10 Helpful Hints

01 Join exchange group chats on Telegram, Whatsapp, Facebook, etc. It is a great way to meet other exchange students, learn about events, and get questions answered while abroad!

02 Apply for the NUS Exchange Buddy Program and exchange activities through the Global Relations OfficeYour local buddy can help answer your questions about NUS, life in Singapore, and more!

03 Get a NETS FlashPay Card instead of a regular MRT card. You can use your NETS card to do laundry or buy things at convenience stores

04 Try all of the local Singaporean cuisines like chicken rice, mala hot pot, katong laksa, kaya toast, and fresh fruit juices. Happy eating!

05 Carry an umbrella. It storms almost every day. If it doesn't rain, you can use it to block the sun.

06 Join Singapore Telegram chats like Gov.sg, SG Food Deals, SG Weekend Plans, etc. to get updates, coupons, and special deals

07 Learn Singlish phrases! Can lah?

08 Chope! Locals will leave a tissue packet, wipes, or something smalle to reserve a table.

09 Fill out your forms ASAP and DO NOT WAIT to complete things!

10 Travel as much as you can to other nearby countries

Pre-Departure

Applications, modules, visas, and more! How to prepare for your study abroad at the National University of Singapore. Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you stress less! :)

*Disclaimer: This is based on my own personal experience and is not a comprehensive or official guide. This advice is to give prospective exchange students an outline of how I prepared and what I experienced. Please note that some components may no longer be applicable at the time that you study abroad. It is best to do your own research and consult with your MIX advisor, Partner University, academic advisor, etc.*

MIX Application - August 2021

MIX applicants must apply ~1 year in advanced. Check out the MIX website for updated fall and spring deadlines. Applications open ~4 months before the submission deadline. There are multiple short response questions on the Google form. Depending on how long you take to craft your response. I suggest writing your responses on a separate Google doc first before transferring them to the Google form. **You will need a letter of recommendation to be submitted by the application timeline**

Application results (a.k.a MIX Nominations) will come out sometime in early spring for fall applicants.

MIX Application: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/mix/outbound/apply/

Questions about the application process?

You can schedule an appointment with a MIX advisor: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/mix/staff-category/mix-staff/

TLDR: Apply August 1 - December 1, one year before desired study abroad term

Scholarships - Spring 2022

Shidler Travel Award

Any student planning to go abroad may apply to one of the two Shidler travel awards. The Freeman (Asia) and Johnson (Europe) travel awards financially aid students on their study abroad. Please note that this is a taxable travel award and not a scholarship.

There are multiple application deadlines (priority, final, and late) in the spring so be sure to check the website for exact dates.

Travel Award: https://shidler.hawaii.edu/travel-scholarships

Freeman Scholars: https://shidler.hawaii.edu/freeman-scholars

Johnson Scholars: https://shidler.hawaii.edu/johnson-scholars

STAR Scholarships

There are Shidler, travel, and other scholarships you can apply for on STAR with varying application deadlines. The travel award mentioned above cannot be applied for on STAR, only via submission to OSAS at business@hawaii.edu

UHM Scholarships

See UHM website for more information: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/fas/types-of-aid/

NUS Application - Late March 2022

After receiving your nomination to NUS via MIX, you will receive an email from MIX detailing the application process for NUS.

*Please note that the process, links, and other information may have changed since I completed it so the information below may be different when you apply. Be sure to double-check the official emails and website for updated and accurate information.

Application Particulars

Selection of Module(s) / Research Info
- Procedures
  - Research which modules you would like to register for. Be sure to check the course times and pre-requisites.
  - You may select up to 8 modules for your initial application.
  - All modules must be ranked in order of importance.
- Before selecting modules review the Shidler Course Equivalency Guide, NUS Module Catalog, LumiNUS, and NUSMods
- The Shidler Course Equivalency lists classes that have already been approved by OSAS. The courses listed here do not require a petition. If you are registering for a course that is not listed on the equivalency you will need to fill out an Undergraduate Program Petition for Current Business Students.
  - Petition Procedure: The petition and a copy of the NUS course syllabus (syllabi can be found on LumiNUS or on NUS Business School website) will need to be emailed to OSAS (business@hawaii.edu). Once submitted, respective department chairs will review your petition and determine whether the NUS course is approved, not approved, or approved for another Shidler course equivalency.
  - For example, I submitted a petition for SN3281, The Story of Indian Business, to receive course equivalency for BUS 367M. My course petition was denied for BUS 367M but approved for BUS 367----
  - Courses listed as non-transferable on do not count as an applicable business courses for the Freeman Scholarship. Credit for non-transferable courses will be given as designated by UHM Admissions.
- The NUS Module Catalog lists all courses available for the semester and course information such as section, day, and time. Anything about 5000 is considered graduate-level courses
  - Please note it is extremely difficult to get (business) classes at NUS. I applied for 8 modules and received only one course (GEC1028, Luck). Since I did not meet the requirement of minimum courses, it pushed back my acceptance and offer of admission at NUS. I had to apply for four more courses within 4 days of my notification email or risk my NUS application being rejected. After the second module submission for my application, I received two non-business courses and got rejected from the two business courses I applied for.
  - I would recommend applying for a few non-businesses classes since it is extremely competitive to successfully obtain business courses.
- NUSMods can be used to visually build your schedule and organize classes. NUSMods lists a short description of the course and any pre-requisites needed. You may also look at the different sections/times offered for a particular course. NUSMods also features comments about the course and the estimated hours of work per week for the class.
- Please note that most NUS modules are 4 credits (12 credits (about 3 NUS modules)gg is considered full-time and the minimum number of courses required. NUS modules may transfer to UHM as 3 or 4 credits and will not be determined until after the end of the semester by UHM Admissions. The credit amount is determined by the number of classroom contact hours (i.e. lectures, tutorials, labs, etc., this does not include the time spent outside of class doing homework, meeting with the professor during office hours, etc.). Most 3-credit UHM courses have about 45 classroom contact hours.
Personal Particulars
- Fill out citizenship status and personal contact information (i.e. home address, number, email, etc.)
Academic Qualifications
- Complete education information (i.e. school name, degree, major, graduation date, etc.)
Upload Supporting Documents
- Mandatory
  - Official Transcript with Grade Legend: Request an OFFICIAL digital copy of your UHM transcript from the Office of the Registrar. The digital transcript will be emailed to your hawaii.edu account for download. There is a time limit for download availability, so I recommend downloading it as soon as you receive the email. You can immediately receive your official digital transcript and have 30 days to retrieve it from the email link.
  - Current Courses (from STAR):
    - Go to STAR GPS
    - Click the printer button on the lower right-hand corner of the current semester to save a PDF copy of your current course schedule
  - NRIC / FIN / Passport
- Optional *only course syllabi was needed for my application. Optional documents may vary depending on the courses you register for
  - Upload detailed course syllabus: Complete Course Syllabus for NUS Modules With Pre-requisites form and append the appropriate UH/Shidler course syllabi (this should all be in one PDF). There is no guide for which UH/Shidler course you should submit for the pre-requisites. I determined pre-requisite equivalencies by comparing the NUS course to previous classes I had taken or the Shidler course equivalency list.
  - Declaration Form for Level 1000 Language Modules
  - Letter for Design Modules
  - TOEFL/IELTS Test Scores
  - Other Supporting Documents
Other Details & Declarations
- State any 1) medical, e.g. epilepsy, allergies, tuberculosis, 2) mental health, e.g. anxiety, eating disorder, depression, 3) disability or learning needs, e.g. autism, dyslexia, visual impairment, which may or may not cause you to require support or facilities while studying at the University. Students with color-blindness are advised to indicate their condition here as they may face challenges in certain programs in Engineering, Science, and Design & Environment.
- State any medications, drug or food allergy
- Indicate if you would like on-campus housing (NOT GUARANTEED)
- Declaration of past offenses, current criminal or disciplinary proceedings, etc.
Confirmation
- Agree to terms and conditions
Save a PDF copy of your completed application and send to MIX

TLDR:

Research classes
Select and rank courses
Complete personal and academic particulars
Upload supporting documents:
- Required
  - OFFICIAL UHM Transcript with Grade Legend (request digital copy)
  - NRIC / FIN / Passport
  - Current Courses (from STAR)
- Optional
  - Course Syllabus for NUS Modules With Pre-requisites form with UH Course Syllabi
  - Declaration Form for Level 1000 Language Modules
  - Letter for Design Modules
  - TOEFL/IELTS Test Scores
  - Other Supporting Documents
- PDF Compressor (most of the documents you compile will exceed the file size amount and need to be compressed to comply with application requirements)
Complete declarations: health, support (i.e. Kokua), housing, criminal background, and agreement policies.
Save PDF copy of your completed application and send to MIX

MIX Health Particulars - Spring 2022

Health Clearance Form

Students studying abroad on MIX programs are required to see a physician before departure to obtain a health clearance. Information from the health clearance is confidential and is not used during the application process. Failure to submit a Health Clearance Form prior to program departure will result in the student being withdrawn from their program.

Health Clearance Form: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/mix/health-clearance/

UHM Health Insurance

Apply for your study abroad insurance though UH. MIX will give instructions and deadlines on this. The study abroad coverage plan costs about $1 per day and more information about the insurance can be found on the MIX Website

MIX Insurance: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/mix/health-insurance/

NUS Registration Part 1 - June 2022

After successfully completing your NUS application, your will receive an offer of admission email in June. You will need to either accept or decline your offer of admission by the designated deadline and complete registration part 1. Be sure to read the Registration Guide sent by NUS and follow the listed instructions.

Registration Part 1 Particulars: Accessible 4 DAYS after offer acceptance

Login to Registration Part 1 with your application number and password from the NUS Application Portal
Check the personal information you submitted on your application and make any amendments.
Complete National Identification Number
- Singapore Residency Status: International
- Singapore ID Type: Pending FIN
- Identification Number: N/A
Complete Addresses
- Home
- Mailing
- Payment
Complete Phone Numbers (I submitted my mobile (overseas) and home phone number)
Complete Emergency Contacts
Consent to the Acceptance Record and Authorization Requirements
Indicate if any health and support is needed
- State any 1) medical, e.g. epilepsy, allergies, tuberculosis, 2) mental health, e.g. anxiety, eating disorder, depression, 3) disability or learning needs, e.g. autism, dyslexia, visual impairment, which may or may not cause you to require support or facilities while studying at the University. Students with color-blindness are advised to indicate their condition here as they may face challenges in certain programs in Engineering, Science and Design & Environment.
- Indicate special needs arrangements
- State any medications, drug or food allergy
Complete declaration of Past Offenses
Confirm registration part 1
Save PDF copy of your completed application
Competition Confirmation for Registration Part 1
- After successfully confirming your information for registration part 1, you will receive access to view your student ID, PIN, NUSNET ID, and NUSNET Password.
- Your NUS account will be activated 1 to 2 days after completion of registration part 1. Keep this information on a separate doc because you will need it to access NUS resources.
- Before you can access NUS Email, NUS Education Records System, module registration systems, LumiNUS and other NUS online services, you are required to first change your default NUSNET Password at https://exchange.nus.edu.sg by clicking on “Change NUSNET Password”.

Access NUS Portals - 1 to 2 Days AFTER completion of Registration part 1

Start accessing your NUS accounts ASAP. The university will begin sending emails to your NUS Outlook account.

Change NUSNET Password via Password Portal (exchange.nus.edu.sg/passwordportal)
After changing your password, login to your NUS Accounts
Microsoft Outlook Email
- Username: NUSNETID@u.nus.edu
- Password: New changed NUSNET password
- You can also change your email address to a “nickname” (i.e. first.last@u.nus.edu instead of e0XXXXXX@u.nus.edu)
MyEduRec
- Similar to MyUH, the MyEduRec portal allows you to view your courses, grades, payment dues, and more.
- Username: nusstu\NUSNET ID
- Password: New changed NUSNET password
LumiNUS
- LumiNUS is like a combination of the UHM Course Catalog and Laulima.
- Course syllabi can be found on LumiNUS. This will also serve as the portal for class pages (they are currently migrating to Canvas this year though).

Housing - June 2022

Since I was rejected from all the courses I requested in my application, my acceptance to NUS was a little delayed. Unfortunately, this delay also pushed my housing application. I received my acceptance to NUS just hours after the first round of housing closed. I had to wait two weeks until the second round of housing.

I would recommend browsing the hostel options and reading or watching videos about the different on-campus accommodations. Hostels are located all throughout campus and offer varying room sizes, amenities, meal plans, etc. You can list your top 3 choices. I selected UTown AC, Pioneer House AC, and UTown Non-AC.

Things to Note:

You can only apply to housing after you accepted your admission to NUS
It is not publicly stated anywhere on the application, but NUS Hostel Admissions confirmed that you CAN apply for housing without your student FIN number.**

Unfortunately, housing was extremely competitive this year, and my friend and I did not get offered housing after round 2. Normally, housing is not an issue, but a bunch of international students did not receive housing too. We appealed our housing offers during July and wrote why we should be offered on-campus housing. I also asked my academic advisor to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf for housing. Nine days before my arrival in Singapore, I found out that I officially failed to receive housing for the fall semester. 3 out of 4 UH students studying abroad at NUS got rejected from both rounds of housing. However, we could be offered housing from July to the end of September if any vacancies opened up.

After being rejected a second time, we contacted Kathy who put us in touch with Hafidz Siddique, the Assistant Manager of the NUS Global Relations Office. Hafidz works in the NUS equivalent of MIX and was extremely helpful. Hafidz contacted his colleagues at Hostel Admissions to help prioritize our application. Luckily, three days before arriving in Singapore, I received an email from Hostel Admissions that a spot at LightHouse in PGPR had opened up for me. My friend was not as lucky and did not receive housing until the first day of school. She had already put a down payment on MDIS, another school in Singapore that offered housing for students.

Although my friend and I received housing after many stressful weeks of unsuccessful attempts, we began our housing search immediately after we got rejected from housing the first time. However, finding housing in Singapore is extremely housing. My friend and I applied to almost 50 different hostel accommodations through various websites, Facebook groups, friends of friends, etc. We got rejected from almost all listings because short-term rentals (anything less than 6 months) are unfavorable. The housing process is very different in Singapore than in the U.S. A lot of real estate agents want to know your ethnicity, nationality, permit type, etc. (see below for basic information requirements). Many decently priced listings on PropertyGuru are common rooms. This means that it is a single room within a house or apartment with shared common areas such as the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room. Many Facebook groups have apartment/room listings for students and expats, but be careful with the Facebook listings, some of them are scams.

Housing Tips

Apply for housing outside of campus just in case and start early (almost everything closeby will be gone by August)
Hostel = Housing (i.e. Dorms)
Information Requested by Agents
- Occupation: International Student at NUS
- Gender
- Type of permit: Short Term Rent (4 months)
- Number of pax (pax = occupants/people)
- Relationship Between Tenant (if you are renting with friends)
- Move in date
- Ethnicity
- Nationality
Nearby Areas to NUS
- Clementi
- Buona Vista
- Queenstown
Housing Development Board (HDB)
- HBD is subsidized government housing and is typically cheaper than
Accommodations
- https://nus.edu.sg/osa/student-services/hostel-admission/other-accommodation
- Serviced Apartments
- Facebook Groups
  - Flat & Flatmates in Singapore
  - Singapore Rental Rooms for Professionals and Students
  - Rent Room, HDB Flat, Apartment, Condominium, Landed House in Singapore Sg
  - Singapore Room Rent Expat
  - Room Rental Singapore
  - Singapore Housing, Apartments, Sublets, Roomates
  - Singapore Whole Unit HBD CONDO RENT
  - Renting Rooms and Flats in Singapore

NUS Health Particulars - Summer 2022

Due to COVID-19, the ICA requires students to have their vaccination records ingested in Singapore’s National Immunization Registry (NIR) prior to the Completion of Student’s Pass Formalities. If there is insufficient time to ingest your vaccination records in the NIR, you will need to make an e-appointment to complete the Student’s Pass enrolment formalities at ICA.

Ingestion of vaccination records will take about 1 week and can be performed at the following:

All vaccines require a serology (blood) test if you do not have a SMART card. Many clinics require vaccine cards to be uploaded to the NIR in person. However, there are a few online health centers that will ingest it virtually if no serology test is required. I used 57 Medical to get my vax card ingested. It costed about $100 to complete because I had to pay using an overseas bank transfer.

University Health Centre – Please make an appointment at https://www.gevme.com/verification-of-covid19vaccination-2022

Private clinics listed under the PHPC clinics

Check if you are exempt from the serology test: https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/files/acceptedvaccinationcertificate.pdf

After you get your vax card ingested into the NIR, save a copy of the confirmation. You will not be able to upload your vaccine status to uNivUS, myHealthHub, TraceTogether any other Singaporean app until you create your Singpass. You cannot obtain your Singpass until you receive your student pass.

Visa - Summer 2022

The visa application is quite a long process and will not be fully completed until you arrive in Singapore. After you accept your offer of admission to NUS, NUS will submit an register your student pass (STP) application on your behalf with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). You can begin the initial process of filing for your student pass (a.k.a Visa) after you receive the STP registration application email from NUS. Fill out your eForm16 as soon as possible, because it will take you about 2-3 months minimum to receive your STP.

*If your race (i.e. Japanese, Hawaiian, Filipino, etc.) does not fit into any of the suggested ICA races, list your nationality (i.e. American) as your race and nationality.*

After submitting your eForm16, your IPA letter will be sent about two weeks later. You will need to complete the second round of particulars for your STP and pay the remaining fees for step 2. SAVE YOUR PAYMENT RECEIPTS!! You will need them for step 3.

To complete step 3, you will need to make an in-person appointment with NUS or ICA to complete the rest of your STP formalities. Off-site enrollment (OSE) is extremely competitive and slots fill up quite fast. This year, many international students were unsuccessful in receive OSE appointments and had to wait until October to complete their formalities. Depending on the type of entry visa you receive you may have either 30 or 90 days to complete step 3. If you cannot receive an appointment within the validity of your IPA letter terms and conditions, you will need to apply for an extension.

Step 3 Tips

OSE will be conducted the week before school starts at NUS. If you cannot book an OSE appointment, you will need to make one directly through the ICA e-appointment website. E-appointments will be held at ICA.
If you do OSE at NUS, you will also need to book an appointment to pick up your student pass
Do not wear makeup or colored contact lenses. They will scan your irises during your appointment.
Your vax card MUST be ingested into the NIR BEFORE your OSE or e-appointment otherwise you will be denied and asked to come back later
Things to Bring (recommend printing 2-3 copies of these documents in Hawaii and packing them in your carrying on)
- Confirmation of vax card in NIR
- Hardcopy COLOR passport photo Singapore Size 35mm x 45mm
  - Print and cut at least two copies before you leave Hawaii
  - Some places do not have Singapore as a passport size, however, you can use another country like Canada since their passport photo is the same size.
  - Any size besides 35mm x 45mm WILL NOT be accepted and you will be denied during your appointment
  - DO NOT bend, staple, or alter your hard copy photo in any way
- Original passport
- Hardcopy IPA letter
- Hardcopy of IPA Payment Receipts
  - $30 Processing Fee
  - $60 Issuance Fee
  - $30 Multiple Visa Entry (only for dual citizenship)
- Hardcopy E-Pass
The e-Pass is sent to the email address indicated in the SG Arrival Card
Find the email with header ‘Notification of Electronic Visit Pass’ and show it to the officer at the counter
Print your e-pass before you leave Hawaii. You can also try to print it at your hotel’s business center or on campus.

After completing all these steps, you can finally pick up your STP two weeks later. If you do not get these STP formalities completed as soon as you can, your STP pick up will be delayed and you may need to apply for an extension. You will not be able to create a Singpass account until AFTER you pick up your STP. Your STP is required for many Singaporean applications because they require you to log in using your Singpass account. You will also be kicked out of on campus housing if you do not complete your STP formalities by a certain date. If you cannot complete it by the set deadline, you will need to work out an alternative with housing.

NUS Registration Part 2 - July & August 2022

Registration part 2 is just picking up your student ID card. This can only be completed in-person.

All students are required to collect and activate their NUS Student Card to be formally registered at the university.

Collection can be done in two ways and will require sign in with your NUS email when booking an appointment. If you do not receive this prompt, access the booking link via a private browsing session (Shortcut: Chrome- Ctrl + Shift + N. Safari- ⌘ + Shift + P) and then enter your NUS email when prompted.

Students collecting cards at MPSH 2 will receive confirmation email containing a personalized QR code 3 days after the booking period closes.

Congratulations! You made it through pre-departure!!

Photo created by Alex K, an international student on our Whatsapp groupchat

Hopefully, your pre-departure journey is not as chaotic as mine and you feel less stressed out after reading what I did for my pre-departure. My final tips and advice for pre-departure is to...

Complete everything as soon as you can
Join the Whatsapp/Telegram group chats and Facebook groups for exchangers. They are extremely helpful!!
Email, call, Whatsapp, etc. when you have questions. If you have an urgent question message as soon as possible, because it will probably take a week or so to receive an answer.
Save PDF copies of everything and bring hardcopies of important documents
Check your email daily and follow up if you do not hear back from people about your application
Apply for outside housing even if you think you are going to receive on campus accommodation
Keep your important personal information handy
- Passport #: 123456789
- Application #: N000012345
- Matriculation # (Student Number): A0123456X
- NUSNET ID (Student ID): E0123456
- FIN #: M0012345N

See my blog posts for apps to download, bank accounts, and arrival tips.

Good luck!