Engineering Science degree? or business?

[zxlancer]

Hello,

im a NSF who currently has a place in the engineering science programme in NUS and is contemplating if i should change my course this year.

Does anyone knows anything about this Engineering science degree?

i was wondering if i should change to study another engineering degree or to studying business instead. i would say i would have a more slight interest in the engineering degree. but it seems that engineeering prospects in sg isnt looking very well and it might be better off studying business instead.

im also afraid that i cant cope with engineering studies as i've heard that it is not easy to do well.

im currently in dilemma now... any suggestions?

A lot has been said on this topic already. Why don't you read the past discussions? Too lazy?

dear TS,

u shld change course immediately. Eng Sci course is a chapalang course that doesnt get u anywher. I have frens from the first batch of eng sci.

Choosing an engine course or Biz course depends on yr interest.

This topic has been exhausted a million times.

I am an engineering undergrad and simply put, anyone who chooses to study engineering are either too bored or have itchy backside.

If you wanna study a good scientific degree, go for computer engineering or computer science. At least you can learn some algorithm or quantitative stuff there in which you can apply to analytics or even, ta-dah, finance ("engineer wants to switch to finance", another exhaustic topic). But still, its super difficult. Programming is the epitome of why people find life meaningless.

Singapore is mostly a manufacturing/repair hub in terms of engineering. There is hardly any innovation. They bring it in, we repair, push out.
Even as a trained engineer (feel embarrassed saying that) myself, I pray that I will not be an engineer. My engineering friends are all applying their socks off to non-engineering jobs.

We are all trying to get the f**k out! Why do you wanna come in!?

Engineering Science grads' starting pay is ranked 36th, smack in the middle:

NUS Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Science) – $3,203 ($3,250)

But employment rate is near the bottom at 78.3%.

Reference:
Graduate Employment Survey 2011 (Published 2012) | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore

If you really intend to go down the engineering science route.. why not just jump into a reservior to drown yourself now?? Faster right?.... your final ourcome also the same what... this way is faster and cheaper...

Originally Posted by zxlancer

Hello,

im a NSF who currently has a place in the engineering science programme in NUS and is contemplating if i should change my course this year.

Does anyone knows anything about this Engineering science degree?

i was wondering if i should change to study another engineering degree or to studying business instead. i would say i would have a more slight interest in the engineering degree. but it seems that engineeering prospects in sg isnt looking very well and it might be better off studying business instead.

im also afraid that i cant cope with engineering studies as i've heard that it is not easy to do well.

im currently in dilemma now... any suggestions?

[blackdragon]

Its good to go into engineering provided you can survive the course with good grades, but make sure you don't end up becoming too "Eco-friendly":

Unemployed 53-year-old Singaporean wtih NUS engineering honours degree turns to scavenging trash to feed his family

Unemployed NUS graduate decides to become “Karung guni” man Editorial TR EMERITUS


An engineer who was retrenched in 2007 had to resort to scavenging for rubbish to make a living and support his family of 7.

53-year-old Mr Koh is an engineering graduate from NUS with honours. After working for some years, he finally landed himself a top job in a big company in 1993. Subsequently, he worked there for the next 14 years till 2007 when he was laid off. Although the company wrote him a good testimonial, it wasn’t easy for him to find another job. After he was laid off, there was a change in his outlook and he began to centre his life around his family more than his work.

He has 4 daughters, ages from 5 to 9. His mother lives with him. Together with his wife and himself, he has to support a family of 7. So, why did Mr Koh decide to get into rag and bone (“karung guni”) business after he was laid off? As jobs were hard to come by especially for people at his age, he said that he wanted to get into eco-friendly business.

“Some of the thrown-away electrical appliances only have minor problems. It’s a waste to see them being thrown away. After I repair them and clean them up, they are as good as new.”

In fact, the fridge, kettle, fan, etc in his house were all salvaged from the rubbish dumps. He has been picking rubbish for the last 3 years. Every morning, he will get up before the sun is up. Wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, he will be the first to go to the dump sites to look for good items to pick.

“I start work at 5am every morning. I will go to the rubbish chutes and HDB corridors to look for discarded items. I have to often endure cold stares from some of the residents.”

He recounted that sometimes, some people who saw him pushing a cart of discarded items would immediately cover their noses and avoid him. Others would throw sarcastic remarks at him.

“They thought I’m an illiterate who goes around picking disused items. I’m a university graduate!”

As to how much Mr Koh is earning from his rag and bone trade, he declined to say. He only said that he makes enough to support his family.

Before Mr Koh was retrenched, he disclosed that he was making $8,000 a month with bonus up to 5 months. He said that few months before he was being laid off, he whistle-blew on certain procedures in the company for being not proper. He felt that this might be the reason he was laid off.

“On the day I was laid off, it was raining and only 1 person from the company came out to see me off. It was pretty gloomy.”

Mr Koh recounted another incident. On one of the mornings, he was pushing his cart of loaded “junks” in a HDB estate at Toh Guan Rd. He stepped away to get his bike for a moment. When he returned, the whole cart and “junks” disappeared. At the time, there was a Bangla cleaner around. Mr Koh saw the Bangla cleaner came out from the utility room. The Bangla denied seeing his cart. When Mr Koh wanted to enter the utility room to check, the Bangla told him there was no key. So, Mr Koh had no choice but to call the police. The police came and asked to see the supervisor. The supervisor came and opened the door to the utility room. Mr Koh’s “missing” cart together with the items were found inside the room.

The supervisor after questioning the Bangla cleaner, took out $100 and gave it to Mr Koh, hoping that Mr Koh would let things rest. Mr Koh said, “After being busy for one whole morning, I was insulted by this. I feel very frustrated.”

Coming from Engineering Science myself, I don't really see it as a "chapalang" course. In fact, in many aspects I find myself in a more privileged position compared to other engineering courses. In a way, you can say that we are more favoured by our professors such that frequent job offers for interns/research engineers are advertised to us. I've had great opportunity interning in the industry and in a research institute. I cannot understand why it was mentioned that first year students can attest to the "chapalang"ness of this course. Many of them have gone to higher education institutes abroad. The others join the workforce just like any other engineer.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Coming from Engineering Science myself, I don't really see it as a "chapalang" course. In fact, in many aspects I find myself in a more privileged position compared to other engineering courses. In a way, you can say that we are more favoured by our professors such that frequent job offers for interns/research engineers are advertised to us. I've had great opportunity interning in the industry and in a research institute. I cannot understand why it was mentioned that first year students can attest to the "chapalang"ness of this course. Many of them have gone to higher education institutes abroad. The others join the workforce just like any other engineer.

hi unregistered,

i think u are talking about my post above. I have meant first 'batch' of eng sci not first year.

maybe i didnt state clearly, my 'first batch' actually means first batch of eng sci grad.

Yes i do agree u can have opp in research thru eng sci, but if u want a research career, any engine course can also lead u to research ( be it comp engine, bioengine, chem engine, mech engine etc)

Choose business. You will not regret it.