Opportunities knock for Singapore graduates

Johann Ang was already 10 months into his new job when he decided to shift careers. This management engineering graduate thought of going into the culinary arts, which is now considered a promising field for students seeking better opportunities abroad. However, Johann didn’t go to a cooking school here in Metro Manila as many students do. He took the plunge, enrolling in a three-year bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and management at the prestigious at-sunrice, The Singapore Culinary Academy and Spice Garden in Singapore.

Samantha Potenciano, 18, felt unhappy with her literature course in college. The Assumption high school graduate felt she wasn’t maximizing her potential. Rather than read, she felt the urge to explore her artistic side, particularly in designing clothes. However, she didn’t think the schools in the country could give her the guidance and direction she needed. After a thorough search on the Internet and following inquiries by her mother, Samantha started last July working on her bachelor’s degree in fashion design at the LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore.

Nicholas Villa-Real bummed around in Singapore for almost a year before deciding on enrolling in a diploma in management studies at the Singapore Institute of Management. The 19-year-old found himself in the Lion State after his mother got a job posting there. He can now deliver presentations before a crowd, something he would have considered unthinkable just a year ago. Schoolwork has exposed him to corporate culture sooner than expected, giving him a competitive edge over other students at his level in Manila.

Students intending to study in Singapore have to contend with a number of legal requirements needed by the Singapore government. However, all schools that accept foreign students assume the nitty-gritty of processing whatever visas, permits and student passes they may need. For details on these issues, students should first consult with Singapore Education at the Singapore Tourism Board office in their home countries.

Foreign students in Singapore may find the necessary support from their counselors in their schools. As an extra measure, Singapore Education opened recently the Singapore Education Services Center, a one-stop center providing students with authoritative and reliable information on studying and living in Singapore.

Ang chose to study in Singapore because of the country’s unique position in Asia.

"It’s a good place for any student to start his education," says Ang. "Its multi-cultural society prepares you to meet people from all over the world. Singapore’s position on the world map also provides easy links with other countries."

Potenciano admits that Singapore has taught her to become more independent. She says she lived a sheltered life in Manila, often driven to school and to the mall by a driver. In Singapore, she had to learn how to take public transport.

"I cannot talk about public safety in Metro Manila because I was driven around the city by the family driver," she says. "But here, I had to learn how to ride the bus myself. Anyway, safety is not an issue in Singapore. All those stories about Singapore being safe and clean are pretty true. And the food is really good, too."

Studying in a foreign country forces you to make friends.

"Since there are very few Filipinos in my school, most of my friends now are Singaporeans," says Villa-Real. "They’re very welcoming and hardworking."

And all that hard work translates to more work, too.

"The stress here is so much more," says Villa-Real. "In the school, they push you to your limits and you have to really catch up at the speed they are going."

Living alone in a foreign country also makes you more independent.

"If you’ve had a sheltered life in Manila, you’ll learn to become independent here," adds Potenciano. "You have to do your own laundry, cook, and clean your own room. All the work I do at school has also helped teach me time management."

Students deciding to study fulltime in Singapore have a number of options when it comes to housing. They can choose from either halls of residence and hostels, boarding schools, home stays, and apartments and houses.

Halls of residence and hostels attached to educational institutions usually give first-year international students priority for on-campus accommodation. Some hostels provide meal plans at extra charge, while others offer kitchenettes. Other facilities include television rooms, reading rooms, laundry rooms and computer rooms.

Boarding schools include lodging, meals, laundry services, 24-hour security, pastoral guidance, tuition, supervision, sports and recreational facilities.

Home stays involve Singaporean families who are open to admitting international students for full boarding. For many students, this will give them the opportunity to fully experience family life in Singapore.

Renting a room, apartment or a house is also another option for international students. Depending on the type of housing, facilities available and location, rental costs can vary.

Home stays are perfect for students at the primary and secondary levels. The family setting is nurturing and provides a surrogate home for the student away from home.

Arthur and Minda Lee recently opened their home to a boarder. With their two sons now all grown up – a son is studying dentistry in Australia, while the other is about to begin the two-year compulsory military service – the couple now has the whole house to themselves. It was then that the Lees decided to sign up with AMCIS (Association of Management Corporations in Singapore) Home Stay, a non-profit national alliance of real estate owners.

Minda, a Filipina, says she was very lucky with her home stay boarder, a Singaporean boy whose father is now working overseas in China. The boy lost his mother in childhood, and has no relatives to live with in Singapore.

"That boy’s very lucky to be here with us," Minda says. "It was his mother’s dying wish that he grow up a Catholic, and that’s what he gets here with us. Sunday is family day, and he goes with us to church. When we get home, we have a family dinner. I treat him like he’s my own son, not a boarder."

The Lees live in a suburban community. Every day, Minda drives the boy to the bus stop to catch his ride to school. When he gets home late in the afternoon, he has his own worktable in his room where he can do his assignments.

AMCIS Home Stay’s Kenneth Chiam says the firm not only assigns the students to the homes, but also does follow-up services to determine the suitability of the student to the home. While every effort is made to ensure a perfect match, differences are often seen only within a month or two of the actual home stay. In such cases, the student is matched again to a different home.

Chiam stresses that AMCIS also follows up on the student’s progress in school. A counselor looks into the school performance of the students, as well as whether the guardian provides the provisions AMCIS requires of all homes. The student’s guardians should not just offer the children a home, but also a nurturing and caring environment.

Those seeking an introduction of Singapore life and culture should consider going on a school trip to the island state. Schools in the Philippines can arrange a guided tour of Singapore in coordination with a reputable travel agent. Singapore Education offers a number of sample travel itineraries that might interest students visiting Singapore. These trips could last for as short as three days or as long as a month.

Possible themes for learning tours are culinary, enrichment learning, history and culture, nature and parks, public galleries, science and technology, and teambuilding and leadership.

For example, a five-day, four-night trip will show the students the city sights, nature’s attractions, a cultural experience, an exchange with Singaporean students, and conclude with shopping on Orchard Road.

Whether you choose to study in Singapore fulltime or take a short familiarization tour, it isn’t as hard as you think it is. All you need is sufficient time to plan and network with the necessary offices in Singapore to make your stay a truly enriching one.

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For inquiries on education opportunities in Singapore, visit the Singapore Tourism Board-Philippines office at the 17th floor, 6788 Ayala Ave., Makati City, with tel. nos. 813-0946 and 813-4968. Log on to singaporeedu.gov.sg for details.