This report should help you to clarify open questions and to get an overview and introduction to what might be in store for you in Singapore. I hope I can answer all of your “why…?” Questions. If you have any questions at the end, please feel free to write me an email.
Some reasons to choose Singapore could be the following: geographically Singapore is a relatively small city-state, but economically a giant and thus one of the Asian tigers. Singapore offers all the advantages of a multicultural city life: short distances to all sorts of sights, such as Marina Bay Sands or Sentosa Island, lots of action options, multicultural culinary delights, parties, very good transport network and of course its geographical location makes it a great starting point for trips in the whole South-East-Asian area, for example on long weekends or after the trimester.
A point that should not be neglected when deciding whether Singapore is yes or no should, however, be the question of costs. Singapore can or is an expensive place and is often referred to as the “Switzerland of Asia”. In addition to the high study costs, the rental costs make up the largest part.
The application process was child’s play for me, as MicroEDU was an experienced organization that acted as a “messenger” between me and James Cook University. More on that later.
About the university: The James Cook University advertises with 3 camps in two countries and 3 tropical locations. This has a positive effect on the composition of the students. In Singapore, 65% of all students have an international background or are, like me and maybe you too – semester abroad students. The teaching methods and the level of difficulty vary greatly in the quality of the lecturers and examination methods.
In addition, according to my inquiries, 90% of the students admitted involuntarily or because of their parents’ decision to study in Singapore. This has a major impact on their willingness to work.
I would like to mention a few shortcomings, even if the rest of the report may degenerate into enthusiasm: In addition to the high costs for the entire stay, there are also significant differences in the standard of living, as well as the willingness to get used to work among domestic students.
All in all, Singapore is a lovable country that is extremely developed and thus offers an extraordinary contrast to the diverse Asia. This kindles a thirst for adventure and there are always new surprises waiting for you! But above all, I want to emphasize the loving and friendly nature of the people. They made my stay so amazing in the first place !!
2 Description of Singapore
The locals say about their own city-state island: “It’s a small country… but there is a mass of activities one can do” and that is 100% true. With 720m², Singapore is about the same size as Cologne, but has five times more inhabitants. The excellent geographical location is the perfect place to explore Southeast Asia, during the trimester on long weekends or after the exams.
The location is also the reason why the city is so multicultural. You can see this especially when you leave the business district with all the glass skyscrapers and immerse yourself in the worlds of Little India, China Town or Arab Street. The multicultural gives Singapore that special touch and sets the city apart from other big cities. Anyone who gets lost in Little India on a Sunday cannot believe that it is still Singapore.
Learn more information about Singapore and Asia on shoefrantics.
The tolerance for ethical integration and living together can not only be seen on the streets, but also in the kitchen. Internationality can mainly be found in food courts or Harker Centers. Here you can try all kinds of Asian dishes in a wide variety of preparations – and very cheaply!
Economically, the country is one of the Asian draft horses and is therefore often referred to as the “Asian Tiger”. The economic wealth makes Singapore a country of superlatives. There is nothing the millionaires there cannot afford. Be it luxury hotels, the most expensive and fancy cars (although the government has put a 250% tax on every car to save the city from air pollution and overcrowding) or culinary delights. Everything seems possible in Singapore … if you have the change.
As a result, the skyline is adorned with the most adventurous skyscrapers, like Marina Bay Sands, for example. This unofficial landmark is a 200m high hotel consisting of three skyscrapers with a “ship” enthroned on it, which offers a viewing platform with a bar and the hotel’s longest infinity pool in the world.
Incidentally, the city’s official landmark is the “Merlion”. It’s a mix of half lion and half fishtail. There are many legends and stories about this combination, you just have to ask the locals.
I would like to emphasize that Singapore is extremely developed. This can be seen in the excellent, well-developed and automated trains of the MRT network (Mass Rapit Transit), in the cleanliness that you probably won’t find in any other big city, but which is also demanded with harsh fines and cleaning services. Another example is how civilized people are when standing in line for something.
