First Impressions of NUS
Foreign ladies and gentlemen, today I’m in the National University of Singapore. This is probably, and I think, the best university in Asia—even HKU is ranked number four. Today, I’m here to chill and sing “Thousand Years.” My first impression of this university is that it’s so big. When I got off the MRT, I was so confused, like, where should I go? I spoke to one of the students, and she told me I had to take a bus. There are so many buses running around this campus. I would say this is maybe 10 times bigger than my home university.
Campus Life and Facilities
All right, in the school bus, when they go to school, they can charge their phone here too. There’s an air truck. Oh, look at this. [Music] Time. [Music] Wait, wait, wait, sorry, where do I look? Okay, or don’t look at this. I mean, you can look at me. I’ll just put it next to my face.
Conversations with Students
Where are you from? I’m from Singapore. I study business administration, majoring in finance, and I have a double major in economics. So busy to study so many things. Yeah, I’m a new one. And why are you dressed so formally today? Oh, so I had a presentation. Do you think it’s very difficult to study your course? It’s very hard. Medicine is generally more difficult than business.
Admission and Expectations
You study high school here? Yeah. How difficult was it for you to get into this uni as a Singaporean local? Singaporean? No, these questions are very sensitive. It’s very subjective to people. For me, I think it was all right. Yeah, because you’re very smart. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I’m not. I’m not that smart. Oh, but this is the best university in Asia.
Exploring the Campus
There aren’t that many high schools in Singapore. After you graduate, how much do you expect you will earn? Okay, that’s the difference between expect and hope. Oh, it’s a very big difference. Okay, that you think you will earn. You found a boyfriend yet? I know. Oh, so spend more time finding or just focus on school? If someone nice comes along, I’ll think about it.
Unique Features of NUS
There’s a grocery store in University Town. Let’s have a look. Well, in here, it might have gums that are nine Singaporean dollars. Also, very important that Singapore University puts you on the safe side. [Music] All right, in our universities in Hong Kong, you can’t buy that on campus. So many different choices. I mean, the soft drinks. Wow, wow.
Cultural Insights
We’ve been in Singapore, and we learned a new word, which is “cooling.” So you’ll always say, “Oh, today the weather is very cooling.” And today, I see that they even sell cooling tea in Singapore for heatiness and loss of appetite. Yeah, hey, yeah, in Singapore, when the weather is cool, they don’t say it’s cool. They say, “Well, very cooling.”
Student Perspectives
Both of you are Singaporean? Oh, we’re both year two computer science students. Was it difficult to get into NUS? Is she? Not really. I think back then, when we first applied before our national service in 2018–2019, it was slightly more, I don’t know, slightly less competitive.
Academic Rigor and Salaries
Do you have to be like top five percent of the country to get in? Or I think as of now, yeah. And computer science is difficult? Do you guys study like a dog? Study so hard all day? Study, study pretty much all day. But the best in NUS would be more for the higher salary or medicine.
Dining and Affordability
Guys, if you’re not Singaporean, then you pay 30,000 Singaporean dollars per year to study here. But if you’re a Singaporean, you only pay 8,000 per year to study here. So heavily subsidized if you’re from here.
Final Thoughts
Guys, this is the end of our NUS tour. Come study or come eat. Ciao! I don’t know function s. [Music] Close out here. I came clean at the end because honesty is priceless. [Music]
