...Europe is like further away, and the culture is vastly different from the Asian culture, I'm more inclined to go to Europe...

--Erin, SMU, Year 3, BA.

…[going to Thailand] it's like going to your own backyard...

--Arthur, NTU, Year 3, BA.

Those who want to experience something different wouldn't want to go Asia for this exchange, they will feel like there's no point…in going.

--Gloria, SMU, Year 3, BBM.

...[if] it is too close to us...it's not really fun or you don't really see anything new because it looks about the same.

--Walter, NTU, Year 1, BA.

…the Asian region is not as popular, because it still feels like…you're still in your backyard.

--Alice, SMU, Year 3, BSocSc.

...when I consider going overseas, I want to consider getting out of where I am already...that will be more fun…

--Carol, NTU, Year 3, BA.

...the grass is greener further away ...I can go [anywhere within Southeast Asia] as often as I want just because of how near it is.

--William, NTU, Year 4, BSci.

I feel like if you're going to make the effort to go overseas, you might as well have a sharp learning curve…experience something that's very different.

--Sofia, SMU, Year 1, BBM.

...I feel that the closer the country is to me, the less I have to gain out of this experience…

--Kyle, NTU, Year 1, BSci.

...it's easier to travel [within] the Asian region…from Singapore. So, we could just hop on a cheap flight and go to any of these [Asian] destinations quite easily… I think most of us just want to push ourselves out of our comfort zone. So going to… the Western side would really be pushing us out of our comfort zones. …so I think that's [why]…the Asian region is not as popular, because it still feels like…you're still in your back yard.

--Alice, SMU, Year 3, BSocSc.

...if you want to spend five weeks on a practicum or four months in Thailand…it's like going to your own backyard, so to speak, and camping out there. I think there isn't enough of a…cultural difference and immersion to justify spending that amount of time there. …the benefits start to wear thin when you get up to a longer program, you're going to your backyard and expecting something different, which doesn't make sense.

--Arthur, NTU, Year 3, BA.

Asian countries…are already very near to us and Asian countries in general already have like…definitely not the same culture, but there's definitely a few areas that overlap with Singapore. So maybe I guess when like, personally, when I consider going overseas, I want to consider getting out of where I am already, which is Asian countries. So it's like far far away where I can experience new things, lead another sort of life for a few months or a few weeks, so that will be more fun…

--Carol, NTU, Year 3, BA.

Since Europe is like further away, and the culture is vastly different from the Asian culture, I'm more inclined to go to Europe, especially for a long STEMP as compared to going to Asia.

--Erin, SMU, Year 3, BA.

[Asian regions are] less appealing… [because] the culture is very similar to Singapore…definitely very, very similar. So for those students, it's like a 50-50 thing. Those who want to experience something different wouldn't want to go Asia for this exchange, they will feel like there's no point…in going.

--Gloria, SMU, Year 3, BBM.

…the whole reason as to why I'm going for these programs is to try and experience new things… so I feel that the closer the country is to me, the less I have to gain out of this experience… Travelling to Southeast Asian countries is much more accessible and I can do it on my own free time. Right?

--Kyle, NTU, Year 1, BSci.

…Asian countries…I feel like a few of them have similar culture and values to Singapore… I feel like if you're going to make the effort to go overseas, you might as well have a sharp learning curve…you want to immerse yourself in the culture…experience something that's very different. Because if you want to…travel to countries where the people are already going to have very similar mindsets as you, you're not going to learn as much…

--Sofia, SMU, Year 1, BBM.

The idea of the distance so because I think another issue is we feel that it is too close to us. Then there is really, it's not really fun or you don't really see anything new because it looks about the same. Like if you go like Malaysia and Singapore, it's about the same. You go Vietnam, if you go to the capital, [it’s not that different], it's a [another] city.

--Walter, NTU, Year 1, BA.

If I were to put my reason on why it’s less appealing for Southeast Asia, [a] big part is that we are in the same region... [While] it's important to know about Southeast Asia or even [ourselves]...the grass is greener further away, right? And more questions and interests to go further. I think we can always argue go Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand...but I can go there as often as I want just because of how near it is.

--William, NTU, Year 4, BSci.