When Yong Ting first landed in Brisbane, Australia, she was shocked to find that although she spoke English, communicating with the locals was quite challenging.

“Even though I've been speaking English my whole life, it was difficult for me to understand the Aussie slang and accent. Some of them couldn't understand my Singaporean accent as well which made things even harder."

Fortunately, with time, persistence, and the help of some Aussie friends, Yong Ting got used to the local accent. She also slowed down her speech patterns which made it easier for her Australian friends to know what she was talking about.

In Venice's case, her familiarity with local terminology resulted in more than a few misunderstandings.

“I remember once, I was late for class because I thought “10 to 1" was 1.10 pm but it meant 12.50 pm."

“On top of that, Scottish accents were also really hard to get used to. It took me a good 6 months to finally get used to the accents and slang without having to ask them to repeat too many times."

Nevertheless, Venice took it all in her stride and made an effort to make friends with her Scottish classmates. While challenging at first, she managed to break down the cultural barriers and learned how to enjoy the culture in Scotland.

The one thing all 3 of our scholars can agree on is that cooking is a great skill to have. Not only does it allow you to have a taste of home, but it also helps your money go a long way.

“I have a few basic cooking skills which have made a difference during my time in Australia. Earlier, I lived on ramen for some time before I got sick of it."

“After doing some exploring, I came across a farmer's market which sold fresh fruit and vegetables at an affordable price. This allowed me to prepare more satisfying and healthier meals which made me feel a lot better."

Thanks to the power of the internet and Youtube, Yong Ting even managed to satisfy her cravings for a taste of home by  learning how to cook Singaporean favourites  such as chicken rice, an achievement which she is still proud of to this day.

UK-based Jun Ning quickly came to realise that her lack of cooking skills put her in a rather difficult position.

“I didn't know what to cook nor what kind of ingredients I needed to buy when I went grocery shopping. Luckily, I was living with another Singaporean student who turned out to be a fantastic cook."

“She taught me basic cooking skills like pan frying and cutting up vegetables. She was so patient and understanding just like a guardian angel."

Like Jun Ning, Venice admits that she doesn't have much of a flair for cooking and was forced to learn when she arrived in Scotland. Fortunately, her cheery outlook and sense of humour made the whole experience much easier.

“During the early days, I could only cook 1 or 2 items which meant that I was eating the same few dishes for 2 - 3 months. I've improved my skills since then and come to enjoy cooking. It's even come to a point where I can cook for people as a way to say thank you."

To get the most out of your overseas experience, our scholars all agree that approaching things with an open mind is important. This means embracing new friendships, cultures and the opportunity to explore a new country.

For Venice, having an open mind meant travelling around Europe during her semester breaks thanks to the availability of affordable flights.

She shares that, “During my poly days, I would just focus on getting a part-time job and working. But when I got the chance to go overseas, I decided to explore all the places I never dreamed of. I even visited “Venice'' the city that I was named after."

She also has this to say, “Don't get stuck in the study bubble, go out and enjoy life! Make friends, explore nature, have impromptu plans to go somewhere, those are when memories are created."

Besides travelling, an open mind can go a long way towards helping you appreciate the culture in a foreign country.

Being in a vast country like Australia, Yong Ting found herself enjoying the country's vast open landscapes and exciting cities during road trips.

“Every holiday, my friends and I would go somewhere out of Brisbane, like Gold Coast, Sydney or Melbourne to sightsee, hike and explore. That's something that you simply can't get in Singapore."

For many, the transition from studying in Singapore to overseas can be pretty jarring. Whether it's administrative tasks at school, shopping for groceries, or managing deadlines, it's important to know how to plan and schedule our tasks.

To help them save time, Jun Ning and Venice perform meal prep on the weekends. This ensures that they'll have something easy to prepare and on hand throughout the week.

Meanwhile, Yong Ting and her housemates help each other out by preparing chore rosters. That way, things are kept neat and organised and they know exactly what needs to be done around the house.

Living and studying overseas can be mentally taxing for even the most well-prepared individuals. Many students often feel homesick and lonely at times.

Because of this, Venice, Jun Ning, and Yong Ting all agree that it's important to make friends with your classmates and stay connected with those at home.

As she was living with another healthcare scholar, Jun Ning found it easy to confide in her housemate. Whether it was helping her get used to living alone or just being available, her friend's support proved to be invaluable.

Fortunately for all 3 ladies, their universities had local Singaporean student communities and other Singaporean healthcare scholars. The presence of a friendly community from home made the transition for all of them much easier. It also helped them make friends and build up a network of support.

Besides the change in scenery and people, another thing that overseas students need to prepare themselves for is the different study culture.

In countries like Australia and the United Kingdom, students are expected to be independent in their learning. This includes joining in discussions and asking their lecturers questions.

According to Venice, “All of my coursemates would always have questions for the lecturer. Whenever the lecturer asks whether there are any questions, everyone raises their hand and participates in the discussion."

“I was really surprised when I saw how proactive my classmates were. It was good exposure and I find myself also participating more in class discussions."

Yong Ting also experienced the same thing in Australia. Lectures and tutorials are conducted specifically to encourage student participation. As some put it, students are responsible for their own learning. This means doing extra research, reading up more on a certain topic or speaking to their lecturers.

Keen to pursue a healthcare degree overseas? Watch these videos to get some tips and tricks from our scholars!

• ​ Mok Yong Ting on pursuing Podiatry in the Queensland University of Technology, Australia​
  
• [Part 1] Jun Xiang, Venice and David on pursuing Prosthetics and Orthotics in the University of Strathclyde, Scotland
• [Part 2] Jun Xiang, Venice and David on pursuing Prosthetics and Orthotics in the University of Strathclyde, Scotland

MOH Holdings (MOHH) is offering scholarships to nurture the next generation of nursing, pharmacy and allied health professionals. Programmes in overseas universities include podiatry, prosthetics and orthotics, and respiratory therapy to name a few. These scholarships are in partnership with public healthcare institutions and allow you to study in local and overseas universities. For more details on the health science disciplines offered, check out this page.