Yale-NUS students’ fruitful study abroad experiences at Yale University

Yale-NUS College students frequently engage in study abroad or research opportunities at Yale University, which is one of our co-founding institutions. This year, over 60 students headed to Yale for study abroad or summer programmes, benefitting from the opportunities brought about by our strong ties with Yale.

Silvia Suseno and Billy Tran (both from Class of 2024) are currently studying abroad at Yale University this semester and enthusiastically recapped their experiences thus far.

Silvia (centre, with a red backpack) and Billy (first row, third from left) with fellow international students engaging in the Yale Visiting International Students Program (Y-VISP) at the Yale Outdoor Education Center for a day of fun in the sun! Image provided by Silvia.

Silvia hopes to diversify her skillset in creative writing through Yale’s various diverse offerings, specifically “classes in screenwriting, investigating the sentence as a genre, and writing about coming of age.” She shared that she is interested in pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing in the US, thus her time at Yale has enabled her to begin exploring the new pathway. The classes she is now taking push her to think differently and she feels that “being at Yale feels like an extension of being at Yale-NUS” because of the similar academic rigour.

Outside the classroom, she has “never been bored,” exploring the plethora of programmes, clubs, and activities. Her personal goal has been to “pick up random, but fun skills” during her semester abroad; She has since joined the Yale Figure Skating Club and often frequents the pottery studio within Yale’s buttery. “On a personal level, I feel I’m flourishing because there are so many exciting new things to try out that I never had the chance to before – things like figure skating and pottery were beyond my budget and also were not readily available in school – and I’m happily exploring this different lifestyle, including travelling along the east coast.”

Billy has never studied abroad in the US and wanted to experience an environment that is often discussed in his classes, readings, and general media especially as since he is a Global Affairs major. He hopes to explore his academic and extracurricular interests at Yale by engaging in diverse course selections, joining the vibrant theatre scene, and engaging in the Southeast Asian Studies Council.

Billy, first from left, rowboating with other international students during orientation at Yale’s Outdoor Education Centre. Image provided by Billy Tran.

Billy’s time at Yale is spread across various departments from Sociology to Education Studies. Outside the classroom, he is busy preparing for two different theatre productions simultaneously while exploring campus life. “I’m most thankful for all the opportunities at Yale and meeting with individuals from various walks of life through amazing talks, seminars, and conferences on campus.”

Earlier, during the semester break, Vivien Dimitrov (Class of 2025) participated in the Yale Summer Session in New Haven as she wanted to explore new fields of study before deciding on her major declaration.

Vivien (second from the right) with fellow Yale-NUS students watching a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Images provided by Vivien.

At Yale, she enrolled in courses such as Attraction & Relationships and Global Climate Governance to explore her interest in psychology and the environment. She relished the interesting conversations she has had with her peers and professors. Additionally, having never studied in the United States, Vivien enjoyed exploring the New Haven area and the east coast of the country with fellow Yale-NUS students, like watching a Yankees Game in New York City.

Besides studying at Yale University, Yale-NUS students also have the chance to study abroad at both partner and non-partner institutions across America, Asia, Oceania and Europe. Read more Study Abroad stories here.

[Note: Story was updated on 29 November 2022.]