Singapore is a relatively small country, but its education quality is highly recognized.Things to note when studying and living in SingaporeCost of living in Singapore for international students, ,Living expenses for Chinese students studying in Singapore, ,Life of international students in Singapore during the epidemicThe problem.
Things to note when studying and living in Singapore
Things to note when studying and living in Singapore
1. Attendance
For international students, the Singapore Immigration Department attaches great importance to students' attendance rate. International students with low attendance rates are likely to be deported and easily denied visas. Therefore, when studying in Singapore, you must attend classes on time and maintain an attendance rate of more than 90% (generally, being late for 15 minutes is counted as absenteeism). This is to respect the teacher and to be responsible for yourself. For students whose attendance rate is less than 90%, the Singapore Immigration Department has the right to reject their student pass applications.
If students leave the country during holidays or classes, they need to fill out a form at the International Student Services Department.
If you want to take sick leave, you need to apply to the school and provide a sick leave certificate issued by a regular doctor, and be sure to go to a Western medicine clinic.
2. Avoid overstaying
When you arrive in Singapore, no matter what pass you hold, overstaying is prohibited. If you hold a student pass or other long-term pass, be sure to pay attention to the validity date and renew it in time before it expires.
Overstaying can result in a fine, or even imprisonment and caning. Once you have overstayed, it will be more difficult to apply for a visa in the future, and you may even be unable to enter Singapore again. Therefore, international students must pay attention to the expiration date when they get a permit.
If by any chance you need to take a leave of absence from your studies, you must cancel your student pass before leaving the country, otherwise it will be difficult to apply for a visa for a new course.
Note: A student pass is a document that all international students in Singapore must have. It is not only a long-term residence permit for students to travel back and forth multiple times, but also an identity card for students to legally reside in Singapore. After arriving in Singapore and completing the medical examination and school and college registration, remember to go to the ICA (The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority) building to apply for a student visa! With this student pass, you can enter and leave Singapore freely during your study in Singapore without the need for another visa!
3. Part-time job
In Singapore, there are strict regulations on part-time work for international students holding student passes. Only full-time students in some government-designated institutions who hold an ICA-approved student pass and whose student passes have not expired can work in Singapore (basically public institutions), and they must not work more than 16 hours per week during class. Students from private institutions are generally not allowed to work outside the school.
Although students in many colleges and universities are not allowed to work part-time outside, the student clubs and activities on campus, as well as the practical projects arranged in some courses are often very rich, which can enrich your extracurricular experience.
For international students, studying abroad is the top priority. Even if they can work part-time outside, it must not affect their study life.
4. Precautions in daily life
Singapore is famous for its neatness and cleanliness, so don't try to litter or spit. If it's your first offense and you're caught throwing a cigarette butt or a small piece of paper, you may be fined 300 SGD; but if you throw garbage out of the window, throw objects from a high place, or throw large items randomly, you may be fined 2,000 SGD or even more. Vandalism is also a serious crime in Singapore. Climbing and breaking flowers, plants, and trees in public places will result in fines. Spraying graffiti in public places will result in arrest and caning in Singapore.
Please note that in Singapore, don’t even think about buying non-medical chewing gum, let alone eating and spitting it out. Anyone who imports or sells chewing gum may face a fine of up to S$10,000 or 1 year in prison (first offense).
There are also cases of singing/playing musical instruments in public places that disturb others, flying kites on the road, hugging others without permission, forgetting to flush the toilet, deliberately blocking others' way, etc. Any behavior that causes trouble to others or makes noise may be fined. Don't feed pigeons on the roadside or by the window easily, or you will be fined...
5. Other matters needing attention
If any problems occur during your study in Singapore, you should contact the relevant Singaporean institutions or the Education Department of the Chinese Embassy in Singapore. If you encounter a problem that cannot be solved, please report it to the relevant department so that the problem can be solved in a timely manner and your study abroad life will be smoother.
Students studying and living in Singapore are prohibited from engaging in any activities that are not in line with the status of student pass holders; they are prohibited from engaging in any form of paid or unpaid work, any form of commercial, professional activities or any activities that are detrimental to Singapore's social stability and national reputation; they are prohibited from taking, hiding or trafficking any drugs under the Drug Act; they are prohibited from engaging in any form of criminal activities...
Further reading: Introduction to top universities for studying abroad in Singapore
1. National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a Singaporean institution of higher learning that has outstanding advantages in teaching, research and entrepreneurship. In this year's latest QS World University Rankings, the National University of Singapore is ranked No. 1 in Asia.
NUS has more than 30,000 students from more than 100 countries and regions around the world. The diverse backgrounds of students and the urban environment have created a rich learning and living atmosphere in the three campuses of NUS. The three campuses include: the 150-hectare Kentridge Main Campus, the Bukit Timah Campus, and the NUS-Duke Graduate Medical School at the Outram Park Campus.
2. Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University, also known as NTU, is a research-intensive university that is internationally renowned for its solid foundation and strong advantages in science and engineering. It has been competing with NUS for the No. 1 position in Asia in the QS World University Rankings.
Nanyang Technological University is located in the "Yunnan Garden" of the Nanyang University campus in western Singapore. It is the birthplace of the first Chinese university in Southeast Asia - Nanyang University. It gloriously inherits the spirit of Nanyang predecessors who invested in education and had the courage to pioneer.
Adhering to the educational philosophy of nurturing leaders and expanding knowledge, NTU is committed to providing students with a well-rounded education to ensure that its graduates can achieve success in the rapidly developing global high-tech economy in the 21st century.
3. Singapore Management University
Singapore Management University (SMU) is one of the three earliest public universities in Singapore. SMU maintains close cooperation with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a top American university that has won the honor of "Excellent Business School in the United States" every year, and Carnegie Mellon University, which is world-renowned for its information technology education and research.
The Singaporean government has carefully established a world-class business and social science university based on the talent needs of the 21st century. Its goal is to conduct leading academic research and cultivate students with all-round talents, creativity and business acumen, thereby fulfilling its mission of creating and disseminating knowledge for the knowledge-based economy.
Xinda has carefully created an interactive, technologically-based, and small-class teaching environment for its students, which are its unique educational features.
Currently, the total number of students at SMU exceeds 8,000, who are distributed in six colleges: Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Accountancy, School of Economics, School of Social Sciences, School of Information Systems and School of Law. SMU offers a range of undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs in business and other fields.
4. Kaplan Higher Education Singapore
Kaplan Higher Education in Singapore, formerly known as the Asia Pacific Institute of Management in Singapore, is the Singapore branch of Kaplan Education Group, which is owned by The Washington Post. It has strong financial resources, powerful faculty, excellent courses and rigorous academic style.
The school offers joint courses with the National University of Ireland, Murdoch University in Australia, and the University of Bedfordshire in the UK, so that students can obtain world-renowned diplomas and world-class education.
The school has two independent campuses with complete facilities and advanced equipment. The teaching quality is guaranteed and the teaching level is one of the best in Singapore. The school also provides generous scholarships, and outstanding students can receive scholarships of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars.
5. Singapore Institute of Management
Founded in 1964, the Singapore Institute of Management is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing Singapore's human resources. The school has all the certifications for private schools issued by the Singapore government, including the latest four-year Edu Trust certification.
SIM has nearly 20,000 full-time students, of which international students account for about a quarter, and there are another 6,000 to 7,000 part-time students. The school plans to increase the number of students to more than 32,000 by 2015.
To this end, the school invested 300 million New Zealand dollars to expand the campus and on-campus facilities, and plans to more than double the campus within five years. The school currently has one campus, two teaching centers and a 4.5-hectare residential park.
6. PSB Academy, Singapore
Singapore PSB Academy is affiliated to the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore. It is a 100% government-controlled higher education institution in Singapore and one of Singapore's educational training institutions.
With more than 40 years of establishment, PSB Academy has received widespread attention and recognition in Singapore. In 2008, it was ranked among the top three private schools in Singapore by Asia One and Human Resources respectively.
PSB Academy is well-known in Singapore. According to statistics, one in eight Singaporeans has received education and training from PSB, including many government officials and corporate executives.
PSB Academy is one of the first schools to be dual-accredited by SQC and Case Trust, and one of the first six schools to be officially accredited by Edutrust.
7. East Asia Institute of Management, Singapore
EAIB is a private higher education institution in Singapore, founded in 1984. The institute has dual certification from SQC and Case Trust, and is one of the first six institutions to be officially awarded Edu Trust certification.
The school currently has more than 3,000 students from 20 countries and regions around the world. It is one of the largest and most high-quality private institutions in Singapore.
East Asia Institute of Management has two independent campuses, and there is a free campus bus between the two campuses to facilitate students' commuting.
East Asia Institute of Management offers undergraduate, master and doctoral programs in the fields of business, logistics, hotel and tourism management, computer science, etc., with a total of more than 20 majors. Among them, hotel and tourism management has a good reputation in Singapore.
8. Management Development Institute of Singapore
Founded in 1956, the Management Development Institute of Singapore is the earliest and largest non-profit professional institution for lifelong learning in Singapore. With rich teaching experience and strong faculty, MDIS is one of the most prestigious and powerful educational institutions in Singapore.
The college passed the SQC and Case Trust certifications in 2003 and 2005 respectively, and has now been certified by the Singapore Private Education Council Education Trust Assurance Scheme (EduTrust). It is also one of the first colleges to be certified and recommended by the Education Department of the Chinese Embassy in Singapore.
The school has its own independent campus with complete facilities and beautiful environment. It has 100 classrooms, six biology laboratories and the only multimedia laboratory among private schools in Singapore. It also has computer rooms, gymnasiums, sports fields, libraries and an open-air square. It can be said to be an excellent institution with complete software and hardware.
Further reading: Essential items for studying in Singapore
1. Documents
Before departure, it is very important to check your documents, such as passport, school offer, visa, etc. If you forget to bring them, you can only go back home and do it again.
Passport: It goes without saying how important a passport is to students who are abroad. You will need it for many things. Please take care of it as if it were your life, otherwise it will be very troublesome to apply for a new one in Singapore. Various application documents.
Certificates: Domestic graduation certificate, IELTS and TOEFL score reports and originals and copies of all application documents, etc. Red "International Travel Health Certificate" and yellow "International Vaccination Certificate".
2. Clothing
Singapore has tropical weather, so… don’t bring any winter clothes. Summer clothes commonly worn in Singapore include T-shirts, jeans, trousers, casual shorts, etc. Most of the time, clothes are more casual. Because of air conditioning, the indoor and outdoor temperatures in Singapore often differ by 10 degrees, so you need 1~2 thin coats.
3. Cash and bank cards
It is more convenient to go to the bank to exchange some SGD before coming to Singapore. If there is no exchange, RMB, HKD, USD, etc. can be exchanged into SGD in Singapore. Some shopping malls have money exchange places. The specific exchange rate should be checked on the day's foreign exchange rate.
4. Medicines
Due to the climate, some students may not be able to adapt to the climate in Singapore when they first arrive. Therefore, it is necessary to carry some medicines with you when you first arrive. Cold medicine, stomach medicine, antipyretic medicine, allergy medicine, antidiarrhea medicine, toothache medicine, painkillers, eye drops, band-aids and other commonly used medicines. In addition, the weather here is hot and it is easy to get angry, so you can prepare some medicine to reduce the heat, but there are herbal teas sold everywhere in Singapore, so you can also drink some herbal tea. When packing medicines, remember to remove the boxes, leave the instructions, and pack them loose in the box. This will save space and compact the luggage, killing two birds with one stone.
Further reading: Singapore study entry guide
1. Application for Entry Letter
After getting the offer, you can start preparing. The application for the entry letter can be made together with the visa application. The application steps are very simple and no additional materials are required.
All you need to do is log in to the Singapore Immigration Department and fill out the e-Form16 form online, complete all the information as required, submit it and make the payment. Payment can only be made by bank card, so remember to keep the payment proof.
Generally, the entry letter will be issued together with the visa. As the name suggests, it is a letter. Do not open it. When you check in, just hand it over to the staff for inspection together with the visa.
II. Documents for Entry
Generally, the materials required for entry and exit are not many, but new international students have to face more inspections, so when preparing the materials, please prepare all the mentioned materials.
Including identity documents, your own passport, study visa, boarding pass, and entry letter; student identity proof, that is, the admission letter, must also be checked before entering Singapore.
When on the plane, you also need to fill out the entry card. Remember to ask the flight attendant for it and fill it out according to the requirements. It needs to be written in English and cannot be folded.
3. Understand the entry requirements
The entry requirements are basically centered around luggage preparation. Everyone must read the customs regulations carefully, do not bring anything that is not allowed, and try not to bring controversial items.
The specifications of the suitcase should not exceed the standard, and the cash on you should not exceed 20,000 Singapore dollars. In addition, everyone needs to remain calm when facing security checks and investigations.
Summary of things to note when studying and living in Singapore
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