The Beginning of a Journey

Why am I making a Blog? What is the Purpose?

Those that know me well know that I am a writer by necessity, not choice. So if you're thinking to yourself "why is Mark making a blog," it is fully warranted. I was fortunate enough to receive a generous scholarship to study abroad from the Barger Leadership Institute, and as part of the conditions of the scholarship, I have to blog and reflect on my experience abroad, with an emphasis on leadership development. While I hope that I would have come to the decision to make a blog while studying abroad in the absence of this scholarship, I appreciate the fact that this forces me to stay true to blogging and reflecting. Like I said, I am a writer by necessity. 

Goals for the Blog

1. To reflect on my experience abroad, with an emphasis on leadership development
2. To keep my friends and family back home in the loop
3. To become a better, less formal writer (this one will be the most difficult)
4. To help inform students who are considering studying abroad in Singapore, particularly the National University of Singapore
5. To make this a quick, enjoyable read for all those who choose to read it

To supplement the blogs, I will also be vlogging (video blogging) so that you all can see me in-action going to places like Downtown Singapore, Chinatown, Little India, the National University of Singapore campus, etc.

Why Singapore? Why this program?

While certainly a valid question, I feel as though in comparison to those who choose to study abroad in Europe, there is definitely a higher level of rationale I must provide to explain why I am choosing Singapore. This isn't much of a problem though, as I enjoy explaining why I think this program will be great for me. 

1. Culture. If you're not all that familiar with Singapore, it's a pretty awesome place -- from what I have seen and read online. I'm really looking forward to experiencing a vastly different culture without having to overcome any significant language barriers (English is the lingua franca).
2. Coursework. I will have the opportunity to take courses that are not offered at the University of Michigan (Global Political Economy, Comparative Study of Development, and Managing Non-Profit Organization), and all of the credits will go toward my degree requirements. Also, the National University of Singapore is ranked among the best Universities internationally, so I expect to really be challenged academically and to gain a lot from these courses.
3. Travel. Because Singapore is optimally located as the hub of Southeast Asia, it is very easy and inexpensive to travel to other countries. Many students who study abroad in Singapore travel to countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.  While I am not quite sure where I will be going just yet, I definitely would like to take advantage of the opportunity to explore Southeast Asia while I'm there, as it would likely be difficult for me to do so at any other point in my life.
4. Food. Yes, food. If you know me, you know I like to eat -- a lot. Fortunately for me, food is Singapore's national pastime. I look forward to eating at Hawker centres and eating lots of delicious and cheap street food. 
5. Weather. I would be lying if I said that I didn't consider the difference in weather between Ann Arbor and Singapore. Singapore, located just above the equator, averages about 82 degrees Fahrenheit during the months January-May. I don't think I need to pull a stat showing how cold Ann Arbor is, but here is a little reminder of what the weather was like last year.  

To stay true to my promise to make this blog a quick read (refer to goal #5), I'm going to hold off on writing any more for now. Expect another blog post and the first vlog to come later this week!