1. Get a Singapore phone number/data plan. Technically optional but needed for a local bank account and other services. You can buy it at the airport— I personally used M1 Prepaid. Make sure your phone is unlocked through your US carrier before this! Make sure to specifically ask for a data plan with a phone number.
2. If getting a local bank account, use DBS & DBS Paylah. DBS is the bank, and DBS Paylah is equivalent to Venmo. You can do this all online once you receive your Student Pass information. Each has their own apps.
3. To ride the MRT or the bus, you can buy an EZ-Link card at any MRT station, a 7- Eleven, or Cheers convenience store. However, you can use any Visa or Mastercard to ride these as well. You can deposit money into the card either through the app, an MRT station, or convenience store.
4. Get a debit/credit card without foreign transaction fees. Personally, I often used Capital One (Capital One 360 Checking or SavorOne) & my Amex Gold.
5. Make a Wise account. Wise is a foreign exchange account (which also comes with its own debit card) that allows you to seamlessly transfer money from your US bank account to a foreign bank account in any currency. If you also don’t want to use your US debit card, you can use your Wise debit card.
6. Install the essential NUS apps: Telegram (main SMS app for Singapore), uNivUS (access to gym, museums, and grades at the end of the semester), NUSNextBUS (track buses at NUS live), NUS Dining (required for meal plan dorms), and NUS Mobile Key (required to unlock NUS dorms).
7. When traveling to neighboring countries, install an E-Sim app such as Ubigi or Airalo & get an all-in-one Asia plan. You’ll have a faster connection to the internet this way & you don’t have to worry about switching physical SIM cards!
8. When solo traveling, use Hostelworld to book cheap accommodation (ie: $9-$20+ a night). Make sure to check the reviews and book rooms based on your comfort level—if you’re a woman, book female-only rooms. Many rooms are very modern and provide essentials such as towels and toiletries for cheap or free!
9. Install Whatsapp & use Klook to book tours when traveling to neighboring countries. Most tours in SEA will be using Whatsapp to confirm your times.
10. Have fun! Don’t be afraid to talk to people—Singapore is extremely safe, so much so that it’s normal to leave a pack of tissues or your bag to reserve a table at a Hawker Center.
10a. Outside of Singapore, trust your gut, do your research (especially with visas, many countries in SEA require one with a US passport), & use common sense when traveling. Tourist traps and people selling things that you might not need are common, so learn to say no (or bargain, if you’d like).
10b. Although SEA has a reputation for being “unsafe” in ways such as pickpockets, I’d say many worries are over exaggerated—I’ve met so many nice locals willing to give directions or show me the best hidden food spots. We live in an era of Google Translate, so more connections than ever can be made. Trust your intuition, and make some memories.