Y1S2: Jan 2019 - April 2019 (though my last paper was 8/5)
General comments on what I did well, what I could have
improved on etc will be included at the end of the post. I will also update the
final results when they are out.
Each course is broken up into the following parts:
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
2. Course mechanics
3. Short Intro
4. Easy parts
5. Difficult parts
6. Exams/ final paper
7. Tips to do well
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
YEAR 1 SEMESTER 2 (17AU):
MAJ-CORE: EE1002 PHYSICS FOUNDATION FOR EEE (4AU), GRADED
MAJ-CORE: EE1003 INTRO TO MATERIALS FOR ELECTRONICS (3AU,
GRADED
MAJ-CORE: EE1071 INTRO TO EEE LAB (1AU), P/F
MAJ-CORE: MH1811 MATHEMATICS 2 (3AU), GRADED
GER-CORE: EE0002: ENGINEERS & SOCIETY (3AU), GRADED
GER-UE: SS9104: BASKETBALL (3AU), (NON-GRADED; S/U
EXERCISED)
CORE/MPE AU CLEARD: 22/61, TOTAL AU OF GRADED COURSES: 29
/69 (UPDATED: UE WAS S/U-ed), TOTAL AU CLEARED: 34/141
=== REVIEW PORTION ===
EE1002 - Physics Foundation For EEE (Y1S2/4AU)
Lecturer: Asst Prof Yoo Seongwoo (Optics), Assoc Prof Rusli
(EM), Prof Zhang Qing (Quantum Physics)
Tutor: Asst Prof Luo Yu
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
Quiz 1 (Optics) (10%): 3/6
Quiz 2 (EM) (10%): 5/6
Quantum Physics Assignment (10%): ???/100
Lab Practical (10%): 98/100
Finals (60%): ?
Overall Grade:
2. Course mechanics
Online lecture carried out on LAMS, 1 x 2h tutorial per
week. Quiz 1 and 2 are evenly spread out across the semester immediately after
the coverage of the respective major topic i.e. Optics and EM. Quantum
Assignment is a take home assignment to be done and submitted by one of the
tutorials I can't remember which and the lab practical will be done depending
on the slot chosen during STAR WARS. Finals is a 2.5h paper covering all
topics.
3. Short Intro
EE1002 is the Part II of PH1012 (or PH1011 depending on what
was taken in Sem 1) and deals with some parts that were not covered in PH1012.
It also revisits an important part in PH1012, which is the topic of
Electromagnetism (EM), essentially covering everything that Dr Ho taught before
with a few minor differences. Thus, what was learnt in PH1012 is extremely
important for this mod.
4. Easy parts
Obviously, the easiest part of this whole would be EM. It
was basically going through everything that Dr Ho taught before for the lecture
part. Also, the first half of Optics was literally secondary school work. The
lab component and Quantum Assignment were easy though. Lab involved playing
with slits and measuring distance, though I can't remember exactly for what.
5. Difficult parts
Sadly, the difficult parts far outweigh the easy parts. To
start off, the second part of Optics on wave optics presented a whole new world
to me. I only managed to understand it right before the exam which was quite a
scary experience. On EM, despite the content being easy, the tutorials were
goddamn hard. I could do a sizable number of the tutorial and had to refer to
some online answer to do my tutorials for EM.
The crown for difficulty has to go to Quantum Physics. A
little bit of background for the uninitiated: Quantum Physics is a whole side
of physics that does not obey classical laws applicable to our everyday
encounters. I won't say I learnt anything to be honest, all I did was memorize
some formulas and whatever I could understand came from my PJC physics notes. I
remember the LAMS explanation on Uncertainty Principle was so abstract that I
literally could not understand ANYTHING at all and in the end I referred to my
PJC notes which summarized the Principle into 2 equations. However, for all the
shit the content presents, the tutorials are by and large doable so there's
still a silver lining.
Note: I do not have any A level Physics background so taking
H2 physics before this course might yield a better learning experience than
mine.
6. Exams/ final paper
I smoked my final paper. There, I said it.
For all the studying I did, I really don't think I managed
to answer anything satisfactorily. This was one of those papers I didn't have
any feeling for after I came out of the hall, in a bad way.
I really don't know what to advice for EE1002 finals.
7. Tips to do well
Consulting the professor would be a really good way to go
about EE1002. Sorry, but thinking writing the above really demotivated me on
giving advice.
I recommend trying to get Asst Prof Luo Yu's as the tutor
because his slides are really effective. It is not a far cry to say that much
of what I learnt from him came from his slides. He is also open to
consultations and is quite receptive to my questions. It can get a bit
challenging to understand him sometimes though because of his accent. He sounds
funny (in a nice way) when he speaks fast and then abruptly stutters as he
tries to find what he wants to say.
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
I feel that I might not be cut out for physics at this
level. I just don't understand too much of what is going on and can barely do
the tutorial questions (with a lot of help). I'm predicting a B for this mod,
hopefully nothing lower. If I do get a B+, then it will really be because the
entire c
==
EE1003 - INTRO TO MATERIALS FOR ELECTRONICS (Y1S2/3AU)
Lecturer: Asooc Prof K.Pita (First Half), Assoc Prof Wang
Hong (Second Half)
Tutor: Assoc Prof K.Pita
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
Quiz 1 (10%): 6/10
Quiz 2 (10%): 9/10
Weekly OASIS Homework (20%): ???/20
Finals (60%): ?
Overall Grade:
2. Course mechanics
Online lectures on NTULearn, 1 x 1.5h tutorial per week.
Quizzes are split throughout the semester with quiz 1 coverage from week 1 to
week 5 and quiz 2 from week 6 to week 9. Weekly OASIS homework is due every
week, some questions are really simple but some can be really hard. First few
weeks of OASIS tend to have that 1 killer question to prevent getting full
marks.
3. Short Intro
The "Chemistry" subject this semester. This topic
starts off with some basic A level chemistry (atomic structure and atomic
bonding) and slowly goes on to materials for semiconductors. Semiconductor
properties (electrical, optical, magnetic) take up half the course and prepares
students for EE2003 Semiconductor Fundamentals.
4. Easy parts
The first few chapters are a walk in the park. A bit of
effort is required to understand them, provided there is a solid understanding
of Chemistry concepts taught at A levels. New stuff introduced in the first
part include the spectrometer, planar topics such as drawing, cubic cell etc
and also the formation of energy band of metals, semiconductors and insulators
which is a vital concept . Tutorials are also relatively doable throughout the
semester (obviously there are hard questions). Personally, I was intrigued by
semiconductors from this course and talked to Prof Pita briefly about the
semiconductor industry during one of my consultation slots.
5. Difficult parts
The hard part comes from the electrical properties of
semiconductors which takes up 3 weeks worth of lectures. It is necessary to
muscle through the topic to gain an understanding of the differences between
intrinsic, extrinsic semiconductors and insulators. A challenge would be to
memorize the explanations behind the electrical conductivity of all 3 materials
as they can be very similar. The good news is that it becomes slightly easier
to revisit that topic once it's been covered once as it is relatively
straightforward. There are also mentions of things like BJT, MOSFET etc which
will be covered in subsequent courses.
6. Exams/ final paper
My final paper was not hard. The challenge was having to
complete it within the time given. I did not manage to complete the paper and
had to skip through quite a few questions. A good understanding of the topics
is needed as there can be a few surprising questions. Do not forget the basics
because they can prove to be a time waster if not handled properly. For
example, I had a question asking for the differences between elemental/compound
semiconductor, intrinsic/extrinsic, n-type/p-type, which are basic questions
but students can get stumped as they do not know how to differentiate the
different terms.
7. Tips to do well
First advice would be to really practice the PYP. It is
essential to practice as many PYP as possible for this mod as Prof Pita might
set questions based on past years. I was lucky as a question I did for revision
came out in the exact same style and I could solve it albeit taking a bit of
time. Doing PYP also helps to reinforce the concepts learnt and gives an
opportunity to revisit the content.
Second piece of advice pertains to the topic of electrical
properties of semiconductors. As mentioned, it is a big topic taking up 25% of
the course so naturally there will be one full question on it in the exams.
What I recommend would be to make a summary of all the important points and
formulas for the topic. This serves as a cheatsheet of sorts to help during the
revision period. It is also useful to include some explanations such as the
derivation of the conductivity of materials in the cheatsheet. Note that no
cheatsheets are allowed in the exam so the summary only serves as revision
material.
Lastly as usual, do the tutorials. There aren't many
questions per tutorial for this module so doing the tutorials are a good way to
reinforce what is learnt during the week.
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
This course is not extremely difficult. The content is
doable and requires consistent effort. Prof Pita is a good lecturer who cares
about his students. I approached him many times for consultation and he was
always happy to oblige. A quirk about him I found was that he laughs very loud
which is a ._. moment for me sometimes. But I know that he is good-hearted and
does not mean it even though he might come across as mocking at what I said
sometimes. Also, he never fails to keep reminding students to find him for
consultations as soon as they have doubts from the very first lesson.
I enjoyed myself through this course despite the
moderate-to-heavy content and I hope that EE2003 Semiconductor Fundamentals
will be a good continuation of this series of courses to teach semiconductors
to the us EEE students.
Expectation for EE1003: B+ hopefully. Chances are I will not
get B- or below.
==
EE1071 - INTRO TO EEE LAB (Y1S2/1AU)
Lecturer: Assoc Prof Boon Chirn Chye
Tutor: I have no idea LOL
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
Strictly speaking, every lab is graded and the final report
is also graded. There was a document somewhere on NTULearn detailing the
grading, but in reality this mod is a Pass/Fail course so it doesn't really
matter how they grade it. Just go for your labs, do your reports faithfully and
submit the final report by the deadline and you will pass.
Overall Grade:
2. Course mechanics
2 lectures throughout the whole semester giving an overview
of the course (there's really no need to go though), some labs to attend and
carry out experiments and finally a lab report to be done up and submitted by a
deadline (necessary to pass the course).
3. Short Intro
I'm going to copy and paste the intro from the course
outline:
It was noticed that
students, especially those from non-technical background have much difficulties
in conducting their experiments in EEE laboratories. This is mainly due to their unfamiliarity
with EEE laboratory equipment, since many of them may be using these systems
for the first time. This course is therefore designed to help such students
familiarise themselves with the EEE laboratory equipment by way of briefing for
each module and then by letting them practice using these equipment in building
simple electrical circuits and in taking measurements. In addition, the students will also be
trained in soldering techniques.
Overall, this course is expected to provide enough experience in using
common electrical equipment so that the students will be able to focus on the
new experiments when they advanced to laboratories at higher levels, rather
than wasting their time trying to understanding the function and operation of
basic laboratory equipment.
4. Easy parts
No need to stress about exams. Do note that for the last
experiment they will let it go even if it is not complete because students
usually cannot finish in time. Also, the soldering component of the mod was
quite fun; it was like secondary school D&T all over again haha.
5. Difficult parts
I did not understand how to read the machines at all and had
to rely on my lab partner who I felt was better at this kind of stuff than me.
Also, remember to take pictures to be used in the final report. I didn't take
it and had to get my pictures from someone else.
6. Exams/ final paper
-
7. Tips to do well
-
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
Nothing much to say. Have fun with this mod but try to
complete the report early so that there is more time for other mods.
==
MH1811 - Mathematics 2 (Y1S2/3AU)
Lecturer: Dr Tan Geok Choo
Tutor: Nicol
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
Quiz 1 (15%): 8.9/15
Quiz 2 (15%): 12.2/15
Group Assignment (3 sets total 10%): 9.7/10
Finals (60%): ?
Overall Grade:
2. Course mechanics
1 x 2h lecture per week (there were some extra lecture time
at the start of semester to make up for CNY and common tests conducted during
lecture time, lectures are recorded), 1 x 1h tutorial per week, Quizzes are
spread evenly across the semester and are 45 minutes each. Group Assignments
are to be submitted regularly too, though I can't remember the exact weeks.
Finals is a 2h mad rush paper.
3. Short Intro
MH1811 is Part II of the Mathematics course for Engineering
students (normal route), taught by SPMS faculty. Most of the content is new and
differs from what is taught in MH1810, however some stuff is brought over as
well. The big 3 topics are Differential Equations, Multivariate Calculus and
Sequence & Series.
4. Easy parts
In a nutshell, the content for this course is not extremely
abstract. It is understandable for the most part and particularly, I'd like to
point out that DE and MVC are the easier topics to understand and score. For my
batch, Dr Tan decided to do DE -> MVC -> SS which on hindsight I feel is
a good way to do it as SS can be quite... let's just say I was thrown off more
often compared to DE/MVC. Tutorials are pitched at an acceptable level but can
get tedious at times, I remember skipping one whole tutorial on Sequences lol.
Also, I STRONGLY recommend checking out certain YouTube videos to really
understand the concept behind certain topics. For example, I recommend Dr
Leonard's math channel on YouTube to understand DE and Double Integrals. His
videos can be quite long but definitely beneficial for understanding. I watched
through his presentations on DI and was able to skip through the DI part of Dr
Tan's lectures. He is THAT effective. Another YouTube channels I recommend is
patrickjmt. His videos are fast and gets to the point of solving straightaway
but the downside is there is no mathematical explanation behind his solutions.
5. Difficult parts
In my opinion, the killer topic for this course would be SS.
The problem does not lie with understanding the various tests and special
sequences/series. Rather, it is determining which test should be used to solve
the question. This challenge is exacerbated during the exams by the lack of
time, meaning that you only get 1 attempt to decide (quickly) on what test to
use. As such, it is important to practice as many SS questions as possible (I
strongly recommend finishing the tutorials which even then may not be enough
and more often than not saw me referring to the solutions because I did not
know how to do the questions) to get familiar with certain techniques such as
fit to function -> use ln -> L'Hopital, knowing when to use Integral Test
(the tutorial question on this was very long) etc. Of course, DE and MVC have
their own special hells to deal with so don't take them too lightly.
6. Exams/ final paper
Like all Math exams in university, the exam is a mad rush to
complete the paper. By this point in time, all concepts should have been
cleared and sufficient practice should have been done. It is not about "discovering"
new questions anymore but to take one look at the questions and immediately
know how to solve them. On a side note, this course allows for an A4 cheatsheet
to be brought into the finals. Unlike MH1810, the finals for MH1811 are cover
all the content somewhat evenly so there is no bias towards the later untested
parts.
7. Tips to do well
For finals, my advice would be to move fast. Try not to make
careless mistakes in workings on the first attempt so that there is enough time
to navigate throughout the paper. In the event of getting stuck, don't spend
too much time on the question, as tempting as it may be. If really cannot then
at least write out the skeleton of the solution, meaning to say write out all
the steps without the values. For example, I was stuck at the Lagrange question
because I could not solve for lambda. What I should have done on hindsight was
to have written at least the steps I would have taken after solving for lambda
which was to compare which value for the expression was the maximum.
For quizzes, DO NOT BE LATE. I was late for my second quiz
and had only 30 minutes remaining to do it. To be honest, it was a miracle that
I got 12.2/15 despite using only 2/3 of the time compared to everyone else. I
could have easily gotten 13.5 if I was on time as I realized that I made
careless mistake, most probably due to my panic during the quiz. For Quiz 1, my
terrible score was because I did not exercise the habit of moving on quickly
and dwelled too long on certain questions.
For the Group Assignment, I strongly recommend getting
groupmates who know their shit or better yet, doing them solo. This is because
the practice from the assignment is essential to strengthening the concepts and
understanding what is being taught. My groupmates were trash to be honest but I
shall not go into detail why.
Lastly, always seek consultation with the tutor in the event
of doubt as soon as possible. I consulted Nicol a lot this semester and really
clarified a lot with him. He is actually a good tutor and I feel stupid for not
consulting him last semester. He knows his stuff, and the reason he might seem
"lousy" is because he really has a lot to rush through during the
short 1h tutorial which might make him seem like he does not care when in fact
he really does. He even offered to help me with Y2S1 EE2006 Engineering
Mathematics I which he does not teach. If that is not a sign of a good tutor
then I don't know what else is.
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
MH1811 is a doable content module for Y1S2. Expect the bell
curve to be steep for this mod as a lot of people will be able to do it. On the
other hand, there are also a lot of people who will tank the curve, according
to Nicol, because they just don't care. Based on what he said, there are 2
extremes of people: those who cannot make it and those who ace the mod.
Personally, I know my Quiz 1 screwed me up really badly, so I hope I can get a
B+ overall.
==
EE0002 - ENGINEERS & SOCIETY (Y1S2/3AU)
Lecturer: Dr Lum Kit Meng (First Half), Dr David Chew
(Second Half)
Tutor: Assoc Prof Rusli (covered later by Prof Joseph Chang
and another guy whose class I did not go because it was the last one and my
group had finished our presentations)
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
Presentation 1 (10%): ?/10
Presentation 2 (10%): ?/10
Presentation 3 (10%): ?/10
Class Participation (10%): ?/10
Finals (60%): ?
Overall Grade:
2. Course mechanics
1 x 2h lecture per week + 1 x revision lecture, 1 x 1h
tutorial per week used mainly for presentations. For the presentation
component, each group (assigned randomly) is required to research and present
on any 3 topics from the prescribed list every other week. Attendance is
compulsory for tutorials and class participation is given for asking questions
during other groups' Q&A.
3. Short Intro
Engineers and Society (E&S) is a common module that
students across all the engineering schools have to take. It touches on a
variety of issues hence the name Engineers PLUS Society. Naturally, there is no
technical content involved and the entire course can be thought of as Social
Studies at the university level.
4. Easy parts
There is very little brainpower to be exercised in this
module. In fact, a lot of students put off studying for this module until the
very last minute as the final exams are purely memorization and almost zero
application. Of course, a small bit of the exam will still ask about the
student's thoughts on certain issues but by and large the content carries the
overwhelming majority of the marks.
5. Difficult parts
Being a content-heavy module, the hard part naturally lies
in being able to memorize and regurgitate everything onto the exam script. The
lecturers and my tutor themselves confessed that it was almost impossible to
remember every single little detail and encouraged us to remember the rough
ideas and outline each topic instead. Also, expect the amount of research and
effort put into creating the presentation to not measure up to the feelings
after finishing each presentation. I personally felt that it was a waste of
effort because I spent quite a lot of time on creating drafts only for a few
minutes of presentation. My groupmates were generally nice people to work with
and I'm happy to have been grouped with them so no complaints there.
6. Exams/ final paper
There are 2 questions in the final paper, each from one of
the lecturers covering all the content that they taught. Paper is to be done in
2h. Each question is to be answered in any form (point, essay etc) but for me,
I wrote a one-page essay for each question.
An interesting thing to note was that this particular paper
was the exam with the most number of absentees. I had at least 3 empty seats on
my immediate right. I think it's because a lot of students were not able to
cram all the content in such a short period of time.
7. Tips to do well
Tip #1: For presentations, try to clear the prep work as
soon as possible. Pushing back can result in a lot of clashes and unnecessary
frustration as the semester moves very fast and mid terms will interfere with
prep work. I personally completed all 3 drafts for what we had to present by
CNY and shared it with my group by week 7. From there it was pretty easy for us
to come up with the slides.
Tip #2: This tip applies to Dr Lum's part of the course
only.
My advice for the first half of the course would be to start
memorizing early. As mentioned, a lot of people put off everything till the
last minute. However, Dr Lum does not give any hints to what he sets so it will
be close to impossible to cram his and Dr Chew's content together. Throw in
some overlapping topics and it can get quite confusing if everything is mixed
together. As such, there is no need to attend Dr Lum's lectures but summaries
should be made watching the online lecture and
following the week's content. Also, it despite what the lecturers say, I
personally feel that it is efficient to spot topics and parts of the content
that may come out. This is to streamline the essentials to be burned into
memory to achieve maximum efficiency. Of course, spotting should be done with
good logic and not just anyhow bomb and it also does not mean to completely
ignore the content that is not spotted as a potential exam question. It is
helpful to take a quick look through the other content closer to the exam to
ensure that the coverage is as wide as possible.
Tip #3: This tip applies to Dr Chew's part of the course
only.
The good thing about Dr Chew is that he will hold a revision
lecture where he gives hints to what he will be tested for his part of the course.
The advice he gives is quite accurate so it is recommended to follow what he
says. Of course, please do read up on the other content and not hope to go in
with only what he mentioned as the only exam ammunition expecting to get high
marks. As with the first part of the course, it is good to read through the
content and make summaries as well.
Tip #4: Pre-exam advice
The night before the exam, google some extra information on
the topics that are not covered in the lecture content. This will help set the
essay answer apart from the rest of the cohort. For example, I searched up on
cyber defence news and found a piece of news of Singapore signing an MoU with
Canada to boost cyber defence co-operation. During the paper, I wrote that in
in addition to whatever I had memorized before and I feel that it was a good
addition to my essay to get full marks for that part of the question (Dr Chew
explicitly stated that he had no qualms awarding full marks for really good
answers).
Tip #5: Exam Day Advice
Bring an extra pen to write with and ensure that correction
tape is sufficient. Expect to experience hand cramps and slippery grips halfway
through the paper. I got both of them and had to keep wiping my hand throughout
the paper.
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
I got really lucky for this paper for the most part. I
predicted half of the paper correctly and was able to do it with relative ease
with the exception of one question which I promptly decided to write rubbish.
The question came from the one topic I hated which was Engineering Practice -
Sustainable Issues. It felt like one of those motivational MLM talks to me
hence I did not study that topic at all.
Expected Grade: At least A-
9. BONUS: MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE COMING SEMESTER PAPER
AY19/20 S1
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MY PERSONAL VIEW AND IS NOT
REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WILL COME OUT. PLEASE EXERCISE SELF DISCRETION WHEN
USING MY PREDICTIONS. USE AT OWN RISK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT
HAPPENS FROM THIS PREDICTION.
Note: My predictions are for some topics only, not the full
content list for this mod. Left is the topic, right is the prediction:
Dr Lum's Part:
History of Engineering: Challenges from US
Engineering Ethics: The whole USANSPE Code of Ethics
Case Study of Engine Ethics: Any one of the 3 major case
studies
WSHA: Memorise the entire WSHA and distinguish between the
features, key pillars etc
Sustainable Issues: This topic can go to hell
Engineers in the New Economy: 4 Main Challenges (100 plan is
not expected to come out as it was tested this semester)
Dr Chew's Part:
Listen to his revision lecture.
==
SS9104 - BASKETBALL (Y1S2/3AU) (S/U EXERCISED)
Coach: Mr Walter Ong Eng Kwang
1. Marks and assessment component of the course
Quiz (30%): ?/30
Practical (70%): ?/70
Overall Grade: S
2. Course mechanics
1 x 3h lesson a week, 1 Quiz (our coach let us decide when
we wanted to take it), 1 practical test on what was taught throughout the
module.
3. Short Intro
I realized that there are not a lot of reviews about NTU
sports modules online let alone detailed ones. So I hope to shed some light
onto one such mod that seems pretty popular amongst students (and hopefully
gain more readers haha) to allow those who are considering signing up to make
an informed decision.
I think a lot of people sign up for the course thinking
"Oh I'll probably be able to be within the top few since I already know
how to play basketball" or something along those lines. The truth is,
almost everyone in the class already have some form of basketball experience. I
remember the coach saying once that he was not there to teach us how to shoot,
rather he was there to try and correct our shooting and hopefully provide more
avenues for us to learn a different way of shooting. Also, IVP players ARE
allowed to sign up for sports that they compete in, so I think I've cleared up
the question on whether IVP players are allowed to take sports mods.
There are about 2 theory lessons and the rest of the time is
spent at the court doing drills and watching the coach do demonstrations. For
most people, all this should be second nature already. Things that are covered
include how to do a layup, triple threat, shooting etc.
There is also a Group Project component where groups are
randomly assigned and the members have to come up with a plan for a "Sports
Carnival" and plan out logistics and execution of a friendly match. I'm
not sure the grading comes under the Quiz or the Practical but I know that the
report requires quite a substantial amount of work.
Content of Quiz comes from the FIBA basketball rule book.
Students are to to memorize 54 pages worth of rules which to be honest, I don't
think anyone did.
Practical Test consists of running the number 8 full court
and back and finishing it with a layup, all timed. Other parts of the test
include making a free throw shot, coming up with screen plays (with the Group
Project group) and playing against other teams.
The course is expected to end by Week 12.
4. Easy parts
For those looking for a fun sport to play and intend to S/U
from the start, I think basketball is a good way to get an insight into the
world of basketball. Note I did not say "pick up valuable skills"
because I personally feel that 12 lessons is not enough to learn a practical
skill and know how to execute it fairly well. I made a few friends in my group
who were complete beginners at the sport and they were able to execute basic
stuff as well as a bit more advanced stuff such as centre movement by the end
of the course but I think they might have forgotten most of what they learnt by
now.
For those who are seasoned players, this module should be
walk in the park as everything taught would have been learnt outside before.
Also, the coach mentioned that he has never failed anyone in the history of the
course so there is really no way to do so bad that failure is an option.
5. Difficult parts
While it is not easy to fail, it is also not easy to get a
good grade for this course. I personally felt that the practical test is not
reflective of the true skill level of the players in class. However in defence
of the course, it is true that the aim of the course is to provide a basic
understanding of the sport to students and as such, the assessment would only to
be to gauge how much one has learnt throughout the course. Because of this
aspect, even the IVP players might do badly. As such, my advice to prospective
students thinking of taking up this mod is to not be intimidated by IVP players
in class because at the end of the day, this course is an academic course and
not a real competition and the final grade is largely determined by one's own
ability (and a shit ton of luck to determine whether the ball goes into the net
on the first attempt for the free throw component of the practical test).
6. Exams/ final paper
Already covered above.
7. Tips to do well
For the beginners, my advice would be to practice what is
taught. Advanced knowledge is helpful but not necessary for this course. For
not-so-new players, understand that this course is ultimately still an ACADEMIC
one and don't expect to have too many opportunities to flex. At the end of the
day, the bell curve still applies and doing what is required is more than
enough to put one at the correct side of the curve.
8. Overview/ my personal (MIGHT BE BIASED) comments
I decided to S/U this module because I was pretty sure I
would not get an A, simple as that. Also, I felt the coach MIGHT have been a
bit too focused on the girls if you catch the drift (yes there are girls in
basketball class).
If there's one thing this mod taught me, it would be to learn
to differentiate between the courses that are fun and the courses that can be
too fun. I think that one must always be mindful of the impact of a mod on
their grades instead of rushing in to it thinking that everything will be
alright only to find out that they might get a lousy grade because reality was
different from what they expected. And who better to have gave me that advice
than the legendary Jeff himself! :D
==
That's the end of my Course Review for EEE Y1S2 AY18/19!
Feel free to contact me through the email at the top of the blog if there are
any questions or comments. :)
