January 17, 2019
QUICK VIEW
- Make sure to have a map of the campus so you know which bus to take
- Always check your iNTU account, teachers post announcements on there more than sending out emails
- Finals for engineering class are worth %60-%70 of final grade
The campus here at NTU is very big. Something that is different when compared to Drexel. At Drexel, we have a lot of buildings pretty much all together and intertwined with the city of Philadelphia. On the other hand, NTU is an enclosed campus where everything is together, away from the city. Since the campus is so big, there are a total of 3 buses that are free to use, in order to get around campus. Additionally, there is another bus that requires fare, which comes into the campus and can drop people off at the Pioneer Station to continue to public transportation that connects all of Singapore.
Most classes, at least for me, are located at North Spine which is basically the main campus. It being the end of the week, I have had all my classes and there are many similarities but also many differences compared to Drexel. The lectures last 2 hours and have a lot of students in the class. There are many differences at NTU, including grading and structure. At NTU, the structure of the class is more self-paced. In other words, professors tell students that they don’t have to attend lectures because the lecture slides are all posted online. Additionally, the professors record every lecture and post it online after class time so that students can watch the lecture and pause when needed. I think this is great because it’s nice to sit in lecture and just listen instead of having to worry about writing down everything before I forget what was said.
Another difference is the grading. At Drexel, and most universities in The United States, grading is comprised of midterms, projects, homework, attendance and the final exam. Usually exams are only worth about %20-%30 of the entire grade for the class. At NTU, the grade for engineering classes is only based on midterms and finals, with the final being worth %60-%70. In one hand, this is a good thing because that means a student does not have to constantly worry about handing things in every week. On the other hand, it is pretty stressful because you have to be very prepared for the final, as it determines whether you pass or fail.
Alongside lectures, each class also has a tutorial, which at Drexel we call recitation. At Drexel, recitation is held by TA’s. At NTU, sometimes the professor is the one teaching the tutorial. I think that is great because it seems to be very helpful. Since the professor knows what we went over in lecture, the tutorial can be more straightforward and informative.
After classes, I was hungry so I decided to go look for a place to eat. As I was wandering around, I found out that everything I could possibly need was all in one place. There is a little grocery store, an electronics store, a school merchandise store, bakeries and food stops. It is very convenient because it is right underneath all the lecture halls in North Spine.
Overall, I really like the way the classes seem to be organized and hopefully the semester goes well.
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