Experiments in Singapore

The most amazing opportunity arose in the third year of my chemistry degree, enabling me to fly out to Singapore for a 14 week placement at Nanyang Technological University. I had the privilege of working in the Chemical and Biological Chemistry department where I had the responsibility of managing my own project within a specific research group.

The first few weeks were, of course, challenging, and I had to adjust to the differences in culture and the new research laboratory environment. However, I soon began learning new skills and before I knew it, I was completely independent in the lab.

My project was focused on the synthesis of various air-sensitive compounds for catalysis applications. Working in research labs gave me access to many important instruments and I was able to obtain valuable advice from my highly skilled peers.

Undergraduate labs at Warwick are very good for beginning in the lab and allowing students to become familiar with some techniques, however they are very controlled, and students are given experiments which are known to work.

Employers really appreciate a wellcultured, pro-active and adaptable student

In contrast, research laboratories are very much trial and error. They’re much more flexible and allow you to be very creative; if your idea doesn’t work, you just try something else! My research group were really encouraging and it was inspiring to see their motivation.

During the early stages of my degree in chemistry, I knew that I wanted to broaden my experiences in my field, and so, as soon as I became aware of this opportunity, my heart was set upon it. I worked extra hard in second year and was absolutely thrilled when my department gave me a place on the course.

Throughout my placement I was able to make lots of new friends of various nationalities, most of which I have kept in contact with. In the evenings and weekends I had time to explore Singapore and neighbouring countries (such as Malaysia), which was incredibly exciting and my friends and I had so much fun! We especially loved Marina Bay Sans which was beautiful in the day and at night!

Although it was a challenge managing foreign currency and tackling language barriers; I learnt to embrace the differences and really enjoyed the experience of living in a foreign country. This placement has allowed me to broaden my perspective, improve my communication skills and given me the opportunity to mature both academically and personally.

To any students considering a placement abroad, I would definitely say go for it! There will be times when you get home sick and work gets on top of you, but that’s all part of learning to be independent and equips you for challenges that may occur later in life. This experience is a fantastic way to find out who you truly are, have incredibly exciting stories to tell, and to excel in the applied field of your science.

A placement abroad is a great achievement to have and employers really appreciate a well-cultured, pro-active and adaptable student. You may even have the opportunity to travel afterwards like I did, which is also absolutely fascinating in itself!