1. DECISION MAKING
What subjects were you studying before university, and were they related to your university course?
I took Physics, Chemistry, Math and Economics in JC and although the choice of a science stream seems most evident for someone who wanted to later enrol into a technology and design tertiary institution, it was not my key intention to study disciplines directly related to that. Rather, I wanted to take a subject combination which was most mainstream and provided enough flexibility for any university course that I could have taken subsequently. However, there were certain subjects that I stayed clear of, such as Biology and Geography which are both definitely not what I wanted to pursue in JC or thereafter.
What options were you considering, and how did you eventually decide on your course?
As the university application deadlines drew near, I was still very unsure of which course, much less which school, I wanted to pursue. However, I was more or less certain that what I wanted was definitely in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) domain. Having pursued other humanities and social sciences subjects at the secondary level, I realized I had neither passion nor aptitude in these areas. I appreciate going to arts & cultural events & exhibitions and enjoying the installations or creative pieces by the respective artistes, but this interest is not much more than a small hobby.
Narrowing down on my options, I felt that the more specialized domains like Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Accountancy etc. were a little too restrictive for me as I wanted to pursue something more broad-based and versatile for the future. Having flexibility with regard to future vocation options was most critical to me. I was thus drawn to either Business or Engineering, two very diverse fields in their own right.
However, I settled for the latter eventually as I saw the potential to create something new in Engineering, which in essence leaves an impact. I was very much attracted by SUTD’s lofty, grandeur vision to create a better world by design – through developing technically-grounded innovators who would solve the world’s problems with the right mix of design and technological know-how.
How did you choose between the universities which offered your course e.g. SUTD, NTU, NUS or even overseas (if applicable)? What stood out to you most about your current option, and what was the turning point or most crucial factor in making your decision?
Amongst the Engineering courses offered by NTU, NUS and SUTD, the core curriculum is more or less similar, as principles and building blocks of key Engineering concepts cannot vary that much.
The first year across all universities is typical of Common Engineering modules which provides a solid foundation for subsequent years in which deeper material is covered. The difference with NTU/NUS as compared to SUTD is that the former two universities’ pedagogy and curriculum dive deeper into the specific engineering domains like Civil, Electrical, Mechanical etc. as such specializations are usually declared early on before one starts the first year. SUTD however, requires all students to study a broad range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math modules with the inclusion of a Design module and 2 complementary Humanities and Social Science (HASS) electives all by the first 3 semesters. These modules were Advanced Math I & II, Engineering in the Physical World, Modelling the Systems World, Digital World while the HASS electives were World Texts and Interpretations, a Humanities-centred foundational module studying early philosophical Greek, Confucian, South-east Asian texts, and another called Theorizing the Self, Society and Culture, a Social Science foundational module covering Sociology, Psychology and Anthropological studies.
I was very attracted by this broad-based curriculum that was, at its core, design-centric as all material learnt was said to be put into hands-on practice in a unique design project for every module. This was termed a 1D project, or a localized module project. There are also 2D projects, which are interdisciplinary projects requiring the domain knowledge across 2-4 modules. For instance, in the 3rd semester, we had a biology–math modeling-coding themed 2D project. This involved biology concepts like DNA sequencing and using programming modules for data visualization and mapping of the DNA sequences as well as the mathematical algorithms for computations. By graduation, an SUTD student would have completed at least 20 projects. I took up this challenge, relishing the opportunity to learn as much as I could and to transform theory into real-world application, beyond the scope of laboratory experiments and case studies or what other universities had termed as their hands-on practical module components.
Personally, I had the option of enrolling in a special programme – the SUTD Technology Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP). This is similar to the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) and NTU’s Renaissance Engineering Programme (REP) which brings students to overseas attachments and work immersion abroad within vibrant startup ecosystems like in Silicon Valley. I wished to expand my horizons in this aspect as I was very much intrigued by the global startup scene – although Singapore’s start-up scene then was still in its budding years, there was rapid growth in terms of funding & support and talent pool. Having briefly started an e-commerce apparel business in my JC and NS days, I wanted to continue this pursuit as I could see how businesses could be platforms for impact.
The STEP programme is a concurrent degree programme where one graduates with not only a Bachelors but also a Masters of Science in Technology Entrepreneurship. This is all within the course of 4.5 years as compared to the 3.5 years for the normal Bachelors’ programme. It essentially requires students to take a gap year just before their final 2 semesters where they will travel to the US in the first 8 months to pursue curated Entrepreneurship modules in the University of California, Berkeley Global campus. These modules range from Entrepreneurial Marketing Research, Finance, Business Negotiation and Entrepreneurial Leadership within the first 4 months followed by a work immersion within the startup space in the last 4 months in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students will then transit to China for another 4 months thereafter to complete another Entrepreneurship course at a Chinese University. I believe students also have a choice to decide which Chinese University to be attached to, with Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University School of Management amongst the choices available. This confluence of East and West aims to holistically expand one’s horizon in the time spent in both the US and China and give students an unprecedented opportunity to experience and venture into the realm of Technology Entrepreneurship through immersion in two of the world’s biggest economic powers – USA and China. It is also an immense exposure to real world experiential learning and renders the potential for students to be employed in a wide-range of startup industry sectors, be hired as intrapreneurs in MNCs, or even realize dreams to start a personal tech business.
I believe each STEP cohort is about 30 students currently and the programme also includes a STEP scholarship to cover not just the Bachelors’ and Masters’ programme tuition fees but also the year-long overseas experience in terms of accommodations, airfare, travel insurance and visa application fees.
2. ADMISSIONS
What was the admissions process like?
I was required to complete a personal statement explaining myself, my values, interests and passions and why I wanted to enrol in SUTD as well as how I could contribute. This was on top of the other generic documents submitted for the application. Once your application has been processed and you are shortlisted, an interview will be scheduled with you. This was an on-site panel interview with 2 of the school curriculum staff which all applicants have to attend. This is more of a personal interview for them to get to know you more and to see if you are a good fit for SUTD. The staff would explain the curriculum & pedagogy of the school and clarify any doubts you have. SUTD’s unconventional design-centric methodology was still very much in its infancy given that it was one of the first schools in Singapore that came aboard as an early adopter of this methodology. Hence, potential applicants are made to understand in detail what they would be undertaking should they matriculate successfully.
Most importantly, before deciding to accept the offer of enrolment, you should ask yourself whether this methodology of learning suits you as the broad-based design-oriented curriculum may not be well-received by everyone. For anyone who has already set their mind on an in-depth specialization and wants to dive deep right from the start, or is not too inclined towards team-based coursework and projects, SUTD would not be the ideal environment for you. It is crucial that you consider how the school’s methodology aligns with your own learning style, and how it can set you on the sort of growth and self-discovery you are expecting in the coming years.
My admission was in 2017 which may make this brief account a little outdated. There have been changes to this admission process, of which the latest I heard was the addition of a group interview that requires applicants to innovate an impromptu solution or idea after being given a task/problem. The rationale behind this is not so much the solution generated, but the design thinking and critical evaluation of the steps to arrive at the solution.
3. TEACHING CURRICULUM
What’s your course structure like?
The entire Bachelor’s programme lasts 3.5 years or 8 semesters. SUTD works on a trimester-based system, which starts in May of the matriculating year. Each semester is 14 weeks long with a week’s break, aka recess week, in the 7th week. The last week is reserved for examinations and there will not be class scheduled, although sometimes lecturers may sneak in an additional review class or two to assist students in their revision. On average, each module is worth 12 credits, which translates to 12 hours per week. This typically constitutes about 5 hours of class time and 7 hours of work outside of lessons. There is no lecture and tutorial approach here – classes are framed as cohorts. For a given 2-hour class, the first 20 minutes will be spent learning concepts and the next 40 minutes will involve students working in break-out groups to complete case problems on the subject material. The collaborative style of learning in a small class of no more than 40 students really helps in supporting one’s learning and retention of concepts.
Weekly or biweekly assignments are to help keep track of one’s progress and as mentioned earlier, the bulk of the course grade would be based on the 1D, 2D group projects which are completed in groups of 5-6 students. These projects have deadlines on the last 2 weeks of the semester, just before the examinations week. During the last week, examinations are spread out across Wednesday to Friday only, which are a concentrated 3 days at one go. Finally, all students have to undergo a Capstone module spanning across the last 2 semesters, which involves at least 2 disciplinary pillars. The Capstone project can be a self-initiated one with an external company or adopted from a list of projects offered by the school. These industry-level projects with MNCs and SMEs and even government corporations involves students prototyping a functional solution to a real-world problem currently being faced by the organisation, going beyond just a research project.
What are the format of your exams like (practical / MCQ / essay / problem sets; online/offline)?
Most exams consist of MCQ and short-answer questions which require students to apply formulae or algorithm to solve the problems. Since students are typically allowed to bring a page’s worth of handwritten formulae into exams, most questions are application-based. For the HASS modules, the exam format ranges from weekly quizzes, take-home or in-class essays, to group presentations and case studies. Given the current climate of COVID-19, most classes and assessments are taken online. Most exams span 1.5-2 hours at a stretch and while preparations for exams are short in general (a time frame of only 2-3 days to recap since the most recent material was taught and all projects were completed just the week prior), the weightage for the exams is around 20-30% of the cumulative grade. This stays true to the core of SUTD’s pedagogy, which is to focus on hands-on learning and coursework rather than examinations.
Specialisation-wise, have you decided? What advice do you have regarding choosing a specialisation?
I have decided to embark on Product Development as my pillar in Year 2. SUTD offers 4 pillars: Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD), Engineering Systems and Design (ESD), Engineering Product Development (EPD) and Information Systems Technology and Design (ISTD). Within each pillar, there are core tracks, such as Robotics, Electrical, Mechanical, Healthcare and Computer Engineering from the EPD Pillar. I believe SUTD is revamping their curriculum from 2020 onwards and rolling out a new Design and Artificial Intelligence pillar for future students.
Regarding choosing a specialization, students can look at the course matrix on the potential modules offered and their respective syllabus outlines. If in doubt, do clarify with the respective course leads any questions you have – be it on the learning objectives, frameworks, tools and skill set required – regarding the particular module you’re considering.
By the end of the 1st year, you should also ask yourself what sort of problem-solver you envision yourself to be. This involves asking questions like what problem domain intrigues you, what sort of products/services you would like to build, and are these client-facing or on the backend etc. In positioning where you see yourself, you can then ask what are the necessary tools, background and knowledge you want to have in order to get there.
Networking with professors, industry professionals, engaging in fireside chats, webinars would also help to broaden your understanding on a subject matter. Pillar-organized company engagement talks and field visits would also be good to help in making your decision on specialization. What better way to understand a field and verify if it’s a good fit for you than to ask the industry players themselves on their day-to-day roles and responsibilities! Moreover, you can also gauge the respective workplace culture from all these interactions.
4. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE / PREFERENCES
What were your most and least favourite modules/part of your course?
This is only based on my personal experience & preference, but what I found most interesting was the flexibility to translate theory into application. For instance, professors and lecturers constantly push students to develop and think creatively & critically when thrown a problem statement. In many of the modules’ projects, industry practices are integrated into the applications. Tools and softwares are scoped and curated by course instructors who challenge students to build real-world applications and architectures of an Internet of Things hub or an ETL pipeline for data, going beyond a typical school project.
Also, SUTD is forward-looking in actively shaping their modules’ content to bring masters’ level work into the undergraduate level to keep up with demand from industry as the field or technical support for it matures. For example, SUTD aims to streamline and develop new fields in IoT, Cloud Computing, Security and AI by matching modules in these domains to industry requirements as well as craft relevant specialized degrees, with the new Design and Artificial Intelligence pillar.
One less optimistic part of the modules is having to be independent in figuring out a lot of the frameworks and tools on your own before implementing a prototype application, resulting in a steeper learning curve. This is usually done after classes and requires keeping pace through self-learning these tools as deadlines advance. Furthermore, since all first year modules are compulsory and involve common engineering principles from Math, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, there will be modules which students may not have the aptitude in or passion for. This can be worrying as the first year is graded. For a student intending to pursue the Architecture and Sustainable Design pillar, these STEM modules will most likely be of least relevance to them.
Such a broad-based understanding of many fields can also mean the lines are blurred sometimes and certain modules may have poorly or unintentionally been designed to include elements not relating to that field. For example, the Databases and Big Data module offered in the ISTD pillar includes elements from cloud databases and services like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform while also focusing on DevOps, which should have been in a separate cloud computing module. Perhaps partly because of the focus on the broad-based understanding of many fields, a shortcoming might be the lack of technical depth of a single field. Peripheral learning and mastery is then on the onus of the individual student if he/she wants to explore more advanced applications.
What are some thing(s) you didn’t know/expect about the course before starting?
I didn’t expect the content for some modules to be heavily weighted on areas that are deemed important based on the prerogative of the course instructor while certain theories, which I feel should have been accorded more emphasis, are merely glanced through. Understandably, considering the university’s emphasis on fulfilling industry needs, each module’s focus might also be influenced beyond the instructor’s own directive and choice. Hence, there seems to be a lack of clarity at times regarding the focus of each module, but instructors constantly review feedback to gauge how to improve year on year.
Do you have any regrets about your decision or university experience so far?
As mentioned, there are some aspects of content I wished I had learnt in my modules but because they were not covered in class, I had to pursue them in my own spare time. At times, I also felt that some projects remained at the prototyping phase and couldn’t be pushed further to be commercialized. This stems from the fact that some problem statements or applications for our projects remain at the research level and are not actualized market needs or problems.
Is there any particular type of student that you think would excel in and/or enjoy your course?
I believe an SUTD student should be able to see beyond the theories and challenge themselves to holistically see things from different perspectives – not just in the technical/engineering lens, but through social, cultural, humanistic and ethical lenses – to discover the multiple dimensions of every problem. Engineering is not a vacuum in itself, and a technically sound product does not necessarily solve the problem indefinitely. Design needs to encapsulate all these, as it is not only the hardware but the ‘heartware‘ that determines if a solution can be truly adopted and sustained when scaled. An SUTD student is also tenacious, curious and willing to get their hands dirty – a technically grounded innovator to confront the problems in our world today.
5. CAREER PROSPECTS
What are the career prospects like for your course?
The Computer Engineering track at EPD will provide the students with research opportunities in computer software and hardware design, including visual and interactive computing, algorithms and analytics, computational intelligence, compilers, VLSI, and distributed computing fields. Students who graduate from the Computer Engineering track are very versatile and have career opportunities in software development, computer architecture, electronics design, digital system, data analysis, software quality assurance, telecommunications, transportation, manufacturing, computer-aided design (CAD), hardware and software project management, consultant, web-based applications development, network systems etc.
What are your plans after university?
I wish to pursue Product Management roles in future that bridge across a company’s business, engineering and design teams. This role is responsible for implementing strategy, road map and product features, while adhering to business goals and exists in many companies across almost all industries, such as Financial Services, Supply Chain, Marketing, Search, Recommendation, Advertising, Order, User, Product, Anti-Fraud, Data Science, Big Data. As for the particular industry, I hope to contribute in the areas of e-commerce, sustainable development and in the food and agritech industry.
Would you say you went into your course having already made the decision to pursue a career related to your course?
This was not the case for me. When I applied to SUTD, I didn’t have any particular idea of the career path I desired. It was only through SUTD’s forward-thinking pedagogy and a willingness to take on new challenges and boldly innovate that I gradually narrowed down my interests. Many of the projects brought me a step closer to where I saw myself and what really intrigued me and stirred a passion in me for. Even if the project was not my cup of tea, it meant discovering for myself what potential areas needed to be present in any team to truly design an effective, lasting solution for impact.
Given the complexity of today’s issues, SUTD prepares one well for tackling challenges of the future with this blueprint of holistic design, technical grounding and a tenacious spirit of innovation.
Did you take any internships related to your career and did your school give you sufficient training & resources?
SUTD requires that all students complete a 16-week internship within the summer period from May to September. Adequate preparation is provided by the SUTD Career Development Committee that conducts training sessions for all students on a termly basis from the first year, through the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, with modules like Critical Thinking, Effective Personal Communication. Also, specific career coaches are assigned to each cohort class of 30 students. They help proofread students’ resumes or CVs, conduct one-to-one mock interviews, and provide relevant feedback for students to improve. Regular company talks are hosted on campus every term, whereby associates come down to share and mingle with students with regards to full-time and internship opportunities. There is also an Industry Night organized in the Fall term every academic year, when company representatives from all industries set up booths in the campus atrium to host and network with students.
Personally, I pursued a couple of internships in a startup, SME and an MNC which gave me a good grasp of processes and workflows at each respective capacity. I started my first internship at a local biotech SME as an R&D engineer, developing proprietary automated vertical farming and hydroponics systems. This birthed my interest in the fledgling food and agritech scene in Singapore. Subsequently, with a desire to delve deeper into the food and agritech scene, I worked at a startup in the following year’s summer vacation period as a Machine Learning engineer. This food waste startup, Lumitics, empowers commercial kitchens with big data analytics and business intelligence to reduce their food waste, costs and environmental footprint. I am currently interning at regional e-commerce player, Shopee, working under the Image Processing and Language Services teams of their Data department.
I would say that the soft skills learnt from the abovementioned programs, and experience gained from working in diverse teams for various projects have positioned me well to take on future workplace challenges. Although certain tools or softwares may not be exactly transferable from the projects to the workplace and that technical demands of tasks still remain, I felt I was adequately prepared to think creatively & critically, delegate, manage expectations, and to engage and lead in the product development lifecycles.
6. STUDENT LIFE
Did you stay in campus accommodation? Do many of your friends stay on campus?
Yes, I had to stay in the campus hostel as commuting time was at least a couple of hours to and from home. In fact, all students are required to stay on campus for the first year as part of integration and communal bonding. Each housing level was segregated by gender and every freshman stays in a double room with another member of his/her cohort. As such, the entire level was usually occupied by students from the same cohort. This means that should anyone need to borrow any logistics or ask for help on tutorials or projects, one need only knock on your neighbor’s door.
After the first year, campus accommodation is not compulsory and students can choose a single or double room. Allocation is subject to availability and dependent on the individual’s commute distance from home as well as previous hostel records i.e. no drinking, no history of causing disturbance late at night etc.
How is the school culture like and what should students entering your university take note of?
Being a relatively new school with a history of 10 years, school culture may not be so apparent. Rather than an obvious collective school spirit, the culture is one of various groups who come together after classes each day to perform, practice their craft like contemporary dance, sports teams and a huge number of student interest groups that can range from Grub Club, Japanese, Korean Clubs, to Photography Club and E-sports Club.
Coming into SUTD, it may take a while to eventually settle on a few clubs or Fifth Rows as the sheer number of choices are dizzying. SUTD terms its Co-Curricular Activities ‘Fifth Rows’. These are official CCAs which span the spectrum from the Performing Arts like various dance groups (Hip Hop, Funk, Contemporary), Drama, Symphonic Band to Sports like Football, Touch Rugby, Basketball, Volleyball and even Maker Groups like Autonomous Robots Club, Mechanical Design Club, Woodwork Club etc. However, if you are one who has a particular interest, feel free to gather other students who share the same interest and form a student-initiated interest group. Such is the flexibility and autonomy here at SUTD.
What were your CCAs?
I was in the Digital Design and Development as well as the Rotaract CCA – what SUTD calls a Fifth Row. The former conducts software development, training workshops and hosts events and visits for students in the areas of Software Engineering, Software Development, Data Science/AI. Rotaract organizes overseas CIP trips and fundraising for local grassroots initiatives like home refurbishment for the underprivileged families, workshops for at-risk youths etc.
What other opportunities have you taken on in university?
For me, taking on projects with professors under the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) has given me invaluable experience and was a stepping stone for me to pursue more technically demanding or more desirable internships. These projects are usually kickstarted by professors in their fields of expertise and require a commitment of 3-4 hours a week at least. If you wish to give back to your juniors and the SUTD community, you may also apply as a Teaching Assistant under the Undergraduate Teaching Opportunities Program (UTOP). Besides these, if you have an entrepreneurial idea or product in the pipeline, you can even propose your own project and obtain funding from the Entrepreneurship Committee. Besides funding, they will grant you a leased incubation space on campus to work on your project. You will also have access to facilities like 3D printers, laser-cutters etc.
All these additional pursuits enhance your university experience and will play a crucial role in helping you shape your future career choices.
Any parting words or advice for juniors? :,)
All in all, don’t be afraid to stand out and strive to pursue your idea or solution. Resources are always available and just at your fingertips. SUTD is a place for the builders and innovators of tomorrow’s problems. All you need to do is to have the hunger to pursue what you hold dear.