Kevin Kobrin, University of St. Gallen (Switzerland)
About University of St. Gallen
My university is located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The school is near to “Lake Constance” and about one hour by train from Zurich.
I’m a 3rd year student specialising in Entrepreneurship and Finance. In Business Administration, we are offered to study accounting, finance, micro- and macroeconomics, strategic and organizational management and many other specialisations. I chose the courses that allowed me to specialize in entrepreneurship and finance. Our university focuses only on business, law and international relations hence there are no other faculties.
A major difference between NUS and HSG would be that NUS really emphasizes on class participation. At HSG, you would not need to go to most classes because attendance and participation are not taken. In addition, in all “core” courses there is only one exam at the end of the semester which makes up 100% of the grade. All other electives often have a paper or group project to complete.
The housing situation in Switzerland is slightly different. Our university does not offer any student dormitories or student housing. Students usually rent an apartment with other students and form a so-called “Wohngemeinschaft (WG)”. The rent is pretty expensive where the price ranges from about 400-800 CHF per month for a room. Although I heard HSG offers student housing for exchange students, but I am not very sure about this fact.
A similarity between NUS and HSG would be the extracurricular activities which students participate during their free time. HSG is famous for its student clubs and extracurricular activities that helps students to gain practical experiences during their studies. Besides business orientated clubs, we also have a variety of sports, musical or other activities focused student clubs most students participate in.
To get around the city is pretty easy. The village of St. Gallen only has a population of about 80.000. Public transport is very reliable. I live very close to university, so I always just walk to class.
About Germany
I am originally not from Switzerland but from Germany, so I will tell you something about my home-country.
Germany is one of the bigger countries in Europe in regard to land mass and is the most populated one with a population of about 85 million. Germans are very proud of their state and especially the city they were born in.
I will tell you something about my beautiful home city. I am born and bred in Munich in the state of Bavaria of southern Germany. Munich is one of the economic powerhouses in Germany. It’s most famous for its football team (FC Bayern München) and the Oktoberfest (Beer Festival) which is held every year starting in September to October. Oktoberfest is a cultural event filled with many different Bavarian traditions. It dates back to the marriage of Therese Princess of Bavaria to Prince Ludwig in the year 1810. The population at the time liked the wedding so much that they just started to celebrate it each year on. Nowadays Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival in the world. If you ask anyone from Munich they will tell you great stories from each year, how proud they are to represent this tradition and how much beer they had drunk the last time. During Oktoberfest, the beer is served in one-litre glasses called “Mass Krüge” will set you back about 12€ (tip included). Compared to Singapore, the price might seem sort of decently priced but for Germany, this is pretty expensive. Normally, you can get beer in the supermarket for around 0.65€ which is often less expensive than water.
Other than beer, many “Bavarians” would recommend called Weisswürste (white sausages) which is a specialty in Munich. You taste best with sweet mustard and some bezels. However, you should visit the restaurant early. Weisswürste are considered as breakfast or lunch so it will only be served until about 1 pm. Other favourites are the duck with “Knödel” and “Käse Spätzle”
Besides Oktoberfest Munich offers a broad variety of cultural attractions and sightseeing. By watching any Disney movie, you probably have seen one of the most famous already. The original Disney Castle called “Schloss Neuschwanstein” is just located about 1 hour from Munich.
To get around, you can use the highly developed public transport system or just rent a car for a few days. Another tip of making the most out of your buck while traveling Europe is the company called “Flixbus”. They offer bus travel in the whole of Europe at unbeatable prices and great service.
The University of St. Gallen has reached out to NUS Business School to collaborate in the Asian Culture Transfer 2018 (ACT). This programme has been conducted by the University of St. Gallen for the last 20 years. The aim of the programme is to provide international encounters of students from all over the world to foster students’ cultural competencies based on 3 pillars: politics, economy and nature.
This July, we have a team of 20 NUS Business students embarking on the ACT for the first time since its inception. We look forward to a great working relationship with St Gallens!