Students have their hearts stolen by the Lion City!

The focus of the trip was once again Green Careers, sustainability and international cooperation, with students embracing a new culture drastically different to our own. Work began several months prior to departure, with all students completing a Carbon Literacy Qualification to gain a strong foundation of understanding of the science behind climate change and how to reduce carbon emissions.

The group was buzzing with excitement as we set off from college to catch our flight from Gatwick on the afternoon of 21st March. Fast-forward 24 hours, and we touch down in Singapore, late at night, ready to get some serious shut-eye. We kicked-off the trip with an easy start exploring the local area around our hostel (giving us all the chance to bounce back from the long journey!). After a brief history of Hawker Centres, we all took the opportunity to sample some of the delicious local food! The rest of our weekend was filled with a tour of the National University of Singapore (the top ranked university in Asia!) and having our minds blown at the Singapore Science Centre.

As we recovered from our jet-lag, things began to hot up, with a heatwave settling on Singapore! Despite the humid conditions, we hit the streets of Singapore, visiting the iconic Merlion, Gardens by the Bay (of course, capturing the breathtaking Garden Rhapsody light show!) and picking up souvenirs in Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street - timing our arrival perfectly for Iftar and to hear the first calls for prayer from the Sultan Mosque!

My favourite part of the trip was going to the top of Marina Bay Sands and seeing the beautiful city and view, as it was truly breathtaking and a once in a lifetime opportunity, much like everything else on the trip. Skills I feel I developed further were better independence, as it was the longest I've been away from home, and making friends, having made 6 new close friends - we also helped each other with staying happy and healthy whilst being away from home. The trip was one of, if not the best, experiences of my life and I will forever remember it and miss it.

Eli

We had the amazing opportunity to visit the British High Commission who explained the wide range of roles they perform in Singapore and the routes into a career - leaving our students super inspired and aiming to return as future employees! We were also welcomed by the National Institute of Education who shared the work they have been doing to embed sustainability in the Singaporean curriculum; the Global Indian School, who showed us around their SMART Campus and presented some of the green projects their students have been working on; the Housing Development Board, who showed us technology and urban planning techniques Singapore uses to build Green towns; and finally Cambridge CARES whose leading academics told us all about their latest research in reversing climate change. 

Of course, no trip to Singapore would be complete with a trip to Sentosa island – a few thrill seekers spent the day chasing an adrenaline rush at Universal Studios; whilst the majority opted for a more relaxing day at the SEA Aquarium, learning about marine life and how to protect our oceans. Singapore Zoo was another experience ticked off the bucket-list; meeting lots of beautiful animals and learning about conservation work carried out by the Mandai Wildlife Reserve to protect all types of wildlife. Good Friday was spent having fun in the sun and spending the day on the beach; doing as the locals do and staying late into the evening with a dinner time picnic.

Sustainability was not the only focus of the trip; but developing key life-skills such as confidence, problem-solving, resilience and independence, building relationships and being immersed in a new culture was a very important aspect of the visit. As the days rolled by, students were given more freedom to explore on their own in the evenings, and given a whole free-day to plan their own group activities. Lots of students chose to explore the beautiful Botanic Gardens, some headed back to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve to visit the Birds of Paradise Park, whilst others opted for more shopping in Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street and Orchard Road. The day ended with a 200m trip skyward to Marina Bay Sands, taking in the breathtaking views and cooling off with a refreshing mocktail! We also enjoyed a cultural workshop on Singapore, including the opportunity to try our hand at the traditional process of Batik painting. Students applied cold wax in a design of their own creation, before using dye to colour their intricate patterns and pictures. There was an amazing array of different designs, some based on nature and flowers, whilst others incorporated Singaporean landmarks.

My favourite part of the Singapore trip was experiencing new, varying cultures, and making new friends. I think my confidence has really grown over the two weeks due to being surrounded by so many people I didn't really know.

theia

We finished strong on our final full-day in Singapore, with a 13.5k trek along the MacRitchie Tree Top Trail. A hot, sweaty (and at times stormy!) day, but our energy was boosted by spotting amazing wildlife along the way - including monkeys, turtles and lizards!! Our last night was spent celebrating our time together, with awards for all students presented by the staff trip leaders. Everyone was full of mixed emotions as we packed our bags and headed to Changi Airport, giving ourselves plenty of time to explore the famous Jewel of Changi! The long journey home was spent reminiscing on the last two weeks; sharing favourite experiences and memories – whilst also debating what we were most looking forward to about returning home (mainly a comfy bed and ‘normal’ temperatures!)

This was a truly unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime trip for our students. Travelling over 6,700 miles as your first ‘solo’ trip without family and friends is no small feat, and it is wonderful to see how much all the students have grown as individuals thanks to these experiences and lovely to see how these new friendships have continued to grow now that we are back at college. All that’s left to say is thank you, Singapore!