BEng Year 1 Semester 1
Modules taken during Year 1 Semester 1:
- AE1001 Discovery Course 1/MA9005 Introduction to Aerospace Engineering I (2AU)
- FE1001/FE1011 Physics 1 (4AU)
- FE1005 Materials Science (3AU)
- FE1007 Mathematics 2 (3AU)
- FE1008 Computing (3AU)
- FE1071 Laboratory 1A (1AU)
- HW110/HW0110 Effective Communication (2AU)
- MB106 Fundamentals of Management (3AU)
Total No. of AU: 21
Overall GPA: 4.50
AE1001 Discovery Course 1/MA9005 Introduction to Aerospace Engineering I (2AU)
Personal Notes
Study Techniques: Cheat sheet
Assignment
Results: B+
Content:
- Historical Perspective Of Aerospace Engineering
- Overview Of Aerospace Clusters
- Introduction To Aerodynamics
- Introduction To Propulsion
- Overview Of Aircraft Support Systems
- Introduction To Aerospace Materials
- Introduction To Maintenance, Reliability And Overhaul (Mro)
- Safety
- Regulatory Issues.
How did I study?
Didn't really study hard for this subject. Hardly touch it except when exam, tests and assignment comes. Sleepy during lectures. A grave mistake for condescending this module because it's 2AU.
Mistakes made:
- Not serious about the module
- Not proficient in aircraft stuff beforehand (I never heard of fuselage and nacelle before this course)
- Never read up before lectures
- Never do mindmaps
- Never do regular revision
- Never practice textbook problems at all (except before tests)
- Watch youtubes when doing exam revision
- Doing cheat sheet is my only mode of revision
- Not paying attention during lecture
- Over-investing on difficult question (spend 1 hour on it), and not checking my paper during the exam.
Tips for scoring:
1. Be serious about this subject (even though it's 2AU only)
2. Read up about aircrafts before you start the module
3. It's super important to pay attention in class (You'll understand why)
4. Read up the chapters to be covered before lectures
5. After lectures, try out problems in textbook and tutorials
6. Do your revision after every lecture (use this time to do your mindmap)
7. From experience, there's normally about 1 week for revision (Sadly I don't have this privilege. Took Maths 2). As such, plan your fun and revision well
8. In exam, do leave difficult questions to the last and come back to them later. Sometimes giving up is better than clinging on.
9. Do check your paper (Normally engineering papers are 2.5 hour but can be completed in 2 hour or less)
Overall Opinion:
It started off tough, as I find it hard to understand English with strong Indian accent. Then a lecturer who is super soft (maybe I was sitting too far). Next, a lecturer who likes to use super small font (printed 2 by 2 slides per page using laser printer and can't see a thing. Imagine viewing this in lecture) and hides important concepts in ambiguous areas. After which, a lecturer who was pretty slow and steady.
But overall, the module turn out pretty interesting though. The major obstacle is the textbook 'Introduction to Flight'. It's simply unreadable. Don't be cheated by this small but thick book. The fonts are small (can read till you're cross-eyed), the whole book is in black and white, and most chapters are quite thick (Some >200 pages. Especially Chapter 4). Maybe I wasn't cut out for aero, but it was too late to regret my choice too. But somehow my interest was sparked and I manage to finish the essential chapters before the exam.
I'm certainly inspired after finishing this module. The interest in aircraft was sparked, and I'm all ready to take Year2 specialisation module.
FE1001 Physics 1 (4AU)/FE1011 Physics (2AU)
Personal Notes
Study Techniques: Summary Notes
Results: A-
Tutor: Prof Murali Damodaran
Content:- Equilibrium and elasticity
- Kinematics of particles
- Kinetics of particles
- Kinematics of rigid bodies
- Kinetics of rigid bodies
- Fluids
- Temperature and ideal gases
- Laws of thermodynamics.
How did I study?- Read up the notes before every lecture
- Try out the tutorial questions before lecture (sometimes engineer the answer from the solution)
- Listen attentively to lectures (most of the time)
- Practice textbook problems (Not all of them. Only the 'Additional Questions' part). Normally these are done before CA.
- Did only 1 round of revision before exam.
- Only did summary notes before exam.
- Practice many exam papers.
Mistakes made:- Read up too early before lectures
- Do tutorials without understanding (Engineer the workings from the answer given at the back)
- Never practice textbook problems regularly.
- Doing mindmaps would have further aid understanding.
- Watch variety show before exam.
- Screw up both my CA.
Tips for scoring:
1. Read up the chapter (both textbook and notes) before every chapter.
2. Listen attentively during lectures.
3. Do your tutorials faithfully after lectures.
4. Practice textbook problems to improve understanding.
5. Do a mindmap as a review to the chapter.
6. Review the chapter before the CAs.
7. Do at least 2 revisions for the final exam. Within each revision, practice at least 2 exam papers.
Overall Opinion:
Somehow I think I do not have affinity in Physics among all the 3 sciences I took in JC. At least in Biology and Chemistry I was among the top 10, while for Physics I was nowhere in sight. Don't understand why I eventually choose a field of engineering that is so 'physics'-intensive. Nonetheless I hope my interest in aircrafts will tide me through the four years.
Why did I feel so? Well, I got the most terrifying Physics tutor in NTU. He set very high standard for us(which is good), knowledgeable, and very professional. So why didn't I like him after all the good points I list? Firstly, he uses only algebra in his workings, and before you could copy them to absorb later, alas, they are gone from the whiteboard. Secondly, if you're too slow in answering his questions (because he spontaneously calls you and you were too stunned to even open your mouth), floods of criticisms will pour upon you and you will feel super demoralised the whole day (which is quite a bad thing, esp when his tutorials are in the morning). Thirdly, when you leave the tutorial room, you'll see the adjacent class having physics tutorial as well, but they are having laughters with a round table discussion. Lastly, his CA are madly difficult (but somehow people can still get full marks. I dont understand why). Imitating him was super funny, but 'does it matter?' Nonetheless, I still respect him a lot, because he's done research at NASA. Yes NASA, my dream workplace in the future. It clearly shows that he is of very high calibre. What's more, he's the only Aeronautical PE in Singapore.
Ok back to the subject. It's possible for you to do well for this module (and definitely you have to consider that it's 4AU). The concept taught during the lecture was relatively easy to understand, but the application is difficult, so you definitely have to practice very hard (if you take the time to skive like I do, you'll find that some of the textbook questions are actually Physics Olympiad questions). Exam is open-book, so it's more important for you to understand the application of concept rather than memorising the formulas (but memorising formulas are still needed for CAs though).
FE1005 Materials Science (3AU)
Personal Notes
Webview
Study Techniques: Mindmaps
Results: A
Tutor:
Concepts:
- Bonding between atoms
- Building blocks of materials
- Crystal defects and diffusion
- Structural properties of materials
- Functional properties of materials
- Phases and microstructures
How did I study?- Read up the notes before every lectures.
- Attempt the tutorials before the lectures.
- Read the textbook to aid further understanding when there's time (like bedtime stories)
- Did mindmaps either during lecture or after lecture.
Mistakes made:- Not being serious about the subject (Thought being good in Chemistry is good enough, but didn't realise that was 2 years ago)
- Did tutorials without fully understanding the concept
- Didn't read the textbook seriously
- Never practice textbook questions
- Didn't have time to attempt many exam papers for practice before exam (only did 1/2 before the actual exam)
- Did mindmap during lecture (as such, wasnt paying attention in class)
Tips for scoring:
1. Read up the chapter (both textbook and notes) before every chapter.
2. Listen attentively during lectures.
3. Do your tutorials faithfully after lectures.
4. Practice textbook problems to improve understanding.
5. Do a mindmap as a review to the chapter.
6. Review the chapter before the CAs.
7. Do at least 2 revisions for the final exam. Within each revision, practice at least 2 exam papers.
Overall Opinion:
I feel that this subject was quite manageable even though I was quite slack. But the subject wasnt that taxing anyway. Lecture was few, and they started on the end of 3rd week and ended in early 11th week. All the lecturers are quite professional (as in just by listening the lectures, you will understand the concepts and thus does not feel the need to refer to textbook). However, because of the short duration, the lecture pace was quite fast. Tutorial questions was few, so it would be recommended to practice more problems from the textbook. My tutor was quite good in explaining (though her English wasn't that good as she is a chinese). Being a lady, she's very caring to me. But I felt embarassed for always being late for her class (the earliest lesson in the week at 8.30am). CAs were computerised MCQ, and it tested on some concepts not in the notes but in the textbook (which are equally important). For myself, by plain sheer bad luck, I always got the hardest question among my group of friends. But from the test, you can see that reading the textbook is very important, as the notes are only a brief summary.
FE1007 Mathematics 2 (3AU)
Personal Notes 1
Personal Notes 2
Study Techniques: Mindmaps/Notes
Results: A+
Tutor: Prof Kevin Xiao Gaoxi
Contents:- Partial differentiation
- Multiple integrals
- Sequences and series
- First order differential equations
- Second order differential equations.
How did I study?
Listed as follow in the study tips.
Mistakes made:
- Didnt manage to finish all the textbook problems
- Try out the tutorial questions too early (and end up engineering my solution)
- Didnt practice much for ODE
Tips for scoring:
1. Read up the chapter before lecture (simply read and highlight the notes)
2. Pay attention during lectures (even though it can be boring)
3. Do your tutorials faithfully
4. After which, do your revision and mindmap
5. Practice all the textbook problems in Thomas Calculus
6. Review the chapter before the CAs.
7. Do at least 2 revisions for the final exam. Within each revision, practice at least 2 exam papers.
Overall Opinion:I study very hard for this subject. The class size can scare you off. Imagine competing with students who tabao (and are very knowledgeable about the subject) or are maths prodigy that are exempted from maths1 (I'm not maths prodigy though. Don't even have F maths background). Well, just one silly mistake, and you'll see yourself at the other side of the bell curve.
My tutor was Prof Kevin Xiao, who happened to be the course coordinator as well (Note: we didn't got additional tips from him for the exam. He was very impartial, even dare not set extra ODE optional exercise for us because he has already seen the exam papers). At first I find him funny (the Chinese+American accent), but as days grown, I find that he is a VERY NICE tutor. Cares about our performance very much. And he explains SUPER WELL. Whatever concepts you dont understand, after his tutorials, you will be enlightened. The bad point is that his 1st 2 tests are insane (still remember his triple exp and triple In question).
I basically did most of the things that I've given in my tips. And yup, the Thomas Calculus textbook was the thickest among all my textbook this sem, so it was hard to miss it. But normally I only do chapter exercise 2/3 days before the actual test.
I would recommend people who are exempted maths1 (or have taken maths1 during special terms) to take up maths2 during this semester. Why?
1. The cohort is small, so lectures are less noisy. Easier to concentrate.
2. It can be observed (or is simply super obvious) that sem1 exams are so much easier that sem2. In fact, I was quite surprised to finish my 2.5hour paper in 1 hour, redo the whole thing once and check it twice. The best exam among the six.
3. The only disadvantage is the bell curve. But nonetheless, it can serve as a motivating tool.
But still, the ultimate choice is still yours.
FE1008 Computing (3AU)
Personal Notes
NewLink
Study Techniques: Summary Notes
Results: A-
Tutor: Prof Meena
Contents:
- Introcution to computers
- C language fundamentals
- Flow of control
- Functions and libraries
- Arrays
- Basic file processing
- Structured programming and quality of programs
- Case studies in engineering applications.
How did I study?
- Make sure I try out and solve every single hands-on exercise.
- Read the textbook to understand the concept better (especially in Part 2 of computing)
Mistakes made:- Didnt bother to do tutorials for part 2 of computing.
- Sleeping during lectures (from late night gaming)
- Didnt do revision after every chapter
- Didnt memorise important definition till before exam
- Summary notes was done only before exam.
Tips for scoring:1. Read up the chapter (both textbook and notes) before every chapter (Yes, textbook is important, though you are not required to buy)
2. Listen attentively during lectures (It can be boring, but ENDURE)
3. Do your tutorials faithfully after lectures.
4. Practice the hands-on exercise. Make sure you are proficient in them
5. Do a mindmap as a review to the chapter (I'm not sure how you can do mindmap for computing, but where there's a will, there's a way)
6. Memorise important definitions and concepts.
6. Review the chapter before the CAs.
7. Do at least 2 revisions for the final exam. Within each revision, practice at least 2 exam papers.
Overall Opinion:Most people find this module ok or easy, but somehow me and my friends don't. I'm not sure why. But I was relieved that I will most likely not tabao this module next semester. Computing was simply too tough.
It's quite hard to understand the concepts during lectures (you can't even understand the cold jokes given by the lecturer. They end up laughing to themselves). My tutor was quite good. With her explanation, we are simply enlightened to the new concept. The hands-on exercise was tough though, and normally could not be finished by the end of tutorial. For my class, both CAs was quite easy (Another class was given 1 whole tutorial session to finish the next hands-on exercise as part of their CAs, which was simply horrible). But I still don't understand why I got 50 marks for the last CAs (lowest in class) when my program works well, while those who couldnt finish the program got at least 80. Still can't get over with it. Maybe it was just pure bad luck.
I do hope the tips I have given was sufficient to score for the subject, or at least not to tabao it.
FE1071 Laboratory 1A (1AU)
Lab Report
Results: A
How did I study?
- Being serious about the subject (all thanks to my regular lab partner Habib)
Tips for scoring:
- Be serious about the subject (even though it's 1Au. Sometimes it means a lot)
- Attend all lab sessions.
- Do a good lab report.
- Discuss the results together as a lab team to minimise anomalies.
Overall Opinion:
Lab was quite ok (except for the hardest lab session on Moment of Inertia. Expect to spend 1 whole day on that lab report, and still end up being incorrect for the answer). The most enjoyable for me would be the part on 2D and 3D drawings (in CEE). Do read up more before doing your lab report.
HW110/HW0110 Effective Communication (2AU)
Study Techniques: None
Results: B+
How did I study?- Attend every lectures and listen attentively (They're super amusing and a good way to relax)
Mistakes made:- Never apply the tips that my tutor give for speech presentation
- Not being serious about the subject initially
- Not being active in class
Tips for scoring:
- Listen attentively during lecture (1. Can get started on your reflection paper early 2. Know the correct format of speech presentation)
- Being serious about all your assignments (both 1 & 2), as your grades are quite volatile.
- Being active in class.
Overall Opinion:On the first look, this module is 2AU and don't have exam, you'll think that it's quite slack and as such become not serious about it. But when you understand the importance of 2AU, it's too late already. Anyway, this is a very fun module, and all the more you should be serious about it and enjoy yourself in both lecture and tutorial. The most dreadful part would be Assignment 2 (but for some people, it would be the speech presentation, as they have stagefright). But the most fun part would be the speech presentation (Of course it's when you're the audience and enjoying the speech). Some are quite amusing that you'll laugh non-stop, for some they're quite boring (but definitely you have to fight the Zzz monster away so that you won't want to look disrespectful).
For myself, I talked about why men should keep their moustache, with the classic example of Johnny Depp who was awarded the Sexiest Man Alive 2008 by Cosmopolitan. I was pretty nervous (can see my hand trembling when I hold the cards). I don't know why I kept the class laughing non-stop, and was quite happy that I got excellent for entertainment (the only person in class to get that). However, I do feel a little disappointed that I didnt get that good a grade that I wanted.
Overall, it's a really enjoyable module, where the class is most bonded among all your tutorial class. You'll definitely make many friends in this class.
Labels: 2.1.1.1 Year 1 Semester 1
Making the Impossible Possible
3 comments @ 8:00 PM
