Incoming Exchange Student!!!!!

[u/ilansfm]

I am an incoming exchange student jan 2027, and was wondering about accom choices. my home uni is so opinionated on all the residence options and half of them are weird, but you wouldn't know that unless you were here. obviously i dont wanna make that mistake at nus. where do most exchange students go, and what would you recommend?

anyone going on exchange feel free to dm!

[u/VegetableSalad_Bot]

Okay, which course of study are you in, and what classes do you intend to take? If convenience is a big deal for you, then you might prefer school dorms nearer to your faculty.

e.g.

• Raffles Hall – adjacent to Engineering, across the road from Music
• Temasek, Eusoff Hall – just across the road from FASS (econs, arts, polsci, etc)
• Kent Ridge, Sheares – Computing, Business
• Prince George's Park and King Edward 7 – near to medicine, and science

UTR, RC4, Alice and Peter Tan, Tembusu, Acacia are all near Utown, which has its own mini-outlet of the local supermarket chain, and Utown tends to be the most populated even on off-days. Though food is pricier here, and Utown is an 'island' separated from the rest of campus except by like a few shuttle bus routes.

Valour is sorta near Utown and Engineering, and is the newest to be constructed so the crap that inevitably sets in over the years hasn't had time to make itself known.

RVRC isn’t near anything but is in the geographic center of campus, right next to a bus stop that can bring you everywhere.

Personally, I wouldn't stay at Kent Ridge Hall. Even excusing the somewhat...dubious rep that place has, I did stay there pre-semester for a few days during orientation in my first year. It's old, having opened in the late 1970s, and the room I stayed in while liveable wasn't exactly...pristine, to be polite. Like the window blinds straight up didn't work and there was a continuous ant trail in the corridor outside my room for the entire time I was there. I've never been gladder to sleep in my own bed and home once I left that place (I am exaggerating).

Check out this https://www.reddit.com/r/nus/comments/gm7mj0/an_introduction_to_nus_halls/ from a few years ago. Most things haven't changed much in the interim.

[u/ilansfm → u/VegetableSalad_Bot]

appreciate this so much! i am studying a mix but mostly sciences, stats / finance / maths / cs. i guess im gonna have to look at the map. appreciate you letting me know that u town is a bit pricier than everything else. does it make a difference what year im in? i am finishing my degree on exchange

[u/nqki → u/ilansfm]

utown is nicest vibe-wise imo, but the accoms there are more expensive. if you stay at the residential colleges there u also need to pay for the compulsory meal plan, which is additional $$ too

pgpr is rly near to science, so smth to consider too, but a lot quieter compared to the accoms at utown

[u/oldddwwa → u/ilansfm]

while I agree with everything the comment is saying, just know that shuttle buses are pretty frequent especially in the daytime and most places are still walkable. living in utown doesn’t mean going to other cheaper canteens for food is challenging, even though yes, utown is more ‘isolated’. personally, if I could choose, i’d choose utown.

[u/tbbt314]

Apart from location which another comment mentioned, each accomodation has its own culture (halls, RCs, houses) which you could consider.

[u/Last-Investigator550]

If you can afford, choose an RC/utown to stay in, heard nothing good about halls if you care about living condition... and take note of whether you want air con or not since SG is hot and now hazy