University? Local VS Overseas. Couse? Engineering VS Science
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Hey Everyone,
I am honestly a noob/rookie/nub/kid/boy/ignorant beansprout, on the issue of overseas university and local university.
NUS is ranked 17th, on overall performance, I heard. Hopefully I am not outdated yet. However, my main concern is that local education system teaches from the basics, ie british system whereas overseas university, such as those in US, imparts to you the more crucial skills of today,ie cutting edge technology, rather than focus on the outdated. Its the issue of Fundamental VS Current.
I know that a university degree does not gurantee success but you can say I am more or less the traditional hey-university-degree-secures-a-job better type of guy.
I feel like taking Electrical and Computer Engineering and at the same time, lack computing skills. I am currently taking H3 Physics at NUS and often see stars. LOL. Moreover, I heard engineering is much duller than sciences and again I ponder. Haha.
Thanks for giving any advice! -
NUS is ok in terms of the content of the course. The student is made to take up soooooo many modules (imo to make the uni look good) but tbh the end product isn't very good. I do not know why actually. Logically, heavier workload should result in students with greater knowledge and better graduates. But that is certainly not the case in NUS.Originally posted by Artiwizoras:Hey Everyone,
I am honestly a noob/rookie/nub/kid/boy/ignorant beansprout, on the issue of overseas university and local university.
NUS is ranked 17th, on overall performance, I heard. Hopefully I am not outdated yet. However, my main concern is that local education system teaches from the basics, ie british system whereas overseas university, such as those in US, imparts to you the more crucial skills of today,ie cutting edge technology, rather than focus on the outdated. Its the issue of Fundamental VS Current.
I know that a university degree does not gurantee success but you can say I am more or less the traditional hey-university-degree-secures-a-job better type of guy.
I feel like taking Electrical and Computer Engineering and at the same time, lack computing skills. I am currently taking H3 Physics at NUS and often see stars. LOL. Moreover, I heard engineering is much duller than sciences and again I ponder. Haha.
Thanks for giving any advice! -
stupid question asked for the 10 billionth time, CLOSE AND BAN.
ps: learn to use the search box, n00b
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Number 1, whats wrong with you? I am sorry if I offended you though I don't remember so [ Since this is the first time I have heard of you ] .Originally posted by vito_corleone:stupid question asked for the 10 billionth time, CLOSE AND BAN.
ps: learn to use the search box, n00b
Number 2, I have checked the archives, and they were expired.
Number 3, I am not just asking 1 question. I am talking about how "current" and relevant is the Singapore education system in comparison to,let say US. -
My question lies. What so positive about National University Singapore?
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Its cheap.Originally posted by hudax1:My question lies. What so positive about National University Singapore? -
Oh yea... Thats painful reality.Originally posted by scabstermooch:Its cheap. -
go to NUS only if u intend to get ur a$$ stuck in singapore and work with the goverment
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na beiz. housemanship.
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Wow i am soo surprise SIM UOL rank better than NUS in Overall world ranking hhahaha cannot believe it leh ,i alway thought NUS better since entry is sooo difficult for singapore poly students.
1 Harvard University 11 University of Chicago
2 University of Cambridge 12 Columbia University
3 University of Oxford 13 Duke University
4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 14 Beijing University
4 Yale University 15 Cornell University
6 Stanford University 16 Australian National University
7 California Institute of Technology 17 London School of Economics and Political Science
8 University of California, Berkeley 18 Ecole Normale Supérieure
9 Imperial College London 19 National University of Singapore
10 Princeton University 19 University of Tokyo
The info is from NUS website
http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/headlines/0610/ranking_07oct06.htm -
NUS is indeed an all rounder. They are top 25 in the world in overall, technology, bio, social science, arts, science. Even in business and management, NUS is in top 30 which is far ahead of other universities.
But the thing is, NUS is too stressful. In my opinion, it is a university for elites. A lot of undergrad go in 4 years come out without honours. (not me) -
just want to ask some background info... the ranking is for engine courses?
or for the university as a whole?
I agree NUS is cheap... after all the govt subsidies tertiary education.
UOL-SIM courses that have backing from LSE is considered distance learning right? I do wonder how prospective employers view such degrees? -
heyy, sorry if I've got it all wrong, but last time I checked this thing about ranking, and it said NUS was along the lines of 81-83? (Maybe the website was not reliable ...)
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okay, nvm, someone please delete what I just said
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not reliable.Originally posted by da-cheese-freakk:heyy, sorry if I've got it all wrong, but last time I checked this thing about ranking, and it said NUS was along the lines of 81-83? (Maybe the website was not reliable ...)
NUS has always been around top 25 for the past 3 years or so. Closer to top 20 actually.
Maybe 5 years back, NUS was like ranked 40+?
But you also need to look at what they are ranked on. If based on music teaching, NUS will of course not be so good but still can make it lah. -
actually overseas degree easier to get job and high pay. local employers all treat overseas degree like gold.
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No leh,i thought local employer prefer those foreigners taking local uni degree as they are deemed to be able to accept lower salary and work extra hard at the viewpoint of employerOriginally posted by siaokau:actually overseas degree easier to get job and high pay. local employers all treat overseas degree like gold. 
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The standard of exams are the same and also mark and graded by the same examiners in UK but i still think employer prefer to hire foreigner with local uni degree,somemore they all no need reservist unlike us poor local malesOriginally posted by sir sickolot II:just want to ask some background info... the ranking is for engine courses?
or for the university as a whole?
I agree NUS is cheap... after all the govt subsidies tertiary education.
UOL-SIM courses that have backing from LSE is considered distance learning right? I do wonder how prospective employers view such degrees?
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What subjects did you take in JC?Originally posted by Artiwizoras:I feel like taking Electrical and Computer Engineering and at the same time, lack computing skills. I am currently taking H3 Physics at NUS and often see stars. LOL. Moreover, I heard engineering is much duller than sciences and again I ponder. Haha.
Thanks for giving any advice!
If you have no idea what type of engineering to study in NUS, you can take a first-year common engineering programme and decide on the specific programme in your second year (except for Engineering Science which has a different programme structure and curriculum).
Many people think that engin is duller than science, because of the horrible workload in engin. That is inevitable, since the engin faculty forces students to take many compulsory modules (such as critical writing, engin professionalism, human resource, etc) which are not required for science students. The engin curriculum is also more rigid and more heavy than the science curriculum. (On average, engin students have to take 6 modules per semester while science students can take 5 modules only.) For many guys, engin is duller than science because the ratio of girls to guys is low in engin but high in science!
Although the engin curriculum is very "siong" (and dull), the career prospects and salaries for engin graduates are on average better than science graduates. After all, engin students are forced to take many rojak modules and hence they have the skills to enter careers in engineering, research, finance, management, etc etc.
But if you cannot tolerate the heavy workload & stressful environment in engin, you can always come to science, where people are fun-loving and the atmosphere is relaxing. Science does not require you to take those compulsory modules required by engin, and that is both a blessing and curse. (Blessing, because you have a lighter workload. Curse, because you have less social skills than engineers and you are at a disadvantage when competing for jobs.) Hence, if you choose science, you should consider taking a minor, or doing an undergraduate research project, or go for NUS Overseas College, or get yourself involved in some prestigious activities, so that you can broaden your skills and make yourself more marketable when you graduate.
Also, a career in science requires a lot of passion and motivation. Some of my friends chose to study life sciences 3 years ago because of the government's plan to make Singapore into a biomedical hub. But after 3 years, my friends no longer have the passion for life sciences. Somemore right now the job market for life sciences is saturated. My friends have no choice but to take jobs with lower pay and not related to life sciences... and they kinda regretted. Hence, the moral of the story is, don't follow what the government says. Just follow your passion and choose the course that you like.
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If you want to go overseas but you don't have enough money, you can always study in NUS and apply for SEP (Student Exchange Program). You can spend one to two semesters in an overseas university, and you'll be paying the NUS tuition fee... Better still, you can find a SEP scholarship to sponsor (partially or fully) your expenses in the partner university.
Alternatively, if you're in engin or applied science, you can apply for an overseas internship. You can work overseas for one semester and get monthly allowance during your stay. -
As an electrical engineer myself (and I attended one of the better engineering schools in the US), I wouldn't advise you pursuing this course if you haven't the slightest interest in the content and are simply in it for the enticing remunerations this profession seems to promise.Originally posted by Artiwizoras:Hey Everyone,
I am honestly a noob/rookie/nub/kid/boy/ignorant beansprout, on the issue of overseas university and local university.
NUS is ranked 17th, on overall performance, I heard. Hopefully I am not outdated yet. However, my main concern is that local education system teaches from the basics, ie british system whereas overseas university, such as those in US, imparts to you the more crucial skills of today,ie cutting edge technology, rather than focus on the outdated. Its the issue of Fundamental VS Current.
I know that a university degree does not gurantee success but you can say I am more or less the traditional hey-university-degree-secures-a-job better type of guy.
I feel like taking Electrical and Computer Engineering and at the same time, lack computing skills. I am currently taking H3 Physics at NUS and often see stars. LOL. Moreover, I heard engineering is much duller than sciences and again I ponder. Haha.
Thanks for giving any advice!
That said, like what most others have said, you can't deny the fact that engineers in general do have more career options than many of their peers (compared with those who major in an arts or science discipline, for instance) as they could always choose to pursue a career in a non-technical field with the option of falling back on their engineering degree to take up a position that requires engineering knowledge. However, I still wouldn't recommend pursuing a course in EE for the sake of that if you do not have the interest in this field - the 3-4 years you're going to struggle with simply does not compensate for whatever career prospects you may seem to have IMO.
As for the US education system for a technical field, I'd say the American system is one that encourages independent learning more than the traditional British system. Basically, the course materials covered are not as intensive (at least, from my experience when I compare my course materials with my friends') content-wise as say that of some local universities, but they certainly aren't in the business of spoon-feeding. Hence, if you're used to being over-reliant on a rote-learning style of education, you could be lost in an American college system. There's no direct comparison between the 2 education systems IMO; it's more a case of which one suits you better methinks.
In spite of all that I've said, do not let me put you off pursuing a career in EE if that's what you really want to do.
I certainly haven't regretted pursuing that course of study myself. Feel free to PM me should you need any further clarification or advice(just don't ask me for opinions comparing engineering with science because I can't do any comparisons without having studied science at the tertiary level)... 
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double post
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Thanks everyone. I forgot about the spooning feeding thing completely. Haha. Honestly, I think I have been spoonfed in education for quite some time so perhaps I should try out some external modules.
Autumncs --> I am currently taking H1 Geog, H1 Gp, H1 Mother Tongue, H1 Project Work, H2 Chemistry, Physics and Maths and H3 Physics in NUS.
I feel like taking computer engineering but have qualms about it.
Btw, walesa, what do they teach in electrical engineering? I heard the worst maths can be found there.
Thanks a million! -
no lah the worse maths is found in mathsOriginally posted by Artiwizoras:Thanks everyone. I forgot about the spooning feeding thing completely. Haha. Honestly, I think I have been spoonfed in education for quite some time so perhaps I should try out some external modules.
Autumncs --> I am currently taking H1 Geog, H1 Gp, H1 Mother Tongue, H1 Project Work, H2 Chemistry, Physics and Maths and H3 Physics in NUS.
I feel like taking computer engineering but have qualms about it.
Btw, walesa, what do they teach in electrical engineering? I heard the worst maths can be found there.
Thanks a million!
electrical alot of prgraming.
oh yeah and NUS sucks, don't go there unless you are good if not become the stepping stones for the chinamen, indians, etc -
Agreed, haha.Originally posted by hisoka:no lah the worse maths is found in maths
electrical alot of prgraming.
oh yeah and NUS sucks, don't go there unless you are good if not become the stepping stones for the chinamen, indians, etc