(Credit: Alvations / Wikimedia Commons)
Hall life in university can be scary, especially when you’re going in blind as a freshman. Seniors often share horror stories of students struggling to cope with schoolwork as they navigate newfound independence, maintain their social lives, and get sufficient sleep. You’ll also hear all about the pranks played by over-enthusiastic hallmates during hall events like Angel and Mortal week, and the dreaded weight gain from the nightly supper gatherings. To help you survive this new and uncertain environment, here’s our Nanyang Technological University (NTU) hall guide!
There are four main room types in NTU halls that you can opt for – single, single plus-sized, single en-suite and double. From here, you can indicate whether you require air conditioning that’s chargeable at $0.39 per hour. Each hall room also comes with a set of furniture, including shelves and storage drawers. However, the layout of each hall’s rooms differs slightly, so it’s a good idea to check out the specific floor plans if you’re particularly interested. Read on for more details on the various halls in NTU!
As two of the oldest NTU halls, Halls 1 and 2 are also the halls with the largest rooms in NTU. With a heavy focus on culture and sports respectively, these halls promote the kampung spirit, and you can expect to be friendly with your neighbours. I’m also jealous of how accessible these halls are in terms of transport and supper options, as almost every bus visits the bus stop nearest to these halls! All the rooms here are en-suite, and the toilet is shared with your neighbouring room (you’ll have to clean it yourself). The rooms here are also not air-conditioned, so you might want to bring an additional fan to beat the afternoon heat.
Monthly rent:
Single En-suite: $558
Double En-suite: $381
Transport:
Campus Rider Green, Red, Brown
Singapore Bus Services (SBS) Service 179, 179A
As the reigning Inter-Hall Games sports champion, Hall 3 is primarily known for its sporting excellence and committed athletes. At the same time, it has also been rising in ranks for its cultural endeavours, becoming one of the more well-rounded halls in NTU. If you plan to be active in hall activities, you’ll like this one! Head’s up that this hall is also well-known for its social culture, so expect lots of mahjong sessions and parties that’ll last well into the night.
Monthly rent:
Single: $603
Double: $447
Transport:
Campus Rider Blue
SBS Service 199
To make your stay on campus more comfortable, I’d recommend getting a double room in either Halls 4 or 5, as their rooms are significantly larger than those of other halls. Lucky residents will also get rooms that overlook the scenic views of the Yunnan Gardens. Location-wise, these halls are both near Nanyang Business School and the main entrance of NTU, so they are super accessible by bus.
The culture in these halls is chill and welcoming, and there’s no pressure to participate in hall activities if they aren’t for you. My favourite initiative is their Overseas Community Initiative Programme, which focuses on giving back to the community. Like the first three halls, these halls do not have lifts.
Monthly rent:
Single: $608
Double: $458
Transport:
Campus Rider Blue, Red, Brown
SBS Service 179, 179A
This hall is located right next to the Sports and Recreation Centre, so the culture here is surely sports-related. As a member of this hall, you can expect to form tight-knit friendships through training for matches every week. In recent years, Hall 6 has risen in rankings during the Inter-Hall Recreational Games (IHRG). If you’re interested in recreational games such as Boggle and Chinese Chess, this may just be the hall for you!
Monthly rent:
Single: $568
Double: $403
Transport:
Campus Rider Green, Red, Brown
SBS Service 179, 179A
As the cluster of newer halls located along Nanyang Crescent, this trio of halls boasts an abundance of well-maintained amenities. These include a shared gym and multiple air-conditioned study rooms, alongside a huge function hall that’s used for events. I’m a resident here, and I can vouch that these halls are indeed better known for their culture and recreational games. Hall 7 won the overall Championship for the last IHRG, and Tamarind and Saraca Halls are also rather involved in their performing arts activities. If you’re looking for a hall that’s newer while still having exciting hall activities, one of these might be the hall for you!
Monthly rent:
Single: From $590
Double: From $432
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Blue
SBS Service 199
Compared against the social halls, Halls 8-11 are more laid-back and chill. Interested in picking up some dance skills? Both Halls 8 and 10 are known as dance halls due to their large dance crews, so you’ll be in good hands! Hall 11 also takes pride in its dance CCA, which warmly welcomes beginners. No experience? No problem – everyone’s invited to join! For our sporty friends, Hall 8’s sports scene has also been becoming increasingly vibrant, so you’ll enjoy the variety of sports offered here. The hall’s best sports include basketball, netball, and touch rugby. While these halls are located atop a hill, they remain relatively close to a variety of canteens. Bus stops are also accessible by a short walk.
Monthly rent:
Single: $593
Double: From $436
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Blue
SBS Service 199
If you’re looking for a social hall with a strong culture, you’ll enjoy life at Hall 12! This hall is known for its kampung vibe and friendly neighbours, so you’re guaranteed to make many new friends. Residents at this hall are no strangers to late-night talks and drinking sessions. On the other hand, life at Hall 13 is much more laid-back and community-driven. To kickstart your hall experience, don’t miss out on their upcoming Transition Orientation Programme (TOP).
Monthly rent:
Single: $593
Double: From $436
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Blue
SBS Service 199
As you set foot into either of these halls, you’ll experience the welcoming community and meet the friendly residents. All rooms in these halls are air-conditioned to deal with the heat and humidity (a win in my book)! A major perk of staying at Halls 14 and 15 is the canteen, which offers delicious and affordable food. My pick is either the Ban Mian or the Ramen stores, which make for great choices on rainy days. Having taken the shuttle bus from Hall 15’s bus stop before, I’d say my main gripe with this hall is how the buses are packed before they even reach this stop, so there’s usually a long waiting time to board the campus shuttle.
Monthly rent:
Single: $593
Double: From $436
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Blue
SBS Service 199
Yet another social hall, Hall 16 is also known to be an all-rounded hall that has residents skilled in sports, performing arts and recreational games. Hall 16’s dance crew managed to clinch first place for last year’s Hall Olympiad Closing Ceremony (HOCC), where dance crews from NTU’s 23 halls battled it out for the title. Notably, this hall is also one of the few halls that still offers cheerleading as a hall activity. So, give it a shot!
Monthly rent:
Single: $603
Double: $447
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Blue
SBS Service 199
These halls are known by NTU students as scholars’ halls due to the sheer number of overseas scholars and Medicine students who reside here. With fewer hall activities than other halls, the culture in these halls is still budding. Nonetheless, residents of these two halls are united by their pride over the cheap and good caifan (economy rice) in the canteen. This hall is often frequented by animals of all kinds – frogs, birds, cats and monkeys. But don’t be scared away by the horror stories, as it’s still a lovely place to stay!
Monthly rent:
Single: From $583
Double: From $528
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Green, Brown
SBS Service 179, 179A
If you’re like me and just want a quiet environment to relax after a long day of school, the North Hill halls may be a great choice as they’re much quieter than the others. However, that means that you’ll be compromising on hall culture. In the couple of weeks that I lived here, I found the shared canteen large, but the rooms were cramped and unbearably warm in the afternoons. For fans of mala, the famous Hot Hide Out is just downstairs, so you can pop by anytime for some spicy goodness with your friends.
Monthly rent:
Single: From $582
Double: From $426
Transport:
Campus Rider Red, Blue
SBS Service 199
(Credit: Sarah Chai / Pexels)
For the convenience of hall residents, all NTU halls are well-equipped with various facilities.
These include:
The CCAs offered in halls can be divided into two main groups – sports and cultural activities. The sports CCAs organised may differ between halls due to the level of interest, but you can expect the usual ones like Basketball, Football, Tennis and Ultimate Frisbee. On the other hand, cultural activities include Jamband, Dance, and recreational games such as Chinese Chess and Boggle.
Halls in NTU also offer ad-hoc CCAs that you can join as a committee member. These include annual events such as FOP and Dinner and Dance (DnD)! Like many university students, I juggle many commitments outside of school, so I’m glad to have this more flexible option. Want to take up a larger role and spearhead these projects? Consider joining the Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC), better known as the student-led hall committee. Positions available in this committee are similar to other leadership positions in the university, including roles like Secretary, Financial Controller, and Sports Secretaries.
Many freshmen find themselves joining a handful of activities to get a feel for these groups. I’d recommend you do likewise, as hall CCAs are a surefire way to spice up your life in university halls! Contrary to popular belief, hall activities will not consume your entire life. Rather, they provide fun and cohesion that’s difficult to find elsewhere. If you feel like trying something new, your first year of university is the time to try something entirely out of your comfort zone!
While hall stay is guaranteed for your first two years in NTU, it’s not certain that you’ll be allocated to a hall of your liking. This is why you’ll see many hall residents actively participating in hall CCAs and various activities to accumulate hall points! These are awarded on a tiered basis, with a maximum of 9 points. By holding a higher number of points, you’ll have a higher chance of residing in a hall of your choice or getting allocated the room type of your liking from your second year and up. This is especially important for seniors who wish to stay in Years 3 and 4, as priority is given to juniors or those who stay far from NTU.
Unlike halls in the National University of Singapore (NUS), CCA points are not stackable in NTU, so many seniors will advise incoming freshmen to be smart and practical with their choice of CCAs. After all, there’s only so much time we have outside of classes.
To kickstart your hall life, many seniors will recommend joining your hall’s TOP to help you better settle into your accommodation for the year. By playing the games and bonding with teammates, you’ll be able to understand your hall’s history and culture better. Over the next three days, you’ll also meet many new friends and helpful seniors who are sure to shape your experience staying in the hall!
These people will likely also be the same group of friends that you’ll attend subsequent hall events with! Either way, it’s nice to have a supportive group of friends at your home away from home. I found that the games played during my hall’s TOP were more fun than those in my faculty’s orientation programme, so I’d suggest attending to experience them yourself!
While activities between halls may differ slightly, there are typically celebrations whenever the occasion arises. Think of occasions like Chinese New Year and Halloween! Of course, there are also large-scale events such as the annual DnD, where you’ll cheer for your clan’s pageantees as they strut down the stage. During these events, you can look forward to an exciting performance lineup from your hall’s jambands and dance teams. As you enjoy these performances, munch on the snacks prepared by your hall’s JCRC. What’s even better? Most of these events conclude with a lucky draw that promises exciting prizes, including items such as JBL speakers, hairdryers and vacuums! These hall activities are usually free, so there’s no harm in participating with your friends.
Other than the activities offered within your hall, consider branching out to explore the RE@NTU Programmes. Designed with hall residents in mind, the RE framework offers fun and exciting themed activities such as yoga, cooking lessons and even lessons that impart useful life skills such as photography and editing. As these activities are free, there are limited slots available. So, fastest fingers first!
Some halls have bus stops offering SBS Services 179 and 199. If your hall doesn’t, fret not and simply take the campus shuttle buses. The red and blue shuttle buses stop at most halls, and they usually arrive in 10-15 minute intervals. Additional buses, such as the brown and grey shuttles, are also available during exam periods to aid your commute to your exam venues around NTU. That said, the buses tend to get packed during peak periods – I once missed three buses due to how crowded they were.
Students often joke about NTU also being known as Pulau NTU for how it’s on an island all of its own. Some anxious freshmen (like I once was) may hence worry about the facilities within NTU since the nearest shopping mall is a 20-minute bus ride away. Most student-friendly facilities are located around the North Spine Plaza, including the Fullerton Health Medical Centre, Prime Supermarket and NTU’s central library.
Another unofficial hall activity that’s considered a rite of passage for any student staying in the halls might be going for a snack with your supper kakis when the cravings hit. Pop over to Canteen 9 to get some savoury lok lok from Dingo’s for a hearty meal, or head to the nearby coffee shops if you’re up for a stroll. Feeling lazy to head off-campus like me? Order from the supper trucks to get your options like acai, fragrant bakes and even pasta delivered right to your hall’s doorstep. Need more ideas to get your late-night supper fix? Check out our guide to the best supper places in Singapore to satisfy those midnight hunger pangs.
For starters, resist the urge to bring your entire wardrobe to hall! Don’t make the same mistake that I did – you’ll have more than enough clothes to wear since most halls come with laundry rooms. As you attend various school events, you’ll likely also amass a collection of school tees that will be more than sufficient.
Here are some of our top essentials to purchase if you’re thinking about staying in a university hall:
We hope you’ve gained some valuable insights that’ll ease you into your stay in hall – you’re going to have a great time! As we’ll all be heading into the working world very soon, don’t forget to enjoy this communal experience and make some lasting memories! Ready to try your hand at some healthy snacks for supper? Check out our guide for some refreshing acai bowl recipes! Or, thinking of heading abroad for your exchange programme? Have a look at our guide to packing smart for overseas exchange!
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