Studying abroad for the purpose of having fun?

VegaTheStar SG

I've just graduated from a hospitality course in local polytechnic and I honestly have no plans to work in Singapore. Honestly I didn't score well and my GPA is only 3.2 and definitely I failed to land a spot in NUS. :(

I would love to study abroad not for the piece of paper i'll get after 2/3 years, but I want to experience studying abroad and minger around with non-asians and people from around the globe and to have fun. Having fun is my main priority. I'm from a middle-income family and i'm not sure if i'm able to afford studying in a prestigious uni, most probably my family would only be able to fund me around SGD 100k. Honestly i've no passion in any specific courses/careers because I believe that staying in Singapore for the past 20 years as an average nerdy (albeit a dumb one) student has cut off my ability to see & think out of the box. This is also the main reason why I want to experience staying outside Singapore for a few years as I do not believe in slogging for a 9-5 career in Singapore.

I really need advices on:

1) Should I study abroad even though i'm not exactly passionate in any specific course? It is not likely that i'll pursue a further studies in hospitality though. If yes, which country should I study in? US? Australia? New Zealand?

P.S: Most likely countries like Taiwan or Korea is out of question for me as my chinese comprehension skill suck and I can't speak 3rd language for nuts

2) Or should I spend the money on travelling around a globe as a tourist instead? However I would be banished back to square one once I spent up all my money

3) Should I stay in Singapore, most likely i'll be putting my energy on stocks investment and hopefully i'll be able to make enough money for survival. Pff I know I don't sound realistic, but by hook or by crook i'll make myself go far.

P.S: I do realise that I sound like an unrealistic girl who would never be able to go far. Thank you so much for your seemingly constructive remarks but if you have nothing nice to say, save your criticism! I don't think i've anything to lose in my life, even if my mindset is out of the ordinary (albeit in a bad way), I believe I still have something to fall back on to ensure my survival. I'm young and I do not want to submit myself to the fate of everlasting torture of slavery in Singapore. (aka a 9-5 job)

Fryderyk HPH SG

I really need advices on:

P.S: Most likely countries like Taiwan or Korea is out of question for me as my chinese comprehension skill suck and I can't speak 3rd language for nuts

2) Or should I spend the money on travelling around a globe as a tourist instead? However I would be banished back to square one once I spent up all my money

Though I think it is the wrong forum I guess it is fine for me to reply too... Maybe the mods could move it.

For number 1, I recommend you to go abroad. I'm taking that path as well and I have an even lower GPA than you. Btw I also just got my results. The world is yours to see and results yours to create, once you leave Singapore's shores. If by this time you are still indecisive, take a course in International Studies or something generic which would give you world skills and a macro understanding of what is going on. By the same token I'm going to do that when I move to Korea to study there. There is Yonsei University (very famous btw) Underwood International College and I'm applying to get in there. Lessons for this institute are all in English and it is English speaking environment. I'm sure there are such institutes in Taiwan also. But though for me the main reason why I'm studying abroad is because of my ethnicity (I'm half-Korean) and I intend to head back to my motherland (quite literally, my mother's land).

But if you intend to do Tourism and Hospitality, go to Switzerland. Their T&M is world-class and you should know about the famous Swiss hospitality. Those institutes are usually located in the French quarter of Switzerland like Lausanne and Genève (Geneva). The good thing about studying in Geneva is that you could stay in France (which borders right next to the city) and commute daily — this is much cheaper and very easy to do. Living in Switzerland is albeit more expensive.

Number 2. You could start working as a tour guide. There are low barriers for entry into this job. You only need to travel to those countries and gain understanding of a bit of their language and the tourist spots. Come back to Singapore and apply for such a position in a tour company and voilá!, you get to travel to these location and bring around groups of Singaporean tourists to these countries. Again, take the risks into consideration when you do this.

Number 3. You (and I) are still young. Don't do something overly risky. You might end up losing your capital. Find a stable job/education in a Uni first, and then dabble in that.

Just my two cents worth...

VegaTheStar SG

Thanks for your reply! You've no idea how relieved I am after reading your post. I've heard of Yonsei University! Can I know how much are you paying for the accommodation + school fees (per year) there? One of my acquaintance is studying in Yonsei Uni as well (by acquaintance actually I mean someone I barely know on my Facebook) and i'm so envious of her lifestyle T_T (saw the photos posted on her facebook and it seems like she's enjoying her life there so far) She's a Singaporean but barely months after studying in Yonsei she's already capable of reading and typing in Korean. Amazing.

I would love to study abroad as well but cost is always my main concern. I bet I would still be happy if you throw me into any university abroad so long i'm out of Singapore.

Fryderyk HPH SG

I would love to study abroad as well but cost is always my main concern. I bet I would still be happy if you throw me into any university abroad so long i'm out of Singapore.

I'm not studying there yet! I still have NS to serve before I go there.

The problem with Yonsei is that it is hard to get in, but once you get in...
Party rock all the way~

Underwood International College is a subset of Yonsei University. It is the only one with the English speaking environment. The main general university isn't. You can find the costs from the website. Just google "Underwood International College Yonsei University".

Yes, and Korean is easy to learn. It is an alphabetical language like English. One stroke means one sound and one sound only, unlike Chinese. You can literally pick it up in 4 hours.

Fryderyk HPH SG

Also, don't forget that Yonsei UIC quotes fees in USD (if I recall correctly).

And we know the USD is sliding like nobody's business.
So is the Korean Won (KRW) cause it is pegged to the USD.

So suddenly Korea becomes really cheap...
Although I cannot say what can happen in the financial markets between now and the time that I matriculate.

VegaTheStar SG

Why is it difficult to get into Yonsei University? You're right! Hahaha! I just checked out the fees and its only like 7000 USD per year, I seriously thought theres a problem with my eyes or something. Maybe I refered to the wrong chart? Its so much more affordable than US/Austria Unis.

Fryderyk HPH SG

It is hard for foreigners to understand, but in Korea there is a reputation for the SKY Universities — S for Seoul National University, K for Korea University, and Y for Yonsei University.

These three are the holy grail of the Korean education system. People work their butt to get into these three. Numerous famous people (politicians, actors/actresses, CEOs, etc.) come from these three universities. There is a saying that once you get into any of these three universities, your social standing is guaranteed for life, aka an iron ricebowl in one of Korea's chaebols (conglomerates like LG, KT, Samsung, etc.). In most cases, students are scouted by these companies before graduation and go into the Korean workforce as mid-level executives.

You've probably seen Yonsei University's website? What do they proclaim? "Yonsei, where we make history" and "Yonsei, the first and the best"... It truly is an elitist academic institution, but in a country like South Korea this is how it works.

Fryderyk HPH SG

While it might only be 7000USD, you must consider living expenses. And yes, that is the correct chart. Also, overseas (foreign) students are eligible for scholarships. However, it is important to note that only the best of the best are taken in for these scheme.

Cost of living can be quite expensive in downtown Seoul or near the university districts — Hong-dae (Hongik Uni), Yi-dae (Ewha Women's Uni), Sinchon-dong (Yonsei Uni), Gwanak-gu (Seoul National Uni), etc.

Unless if you are willing to make a slightly lengthy commute every day back and forth. That's if you are even considering the universities in Korea (Seoul).