The intake for Singapore universities is now open. If you’re planning to further your studies, then perhaps residing in a campus hall and university hall life might be a few of your concerns. 

Well, we’ve done the legwork for you and interviewed some fresh grads and undergrads to uncover the low-down on university hall life. Here’s what they have to say!

Maintaining residency

Jiahui and her roommate Naomi

Q: What is the level of commitment required to stay in a campus hall?

“It really depends on the hall you choose to reside in. To maintain your spot, you have to be strategic. Make sure you pick up larger leadership responsibilities. It’s better to have one major leadership role than to participate in many small and miscellaneous activities.”
Kezia, NTU Hall 12 and Tanjong Hall

“Residential colleges (RCs) in NUS UTown don’t require residents to participate in activities to sustain your residency. There is a guaranteed spot of 2 years for all freshmen applicants. Only if you wish to continue staying in your third and/or final year, then you’ll probably need to commit to a certain number of projects.”
Leah, NUS Tembusu College

“The commitment level for residing in NUS halls is steep. If you’re not actively contributing or participating, you risk being labelled a “phantom”, and I think that’s one way they kinda ‘shame’ you into staying committed. Getting onto the Master’s List is one way of maintaining your place in the hall. The Master’s List scheme is offered to students who’ve contributed actively on campus, in or out of hall; and [it] varies from hall to hall. My hall only opens this to 2 students per year, and I was one of the lucky 2 as I played frisbee actively for both my school and an external club. It’s also important to network and establish a positive relationship with your hallmates. That will definitely benefit you when applying for longer residency.”
Elizabeth, NUS Temasek Hall

“NTU halls run by a point system, which is accumulated through participating in hall activities. As long as you pay for residency, you’re entitled to a spot in hall, but not necessarily one of your choices. If you wish to reside in the more popular halls, or continue residing in the same hall, you’ll need to hit a certain quota of points, [or] else you’ll just keep getting shifted from hall to hall every semester.”
Jamie, NTU Hall 15

Also read:

12 University Students On Admission Interviews, Uni Life And Non-Existent Group Mates In Singapore Universities

Staying safe in hall

Liqing representing her hall for an inter-hall softball match

Q: Is there a need to be worried about hall security? What are some things you do/did to stay safe in hall?

“I stayed in the oldest hall, which had, like, mad kampong vibes, so security was rather lenient. But that was until the management noticed a surge in cases of [trespassing] and stolen lingerie in the neighbouring halls. So, I can say there isn’t much of a need to fear for your safety now.”
Liqing, NTU Hall 1

“I don’t think so, because hall security guards in NTU are always on patrol. I just lock the door before I sleep. But a while ago, there was a peeping Tom in my hall that targeted guys. He followed my male friends into the toilet, mounted his selfie stick above their shower cubicle and started filming them. Thankfully, he was caught and punished by the school. But this is evidence that men can also be victims of such acts.”
Li Ying, NTU Hall 16

“Not really, because the toilets are locked and some halls even have locked gates between staircases. Just be sure to lock your door when you leave and return, and dry your panties indoors to avoid the panty thieves. Yes, they exist.”
Samantha, NTU Hall 12

Memorable hall experiences

Clarisse at her first hall dance performance

Q: What are some of the most memorable experiences in your university hall life?

“Returning to my room feeling tired AF to find thoughtful notes and snacks gifted by my roomie, and staying up to have HTHTs with her.”
Elizabeth, NUS Temasek Hall

“Joining my hall dance team and preparing for my first-ever performance—Dance Uncensored—in March 2018. Dance was new to me, so it was tough starting from scratch. But going through that process and sharing the stage with my hallmates made the journey worth it and exceptionally memorable. University is the perfect time to try new things—things out of your comfort zone.”
Clarisse, NUS King Edward VII Hall

“I was recommended by my senior to join a hall that has won the overall sports championships for the past 11 years. Being an athlete myself, I really appreciated the tremendous amount of support I got from my hall’s committee members during the inter-hall games season. My friends and I would also make the special effort to return to school over the holidays just so we could support one another during our matches.”
Jiahui, NTU Hall 3

“For a senior’s birthday, we decided to pull a prank on him by bringing all his furniture down to the field from his room on the fourth floor. There was another incident where I got a bit drunk at a hall bash and started drunk-singing ‘We Are The Champions’ by Queen in the shower when I returned to the hall. NGL that was embarrassing AF.”
Samantha, NUS Eusoff Hall

“Leading the DnD canvassing fundraiser event for my hall was definitely one of the highlights of my hall life. It wasn’t a big event but we got to sell bubble tea. Like, we made it ourselves. From scratch. As an avid fan of bubble tea, that was MAJOR.”
Jacinth, NTU Tamarind Hall

The Hall Life To Expect In Singapore Universities

It’s pretty evident that university hall life can add loads of fun to your school days but only if the environment is safe and secure. Despite the increase in measures taken to heighten the level of security in campus halls, it is still important that you stay alert and do your fair share to stay safe. 

But above all, just enjoy your time in hall, if you do choose to apply. Try new things and push your boundaries. It might just be a great way to ease you into university life and independence!

Write in to hello@zula.sg if you have an interesting story to share!

Also read:

Singapore University Hall Guide: 14 Things You Should Know About Moving In

The post 12 University Students On Hall Life In Singapore: Safety, Staying On And Hall Activities appeared first on ZULA.sg.

As a prospective university student myself, I’ve come to realise there isn’t much insider information online about what uni life in Singapore is really like. 

I decided to ask undergrads and fresh grads from Singapore to spill the tea on admissions, school life and working with others. If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re a prospective uni student yourself. Hopefully, their answers will help you make more informed decisions when it comes to your university choices.

Admissions

Any tips on acing university interviews?

Samantha (second from left) studied Communication Studies at NTU

“Be woke. Don’t just limit your research to the university and the course. Have a solid career plan too, because they may inquire about your post-university plans, such as the company you aspire to secure a long-term career at, and how you plan to progress up the corporate ladder. Obviously, when answering such questions, you’ll have to [say] how pursuing a course at their university will help you reach that goal. That will allow the panel to see how hungry you are for the spot.”
Freda, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Communication Studies graduate

“Know why you want to pursue what you want to pursue. Be sincere and ask questions to clarify. That shows you’re interested and engaged. Also, do lots of research and be familiar with not just the course, but the faculty and university too—[it’s] almost like a job interview.”
Gladys, National University of Singapore (NUS) Communications and New Media graduate

Academics & curriculum

What is the curriculum like? Is there an even balance between exams and practical work?

Leah studied Business Administration at NUS, Source

“SMU follows the American curriculum, so we don’t have separate lectures or tutorials. Instead, we have seminars that are three hours long. Class participation accounts for 15-20% of your grade. As SMU is a business school, Social Science undergraduates don’t get that much exposure to practical work, but there’s a ton of exposure to presenting yourself as a businessman or businesswoman.”
Ariella, Singapore Management University (SMU) Psychology graduate

“I was a communications major so the focus was more on practical work than written examinations. But while school projects are useful in providing a platform to apply what you’ve learnt, it is necessary to gain real-world experiences through internships and relevant part-time jobs. I learnt so much more at work than I did in school.”
Freda, NTU Communication Studies graduate

“Much of what we learn in Communications and New Media (CNM) is theory-based and you only really get practical experience during the compulsory internship programme. Otherwise, it’s really mostly just memory work.”
Elizabeth, NUS Communications and New Media graduate

“My one-year programme had only presentations and essays.”
Amirah, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) Arts Management graduate

“SIT adopts a block module teaching system, which means we study and sit for an exam after every module is taught. In other words, we sit for exams every 3 to 4 weeks. While this definitely helps us break the curriculum into palatable chunks and ensures we truly comprehend it every step of the way, it can get really intense.”
Calista, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Chemical Engineering undergraduate

How do/did you maintain a healthy mind and body while coping with intense schoolwork?

Samantha (bottom) studied Communication Studies at NTU

“Join CCA and hall activities! I was in different clubs and societies for different years because I wanted to meet various like-minded individuals.”
Li Ying, NTU Chinese Studies graduate

“I danced a lot out of school and in school productions. I spent my remaining free time either with my hall friends or working as a part-time fashion stylist at a retail boutique, [fashion is] my other passion.”
Leah, NUS Business Administration graduate

“Finding a go-to spot where I know I focus best and studying there helps me stay calm when mugging. A crowded place with noisy students makes me stressed and angsty.”
Hannah, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) Sociology undergraduate

“Keeping fit and having a healthy sleep pattern is crucial in maintaining hormonal balance, which influences your state of mind. That in turn affects your mood, productivity and performance. Basically just exercise regularly and try to sleep by 11pm. But of course, that’s easier said than done.”
Wong, SIT Game Design graduate

How’s group work like in university? Can you share your best and worst experiences working in a team?

Clara (first from left) studied Communications and New Media at NUS

“I had a great experience working with my FYP (Final Year Project) teammates. We all naturally assumed different roles based on our strengths, and managed to stay friends after despite many FYP horror stories from other groups. It worked because we never slacked off and were able to separate work from friendship.

On the other hand, I had a horrible time working in this 4-man team for a video production module. We had to produce and shoot 3 videos, and while it was already challenging with only 4 of us, one of my teammates chose not to contribute anything. Our videos ended up performing so poorly.”
Samantha, NTU Communication Studies graduate

“It’s only been a couple of months, so I don’t have much experience working in a group. But I can already tell that the difference in the working styles of poly and JC students is pretty evident.”
Hannah, SIM Sociology undergraduate

“It’s always great when you have team members sharing similar work ethics as you. However, having a university exchange student in your team is truly the scariest—it can potentially make or break your grades. Coming from a totally different country with differing values and cultures, he or she might have novel ideas to contribute. But because they’re merely being graded as pass or fail, they may only contribute the bare minimum or less. It [can be] impossible to work with them!”
Clara, NUS Communications and New Media graduate

Pursuing Studies In A University In Singapore

Everyone walks their own path in university and your experience might differ greatly than those reflected above. Matters regarding academics and curriculum may vary depending on the nature of the course and its modules, and can often vary among unis too. Write in to hello@zula.sg if you have an interesting story to share!

Cover image: Source, Source, Source

The post 12 University Students On Admission Interviews, Uni Life And Non-Existent Group Mates In Singapore Universities appeared first on ZULA.sg.