University of Singapore?

[usernamed]

Has anyone applied to this university or know much about it?

 

Its ranked as number 12 on the QS World University Ranking

 

So it clearly has a very good ranking.

 

If anyone went there, can you please tell me how the university environment is?

Because I'm still considering whether I should apply to it or not..

It is also cheaper than universities in the UK, US and Canada, and  still happens to have an excellent ranking.

So thats whats making me consider it as an option.. but since I dont know much about Singapore as a country, or about the university culture/environment, I'm hesitant about applying just yet. 

[Lynxarin]

I don't know much about the university but I have been in Singapore on vacation. Everything is really new and clean there, the weather is also pleasant. The price level and taxes are also lower there compared to UK, US and Canada. 

[dogeofshibe]

Hi, I currently study in Singapore and have been almost my whole life. Generally NUS does deserve their QS rankings, and that's due to how academically rigorous their programme is. Having been to some fairs, they do expect IB scores of above 36~38 for their engineering (really competitive) and business programs. The National University Of Singapore happens to be the largest Singaporean university and based on what Lynaxarin said, it's really clean. This applies to the whole of Singapore, where the climate is tropical and we enjoy summer 365 days a year, with average temperatures of 28 degree-30 degrees celsius. 

 

Based on my senior friend's experience, NUS culture is incredibly warm and friendly towards foreign students, but do note that he observed that the locals can get really shy at first. However, once you get to know them you'd realize what a fun bunch of people they will be. If you have been to or heard of Hong Kong you would kinda understand the local demographics of the country, as both countries were under british colonial rule before. If i had to give an analogy, Singapore feels like the least asian country among asian countries. English is the number one spoken language there and anyone knows how to speak it, even though the national language is Malay. Race distribution wise, It is mainly composed of Chinese, Malay, Indian(south indians) with a sprinkle of westerners. Singapore is completely taking over by western culture and that maybe result in it being a choice (in terms of cultural integration) along with Canada, Britain or the US. 

 

Overall, I highly do recommend you take a vacation there to see Singapore for yourself, and note that it really is a small country/island thing and thus getting around to other places can be quite easy. 

[Littlelostattimes]

If it's the environment in Singapore, it would be great for a student. Singapore is a small place so they encourage public transports to avoid traffic jams and often respect the elderly(so be sure to get up and give seat to old people or they would kinda stare at you haha). It's great for students to move around in Singapore though. They're clean and tidy like everyone says and they are kind of advanced in technologies too. They're an open country with a mix variety of food so you will get used to the food there easily. The educational system there is rigid and they like IB students since there's quite a lot of IB schools around there now. The place in Singapore is small though so you might have a small room when you stay there. Also, that place brings full of surprises each festive season. They often decorate their city for events and treat every culture with respect. Just a little bad problem in Singapore is that you are prohibited to bring chewing gums into their country which is a sad thing ^_^"

[usernamed]

Hi, I currently study in Singapore and have been almost my whole life. Generally NUS does deserve their QS rankings, and that's due to how academically rigorous their programme is. Having been to some fairs, they do expect IB scores of above 36~38 for their engineering (really competitive) and business programs. The National University Of Singapore happens to be the largest Singaporean university and based on what Lynaxarin said, it's really clean. This applies to the whole of Singapore, where the climate is tropical and we enjoy summer 365 days a year, with average temperatures of 28 degree-30 degrees celsius.

Based on my senior friend's experience, NUS culture is incredibly warm and friendly towards foreign students, but do note that he observed that the locals can get really shy at first. However, once you get to know them you'd realize what a fun bunch of people they will be. If you have been to or heard of Hong Kong you would kinda understand the local demographics of the country, as both countries were under british colonial rule before. If i had to give an analogy, Singapore feels like the least asian country among asian countries. English is the number one spoken language there and anyone knows how to speak it, even though the national language is Malay. Race distribution wise, It is mainly composed of Chinese, Malay, Indian(south indians) with a sprinkle of westerners. Singapore is completely taking over by western culture and that maybe result in it being a choice (in terms of cultural integration) along with Canada, Britain or the US.

Overall, I highly do recommend you take a vacation there to see Singapore for yourself, and note that it really is a small country/island thing and thus getting around to other places can be quite easy.

Sounds super interesting! Are you Singaporian yourself? If you don't mind me asking. It would be nice being in an academically rigorous environment, cuz that will encourage me to work to my full potential. Although I would hate to be as stressed as I am at IB, especially IB2 lol. I went on the university's Instagram and I noticed that most of the student body is Asian and I saw like one or two westerners. I'm not western or Asian. I live in the Middle East, and I'm originally Afro-Arab. So idk if I would fit in there in regards to the student demographics? But honestly I don't know, I'm still going to give it a shot because it appears to be an excellent university and isn't as costly as the other ones I applied to in the west.

[usernamed]

If it's the environment in Singapore, it would be great for a student. Singapore is a small place so they encourage public transports to avoid traffic jams and often respect the elderly(so be sure to get up and give seat to old people or they would kinda stare at you haha). It's great for students to move around in Singapore though. They're clean and tidy like everyone says and they are kind of advanced in technologies too. They're an open country with a mix variety of food so you will get used to the food there easily. The educational system there is rigid and they like IB students since there's quite a lot of IB schools around there now. The place in Singapore is small though so you might have a small room when you stay there. Also, that place brings full of surprises each festive season. They often decorate their city for events and treat every culture with respect. Just a little bad problem in Singapore is that you are prohibited to bring chewing gums into their country which is a sad thing ^_^"

Thank you for all that information. Yeah Singapore appears to be very developed and clean! Which are both very good things. I'm assuming that they ban chewing gums due to their attitude towards cleanliness and keeping clean, right? And btw I didn't know that. So now I know what to not bring with me if I end up going there lol.

[dogeofshibe]

 

Hi, I currently study in Singapore and have been almost my whole life. Generally NUS does deserve their QS rankings, and that's due to how academically rigorous their programme is. Having been to some fairs, they do expect IB scores of above 36~38 for their engineering (really competitive) and business programs. The National University Of Singapore happens to be the largest Singaporean university and based on what Lynaxarin said, it's really clean. This applies to the whole of Singapore, where the climate is tropical and we enjoy summer 365 days a year, with average temperatures of 28 degree-30 degrees celsius.

Based on my senior friend's experience, NUS culture is incredibly warm and friendly towards foreign students, but do note that he observed that the locals can get really shy at first. However, once you get to know them you'd realize what a fun bunch of people they will be. If you have been to or heard of Hong Kong you would kinda understand the local demographics of the country, as both countries were under british colonial rule before. If i had to give an analogy, Singapore feels like the least asian country among asian countries. English is the number one spoken language there and anyone knows how to speak it, even though the national language is Malay. Race distribution wise, It is mainly composed of Chinese, Malay, Indian(south indians) with a sprinkle of westerners. Singapore is completely taking over by western culture and that maybe result in it being a choice (in terms of cultural integration) along with Canada, Britain or the US.

Overall, I highly do recommend you take a vacation there to see Singapore for yourself, and note that it really is a small country/island thing and thus getting around to other places can be quite easy.

Sounds super interesting! Are you Singaporian yourself? If you don't mind me asking. It would be nice being in an academically rigorous environment, cuz that will encourage me to work to my full potential. Although I would hate to be as stressed as I am at IB, especially IB2 lol. I went on the university's Instagram and I noticed that most of the student body is Asian and I saw like one or two westerners. I'm not western or Asian. I live in the Middle East, and I'm originally Afro-Arab. So idk if I would fit in there in regards to the student demographics? But honestly I don't know, I'm still going to give it a shot because it appears to be an excellent university and isn't as costly as the other ones I applied to in the west.

 

Hi,

glad to hear that you've decided to give it a shot! I'm not Singaporean myself, but actually a Canadian born chinese who grew up here. It is true that in Singapore that the entire community is asian, but that's because many Singaporean schools are a direct feeder to the university itself (the government here subsidizes fees more for Singaporeans, and that's the case with any local university in the world). With that said, I know quite a few westerners in the university in my friends batch. Although they only limit to 2-5% of the entire population, they fit in super well and locals tend to be super interested in western culture (Its Singapore). If you've been to Dubai, I'd say Singapore would be the closest fit to that city out of all the countries in the middle east. Good luck for your exams in May 2016!