At SMU, three students took leave for two or more consecutive school terms last year. This reflects the increasing number of university students in Singapore who are willing to take a break from academic studies to achieve other personal goals. At NUS, 340 students, or 1.26 per cent of its 27,000-strong undergraduate population, took leave from school in the last academic year 2012/2013; while at NTU, numbers have been steady at about 20 students every year on average.