1. 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 (IP Programme)! I took 4H2 (Physics, Chemistry, Math and Economics) before university, which are unrelated to my university course. :’) I took PCME because I had the mindset that it would open up more options for me when I have to choose a major in university (i.e. engineering/science – those that have science as pre-requisites). However, after two grueling years, I understood that sciences are really not my thing, and I might be better and more interested in humanities instead. Fun fact: I was a triple humanities student back in secondary level – but due to my ‘pragmatic’ mindset, I chose PCME oops.

What courses were you considering, and what were the factors that personally shaped your decision (in order of increasing importance)?

I was considering FASS in NUS, Maritime Studies in NTU and Business in SMU.
The factors which shaped my decision were (from more important to not as important): Job prospects (opportunities/stability/starting pay), Interest, Strength, Parents’ opinion.
Job prospects: I think job prospects for FASS in comparison to Maritime Studies would be much more diverse given that Maritime Studies targets a niche industry. A FASS degree is broad, and you don’t really stick to a specific field. Of course, a Business degree would probably draw more salary but it is really not my thing (i.e. competitive environment).
Interest: FASS enables me to have the space to take up languages (I am minoring in German, and spending perhaps all my UEs on languages hehe) and political science to me is relevant to the world we live in – at least I know what I am subscribing to as a human being living in this society you know.
Strength: I can do math and sciences (in fact I am tutoring math and physics now), but it takes a lot of effort (e.g. I have to prepare for tuition 2-3 hours prior to my sessions… Imagine if I actually major in stuff involving math and science, so NO THANK YOU). Hence I think my strengths lie more towards the humanities side!
Parents’ opinion: My parents are actually quite chill about what I study in but they do prefer me taking up the usual stuff like business. I think I briefly considered nursing before but they felt that it was too taxing physically and mentally for me. (From this you can see how indecisive I am AHAHA)

How did you eventually decide on your course, over other similar social science courses, i.e. PPE, Econs etc.?

I was kind of settled with Political Science even before I eventually shortlisted FASS! I have been interested in politics since I was around 16, back when GE2015 took place.
I didn’t choose Maritime Studies because it might have been an impulsive decision (I was captivated by it because you get to travel a lot in this industry but I was not well-versed with what I was in for), and I didn’t choose Business because I don’t think I would like it and I had to go for an interview which I wasn’t confident about (My mother preferred that I study Business though, but I told her that I was not interested eventually)
None of the other majors in FASS really shout to me, really. Perhaps I find Political Science one of the more relevant ones! Oh and for myself, if I started doing something, I will choose to stick to it even though I have the option of exploring; I just don’t like to add more trouble to our already tiring lives heh. Like, I already took the exposure module for Political Science so I just went ahead with it. I also like it la so all works out!

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

(Mentioned above!) It was not difficult, you just had to clear the exposure module (PS1101E). In fact, the only core module you have to take thereafter is PS3257 (Political Inquiry), so it is easier to declare Political Science as a major as compared to other majors like Psychology.
I don’t think there is a minimum cap(?), so ya grades wise as compared to other majors in FASS are quite chill! Competition wise is overly exaggerated, most of the people (at least the friends I made in this major) are so friendly! It is just class part – I think is the same everywhere, you just have to boost that confidence and do it for the grade sksksk (No one judges you so GO FOR IT)

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

I think I briefly considered NTU PPGP, but I heard they do more on public administration which wasn’t really within my radar. And also I didn’t put that as my first choice, and I got Maritime my first choice. Like I said I don’t really like adding trouble to myself to change course so I just let fate decide for me that yay I am heading to NUS AHAHA. Fun fact: I think I just accepted NUS because it was the first acceptance letter I got and I just ‘I just want to enter uni heck it I am going to click the button’ so I just accepted it AHAHA. Also, my mum wanted me to travel further away from home because my schools have always been near my residence… (Bad reason to base my decision on RIP sleep time) Maybe she felt that NUS was considered more prestigious too hmm but ya over the years she is just like ‘aiya should have studied in NTU we have a shuttle bus just right below our flat and its so convenient’ AHAHA GG

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

Be practical and list down the courses which are available and attainable.
Note your priorities and talk it out with your family, friends and seniors who may be in the courses you are interested in. Rank the courses according to these priorities.
Compare the same course between universities to get some sensing as to which university provides a more suitable syllabus/environment for you!

2. 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?

I take around 5 modules per semester (relatively light since I am only majoring in PS, and minoring in language studies). I overloaded during one of my semesters (26MCs) just for the experience hehe. It was shag, but the workload is okay leh because some of the modules are really quite chill (GET, CFG…); I am actually taking fewer MCs these few semesters but wa intense leh. Based on my observation, a typical PS module (1000-3000) consists of one presentation/debate (can be group work or individual), a few essays (there’s probably more as you level up or due to Covid-19) and sometimes a final paper! I have only encountered one mid-term paper so far, but I am not sure if it is just me being lucky. Therefore, I would really say as compared to other peers, reading weeks are really there for me to take it easy and catch up on stuff I need to!

How is a day in the life of a student in NUS Poli. Sci. 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 am actually quite shy, so I didn’t really make friends within Political Science during my early days :’) But I have grown up and hehe I am starting to make friends now! Initially you will feel like everyone is so knowledgeable (especially when they talk about Kant like he is their long lost uncle or something and you are like ‘Who’s Kant?’) and you will feel hesitant to talk to them. But trust me when I say take the first step to say hello, because usually they will be super nice to you! I usually just head home after lessons though, unless I have CCA or I have friends to chill with me at MAXX coffee/Central Library! On an average school day, I will be awake at around 8am, and go to bed at 1/2am. I am known for taking my own sweet time to do stuff (wise words from mum), so even though I would put 7 hours of studying per day, I think average people can get the work I completed done in maybe 3.5 hours AHAHA.

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

Essays, essays and essays! Mostly individual work I would say, but during pre-Covid times there is probably one or two group work per semester. Some modules do utilise forum posts for class participation as well. Some professors may have MCQs too, and even though a question has 4 choices, wew you spend so much time debating about which one is the correct answer.

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

It really depends on how much effort you want to put in, since it’s mostly self-directed learning (i.e. doing your readings before lectures/tutorials, making notes, asking questions). I don’t know what it is like in other courses, but I would say maybe slightly lighter than average(?) But I don’t want to get flamed so AHAHA.

Are there content knowledge or skills that you learn from your course 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?

The skills we learnt are mainly analytical and writing skills. I think you can learn it independently outside of school, but you wouldn’t have people like professors to guide you. Neither would you know what kind of resources are suitable!
I don’t know if it differs with other courses and there ain’t special resources per se, but there is this peers programme (https://fass.nus.edu.sg/pol/peers-programme/#:~:text=The%20Peers%20Programme%20is%20a,in%20a%20Political%20Science%20module.&text=These%20writing%20conferences%20supplement%20advice%20students%20can%20receive%20from%20instructors.) that you can approach seniors to guide you through how to write academically, but I haven’t tried that before!
There is also this Writing and Oral Presentation Hub for students in general (https://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/writinghub/) – I attended the writing consultation before, and got paired with a professor! She helped me look through my essays and gave feedback one-to-one; it was quite a nice session.
Classmates wise, ever since Zoom is the new normal, I noticed a lot more breakout sessions where we get to discuss the readings, topics covered and share our perspectives.

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

You don’t have to specialise within Political Science, though there are four main baskets which categorize the modules available – Comparative Politics, International Relations, Governance and Public Policy, Political Theory.
The breakdowns are here: https://fass.nus.edu.sg/pol/listing-by-subfields/
I am not intending to specialise (I don’t think we have to declare even if we choose to specialise? Unless I am living in my own world…), but I realise I take more modules within the Comparative Politics and International Relations subfields.

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

Friendly, approachable and really passionate about what they teach! I love all my professors hehe not going to play favourites :p
You will realise that different profs have different teaching methods; some only give audio recordings with no slides (and surprisingly I find them captivating!), some hold real-time lectures with no slides, some love having discussion questions.

Are there any final year projects / capstones to do?

Nope! Unless you want to get that First Class Honours, you have to do a thesis. Other than that, there’s nothing compulsory hehe.

3. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE / PREFERENCES

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

Most favourite: Content! Can refer to the modules breakdown from the link earlier! You get to discuss recent happenings in the world through an academic’s perspective, for instance unrest in Myanmar currently. I am learning about the relations between the State and the Society now and we are discussing contentious politics, social movements etc. and they all fold in nicely to what is happening to Myanmar now.
Least favourite: How class participation is being graded,,, :’) Kind of stressful when I first entered university, but baby steps! It gets better. It takes up around 10-20% of the grade I think! It varies, because some students like to voice out their opinions while others are not. Tips: if oral communication is not your thing, try other methods to get your voice heard like participating in forums, chat function on zoom, asking questions after lessons… Do not be defeated by conventional mundane ways of class participation because there are no limits to learning!

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 thought there was going to be a lot more group work! But a lot of assignments are individual based.
Again, this depends on an individual’s preference. I think group projects may be more taxing because you have to work with coordination, and aligning your views etc. BUT it also means you get to see things in alternative perspectives, so there are goods and bads!
Individual assignments require you to be more proactive because after all you are the only one who is responsible for your work. Ask for feedback not only from profs, but if possible get friends to help you read through too!

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

No, we don’t all become MPs after graduation (#sadfacts) :’)
Everyone is very aggressive and can debate well (Not true, you have not seen me before AHAHA, I’m not really good at debating)

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

Not a single time, I am blessed to have chosen this course.
There’s no particular reason… I just go along with the flow and if there are no terrible repercussions I don’t usually regret my choice :’)

Are there people who regret entering your course? Is the student retention rate for your course high?

I haven’t met people like that, but I do know a lot of people changed to other courses upon taking the exposure module… I would say don’t make a decision only based on your experience with the exposure module because it does not really show you what the whole course is like, same goes for other courses in FASS!

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?

Someone who likes to write essays, question about life, is fascinated by different schools of thought!
You don’t have to be passionate and well-versed in politics to be in political science, though of course it gives you leverage! Hmm, maybe someone who is willing to share your ideas and be acceptive of alternative opinions?

4. CAREER PROSPECTS

What are the career prospects like for your course?

Civil service! The different categories of civil service are here! https://www.careers.gov.sg/build-your-career/career-toolkit/public-agencies

What are your plans after university?

Get a job in the civil service sector hopefully :’) I am thinking of the Singapore Police Force, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority and Ministry of Education. I prefer working with the government, but I never understood my preference. I think it is like a sense of calling? Like I want a job such that I can enrich the lives of the people around me instead of a job focused on myself.

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

Definitely! I have always wanted to be part of the civil service (as to the reason why, I am still figuring out myself too sigh).

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 was a MOE teaching intern for 3 months after my A levels! I think MOE promoted the programme to my school and I read up about it.

Another proper internship I had was a recommendation by my friend, who was working there already. I was a social media intern at a social enterprise during my summer break. It was something new, and it was definitely an enriching experience. I was not able to clinch onto any internships through the school portal (I think I applied to around 5-7 places); it might be due to Covid-19.

5. STUDENT LIFE

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

I don’t! A lot of my friends do, but I realise the ones I am closer to do not stay on campus too hehe so it works for me~ I did not stay because I am a cleanliness freak and I am overly attached to my family :’) And I think I will be unable to balance work and socialising if I stay on campus because I know how horrible I am at it… My friends on campus noted these issues too! But they usually stay for a year or two, it is not that bad. After all, you get to forge friendships too!

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

You will get to meet people from all walks of life! Be open-minded, and get out of your comfort zone. No longer in a sheltered zone like back in JC anymore :’)

What were your CCAs?

I was part of a small dance club under Cultural Activities Club for 2 years!
I was also part of an organising committee for an event in 2019 under NUS iCare! It is a club which hosts events for international students.
I am also an editor for NUS Convergence, a publication by NUS Students’ Political Association! Flexible time hehe I get to write articles related to current affairs, and the people inside helped me along the way. Got to brush up my writing skills too! Very thankful for the experience.
Dance club under CAC: it was fun because I was new to dancing; I joined because no auditions were required! Closely-knitted community, where you get to meet friendly people. But I got drained out after taking up a leadership position in it, so it was mentally exhausting. But would rec people to join if they want to get exposed to dance, or making new friends!
Organising committees: everyone should join organising committees at least once to see how planning an event through the school is like! Get exposed to the SOPs, liaising with different stakeholders
Not going to lie I want to join lion dance and the spinning CCA but I scared AHAHA

What other opportunities have you made use of in university (can also include external commitments)? Which do you cherish most?

I got a part-time admin job, and I am tutoring as well. They help me earn extra cash so I don’t have to rely on my parents for allowance.
I am currently helping out at the Meet-the-People session in my constituency weekly as well. I meet residents to help them write appeal letters via my MP, to address any concerns they have! These letters would be sent to relevant agencies (not limited to governmental agencies) and hopefully the residents’ problems are addressed! I cherish this experience the most because it has always been something I wanted to do. I am thankful to have the opportunity to provide help to people in my constituency, and I get to make friends of all ages as well!

Any parting words or advice for juniors? :,)

You got this, breathe! Most of the time you will question yourself if it is the right thing to do or not, or what your future holds – say real even when the future comes, you will still not know the answer. So, live life to the fullest and embrace making mistakes and coming back up again!