university

I have been attending classes for 2 weeks already. I want to describe the Singaporean university system a bit with a main focus on the differences between this and the Dutch system.
First of all, I was able to choose the days and time of my classes. Keeping in mind that I want to travel around South-East Asia as much as possible, I have decided to have all of my classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in order to enjoy the benefits of a 4-days weekends (I have to say that I already took advantage of it by visiting my friend Pawel who is an exchange student in Jakarta). My roommate, a Polish girl studying in Maastricht decided to have classes only 2 days a week! I am really impressed by that, because attending classes over here is exhausting. The lecture lasts for 3 hours and 15 minutes with only 1 small break in the middle. What is more, attending all of the classes is compulsory (a thing that Tilburg students are not used to!) and the attendance is 100%.
Secondly, the classes are much more interactive. The class participation can be worth up to 20% of the grade. Unfortunately, this does not affect the level of discussion. Sometimes it seems that the students are talking for sake of talking.
Thirdly, every week there are papers to read for every class. I was really surprised to see the library full on a first day of the semester. Asian students are well known for their work ethics, and SMU students are no different. There are even stories that the exchange students keep telling among themselves. It all started with an exchange coordinator telling us that it is normal for students to meet up 6 to 10 times a day in order to discuss a project. I have also heard that the students can spend 3 hours discussing a color of the PowerPoint presentation. I am sure not all of the stories are true, but my first team was eager to meet as much as possible, including Saturdays and Sundays starting from 7 in the morning. Honestly, I freaked out and changed the class.
I think these were the major differences between SMU and Tilburg University. In this blog, I have covered the school stuff so far. If there is anything you would like me to write about (parties, sightseeing, travel possibilities, my travel experiences, etc.) do let me know, I am open for suggestions.
Take care,
Joanna