How I moved to Singapore to study

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The beautiful city of fines is definitely worth a visit.

While still a 3rd year student, I became interested in studying abroad, I wanted to see how people live in other countries, I dreamed of seeing the world. That summer I went to Singapore for an internship for two months. After graduation, I successfully entered graduate school at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and flew to the equator. First, I checked into a hostel, literally from the airport I went to the store to buy a pillow, sheet and blanket for the room. The studies began about two weeks later, before that I studied the university, got acquainted with other students and teachers.

Four years have passed since then. During this time, I coped with the culture shock, passed the stage “I have no friends”, got used to the weather, life and language.

I would advise moving to Singapore to study - it's easier. It is quite difficult to obtain a work visa, there are many rules regarding the hiring of foreign citizens to work. But I definitely recommend that you come as a tourist and see this amazing city-state with your own eyes!

Why Singapore

Safe, beautiful, warm all year round. Singapore is a city-state that is only 50 years old. Over the years, it has evolved from a third world country to a developed economy. Many people say that Singapore is the city of the future.

Good study grants can be found here. I was lucky: when I was finishing work on my diploma, my university - BSUIR - collaborated with the Nanyang Technological University, and you could meet Singaporean professors right in your academic building. True, I did not enter NTU the first time, my grades were low. She continued her studies at the BSUIR master's program, got acquainted with science and improved her grades, and then received a grant.

Singapore is very fond of innovation. I am currently researching neurocomputer interfaces, or BCI (Brain-Computer Interface). This technology allows a person to interact with electronic devices through brain signals.

Climate

It is summer in Singapore all year round, because the island, on which Singapore and Malaysia are located, is located almost at the equator. The rainy season lasts from November to February. The highest peak is December and January, this is the monsoon season. However, in Singapore, everything is set up for protection from the weather, there are many indoor walking paths.

The language barrier

Singapore has four official languages: Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English. Almost everyone speaks and understands English, as it is basic. However, Singaporeans have a special dialect of English - Singlish (Singaporean English), so be prepared to ask again.

Flights

There are several airlines that offer cheap flights to Singapore. Air China, Turkish Airlines, Air France and Lot Polish. Also, some companies offer discounts and promotions, such as KLM, Emirates, Singapore Airlines. The cheapest flights are from Moscow, Minsk or Warsaw.

The flight will take from 18 hours (maybe more, depending on the time of transfer), round-trip tickets will cost from 38,000 to 60,000 rubles on average. It is worth buying them three months before the trip and keeping track of various promotions, they take place often.

Salaries and scholarships

There is a huge range of salaries in Singapore. They start at 2.5-3 thousand Singapore dollars (1 Singapore dollar (SGD) - 48.6 rubles) per month and go up to 30 thousand. Programmers receive 6-10 thousand a month, almost the same and financiers. But of course it depends on the company. My fellow university researchers receive 3.5-5 thousand Singapore dollars a month. In the restaurant business, they earn 2-3 thousand.

My university offers scholarships for foreigners from the Singapore Ministry of Education. They include monthly payments (2-2, 5 thousand Singapore dollars) and tuition fees (about 12-14 thousand Singapore dollars per semester). Every year you need to confirm your student status, the scholarship is paid for four years. If during this time you could not complete your studies, you will have to pay for additional semesters yourself.

Also, to receive a scholarship there is a condition - 140 hours of working as a teacher at the university, 200 hours of helping a professor in teaching, and another 80 hours of participation in conferences and other events.

I have a Student Pass visa, and you can work with it 16 hours a week with the permission of the faculty. You can find a part-time job at the university itself. Typically, a student is paid S $ 15-30 per hour of work.

Visas

There are four main types of work visas in Singapore: E-pass, S-pass, EntrePass and Work Permits. The type of visa depends on your professional qualifications, the salary you can receive, and other conditions. There is a student visa Student Pass, as well as Dependant's Pass and Long Term Visit Pass - visas for family members of a person who moved to Singapore, for example, for a wife or husband.

On a tourist visa, which is logical, it is forbidden to work, you can only stay in Singapore continuously for 30 days. To extend this period, many leave for Malaysia for a while, and then return to Singapore.

There is also a transit visa for those who arrive in Singapore before leaving for another country. It lasts 96 hours.

Full details of visas and eligibility criteria can be found on the official website of the Singapore Ministry of Human Resources.

Cost of living

The minimum cost of housing and food is 2–2, 5 thousand SGD per month if you rent a room. If you want to rent an apartment, be prepared to pay 5 thousand or more.

Accommodation

There are three types of housing in Singapore:

• HDBs are conventional high-rise buildings built by the Housing and Development Board with 2-5 room apartments. Renting an entire apartment will cost 1, 7-2, 3 thousand SGD per month. A room without a bathroom is called a common room and costs 700-900 SGD. A room with a bathroom (master room) can be rented for 1–1, 2 thousand SGD per month.
• A condominium, or condo, is a residential complex with a swimming pool, gym and other amenities. Housing as a whole will cost from 1, 9 thousand SGD and can go up to 10 thousand per month - depending on the location and number of rooms. A private room in a condominium can be rented for about 200 SGD more than HDB.
• My house. This is the most expensive housing, because it has its own land. Houses with 2-3 floors cost from 3-4 thousand SGD per month.

You can view rooms for rent on the Gumtree.sg website. There are also many groups on Facebook with ads. Sites PropertyGuru.com and 99.co will help you find an apartment.

Carefully read the announcements, especially the conditions of what can and cannot be done in the apartment, for how many tenants the price is indicated. According to the laws of Singapore, the lease is concluded for a minimum of three months. You will also need to make a deposit - the cost of one month of rent.

Nutrition

Singaporeans love to eat. It's such a national hobby to try different foods and explore new restaurants, cafes and food courts. If you ask people on the street what is good about Singapore, nine out of ten will say "Food" (one will say that it is safe, but this is not certain).

Must-haves to try in Singapore:

• chicken rice - chicken with rice;
• laksa - coconut soup with shrimp and noodles;
• roti prata - stuffed flatbread with curry sauce;
• kaya-toast - bread with coconut jam;
• nasi-lemak - rice cooked in coconut milk with egg or chicken;
• yong-tau-fu - for this soup you choose the ingredients yourself (tofu, meat, egg, vegetables and others), and cook it right in front of you;
• saté is a mini-version of a kebab.

And this is just the beginning of the list! Here is more delicious.

Many food courts offer a “healthy” alternative. For example, not white, but brown rice or whole grain cereals as a side dish. Usually, the most healthy dish is marked on the menu and how many calories it contains.

Lunch in the cafe will cost 15-25 SGD, in the dining room (hawker center) - 5-10.

It's cheaper to eat at home and cook on your own. There are supermarkets with affordable prices and discounts such as Fair Price, Giant, and Sheng Siong. Fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood are quite cheap. Dairy products like cheese and sour cream are the most expensive, and alcohol is the most expensive. A bottle of wine starts at 15 SGD, it is better to buy strong alcohol only in duty-free.

My shopping cart for 27 Singapore dollars (≈ 1,300 rubles):

• chicken breast (300 g) - 3, 15 SGD;
• can of tuna in its own juice - 2.95 SGD;
• a bottle of Tiger light beer - 2.95 SGD;
• a dozen chicken eggs - 2, 3 SGD;
• tomatoes (0.8 kg) - 1 SGD;
• Broccoli (300 g) - 3.5 SGD;
• 2 boxes of coconut cream - 1, 6 SGD;
• Jackfruit (200 g) - 2.95 SGD;
• mango (1 medium fruit) - 3.95 SGD;
• brown basmati rice (1 kg) - 2, 65 SGD.

Public transport

Public transport is well developed in Singapore. It includes buses and metro.

For travel it is advantageous to use an EzLink card, the account of which can be replenished. If you buy it at a metro station, it will cost 12 SGD, 7 of which are credited to your account. When you buy at 7-Eleven convenience stores, you will pay 10 SGD for EzLink. In these stores, you can also pay with the same card.

The metro and buses are clean, beautiful, air-conditioned, so it gets chilly. Many buses are double-decker as a reminder of the times of British colonization. The fare will cost between 0.7 and 2 SGD depending on the number of stations you have traveled.

About taxi: there is no Uber in Singapore, but there is Grab, and you can also hail a taxi on the street. There are many bike rental services such as Mobike, SG Bike.

Even an electric scooter can be rented through the app.

Penalties

Singapore is called fine city, which can be translated as "beautiful city" and "city of fines". There are fines for almost everything: you can't litter, throw cigarette butts, chew gum, eat on the bus, or bring durian to the subway. Singapore was built with such strict laws. However, it seems that the locals are used to this and do not particularly violate anything.