Your varsity years will be some of the most transformative ones for you, and it begins with picking a university that fits your ambitions. But first, you need to ask the right questions
by Derek Rodriguez / Illustrations by Don Tan / Video by Rahila Daud
ARE OVERSEAS EXCHANGES ONLY FOR TOP STUDENTS?
University isn’t just about getting a good GPA – it’s about discovering who you really are, making connections and learning life skills. And there’s no better way to do these than having a stint or two overseas. At NTU, every student, Dean’s Lister or not, has the opportunity to go overseas. Exchange programmes aren’t your only ticket overseas too. Language immersion programmes, internships and research stints abroad, and field trips to foreign places are other reasons why undergrads take flight. If your finances are tight, you can apply for financial assistance for these trips.
AM I GUARANTEED A ROOM ON CAMPUS?
In NTU, freshmen are guaranteed a room on campus. You can also apply to stay together with a friend or a sibling of the same gender. Beat the morning blues by waking up just before your lectures, gain real independence as you carry out everyday activities like laundry or meal planning, and perhaps most importantly, learn to manage your own time as you schedule study time between commitments to hall CCAs and social traditions like supper nights. Through it all, you’ll experience the joy of having buddies who will celebrate with you and help you navigate through any rough patches.
Press play for front-row seats at an inter-hall dance competition.
IF I WANT TO TAKE A MINOR OR A SECOND MAJOR, AM I RESTRICTED TO CHOICES IN MY COLLEGE?
Your minor and core major can be as different as chalk and cheese. In fact, NTU is where you can get a head start in diversifying your skill sets, since there are numerous avenues to take courses beyond your major in your college. Pair your engineering degree with a second major in data analytics, or your communication degree with a second major in business. Or boost your CV as a science graduate with an interdisciplinary minor in design and systems thinking or environmental humanities. With the wide range of second majors and minors in other colleges open to you, the possibilities are seemingly endless.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF UNDERGRADUATES ACTUALLY DO PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS?
All NTU undergraduates have to complete at least one internship as part of their curriculum. Whether with heavyweights such as Rolls-Royce and Dyson, or start-ups around the world, internships give you an edge in employability. How do we know? Almost a third of NTU students receive permanent job offers at the end of their internship stints. You may not realise it yet, but other than experience in the working world, internships give you incredible insights into your passions and interests. Some students who do multiple internships have even used these stints to suss out their career path with conviction.
ARE NTU GRADUATES ABLE TO FIND JOBS?
NTU graduates are in demand. More than nine in 10 graduates from the Class of 2022 secured full-time jobs within four months of getting their degrees. They commanded higher pay too, with a mean gross monthly salary of $4,443, an increase from $4,000 in 2021. Graduates from NTU’s Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme and the Double Degree in Business and Computer Engineering/Science programme top the charts with mean starting salaries of $6,647 and $6,307 respectively.
HOW ARE CLASSES CONDUCTED?
You pull out a chair, bring out your notes and join a lecture – in the comfort of your home or hall and at your own time. In the flipped classroom approach used in many NTU modules, you go through the course content before in-person classes, which involves finding solutions to problems in groups in smart classrooms and mega learning studios. Your classes too might incorporate virtual and augmented reality technology. If you’re a hall resident, Residential Education gives you the chance to pick up skills at your halls, such as in app development, molecular gastronomy, fermenting beer and cheese, and even latin dance and social yoga.
CAN I TAKE A YEAR OR TWO OFF IF I WANT TO PURSUE ANOTHER INTEREST?
Taking a gap year is a leap of faith that has paid off for some NTU students and grads, who have taken leaves of absence to start their own businesses, pursue sports competitively, take non-credit bearing internships, volunteer for social causes, or even to work in another country. NTU students are allowed to take up to three gap years over the course of their studies, although some who choose this route opt for just a semester’s leave.
WHERE CAN I GET GROCERIES AND MEALS?
With more than 100 food stalls and F&B outlets on campus, you’ll never go hungry. The list of stalls and cafes is constantly being refreshed too – the latest chain to come to NTU is Domino’s Pizza at Hall 1. And if you are preparing a meal for yourself or your hall mates, you can get fresh meats and vegetables from two fully-stocked supermarkets on campus, Prime Supermarket at the North Spine Plaza and Giant at Hall 2, which also has a 7-Eleven that’s open round the clock.
This story was published in the Mar-Apr 2023 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
