Details

• Singapore
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Put effort into your application. Try to improve your grades in the semesters before applying, as they count a lot, but also work on strengthening your CV. Participate in extracurricular activities, join a student club, and make sure to mention it in your CV if you have lived abroad before. Also, try to strongly enhance your motivation letter and really put time into it - it is absolutely worth it in the end.

2. Accommodation

SMU does not have a student residence, so you have to find private housing. Try to stay not too far from the university and the city center, as each bus or MRT ride costs about S$1.50. Singapore is very safe, so you can really stay anywhere; even Geylang (one of the areas considered “not so safe” in Singapore) felt super safe, also for women. As most housings include amenities like a gym or a pool, I would really make sure you have that. Local gym memberships are very expensive, and with the heat it is really nice to have these amenities, especially as they are so common. Accommodation search in Singapore can be quite exhausting, but there are many options available, and the university will also provide you with tips and agencies. The accommodation market is quite “spontaneous,” meaning many agents only know about availabilities at the earliest two months before the move-in date. Don’t stress about it - this is completely normal there.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus of SMU is amazing. It is located directly in the city center of Singapore and has a very open campus feeling. Anyone can walk across the campus, but to enter the buildings you have to scan your student ID, which makes it feel extra safe. SMU also offers a gym (rather small, though) and a rooftop swimming pool, which was great. There are also many very good food options around the campus. The academic culture can be quite competitive, as most courses at the business school require group projects. Make sure at the beginning to join a good group. Try not to join a group with only exchange students, as they tend to travel a lot, even during exam season, and not all of them are as committed. Some only need to pass their courses and do not get their grades transferred, like WU students. At the same time, group projects are a really nice way to make local friends. The teaching style depends on the school. For the business school, it was very much based on open communication and project-based learning, which I really loved. The School of Economics, for example, was more focused on theoretical teaching and lecture-style classes. Before choosing your courses, also consider that some do not have final exams and are instead based on project presentations and midterms. This is really nice if you do not want to spend your last weeks in Singapore stuck in the library studying. The courses are quite a lot of work - in my opinion more than an average course at WU - but they also earn you more ECTS per course. I found taking three courses to be enough work, especially if you also want to travel and have some free time.

5. Every day life in the host country

Singapore is very safe, it honestly feels safer than many European cities, including Vienna. This is due to the high police presence and the many cameras, but it never feels controlling. Public transport is excellent: the MRT comes every 2–5 minutes, and buses are way better than expected. They take you everywhere, are punctual, and very fast. There are also so many social activities. There are many student sports clubs and a lot of events organized around the city, so definitely inform yourself a bit on social media. For going out, Boat Quay is super fun and full of young people. VOLKS Bar is highly recommended, and of course Ladies’ Night at CÉ LA VI - free entry for girls every Wednesday - is such a must. I had some of the best nights ever there. Marquee and Zouk are also fun and popular with locals, but they can get quite crowded. NOVA is the highest rooftop bar in Singapore and I can really recommend it for the view. Nature-wise, the TreeTop Walk is super fun - try to go in the morning. Pulau Ubin is also a great day trip to explore how Singapore used to look like, and the Botanical Garden is beautiful. Singapore is also a place where so many amazing food cultures mix, so definitely try as much as possible. I can really recommend Maxwell Food Centre, Din Tai Fung, Six Hands, Arab Street, and New Bahru, but there are so many more. Use all the time you have - Singapore is truly a foodie’s heaven. Also, if you are in Singapore during the winter semester, a must-do is Formula 1. Around September/October the event takes place, and it was honestly one of the best experiences I had in Singapore. And of course, we cannot forget Singapore’s great location in Asia. If you can, travel and see some of the amazing places around Singapore. However, I would recommend not traveling too much (like every weekend), as that can be very stressful. You might miss events in Singapore and not have enough time to properly explore the city. My favorite trips were to Hong Kong, Perth, and Thailand. All in all, Singapore was the best all-rounder - I could not be happier.

6. Testimonial

What was special about my exchange at SMU was the mix: I met so many amazing people, was able to travel to the most incredible places, learned a lot - both university-wise and for life - and got to experience many different cultures. I can truly say that I grew personally from this experience, and it will stay with me forever. I can only highly recommend SMU and doing an exchange in Singapore :)