What to bring?

Things to bring from your home country

1. Your national costume and flag for events throughout the year such as UWC Day and other special celebration days.

2. Small items from your home country, such as photos, postcards, or souvenirs, to show your friends and to use for room decoration. 

3. One or more outfits of formal clothes (including shoes) for formal occasions and special events. A white or black shirt or blouse and black trousers / dress / skirt should be sufficient. 

4. Any medication currently being taken if necessary. Please note that you need to bring a letter from your doctor (either in English or translated into English) giving details of the issue, the prescribed treatment, and any other relevant information. This should be handed over to the Campus Clinic staff upon arrival, who will oversee the distribution of medication. Students are not allowed to self-medicate at any time and are not allowed to keep any medications in their rooms. If in doubt, please contact your Houseparent.

5. Any specific toiletries that you cannot find in Singapore. For example, if you use specific hair products, relaxers, moisturisers or braids for afro-textured hair, they are not easily available to purchase in Singapore, so it would be useful to bring along at least a six months’ supply. Sanitary products are readily available in Singapore. If you are uncertain, please ask your houseparent and BSE.

Things you can bring from home OR get in Singapore

Most of the following items can easily be bought in Singapore. It is therefore not necessary to bring too many things with you when you first arrive.  

1. Casual clothing (t-shirts, shorts, skirts, etc.) and a good supply of undergarments: Singapore is a tropical country with a hot, humid climate. You will sweat a great deal more if you are not used to living in tropical climates. You will probably change your clothes once or twice a day and do your laundry more often than you are used to. 

2. Personal toiletries and a toiletry bag or basket to take to washrooms: Once again, Singapore is a hot and humid place. Students are expected to shower on a daily basis.  

3. Towels (bath, face towel, swimming pool, sweat towel for sports/gym)

4. Sports attire, swimsuit and/or activewear

5. Comfortable footwear (sneakers, sandals and/or flip-flops)

6. An alarm clock: for grade 8 - 10 students, this should not be attached to a phone or any device that can connect to the internet as all electronic devices are handed in at night. A traditional alarm clock, if possible with an adjustable volume, is required. Grade 11 students can use the alarms on their phones or other devices.

7. Overnight bag or small suitcase for overnight leave and short trips (expeditions, service trips, boarding trips).

8. School bag and stationery: The College has a shop on campus where you can buy basic stationery (pens, pencils, notepads, calculators, etc.). There are also a few small supermarkets within walking distance from the boarding house where you buy basic school supplies. 

9. Laptop: All students are required to have an Apple laptop for use in school. Boarders can either bring their own device or order one in advance from the College’s authorised vendor. Details about this will be sent to parents in June or July. Our scholarship students do not need to purchase their own laptop - it will be provided for them as part of their scholarship when they arrive in Singapore

10. Mobile phones: Each boarder is required to have a functioning mobile phone compatible with Singapore SIM card and is 5G compatible. When you arrive in Singapore, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card independently if you are 16 years or older. We will assist with information on where and how to do this. Please note that you cannot receive incoming calls if you do not have sufficient credit on your phone, and you will need to maintain prepaid credit on your phone in order to be able to leave campus.

11. Musical instruments: Singapore has an excellent selection of music instrument stores, but these can be quite expensive. Music students should consider bringing their own instruments and supplies. The College has a very good Instrumental Training Programme (ITP) and a number of orchestras and bands for you to join. The boarding house has one baby grand piano and one digital piano for practising, and boarding students have access to the Music Department’s practice rooms after school hours. The Music Department may also have some extra instruments available for rental. 

12. Plugs and adaptors: Singapore uses British three-pronged square pin type plugs and sockets. The standard voltage is 220/240 V and 50 Hz.

Things you will get once you arrive in Singapore

1. School uniform: School uniform has to be worn during school hours. College polo shirts can be bought from the College Shop on campus, along with the grey shorts / skirts worn by grade 9, 10 and FIB students. Grade 11 students can bring along their own plain black trousers, shorts or skirts from home or buy them in Singapore. Also bring along plain black, grey or white shoes to wear at school. Most students prefer sneakers or trainers. Purchases from the College Shop can be charged to your contingency account.

2. Bed linen: The boarding house provides basic white/navy blue bed linen. If you want to use your own instead, you can do so, but it is probably easier to buy it once you arrive in Singapore. Our standard mattress size is 90 × 200 cm.

3. Laundry bag: We will provide you with special bags for your laundry usage. Each student will receive a personal laundry number prior to arrival. Students must mark all their clothing with this number using a laundry pen or permanent marker. 

Things you should NOT bring

The following items are not allowed in students’ rooms, unless they have special permission from houseparents. Prohibited items will be confiscated by House staff and students involved may be subjected to disciplinary action. 

1. Any items prohibited by Singapore law: this includes chewing gum, any products containing nicotine or tobacco, controlled drugs and psychotropic substances, firecrackers, toy guns, weapons such as knives, swords or spears (even if they are only ceremonial or decorative), or any substances that may be considered poisonous, flammable or explosive. Vaping equipment and electronic cigarettes are not allowed to be brought into Singapore. For more information, please visit the Singapore Customs website.

2. Heavy electric devices such as fridges, fans, microwaves, kettles, cookers, etc: Each floor has a kitchenette (pantry) with a fridge, kettle, mini-oven and microwave. All rooms have ceiling-mounted fans in addition to 24-hour air-conditioning. No additional fans, fridges, kettles or similar devices are allowed in students’ rooms. 

3. Anything that can pose a fire hazard: For safety reasons, students are not allowed to have candles, incense burners, matches, cigarette lighters, gas stoves, or anything else involving naked flames in their rooms. 

4. Gaming devices: Students are not allowed to bring their own dedicated gaming desktops / consoles with them. Tampines House has a generous provision for gaming (ranging from a Nintendo Wii to a Microsoft XBox 360 and Sony PlayStation 4). Gaming will only be allowed in the designated common room. You can however bring your own additional accessories (such as your own controller). Please note that if you bring your own games, they will need to be age-appropriate. 

5. High cost items: Avoid bringing expensive jewelry, clothing or other high cost items with you. This is both to be inclusive and avoid excessive displays of wealth as well as to prevent theft or loss.

How much space will I have for myself?

An important part of the boarding experience is learning how to share your living space with one or more roommates. It is therefore important to think carefully about how much space you need and how much space is available for all your belongings. Students will have limited storage space in their rooms, as well as some general storage space in the boarding house’s storerooms (roughly enough for two or three big suitcases). Students are therefore advised to limit themselves in terms of the number of clothing items, shoes, and pieces of furniture they bring with them or buy in Singapore. Having fewer personal belongings will not only make it easier for you to keep your room clean and organised (which is good for you and your roommate), but also make it easier and faster to clear out your room at the end of the academic year. 

Students in grade 8 and 9 live together in four-person rooms, while grade 10 and 11 students share double rooms. Grade 12 students have single rooms with a built-in wash basin.