Course + Year:NUS BSc (Economics) Y3
I was from the JC route, and my subject combination was PCMG (Physics, Chemistry, Math, Geography). Though I didn’t take Econs initially, I realised I had more interest in Econs after I entered university.
Initially, I was interested in design & modelling, which was why I chose Architecture.
Year 1 of Architecture was really fun! There were lots of drawings, hands-on projects and even an overseas trip. My studio and I went to Penang as part of a field trip and I made some memories that I will never forget! Workload wise, it is very heavy so be prepared not to get much sleep if you’re involved in other CCAs and activities!
I guess the trigger point for me was during a CRIT session – when a panel of tutors will critique the project you’ve been working on for months or one whole semester. I wasn’t really cut out for the demanding nature of the work and lifestyle. I preferred a more balanced lifestyle, in which I was in control of the work I’m passionate about, my friends and family. That was what made me contemplate switching courses!
Here’s more information on Architecture:
But after a year, I transferred to take Econs mainly because:
I felt that NUS was generally more recognised and it was also closer to home. The programme is almost similar for both schools, but SUTD has general modules we have to fulfil (if i’m not wrong)—like Physics, Math, and some Engineering-related modules. While SUTD offered me a scholarship, I chose NUS for the aforementioned reasons.
Because Architecture is a professional degree, I believe it was relatively easier to transfer as compared to other courses. I submitted a form and told them why I wanted to transfer. In addition, I had to write a personal statement and provide a transcript of my grades. No interview required for me!
I converted all my first-year modules into UEs (Unrestricted Electives). And then when I transferred to FASS, I had to still satisfy my core modules + general education modules (GEH, GER, GET, GES, GEQ).
The downside is they took around 1-2 months to get back to me so I couldn’t really apply for any freshman orientation camps for the start of that year.
For FASS students we have 3 baskets of studies:
I took Southeast Asian studies (SE1101E), European studies (EU1101E) and Economics (EC1101E) from each basket. I enjoyed these modules as historical and social events always interested me. Given I didn’t have a background in history, I found the essay writing style in EU1101E relatively difficult. However, SE1101E turned out pretty interesting and I found it easier to score compared to EU1101E.
We also have 2 FASS core modules to clear – FAS1101 (Writing) and FAS1102 (Public Communications). I really enjoyed these 2 modules as well because they helped develop my writing skills and allowed me to explore societal issues further.
For Economics we have to satisfy 8 core modules: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics (Statistics), Algebra/Calculus and the introduction module.
I would say that besides the Math skills requirement, Economics is also very conceptual. The core modules are actually very integrated; Microeconomics is related to Macroeconomics! You need to be able to grasp the concepts well.
I personally enjoyed Macroeconomics a lot, learning about budget constraints and so on. My favourite module was perhaps Money & Banking. It taught me how the financial crisis happened, how financial markets work and how crucial they are to our economy.
Every week (for most modules) we have a:
We are graded on class participation for tutorials. We receive a problem set for tutorial every week and the professor randomly picks students to present their answers. It doesn’t matter if your answers are correct or wrong; what matters is that you’ve shown that you tried your best. So far, there have been no discussion seminars. I think we have those later on in our more advanced modules.
Our midterms are 35%; class participation is 15%; and finals are 50%. Some of our group assignments are graded, but their weightage is usually very small—maybe 10-15%.
Economics is actually a course that is very exam-centric, relative to other courses like Sociology or Comms. Last semester, I took 5 Econs modules and had to take 5 exam papers! Because of Covid-19 I took the exams online; they used a software called Examplify to time us. For certain papers, I had to take a photo of my answer (for questions involving graphs/calculations) and upload it online. We use this platform called Luminus for our online class materials.
It’s mostly MCQs or short structured questions. So far, there have not been any full essay questions. For the introduction module, my finals consisted of 70 MCQs. My friends told me that some of the introductory modules are actually very similar to what you learn in JC Economics.
Some of the exams do require a lot of calculations though, like general microeconomic analysis modules. Whereas for macroeconomic analysis, it is more theory/content-heavy and sometimes requires graph drawing.
You definitely have a lighter workload than in JC. In JC we were really just studying; in university there’s a lot more free time, except maybe if you’re in hall. The first few weeks of school are generally okay; the pace picks up and it gets more stressful near exams.
I would say overall it’s pretty manageable. My lack of Economics background (in JC) didn’t really affect my ability to cope, because there’s a lot of new knowledge in the university syllabus.
However, I feel Econs is a pretty competitive course. I think all courses are competitive, but in Econs it feels like there are so many smart people. Courses like Business, however, may be more competitive in terms of class participation.
I’m pretty hardworking and I study quite diligently; I usually get above 50th percentile so I’m around or slightly above average. But it’s like no matter how hard you work, you can only do so well, you know?
There are a number of exchange students/scholars, but not that many. I think I’ve seen the most exchange students in the Money & Banking classes. I’m not too sure, but I would say the student body is around 75% local.
I have friends studying Econs in SMU and their lessons are more seminar-style. I don’t have any friends in NTU that take Econs, so I’m not so sure. Generally, the syllabus should be similar but what may differ is the type of involvement of Econs majors in classrooms.
Module requirements are pretty strict for Econs. For example, Micro Analysis IIrequires Micro Analysis I; and these module prerequisites cannot be negotiated. But otherwise, the faculty is quite helpful – if for example, you forget to bid for your module!
Lectures are always taught by professors, but tutorials are sometimes taught by undergraduates (in Year 3/4). If you have any questions you can easily go to professors’ office hours (they work like consultations in JC). You can discuss the questions with your friends and go in a group. The Econs lecturers are super nice & chill and generally approachable!
Econs is also a safe choice in terms of career prospects. These are some examples: you can go into marketing (sounds a little distant but… I’ll explain later on), the banking and finance sector or even policy research. Fun fact, I actually applied for accounting in SMU before I chose NUS Architecture!
In Econs you can choose to specialise in either of these 3 areas:
List of modules available here: https://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/ecs/undergraduate/modules.html
I chose not to specialise in any because I knew I wanted to take Behavioural Economics – which is not found in any of the specialised routes. The reason being that I felt Behavioural Economics would help me to better quantify what consumers want and aid me in pursuing digital marketing in the future. I’ve always been interested in design & writing so digital marketing became something I wanted to pursue.
Your specialisation doesn’t appear on your degree certificate, but it appears on your transcript. The opinion is mixed: some of my friends say it doesn’t matter, but some of them say it matters if you want to go into certain fields.
For me, I already knew that I didn’t want to specialise so 🙂
My first internship was at a small health tech company. I was doing marketing; competitor analysis; content creation (writing articles). I got that internship through NUS Talent Connect (which is the platform where they post all the available internship opportunities). I actually worked there part-time for 4 months then worked full-time during the holidays.
I’m currently working at a small startup (e-Commerce firm) which focuses on vegan products called PoweredByPlant. I’m doing analytics for social media marketing there. I got this through a Telegram group called SG Internship Opportunities. I started this internship in February.
Other than those 2 platforms, another very useful website is Glints. Your LinkedIn profile is also very important when you start looking for internships! Sometimes your resume may not be sufficient (but definitely needed), and LinkedIn is better because it’s more visual and easier to make connections with your employers.
Right now I’m focusing on internships – I’m just generally focusing on getting work experience, even if it’s part-time. Last year, I was part of the Tamil Language Society as the Vice Treasurer and Head of Publicity. CCAs are not compulsory in NUS. In my opinion, they act more as a form of stress reliever and in some ways, could help to boost your portfolio.
I’ve never lived on campus, mainly because I live quite near NUS. I usually go over to my friends’ campus accommodation (they have to take up certain CCAs to stay in hall).
I did feel like I missed out in Year 1 but I didn’t have any time to commit to hall activities anyways. I believe it’s a great opportunity to make friends, meet new people and forge connections. Would definitely recommend staying in hall for at least the first 2 years for a wholesome university experience!
I was actually supposed to go on exchange this year, to Lund University in Sweden! It’s a university known for Economics related courses. Sadly, the exchange was cancelled due to Covid-19. Oh, one thing to note is that we can’t take Econs core modules on exchange; we can only clear our UEs/electives.
If any juniors have any questions, you can direct them to me; I’ll be more than willing to help!
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the interviewees and do not reflect the official policy or position of any institution. They are also not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, class, individual or organisation.
The information contained in this website is intended to provide general guidance only. It should not be relied upon as professional advice and does not 100% guarantee admission into any course.
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