One of the three city counties in the world - the other two are Monaco and the Vatican City - Singapore is a developed country that keeps growing, in economic terms, like a developing country. This Asian hub of finance and one of the top three financial centres in the world after New York and London, Singapore is a multicultural and multiethnic society.
The Land of the Lions
The name of the country originally was Simhapur, a Sanskrit name, which means the land of the Lions. Singapore is an ultramodern and an ultraclean country and has some of the strictest laws in the world. Chewing gum is prohibited by law. Not flushing the public toilet after use is an offense, all kinds of drugs are prohibited, homosexuality is a criminal offense, littering is an offense and so is jay walking. All of these invite penalties or prison terms. That said, the country is one of the happiest societies in the world.
About 35 percent of the population comprises of university graduates and the per capita income on a PPP basis is over 90,000 USD.
Apart from the tourist attractions which are also a favourite with the locals, such as the beaches, the marina, Gardens by the Bay, the Sentosa Cable Car, river cruises, the aquarium and Little India, Singapore has a rich nightlife which in addition to the usual that one expects also has activities such as kite flying under the stars, cycling, strolling around the marina and much more. The Orchard Road which is the main shopping district is often compared with Champs Elysees.
The public transport is one of the best in the world and most of the Singaporeans and tourists use buses or the MRT (mass rapid transit). In fact , there is a heavy tax if you choose to buy a car. The government discourages it. For example a Toyota which would otherwise cost around 20,000 USD in most countries would end up costing you approximately 100,000 USD in Singapore when all the taxes and duties are added up.
Cost of Living
Running into international students is quite commonplace and they come from all parts of the world. The annual tuition fees is between 11,000 to 36,000 USD equivalent depending upon the university and the course you choose. A single person cost of living inclusive of shared accommodation would come to about 1,600 USD equivalent per month.
For those who wish to earn and learn the government allows you to work 16 hours a week and during vacations you can work unlimited hours. Students who opt to work often earn between 1,500 to 2,500 USD equivalent per month.
The Universities in Singapore
As usual, we would request you to check out the websites of the universities to identify the courses most suited to you :
National University of Singapore
Official website
Nanyang Technological University
Official website
Singapore Management University
Official website
Singapore University of Technology and Design
Official website
Singapore Institute of Technology
Official website
Singapore University of Social Sciences
Official website
Photos: Shutterstock
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