Although Singapore is a society that integrates Chinese and Western cultures, and Chinese is widely used, there are still many differences in lifestyle from our country.A brief overview of common sense about local life in Singapore for studying abroad in 2022Living expenses for international students in Singapore, ,Studying abroad experience in Singapore, ,Common knowledge in English for international students in SingaporeThe problem.
A quick guide to local life in Singapore in 2022
A quick guide to local life in Singapore in 2022
1. Eating habits
Singapore's drinks tend to be sweet and its food to be spicy. If you happen to like sweet and spicy food, you will be able to adapt quickly when you come here! Singaporeans are used to eating with spoons and forks. Chopsticks are also provided but only in places where Chinese food is served. Another thing to note is that Malays do not eat pork, so the food courts or food courts here are strictly separated. If you order food from the "Malay food section", you can only use the tableware provided by that store, and you cannot mix it with the tableware from the "non-Malay section"!
2. Transportation
Singapore's public transportation is well planned and well connected throughout the island. The buses are kept clean and the air conditioning is also very cool. Because cars are very expensive in Singapore, Singaporeans generally travel by public transportation. Singapore's canopies are built from the bottom of the HDB residential building all the way to the bus station or subway station, so you don't have to worry about rush hour crowds, traffic jams on the road, and sun and rain! However, Singapore's buses do not announce the station names. Some new buses will have electronic station name boards to show passengers what station they are currently at and what the next station is. It is recommended that if you have just arrived in Singapore to study, you can turn on the navigation software to prevent missing the station!
3. Clothing
Singapore is summer all year round, and the average daytime temperature is around 30 degrees, so Singaporeans usually dress casually and coolly. Except for formal occasions, most Singaporeans like to wear short-sleeved shirts, shorts and flip-flops, which are light and cool. However, the indoor air conditioning in Singapore is very strong, especially in classrooms and offices, so remember to bring a thin jacket when going out for class~ Because of the epidemic, it is now mandatory to wear a mask when going out in Singapore! You can take it off when eating, and you will be fined if you don’t wear a mask at other times!
4. Waste Classification
Unlike several major cities in China, there is no need to sort garbage in Singapore. Kitchen waste, paper, plastic products, aluminum cans, iron cans, etc. can all be thrown into the same trash can. In addition, each floor of each residential building has its own garbage channel leading to the large garbage bin on the first floor. Just open the garbage channel on each floor and throw it in! In addition, most of the toilet paper in Singapore is soluble in water, so the toilet paper used in the toilet only needs to be thrown into the toilet. Don't misunderstand that Singapore's behavior is not environmentally friendly. Singapore's garbage disposal system is considered the best in the world! From the source control of garbage and the comprehensive optimization of the garbage disposal system, it truly realizes efficient and recyclable waste utilization.
Further reading: Misconceptions to know about studying in Singapore
1. You can’t study abroad if you have poor language skills
The medium of instruction in Singapore’s universities is English. Applicants for admission will need to submit their language scores, but this is not a hard requirement because the school will provide language courses for students. If you do not meet the requirements, you can study the language first.
Therefore, there is no need to waste time studying in China. Going to Singapore in advance to take language courses will be more helpful for your learning and adaptation, and the cost of learning the language will not be much higher than in China.
2. High GPA determines everything
When submitting an application to study abroad, one of the materials students are required to submit is their GPA transcript. This can cause students to fall into the misunderstanding that GPA is the only thing they care about, and they think that as long as their average score meets the school's requirements, they can be admitted.
In fact, Singapore’s higher education teaching system is influenced by the West. In addition to academic performance, it also examines students’ personal abilities and time experience. Academic performance alone cannot guarantee admission 100%.
3. Government universities are the first choice
Influenced by the domestic teaching system, most students will first consider national universities when choosing a school to study abroad, believing that this way they can receive guaranteed teaching and do not have to worry about recognition issues after completing subsequent courses.
We need to take into account the national conditions of the two countries. The main thing to look at is whether the school is officially recognized. As long as it is a school recognized by the Ministry of Education of both countries, you can apply. In fact, in Singapore, it is relatively difficult for international students to apply to government universities.
4. Junior college is not as good as undergraduate
In Singapore, the number of vocational colleges is basically on par with that of undergraduate colleges. Some of the polytechnics and teacher training colleges that we are familiar with fall within the scope of vocational colleges in Singapore. They are also very strong, and the academic qualifications they issue are equally recognized.
Therefore, when choosing a target school, you should not only look at the nature and classification of the school, but also refer to its teaching ability and ranking. This way, you can receive high-quality teaching after admission, and the recognition of your academic qualifications after graduation will not be hindered.
Further reading: Summary of the main benefits of studying in Singapore
Benefit 1. Accompanying Study Policy
Singapore implements bilingual education and ranks high in Asia. Many parents in China choose to send their children to study in Singapore. In order to ensure that children can study with peace of mind, Singapore has introduced a more humane policy - the accompanying study permit.
For children under 16 years old who are studying in Singapore, their mothers/grandmothers can apply for a study permit to legally reside in Singapore and accompany and care for them. During the period of holding a study permit, they can enter and exit Singapore at will without having to apply for a tourist visa separately.
Benefit 2: PR (Permanent Residence Permit) Application
According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA), all international students studying in Singapore can apply for PR without an invitation letter!
From December 18, 2017, the application process for becoming a Singapore PR (permanent resident) will change. The process will be simpler. Applicants only need to submit the required information online, and there is no need to make an appointment and submit the application documents in person. This means that students studying in Singapore can apply for PR! You can apply directly without an invitation letter!
The biggest benefit of becoming a Singapore PR is that you can live and enter Singapore without restrictions, and you don't have to give up your Chinese nationality. After holding PR for 2 years, you can apply for Singaporean nationality and become a Singaporean citizen. In addition, there are many benefits in education, medical care, work, etc.
Benefit 3: Singapore Immigration
Anyone who graduates from a government-run national institution can apply for a green card and enjoy benefits. After obtaining a green card, you can immediately sponsor your spouse and children to obtain green cards, unconditionally sponsor your parents and parents-in-law to live in Singapore, and grant multiple-entry visas.
In addition, green card holders can enjoy housing, medical insurance and other welfare benefits. They can purchase government welfare housing and use 50% of provident fund to pay monthly bank mortgage fees; they can enjoy medical welfare security/retirement welfare security paid by provident fund; their children can attend all government schools and enjoy corresponding government scholarships or tuition loans.
Another great benefit about nationality application is that after holding PR for 2 years, you can apply for Singapore nationality and become a Singapore citizen. Singapore passport holders can enjoy visa-free access to 161 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, and the European Union.
Benefit 4: Singapore Scholarship
The Singapore government has always been generous in its investment in education, especially in rewarding students with outstanding academic performance. The scholarships offered by Singapore universities mainly include the "Singapore Enterprise Scholarship" and the "Singapore Government Scholarship".
The Corporate Scholarship is a full scholarship provided by the Ministry of Education of Singapore to students of domestic partner schools. Students can receive all expenses including tuition, living expenses, and travel expenses. The number of places is determined by the recommendation of the partner schools, and the schools eligible for recommendation vary from year to year.
The government scholarship is a partial free scholarship provided by the new government for Chinese students studying abroad. It can reduce the tuition fee of 65%-80%, but the living expenses and travel expenses must be paid by the students themselves. If the family still cannot afford the remaining expenses, the student can also apply for an interest-free loan from the school, the amount of which is 80% of the self-paid part.
In addition, there is also an SM1 (Senior Middle) scholarship program for Chinese students. This program was launched by the Singapore Ministry of Education in the 1990s with the aim of attracting outstanding Chinese students to study in Singapore.
Further reading: List of popular majors for studying in Singapore
1. Hotel and Tourism Management
In Singapore, the demand potential of hotel and tourism management majors in the domestic job market is very high. The Singapore government has built two large-scale integrated resorts in 2010, which will bring 70,000 jobs in related majors and 200,000 jobs in related majors.
2. Business and Environmental Sciences
Singapore is one of the world's recognized environmental cities. Singapore is also Asia's business center, financial center, and logistics transit port. At the same time, Singapore's Jurong Island is also Asia's largest oil storage and smelting base. Protecting the environment while developing business is now the most concerned topic in the world. Especially in the future, China will continue to cultivate professionals with two-way capabilities to find the most suitable development path for China's national conditions. James Cook University in Australia is the best Australian university in environmental science research. The combination of business and environmental science has cultivated professionals who are most suitable for the development needs of enterprises and countries.
3. Accounting and financial management
In addition to some students from business families in China who choose to study business management courses, finance and accounting are undoubtedly the most popular courses for Chinese students studying in Singapore. Due to the huge demand for talents in US dollar settlement in Singapore, financial management has also become a popular major.
4. Animation, multimedia design, computer science
In Singapore, the majority of Chinese students choose liberal arts and business majors, such as economics, media, etc. Don't overlook that Singapore's animation, multimedia, computer technology and other industries are also very advanced in the world, and animation education, multimedia, computer science and other majors are very mature.
5. Mass media, advertising and marketing
The talent demand increases every year, and the salary increases every year, making the media major a popular choice for domestic colleges and universities. As the information center of the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore has strong mass media majors in colleges and universities, covering emerging media fields such as digital television, multimedia, and the Internet.
Summary of common sense of local life in Singapore for studying abroad in 2022
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