Not to forget the weather: Singapore is close to the equator and therefore not only has an average of at least 33 ° C, but it is also very humid. In the rainy season you have to expect at least one shower a day. You quickly learn to always have an umbrella ready, and if you do get wet, everything dries again in no time thanks to the heat.
Cool also counts here as luxury and the cooler the better, at least from an Asian point of view. Libraries, buses, malls and also the classrooms are cooled down to the maximum. Here’s a piece of advice from me: bring at least long trousers, a cardigan and a scarf! (Do not declare me crazy, you may experience for yourself that 23 ° C can be really cold compared to 34 ° C humidity !!)
3 Application process
The rule here is very clear: you have to get help! And here I advise you: MicroEDU. They specialize in answering every little question you have about all documents. And if you don’t know what to do right away, you have a hot line to James Cook University. They help you to cope with the really “German” and by that I mean bureaucratic application process with a lot of documents and information that one does not keep ready every day (such as the parents’ income when self-employed or an extract from the birth register). Such an application is practically their day-to-day business. They are available for questions by phone or email and best of all: They cost NIX!
Through MicroEDU, I had a guaranteed acceptance from the JCU within 1 week of submitting my complete application. I was never in personal contact with the JCU even when I had difficulties. This should not be a deterrent or cause uncertainty. It was the easiest, smoothest and most controlled application process I’ve ever had! By the way, our university was commendably uncomplicated for my course choices. I didn’t have any conflicts.
The official immigration with an ID that makes you a citizen of Singapore for a limited period of time will take place on site at the Immigration Center. When entering the country, Germans with a German passport receive a 90-day visa.
Learn more information about Singapore and Asia on sourcemakeup.
4 Description of the university
In spring 2015, the JCU moved into its new campus. Make one out of two was the concept and it worked really well. The Sims Drive Campus is very modern and brand new. In addition to the two large lecture halls (which correspond to our standard) there are plenty of smaller and very small seminar rooms in which the tutorials for the individual lectures take place or group work can be done.
The traffic connection is good. It is a 10-minute walk to the campus from the nearest MRT stop or the bus.
As reported, Singapore is a very progressive country and you can feel that on campus, for example when checking attendance with electronic fingerprints. International students are required to be on campus for at least 3 hours on weekdays. This is checked with a fingerprint at the main gate. However, the system also knows when and at what time you have which lecture and where it is taking place. Another fingerprint must be given at the beginning of a lecture or tutorial. In this way, the presence of each individual is calculated and it ensures that the 90% attendance required by the government is adhered to! (Don’t panic, it takes some getting used to for us, but it’s not that bad !!!)
Anyone who travels to Asia will quickly find that the consumption and use of the Internet to work / study is much higher than we are required to. Leaving the laptop at home is the worst idea. The JCU offers computer rooms and a library, but neither is designed to be student-friendly. For example, the library is poorly equipped and tiny. There aren’t nearly as many books as there are students. But buying the books you need is a waste of money as they are overpriced and rarely used in lectures. However, they are necessary for learning and reworking!
Your own computer is so important because everything at JCU is done electronically. Be it course registration, research and uploading assignments, booking a room, printing via the university printer or communicating in the group or the lecturer.
The campus also features sports facilities such as a fitness room, basketball and volleyball field. The JCU also offers the opportunity to enroll in so-called clubs. These are a great chance to get to know new people and to try something new. For example, learn to dance in the Bollywood Dance Club, refine your presentation skills or overcome fears in the Toastmaster Club, help out as a helper in spontaneous events in the Volunteers Club or cancel schools or really power yourself out with badminton, etc.
The cafeteria and the adjoining cafeteria are a dream: There are a multitude of delicious dishes from India, Indonesia, halal food, western cuisine or rice dishes with different vegetables that you can put together yourself. And the coffee only costs € 0.80 😉
The atmosphere on campus is exuberant and very friendly even with the staff. After a short time, greeting and saying hello make you almost too late to the lecture. You can only really feel good!
In addition, the staff and most of the professors always have an open ear and can even be reached via Whatsapp! This facilitates communication immensely and helps to create a flat, friendly hierarchy.
