Singapore Expats

Hello!

Hope you are having a good day. I'm planning on studying at NUS and would like to apply for the undergraduate engineering program shortly. I'm not from a rich family background. I know that Singapore is an expensive country. I'll be exceedingly gratified if you please advice me where would be the best place to stay. I would like to stay as close to the university campus as possible. But, the most critical factor is the place needs to be the most cheapest. Would it be possible for me to spend a year with S$ 8000? I don't think I've the luxury to cross S$ 8000 per year.

If you've any idea then kindly let me know that would I have the scope to have a part-time job with a student visa, especially during the weekend or semester break? Say, for example, in any restaurant or call center perhaps? I want to concentrate entirely on my studies but I need to find out a way to make some money too, it's crucial because my family won't be able to support me much.

Thank you. Your humble advice will be highly appreciated. Stay well

Discreet wrote:Hello!

Hope you are having a good day. I'm planning on studying at NUS and would like to apply for the undergraduate engineering program shortly. I'm not from a rich family background. I know that Singapore is an expensive country. I'll be exceedingly gratified if you please advice me where would be the best place to stay. I would like to stay as close to the university campus as possible. But, the most critical factor is the place needs to be the most cheapest. Would it be possible for me to spend a year with S$ 8000? I don't think I've the luxury to cross S$ 8000 per year.

If you've any idea then kindly let me know that would I have the scope to have a part-time job with a student visa, especially during the weekend or semester break? Say, for example, in any restaurant or call center perhaps? I want to concentrate entirely on my studies but I need to find out a way to make some money too, it's crucial because my family won't be able to support me much.

Thank you. Your humble advice will be highly appreciated. Stay well

I can only say that your best option is to stay in the dorm. That's the cheapest and the closest without having you to break a bank to travel very far.

Closest to NUS would be the halls such as raffles hall, eusoff halls etc or PGP and RVR residences and even Utown. However, you got to pay over $1k per month just to stay in Utown. It is always fully occupied every semester. Residences accomodation cost would exceed your budget too. Your next best bet would be the various halls. However, as getting into and staying into the various halls requires 'connection' to hall's committee or CCA points accumulated from previous years , which you have neither, it might be difficult for you to secure a place too. However, it may help if you are a freshie , i.e year 1, that will increase your chances a little.

You can also consider room-sharing or renting a small room near clementi or commonwealth or bouna vista which are relatively near NUS. You should be able to find rents for $600 per month for a small room if you look hard enough otherwise you might have to room-share with another student.

I'm a final year student in NUS btw

Thank you very much... Please accept my utmost gratitude for your cordial advice. If possible then please allow me to know another advice of yours.
By the help of office of admissions I get to know that at least 2300 out of 2400 is required individually in SAT1 and SAT2 in order to make my application competitive, IELTS / TOEFL is not required in my case. I've a B.Sc. degree from Bangladesh in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (CGPA 3.70 out of 4.00); I still want to pursue undergrad program because NUS in undoubtedly a superb university and a degree from NUS will alter my life. Afterwards, I want to enroll myself for masters and Ph.D as well. My High school (Bangladeshi HSC) result was not up to the mark (GPA 4.10 out of 5.00). I'll be exceedingly gratified and indebted if you can inform me that what are my chances of being offered admission? May I expect my application to be credible if I submit good SAT score? If you've not that much idea then perhaps you can ask your friends for me regarding this...

Many many thanks again. I'm eagerly waiting for your amicable advice. I'm very grateful for your graciousness

TC...

well, the word on the street (okay, newspapers) is that the singapore government is looking to cut foreign student enrolments in universities.

of course your application will be "credible" if you submit a good sat score. but i think it would not matter unless you intend to hide the fact that you've already obtained a bachelor's degree.

there are some bachelor courses that have graduate entry, and if they are courses you're interested in, it would serve you well to apply via that route as it is usually less competitive.

i honestly don't know what else to say because you've not told me what undergrad program you're interested in... MBBS? BA?

Discreet wrote: If you've any idea then kindly let me know that would I have the scope to have a part-time job with a student visa, especially during the weekend or semester break? Say, for example, in any restaurant or call center perhaps? I want to concentrate entirely on my studies but I need to find out a way to make some money too, it's crucial because my family won't be able to support me much.

Thank you. Your humble advice will be highly appreciated. Stay well

You will be able to work a maximum of 16 hours a week as a foreign student at NUS without having to get a work pass

Living on S$8000/year will be your biggest challenge!
As somebody above mentioned, the cheapest room available anywhere cost around S$600/month. If you share that with another student (which will not be comfortable), you pay S$300/month or S$3600/year.
The cheapest way to fill your stomach costs around S$10/day or another S$3600/year - and that means never eating out and hardly ever having meat, milk products, soft drinks or other "luxuries".
If you add S$50/month for handphone/Internet (no calls to your home country included) and S$50/month for transport (short to medium bus ride to school on workdays, no travel on weekends), you are already above your budget.
And that does not include any trip home to see your family!

The cheapest labourers in Singapore (e.g. construction workers, many of them from your country) earn around S$8000/year, but get free accommodation (in containers on the construction site) and a paid flight to Singapore and return.