Weather
Singapore's weather is generally warm and humid, ranging from an average of 31°C (88°F) during the day and 24°C (75°F) at night. It rains throughout the year with more consistent rain during the monsoon season from November to January.

Dress code
Generally Singaporeans dress casually. Loose and light clothing is recommended for comfort. Students usually wear jeans, T-shirts and Bermudas. Formal attire is expected for formal class presentations/functions.

Cost of living
An international student in Singapore spends on average about S$750 to S$2,000 a month on living expenses. This amount, of course, varies depending on your individual lifestyle. These estimated cost ranges below gives a rough guide of the basic expenditure an international student may incur in Singapore per month.

For more information on living expenses in Singapore , please log on to: http://www.singaporeedu.gov.sg

Travel
Singapore has a well-organized public transportation service. Getting around in Singapore is easy and convenient. Many parts of Singapore are easily accessible via public buses and MRT. Fares can be paid by cash or EZ-Link card which can be used for both the MRT and public buses.

EZ-Link
This is a contactless store-value card which is predominantly used for paying public transport fares (buses and the MRT). The cost of your journey will be automatically deducted when you alight from the bus/MRT. The EZ-Link card costs $15 and can be purchased from any MRT station or bus interchange.

Tertiary Student EZ-Link Card
The difference between the Tertiary Student EZ-Link card and the one sold to the public is that you can take up monthly concession plans for the MRT, buses or both. You only need to pay for the plan once a month and it saves you the hassle of topping-up your EZ-Link card. This card is especially useful if you are not staying near the campus and/or travel regularly using public transport.

Students' data will be sent to Transitlink after the main matriculation exercise. The application for your EZ-Link card can be made three to four weeks after matriculation. Simply go to www.transitlink.com.sg to confirm your personal data before proceeding to apply for the EZ-Link card at TransitLink Concession Card Replacement Offices.

For more details on the Tertiary Student EZ-Link card, please click here.

Bus
You can pay your fare by EZ-Link card or cash. Remember to get the exact fare when you pay by cash as the bus driver does not return the change. Do keep the ticket stub if you are paying by cash as bus inspectors sometimes check on the validity of your ticket.

You may want to purchase The Singapore Travel Guide (S$2.50, available at most book stores) which offers a comprehensive list of routes for all the bus services. Most bus stops list the routes of the buses that stop there.

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
Singapore's MRT system comprises 3 main lines (East-West, North-South and North-East). Click here to view the network map.

You can pay your MRT fare with the EZ-Link card. If you do not have an EZ-Link card, you can buy single-trip cards from the ticket counters during office hours or from a ticketing machine at the MRT station. There is a refundable deposit of S$1 for a single trip ticket which can be collected back from the ticketing machine.

Taxi
Taxi service in Singapore is easily available, convenient, and reasonably priced. Flag-down rate for taxis is between S$2.80-S$3.00. Additional surcharges apply for travel between midnight and 6.00am, pre-booking of taxis and pick-up from the airport. There are extra charges during peak hours and when you enter the Central Business District (CBD) and selected zones. This will be added to your total taxi's IU (a contraption on each vehicle's windscreen that deducts money from cash cards) when the vehicle passes an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry during peak hours. You are expected to buckle up in taxis (and cars too). There is a S$120 fine for not wearing seat belt. Tipping is not expected. Most taxi drivers are conversant in both English and Mandarin.

Click here for more details and advance booking information.

Banking
There are over 140 commercial and merchant banks in Singapore. Most of them offer full banking services, including savings and current accounts, ATMs (Automated Teller Machines), fixed deposits, safe deposit boxes, loans, overdrafts and transfers, traveller's cheques and changing of foreign currencies. The three major local banks in Singapore are POSB/DBS, UOB and OCBC. All three banks are conveniently located in or within the vicinity of SMU. POSB is next to the SMU Administration Building while UOB and OCBC have braches situated right in the SMU concourse.

Opening a bank account in Singapore is relatively quick and simple. To open a savings account, you will need your Passport, Student's Pass and Letter of Admission from SMU. You'll also need to deposit a minimum amount of S$500 with the bank.

All three local banks have ATMs on campus, so it's quite convenient to withdraw money and conduct various transactions such as topping-up your EZ-Link, cashcard, transfer funds, etc. ATMs are fully automated and are available 24-hours.

Cheques take one to two working days to clear. There are quick-cheque deposit boxes at every branch, so you need not wait in line to deposit your cheques.

Internet/on-line banking allows you to view your financial records from any computer that has internet connection. It can be used to transfer funds, pay rent, bills, etc. If you are IT-savvy, this is a convenient way to organize your finances.

Transfer of Funds
Students may receive funds using bank drafts made out in Singapore dollars. These funds can be credited to your Singapore bank account and withdrawn in one to two days. Telegraphic transfers may also be made indirectly through another bank to your bank account.

Note: Money transfers (from a bank account in your home country to your Singapore bank account) take between four to six working days. Bank drafts usually take one hour to process (there will be commission and postage charges depending on the countries' currencies).

Modes of Payment

Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS)
This is a cashless payment system in Singapore where you can use your ATM card to pay for almost anything but you'll need a Singapore bank account with an ATM card.

Cash Card
The NETS cash card is a smart-card or stored-value card. You can purchase it from any 7-Eleven or Cheers outlet (24-hour convenience stores). A card costs S$7, (S$2 deposit and initial stored-value of S$5). You can top-up the value in your card at any top-up machine (there's one on the second floor of Li Ka Shing Library's printing room). This card can be used to print, photocopy, pay library fines and many other things. We suggest you get a cash card because it's very useful in SMU.

GIRO
GIRO is another cashless system used to pay bills electronically. Once a GIRO arrangement has been made to pay your bills, the system will automatically ensure payment is made on a fixed date, so there's no hassle. Because GIRO is linked to your bank account, you should know which payments are made through GIRO to monitor your funds.

Staying in Touch
Students are advised to get a mobile phone. You might want to consider signing up for a two-year contract with any of the three service providers in Singapore: SingTel, M1 or Starhub Mobile. Each service providers have different types of subscription plans; you can compare and choose the subscription plan that meets your needs. You can get a mobile phone at a significantly cheaper price by signing up for a two-year plan; however, you will need to stay with that service provider until the contract is over.

Deciding Between a Pre-paid or Post-paid Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card
•  One advantage of a post-paid SIM card is, if you lose your SIM card, you can have a replacement without having to change your phone number.

•  You also get cheaper rates with a subscribed line. Some phone plans provides free in-coming and/or free IDD (International Direct Dial) calls.

•  Student's Pass holders are required to pay a deposit for the phone line. You will be able to get the deposit back once you terminate the line.

•  It is recommended that you get a post-paid SIM card if you have high frequency usage.

•  Stick with a pre-paid SIM card if you don't expect to make many and/or long calls; or just don't want to go through the hassle of applying for a subscribed line. Be more conscientious about keeping track of your mobile phone use as the cost can add up.

Health Matters
Medical facilities in Singapore are of a high standard and are readily available. A visit to a general practitioner (GP) cost around S$30. Singapore's public hospitals will accept self-referred patients.

Vaccinations are required only if you come from a yellow-fever area. Singapore is not in the malaria zone. One of the main health concerns pertains to the tropical climate. To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Dehydration or salt-deficiency can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke. In sunny Singapore , make sure you get sufficient liquids. Salt deficiency is characterized by fatigue, lethargy, headaches, giddiness and muscle cramps. Salt tablets, which can be purchased from the pharmacy, help.

SMU Medical Insurance Coverage
All SMU undergraduates are covered under a Group Personal Accident Policy, as well as a Medical and Group Hospitalisation & Surgical Policy. Insurance premiums are payable annually. Please click here for the coverage details.

Dos and Don'ts

Safety
Singapore has a well-deserved reputation for being safe and relatively crime-free. Major crimes, e.g. murder and rape, are dealt with severely and swiftly. The government has also made it known that extremism originating from religion or race has no place in Singapore , and it will not hesitate to take action against any extremists or terrorist groups or individuals.

Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in public service vehicles, museums, libraries, lifts, theatres, cinemas, air-conditioned eating places (except pubs, discos, karoke bars and nightspots), restaurants, hair salons, supermarkets, department stores and government offices. Offenders can be fined up to S$1,000.

Drug Abuse
The death penalty is mandatory for those convicted of trafficking, importing or exporting more than 15g of heroin, 30g of morphine, 30g of cocaine, 500g of cannabis, 200g of cannabis resin or 1.2kg of opium. Possession of such quantities is deemed as prima facie evidence of trafficking. For unauthorised consumption, there is a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment or a fine of S$20,000 or both.

You may wish to visit the Singapore Customs website to check out the customs formalities.