DECISION MAKING 

Did you go to JC/Poly? What subjects were you pursuing before university, and were they related to your university course? If you made a switch in your education path/choices along the way, share more about that!  

I went to JC and studied H2 Physics, Math, Econs and Geog. I stopped studying chemistry after getting my A in O levels as it was very hard, and I didn’t like it. Apart from economics, I don’t think my course and my subjects in JC are very related.  

(some background about me: I’m not much of a planner, I don’t plan on which school and course to go, which subjects to take, etc. For both O levels and A levels, I studied hard to get the best score for me to have the most opportunities. I also only started comparing the school and course after my results came out.) 

The way I chose my course was by elimination. I didn’t take Chemistry, so Medicine is out. I have no interest in Medicine and Dentistry. Law was out as well, as my command of English was not the best (C for GP in A levels, haha). Engineering was out, Science was out, so I was left with business, FASS and computing. I considered Econs in FASS but felt like it was a waste of my grades to go to FASS, so I chose Business. Eventually, I applied to Business Analytics under Computing as it seemed more specialised, and I was planning to do the Business Analytics specialisation under the School of Business. When I matriculated, I think the course was relatively new (I enrolled in AY 18/19) 

 

What courses were you considering, and what were the factors that personally shaped your decision (from more important to not as important)? 

I was considering only Business under the School of Business as I didn’t know what industry I wanted to go into, and the other faculties like engineering and science will set the industry and job that you’re going into. In contrast, for business, it could be applied to any industry. However, I eventually chose business analytics over business as it was more specialised. The surrounding people also told me that business was a waste of my grades (I got straight As and C for GP). Therefore, I researched a bit more and found business analytics, which satisfied the same requirement(can go into any industry and is also a bit more specialised). Business students hustle to source for internships, do stuff outside of school etc., and I really respect that. 

 

COURSE: How did you decide on your course over other courses, especially those that were similar? If you’re doing a double major/degree, what made you decide on that?  

At that point in time, I didn’t know about the Data Science course, which I would say is similar but it is more technical. Within the School of Computing, I was only comparing computer science and business analytics. Computer science sounded way too technical for a newbie like me who knew nothing about coding (I thought that coding is hacking, and the first thing I expected to learn was how to hack computers). I also chose a second major in Econs because I thought it was pretty generic and useful to business. I don’t remember giving much thought to it since I was considering taking Econs as a course, anyway. 

 

SCHOOL: How did you decide on your school (over other schools that offered your course) eventually?  

No other school offered this course. As for business, I’m not sure why I didn’t choose NTU, probably because it’s in a more remote area and is very far from my house (even though I knew there’s guaranteed accommodation). On the other hand, I didn’t choose SMU because I heard everyone talking about the toxic culture, and I wasn’t sure if I could survive that because I’m a person who goes with the flow, so I was worried others might deceive me. I also considered Information Systems in SMU as I believe at that time it was a new course there. However, my friend, who was proficient in coding, told me it’s not very technical, which I guess made me sceptical of the course. 

 

TEACHING CURRICULUM 

What’s your course structure like? 

• How many modules / seminars/tutorials/lectures per week? By semester / term / month? 

• Is it based on mostly individual exams or group assignments? 

• Are there reading weeks / sabbatical terms? 

For the first two years, I had a second major in Economics. What I didn’t realise was that it would require me to overload for over one semester as the Unrestricted Electives (UE) credits for my course(Business Analytics) is only 32, while to complete the Econs major as a 2nd major, you will need to clear 44 credits, This means even if you use all your UE, you will still need to overload.  

 

How is a day in the life of a student in your course & school like (describe the activities/people that you meet or have throughout a day, and how long a day you spend in school/studying/awake)? 

I was in Temasek Hall; hence I spent most of my time in hall and only went to school for tutorials and lectures. I prefer morning classes so that my afternoons would be free, which can usually be spent sleeping or catching up. Most of the time, a module has one lecture(usually 1hour  45min each, sometimes up to 3 hours) and one tutorial(1h each) per week, so multiply that by 5 for five modules per semester. We do have shared modules with students of Information Systems. On average, I usually get about 4-5 hours of sleep, sleeping at 2-3 am and waking up at 7-8 am. I don’t spend much time in school, only when necessary (to attend classes). The rest of the time is split between doing work and attending sports training. 

 

What is the format of your assessments/exams like (practical / MCQ / essay; online/offline; mostly individual or group assignments)? 

The assignments in coding modules are entirely individual and in-person (however, this was before COVID; hence I’m unsure if there are any changes now). There is a combination of practical assessments and papers with multiple-choice and structured questions. Most of the other modules have some sort of group assignment as part of the weightage and are conducted online using Examplify (a test-taking application) at home.  

 

How heavy would you say the workload for your course is compared to an average student in your university? 

It is one of the heavier ones because of the coding component. In hall, if you know someone from the School of Computing, you will already expect the person to be a phantom (someone who doesn’t participate in hall activities) as there is no time. However, different people take different amounts of time to code as the same question can take one person 30 minutes to complete, while for another person, it may take a few hours. 

 

There are often certain skills or content knowledge that you learn in university that can be learnt outside of school independently. Would you say there’s a difference between learning this knowledge/skills independently versus in university? What knowledge/skills would you say can only be learnt from your course? 

I feel that learning coding is possible to be done independently. However, it takes a lot more effort with no one to consult. The coding courses online usually only cover the basics, and I feel that you only get more challenging coding questions/projects in a module. You also receive guidance from those around you and your professors and TAs(teaching assistants). 

 

Are there specialisations within your degree? If yes, when do you have to choose your specialisation, and what specialisation have you chosen? 

Yes. There are the Marketing and Finance specialisations. I believe you can choose them from Year 2 Semester 2 onwards, but after that, you can also declare in subsequent semesters. You will have to clear six elective modules as part of the course. If you specialise, there is a list of set electives that you can take. For example, if you decide to specialise in Finance, all six courses will be Finance-related courses.  

I decided not to specialise. I started my year 3 Sem 1 taking some of the finance specialisation electives, and then in Sem 2, I wanted to try out the marketing electives. Hence, I did not specialise. I was not exceptionally proficient in the finance mods, and I knew that I wouldn’t want compete with those who are seriously good in financial modelling, etc. Hence, I decided just to take this opportunity to explore both. 

 

How are the faculty / professors of your course like? Any favourite professors! 

The professors are shared. Some modules are only for Business Analytics, but others are shared. Some of the professors teach a few modules too. 

They are all accommodating and patient. However, I must admit that I do not come into contact much for some, though  I sometimes consult the TA instead as they can better relate to us, and the profs may have too many questions from other students especially for modules with many students. However, if you put in the effort to learn and ask questions, they will be open to help. 

 

Are there any final year projects / capstones / thesis to do? 

Yes, there is a capstone project where you will form a group of 4 (depending on the class size that year) and bid for a project offered by a company. You will also have a professor as a leading mentor/guide and other professors and TAs. The company will also have one representative to liaise with you guys to ensure that standards are met. The capstone project doesn’t clash with the professional internship too. 

 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE / PREFERENCES 

What were your most and least favourite/interesting classes/part of your course?  

Coding comes to mind as the least favourite part because it is often very frustrating when you are stuck on the same question. However, it is gratifying when you complete the question and see your code running smoothly. At the same time, the most exciting part is to see the different applications in different industries, whether it be coding, presentations, marketing analytics. 

 

Were there times when you regretted your decision? / Is there anything that you didn’t particularly enjoy about your course? 

I would complain about how tough and competitive it was sometimes and how people around me are so smart, but I never regretted it as I knew that I wouldn’t have chosen any other course. I also understand that this is the course that can bring me into any industry. I just didn’t enjoy the fact that sometimes the effort put in did not give me the same result that I expected (like sometimes, even if you spend long hours, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will become good at it). However, I believe this is only a minority. Also, it might be because I sometimes don’t consult the TAs and profs when I am unsure, but I have started to as I entered year 3, which helped. 

 

Are there many people who switch out of your course? Is the student retention rate for your course high? 

I only know of a senior who switched out of my course to go to computer science because he did not enjoy looking at data and numbers, but he liked the coding and computer parts of the course; hence he went to computer science. Other than that, not that I know of. 

 

What sort of student do you think would excel in / be suited for your course? Or what should one like (e.g. working with numbers, presentations) to enjoy your course? 

You should be excited to see how simple numbers from a spreadsheet can give you so much data and information once you analyse and process it. Also, you should be determined, and it would help if you are open to others, as you will probably be asking for help along the way. 

 

CAREER PROSPECTS 

What are the career prospects like for your course? 

Many companies are looking for data analysts now, and you can practically go into any industry. 

 

What are your plans after university?  

Personally, I’m fine with not doing something related to business analytics, but I do wish to make use of it. Also, I am interested in the hospitality industry, but those aren’t the most related to my course. 

 

Did you have any internships/work experience related to your career (elaborate if yes), and did your school give you sufficient training & resources? Otherwise, where else did you find them? 

I have not done the required internship for my course(for six months), but I did try searching. First, I would read the job description because it has to be technical enough to be approved by the school since it is considered under the course requirement. The industry will be my next consideration, which ideally would be something that seems interesting. However, I don’t think there are enough positions/listings on the school’s internship portal, and many of my friends had to find their own.

 

STUDENT LIFE 

Did you stay in campus accommodation? Do many of your friends stay on campus? 

Yes, for two years. I did not secure a spot in Year 3 as I did not obtain enough points(sadly). I had entered Temasek through a senior’s recommendation to play frisbee, but in Year 1, I didn’t really participate in many things as I didn’t really like hall due to personal reasons. I was lucky that I had enough points to stay in Year 2. When I enjoyed hall in year 2, I couldn’t join many things, especially the committees because they will mostly retain the seniors and have already taken in more freshmen. Thus, if you’re a senior, it’s a bit harder. Most of my friends are from hall. 

 

How is the school culture like, and how would you describe the people? What should students entering your school take note of? 

I think that people in the School of Computing are always very helpful because we all understand the struggles of coding. Even those who do not struggle are also very understanding and willing to help others. Be thankful for the help you receive, and I always try to offer support back if possible. Everyone’s schedule and time are precious, and for someone to take time out to explain a concept willingly, I think that’s a grand gesture that should not be taken for granted. 

 

What were your CCAs? 

I was in hall for two years.  

Year 1 hall: Frisbee, Badminton, Temasek Hall Dance Production, Web Committee 

Non-hall: IFG (inter-faculty games) Ocomm, Computing Freshmen Camp Ocomm 

Year 2 hall: Frisbee and Badminton 

Non-hall: NUS Sports Club EXCO

Year 3: nothing 

 

What other opportunities have you made use of in university, e.g. overseas exchange (can also include external commitments)? Which do you cherish most? 

I joined NUS Sports club and ran for EXCO. This was quite a big jump for me as I had never applied for an EXCO/leadership position in my life before, and I had to give a speech to convince others to vote for me. This was stepping into a new world for me as I learnt about managing people and many other things that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t take this step. Though there were many ups and downs, I cherish the experience immensely as it challenged me greatly. 

 

Any parting words of advice for juniors? :,) 

Don’t be afraid of changing and stepping out of your comfort zone. Even though some people seem like they have it all together, you can still take your time in uni to figure out what you like, what you don’t like and try new things! Everyone is very open, and you will definitely find something.