecture is loaded with history and for someone like me who is very interested in History, I find every lecture very interesting. The Archaeological Dig was the icing on the cake, you get to go to Fort Canning Hill to a real excavation site and try your hands at excavating the site. Prof Goh will explain all you need to know about excavating, including the site’s history and how artifacts can tell us about history. Some students even found artifacts from the 1400s during our time excavating. That said, the Final Exam carries the most percentage in the course. It will make or break your result, so do study hard for it and listen to all the clues on how to answer them by the prof weeks before the exam. It will help.

Arabic Level 1
Course name:    Arabic Level 1
Course Code:     LA9001
Assessment:

·         Two Tests

·         Oral Presentation

·         Oral

·         Class Participation

Course Review:
I love learning new languages. I started off with Russian and over the years, have gained at least minimal speaking fluency. I went on to start learning Spanish and now Arabic. To the non-Muslim students, I have to warn that you will be at a huge disadvantage in Arabic Lvl 1. Almost everyone else already know how to read the Arabic alphabets prior to this class so you will have to do extra work to keep up. That said, the prof understands this and the module is really quite manageable in the end as the level is quite basic and the pace not fast. I have an exchange friend from Korea who did quite well. You will not be able to speak Arabic yet by the end of the course, but perhaps it is a starting point to learn the language.

As with good language classes, there is a lot of hands-on/ practical sessions so expect to move around class quite often. In the end, assessment-wise, I am actually quite disappointed with my end result especially because I had scored almost full marks for all my tests. Nevertheless, I understand the high bell curve for this class, so if you want to score well, my advise is to really not take this course. :x

Cultural Intelligence: How to be an Explorer of the World
Course name: Cultural Intelligence: How to be an Explorer of the World
Course Code: BU8641
Assessment:

·         Two Written Tests                           -              (20%)

·         Facebook Posts                                 -              (10%)

·         1 CQ Journals, 1 Final Reflection -              (10%, 20%, 10%)

·         Group Project                                    -              (30%)

Course Review:
I would say HANDS-DOWN, this is the best course NTU students should take. It is perhaps the chilliest (In the sense it is not all memorising, books & tests), most practical and useful course one can ever take in NTU. The course essentially aims to teach one how to interact and communicate with people outside of their culture. As mentioned before, I had an interest in intercultural communication and while my other course was, I felt, more theoretical, this course was 100% practical.

1/3 of the class is allocated to exchange students and my group of 6 had 2 exchange students in them, an Indonesian and a Swiss. The class is mostly hands-on, in the sense that in the seminars, we learn the theories about practical Intercultural Communication (like legit the things that are useful to holistically develop one to be great intercultural communicators). But the things learnt was really to test it out when working with our intercultural friends when we work on our project as well as when we go out and bond with them. Also, did I say that 2 of the classes are GELs, Group Experiential Learning, where you and your group pick two dates to go out and just spend time with your groupmates. It sure was a really fun and useful module, one that increases my confidence when interacting with someone from a different culture.

This course review is my view and take on the modules I took up this Semester which I hope may be of use to you who may have plans to take up these modules. It is entirely subjective and the course structure itself may change over the next coming years or semester! Thanks for reading! Спасибо Болшое!

A Singaporean Road to World Cup Russia 2018 Part III

This article is about my journey and virgin experience of watching a World Cup in a foreign country. Helming from Singapore, this is how my experience went.

The atmosphere was deafening. The chatter of thousands could be heard resonating through the stadium ground and they were in all kinds of languages; Spanish, English, Russian and a plethora of unidentifiable languages. They were excited, jumpy and full of anticipation. Beers were passed, and hotdogs handed out. On the pitch, when the two large Panama and England flags unfurled and the players emerged from their dressing room, the roar raised a few decibels.

I, too, couldn't stay down in my seat. In my mind was, THIS IS THE WORLD CUP. I excitedly chatted up with the woman sitting next to me, a Russian as it turns out, from Nizhny Novgorod itself, the place where I was watching the World Cup live. Russians turned out in droves, partly due to the cheaper tickets but to also revel in the football. I knew several Russians who do not watch football on any other day, but during the World Cup season, everyone does.

When the national anthems of the countries played the respective fans sang to their hearts. In particular, due to the numerical superiority of the Panama fans, I could feel the plastic seats resonate when the Panama national anthem played out; a reflection of the pride of the people of Panama whose country have long been unrepresented in the World Cup. The end of the national anthem was accompanied with more clapping and cheering and the occasional sounds of plastic horns.

Kick Off

And before long, the players went to their respective positions in anticipation of kick off. The countdown commenced with the crowd shouting with the stadium announcer; 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... PEEEEP!

The cheer rang out and reactively I let out a primal shout and started clapping wildly. The emotions were running wild. Everyone was expressing their feelings on the match as blatantly as possible; when a foul was committed, the crowd whined, murmured and some booed. When a player was clearly adjudged to be feigning a foul, the crowd murmured. I too couldn't help but talked, sometimes to myself, "That's not a foul. Come on!" and other times to the people seated around me. The crowd, it turns out, is really impartial. Everyone was in the spirit of the game in essence. And the players duly delivered.

The score line is as it has been immortalised; 6 - 1 but it was no means a one-sided defeatist style of play from Panama. The Panama players attacked from the get-go with enthusiasm and gusto. They had their chances with their quick lightning counter attacks but at the end of the day, England's quality and excellent football tactics gave them a deserving win. At half-time, it was 5 - 0. 
After each England goal, the iconic "Football's Coming Home" song by The Three Lions played across the stadium. There was only two England fans near my seats, and they celebrated wildly after each goal, pumping their beers in the air, spilling them and hugging each other. Then they would jump around and sing to the iconic lyrics. In truth, England had a decent shot at World Cup glory in Russia in 2018, as they had a decent team and formation under Gareth Southgate plus a lot of the major contenders were eliminated early on. But, as it turns out, they were outplayed in the Semi Finals.

Half time came and a large proportions of the stadium visitors went to get a refill of their beers or buy a hotdog snack. I went out to the toilet but I also got myself an ice lemon tea and a hotdog from the counter, setting myself back by 400 roubles (about SGD$9). Buying myself a set enabled me to take home a limited edition World Cup drink cup. There were three different kinds though for different kinds of drinks; a non-alcoholic, a Budweiser and a Russian branded beer. By the end of my World Cup stay, I had collected to of them. After getting my due refreshments, a must after such an exhilarating match, I went back to my seat to enjoy the music and crowd in the stadium at halftime.

The Panama fans did not get disheartened after each goal was scored against them. They still cheered on every counter attack and possession their team had with enthusiasm and their team's perseverance and attacking philosophy prevailed in the end with the team scoring a solitary goal towards the end. That resulted in the stadium erupting. Even the England fans were congratulating the Panama fans. It turned out that it was the first Panama goal in the World Cup! History was in the making!

End

At the end, the people left the stadium with almost the same enthusiasm as when they had arrived, having seen a breathtaking and memorable match. The same official entertainers entertained; the drummers, the cheerleaders and the volunteers. I strolled past them, took photos when I had the opportunity and just soaked into the atmosphere. As I walked with the crowd, a portion of them sang out in chants and cheers. A popular one was "Ros-si-a! Ros-si-a!" After meandering with the crowd, we made our way to where Ayub was waiting,  at the place where he had dropped us off. He had watched the match on his phone (phone data being cheap here in Russia) and with large help from a translating app, we talked about it as we drove the long journey back to Moscow.

A Singaporean Road to World Cup Russia 2018 Part II

This article is about my journey and virgin experience of watching a World Cup in a foreign country. Helming from Singapore, this is how my experience went.

PART II: Heading to Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

The World Cup atmosphere can be felt way back in Changi Airport, Singapore on the 21^st July 2018. There was a small display of football jerseys at one of the terminals and World Cup promotions could be seen everywhere we went. That day, I took an Emirates flight with my parents to Moscow with a transfer at Dubai International Airport. After checking-in our luggage, we went for our last Singaporean meal before our flight; a nasi lemak meal (coconut rice with fried chicken and anchovies) with a dollop of spicy chilli sauce and bandung (rose) drink.

Flight to Moscow

Our flight to Dubai was for 8 hours and from Dubai to Moscow’s Domodeva Airport, another 7 hours. We left Singapore at 10.30am and reached Moscow at 11.30pm (Moscow time, which is 5 hours behind Singapore). As we approached closer to Moscow, the World Cup atmosphere seemingly intensifies. The flight from Dubai was filled with World Cup fans helming from Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria and even non-participatory countries such as Lebanon. There was a massive exchange of friendly greetings at the transit lounge back in Dubai and it served as a precursor of what to expect in Moscow itself.

Touch Down

The immigration process at Domodedovo Airport was a lengthy and tiring one. Even after landing so late in the evening, with the volume of passengers coming in, we had to queue for a quite a while. While we were queuing, officers would pick off random people and bring them to a separate holding area to be questioned. Once I got to the counter, I was asked several questions and my photo was taken. It immediately become apparent that knowing Russian will go a long way to surviving and communicating in Russia as the officer does not speak English! Thankfully, immigration went smoothly.

The baggage claim area was slightly chaotic as well. Perhaps with Changi Airport’s high standards, everywhere else may seem as such. We could not find our luggage and waited for half an hour at the baggage claim area before realising that someone else had taken our luggage and placed it at a corner together with several other luggage.

SIM Card

Afterwards, we went out and immediately tried to obtain a SIM card. The nearest booth was from Megafon, one of the largest telecom companies in Russia. It was recommended that we purchase our SIM card in Russia itself as it is really very cheap. In the end, we got a SIM card with 10GB of data for 1000 roubles or SG$20 (not really the best price, but it was the best at the airport). The process is easy enough. Just provide your passport and the money in hand and within minutes, you will have your SIM card.

Yandex Taxi

Afterwards, we used the local Yandex app, a ride-hailing app similar to Uber, in order to get a ride back to our hotel, Hotel Voyage Park. Yandex is honestly a lot better than Uber as it is a lot cheaper and for the taxi drivers they are able to check if there are traffic jam according to the route. I managed to converse a little in Russian with the cab driver and by around 1.45am, we reached our hotel for a belated sleep in.

Road Trip to Nizhny Novgorod

I will fast forward a few days to the 24^th of July 2018. I failed to mention in my earlier post that my parents had decided to come to Russia with me to watch the World Cup too and we had bought earlier match tickets also at Nizhny Novgorod, the England vs Panama match. Due to the late nature of us booking the tickets, we could only get category 1 tickets at USD210 each and we could not book a free train ride to Nizhny Novgorod. In fact, it was impossible to even get a normal available train there. In the end, I suggested for us to take Yandex taxi to Nizhny Novgorod. It would cost us 10 000 roubles which is about the same price as 3 train tickets to Nizhny Novgorod. The only difference is the time it would take for us to get there, 5 hours instead of 3.

I slept most of the journey as we started our journey relatively early at 9.30am. When I was awake, I talked to my Yandex driver, Ayub. Apparently, he is from Tajikistan and had come to Moscow to take his Masters a few years ago. He also speaks Russian and German fluently. The Russian countryside was also really beautiful. Once a while, we will pass a village with beautiful wooden huts and cathedrals.

At around 2.30pm, we reached Nizhny Novgorod. The city in my opinion is rustic and laidback compared to Moscow. There are several construction projects around but overall, the city is old and quaint. We did not manage to explore the city as we headed straight to the Nizhny Novgorod stadium.

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

Roads around the stadium has been closed. Certain vehicles with special passes are permitted through and they are given to reputable drivers or tour buses in order to shuttle people around the cordoned off area. For example, the bridge nearest to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin linking to the stadium was cordoned off. We dropped off a few blocks away from the stadium and walked towards it.

Finding our way is really not a problem. There were FIFA volunteers and guides every few metres who could speak sufficient amount of English. The younger generation mostly took English as a second language in school. However, due to a lack of practice, some of their English may have attrited which is why there are some communication barriers for non-Russian speakers in the streets. Some of the volunteers were dancing and when you pass them, they will high five you. A friend of mine joked that it is mandatory to return it.

The FIFA atmosphere immediately reached a new level as we got closer to the stadium. People drabbed in all kinds of flag, mostly the Panama flag, were heading towards the stadium. Music were played and there were several performances by street musicians around. Russian cheerleaders were a hit among football fans as everyone wants a picture with them. Some singing can be heard among larger groups. We went to the Decathlon outlet near the stadium and got some drinks and clothes. I even got myself a Russian scarf.

Entering the Stadium

We then made our way to the entrance nearby. At the entrance, there was a security check. Our bags and bodies were scanned, and any unwanted items were taken by the security and that included food items and drinks and flags that are political or too large. Once past security, a festival-like environment greeted us. There were FIFA souvenir shops selling World Cup goods, carnival booths with football-themed games and food and drink booths selling mainly hot dogs and beers.

At around 3.30pm, we went to our seat, which had a really good view of the pitch. Soon, the match will start, and the cheers grew louder.

4 Things to Do In NTU (Nanyang Technological University): A Campus Survival Guide

Nanyang Technological University, or NTU as it is more commonly referred to as, is located at the West side of Singapore in the region of Boon Lay and is one of the leading universities in the world. The campus covers an expansive area such that several chartered buses (called the Red, Green and Blue buses) run daily every day to offer commute to the students staying or going around NTU. It may take 20mins to get from one end of NTU to the other. That said, NTU are sometimes affectionately referred to as Pulau NTU.

Another reason why it is called Pulau NTU, or NTU island in English, is the fact that one may literally live in the campus without having the need to leave it. The campus houses numerous Hall Residences, numbered from 1 - 23 (as of 2018), at frankly quite affordable rates (around an average of SGD$300/ month). Each Hall will have a canteen situated nearby for their daily meals. At the major points of studying avenues, called North Spine and South Spine, there are fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds, Long John Silver, KFC, Subway and PizzaHut and restaurants such as PenInc.There is also supermarkets for one to shop their daily groceries, namely at North Spine called Prime Supermarket and at Canteen 2 called Giant Supermarket. Thus, for a student living on campus the basic needs for survival can be taken care of. The question now thus, is what activities can be done to enrich and stimulate your mind and body in NTU? This is a list of casual suggestions which I hope might be useful for you who wants to know what can be done in NTU to fill your time, if you have no plans to travel out of NTU.

1) Join a student club or hall activity

Of course, if one really intends to make their time worthwhile for a cause or to learn something interesting, they can join one of a plethora of clubs and sports offered by the school and the respective halls. This range from volunteering, dancing, performing, sports, cultural clubs and even board game clubs. There is really so many options for one to join. For a full list: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/CampusLife/Clubs/Pages/StudentsUnionClubs.aspx . This list does not include Hall activities. The respective halls offer more activities for one to join with the aim to enrich the lives of their residences and they are organized by each hall's appointed committees. Thus, each Halls have their own sports, games and events organised. Furthermore, in around December, all the Halls would compete in the Inter-Hall Games (IHG) in several sports and intellectual games (such as chess).

For me, in Year 1, I took part in Table Tennis and Hall Production (drama) in Crescent Hall (after dropping Darts, Pool and Soccer) and was PnP Director for NTU's Linguistics club. It was a hectic year XD. In Year 2, I shifted hall and is now in the Dinner and Dance committee for Tamarind Hall and I also volunteer for the Deaf Society and is part of the upcoming LMS camp and SOH camp.

2) Keeping fit

It is always important to keep fit. I find having a fit body also relates to a fit mind and having good habits, so where can one go to keep fit on their own spare time?

Gym

Each respective Halls should have a gym in their hall or nearby. The newer halls such as Binjai, Banyan, Tanjong, Tamarind, Crescent and Pioneer Halls all have their own gyms. I do know Hall 1 has a small gym, as I have been there. Either way, one can also go to the Student Recreational Centre (SRC) located behind Hall 6, Pioneer and Crescent Hall which is the main place where NTU sports club go to meet. The SRC actually has three gyms and I find them having less traffic than the Hall gyms. One of the gym, however, is reserved for NTU athletes representing NTU in competitions. These gyms are free to use for students and staff of NTU.

Running

There is a running track circling around NTU which is marked by its blue rubber track. The track has several routes one may choose to take ranging from 1.6km to 7km. A full list of them can be found here: http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/healthylifestyle/ntu_road_map.swf . Also, one can also run at the SRC where there is a stadium with a running track for one to use.

Swimming

At the SRC, there is a swimming complex consisting of a child pool, adult pool and a diving pool. The diving pool with it 3m and 5m diving platform is open to the public on Wednesdays 6-7pm.

Other Sports

For organised sports such as Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis, Squash, Soccer and Basketball, one can book the required facility, for free, here: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/has/SnR/SportsFacilities/Pages/BookingofFacilities.aspx . Rackets, balls etc are not provided, so you will have to bring them yourselves. Some of the places one can play the sports are, the respective Halls, the SRC (there are 4 courts to play street soccer) and Tanjong, Binjai Hall cluster.

You can usually find me running or gymming on Mondays and Wednesdays at my Hall, SRC or Route 2 or 8 of the NTU running track ;)

3) Leisure Games

What if you just want to chill, play some games or just hang around? You can do just that at non other than the Student Activities Centre located at North Spine. Its precise location is next to One-Stop (a crucial place to know for NTU students as this is where all our administrative needs are done) and a printing shop and below the huge Lee Wee Nam library. Here, one can play Table Tennis, Pool or snooker, foosball, board games and the game consoles (Wii, XBOX, PS) located there. However, there is a small hourly fee for the game consoles and a limited number of games offered.

There are several Darts machines located at Canteen 2 charging only SGD$1 for a game.

And if you want to just chill and watch a movie, there are actually 'movie pods' which can accommodate up to four people located at the Library Outpost at the Hive at South Spine. There, you can borrow a DVD from a pretty wide collection, book a movie pod for free and just sit and watch the movie.

For the avid book reader, there are also pretty nice spots to sit and chill around campus. The libraries often have cosy spots to read in an air-conditioned environment (as we all know how the heat may get to you in Singapore!). I would recommend the Library Outpost, as they have cosy bean bags to lie on. The Humanities and Social Science Library located at South Spine also offers interesting books on their shelves.

I used to play a lot of Darts with some friends in Year 1 at Canteen 2, thus, I would recommend that place. Other than that, reading is a pretty nice thing to do too in my free time in NTU.

4) Drinks & Such

I am no expert on this subject, but this may be of interest to others. In Singapore, there is a ban on sale of alcohol from 10.30pm - 7am (due to a recent event in Little India). If you wish to buy alcohol drinks from a store, you can do so at PRIME and Giant supermarket as mentioned above or at the 7 11 store located at Canteen 2. This ban does not include restaurants and bars thus you can still buy them at Pen & Inc. There are some beer brewing clubs at Binjai called Binjai Breweries (although they may be closing down soon) and another at Crescent Hall. Of course, for student residents many do store their alcoholic drinks and from time to time would celebrate with their hall residents and friends.

I used to drink and club quite a bit in Year 1. I think for those new to Singapore, it is important to note that the price of alcohol here, due to a high alcohol tax, is really high. Someone from France once told me the cost of the same alcohol can cost $1-2 there but $8 in Singapore.

Thus are just some suggestions on things to do on your own or with a group of friends if you are staying or intending to stay in Pulau NTU. I hope this short guide is useful and give you some ideas on life here. There are of course more activities which I may have missed or only skimmed upon which I myself have not tried my hands on. The point of this post is, there are really so many things to occupy your time with in NTU and I hope those who are studying here can appreciate and enjoy every moment of their time here.:)

8 Places to Study in NTU (Nanyang Technological University)

Did you schedule a 1 hour tutorial for the entire day and you’re staying in the East? Need to escape that distracting home environment to complete that looming assignment? Is your hall room too stuffy and your bed too alluring for you to be able to get any work done? Fret not for what you need is a good conducive environment to solve your school-related conundrums! Here is a list of places to study around NTU and the advantages and disadvantages of these places. However, do note that at the end of the day these suggestions are subjective and prone to the whims of student’s preference for places to study.

1)      NIE Library (Most recommended)

It does not matter if you are not an NIE student. The library is located at Block 4 in the NIE school compound, adjacent to NTU’s North Spine. It is located at the second level of the block, directly above the NIE canteen.

·         Accessibility

The library can be accessed via the internal Blue and Red shuttle bus service, where one can alight outside NIE or North Spine respectively. Alternatively one may take buses 179 and 199. Just a few minutes’ walk from the popularly visited North Spine, one simply crosses the overhead bridge linking North Spine to NIE or cross via the pedestrian crossing nearby. There is a Popular outlet selling stationeries at the canteen and printing/photocopying machines in the library for your work needs.

·         Space

The best part about NIE is the number of seats and study places available for all, regardless of the time period. The school itself appears like an expansive isolate environment to the random passer-by. There are 3 levels for one to choose to study in and each level have different types of tables and chairs to suit your preference. Need a group table? Level 2 and 3. Need a single table? Level 2, 3 and 4. Need a sofa? Level 3. Need a coffee table? Level 3. There is bound to be a place for you, and even if there isn’t, the tables above the canteen are usually empty and where many head to study too.

·         Food

Two words. Cheap food. NIE canteen is famous for their notoriously cheap food as compared to the rest of NTU. They have a wide variety of stalls and the most number of Halal stalls in the school. Located just below the library, one simply head down for a short recess (see what I did there) to refuel before continuing on their vital projects. Do note however, that the canteen closes early, around 4pm. (Good things end early.) Fret not though as North Spine is quite near.

·         Cons

It takes some time to reach the library from North Spine or the bus stops. It is located about a 5 minute walk from either location due to the expansiveness of the school. Food is also strictly not allowed in the library.

2)      HIVE

The Hive is buzzing with activities throughout the day. But in the odd periods, a table of opportunity opens for the casual mugger. Empty classrooms can be utilised to study. Empty tables outside the classrooms and at the top level of the Hive can be utilised. The iconic building is located right next to South Spine canteen and HSS School and is directly linked to NBS.

·         Accessibility

Its location is perfect for business and HSS students who have lectures and tutorials in or around the school. Similarly, buses 179 the internal Red and Blue shuttle service have bus stops near the school located opposite the Innovation Centre. There is a Library Outpost with some important reserved books for specific courses, citation guides, DVDs and a printing/ photocopying service for your work needs. There is also a bookshop about 5 minutes away from the Hive and an electronic gadgets shop nearby.

·         Food

The South Spine canteen is a minute’s walk away from the Hive. Although the food is said to be generally dull and slightly expensive, that may be due to student’s constant use of the same canteen daily for their meals. The Co-Op@NTU café is located at Hive itself, serving a selection of delicious Western cuisines at affordable prices. A good thing about the classrooms is that food may be brought in, hence, one may eat while studying or discussing although studies have shown that that may be a bad idea. The café, however have selective timings to serve food, so do take note of the times where they serve breakfast or lunch (usually when the queue is long).

·         Space

At really peak periods for studying, there is nay an empty table to study, probably due to the frequent use of the place. However, an empty classroom have the benefit for a presentation practice. Furthermore, due to the Hive’s location, there are other study places around the area. (HSS, HSS Library, SPMS building, South Spine canteen etc) So, a risk of choosing this place to study is not all too risky.

·         Cons

Pretty much all the pros of this location have its cons too. (Space and food in particular)

3)      Hall Study Rooms

For those not covered under a scholarship, it is a worthy choice to fully utilise your hostel fee investment by using the study rooms available in your halls, if they have one. Some may be conducive while some may not be comparatively so. Located at each individual Hall clusters, one may have to be a Hall resident to utilise this facility. You can ask around! (Or find some other way…)

·         Accessibility

For the Hall residents, it is just an elevator ride or a skip away from your alluring beds. Usually, printing services are made available for most study rooms. Best of all, there probably are other facilities you can use to destress from a day’s work like gyms or your friend’s room. (Not to be used as coping mechanisms.)

·         Food

Each Hall have their own canteen. Even if you cannot eat in them (for Muslim students), you could stock food supply in your rooms, though it probably is unhealthy to maintain this study lifestyle. A short bus ride can reach you to either North or South Spine to fulfil the glutton monster.

·         Space

I suppose, this really do depend on your Hall. Crescent and Pioneer have many tables available and residents of some older halls have massive single rooms to probably designate a study room in their own hall room if they want.

·         Cons

Most likely only exclusive to Hall residents although if you know someone in the hall, you may be allowed to “find” your way in.

4)      HSS School

Another place in the South Spine district with many available places to study in. Located next to the Hive. At the basement, there are two computer labs for one to study in and benches are littered all over the school from the atrium to outside the computer lab. Furthermore, during exam periods, some seminar rooms are booked specifically for studying, increasing the studying seat capacity of the building. There are photocopying/printing service in the building itself. HSS professors are located in the building for consultation if one wishes, although do remember to contact them to arrange for a consultation beforehand.

·         Accessibility/ Food

Same for the Hive, although a tad further away from the bus stops, bookstore and food outlets. There is however, a LiHo store in the building for one with a slightly bigger wallet or have an addiction to their quality tea beverage. There is also a sandwich and snacks machine for a quick fix at the atrium.

·         Space

Sometimes it may be quite packed although it is close to a guarantee that one can find a place to study in be it in the labs or one of the benches. Surrounding places offer more places to study in.

·         Cons

Due to the openness of much of the available seats, privacy may be hard to come by. At times, it might also be hard to find places, though as mentioned, one may head to nearby places to study.

5)      North Spine (Global Lounge, Lee Wee Nam Library, benches, fast food tables and study rooms)

North Spine, the city of Pulau NTU, where food, leisure and school are concentrated for the majority of NTU students. There is a wide selection of places to study within such a small area. It almost seems ideal to come here to study…

·         Accessibility

One may reach the North Spine via the internal Red and Blue internal shuttle service or buses 179 or 199. Due to its location, it really is a 10 minute walk from almost any other prominent or important buildings. There is fast food and canteen food, shops selling a wide range of goods from toys to stationeries, a supermarket, pool tables, Xbox consoles, photocopying/printing services and a library. Literally everything you need for survival is here. If only they built sleeping quarters there…

·         Food

As mentioned before, the place is a food galore. There are a few restaurants such as the newly opened Pan Inc and fast food restaurants such as KFC, PizzaHut, Long John Silver and McDs. There is a canteen (with a unique purchasing card system). There is Starbucks. There is a YoGuru and a Cheers outlet. Basically, food is not a problem if one chooses to study there. You can eat or drink in most of the places you study in, although technically you shouldn’t bring food to the library.

·         Space

There is a lot of places to study within such a small area. From individual tables, to group tables, they are almost everywhere. However, due to the popularity of North Spine, tables may be hard to come by. During peak periods, the Global Lounge, Lee Wee Nam Library and the surrounding benches may be full, especially during Recess Period. Lee Wee Nam is currently undergoing some renovations which have cut down its seat capacity drastically. Finding a table on any one of these days is like finding gold or finding a seat in a hawker centre during lunchtime. Be prepared to take some time to find a conducive seat. The Global Lounge may also be a bit loud on some days. Update: With the renovation completed, LWN Library boast a much larger seat capacity now. I had no problems finding places to study there whenever I chose to study there. Do note that there is a whole new level called The Quiet Zone at the uppermost level of the library, assessable through the staircase near the lift.

·         Cons

You have to either come early or during strategic timings or take some time to wait for someone to vacate their spot. Alternatively, you may walk to NIE Library or North Spine-South Spine area where there are benches everywhere.

6)      HSS Library

Located quite a distance from most conventional places, the library is a quaint small space tucked in a corner of NTU. It occupies one floor and is the size of about 4 tutorial rooms.

·         Accessibility

It is not very accessible and those who do not know South Spine very well may find it hard to locate the library. Using the South Spine canteen as a bearing, one may follow the small road all the way to until the road starts to ascend up a hill. To the left will be the staircase linking South and North Spine. The library is located to the right, all the way to the end of the corridor. Alternatively, one may take the Campus Rider shuttle service and drop outside the Medical Centre. Head behind the medical centre and you will find a stairs. Go down the stairs and use the lift to head down to B3 to reach the library. There are printing and photocopying services in the library if one needs it and a book shop for stationaries and course textbooks. The main good attribute is that it is the HSS Library, where one can find tons of Linguistics-related books or other interesting HSS books.

·         Food

It’s quite far from conventional food places. However, there is a sandwich machine some way to the left of the library from the direction of someone coming out of the library. Otherwise, one might find sweets or tidbits at the bookstore below the library. Do note that food is not allowed to be consumed in the library.

·         Space

Space is limited. During exam periods, the tables in the library are almost always full although one may find one empty seat or so somewhere. After all, the design of the library is such that there is only one long row of table and a computer room (around 15 seat capacity). Some table-less lounge chairs litter the corners of the library. There are benches outside the library but they too may be filled during busy periods.

·         Cons

Most of the points above seems to be cons… But think positive! Not many people head there and it is really quite on most days. Update: It is really full most of time I went there now with my friends or alone. :(

7)      Benches

On the way to class, benches. On the way to canteen, benches. At that corner, a bench. At the park, a park bench. At the bus stop, a bench. Everywhere, there is that iconic bench ideal for studying (Not at the busstop, obviously). Though they look like made of wood, they are made from some kind of plastic. Usually, there are fans directed to each bench, so you will not sweat or find the benches uncomfortable.

·         Accessibility

If I could give a rating for Accessibility, I would give it a 10 out of 10. They really are everywhere and their availability depends on the remoteness of the area. The more remote the bench is, the higher possibility it is vacant. Go get them, soldier!

·         Space

This is slightly trickier. The problem is, there are places where there are long stretches of walkways with a large number of benches but they may all be full. You need to find a cliché area where there are vacant benches and make it your home turf. At unlucky timings, you may walk for half an hour without finding an empty bench. On other days, there may be an empty bench you can simply use when your shoelace accidentally come undone. A lot of the time, you can simply ask a person occupying a bench while studying alone or with only one other friend if they want to share. If they say no, they will sound like assess, thus you most likely will be given that seat.

·         Cons

As mentioned, it might be tricky or dependant on one’s luck to find an empty bench. Afterall, even if you walk for ages, you will arrive at one of the places mentioned before. You can try your luck there. ^^

8) Business Library

I actually found out about the Business Library about a week after I wrote this article. This is, in fact, a very good place to find places to study in either in groups or for self-study. The library consists of three floors, where the majority of seats are on the lowest floor. Business-related books fill the racks and there is also a printing room and a resting room (to nap or chat).

       * Accessibility
The Business Library is located at the N2 B2 of North Spine, only about a 5 minutes walk from North Spine landmarks such as LWN Library and Prime Supermarket. You can take the stairs or the lift to B2 and it should be right next to the lift.

      * Space
The fact that it takes some navigation initially to get to the library may have been the reason why the Business Library is less crowded than other studying places. Update: There is an entire new level for studying called The Quiet Zone. From the entrance of the library, head down the main staircase. On this level, find for a staircase that will lead you down one more floor which will take you to The Quiet Zone where there are tens of seats (often empty) located there.

      * Cons
There isn't really much cons to be honest. I really liked the Business Library because there are always seats to be found and it is so close to North Spine's epicentre. Maybe the fact that the Male toilet requires some distance to walk to as it is located outside of the library may be a Con? Of course, this is not a problem to me and it is probably because all of the other studying places literally has a toilet almost next to your studying area that I view this as an irritation. A point to note too, though, is that the self studying table on the third floor do not have powerplugs.

After mentioning some of these places, there may be some who will flock to certain areas and fill out the available tables, thus, once empty places might be full. In actuality, if someone really do have the desire to study, the environment will matter less and the person can adapt their environment to their studying needs. (Citation required) Everywhere from void decks, McDonalds or Starbucks can be adapted for studying. In addition, everyone have different studying patterns hence, the choice of ideal studying places is really dependent on you. I hope this article had been useful to you. If it wasn’t, then I guess it’s subjective. :P All the best for your upcoming Semester!

“Do not go gentle into that good night,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light”

Dylan Thomas

This post was formerly published on https://aboutwanariff.blogspot.com/2017/01/7-places-to-study-in-school-nanyang.html