Tips for Polytechnics Students Joining NUS CS

I was originally from Singapore Polytechnic studying Information Technology, and I matriculated to NUS CS in August 2022. Things may have changed, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

• Take note of the exemptions you have from your polytechnic diploma. For me, I was exempted from CS1101S, CS2101, CP3200, IS1108, along with the standard 20 units of Unrestricted Electives (UEs) (total of 38 units or about 2 semesters worth of courses).
• Take the MA1301 exemption test if possible, you can use the first 6-7 chapters of Thomas Calculus to learn differentiation and integration. Not doing MA1301 frees up so much space and gives you a ton more flexibility going into your first semester.
• Do NOT take all three maths at once, university-level math is a lot harder than any math you might have taken in polytechnic. I did MA1521, MA1522, and CS1231S in my very first semester and did not survive. Pace these math courses if you are not the strongest at math.
• But, math is not as difficult as you imagine. Learn to appreciate the process of understanding theorems and proof writing and you will start to enjoy and do well in courses like CS2040S and CS3230.
• You will struggle a lot in CS courses because university courses are way more theoretical, but that’s alright. Take the first year to test your academic boundaries. I realized that I was not the best at studying for a lot of courses at once, so I decided to take less heavy modules along with a small number of heavy modules each semester.
• Play to your strengths and focus on doing things that emphasize the practical skills you have developed throughout polytechnic. For me, I joined the NUS Google Developer Student Club (now Developer Group) as a software engineer in my first semester, which was only possible because I had practical experience building projects.
• Join NUS Hackers events, they are a great way to meet other people in computing and to also learn cool technologies.
• Start practicing Leetcode and preparing for technical interviews if you are gunning for an internship in your first summer. I made the mistake of assuming practical experience was all I needed, and that backfired pretty horribly.
• If you are unable to secure a year 1 internship, use your first summer to take a break and work on your own projects. Orbital is a pretty good program for your year 1 summer. Don’t be too trapped in the mindset that you HAVE to secure an internship in your first summer (hint: it’s a growing trend, but still pretty uncommon amongst most year 1s, so don’t sweat it).
• Don’t worry about graduating in 3 or 3.5 years. Instead, try to gain as many interesting experiences as possible, and take Leave of Absences (LOAs) if you need to. The point is to learn as much as you can and enjoy university, not speedrun your university life. Try research, try NOC, and/or go on exchange.
• Be consistent in your revision. Try to catch up on all your materials in the week they are released to avoid having to play big catch ups during midterms/finals. University is less forgiving than polytechnic.

I will continue adding to this as I finish my final few semesters, but these are just some advice I have off the top of my head.