So, we started this blog because we really received much advice from other module reviews and I hope putting my two cents worth to the modules I've taken would give you readers a brief idea of what to expect when you bid for the mods.
EC1101E: Introduction to Economic Analysis
Lecturers:
Ong Ee Cheng (1st half until Mid Terms)
Chan Kok Hoe (next half)
Module Components:
10% Attendance
10% Tutorial Participation
30% Mid Terms
50% Finals
(note: honestly, I've forgotten the exact percentages assigned to each component, but usually for Econs modules, these are the standard components. No essays nor research papers to write, basically the main difference from other Arts majors)
Webcast: I think have, though I've never watched a single one because I attended all the lectures. Mugger much, I know lol.
Difficulty Level: 2/5 Okay, honestly on hindsight, it really isn't that difficult. (though the competition is extremely stiff, don't say I didn't warn ya)
Textbook: Principles of Economics (Mankiw, Quah, Wilson) (still available!)
Comments: First half is all on micro topics (demand and supply, market failure, market structure etc) Basically they squeezed a year's work in JC into 6 weeks, so be prepared to revise and know your stuff because EVERYONE knows it already. (or most people, there are some who have never taken Econs before in JC but take note, these are the minority and I know of one person who dropped the mod halfway through) So for those without any Economics background and are thinking of clearing this mod as a Breadth or what, I don't recommend you to do so. Instead you can check out EC1301, this mod is for the non-Arts majors so you might not be as disadvantaged. Dr Cheng loves to give you examples to practice on, she'll give you time to do so and she'll walk around to check. Not sure why, but she likes to get response from the ground before she moves on otherwise the lecture will end late. So... idk, be responsive? Lol. Second half of the mod is on macro. My memory of it is quite fuzzy, but what I can remember is that JC knowledge isn't THAT applicable here because you learn new topics like money with all the weird bank reserve ratio etc. Totally struggled with that topic, but the rest were quite manageable. AD-AS diagram is slightly different, it'll be the last chapter so do take note. Of course, you need to know that Economics in university is extremely different from JC. The key difference? Heavy application and usage of Mathematics to explain Economics. So if you're someone who hates calculus, numbers or just simply dislike Math, do think twice if you want to major in Econs. For those who have already decided, this is a core mod which you have to pass in order to declare your major. Oh, and a word of advice, after you finished your semester, remember to do the Module Preference Exercise (MPE) if you're dead-sure you wanna major in Econs. Econs mods are heavily subscribed, so this MPE can save your life. Nah just kidding, it'll save (a hell lot of) your bid points.
SC1101E: Making Sense of Society
Lecturers:
Tan Ern Ser
Kevin Low
Well, they kinda mix the weeks they lecture, so there's no specific first half and second half which they lecture respectively.
Module Components:
15% Short Assignment (500 words)
25% Mid Terms
10% Class Participation
50% Finals
Webcast: Yes
Difficulty Level: 4/5
Textbook: Brym and Lie (sold mine already)
Comments: Okay, disclaimer first, I myself don't understand soci thus I found it difficult. The irony? Didn't hesitate to not SU this mod (which means I did quite well ^_^) Not sure what happened, but maybe my finals saved me even though I still couldn't understand soci up to that point. I took this mod because I wanted to clear my faculty requirements social science basket. Quite a huge mistake honestly, I didn't like it at all. There are many theories and schools of thought, like Symbolic Interaction or Marxist etc (okay, I really don't remember the rest) You'll learn topics like Gender and Sexuality, Family, Deviance, to name a few. Some are rather interesting, especially the case studies. But you need to understand the entire mod as a whole, that society is basically a social construct and nothing is natural. The lecturers are nice, although Dr Kevin is much more interesting. Maybe it's the topics he lecture, idk. Since there's webcast, and the notes are mostly quite self explanatory, many don't come for lectures, I only skipped 1. Lol. But of course, it's good to attend because the lecturers do value add to the notes. (duh) For those intending to major in soci, sorry you need to find someone else for advice. For those who want to take this to clear your faculty requirement, you need to ponder over whether you're good at writing essays and being able to fluff your way through. Otherwise, you can just take this in the first semester and SU it man. No harm done and you clear your basket. Just take note, there's quite a bit of readings (2 per week?) which are really quite hard to digest because they are too boring for me :( I only read till Week 5, lol. But I honestly don't think they're really that helpful, in my opinion.
JS1101E: Introduction to Japanese Studies
Lecturers: Chris McMorran and Dr Amos
They lecture for various weeks on different aspects of Japan, but take note, some semesters might have different lecturers.
Module Components:
10% Class Participation
10% Individual Assignment
40% Group Assignment
40% Final Exam
Okay, percentages might be wrong because I really don't remember them already. Individual assignment is a 500 word essay, and includes two short responses to others' essays (which are all uploaded on IVLE Forum). Group assignment is 1000 words per member, you can choose any topic regarding Japan, ranging from food to history to gender inequality etc. Deadline is the last week, so technically, you have 11-12 weeks to do this but don't rush it towards the end, they are quite strict on the marking I think.
Webcast: No
Difficulty Level: 3/5
Textbook: NIL
Comments: This module isn't about anime or manga, no such thing mentioned here. It delves into Japan's history and geography (yes you need to memorise Japan's geography on the map for finals) It's an interesting module which gives you insight towards Japan's various aspects. They would upload quite a number of Japanese movies or short films onto IVLE that are worth a watch if you find yourself too slack in the first semester haha. Many chose to take Southeast Asia studies to clear their faculty basket, but you can consider taking Japanese Studies too. It's not THAT daunting because the finals are very different from the other Asian baskets. 50 MCQs woohoo! But of course, you'll have to deal with the group assignment (which includes dealing with your group members for more than 10 weeks.) To me, that's the only trade-off, apart from the final exam not being easy at all. Questions do come out from the readings, and there are 5 options each. You'll find yourself stuck at choosing among 2-3 options, so good luck with that. Many left after the first hour mark, I didn't lol. But then agian, no amount of brain power's gonna help, it ain't Economics sadly :( The lecturers are very passionate in their areas of expertise, though I admit I tend to doze off here and there during lectures oops. No knowledge of Japanese is required. Overall, this module can be both relaxing and taxing, because tutorials are usually just discussions (don't need much preparation for mine) and exams are MCQ, but the content is very heavy and there are readings to be done. Some readings were really interesting, especially the ones on World War II. If you're planning to major in Japanese Studies, if I'm not wrong, they do give priority to JS majors who intend to go to Japan for exchange.
LAJ1201: Japanese 1
Lecturers: Kazuko Morita and Osamu Amazaki
Module Components:
70% Continuous Assessment (includes vocabulary quizzes, listening quizzes, homework, class participation, Mid Terms)
30% Finals
Webcast: Yes
Difficulty Level: 4//5
Gave a 4 because the grade wasn't reflective of the effort I put in, which perhaps gives you a glimpse of how steep the bell curve is, although they have placement tests for those with prior knowledge of Japanese. Do take note of that, they're quite strict about it.
Textbook: Minna No Ninhongo (Japanese for Everybody??)
They'll ask you to buy, no worries. It's around $80 I think, the CD is optional though I got it for both Jap 1 and 2 because I think it's useful in introducing the topics to you before lecture, and also helps with the intonation.
Comments: Very heavy module, you need to be extremely consistent in your work. There's preparation to do from the textbook, every lesson, every week, no running away from that. Your sensei will test your understanding in class, but if you did your work at home, there's no need to worry about it. There'll be homework as well, but they are manageable and can be done quite quickly if you know your stuff. For those who are entirely new to Japanese, I would suggest for you to learn the Japanese characters before the semester begins, aka Hiragana and Katakana. It will help tremendously. One lecturer will follow you throughout the sem, and there's 2 lecturers because there's 2 different timeslots. Mine was Morita Sensei, she likes to pass the mike around the class and ask questions, so be prepared. Not sure how Amazaki Sensei lectures though. Oh, and if you did not already know, there are 3 tutorials every week, so you need to commit 7 hours per week (including lecture), excluding the time spent on preparation work. That's the catch. But it's worth it for me, because I really learnt a lot and made new friends from Japanese classes. Also, tutorials are really fun, you don't feel like you're attending class at all! But of course, make life easy for yourself and the sensei by doing your work in advance. The things you learn in Jap 1 is considerably way easier than Jap 2, since they are the basics. Will give my two cents on Jap 2 for my next review. (fyi, I'm most likely not gonna follow up to Jap 3, it's too time-consuming.)
GL1101E: Global Issues
Lecturer: Dr Kim
Module Components:
10% Class Participation
20% Group Work
30% Term Paper (individual)
40% Finals
Webcast: No
Difficulty Level: 2/5
Of course, that's my opinion and do take it with a pinch (or bucket) of salt. I love the topics Dr Kim lectures, hence this fuels my interest in this module. I also enjoy writing essays on these global issues, thus this might not be a good indication for those who hate writing papers.
Textbook: NIL
Comments: Plenty of readings. That's one of the two main drawbacks of this module. You need to be able to summarise readings (which can be 40-50 pages long each) and sometimes you have 3-4 readings per week so you can do the math yourself. For finals, I summarised them and I'm open to selling my notes (just comment if you're interested) Another drawback of this module is the group project. I hate the way it's being graded, where group members have different grades based on the amount of work they put in. I know some are worried about those who slack off, but a mini rant here: I had to delete a lot of my parts just to stick to the word limit as I edited the final draft and my group had more members than others, with the same word limit. So again, do the math. Scored the worst in my group for the project, and achieved the best grade for my individual term paper. My overall grade came as a surprise, but it also shows that even if you didn't do well in your group project (I got a B- btw), you can still own the individual term paper and finals. It feels damnnnn good. Maybe this doesn't apply to all the modules in NUS, you need to see the distribution of the module components to get a clearer picture. Regarding lecture content, you'll learn about Embedded Liberalism, Transnational Corporations, global problems like child labour and GMF, interesting insights into food politics and copyright/patent laws which doesn't really enhance innovation. (whaaat?) In my opinion, this is the module to take if you want to clear the Humanities/Social Sciences basket (yes it can clear either) and you are interested in global affairs. Dr Kim gives really interesting views and I thoroughly enjoyed her lectures. Of course, majoring in Global Studies is another issue altogether. I chose not to do it despite loving the intro mod because 1) you need to take a language all the way to level 4 and 2) it's a relatively new major so I'm afraid it won't be recognised or what. But if you wish to take it as an intro mod, by all means, go ahead. Fyi, group project was to research into one TNC and the issues revolving around it. Learnt so much from this project, yet my grade sucked. Oh wells, life works in amazing ways.
That's all, shall upload the next review for this semester once my results are out. *cross fingers*
Lecturers: Chris McMorran and Dr Amos
They lecture for various weeks on different aspects of Japan, but take note, some semesters might have different lecturers.
Module Components:
10% Class Participation
10% Individual Assignment
40% Group Assignment
40% Final Exam
Okay, percentages might be wrong because I really don't remember them already. Individual assignment is a 500 word essay, and includes two short responses to others' essays (which are all uploaded on IVLE Forum). Group assignment is 1000 words per member, you can choose any topic regarding Japan, ranging from food to history to gender inequality etc. Deadline is the last week, so technically, you have 11-12 weeks to do this but don't rush it towards the end, they are quite strict on the marking I think.
Webcast: No
Difficulty Level: 3/5
Textbook: NIL
Comments: This module isn't about anime or manga, no such thing mentioned here. It delves into Japan's history and geography (yes you need to memorise Japan's geography on the map for finals) It's an interesting module which gives you insight towards Japan's various aspects. They would upload quite a number of Japanese movies or short films onto IVLE that are worth a watch if you find yourself too slack in the first semester haha. Many chose to take Southeast Asia studies to clear their faculty basket, but you can consider taking Japanese Studies too. It's not THAT daunting because the finals are very different from the other Asian baskets. 50 MCQs woohoo! But of course, you'll have to deal with the group assignment (which includes dealing with your group members for more than 10 weeks.) To me, that's the only trade-off, apart from the final exam not being easy at all. Questions do come out from the readings, and there are 5 options each. You'll find yourself stuck at choosing among 2-3 options, so good luck with that. Many left after the first hour mark, I didn't lol. But then agian, no amount of brain power's gonna help, it ain't Economics sadly :( The lecturers are very passionate in their areas of expertise, though I admit I tend to doze off here and there during lectures oops. No knowledge of Japanese is required. Overall, this module can be both relaxing and taxing, because tutorials are usually just discussions (don't need much preparation for mine) and exams are MCQ, but the content is very heavy and there are readings to be done. Some readings were really interesting, especially the ones on World War II. If you're planning to major in Japanese Studies, if I'm not wrong, they do give priority to JS majors who intend to go to Japan for exchange.
LAJ1201: Japanese 1
Lecturers: Kazuko Morita and Osamu Amazaki
Module Components:
70% Continuous Assessment (includes vocabulary quizzes, listening quizzes, homework, class participation, Mid Terms)
30% Finals
Webcast: Yes
Difficulty Level: 4//5
Gave a 4 because the grade wasn't reflective of the effort I put in, which perhaps gives you a glimpse of how steep the bell curve is, although they have placement tests for those with prior knowledge of Japanese. Do take note of that, they're quite strict about it.
Textbook: Minna No Ninhongo (Japanese for Everybody??)
They'll ask you to buy, no worries. It's around $80 I think, the CD is optional though I got it for both Jap 1 and 2 because I think it's useful in introducing the topics to you before lecture, and also helps with the intonation.
Comments: Very heavy module, you need to be extremely consistent in your work. There's preparation to do from the textbook, every lesson, every week, no running away from that. Your sensei will test your understanding in class, but if you did your work at home, there's no need to worry about it. There'll be homework as well, but they are manageable and can be done quite quickly if you know your stuff. For those who are entirely new to Japanese, I would suggest for you to learn the Japanese characters before the semester begins, aka Hiragana and Katakana. It will help tremendously. One lecturer will follow you throughout the sem, and there's 2 lecturers because there's 2 different timeslots. Mine was Morita Sensei, she likes to pass the mike around the class and ask questions, so be prepared. Not sure how Amazaki Sensei lectures though. Oh, and if you did not already know, there are 3 tutorials every week, so you need to commit 7 hours per week (including lecture), excluding the time spent on preparation work. That's the catch. But it's worth it for me, because I really learnt a lot and made new friends from Japanese classes. Also, tutorials are really fun, you don't feel like you're attending class at all! But of course, make life easy for yourself and the sensei by doing your work in advance. The things you learn in Jap 1 is considerably way easier than Jap 2, since they are the basics. Will give my two cents on Jap 2 for my next review. (fyi, I'm most likely not gonna follow up to Jap 3, it's too time-consuming.)
GL1101E: Global Issues
Lecturer: Dr Kim
Module Components:
10% Class Participation
20% Group Work
30% Term Paper (individual)
40% Finals
Webcast: No
Difficulty Level: 2/5
Of course, that's my opinion and do take it with a pinch (or bucket) of salt. I love the topics Dr Kim lectures, hence this fuels my interest in this module. I also enjoy writing essays on these global issues, thus this might not be a good indication for those who hate writing papers.
Textbook: NIL
Comments: Plenty of readings. That's one of the two main drawbacks of this module. You need to be able to summarise readings (which can be 40-50 pages long each) and sometimes you have 3-4 readings per week so you can do the math yourself. For finals, I summarised them and I'm open to selling my notes (just comment if you're interested) Another drawback of this module is the group project. I hate the way it's being graded, where group members have different grades based on the amount of work they put in. I know some are worried about those who slack off, but a mini rant here: I had to delete a lot of my parts just to stick to the word limit as I edited the final draft and my group had more members than others, with the same word limit. So again, do the math. Scored the worst in my group for the project, and achieved the best grade for my individual term paper. My overall grade came as a surprise, but it also shows that even if you didn't do well in your group project (I got a B- btw), you can still own the individual term paper and finals. It feels damnnnn good. Maybe this doesn't apply to all the modules in NUS, you need to see the distribution of the module components to get a clearer picture. Regarding lecture content, you'll learn about Embedded Liberalism, Transnational Corporations, global problems like child labour and GMF, interesting insights into food politics and copyright/patent laws which doesn't really enhance innovation. (whaaat?) In my opinion, this is the module to take if you want to clear the Humanities/Social Sciences basket (yes it can clear either) and you are interested in global affairs. Dr Kim gives really interesting views and I thoroughly enjoyed her lectures. Of course, majoring in Global Studies is another issue altogether. I chose not to do it despite loving the intro mod because 1) you need to take a language all the way to level 4 and 2) it's a relatively new major so I'm afraid it won't be recognised or what. But if you wish to take it as an intro mod, by all means, go ahead. Fyi, group project was to research into one TNC and the issues revolving around it. Learnt so much from this project, yet my grade sucked. Oh wells, life works in amazing ways.
That's all, shall upload the next review for this semester once my results are out. *cross fingers*
