This is R

BEng Year 3 Semester 2

Modules taken during Year 3 Semester 1:
- AE0637 Advanced Aircraft Propulsion (3AU)
- AE0618 Aircraft Reliability & Maintenability (3AU)
- HW310/HW0310 Professional Communication(3AU)
- HP803/HP8003 Are you okay? Mental Health in Singapore (3AU)
- AE4079/MA4079 Final Year Project-URECA (Technopreneurship) (10AU)

Total No. of AU: 11
Overall GPA:

AE0618 Aircraft Reliability & Maintenability (3AU)
Lecturers: Mr Lim Yeow Khee, Assoc Prof Wu Zhang
Cheat Sheet
Mindmap

Study Techniques: Mindmaps
Result: A+
Review:
The marking scheme for this module is made up of 20% assignment report and 80% final exam. It is made up of 3 sections, namely Aircraft MRO covered by Mr Lim Yeow Khee, Reliability and DOE (Design of Experiments) covered by Prof. Wu Zhang

The first section on Aircraft MRO is the most interesting section of the whole module. Mr Lim gives us a broad overview of MRO industry, and also share some of the experiences he encounter when he was working in SIAEC. He also explains how an MRO company works, and some of the management philosophy such as MSG-2 and MSG-3. The assessment for this section is a 20% assignment report, which covers some of the concepts introduced. Although this section was not tested in the final exam, the lectures are still worth going as it gives an insight into MRO of Singapore.

The second part covering Reliability and DOE was much more mundane. Lecture notes are understandable, and lectures can be skipped as the lecturer is just regurgitating what is on the notes. The bad point is that the concepts will be tested in the finals, and there are no tutorials to check your progress. It is hence important to do PYP from MP4001 to test your understanding.

DOE is especially important for FYP, if your project involves a lot of experiments to be carried out. Learning this will help you to make a more structured approach to conduct experiments. It is highly recommended to take this module before final year final semester.

The final exam was difficult for my semester, as there are many tricky questions that usually did not come out in PYP.

So overall, is this module worth selecting? Yes it definitely is, since it's an unavoidable fact that most of the Aerospace engineers will be working in MRO companies upon graduation. In addition, DOE is important for FYP.

AE0637 Advanced Aircraft Propulsion (3AU)
Lecturer: Assoc Prof Randy Chue
Cheat Sheet
Mindmap

Study Techniques: Mindmaps
Result: A+
Review:
This module is made up of 30% take-home assignment and 70% final exam.

The single take-home assignment is less time-consuming as compared to other aero modules assignment (eg. AE2005, AE3002), and it is important to score for this. It is best to re-check your calculations. This is because the final exams is a tough nut to crack.

The difficulty level of the final exam was much higher than previous year. A 20-mark stream thrust analysis question was now worth 13 marks only. The paper can only be completed if you're given 3.5hr instead of 2.5hr.

Overall, this module is worth taking if you're really interested in hypersonics (which I really am), and the concept is really different from that of turbomachinery engine. But it might not be a module to score.

HW310/HW0310 Professional Communication (2AU)
Tutor: Dr Chan Soon Keng
Result: A
Review:
This module is made up of 20% class participation, 40% resume assignment and 40% group presentation.

I took this module under Dr Chan Soon Keng, who was supposedly famed for her strictness in giving marks (She was ranked the first in the 'blacklist', the second being Ms Aida and third being Ms Aileen Ng). For the resume assignment, she did not give any pointers before the submission, unlike other tutors who told their students what to expect. She only points out your mistakes after the assignment was returned, and marks would already be lost by then. However, she was more experienced than other tutors, and give many valuable job search tips and job interview tips during the tutorials.

As for the group presentation, she would look out for contents of your presentation. In addition, your presentation will be taped as well. To get the class participation, you just need to be proactive in answering her questions, and get into her good books.

If you're a Year 4 student, Semester 1 would be a better time to take this module as you can get your cover letter+resume ready for job search in Semester 2. Hence the resume done to your assignment can work to your advantage as it is already corrected by professionals. If not, the resume assignment would be just like any other assignment.

HP803/HP8003 Are you okay? Mental Health in Singapore (3AU)
Tutor: Dr Daniel Fung
Practice Notes
Review given in GER(PE)AHSS

AE4079/MA4079 Final Year Project-URECA (Technopreneurship) (10AU)
Asst Prof (Adj) Li King Ho Holden, Asst Prof Yoon Yong Jin
Result: A+
Review:
The weightage of every single project was different. For mine it goes like this:
Literature Survey: 20%
SOftware Development: 10%
Software Application: 20%
Design: 20%
Fabrication and testing: 20%
Laboratory/Site Investigation: 10%

The aim of my FYP project was to create a prototype of wearable medical device with both fall detection and position tracking capabilities.

This project was tough initially as it involves concepts outside my field of studies. It was really an all-encompassing engineering project, where I learn about computer algorithms (CE), biomechanics (BIE), navigation (AE) and electronics (EEE). I think I was quite lucky to be able to get the algorithms working in the field, hence I can give the project a nice conclusion. However, this project entices me as it provides solutions to real-world problem, and so will benefit the society. In fact, it helps to promote independent living among the elderlies, which is what a society facing an aging population should gear towards.

Being predominantly a programming project, I can do most of my FYP at home, which means I can have more flexibility in time. In addition, I do not have to stay back in school late or have to be physically at the lab to do my project. This is especially beneficial for me as I stay quite far from NTU and do not have a hall.

Programming projects require meticulousness and patience. Codes often run to thousand of lines, and it will never be bug-free at the first run. Every bug has to be checked line by line to ensure that there is no syntax error. I often have to start working early in the morning and end late at night.

Working with Prof Holden Li over the years have been fulfilling. He promotes independent thinking by making you solve your own problem, but he does give direction to make sure you are on the right track. He cares about our progress in studies. He often starts off the meeting by asking how we are doing in out studies, and gives his tips and advices. When exams are near, he would ask us to take a break and continue with the project during the holidays. In addition, he make resources readily available so they would be minimal delay to your project. Also, it was not hard scheduling a meeting with him even though he is an adjunct professor.

Labels: 2.1.4.2 Year 3 Semester 2

Making the Impossible Possible

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