111 reviews
4.23 / 5 based on 111 reviews
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1
fee20paterson
Academic
Course recommendations
Finance courses are talk by local Singaporean lectures' so the presence of the local 'Singlish' dialect is very strong making it difficult to understand initially. The students are very competitive also, so it takes time to gain their trust and get the in's and out's of each course and study resources.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
More group work and less 'memorising' of texts. A lot of the exams are open book which is a technique I do not like.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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0
fee20paterson
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Was learning the local language a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my the local language
How much did you improve your the local language?
My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Everybody spoke English and classes were taught in English, however on the Singaporean social scene the majority spoke 'Singlish' which is a mix of Mandarin and English, or simply Mandarin. I mastered the 'Singlish' by the end of my year but Mandarin takes years. I took up Malay as an optional six week course which was interesting and usful when I visit Malaysia on several occasions.
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2
fee20paterson
Overall
I wish I had known...
How hot it was and how strong the Singaporean culture actually was. I didn't really appreciate it until I arrived. I got quite homesick initially.
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
This university is brilliant for business and one of the best in S.E.Asian. Singapore is also one of the most developed coutries in S.E.Asia and so operates as a really good spring board to the rest of S.E.Asia. NTU also has a lot of international students attending the university so you will never be alone. It also very cheap to live there and the sports facilities are good. If you are a sun worshiper like me, you'll love it as you can study in your bikini at the side of their full sized outdoor swimming pool.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Make sure you get all your vaccinations needed and take Malaria tablets when you are travelling around S.E. Asia. Try and see as much as possible of S.E.Asia and don't feel intimidated by the Singaporeans intense study habits. They are actually very inefficient and you can do just as well by using your time more sparingly.
Try and set yourself up a business internship after your studies as there is a lot of great companies with there HQ's in Singapore and the expatriate culture is very different to the student culture so this will add to your experience and make it more valuable.
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0
fee20paterson
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
none
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits
Everything apart from alcohol is much cheaper in Singapore due to the rate of the Singaporean $ v's the UK pound.
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Telephone, Housing, Food, Travel, Overall:
was more expensive than at home.
Nightlife:
was the same price as at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
I started phoning home through my laptop using a headset and the Internet. It was free and great apart from a small delay in communication transmission.
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fee20paterson
Housing
Type of housing: Shared room with Singaporean
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why?
Good cultural experience, near university and other international students, cheap and close to university sport facilities and canteens.
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Personal comments
I lived in a very tiny 12th floor room with another Singaporean girl (Marian). There was two small wardrobes, two single beds, two desks and one fan. The washing machines were on the bottom floor and there was no lift to the top floor rooms. There were no cooking facilities so you were forced to eat the canteen food and the bathrooms were shared with no security system on the front entrance.
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10
fee20paterson
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel, Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
There is a brilliant night life and club scene in Singapore. Boat Quay is a great place to begin the night having dinner and a couple of drinks. Mohammed Sultan Road is a road lined with top class DJ's and clubs and is the place to be and be seen. My favourite clubs were Zouk and Liquid Rooms. Another good hangout for mid-week parties is Carnigies which is a good international hangout and girlies drink free champagne on Wednesday nights. If you just want to meet some international folks and get some cheap food and drinks then head to the American Embassy on a Friday every fortnight...its great fun. Orchard Road is the place to shop too.
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