taiwan-derful time at nctu

An INSTEP Exchange program report on National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan () When: Feb - June 2011 Spring/Summer 2011 (AY2010/2011 - Semester 2) By: Goh Shang Zhe, Kenneth (U0930736D) WKWSCI

SETTLE THE ADMIN STUFF

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Submit your NCTU admission package to INSTEP

The application form can be found at http://www.ia.nctu.edu.tw/down/archive. php?class=103 . The title is Application form for incoming exchange students. Follow their list of required documents for application. Dont download the wrong form for their full-time International students. So, theres no need to do a medical report in Singapore, or an English proficiency test.

The loooong wait for your acceptance letter

NCTU is rather slow in its administration processes. My acceptance letter took nearly two months to arrive. It arrived on 10 December 2010, when the exchange semester was due to start on 14 February 2011. Fret not, theres still time to book a budget flight and buy your student travel insurance policy from NTUC income or Chartis. Money-wise, I spent S$6,000 - this include accomodation, living & travel expenses during my four-month exchange program in Taiwan.

Match NCTU courses to NTUs, but nothing is confirmed

Trust me, your kiasu tendencies will kick in once you see your peers doing course-matching. The truth? Theres no urgent need. As INSTEP would have reminded you, match up to 10 courses. This only serves as a guide. Remember to print a copy of the list of courses you have matched and submit in your admission package. You will do your real course matching when you arrive in NCTU. Some courses may be shown online, but are still subjected to cancellation. The exam dates are also not released online and lesson plans are also not confirmed. When you arrive at NCTU, an academic booklet will be issued to you, THAT is the list your confirmed courses offered in the semester. NCTUs list of English medium courses can be viewed at: http://cos.adm.nctu.edu.tw/en/ Course/Search_EnCrs/Search_EnCrs.asp

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Apply for your student Visa

Visit the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore (460 Alexandra Road, #23-00, PSA Building). Apply for a Visitor Visa (Multiple entry). It takes three working days to get your Visa processed Come prepared with a photocopy of your NCTU acceptance letter, and the original letter of recommendation letter from INSTEP, one passport photo and your passport. Remember to extend your vistors Visa in Taiwan every two months.

Find a roof over your head

I highly recommend you to give NCTUs dormitories a miss. It is four people, on two double-decker beds, squeezed in a measly and poorly maintained room. There are greener pastures outside, with student accommodation easily available at Da Hseuh Road or outside Tsing Hua University district. I rented a three-storey terrace house with five friends. It cost NT4300 per month (which include electricity and water bills). It was located a 15 minute bus ride away from school. Our housing agent, which is located just outside of NCTU, was friendly and efficient. The agencys website is http://v-first.com.tw/. Housing can be settled when you are in Taiwan. Just spend the first few nights in a hostel, until you find suitable lodging options. At your wits end? Visit your department in NCTU. The staff usually has links to housing agents, as they have helped previous international students to find housing in the vicinity.

Attend the important orientation program when you arrive

There will not be any games, but it is an essential session to settle course registration, medical check-up and pay the schools miscellaneous fees. You have to fill up another admission form. Remember to bring copies of your VISA, passport, admission and recommendation letters. There is no need to pay the internet fees, as you can tap on the schools free Wifi for services. However, Wifi is only available in some parts of the campus. If you have any problems, you can contact the staff from the International Service Centre. They can speak English well, especially, Miss Amy Chen, who is very helpful.

academic

stuff at nctu
Stress-free course matching
Getting your desired modules is so much more relaxing, as the courses are registered manually (no battle of fastest fingers first). Collect a course registration form from the lobby of the Administration Building. Get your professors signature on it. And submit it to the admin office of the department that offers the course. State that you are an exchange student for one semester and chances are you will get priority over local students.

Teaching language
Mandarin is the main language in NCTU. English is rarely spoken among Taiwanese students, as they are too shy to use it. But, there is a sizeable international student community who speak English. The English medium courses are taught bilingually as professors will support lectures with Mandarin explanations. Dont worry most of them can speak English well, albeit at a slower pace. As such, you need to know basic Mandarin, at least to survive. Dont be intimidated by the majority of Chinese medium courses. Talk to the professors who teach the module about your language difficulty. Most of them are competent in English and are very accommodating towards exchange students by allowing them to submit and present their assignments/projects in English. I took a TV production module, and the professor kindly converted the class into an English-medium one, and printed notes in English for the exchange students.

Study pace
One NCTU semester is 5 weeks longer than NTUs, so the academic pace is laid back. Lessons move at a slower pace, as most of the modules I took involve discussions and movie/TV screenings. There is even a compulsory 10 minute break for every one-hour period. Classes are conducted lecture-style, with the typical powerpoint presentations and notes given. Some of the modules I took had mid-term and final exams, while some just involved submission of a final project. Undergraduates can take up the Masters courses. Standard of education in Taiwan is much lower than Singapores. I took a Masters course, and still found it easier than studying NTUs undergraduate modules. Most of the modules offered are from the engineering, maths and science faculties. However, they have a decent number of interesting humanities courses, such as Calligraphy and music appreciation.
I took 7 modules and cleared 22 AUs, (Note that two NCTU credits can be counted as three AUs in NTU) NCTU follows the Republic of China year system. So 99 Spring Semester = 2011 Spring Semester.

Digital TV Production (Masters) Biochemistry & Pharmaceutical The Theory & Practice of Love Elements of Korean Culture Communication & Negotiation Newspaper English Introduction to Public Relations

PE GERPE (SCI) UE UE UE UE UE

4AU 3AU 3AU 3AU 3AU 3AU 3AU

Taiwan-derful experience

oming from an Englishspeaking background, I am very surprised by how much I enjoyed my exchange program in Taiwan.Perhaps, I was out of my comfort zone to speak Mandarin and I definitely feel more comfortable speaking it now. Being on exchange made me more sociable. Being away from my group of friends forced me to reach out and talk to my classmates. As such, I was rewarded with cultural exchanges with friends from Taiwan, Poland,

Gorge in Hualien. We visited Kenting for the electrifying Spring Wave music festival. Kaohsiung and Taichung provided pleasurable sightseeing trips The ultimate shopping and eating spot went to Taipei hands down. Food in Taiwan is generally cheaper than in Singapore. A typical meal cost 50NT (S$2), which is typically a bento set consisting of rice, meat and three side dishes. And there is the endless list of mouth-watering street food from the Mongolia, the Carib- night markets. Gorge over gibean, Honduras, and gantic chicken cutlet, many more. I lived in Hsinchu, which was an hour bus ride away from the capital city. Though not as pulsating as Taipei, it gave me a new experience on what it was like living in a suburban town, without a subway system and things moving at a slacken pace. There was never a dull moment in Taiwan, with an eclectic variety of things to do. For a rustic touch a nature, we headed to the breathtaking Sun Moon Lake in Nantou & Taroko

skewered braised meats, Oyster mee sua and much much more. And oh! Every street has at least one bubble tea store, which sells koi-quality drinks at S$1. Lastly, interacting with the Taiwanese was a big plus point. They are generally very easy-going and helpful. I wasnt afraid to get lost on the streets, as I knew people around would be kind enough to help. They have a strong sense of civicmindedness if something wrong is done in public, someone will stand up to correct it. In a nutshell, this five-month exchange program has been fabulously memorable.

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tips for

living in

Hsinchu

Beware of the traffic, especially during peak hours. Drivers usually dont stop for pedestrians. Best to follow the locals when crossing the road. Take public buses 1 and 2 for most of stay. The intervals between bus arrivals can be irregular. Be prepared to wait up to 20 minutes if you miss a bus. The last bus leaves from downtown at 1030pm.

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Bring along a shopping bag. Taiwanese are environmentally friendly, so all shops charge for plastic bags. Expect to sort your meal waste in eateries. Avoid taking taxis in Hsinchu they are even more pricier than Taipeis. The flag off fee is NT120 (S$5).

Convenience stores, such as Family Mart, 7-11 and Hilife are your best friends. They are equipped with photocopying services, you can buy and top up your subway card and mobile phone plan. Some even have toilets!

Visit these Hsinchu attractions: Leofoo Village theme park, Lavender forest in Nei-wan, cycling and enjoying seafood in Nan-Liao, shopping and eating at the Cheng Huang temple district.

Sign up to be a language exchange buddy at the board in NCTUs International Service Centre. Taiwanese are very keen on brushing up their spoken English, so Singaporeans are usually the best in helping them. I made close Taiwanese friends through this, and they, in turn, gave me insightful tours around Taipei and Hsinchu. Remember, following a local allows you to see the real side of a country.

When you run out of things to do in Hsinchu, head to Taipei for the weekend. Take the How-Tai buses outside Tsing Hua university. They come every 5 minutes and are more comfortable than the other buses. It costs NT110 (S$5) for a 1 hour 15 minute bus ride. In Taipei, go to Wu Fen Pu to buy clothes at low, bargained prices, Xi Men Ding for its vibrant shopping vibe, Shi Da Night Market for hip and quaint buys, Zhong Xiao Dun Hua and Xin Yi districts for posh department stores. Good places to eat are at Rao He and Ning Xia night markets. Hsinchu is not known as the windy city for nothing. Temperatures from January to March can range from 8 to 15 degree celsius. The very strong winds make it worse. My three umbrellas were damaged by the wind so it is better to wear a raincoat. Wearing a windbreaker and gloves is a must.

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Savour these Hsinchu delicacies Hsinchu noodles, meat dumplings, meat ball soup, steamed pork buns and a pastry made with pork and melon paste. All these food can be found in Cheng Huang Temple district.