1. COURSE

How would you describe your course to someone who knows nothing about it? (a brief one would do!)

I would describe it as a fusion of different majors under various themes, in pursuit of being a holistic global citizen.

2. 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 was from JC and I took History, Literature, Economics and H1 Math! (very FASS)

 

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

I was debating between Political Science and Global Studies because I am really interested in international relations and it was something that I gained from participating in events like the Singapore Model United Nations. Considering my future job options impacted my decision as well, so I tried to consider choices that would lead to jobs that I did not mind doing after graduation.

 

How did you eventually decide on your course, over other similar social science courses?

I really appreciate the multidisciplinary nature of Global Studies and the flexibility I have to essentially construct my own.

 

*Also, specifically for NUS FASS, did you already decide that you wanted to major in Global Studies when you entered NUS? And was it difficult to meet the requirements to declare Global Studies as a major?

Here’s the funny story: I was so into Global Studies when I was in JC that I even pasted the Global Studies brochure on the wall in front of my wall as motivation. When I found out that I got into NUS, I told everyone that I was going to major in Global Studies, but *plot twist*, I ended up gearing towards a Political Science major and a Global Studies Minor. It was mainly because I was worried that Global Studies was too broad (in reality, it’s quite in-depth) and the idea of building my own curriculum was a bit daunting (again, it really isn’t daunting and I will tell you more in the ‘Teaching Curriculum’ section). Nevertheless, after being a Political Science major for one year, I switched to majoring in Global Studies during Year 2 because I felt that I was better suited for a multi-disciplinary curriculum. Furthermore, I was now more confident of myself and clearer in terms of my goals, which gave me the conviction to change majors.

In hindsight, I would say these worries came about because I had a lot of worries about my future and I was really scared of changes along the way, which is why I strongly advocate worrying less, since I have experienced how debilitating worrying can be.

Even though I switched from Political Science to Global Studies in Year 2, meeting the requirements to declare Global Studies as a major was not difficult at all. All I needed to do was to take the Global Studies exposure module (GL1101E) and I was well on my way.

 

Which universities offered your course (local or overseas), and how did you decide on NUS eventually?

I had a choice between NUS (FASS), NTU (Public Policy and Global Affairs), and SMU (Social Science), but I chose NUS because even though I could do political science/PPGA in NTU and SMU, I was still interested in Global Studies which was exclusive to NUS FASS.

 

As a whole, how do you think we can advise our juniors to make the decision that feels the most right to them?

Choose what you enjoy to do (or what you think you will enjoy if you are still not too sure). I think the most important thing is being passionate about what you study, or else university is going to be super tough haha. Also, do not be afraid of possible changes in your university life because you might end up overthinking or over-stressing yourself on your course decisions! I have friends who made drastic changes in terms of courses (from engineering to business) and I have also changed my major as well. So don’t worry if you feel like your interests might change in the future– it will never be too late (unless it goes against university regulations) to make a course switch that will allow you to enjoy your new interests!

3. 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?

These are the modules that FASS students are generally required to take:
Exposure modules (FASS Baskets): (1) Social Sciences (2) Humanities (3) Asian Studies; each FASS student must take one module from each of these baskets of studies
Writing, Expression and Communication (WEC) modules: FAS1101 Writing Academically, FAS1103 Effective Workplace Communication, CFG1002 Career Catalyst
General Education modules (GEMs): GER, GEQ, GES, GEH, GET.

WEC and GEMs (excluding GES and GEH) are usually pre-allocated during the first few semesters and together with the exposure modules, it helps to give an introductory platform into FASS. Students usually take 20 modular credits worth of modules a semester, but it really depends on how much you can handle and whether you are doing a double major/degree (which is definitely going to involve you taking more modules than usual).

To find out about these general modules, do visit the NUS FASS website: http://www.nus.edu.sg/nusbulletin/faculty-of-arts-and-social-sciences/undergraduate-education/degree-requirements/curriculum-structure-and-graduation-requirements/

For Global Studies specifically, it really depends on your theme and region (you have to specialise in one each) as you are allowed to take modules from different disciplines, as long it is recognised under the Global Studies curriculum. Hence, it is a bit difficult to give a standard overview of the modules taken under Global Studies. There are Global Studies-coded modules that form the core modules of the major, and they often help to tie in the various academic knowledge from other modules. Here is the module list if you wish to explore the modules under the different themes: https://fass.nus.edu.sg/globalstudies/module-list/

 

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

During pre-Covid times, I would usually have classes 3-4 times a week, depending on how many lessons I am able to schedule in a day. My day usually starts at 9am and I would have classes until 2pm/4pm, with lunch in between classes. Overall, I would say that my day is generally quite well-paced and I still have time to unwind and spend time with friends after school, before I spend around 4-5 hours studying/prepping for the next class.

 

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

The assessments usually consist of individual components and one final exam– with both being essays or short answer questions. There are instances of group assignments but they are not very common.

 

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

I would say that it is very close to the average student workload as there are no additional components to the major requirements of Global Studies.

 

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?

University does give you some guidance in attaining certain skills like language skills or programming skills through the different modules. I would say that the drawback is the fact that the learning process of the skills is graded, which might make it a less ideal situation. Nevertheless, I feel that the knowledge and skills learnt do not differ a lot, and that it only differs in terms of the learning process.

I would say that being able to draw links between seemingly independent pools of knowledge is a skill that is exclusive to Global Studies. The holistic and multi-disciplined nature of the Global Studies course pushes students to think out of the box, viewing global issues as something that is multi-faceted, instead of viewing it from a singular perspective.

 

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

Global Studies requires you to specialise in a theme and region– these themes and regions have changed over time for the cohorts and my theme and region is a bit different from the 2020 cohort’s. Here is the link for the current themes and region: https://fass.nus.edu.sg/globalstudies/major-requirements/

 

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

The Global Studies professors are really very passionate about what they teach and also the students that they teach as they would always make sure that the class pace and structure is the best fit for students. I have taken a few modules under these professors and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself as they give opportunities for me to expand my horizons and improve my thinking process.

 

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

Global Studies has this Task Force component (GL4102) that is undertaken by final year students and it is a key feature that sets us apart from other majors. Honours students will collaborate on understanding and finding solutions for specific policy problems, with these topics being tailored to the various themes in Global Studies. Task Force also provides opportunities for students to engage with stakeholders from the non-profit, corporate, government, and other sectors, culminating into a hands-on, in-depth experimental process that emphasises the combination of academic and real world insights. Task Force consists of two modules– GL4101 and GL4102 (with the former focusing on research)– that need to be taken in consecutive semesters (GL 4101 in Semester 1, GL4102 in Semester 2).

There is also the general FASS requirement of doing an honours thesis in the final year, if students are aiming to graduate with a first class honours.

4. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE / PREFERENCES

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

The most interesting part was being able to take various modules from different disciplines, and seeing how they culminate into a bigger picture of a global issue. Sharing experiences from different modules with other Global Studies students gels people together through discussions on certain issues of interests– something that happens often during classes.

To be realistic, there are parts of the course that I would classify as my least favourite part, which would mostly lie with the difficulty in making Global Studies friends since everyone is so spread out across different disciplines and modules. There are initiatives and events that try to bond the community, and it makes it easier to find friends who can take the same module as you. However, it takes two hands to clap and sometimes the degree of bonding that can be elicited is really based on whether other Global Studies students are keen on being as outgoing. Nevertheless, over time, I have managed to make Global Studies friends, albeit difficult, and they are friends whom I will treasure for life.

 

What are some thing(s) you didn’t know/expect about the course before starting, and what are some things that surpassed your expectations?

I would say that the in-depth nature of the Global Studies course really surpassed my expectations as I thought I would be a jack of all trades master of none student. However, over time, I learnt how to draw links between all my modules which actually culminated in a more in-depth understanding of topics from various perspectives.

 

Are there any common misconceptions/stereotypes about your course that you would like to debunk?

Being a multidisciplinary course, there are people who often assume that our curriculum would be just broad, without any depths. However, because of our specialisation in a theme and region, we are exposed to an in-depth curriculum in that manner and that is how Global Studies still strikes a balance between being broad and in-depth at the same time.

Another misconception would be that it is difficult to craft your own curriculum as you need to choose your own modules according to the themes and regions, as compared to other disciplines which have a more guided curriculum. There are a myriad of resources to plan the curriculum, and the Global Studies Club is also working on ways to connect with members and become avenues of advice in times of confusion.

 

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

Nope, no regrets 🙂

 

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

We don’t have many people who switch out of Global Studies. On top of that, there are a couple of students who convert to Global Studies along the way.

 

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) in order to enjoy your course?

A student with an open mind who is not afraid to be academically challenged during discussions and classes. Being courageous is something that I also feel is necessary as multi-disciplinary would mean taking modules that might be out of the student’s comfort zone, and you need to have the courage to take everything in stride.

5. CAREER PROSPECTS

What are the career prospects like for your course?

Global Studies really gives you access to such a wide variety of career choices because of its multidisciplinary nature, which is quite in-line with Singapore moving towards a more holistic approach in university education. Government jobs are quite popular among Global Studies graduates, with places like the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepting a number of our Global Studies alumni.

If the government sector is not your cup of tea, Global Studies also opens up many prospects in the private sector as well. Job positions like marketing and business-related ones are possible choices, and many Global Studies students explore these options through summer and winter internships.

 

What are your plans after university?

I am currently applying for government jobs like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Singapore Tourism Board, and SkillsFuture Singapore so it is just a waiting game from now till my graduation. I am also undertaking an internship at SkillsFuture under their Policy, Planning and Coordination team, which gives me some work experience that is related to my Global Studies major and specialisation in policy-making.

 

Would you say you went into your course having already made the decision to pursue a career related to your course?

Even though I had the desire to do something related to international relations, I was still quite exploratory about my career because I did not want to restrict myself. At that point, I felt that there were future experiences (i.e. internships) that I needed to embark on with an open mind so that I could have a clearer direction.

 

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 interned at a government statutory board during my summer break and it was quite related to my career aspirations. The internship not only gave me a more in-depth look into governmental structures and work experience in the policy-making field, which gave great insights and helped me decide if I should follow my current career aspirations. NUS really helped with internship sourcing as they have a platform that compiles job and internship postings that students can streamline based on their faculties and the kind of job/internship they are looking for. The NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG) also provides consultations and modules that teach students how to prepare for interviews and resume building, something that is very important when it comes to applying for internships and, upon graduation, full-time jobs. I would also suggest using Linkedin to source for internships as an additional avenue in the event that the positions sourced by the university are not aligned with your preferences/ambitions.

6. STUDENT LIFE

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

I stayed in hall for around 3 years and it was where I made quite a few university friends 🙂 But in general, most of my friends stay off-campus because I met them through class groupings or other non-hall activities. University life really gives you many avenues for you to connect with like-minded people since there are so many different interests groups, etc. So don’t worry if you are not experiencing the hall life hahaha

 

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

I would say that the NUS school culture is very diverse and that you can really find at least one person who shares similar interests with you! One thing to take note of is to not be afraid to put yourself out there– i.e. be proactive in making friends, if you are comfortable in doing so. Being actively involved in campus events or activities really helps in having that avenue to network and make friends. But of course, if you are on the shyer side, even platforms like a project group can be a good starting point in meeting new people!

 

What were your CCAs?

I did floorball while staying in hall (which was quite intense), and participated in my hall’s dance production, both in the capacity of a dancer and a committee director/member. I am also part of the Global Studies Club which is very exciting because I can give back to the Global Studies community through arranging activities and connecting with the other students! I dabbled in other CCAs on a short-term basis as well and even though it was not something I continued with, I am still very happy that I had the opportunity to try it out (from things like diving, to being a tour guide for Japanese students visiting NUS). Ah, good times that I will miss when I graduate.

 

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 really wanted to go to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada but I did not manage to get a spot 🙁 Luckily, I managed to attend their summer programme instead, which was an amazing opportunity! It was a new experience to attend a different curriculum and see how they have different approaches to common topics (i.e. international relations, policy-making). Staying in Canada for a month also taught me how to be more independent, outgoing and adaptable to new environments. I also managed to make many Canadian friends whom I’m still in touch with!

I would highly recommend students to go for an overseas exchange if they are willing and able, be it a full-length one or just a summer/winter programme, because it really broadens your horizons and it is an opportunity that is mostly exclusive to university life.

 

Any parting words or advice for juniors? :,)

Don’t worry too much about your university choice or how university will be like. I know it’s a big jump between pre-uni education and university but I think the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and be open to changes along the way! At the end of the day, what matters most is studying something that you are passionate about– don’t go to a course just because someone said that it has “more future” or “more prestige” because it is really not worth it if you regret every day of your university life. Take heart, and I hope that your university journey will be fulfilling and meaningful 🙂

For those who are interested in finding out more about Global Studies or more about general university life, feel free to connect with me through the upath team! (I have left my contact details with them)