'So hip' NUS the choice for most JC students
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'So hip' NUS the choice for most JC students
Almost two-thirds of 833 polled say they will opt for it, over SMU and NTU
By Sandra Davie
Education Correspondent
THE advertisements would have you believe that the new kid on the university block is hip and appealing.
They award that label to the almost 100-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS), not four-year-old Singapore Management University (SMU).
UNI CHOICES
In a Straits Times survey of first-year junior college students, it emerged that many students don't see much difference in the three local universities.
Indeed, NUS is just about the best place to get a degree, say the 17-year-olds. It attracts quality students, is established and prestigious and has the most well-regarded qualifications.
a cross-section of JCs that took part in a Straits Times survey last month, say they will opt for NUS.
Only 10 per cent picked SMU while 8 per cent ticked Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the survey questionnaire. The rest say there is no difference among them.
The 20-something NTU also stayed at the bottom of the 'hip' scale, with only 5 per cent of the votes.
NUS, in topping the scale, got 41 per cent, while SMU trails with 27 per cent. About one-quarter of the first-year JC students can't see any difference.
The one big advantage SMU has over the others is its city campus in Bras Basah, which it will move into next year. That's its main attraction for almost 30 per cent who want to go there.
These findings seem to underline the fact that recent developments have yet to make a mark on the young ones.
The Government, in the past three years, has been pushing the three universities to shape their own identity, by letting them hire their own staff and set their own courses and admission criteria.
It's part of the overall education strategy to provide diversity, so that students of different talents can thrive in different learning cultures.
But for the moment, the majority from the eight JCs surveyed believe 'old is gold'.
It did not surprise Andre Tan, 17, from Victoria JC. He said: 'It's a no-brainer. NUS is obviously the best because it is the oldest. For universities, the older they are, the better their reputation.'
But the two younger varsities have their champions too.
Zeng Wei, 19, from Hwa Chong JC, hails NTU for its many inventions in information technology, engineering and biomedicine.
The university's inventions make the headlines regularly. The latest is a project on a new computational method that allows bio-imaging scans to measure tumour sizes more accurately.
Sophia Tan, 18, from Anderson JC, sees SMU as a trailblazer. 'SMU has, from the start, taken a different path. For example, its admission policy includes interviews and personal essays. NUS and NTU are followers.'
Her view strikes a chord with SMU's president Howard Hunter who said: 'It is encouraging that SMU's unique pedagogy and broad-based curriculum are already being recognised.'
NUS was naturally thrilled and its provost, Dr Tan Chorh Chuan, vows to continue to give students 'even more diverse opportunities both in Singapore and overseas'.
NTU president Su Guaning is not fazed by the survey results. He prefers the evidence from the mound of applications NTU received this year. It got about 40 per cent more top A-Level students and about 150 per cent more top polytechnic students than last year.
'This shows that our target audience, the students making the final choices, recognised the difference,' he said.
Also, NTU revamped its programmes last year to offer students more choices and greater flexibility, as well as the chance to round off their education with a work or study stint in the United States, China or India.
No less significant to him is NTU's garden-like campus in Jurong which he said is a 'well-kept secret'.
To which, Catholic Junior College student Alicia Tan, 17, said with a wry smile: 'Well, maybe that's the problem - that it's a secret. NTU should advertise itself better, especially as it's tucked away at one corner of the island.' -
i wonder how 'hip' is NUS...being there for a few years....dun see much hip in it.
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those surveys come up with the dumbest questions....
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I wonder what is so hip about NUS.
SMU seems to be more funky -
well, NTU is wellknown for engineering stuff (u see something invented/researched in ntu frequently in the news) while NUS is basically 'jack of a trades, master of none like FASS, Sci fac' and for law and medicine. bio science i dunno cos both NUS and ntu are still in growing stage actually.
SMU i no comments cos i dunno much abt it. -
Crazy, its an institution for higher learning, not zouk. Hip? Hip ki lan lah. Does your honours programme come with that?
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Arts Faculty and Biz Ad Charboz...Originally posted by NeonTetra:i wonder how 'hip' is NUS...being there for a few years....dun see much hip in it. 
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Law also, they wear the translucent white top and black skirt in the mock court, last time i work in Law fac...see until lau nua siah....Law one is OLs wannabes...arts one most casual.Originally posted by greengoblin:Arts Faculty and Biz Ad Charboz... -
the lower the supply, the higher the demand. the smaller intake for NUS eng facs compared to NTU makes NUS more selective academically, which employers know and choose quality eng grads based on this. this promise of ready jobs obviously makes NUS eng facs more desirable among JC grads. The more accessible NUS takes the lion's share of top tier lecturers and JC grads. only foreign lecturers will stay in NTU staff hostels just to avoid the morning jams to NTU from almost any part of S'pore. 2 thirds is a conservative figure to save NTU's face or the biggest campus in S'pore's gotta close shop. NTU's gotta work much harder to beat NUS in the internatioanl arena, not just dragon boat
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Accountancy... NUS dun have...Originally posted by chunyong:well, NTU is wellknown for engineering stuff (u see something invented/researched in ntu frequently in the news) while NUS is basically 'jack of a trades, master of none like FASS, Sci fac' and for law and medicine. bio science i dunno cos both NUS and ntu are still in growing stage actually.
SMU i no comments cos i dunno much abt it. -
oh ? dat i dunno......Originally posted by neuros:Accountancy... NUS dun have... -
but its a wellknown fact NTU grads are paid more than NUS ones. it is also wellknown, can see from papers, ntu has much more 'trophies' tucked under her belt than NUS, whose achievements, at least for this yr...is only a few. go see ntu homepage, u can see how often ntu hits the news media.Originally posted by boy in blues:the lower the supply, the higher the demand. the smaller intake for NUS eng facs compared to NTU makes NUS more selective academically, which employers know and choose quality eng grads based on this. this promise of ready jobs obviously makes NUS eng facs more desirable among JC grads. The more accessible NUS takes the lion's share of top tier lecturers and JC grads. only foreign lecturers will stay in NTU staff hostels just to avoid the morning jams to NTU from almost any part of S'pore. 2 thirds is a conservative figure to save NTU's face or the biggest campus in S'pore's gotta close shop. NTU's gotta work much harder to beat NUS in the internatioanl arena, not just dragon boat
come 2006 ntu going to launch a satellite too
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Originally posted by chunyong:
but its a wellknown fact NTU grads are paid more than NUS ones. it is also wellknown, can see from papers, ntu has much more 'trophies' tucked under her belt than NUS, whose achievements, at least for this yr...is only a few. go see ntu homepage, u can see how often ntu hits the news media.come 2006 ntu going to launch a satellite too
really? -
Aber, thats where your school fees go what.Originally posted by neuros: really? 
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its 1/2 the size of an adult human. newspaper has said sometime back, actually is 2005 one but delay til 2006. will piggyback onto a rocket and will detach itself to be independent.Originally posted by neuros: really? -
Yep.NTU will launch a satellite built in conjunction with DSO Laboratories.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/news/satellite06/
However, NUS is more well-known for Arts, not Engineering.
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i have some photos of its prototype but dunno will get the Prof into trouble anot....so better dun post. i also interviewed the Prof last sem cos our project is on space exploration and he told us many interesting stuff abt space, abt ISS and stuff like dat.Originally posted by LazerLordz:Yep.NTU will launch a satellite built in conjunction with DSO Laboratories.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/news/satellite06/
However, NUS is more well-known for Arts, not Engineering.
FASS wellknown for chiobus....
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Originally posted by ditzy:Aber, thats where your school fees go what.
2.5K+++ per sem.... -
2/3, 1/3, then how about us boopi' overseas? we are how many "thirds"?
anyhows sounds like good OLD nus got a hip replacement... very hip now wor... -
hooray! my fav post the whole thread!Originally posted by ditzy:Crazy, its an institution for higher learning, not zouk. Hip? Hip ki lan lah. Does your honours programme come with that? -
Originally posted by chunyong:
Yah Yah... heard they are going to open a sperm bank too - on the campus -
come 2006 ntu going to launch a satellite too -
I prefer SMU leh. Sounds better. Eh, NTU not taht appealing tome. Since NUS Arts good, might as well go there. SMU, NUS,SMU,NUS,SMU,NUS,SMU,NUS....
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my school fees were v long ago... dun think it could've lasted till now!Originally posted by ditzy:Aber, thats where your school fees go what. -
NTU engin more chio bu than NUS one...that one is for sure....
What about NUS science faculty? Does anyone know about the research out put and the pay scale of the faculty and graduates?
From what I heard, the chemistry and mathematics department is pretty competent... -
I'm not sure if Arts is offered anywhere else. Good? More like no other option. :pOriginally posted by Quinsy:Since NUS Arts good, might as well go there.