Student Report
Name of the University: Singapore Management University (SMU)
Exchange semester: Fall 2013
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
I received information right after I was accepted by the school. They privded me with a lot of
information, as some of the online preperations are complex. Four months before departure,
we received a Student Guide from SMU by email. This guide explained everything we needed
to know in order to complete our online application. As an exchange student at SMU you
have to choose four courses. SMU has a private Intranet database, to which you will be
granted permission after you have been accepted at the university. In this database you will
find all the courses offered, and associated course information. SMU will also create a
facebook page for all the exchange students. This page is very helpful, as the students discuss
and help each other with any problems they encounter.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
As a Norwegian citizen you do not need to have a visa in order to get entry to Singapore. But
as a student you will need a student visa. The guidelines for this is explained in details in the
email from SMU. The application for the student visa is done online on the Singaporean
Government’s webpage. You will need to fill out a form, and mail a copy of your passport
and a passport picture. Then you will have to book an appointment at the immigration office,
called the ICA. You have to show up at the ICA office with a printed version of your
application form, your passport, acceptance letter from SMU and a passport picture. You will
then be provided a visa. You need this visa in order to get your student card at SMU, which
serves as an access card to the buildings at the university.
Travel
I traveld with other BI students from Oslo and Bergen, and we went to Singapore on 4th of
August. The first mandatory day was 19th of August, but the school recommend exchange
students to arrive two week prior, to get their students pass and search for accommodation.
We booked a flight from Oslo through Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi, before arrving at Changi
airport in Singapore. I paid around 4500NOK for the flights.
Housing
The school offer Commonwealth accommodation, but I choose to search for roommates on
SMU facebook page and hire a private apartment. We got in touch with an agent who helped
us find an apartment with good location. We were 6 girls living together, sharing 3 bedrooms.
The rent was 6000SGD per month, 1000SGD each, in addition to gas, electricity and wifi.
There is a lot of agents in Singapore, but I recommend to get in touch with an agent before
leaving Norway or right after arrival. Start looking for a apartment as soon as you get there, as
almost all the exchange students a looking for the same type of apartment.
Costs
Approximately costs:
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
5000 NOK per month
700 NOK
2000 NOK per month
100 NOK per month
NOK
Culture and language
All the students and professors speak English, however the majority have a strong accent that
was hard to understand in the beginning. Fortunally, you will get used to their “Singlish” after
couple of weeks. The country is located in the middle of South East Asia, creating endless
travel opportunities. We highly recommend you to grasp this opportunity, since Singapore has
limited opportunities when it comes to cultural experiences etc.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
SMU has a great campus with different faculties: i.e. Law and Accounting, Business,
Economics and Social Sciences. The campus is situated in the centre of Singapore, and you
can walk to many of the best attractions. There is a well-equipped gym, swimming pool on
the roof and a sports hall on campus. There is a couple of hundred exchange students, the
classes averages about 30 people with a maximum of 45 students per class.
Course registration
I registrered for courses in July. The registration is a little stressful as its on a first-come-firstserved basis, consisting of two rounds. In the first round I didn’t get any of the courses I was
aiming for, but still managed to get 4 courses. In the second round I was able to switch two of
the courses I didn’t want. After arriving Singapore, the school opned their BOSS system. This
is a bidding system where each student gets 100e-$ to use on course bidding. After this
process was done, I had four courses that I wanted.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
4th August
16th August
16th Desember
16th – 5th Desember
Arrival
All information regarding the introduction week is given from SMU prior the arrival. They
offer several activities the week before the school starts, were you can experience Singapore
and make new friends. You must sign up for these events in advance, as some of them are
very popular.
Social activities
On Facebook, there are several groups you can join to see events happening in Singapore.
This was a very popular group for all the exchange students, especially events at the clubs.
This way most exchange students ended up going to the same events. SMU also had a lot of
sport teams, and other organizations like BI. The social environment among the exchange
students was very good.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
The classes are small and there is a lot more class participation than what we are used to at BI.
It is important to participate during the lectures, hence it is important to be prepared for your
lectures. You are evaluated continuously and the final exam only accounts for about 40% of
the grade (different for each course). There are also a lot of group projects and presentations,
which means that you will get used to work with people from other nations and cultures.
Exams
The exams usually count for about 30-50% of the final grade. The final grade can be divided
into assignments, group projects, presentations, mid-term exams, class attendance and final
exam.
Library and technology
It is located on four stories with a lot of space available. There are regular desks, discussion
areas and comfy couches on the different levels. The library also provides research help desk,
so if you want help to research a topic they help you out.
Description of courses
Course code & name
ACCT201 Corporate
Reporting and Financial
Analysis
TRAD201 Shipping
Business
MGMT102 Strategy
COMM101 Management
Communication
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
Approved as
3-hour written
exam
Yes
Required
Bachelor
2-hour written
exam
3-hour written
exam
None
None
Elective
None
Required
None
Elective
Bachelor
Bachelor
MGMT102 Strategy
This course was mandatory from BI and was very good. We had cases during the lectures and
did one group project where we could choose any company we wanted to analyze. The course
is very all rounded and relevant.
COMM101 Management Communication
It focuses on writing different letters: formal letter, delivering negative messages, persuading
letters and also an oral pitch. The course does not have a final exam, but if you skip classes
more than three times you will automatically get an F. Easy course.
TRAD201 Shipping Business
A course where you learn the basics of the shipping industry from three professors who still
work in the industry. Very popular and interesting course. I recommend it.
ACCT201 Corporate Reporting and Financial Analysis
Challenging but a good course. Contains a group project were you get to apply what you have
learn in the course and your prior knownledge from BI.