International Exchange Programs at MBA: Raffles Institution- Diego Martinez Rojas

Raffles Institution Singapore

Diego Martinez Rojas

This summer I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Singapore and board at Raffles Institution for two weeks! It was without a doubt one of the most influential experiences I've ever had and I learnt more than I could have ever hoped for, regardless of how high my expectations were before the trip.

Arrival

Stephen, Jackson, and I all congregated at the Nashville airport with our nervous but excited parents in order to hop on our flight to the Chicago O'Hare International airport. After a relatively short flight we finally landed and prepared for what would easily be one of the longest flights of our lives, or at least the longest yet for me; the 15 hour ride from Chicago to Hong Kong.

The beginning of the journey

After arriving in Hong Kong we were greeted by breathtaking mountain scenery which got us all the more excited to be in Asia and even more mind blowing, to be on the other side of the planet.

Arriving at Changi Airport

After yet another flight departing from Hong Kong we finally arrived to Singapore and though exhausted were more than eager to set out into the city. Our very kind hostess, Mrs.Ho, awaited us after baggage claim and took us by taxi from the airport through the city and to our dorms at Raffles Institute.

Day to day Life

My time at Raffles consisted of a very pleasant combination of classes during the weekdays, community activities and outings and tours at night, and some longer, more in depth tours and trips during the weekends.

A Day at Raffles

-Everyday I woke up to my own alarm, showered, and headed out to the dining hall for breakfast at around 7 AM.

-After eating my first meal of the day I would head out to the school's center where I would meet my host buddy Er Jun Jia, more commonly known as Jay Jay.

-After a brief overview of the day we would head to about 2 or 3 fifty minute classes, such as English and math, to begin the day. These classes were very specific to Jay Jay's schedule. Later classes such as Chemistry and Physics were held in massive lecture halls with hundreds of students.

-About twice a week Jay Jay had an extremely interesting class by the name of "Project Work Class" where groups of around 5 students would collaborate on a written assignment or presentation. Though the classes objective was fairly simple, to teach students how to work together in order to end up with a better product than could be made alone, it truly hit me hard how ingenious the idea was. Much like Singapore as a country (in my eyes at least...), the class focused on teaching the Rafflesians how to make a better world through handwork and positively impact others.

-Afterwards we would proceed to eat lunch in either of Raffle's two "Cantinas", where I was free to purchase lunch from as many as a dozen stands of completely different foods. Regardless of the incredible variety from which to choose though, all options were all Eastern-style foods held dear to the melting pot of Asian cultures that is Singapore.

-Following our hour and a half lunch break, after having eaten and usually having played an intramural sport such as ultimate frisbee or pickup soccer, we would head out to the final part of the school day.

-To end the school day Jay Jay and I would go to his lecture classes and finally either go get more food at the Cantinas, play some more frisbee, or simply go relax with other peers. I would finally return to my dorm at around 5 PM.

Project Work Class

"Yeah, Nashville is pretty far away"

English Class with Jay Jay, Dhruv, and Abi.

Eating at the Cantina

INTERESTING FACT!

- Much like in Harry Potter, Raffles Institution has five houses with designated mascots and colors. All students are assigned to a house upon entering Raffles.

The City of Singapore!

For my many after-school outings and weekend tours I got to see a vast part of the beautiful and ridiculously advanced city that is Singapore; a city which one truly needs to see to believe.

The breathtaking Marina Bay

To the left is the incredible "flying boat" building, one of Singapore's most well known landmarks.

Here is a wild looking car seen outside the Raffles Hotel. Luxury cars like these such as Ferrari's, Aston Martins, and Lamborghinis were not an uncommon sight at the heart of the city in Marina Bay.