Tag: university

Started University? Here’s Our Guide To Surviving Your Freshman Year

Looking forward to starting on your university life or worrying about adapting to a new environment? Well don’t fret, your freshmen year will be one of the best year you’ll ever have! With orientations to attend to assignments and projects piling up real soon, your university life may be hectic but exciting.

To make your first year a truly memorable experience, here’s a guide to surviving your first year in university!

1. Get To Know Your Campus

Before starting school, get down to your university and take the time to explore the different faculties. Check out good food around the campus and mark down your favourite study spots! As a university student, you will definitely spend most of your time in school.

There are many student clubs, camps, or even sports to join. Take some time to wind down in the midst of studying, de-stress and discover new skills you never knew you had!

4. Stay Healthy

Rushing for assignment deadlines, working long hours on group projects or even studying for your test might lead you to staying up in the wee hours of the morning. Try to keep yourself healthy by planning your schedule for the week and include a fitness regime. A short daily 30 minutes of exercise 4 days per week is the key to staying healthy.

If you require help on counselling, financial advice or academic assistance, your campus should have a student support office where you can seek help from. Remember, always ask when in doubt.

6. Balance Your Studies, Social Life And Work Commitments

It’s likely you’re juggling studies along with other commitments when you’re in university. With part time work commitments, gatherings and parties to attend, university life may seem difficult to maintain a balance between social, work and family.

Try to keep a schedule and set your priorities right! Balance your time between school, family, and social life by planning a schedule beforehand. If you’re only meeting your partner once every week, rekindling might happen but just remember to have a durex condom with you.

Be ready to conquer your studies and always remember to enjoy your university years! It may seem long but it will pass in a blink of eye. Have fun in university!

Also, read There’s A Super Exclusive RSVP Only Party Coming Up And The Dress Code Is White

Must Read – 6 Things You Wish You Knew Before Entering University

Coming from someone who’s been there and done that, these 6 tips will spare you those ‘how I wish I knew’ moments when you start your University Life! We’ve spared you the culture shock. You’re very welcome.

1. The rat race doesn’t stop. Be prepared to study.

Graduating from your Polytechnic or Junior College isn’t a get-out-of-jail-card from the books. Be prepared to spend your free time pouring over readings, test banks and notes especially during the oh-so-dreaded Hell Week.

Yes, it’s an official term around campus and yes, it’s very, very appropriate. It hit me the hardest during Week 10 of the semester when I was juggling 3 midterms, 1 project, and 2 presentations. During that time, I spent no less than 10 hours a day at school. Yup, you’ve been warned.

2. You’ll meet ALL kinds of people.

Part-time Bloggers/ Models. Foreign exchange students from Italy or Tasmania. National athletes. Anyone can be sitting next to you in your first seminar. I realised that so many paths lead to University. It’s pretty cool when you meet someone whose life is just so different from yours.

Be sure to swap life stories and don’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with people from such diverse backgrounds.

3. You’ll be broke. Like, 99% of the time.

Ugh. What’s new? It makes sense when you think about it. Gone are the days when your dear old Fish ball noodles cost $2.50. Because well, subsidised school canteens don’t exist anymore. You’ll find that you eat out more and more often. Giving in to the temptation of savouring a $10+ meal a few times a week becomes a norm.

My advice: eat the main meals at home and spend your pocket money on treats like Starbucks. It’s much more satisfying that way. You also won’t burn (as large) a hole in your savings account. Alternatively, you can look for a part-time job on job portals like Image Credit: Tumblr[/caption]

4. Go. For. Camps.

Yes, I get it. Doing overenthusiastic cheers like 17 times a day isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea but camps are seriously important for University. You make a handful of friends and meet really nice seniors who will tell you which professors to avoid. You’ll also get advice on the best study and hangout spots around campus.

Trust me when I say it’s always nice to see familiar faces around lecture halls, tutorials or seminars.

5. Universities are huge. Try not to get lost.

Attend the open houses and familiarise yourself with your campus. Ask for directions from seniors or if you’re desperate, friendly aunties or security guards. Better yet, download an online map at least for your first week. Universities are simply gigantic compared to the campuses you’ve been used to.

It’s no fun getting lost when you’ve got a class in 10 minutes at the other end of school.

6. You’re going to have a great time

This I say for sure, is true. University is when you’re basically handed free reign to live your own life. There are a million student groups to join and your schedule is in your hands. You meet lots of new people and gain lots of new experiences.

I won’t be that cliché writer who tells you that ‘University is going to be the best time of your life’. But I sure as hell will tell you that it’s pretty fun. The highs and the lows in University are part and parcel of life itself, and you’ll realise how time flies by so savor each moment while you still can.

All the best, Freshie!

From your well wishing senior.

If you’ll be in NTU, 12 Peculiar Things Only NTU Students Will Nod Silently In Agreement

Also, read The Comprehensive 2016 Guide To Student Discounts In Singapore!

(Header image credit: kinfolk.com)

NUS Clinches 1st Place In Asian University Ranking For Third Year Straight; NTU Rises To 3rd

Three local universities, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) had a stellar performance in an annual ranking of Asian universities, released by education and career consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) this morning, NUS re-clinched the top honours at 1^st place for the third year running, while NTU moved up one place to 3^rd, and SMU entered the rankings at 60^th place.

The rankings included Asia’s 350 best universities and this is 50 more than the previous annual ranking.

The QS ranking uses 10 key performance indicators in its judging – academic reputation (30%), employer reputation (20%), faculty-student ratio (15%), citations per paper (10%), papers per faculty (10%), proportion of international faculty (2.5%) and students (2.5%), and proportion of in (2.5%) and outbound (2.5%) exchange students. This year, the number of staff with a PhD (5%), was also included as another metric of judgement.

NUS, NTU Achieved Perfect Scores

QS gave NUS and NTU perfect scores for four metrics each – academic reputation; employer reputation; citations per paper, and international faculty for the former, and employer reputation; citations per paper; international faculty; and the proportion of outbound exchange students for the latter.

NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan cited strong government support as the key to local universities’ success, and states that NUS’ priorities are preparing “future-ready graduates”.

NTU president Bertil Andersson prides the university’s good performance in being the No. 1 in Asia for citations per papers, which measures the impact NTU-based research has on the world of academia.

SMU’s 60th Placing A “Great Achievement”

As a relatively young university (16 years old, compared to 25 year old NTU and 36 year old NUS) with much fewer degrees on offer (7 vs. over 50 for the other two), QS has called its 60th placing a “great achievement.

SMU provost Lily Kong has also stated said the university “is highly committed to delivering high-quality teaching and research, for which ranking is only one possible – if imperfect – indicator”.

Singapore, An Attractive Education Hub

With such good performance, it is not wonder that there is an influx in foreign students coming to local universities.

Local parents also find the importance of university education, with a