All About City University College of Science & Technology Student Life (CUCST) - Malaysia

Hi and assalamuaikum..

I am a City University College of Science & Technology student. I’ve been living at the City U’s Damai hostel (the hostel is for new students) for about one year.

Update (August 2017): I'm currently on my final year (one more semester left before internship) 

The purpose I’m writing this because there is a lot of questions about my college, especially for those SPM graduated who didn’t get any offer from UPU, matrikulasi etc. and wanted to go to City UC. Some of my schoolmates been asking me about the amount of money spend for a month (for students living at the hostel), transport, fees and whta's not. So here it is :)

The Fees

First of all, the fees are up to what course you’re taking. I’m not so sure about this but mostly fees for diploma and foundation studies are about RM 1500. The counselor who contacted you will asked you to bank in RM 250 for the advance payment and as your confirmation. During the registration day you will have to pay the rest of the fees which is RM 1250.

Next, if you apply for the hostel and transport. You'll need to pay for the hostel deposit RM 350 (not include in the monthly rent for hostel), and RM 50 for the transport.

One semester is a total of four month. So the total of hostel rental for one semester is RM 800. I repeat, for only ONE semester, which means RM 200 per month. And that is not included for utilities payment (water & electric bill) and other outs (I don’t know what other outs charges is but they still include it in our outstanding bills), they will email you the bills every month. On my experience, the highest utility bill for me is about RM 29. Some got to pay very small amount and some got bigger amount. I totally have no idea how the management divide the bill.

Fourth floor view

The total transport for one semester is RM 200. But I tell you, the transport service is REALLY BAD. The buses are often not working. The air-conditioner sometimes work and sometimes not. Some seats has leaks on the roof and you know what will happen when its rain. You need to get down 30 minutes earlier before the bus schedule to move and be the earliest to line up. But it turn upside down when waiting the bus to go back to the hostel. The students won't line up, so we're all pushing & rushing which just showed all the gangsterism in every girls & boys. It's common when you got to sit at the staircase T_T

Update (September 2015): I'm no longer live at the hostel but I heard one of the buses was burnt so left two, and a new driver was changed. (AND MY FRIEND WHO IS STILL LIVING AT HOSTEL SAID THAT NOW THE SERVICE IS SO MUCH BETTER, caps lock on to catch your attention bcs this post was made years ago)

There are schedule for the buses to the college and usually it’s only take 1 hour to reach college. But because of the route from the hostel (Damai Hostel in Puchong) to the college are way too far, we will often get caught in a bad traffic jam and you will be late for your class. Trust me, every students will experienced that.

Early morning tol-pay station jam

Plus, the last bus to go to college is 9.30 am, imagine if you have a class at 3.00 pm… Yeah, either you take the last bus and study at the library/lepak/sightseeing or take the public transport which you have to change station every time. And for whom have class at 8.00 am need to take the earliest bus which at 6.30 am dawn. 

DAWN

Reminder for all Muslim students, the Subuh prayer azan here is quite late, it's about 6.10 am so prepare your wudhu and sajadah (prayer mat) and pray subuh sharp because the other student who already lined up won't give you chance. Asking a friend to book a seat for you is definitely a no no.

TWO ways to take the public transport to the college:

1.  Take Rapid U69 to KL Central (RM 2.50), take LRT to Asia Jaya (RM 2.00) = RM 4.50
2.    Take Rapid U69/T507/T509 (RM 1.00) or Metro 20/21/22 (RM 1.00) to IOI Mall, take Rapid U43 to Kelana Jaya (RM 1.00), and take LRT to Asia Jaya (RM 1.30) = RM 3.30

Update (February 2016): Those fare is not updated. Since the transport fare has increased on December 2015, I don't know how much is the cost now. Sorry :(

P/s: Waiting for the Rapid bus was like “DID THE DRIVER ASLEEP OR WHAT??!” lol

Cost For Living

Here comes the cost of money spend for a month..

Usually I will cook at night and buy food outside during the day because we’re at the college right. The food at our college’s café is not that good okay. Not bad, but not that good and quite pricey for me. So where the City U’s student usually eat other than the café?

Tadaaaa..!

This photo was taken in 2014, it was renovated in early 2017, now the signboard has gone.

D’Jungle Food Court!

There are so many food stalls in there, varieties of food and the price are according to the stall lah. Unfortunately there is no Tom Yam :( only at the college’s café (RM 5.00) and it will give you a taste of REAL HOT SPICY FLAVAH! (>_<)’ I remembered when the first and the last time I ate that Tom Yam, I end up going to the toilet back and forth.. Luckily I was already at the hostel when I got the stomach pain. It was yummy but way too spicy :(

City U's cafe

Others are mamak canteen, it's the opposite way to the D’Jungle (left side of the college), it is cheaper but thumbs down for the cleanliness, I used to be their regular customer during my freshie days, but I didn't go there anymore :( Or if you have a lot of money/rich, you can go to AmCorp Mall at Taman Jaya/KL Central/Bangsar/KLCC etc.

Update (February 2016): A new restaurant is newly opened right in front of the college. Also outsider are allowed to eat at TNB's canteen. (MF Maju) 

Okay back to the story. During the day I will spend about RM 4.00 – RM 7.00 only for my lunch. The RM 7.00 is when I bought breakfast and fruit. During the night, I’ll cook instant noodle, or cook plain rice with fried egg/canned food, or sometimes I’ll buy burger at Warong Uncle John right in front of the hostel.

Mak Cik Sotong (there’s no sign)

There also other food stalls like Mak Cik Sotong right after the Chinese restaurant in front of the school, Vishnu’s restaurant for the Indians (last time I went to accompany my friend, one of the uncle who work there said it’s halal for Muslim, but I still was-was), Nasi Lemak Kukus stall in front of the HERO Hypermarket, Sambal Tumis restaurant and ABM Mydin restaurant (mamak/indian muslim) right across the road. 

Every Saturday, there will be a Pasar Malam in front of the Chinese school, at the 99 SPEEDMART area. As for Sunday, it’s public holiday.. So there will be no ready-food supply outside except for the HERO Hypermarket, 99 SPEEDMART and 7-Eleven.

I spend about RM 50 for a week which means it cost me RM 200 for a month. That is the most saving way! Again, not including the assignment printing cost, public transport, credit top-ups and shopping for self-desire/household needs huhu. I need to ask my mom for an extra pocket money for that.

You can get credit top-ups at HERO Hypermarket, 7-E, some phone shop along the 7-E’s way and a top-up vending machine at the college.

Sick? Don’t worry. There is the Batu 14 Clinic near but you can ask the warden to send you there. Also a private pharmacy like Pharmacy OK and Cosway’s.

About the printing shop, there used to be a stationary shop which provide all student ‘tools & weapons’ and printing & photocopy. Unfortunately, with all the grief of my pure sincere heart *cough*, the shop had closed down. No notice, no memo, no nothing. All I knew there is a computer shop next to 7-E’s provide printing & photocopy service, but the shop frequently close whenever I go. I rarely sees it open. Also a shop that I never knew was exist along the futsal hall has provide the service, but never been there. Do not worry my people! Some student who have printer will provide printing service as well, but the price is up to the owner. Ask your friends and neighbors, there always will be one :) If you are quite close with them, you can get some discount hihi.

Usually the students will buy the printing & photocopy card at the college’s bursary, RM 20.00 each and have the exact amount in the card. The card will be used to of course print/Photostat at the library. RM 0.10 for black & white, RM 1.50 for colors. Aigoo~ be creative, you can always share the card with your friend if you can’t afford it. Half-half ;)

Other than that, there's also an art & stationery shop provide printing & photocopy service nearby. I mean near KFC, it's the nearest and cheapest. They also provide art tools and larger printing service like A1, A2, A3 etc.

Internet? No worries! The hostel is in wi-fi zone, and it's not free. There's a package like RM 25 for 1 month and RM 10 for 1 week. Where you can buy? Ask the warden :)

Bonus: There's a mall nearer which you can go by any bus at just RM 1. There's Popular Bookstore, GSC, Guardian, Fitness First Gym, Daiso, Komonoya, Caffe Bene, SuperSave and all sort of mall shop stuff.

My favorite >,<

To-die-for

Oh before I forgot, for Damai hostel folks, you must pack you things every semester and leave your room (and the house) spick and span without any of your belongings because the owner of the hostel building will come and check every space that existed during sem’s holiday! Once they found your belongings, they will just throw it and charge RM 250 for every person who live in the house. So beware. 

*Psst.. This is just a threats from the warden. Either you can keep your things at the store room or bring it back to your home, or hide it under your bed. Share the under-bed space with others so that would not be a waste of energy.

Old bus (Now the bus has different colour)

BUT….

If you can’t stand the life at Damai Hostel, change to Mentari Hostel located at Petaling Jaya. It’s near to Sunway area. Once you live there, there’s no need to apply for the college’s transport anymore. Since the hostel is a bit nearer to the college, you can go by public bus. Any Rapid buses and any Metro buses because Asia Jaya is on the pit-stop list. RM 2.00 a day (RM 1.00 go and RM 1.00 back). *Fares are not updated*s

I don’t really know about life at Mentari’s since I never lived there. All I know is the foreign students like Nigerian, Arabian etc. also live there. My friend who is currently living at Mentari said there also have food stalls, restaurant, convenience store like 7-E etc. and supermarket. The printing? I don’t know. And you can just leave your things at the hostel every semester break. Overall, majorities of the student love the life at Mentari rather than Damai.

P/S: I lived at Damai hostel only for a year during foundation studies. I'm currently living at a rental house.

Hmm, how about studying at City UC? It’s pretty nice actually. Because the education procedure here sometimes good and sometimes sucks like hell. You can study at ease and work a part time job (for those who don't have a packed schedule). Most of the lecturers here are friendly to their students, but some lecturer are pretty tough & like a grim reaper. But still, if you procrastinate your assignments/works, then it’s just worthless. It's up to you after all huhu.

P/s: RM 25.00 per subjects you’re taking for the exam; once in a sem). And the holiday for every semester is only 2 weeks. Kinda hard for those who lived far like Sabah, Sarawak and Pantai Timur’s :( 

Update (February 2016): Foundation studies' fee actually separated from the degree's. I thought it was a packaged where you pay for the foundation fees (RM1250) with the degree's but I was wrong. My degree's fee is RM1400 (Originally RM2000 but was reduced the amount if the students pay early).

Final Tips

Before you want to apply for the college application form, check out the website first and see the list of the course provided because even if you got the invitation letter, there are some course didn’t get listed on the letter.

Do not view this as a joke. Especially for those who wants to apply for foundation studies at this college. Once you become the foundation student and want to move to other uni/college, you will have to pay RM 18 000.00 on your own (you can apply for Baitulmal, Yayasan or PTPTN etc.) even you didn’t finish completely because the college sponsored for the foundation studies (college’s scholarship, only the education loan & not included the allowance).

YOU GUYS BETTER CHOOSE/WAIT AN OFFER FROM THE IPTA. *If you aren't from rich family like me :( I suffered a lot in financial since PTPTN doesn't give allowance anymore so I have to buy my project's material on my own.  I warn ya.

Plus, the allowance only for the diploma student whose attendance are more than 85% per semester. I can’t guarantee you guys about PTPTN’s money or MARA. And MARA only sponsor some course, ask your counselor for more information or contact City U’s.

Our Dekan

So that’s all I can tell you guys. Advisable; do not give up for IPT’s uni. Make IPTS as your last way to continue your studies. Remember, you can always be successful anywhere you go, as long as you do. Good luck guys ^^; Fighting!!