WHEN I went for my scholarship interview with a government board a few months ago, I had, like many others, set my sights on obtaining an overseas scholarship.

In the end, I was awarded a local scholarship to pursue my studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) - and I have not looked back since.

Contrary to popular perception, life at NUS is not boring. Overseas community service programmes, student club activities and international conferences spice up undergraduate life. There are also many opportunities for NUS undergraduates to participate in exchange programmes with overseas colleges and summer schools.

Related link: » Should I stay or go?

For example, I am currently enrolled in the French Language Preparation Programme before I head for France or Switzerland on an exchange programme.

Studying locally gives our top students the best of both worlds - a top-notch global education at home and ample opportunities to interact with youths their age. Furthermore, it will allow you to remain close to your loved ones. Isn't home where the heart is?

Christel Quek, 18, is a first-year geography major from NUS

Go abroad if you make the grade

SINGAPORE'S top students deserve the freedom to choose where they want to study. They have earned their right by working hard to get to where they are.

Applicants consider the quality of education and the reputation of the university when making their choices. Thus, it is no surprise that many top students choose to pursue an overseas university education. After all, they have the credentials to go to Harvard or Stanford, which are more reputable than NUS or Nanyang Technological University.

I am not discounting the fact that our universities are capable of providing a good education for these students, but if students can make it to top-notch schools overseas, they should go.

Bryan Toh, 17, is a second-year mass communications student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Study overseas but return to serve

OUR best students should study in top overseas universities such as Cambridge and Oxford, so they can compete with other top international students.

What is more important is to make sure they return to Singapore after graduation and contribute to society, not waste taxpayers' money by breaking their scholarship bonds or leaving for good after serving their bonds. It is paramount that they know the importance of giving back to the country that groomed them.

So we should start early. Local schools should dedicate more curriculum time to imbuing students with values and a sense of community. There should be community events organised for students to build up strong bonds with the community.

Students will then feel a greater sense of belonging to Singapore and would want to return, even if they went overseas to study.

Calvin Ng, 22, is a third-year mathematics student at NUS

A chance to discover the world

I AM studying law at Cambridge now. I could have gone to NUS. I do not doubt that its law school is brilliant and can prepare me well - perhaps even better than Cambridge - for a career in Singapore.

But I wanted to go abroad for the alternative experience. At NUS, you do not get to walk down halls in 200-year-old buildings every day for classes. You do not get to see the tree that bore the apple that supposedly hit Isaac Newton on the head.

After being cooped up at home for 18 years, a lot of people just want to discover the world for themselves. Telling them that NUS is just as prestigious as anything else will not change their minds: NUS may be good but it is still too close to home.

Maybe it is true that I will not be in touch with the average Singaporean after four years away. Maybe I will be full of foreign ideas that do not make sense to Singaporeans. Maybe. But who knows? Outcomes are never set in stone.

Our top students must remember this: Studying overseas does not necessarily mean that Singapore ceases to be your home, and studying overseas does not stop you from contributing when you come home.

Alexander Woon, 19, is a first-year law student at the University of Cambridge

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.