INSEAD MBA - One year will change your life forever

Some facts about my life at INSEAD in Singapore:

Academic structure:

• 5 periods of approximately 2 months each (P1-P5)
• 2 intakes per year (September and January)
• Appr. 150 students in the Singapore intake and 300 at the Fontainebleau one (900 per year)
• Total students at Singapore campus is about 300 ('fresh' intake and 'seniors' combined)
  13.5 core courses (P1=5, P2=6, P3=2.5)
• Minimum 10 and maximum 12 elective courses (advised: P3=3, P4=4, P5=3)
• Core courses: classes with 75 students in an amphi (=lecture room)
• Elective courses: classes with maximum 48 students in an amphi
• Average percentage of grade determined by participation in class: core=20%, elective=20% to 50%
• About 80 electives to chose from

Study

• Weekdays: 8-16 hours per day (including classes)
• Weekends: 3-6 hours per day
• Average of 3 different courses taught per day
• Duration of 1 course is 1.5 hours; 15 minutes break between courses

Housing

• Heritage View apartment complex or Dover Parkview apartment complex
  2 or 3 bedroom apartments
• Costs (furnished): S$2000 per month for 2 bedroom apartment (=appr EUR 1000), S$2500 per month for 3 bedroom apartment
• Almost all apartments hired a maid for cleaning and ironing (appr S$40 per week)
• Available at complex (Heritage View): 4 swimming pools, 2 BBQ spots, 1 gym, tennis courts

Travel

• From apartment to INSEAD: 7 minutes walk
• All other: taxi (a taxi ride to the city center lasts about 15 minutes and will cost you S$6)
• Trips made by students in last 3 months: Indonesia (Bali, Bintang), Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket, Ciang Mai), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melakka, several islands for diving), Cambodia, Vietnam, Phillipines, Japan

Food

• Food court (S$4 per meal)
• INSEAD: lunch and diner (S$5 per meal)
• Restaurants (S$15-25 per meal)
• Home cooking: hardly

Weather

• 30-33 degrees Celsius every day
• It rains on average 30 minutes a day (some days more)

Party and relaxation

• Average of 3 night per week of having drinks and going out
• 3 official parties organized per period
• 1 major party per half year (Winter Ball is happening at 26th of November)
• 2 national weeks per period (week full of activities organized by students from that country)
• 2 national days per period (same as weeks, but shorter (duh))
• organized sports: basketball, soccer, rugby, tennis, dance classes (Latin American / Ballroom, Salsa, Belly dancing) and plenty of individual sports

Career

• Average of 3 evening lectures per week (presentations by companies, presentations about industries, presentations by global leaders and entrepreneurs)
• Organized by Career Management Services: cv sessions, self-assessment, industry seminars, etc
  
  

That should do it for now. If anyone wants to know some other / more specific stuff, just drop me a comment. I like comments :)

# posted by INSEAD 06 : 5:23 PM