Module Review: CN1101 (AY17/18 Semester 1)

CN1101 Chemical Engineering Principles and Practice I is a new module and I was part of the first cohort in AY17/18 to do this module. I would say it is a really good initiative for the chemical engineering department to change the syllabus and I'll explain more about the module below.

Assessment10% Studio Attendance and Participation
10% Chalk and Talk
10% Studio Case Studies
25% Compilation and Presentation of Student Portfolio
45% Tests (3 Continual Assessments, Open Book)
(NO FINAL EXAM)

Lecturer: different lecturer every lecture.
Tutor: Dr Saif Khan

Comments

It was a very new kind of module for me. It was very different from the usual lecture and tutorial style of modules and there are pros and cons in this. The Chem Eng Department created a new textbook for this module which was a good initiative in my opinion, although there is room for improvement. The module covered foundational Chem Eng concepts like mass/energy balances and fluid mechanics. 

We had to do a pre-studio and post-studio quiz (consisting of 8-10 mcq questions) every week on IVLE. They were no graded and were there just to see whether we understood the topic better after the end of the studio session. 

Lecture

Lecture was held once a week on Mondays from 1400 - 1600. The lecture will usually start off with a review of the experiment done last week, followed by explanations for the studio quizzes and then an introduction to the topic to be taught during studio. Lectures were done well, I guess, just that the lecture slides are only uploaded after the lecture and not before (which doesn't really make sense to me). The lectures were not webcast-ed so I attended all 11 lectures. 

Lab/Studio

The studio sessions (actually just labaratory sessions, studio is just a fancy name) were 4 hours long and mine was on Tuesday, from 0900 - 1300. Our studio sessions usually start off with doing the experiment itself and then, analyzing the data collected using different softwares. We were pre-allocated into groups of five for the studio.

My tutor doesn't exactly tell you what the expected result for the experiments would be and it was up to us to find out. This was not a problem with the simple concepts in the beginning of the module but as the concepts got more complex, we were pretty lost towards the end since we weren't sure of what to expect (but I guess this is part of the learning experience). However, I really Prof Saif's way of explaining the concepts to us at the end of studio sessions as he is really clear and succinct. 

We had to write a 2 page lab report for each experiment and this report has to submitted at the end of the week. 

At the end of every studio, we would have a chalk and talk session. Each cluster (about 25 people) will gather together and then, someone from each group will come up to the front to do a 5 minute presentation on a question asked by our prof. So, this is pretty spontaneous and the questions asked are related to the previous week's topic. We had to present twice throughout the whole semester, one being graded and one being a test run. I was pretty nervous about this initially but as the weeks went by, I got closer to everyone in the cluster and it wasn't really that awkward talking to people that you already know and are close to. Prof Saif was very helpful too and gave constant prompts during our chalk and talk so that we can do well. 

Tutorial

The tutorial was actually conducted by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC) and was on weeks 1, 6 and 7. The week 1 tutorial focused on the chalk and talk while weeks 6 and 7 focused more on our lab reports. My tutor for this tutorial was Dr Misty So-Sum Wai-Cook and she gave very good feedback with regards to our chalk and talk and lab reports. She was very clear in her explanations too.

The problem here is that the main review on our lab reports and how to write good lab reports was done on Week 6 while we have already written 5 lab reports in weeks 1 - 5 (and all reports are graded under the portfolio portion). So, yeah. That was kinda weird. 

Furthermore, we do not have ACTUAL tutorials that sum up what we have learnt in lecture and studio and there are no tutorial questions to practice etc. So, we sometimes think we know what we are supposed to know until we take the continual assessments and realize that there are a couple of things that we do not know.  

Tests

There were 3 continual assessments held on Saturdays of weeks 4, 8 and 11. Each assessment consisted of 15 MCQ questions and were all open book examinations. The first 2 assessments were 1 hour 15 minutes long while the last one was 1 hour 30 minutes long. The test questions were way more complex than what we learnt in studio but since it is MCQ, you know, you can always just choose the most suitable option even when you cannot obtain that final answer. 

Expected Grade: A

Actual Grade: A+

Overall, it was a good experience although I felt the way this module is being taught could be improved a little.

Stay tuned for more updates.

- Alan

Module Review: MA1511 (AY17/18 Semester 1)

MA1511 Engineering Calculus is a new module for engineering and it is meant to replace MA1505 for chemical engineering. It is a 2 modular credit (MC) module and only half a semester long. The final examination occurs at the same time as the mid term tests of my other modules.

Assessment

10% Class Participation

30% Class Assignments (Open Book)

60% Final Examination (6 structured questions, each with 2 parts, Closed Book with a 2 Page Cheat Sheet)

Lecturer: Dr Ng Wee Seng

Tutor: Mr Andreas Dwi Maryanto Gunawan

Comments

This is a core module for Chem Eng so we had to take it. It was a very rushed module in my opinion since it was only half a semester long and all the contents were squeezed into that amount of time. The topics were mainly about partial derivatives, multiple integrals and vector fields.

Lecture

Lecture was once a week on Fridays from 1600 - 1700 and was on only from week 1 to week 5 since there were only 5 topics in the module. The lecturer uploads videos about one topic before lecture (like about 1-2 weeks before the lecture). Technically, we can just watch these videos and not attend lecture at all since lecture is just a repeat of these videos. Furthermore, the lectures are webcast-ed! Thus, I only attended the first 2 lectures. However, I really like the lecturer's explanations in his videos as he can explain really complex math concepts and make it simpler for us to understand.

Tutorial

Tutorial started on week 2 and ended on week 6, with a total of 5 tutorials. Tutorials were 2 hours long. Since there were 5 topics, each tutorial covered one topic. My tutor would usually give a short summary about the topic and then go through some of the selected tutorial questions. The tutorial questions can be pretty tough but my tutor was able to explain the solutions to the questions well. 

There is a class assignment at the end of every tutorial but this class assignment is open book and discussion is allowed. The tutor just repeating that our answers cannot look exactly the same. Well, I would say these class assignments were a boost for me since it took up 30% of the overall grade. Each class assignment consisted of 2 questions and they were not very tough to complete.

As for class participation, it is mainly accounted via attendance since there wasn't really much discussion throughout the tutorial (except during the class assignment).

Final Exam

The final exam was one of the toughest math examinations I ever had. I never came out of the exam hall after a math paper feeling so lost and disappointed. As mentioned above, there were 6 structured questions in the paper and we were only given 1 hour 30 minutes! I could only complete half the paper (with final answers) while brief workings were presented for the rest of the questions. Well, the lecturer already did warn us in the first place that we will not be able to complete the paper.

You can refer to my 2 page cheat sheet here.

Expected Grade: A

Actual Grade: A+

I would say it was mainly due to my class assignments that I was able to get a really good result for this module. 

Stay tuned for more updates.

- Alan

Module Review: ACC1701X (AY 17/18 Semester 1)

ACC1701X Accounting for Decision Makers (Under School of Business, obviously) teaches basic and foundational accounting standards. I took this module as an unrestricted elective (since it ends with an X) since I have thoughts of minoring in management. 

Assessment

10% Class Participation

10% Class Presentation

30% Mid Term Test (30 MCQs, Closed Book)

50% Final Examination (35 MCQs and one structured question, Closed Book)

Lecturer: Ms Tan Sok Jee, Elaine (First half of semester)

Ms Tan Wee Szu (Second half of semester)

Tutor: Mr Philip Toh

Comments

First and foremost, I took this module because a lot (AND I MEAN A LOT) of my chem eng batch mates took this module too. It was a good module, a little content heavy, but overall not too tough. 

I would recommend getting the textbook: 'Financial Accounting: Information for Decisions 3rd Ed.' since the tutorial questions are all taken from the textbook. It'll be good to read the textbook first before attending lectures as it'll be less confusing that way (For me, it was the first time dealing with accounting, so I felt the need to refer to the textbook). 

Lecture

The lectures are held every Wednesday from 12 pm - 2 pm. There are 2 other lecture slots too. There are 12 lectures in total. The lectures are not webcasted, and since accounting is a new thing to me, I attended all 12 lectures. The lecture notes were pretty useful as they summarize the key points well. However, the lectures are pretty content heavy and can get quite boring sometimes. Towards the end of the semester (especially when going through income and equity and cash flow), the lectures were actually 1 hour 45 minutes long (the standard is about 1 hour 20 minutes, with a break in between of course). The lecturers explained all the points pretty well but both lecturers can be a little boring due to their rather monotonous voices. This was the only lecture in this semester that I had tendencies of falling asleep. Comparing the 2 lecturers, I would say the second lecturer is better in explaining the concepts as I was able to understand her explanations more easily. 

Tutorial

The tutorial is only 1 hour long, and is held once a week (all the way till week 13). We were pre-assigned into groups of 4 and we even have assigned places to sit in the tutorial room (just like secondary school, lol). For every tutorial, the tutor will first give a brief summary regarding the topic, then one group will present their tutorial solutions (which is done on Excel or PowerPoint) and then, the tutor will present his own solutions. The group that will be presenting for each tutorial is already decided on the first tutorial. We got to present for 2 tutorials since there are only like 5-6 groups in total. My group did all the tutorial solutions on Excel since excel has the ability to calculate all the values needed for us and it's easier to present financial statements on Excel. 

Mid Term Test

The mid term test was held on week 8. It was one hour long, consisted of 30 MCQs and was a closed book examination. One hour was sufficient to complete the questions. The questions are a little tricky and we had to read very closely. Other than that, it was pretty manageable. 

Final Exam

The final exam consisted of 35 MCQs and 1 structured question. I spend about 1 hour on the MCQs and another hour on the structured question since the whole paper was 2 hours long. The MCQs were again pretty tricky and close reading was required. The structured question wasn't a huge problem either. 

The module has quite a number of formulas that we are required to remember as well since a cheat sheet is not allowed during the exam. But, for the final exam, they only tested like about 3-4 formulas, so it isn't really a huge problem.

Expected Grade: A-

Actual Grade: A

I guess this module wasn't too tough for me as it had a lot of math involved in it (and as an engineer, I'm totally fine with having math in such a module).

All in all, I would recommend this module for anyone wanting to take it as an unrestricted elective as it is not a tough module. But if you hate math (for art students), then maybe this module shouldn't be considered. 

Stay tuned for more updates.

- Alan

Module Review: GES1028 (AY 17/18 Semester 1)

GES1028 Singapore society (under Department of Sociology) is about applying concepts of sociology on the context of the issues faced in Singapore.

Assessment

20% Class Participation

20% Class Presentation

20% Critical Review (An Essay Review on one of the readings assigned)

40% Final Examination (2 Essays, Closed Book)

Lecturer: DR Adelyn Lim Li-Ping

Tutor: Mr Muhammad Kamal Jauhari Bin Zai 

Comments

First and foremost, I didn't exactly know the true reason why I chose to take this module because I'm terribly horrible at writing essays. Plus, I'm an engineering student here, so taking this arts module wasn't exactly an easy thing for me. However, I definitely did not regret taking it because it provided me with another perspective about Singapore as well as the 'hidden' issues/problems many locals face. 

Please also do take note that this module may be handled by different teaching teams every semester and these lecturers and tutors may not be handling this module during your semester. 

The good thing for this module is that there are no textbooks required (YAY).

Lecture

Lecture was on every Thursday for 2 hours long (10 am - 12 pm). There wasn't any webcast for this module and since I'm afraid of losing out, I attended all the 11 lectures. The module consists of 10 main topics (e.g. of topics are like education, race, religion in Singapore), with 1 lecture talking about 1 topic, and one round up lecture at the end. The lecture usually starts with a brief history about the topic in the world before bringing in into the Singaporean context. The lecturer is very clear in her explanations but she does speak pretty quickly. So, I would advise taking an audio recording for the lecture so that you can refer to it again to make sure you do not miss anything out. 

Readings

There is one assigned reading for every topic, so there are 10 in total. Some are really long while some are pretty short. I'll advise at least reading half or at least get the gist of the readings before attending lectures so that you would not be too lost. I have to say that some readings (only 1 or 2) are a bit too complex for me to understand (sad engineering student here) and I had to google some terms now and then. But I guess maybe it is because some of the readings are pretty relatable to me and thus, I don't actually hate spending some time to read these readings. 

Tutorial

Tutorial is 2 hours long, but only once every 2 weeks and there's only a total of 5 tutorials for the module. For the first tutorial, we were told to form our own groups of 5-6 members, instead of the usual pre-assigned groupings in most modules. It's a good thing for those who have friends in the same tutorial slot but for me, I'm alone in this so it didn't really matter for me. There were 4 groups in total for each tutorial and each group has to present on an assigned topic. A sentence will also be given to us and we would have to break down the sentence and apply it to Singapore's context. For the first tutorial, we just formed our own groups so there wasn't any presentations. But for all the subsequent tutorials, it all started with a group presentation first before the tutor then talks about the main points regarding the topic itself. Every tutorial covers 2 topics previously covered in lectures. 

My tutor was a very light-hearted guy, yet he was also able to bring his points up succinctly. He'll crack jokes once in a while and it was thus quite fun to attend his tutorials. And for those who hate class participation and talking in class, this module is actually good for you because the class participation grading is not based on how much you talk in class. Instead, at the end of every tutorial, we have to provide a one sentence response for 2 questions and this will contribute to the 20% class participation.

As for the critical review, we have to write a 'review' on one of the assigned readings. The review is on the same topic as the group presentation and for mine, our group did on gender and sexuality in Singapore. The critical review is a bit like the Application Question in the GP paper where we would bring up arguments made by the author, evaluate these arguments and decide whether to agree or disagree with them. This provided a new experience for me since I haven't exactly written a paper all by myself before but looking back, I wouldn't say it was as bad as I expected. 

As for the group presentation, I AM VERY GLAD THAT I HAD GOOD TEAMMATES. To me, the trick to doing well in group presentations is having good teammates (like I'm serious here, I felt the main reason I did well in project work in JC was due to me having nice teammates). As mentioned earlier, we had to break down a sentence in relation to gender and sexuality in Singapore and then talk about the issues facing Singapore. Just take note that if this module is still taught by the same teaching team, then it is VERY important to have a stand with regards to the topic at like the second of third slide of your presentation. Other than that, the presentation actually went pretty smoothly and yeah, that's about it. 

Final Exam

The final examination consists of Section A and Section B and we had to write one essay for each section. Sadly, it was a closed book examination. The paper was 2 hours long, so it is best to spend only an hour for each essay. Section A was a compulsory essay question which requires an assessment of a newspaper article and applying the concepts we learnt in lectures for the articles. This was definitely tough for me and I spent about 1 hour and 10 minutes for this question (thus leaving me with only about 50 minutes for Section B). It took me quite a while to sort out what I want to write in the essay. Thus, if the same exam format is kept, it'll be good to read newspaper articles (regarding Singapore, obviously) throughout the semester and think about how to apply the different concepts learnt to the articles. Next, section B was a 3 questions choose 1 kind of thing. It wasn't too bad for me since the questions were on the readings I spent more time on. I chose the first question on governance and it wasn't all too bad. If I'm not wrong, the examination paper might be accessible through the exam library online. 

Expected Grade: C

Actual Grade: A-

I totally didn't expect myself to do this well for this module. I guess it was mainly because I got an A for my group presentation and A- for my critical review, which both brought the overall grade up to A-. SO, CHOOSE GOOD TEAMMATES TO WORK WITH.

All in all, it was a 'quite okay' kind of module but I don't think I would want to recommend this module to anyone who hates writing essays. I had a very negative perception towards this module in the beginning but I DEFINITELY do not have this feeling anymore after attending all the lectures and tutorials. I will never regret taking this module since I did way better than expected.

Stay tuned for more updates.

- Alan

Module Review: GET1032 (AY 17/18 Semester 1)

GET1032 Building Relationships - Theories and Practice  (Under the Department of Social Work) mainly talks about building effective interpersonal relationships, effective communication with different groups of people and emotional intelligence.

Assessment

30% Class Participation and Debate

30% Term Test (50 MCQs, Closed Book)

40% Final Examination (50 MCQs and 2 structured questions, Open Book)

Lecturer: Dr Vasoo

Tutor: Dr Vasoo

Comments

The main reason why I decided to take this module was because of the MCQ style examinations and I only needed 1 bid point to get this module. But I have to say I did benefit from this module as it taught me a lot of life skills with regards to communication and emotional intelligence.

I would recommend getting a textbook for this module. I got the Interpersonal Communication Book,14th Ed. by Joseph A. DeVito. A lot of the key terms taught were taken from this textbook and the final examination is open book, meaning that you can bring this textbook into the examination hall.

Lecture

The lecture is held very Wednesday from 4pm - 6pm. The lecture is webcasted and thus, I stopped attending lecture after the second lecture. The lecturer also mainly just read off from the slide, so I don't think there's a need to attend the lectures. Each lecture will talk about a topic with regards to communication. 

The lecturer does provide additional reading materials too and it'll be good to read them as well. (I wouldn't say it's a must to read these readings, but it will really help)

Tutorial

The tutorial takes place once every 2 weeks and there are only 5 tutorials in the semester. At the beginning of each tutorial, there will be a debate session with 2-3 students on each side of the debate. I was part of the first group to do the debate so I didn't have to worry about the debate anymore for the subsequent tutorials. The groups are pre-assigned by the tutor. The debate topics were obviously related to communication and my topic was: 'Interpersonal communication is a natural human ability' and I was on the side agreeing with the statement (although I strongly disagree with this statement). Not to worry, the debate is pretty relaxing, in the sense that we do not have to stand up to talk. We can just sit at the front of the class and present our arguments. And the funny thing is that we didn't even rebut each other's points. For the subsequent tutorials, most groups didn't rebut the other side's points either. We're only allowed to speak for 2-2.5 minutes too, so it really isn't that worrying for those who have stage fright and hate presentations.

Our tutor, Dr Vasoo, is also a very nice tutor and does make the tutorials more enjoyable. After the debates, we will just form into random groups of 5-6 people and we will discuss about a certain topic with regards to communication. Sometimes, there are some roleplay involved and sometimes, we get to share our problems we face in life too. It's more of like a 'leadership kind of course' where you sit in a circle with a group of students and discuss about your strengths and weaknesses etc. I don't mind such a thing since we do not have to prepare for tutorials (other than the debate), as compared to my engine and math modules. 

Term Test

The term test is held at the end of the semester, on week 13, and there are no mid term tests for this module. It consists of 50 MCQs and it was a closed book examination. We were only given 1 hour for the paper and I was pretty worried because I might not be able to finish the questions. However, the worrying was pointless since the 50 questions could be completed within 30 minutes. The paper isn't too tough either if you've read the textbook and readings provided.

Final Exam

The final exam was open book and it consisted of 50 MCQs and 2 structured questions. Some of the MCQ questions were exactly the same or slightly paraphrased from the term test. (But they don't release the answers for the term test, so it doesn't really help anyway. You either get both correct, both wrong or one correct and one wrong) The structured questions involve a case study of an issue (e.g. interpersonal conflict or loss of a loved one) and we're supposed to provide solutions to the problems. We can refer to our notes for this, so it wasn't a really a huge problem to answer these 2 questions. 

Expected Grade: B+

Actual Grade: B

The bell curve was pretty steep for this module and I barely got a B. I would recommend this module for anyone who is pretty good in communication terms and jargons. But the module is still relaxing, not that tough and doesn't really require a lot of bid points to get, so it's still worth a try for the rest.

Stay tuned for more updates.

- Alan