Ko Myo Min Swe, 36, National University of Singapore
I left Myanmar on Dec 16, 2006. I’ve been in Singapore for more than a year. One of my reasons for studying here is I want to develop my career abroad and increase my chances of employment. I had to work hard to get chance to study here; the entrance exam is very competitive and the number of students for each intake is limited.

Before I submitted my application, I had to collect all the information relating to the department and the course that I wanted to study and then apply for admission. Also, I surfed the university website and looked for alternative information and also emailed the departmental staff and professors to get more advice and some clarification regarding the necessary supporting documents when I was preparing my application.

I came here all at my own expense; however, I am lucky the Singapore government offers some educational assistance for international students pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, such as tuition fees loan scheme. Most of the students admitted here have taken out a tuition fees loan of 80 to 90 percent of the cost of the degree, payable to the university. You can settle the loan repayments after graduation and of course there is also interest payable on this loan.

Certainly some of the young, first-year students who go abroad for the first time face some language problems. But, in fact, I did not experience much culture shock here as most of ASEAN countries have similar cultures, besides some food differences. But surely it would be different if I were studying in the US or Europe.

Now I am doing a master course in project management in the School of Design & Environment – I also attended the postgraduate course in Brunei from 1999 to 2000.

I have chosen this course because it is useful for my future career. I was awarded a bachelor degree in geology at Yangon University at 1995.

For accommodation you can either apply through the university or you could arrange it yourself. There are many rental flats or rooms that you can share with your friends. Average accommodation expenses range from S$250 (US$178) to S$350 ($249) depending on the location and the type of room that you choose. In some cases the rents can be higher.

The most unforgettable times are when the due dates of assignments are getting closer and the exam days as well, really tough.

I would say to the students who really want to study abroad you should prepare very well in terms of English language proficiency, computer applications, educational knowledge and some financial matters. It’s also better if you have some working experience.

Also it’s very important to put as much detail as possible into your application when you submit it and attach all available supporting documents with clarification if something is not available. You should contact the department or university directly if you have any question or enquiries. Do not hesitate and be confident, both of which are very important.

Ko Aung Tun, 26, Suffolk University US
I’m a scholarship student. It was always my dream to study abroad, especially in the US and now I’ve been studying here for seven months.

It’s definitely a challenge. I had to complete the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in 2003 to ensure I was ready to go abroad if a school accepted me with a full scholarship.

The main problems in the beginning are the food, the teaching approach and the learning approach. All are quite different from in Myanmar but now I am getting used to the US style.

There are many students here from all over the world. We’re quite different in our thinking and views on certain topics but differences in how you look or dress are only a minor issue.

My major is public administration. This course is mainly focused on social work, which I am very interested in. We have to do a lot of presentations in class and outside to earn our grades. An interesting thing is that there are a lot of international students and one group at least consists of students from three different countries. For instance, last year of 2007, I was in a group of comprising students from the US, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Spain and then, of course, me from Myanmar.

I live together with my friends. After my study finishes in 2009, I would to get the chance to work for an organisation, if I’m given the chance. I’m also considering teaching, to pass on what I have learned to others.