Comings and Goings

PGP is quiet now.

It is no longer the hive of activity which it was during most of the past year. The buzz at the canteen during lunch is no longer as loud; the study rooms are empty nowadays, the tables no longer occupied with students studying copiously for an upcoming exam. There is a lot less comings and goings. There is a lazy feel about the place now as people finish their exams and the semester, and year, slowly petters out.

Its been more than nine months since I arrived (one academic year). My first impressions were of a well-organised, functional place, and the past nine months have not changed that view. PGP is like a little self-contained community. The study rooms and lounges mean that there is more than enough study space for people who don't like to study in their rooms. Food is aplenty with 2 canteens, a cafe and a late night snack place, though one has to look a little harder to discern the good stuff. Finally, there is a minimart with almost everything a student might need. The only thing missing is an ATM, but even then there's one in the science park building behind, just a 5 minute walk away. Every time I walk past the main foyer now, I see big suitcases at the top of the stairs, as people prepare to head home for the 3 month break. I am almost ready to leave myself. Most of my stuff is packed away, just have to come in with the car to get it on Monday (today).

And just like that, my first year in NUS will be over. Its been pretty quick, actually. A year ago, I was still in Sydney, having just gotten word of the scholarship and preparing to go to the USA. It hasn't exactly been a breeze. People often ask me to compare NUS and USyd, and I find it a really tough question to answer. Though I feel that NUS is probably a little bit more competitive (it feels that way anyway), USyd was not lacking in quality either. In terms of lecturers, well, I think it's the same everywhere. It really depends on your luck. Sometimes you get better lecturers who can make boring content interesting, and sometimes you get the opposite, or at other times you get those in the middle. In a single semester you usually get at least one of each category. But I guess when I think about it, NUS may have been more fulfilling. I've been here longer than I was in Sydney, and I've participated in a few more activities.

I've always been quite spoilt and sheltered. Thankfully in PGP, you don't have to worry about things like bills, getting groceries, house repairs etc. Pretty much everything is taken care of. You just eat dinner at one of the canteens if you don't want to cook (or can't). The janitors come to your cluster everyday to make sure the bathrooms and toilets are clean. Light in your room doesn't work?  Just report it to the management and someone will be sent to deal with it. In this sense, I haven't really had to step out of my comfort zone, what more with home a one-and-a-half hour bus and train ride away. 

I don't believe I'm saying this, but I've grown to like PGP. After a long day, it's almost comforting to know that you don't have to spend another hour fighting with the rush hour crowd to get home. My room was maximum 15 minutes away, and then I could just relax in my room until it was time for dinner. For dinner, I would be able to take my mind off studies by discussing politics or philosophy with Omer, or listening to Wai Yan's many stories.

I'm looking forward to moving to the new University Town. But I'm glad I stayed in PGP for my first year. And as I leave, I have one final lingering thought. Will the Iced Coffee at UTown be as addictive as the one I got back here? =P