What's Life As A Poly International Student In Singapore?: What It's Like
Malaysian Student At Singapore Polytechnic
If you don't know by now, I'm actually Malaysian and I came to Singapore in 2015 to pursue my diploma studies. Looking back, it's been an amazing journey and I'm really thankful to be here. I remember the first year I came, and everything was just so exciting and confusing for me. I honestly didn't expect to be here for so long or even get into NUS after graduating from poly, but well - here I am!
Some of you may be international students who want to come to Singapore for poly or undergrad studies but have no idea how to go about doing it. I totally understand the confusion cos I've been there and done that, and there aren't many resources online to help. I hope that I'll be able to answer some of your questions today.
Here are some common questions that international students have when they want to pursue tertiary education in Singapore. It's more applicable for those of you who are only planning to come to Singapore after completing your secondary education. I'll try my best to answer them as clearly as I can, and include links as well for more complex topics.
For more information, feel free to purchase my e-book, which has more details and information about how to study in Singapore! The book will have a lot more in-depth information that you may be looking for.
I apologise for the frequent use of abbreviations because Singaporeans use them a lot and I'm used to it now. You'll adapt too!
1. How can I apply to poly?
I actually got rejected the first time I tried applying for polytechnics in Singapore. I graduated from a Malaysian secondary school with in 2013 and applied to Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and Temasek Polytechnic (TP). I wanted to pursue a diploma in Mass Communication, so NP was a top choice. TP was a close second because I planned to live with my aunt in Tampines. I didn't get accepted so I ended up taking a foundation course at Curtin University Sarawak to pass the time, and the following year I applied again to all polytechnics, and I got accepted in Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and Nanyang Polytechnic (NP)
Since I went to SP, the links I'll use will be from SP's website.
The poly admission process
Poly applications usually open in November, but Malaysian students can only apply the week that SPM results come out. I applied online through the respective poly's websites.
The enrolment process was SO CONFUSING. International students are required to apply to poly through the Direct Admissions Exercise (DAE). If you're Malaysian, your Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) qualifications fall under here.
You'll have to refer to the specific course that you're interested in to know the entry requirements. So I wanted to pursue a Diploma in Media & Communications (DMC) at the School of Communications, Arts and Social Sciences (CASS). Note that the school is now known as Media and Design, or MAD instead.
Back then (and still now I think), the cut-off point to enter DMC in SP was 14. A cut-off point basically determines if you can get into the course based on your SPM/ STPM results. Each course has their own cut-off.
Here's an overview of the Polytechnic cut-off points in 2019. The points differ a little every year, but it's a good benchmark.
Basically, each grade you get for a subject in SPM/ STPM has a number attached to it. Your total score or aggregate score cannot exceed the cut-off point.
A+ = 1
A + 1.5
A- = 2
B+ = 3
B = 4
C+ = 5
C = 6
D = 7
E = 8
F = 9
To apply, you'll need at have least the following subjects. This means the subjects that MUST be included in the calculation for your aggregate score are English, 2 relevant subjects (including Elementary or Additional Math), and 2 of your best other subjects.
You also have to at least have sat for one of the following subjects. Do take note of the English language requirements too. For SPM holders, you'll probably have sat for Sejarah and Geography.
I had 2 A+, 1 A, and 6 A-. Here's how I calculated my score:
1. English (A+) = 1
2. First relevant subject, Additional Maths (A-) = 2
3. Second relevant subject, Physics (A-) = 2
4. First best subject, History (A+) = 1
5. Second best subject, Elementary Mathematics (A) = 1.5
Total aggregate score: 7.5
With this, I can conclude that I am eligible to apply for DMC. You can also include CCA records for bonus points, but I'm not sure how to compute it. I just submitted my CCA transcript, and the admissions office would probably take away 1 or 2 points from my total score.
For the complete website information of the above, click here.
The poly enrolment process
I waited for about 2-3 weeks for my application outcome. They'll usually tell you when you can expect the results to be out, but you can also check your email frequently to see if the results come out earlier.
Once you're accepted, everything is basically a RUSH from here. Here are main compulsory things you need to do, and you can read up on the details here.
1. Open your student portal account and set up student email address
2. Pay course fees and submit eGIRO form (this is how you'll pay your fees)
3. Go for your medical examination
4. Apply for your Student Pass
5. Apply for the Tuition Grant (you'll need a bank account in Singapore; I use DBS and OCBC)
The following are optional, and I suggest you apply for them.
1. Financial assistance
2. Notebook PC schemes
3. Apply for Student Concession card (so you get cheaper MRT/ bus rides to school)
Note: Financial assistance is available, but it's quite difficult for international students to get it. You can actually apply for it every term or semester depending on the poly you go to. I actually got the SP Needy Fund and received $1,500. It's not much, but still betting than nothing. Usually there are more financial assistance available for international students when you go to uni.
2. What's poly environment like?
Now that we've got the admin stuff out of the way, let's talk about poly culture!
Obviously, different polys have different cultures. There are 5 polytechnics in Singapore - Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), Singapore Polytechnic (SP), Temasek Polytechnic (TP), Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), and Republic Polytechnic (RP). The different poly's have their different strengths, like SP is known for Engineering, RP for Sports, NYP for Nursing, TP for Business, and NP for Mass Comm. NYP is also one of the most "Malaysian friendly" poly, and they tend to accept more Malaysians.
Similarly within SP, different schools have different cultures too. I really loved SP and CASS' overall culture, including the teaching culture, student culture, etc. Everyone is SP is pretty friendly, and I know there's this stereotype that DMC people are really highkey and rara or whatever - which is quite true - but they're highkey in a good way. But I don't think that DMC or CASS people in general are the most "crazy" because wait until you see those from Engineering - NOW THAT'S CRAZY. And they're really fun too.
In poly there are a lot of camps and co-curricular activities (CCAs), and that's where you make friends. Camps tend to be very insane, and I remember having the culture shock of my life when I attended my first poly camp. Malaysian students won't get the chance to join Orientation Camps because the camps start way before the international student admissions even start, BUT you'll get to join your course's compulsory Orientation Week which is still fun but just less crazy.
When I entered my 2nd semester of Year 1, I became really active and started joining a ton of shit. I was a kid with a lot of FOMO, so I was in at least 5 CCAs, like the Videography Club, Sports Club, and the International Students club. I also signed up as Orientation Group Leader (OGL) for a bunch of camps which were SO FUN. I made many friends at these CCAs, and many of them are my close friends even till now.
Many people will say that poly culture has a lot of drinking and clubbing, and I'll say that it's kind of true - at least among my group of friends. I discovered the "rabz" or "rabak" part of myself in poly, and that's when I got drunk for the first time, had my first real boyfriend, puked in public, and smoked my first cigarette. I don't do any of these often now, and I don't even smoke, but you need to know when to say no if not you'll pick up many bad habits.
Are people in poly materialistic, spoilt, and don't care about their future? I get this question a lot, and there's often this idea that poly kids don't care about their grades. THAT'S NOT TRUE OKAY. Most people I know work really hard, and even if they club every week, they study like siao when exam period comes. Many poly kids want to go to uni, and even for those who don't, they usually have some sort of plan for the future like going to work. In terms of materialism...I guess?? It really depends on your course, but it's pretty normal for Singaporeans in general to talk about branded stuff because they have large spending power and they have Orchard Road.
I know I had a bit of pressure trying to keep up with trends when I was in poly, because many of my friends were well off/ had branded handbags/ were well traveled/ had the latest iPhone. Being Malaysian, we don't have that sort of spending power so I didn't even have an iPhone until Year 3, and it was a hand me down. I don't really care about brands, but I know some Malaysian students who felt the pressure to keep up and would buy a lot of expensive shit like Yeezy sneakers and $300 jackets just because.
Well, it's a materialistic world and a materialistic society.
3. What's your course in poly like?
I loved DMC. I feel that I learned more in poly than I did in uni because the modules were very hands on and we got to be exposed to real client projects. CASS didn't have many written exams back then, and it was 90% project based. We worked in groups 80% of the time so there's a lot of peer interaction and presentations.
DMC focused a lot of advertising and production, so we got to work on campaigns for real clients, pitch campaign ideas, and even try out TV and radio broadcast. For a while, I was also part of my poly's radio broadcasting station and had my own segment every week. Our lecturers were super friendly, knowledgeable, and patient people. Having been a Malaysian student where teachers can be full of BS sometimes and smack you for no apparent reason, it's nice to have teachers that actually respect you. The teachers are more open and they also have the capacity to handle the shit we throw at them. Some lecturers "baby" us a lot and give us a lot of leeway for the mistakes we do, and there are also some who buy us food like pizza and reward us with Starbucks cards when we do well.
I'm really thankful that I had good classmates because everyone was quite professional and we knew how to differentiate between work and play. Hell week can be insane because we'll literally have 5 deadlines in 1 week, and our project groups would meet for hours to to finish up the work. I think the main different between poly and JC is that poly is very project and groups orientated. You just can't avoid working in groups.
The projects we have are really insane as well. Every semester we have to take at least 5 modules, and each module will have at least 3 assessments, whether it's a report, presentation, or test. So you can imagine how heavy the workload is, especially since I worked part time and basically had no time over the weekend. It was manageable though, and I mean - look I survived!
I know many people would want to know how the English level is like. Of course for DMC you'll need to be able to speak and write English well because after all, it's a communication module. There will be a lot of writing and impromptu presentations. For other more science-related courses, you'll still need to write and present but not as frequently as courses in CASS or even in the Business school. I have some Malaysian friends who mainly speak Chinese and aren't that fluent in English; they struggle a bit in report writing, but according to them it's still very manageable since language isn't the main priority - just the content.
4. Was it difficult making friends with Singaporeans?
Not at all. It really depends on person to person though. I didn't have a lot of problems assimilating into the "local circle", and many people didn't even know I was Malaysian until I spoke Chinese and the Malaysian accent came out and they laughed at me. When they knew I was Malaysian - and from SARAWAK some more - there were the usual questions like, OMG so do you live in a village? Do you swim in the river?? Are there malls in Sarawak??? - all these weird, almost ignorant questions, but I appreciated that they were interested in my culture.
In SP, there was also an International Students Club, and you get to make friends with students of all kinds of nationalities. Most of them are Malaysian, and I got very close to some of them. Some of my local Singaporean friends use to say that Malaysian and China students tend to just stick to their own clique, and it's pretty true. I don't judge them for that because some people are just more comfortable with those from a similar culture and background, but you really miss out on a lot of experiences if you just stick to the same circle of friends.
Compared to Malaysians, Singaporeans can be very straightforward and direct and it was something I had to get used to at first. I had friends that would say things like, "Your accent is weird", or "Your top is quite ugly", but they don't mean any harm and it's usually a friendly insult. In my hometown girls would be super sensi about it and not talk to you again, but here people are just more honest and I like that. I'm so used to it by now and usually I'll just say something like fk u u insensitive bitch and all of us will just laugh.
Just make friends and absorb the culture! It took me less than a month to "Singaporeanize". I literally have friends who've known me for 5 years and still don't know I'm Malaysian. You'll slowly learn the abbreviations they use and even adapt to their accent unintentionally. The time will come my friend.
5. What was your poly GPA?
I did pretty well in poly because I worked really hard. I can't really remember my exact Grade Point Average (GPA), but it was high enough to earn me a place in NUS. Of course I put in a lot of effort, but I owe it also to my lecturers and classmates who got me through my poly journey. Everyone in my class were really creative and smart people, and most of them managed to get into a local university too. So yeah, I'm really thankful that I had these great lecturers and great classmates.
Out of the 6 semesters I went through in poly, the 3rd semester (Year 2 sem 1) was THE HARDEST. I literally died. That semester, I got my first C and I was like - bruh, I'm not gonna make it. Thankfully I managed to pull my GPA up in Year 2 sem 2, and after that my GPA was more or less there. This is because you'll just be left with a Final Year Project and also go for your internship in Year 3 - which is graded but not included into your GPA.
If you'd like to know how my internship experience was like, you can read up about it here!
POLY WAS GREAT
Poly was honestly the best years of my life and it really shaped my confidence in what I do. Many of my friends who are currently working or in uni also said that they missed poly because it was just so work hard play hard and the people were awesome.
There is obviously so much more things to share but of course we don't have time for that. Feel free to just hit me up on Instagram or send me an email if you have any more questions about life in poly and I'll try my best to answer them :)
There is obviously so much more things to share but of course we don't have time for that. Feel free to just hit me up on Instagram or send me an email if you have any more questions about life in poly and I'll try my best to answer them :)
26 comments
do u need to work for 3 years after finish studying at any Poly in SG as a Malaysian students ?
ReplyDeleteHi! Foreign students who take the Tuition Grant and have their school fees subsidised will need to work for 3 years after graduation. If you don't take the grant and choose to pay for your fees in full, you don't have to.
Deletehi may i ask do u register SPM mamdarin subject ? and is it compulsory to take SPM mandarin in order to enter NTU business school ? coz i have checked the entry requirements they have an additional prerequites for business students to take mandarin in SPM/Olevel ..if i go through poly route , is it higher chances to get NTU ?
ReplyDeletesryy i asked too many ques ...paiseh hehe , btw thanks in advance !!!
Hi! I didn't take mandarin for SPM. I'm not sure if you need to take mandarin, but I do think the poly route has a higher chance to get into NUS/NTU if you're not Singaporean. Feel free to ask any questions you have (:
Deletehi tq for replying :D , do u take tuition grant when u were in poly life ? And how is it works ? I have searched that need to find 2 sureties in order to get tuition grant ( but it' very hard to find sureties )😥
Delete2) if lets say i take tuition grant during my poly , and i score well during my poly and successfully get into NUS/NTU , can i still apply tuition grant during my undergraduate ? and after that how many years do i need to serve the bond ?
3) do u get any exemptions modules for ur course ?
4) where do u find/stay accommodation during ur poly as poly doesn't provide students hostel 😥?
Haha no worries, just ask away! (:
DeleteI took the tuition grant in poly and my sureties were two of my mom's close friends who are Singaporeans. I'm quite lucky as my family does have some close friends and family here, so it wasn't too difficult to find.
2) Yup you can apply for tuition grant again in poly and then in uni. After graduating you will only need to pay back the bond by working in SG for three years. Not six.
3) Do you mean in uni or in poly? I didn't get any exemptions as a Malaysian student going to poly, but I did get exemptions as a poly student going to uni.
4) I stayed with my aunt, but many of my friends rented rooms. You can look for rooms for rent online on platforms like rentinsingapore, gumtree, carousell, 99.co or ipropery.
Hope these help! (:
Hi i want to ask i just got my spm result on 10th june and im planning to apply for sg poly but DAE portal is closed.I dont know where to apply i tried EAE but its only for SG residents
ReplyDeleteCan you help me cuz i wann aapply and im so confused. i thought i had to apply trough EAE so i waited till 24 june but i cant
DeleteHi ! (: From my understanding the DAE is only open during two periods - December and March. The academic year has already started in April.
DeleteOuh okay thank you.I want to ask one more thing SPM trial is not valid for singapore poly right because it does not have international standards. Only can apply with Actual SPM result right?.
DeleteNo probs! And yes you should be applying with the actual results (:
Deletehi is there anyway i can contact you ? im going through the same thing, we can talk about DAE since im trying to figure out something to. would love to hear from u back thank u@unknown (sorry i keep on spamming, idk how to directly reply to @unknown lol)
Deletehi how can i contact you @unknown i am going through the same thing and maybe we could discuss about DAE together on twitter/any social media platform. thank you 😚
Deletehi is there anyway i can contact you ? im going through the same thing, we can talk about DAE since im trying to figure out something to. would love to hear from u back thank u@unknown
ReplyDeleteHi! What would you like to ask about? I'll try my best to answer if I can (:
Deletehi is there anyway i can contact you ? im going through the same thing, we can talk about DAE since im trying to figure out something to. would love to hear from u back thank u@unknown
ReplyDeleteThis post is super helpful for me! May I ask if the polytechnics in Singapore accept MUET (Malaysian University English Test) as English proficiency test or can we just use our SPM English result? I'm aiming for Ngee Ann Poly:DD
ReplyDeleteHello! The SPM result is enough but you can always submit the MUET too if you want (:
DeleteHello , did you really have to take another exam and if so what subject did you take
ReplyDeleteDid you really apply for all the polytechnics and will I get any fine or sth if I applied for all the polytechnics ?
ReplyDeleteHello! You won't get a fine for applying for all the polys (:
DeleteDid you really take another entrance exam to enter ploy and if so what subjects did you take
ReplyDeleteHi! There are some issues with my acc so I can't comment using my own name, but to answer your question, I did not take another entrance exam.
DeleteDo Malaysians and Singaporeans study the same topic for o levels/ spm
DeleteHow do you accept the course and school you want if there were multiple offer
ReplyDeleteHi, I just received the offer email from SP recently, and I’m still struggling whether I want to accept or not.
ReplyDeleteDid you apply for any scholarships? Since there’re only a few scholarships for international students, it would really help me if you could tell me more about scholarships! And may I know where do you live during the study? Is it on-campus, or just rent a room near SP?
Thanks so much!