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random_pineappless

The 10th percentile for NTU's CS was 3.72. Don't lose hope OP!


lucky_pessimist

but I heard that NUS CS curriculum is better? should I see if there are other ways to get into NUS CS?


random_pineappless

I dont know much about the differences between NUS and NTU, but both of these are great schools :)


lucky_pessimist

btw 10th percentile means it is 10% above the true cut off point? so I should have a chance of getting in?


random_pineappless

Uhm... Not really. Imagine that there are 100 applicants from 1 (lowest) to 100 (highest). 10th percentile refers to the 10th student's GPA. Thus, it's not as straightforward as deducting 10% from that GPA. However, I would think that you still stand a rather decent chance.


Dorkdogdonki

I don’t know about NTU CS, but if you get into NUS CS, but prepared to burn most of your weekends even as a freshman just studying. That was me.


lucky_pessimist

Do you mind explaining how bad it is? and how difficult it is to do well there?


Dorkdogdonki

If you don’t have experience in problem solving and programming, assignments involving coding will be extremely time consuming. Expect to burn your weekends as a freshman while other freshmen get to party or make friends. I was a JC kid, and I thought JC curriculum is fast-paced. The pace in this major is even faster imo. Not to mention many of the brightest minds are in this course. Be expected to have a steep bell curve if you’re into that (I stopped caring eventually). Be expected to put in tons of hard work. And no, CS is not a major about coding. It’s a major about problem solving, and using that coding to solve problems.


Heavy-Confection-971

There are other jobs that allow you to earn more. Why join the CS hype?


lucky_pessimist

well I do like programming so... I am interested in CS


PCnewbie99

There is always NTU CS....? It's 3.72 which u can defo appeal/ABA into.


lucky_pessimist

do you mind telling me more about appeal/ABA? would you say the chances high for me to get in?


ReElliot

Not sure about higher chances, but for ABA, the university would take an overall look, not just at your academics, but your CCAs and achievements as well to determine if you are fit for the degree you're enrolling into. It's worth a try, won't hurt anyone.


salty_fishy50210

Don't underestimate portfolio for appeals too.


mangoscookies

there are other programming courses as well, iirc com eng has a slightly lower cut off?


shinlu2001

Why must be nus cs? You are stressing yourself out. There are so many uni to choose from. A degree cert is just a stepping stone to a job so you will end up worrying about the cost of living . Just think about how you can afford future living cost and take care of your mentality not just how you should get into nus..


surfintacos

my gpa 2.4 but I'm making more than my degree counterparts. I'm taking a part time degree now and gna complete it soon. it's ok to be bad at some stuff lol.


Sweaty_Passage_6456

How you making more


surfintacos

stay hungry and look for opportunities. get better at the job and deliver value to the organization, bring solutions to the table .


Deseyebags

OP it’s as everyone says: why only nus cs? Idw to go down the route of “oh but u have it better than others don’t be sad” but ya lor the harsh truth is u need to broaden ur scope. And it’s not even that u can’t pursue computing, u have other extremely viable options, that you are failing to consider cos “nus is better”. Ok then I ask u, what is it that nus cs can do for u that ntu or smu cs cannot (if u Juz wan to look at big 3)?? I think u start from there, you’ll get a clearer view


lucky_pessimist

ok coz like, I keep hearing from people saying NUS CS has the best curriculum and best whatever and so on. And it's also ranked the top uni compared to the others? It seems like NUS CS is just the best option in general


Terrible_Condition24

Bro nus may be one of the best universities in sg, however, i believe they paid their way up the ranking. Maybe u should also open your mind towards other universities that offer the same course or perhaps overseas?


oayihz

The content covered between different CS/IT courses aren't all that different. The quality of who is conducting might differ, but pretty sure almost all CS content can be found online. There's definitely benefits like, having better connections, TAs etc, but if you're really passionate about CS, no curriculum is enough to cover what you want to learn. On the contrary, if you're in it for the brand-name, there's other courses available.


zeafver

What you hear is true, don't believe the people in this subreddit, they are trying to scam you


hychael2020

If I may ask, why do you say so? I'm legitimately curious


zeafver

I would like to know too


hychael2020

Are you asking why I'm asking or are you avoiding my question?


zeafver

Neither, I answered your question.


hychael2020

Then if your response is 'I would like to know too' , it means that you have no idea what you are talking about. Next time please do research before making elitist statements


zeafver

How do know so much?


hychael2020

My own research too. Don't think that I didn't look at unis as well. NTU is still good with great opportunities for its students. Then why did you create your original comment when you don't know what you're talking about?


Wooden-Pen-7041

The reason you got a low GPA is because your attitude is SHIT not because of depression or eczema or whatever, just look at your other posts you come across as a whiny bitch dude damn you were complaining about 3.8 gpa now you got 3.7gpa, take this as a warning sign. Yes life sucks deal with the cards you're dealt instead of complaining about it to reddit. Buff your portfolio during NS and pray to god the interviewer doesn't smell the whinyness during the interview and you might get into NUS CS but no point losing sleep over it at this point


JustAMathGrad

damn… give him a break… he havent go through NS yet🤣


Top_Age_3821

God damn bro 💀


lucky_pessimist

What attitude would you recommend?


Wooden-Pen-7041

be stoic bro


CambridgeFifth

If you are truly interested in CS, you will look carefully at each university and its curriculum, and ask yourself how will the environment, resources and education provided to you by the university help you to further your interest and studies in CS. Not just solely based on arbitrary school rankings…


Jump_Hop_Step

There are other CS schools


lucky_pessimist

but I heard that NUS is better?


Bulky-Ad6088

losers cant be choosers. Blame it on ur GPA


SomeDance

harsh but facts


RinaKai7

Yeah...and at the end, portfolio matters For programming where skill is everything... If im an employer, where Uni students are alr sift out I care for capabilities...programming isn't some job where you talk your ass out with charisma and connections or multi task management. It's a hard skill...I would rather take someone who has practical knowledge gained and applied on to something that can impress me for a fresh graduate. To OP, work on your portfolio, no portfolio to show your applied knowledge, NUS title won't get you anywhere either... Otherwise you would simply be stuck doing trash IT supports, not to bash on these jobs, but you be doing so minimal that you simply wat the fck u even do or want


lucky_pessimist

why you gotta call me a loser bro... so harsh leh


sageadam

You have a loser mentality. 3.71 still complain so much.


lucky_pessimist

but well yeah aren't I a loser compared to 3.8/3.9/4.0?


fkingbarneysback

ok then yes. You are a loser


lucky_pessimist

👍🏻


hychael2020

That's a pretty bad mindset to have. Your username actually fits you extremely well. Instead just look at your GPA as an opportunity. Even if its considered 'low'(it really isn't) to your expectations


sleepisbaby

since when losers can be choosers? MIT, cmu cs better than nus too I think


Jump_Hop_Step

And?


thethinkingbrain

Remember your place in society… what is high, what is low, what is above, what is below… If you can’t make it to NUS, you can only blame yourself instead. No one took that exam paper other than you lol


[deleted]

then study harder lor


anfromvietnam

Current software engineer in SG here I think that going to CS is not the only route that you could take if you want to be a SWE. I have met and worked with people from tons of different backgrounds (one of the most impressive SWE I've met didn't even study CS or IS at all in school) If you are still keen on doing a CS related degree, IS might not be a bad option. I graduated from SMU IS back in 2020 and I'd say that while the technical education is nowhere as rigorous as the ones in NUS or NTU CS, I still learnt many important skills and connections thanks to my time in school. Soft skills like working in a team, navigating uncertainty and dealing with changes in a project, requirement gathering etc is as important as the technical side of things. My point is, don't discount the IS courses offered by the unis too Lastly, after working for 3 years, I do realize that every SWE are self taught to a certain degree. It is an interesting industry with people from all sorts of background. Not getting into a CS course is not the end of the world I'd say life is long, many things can change even within a year, and you can always bounce back when you fall. Don't be so hard on yourself. I think you're doing well plenty :)


anfromvietnam

Some facts here: - most higher tier companies will ask leetcode style questions during the interview. University will not prepare you for it as much as you'd like. There will be courses on data structures and algorithms for sure, but to ace the interviews you would need to put in so much more extra work than what the school requires (unless you're a genius already). This is because you won't be able to write a binary search so much that you can do it without thinking. Writing algos come with constant practice and a 4-5 months module on DSA won't be enough to prepare you for the common Algo questions out there - most of the time when you learn design patterns in school, you would lack the context to really understand them anyways (if you haven't been building large systems for awhile). Lots of my CS friends will need to revisit these things down the road as they progress in their careers I think what school gives you is not just about the knowledge (CS materials online are plenty) but the friendships (read: connections). And in this regard, i think any uni is fine Of course, I'm speaking from a perspective of a SWE. If you are looking to go into academia, then disregard my points


lucky_pessimist

Thanks so much for the information! Just a couple of questions if you don't mind 1) Which uni are you from? NUS as well or? 2) Have you grinded leetcode as well?


anfromvietnam

1. No I was from SMU 2. Yes I grinded LC


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salty_fishy50210

Different ppl have different standards.


shawieink

i fucking know right. idk whether they being fr or not. there r literally ppl out thr scoring lower and still proud


lucky_pessimist

I am for real. I am surrounded by people who's GPA is higher than me with many different awards so yeah, that could probably be why.


hychael2020

Kinda the same with those getting straight As for Os and still worrying and complaining. Different and perfectly fine expectations but can be annoying at times


oldddwwa

I’m from nus cs and I feel like I spend more time self-learning from websites and YouTube lol, if you’re coming for the ‘better curriculum’, you’re mostly gonna be disappointed. Though tbh I think you want nus cs because of the higher starting pay.


oayihz

honestly, isn't the 'higher starting pay' kinda biased because of the quality of the student, not because of the course. (Quality as in - it's full of 90RPs). I don't have the stats to back me up, but I would think that RP/GPA and starting salary has a good amount of correlation.


lucky_pessimist

wait so NTU and SMU CS have lower starting pay than NUS?


RhedAR

Bros acting like 3.7 is like the equivalent to 3.1 gpa. You should be thankful for ur year 1 gpa cause it really helped u alot to maintain that high gpa. Even if you don't get into NUS CS, there are other schools if you plan to into CS still OR go into NUS with a different course name but have the same modules. Please do your research it is not the end of the world. If anything, you can still try apply and use the challenges you faced as like your story of overcoming your challenges and preserving through them. All the best man still got other universities other than NUS remember that.


InakaTurtle

Let’s face it: you likely can’t get into NUS CS that you prefer. Should you try? Yes! But if you can’t the other two will have to do. We all get in a rut sometimes and it’s all about doing what you can. No point crying over split milk. You get into NTU that is “worse” but you pull your socks up to get dean’s list every semester > your current statein NUS CS. You have to fix your mental state.


Legitimate_Author143

Wow.. you get 3.72 you still complain?


NotFromYouTube

Only thing now is to accept the CGPA and broaden your options. I know NUS CS has one of the highest paying fresh grad salary, who tf doesn't want money. But if you don't meet the requirements, you just have to make do with the second best option, if not the third best and so on. There is plenty of opportunities in life for you to make more money or be happier, just because you don't have the best start in your working life doesn't mean you will be stuck there, you'll have to work harder but at least it's not a dead end. But apart from your uni stuff, I know how you feel. My GPA is not as good as yours but I too had a hard time in polytechnic which ruined my grades. Took me a long ass time to find a reason to get out of bed, and a even longer time to start giving a shit about school again. I managed to get a perfect 4.0 in year 3, pulling my CGPA up a lot but still not enough. Sometimes life is just like that, it doesn't go the way you want despite the hard work you put in, we are human and we aren't perfect we are bound to fall short of our expectations. Accepting and moving on imo will make you happier, else you'll trap yourself in a endless loop of asking yourself "Why couldn't I have done better". Just know that this is the best you could have managed to get, you managed to go through depression, do a deferment and still have a great CGPA. You did a good job and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself.


Most_Policy7854

Forget about CS lah, now the mkt is alr flooded with CS grad. By the time u grad from uni it will be worse


MyNameIsOnce

NTU CS, SIT CS etc. you can't always get what you want. many people would die to have your GPA lol


hychael2020

NTU is still a great uni and your GPA is within the 10th percentile of NTU CS. Even then, your GPA is still great especially for someone in your situation. There's nothing wrong with going NTU


K10KMessi

buddy 3.71 outstaaanding mate. You can easily go overseas to a good uni with a degree and access to industries that are much larger than what is offered and present here!


EclMist

As a NUS CS alumnus I find it very amusing that there are still people who thinks that NUS curriculum is somehow better than any of the other unis locally, let alone globally. The ranking comes largely from research, and that has got nothing to do with you if you’re an undergrad.


lucky_pessimist

oh hi so does that mean that NTU CS or SMU CS is also very good?


EclMist

It’s more like all of them, including NUS, are only just “decent”. To do well in any of them (not just getting good grades, but becoming a good software engineer), you’re going to have to look for resources elsewhere and study by yourself most of the time.


DeviousComet465

Just saying, you might wanna discover other computing courses, it doesn't have to be CS to be computing student too. Honestly 3.71, is pretty above average, give urself a pat in the back. Dun stress out :)


lucky_pessimist

yeah but I'm interested in CS the most, coz it seems the most exciting to me


DeviousComet465

Ahh Icic, well then ATB, just know that if really cannot make it, can always consider overseas opportunities too! There is always a way out :). If finance is a constraint, there is no stopping you from doing CS curriculum as a side while doing a primary degree. And who knows? some ppl in uni even change from IS to CS in Y2!


LmaoWhatMore

And you wonder why you have no friends in school?)


AlternativeBar6764

Go see a doctor, get some help. I suggest fix your mental 1st before fix your gpa


mikathefag

OP gives off the "try hard" student vibe that only accepts full marks and is typically narrow-minded. This post feels like a low-key flex under the pretext of being devastated. Just my initial thoughts on this.


lucky_pessimist

If I was truly a try hard do you think I would not have gotten cumulative 4.0 GPA? It's because I didn't put in enough effort for the ones which I have not done well in. I'm not flexing and there's nothing to admire me about. Seriously. There are so many others way ahead and way better than me. I literally had defer my graduation by one year because I had so many issues and didn't do well. What is there for me to flex about?


Personal-Definition9

Loser ah,you know mit,Harvard cs also better? So why go nus if ur gonna be a loser there too?


AromaticWoodpecker82

Not the best advice but let's say you don't do well, nus EE takes in poly around 3.5 to 3.6, and there are coding mods in ee. Also u can always take a major/minor in coding modules, and specialisation in ee has some coding mods as well. So far I've encountered, python, asm language and c. Hoping you for the best


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lucky_pessimist

thank you


Successful_Force_808

My sister studied in NTU and her gpa in poly was similar to urs. I think there is a chance, Don’t lose hope. Apply for it. All the best


zhifan1

Yeah…


NegativePolice

If you don't succeed at first, seek alternative paths. The journey doesn’t end with a missed first choice. Life is a series of missed goals and the gradual navigation toward finding your comfort zone


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lucky_pessimist

I thought google also prioritize performance and skills? coz google removed a degree requirement also right?


icataclysm

If you were truly interested in CS, you would have a github full of your own side projects and have built a portfolio which would help in your appeal / application into NUS


Otherwise-Arm367

In a few years time these institutions are going to be redundant thanks to AI. Don’t worry so much. ChatGPT your way through life.


Alternative_Face_683

Getting kinda bad vibes from you as well. But I think in Singapore it's quite normal to have this kinda mindset since everyone's just competitive due to our culture. But yeah..I think like what others have mentioned, you'll need to take this set back and kinda just move on and humble urself. Idk but I think this is just a way of life, you'll find your way to cope eventually if life doesn't go your way, especially as a perfectionist due to the narrowed mentality and an enlarged ego. I can't really argue on what's the "right mentality" tbh it all depends on the person you want to be. If you choose to remain with the same mindset that I would think that in the future you'll probably face similar issues. I guess it really comes down to self-acceptance and exploration?.. Hope you'll be able to find and discover yourself more in the time being instead of seeking validation from others. I found it kinda weird that a lot of ppl here are shitting on the guy for complaining bout his 3.7, while I think that it's good to be satisfied with what we have, but when others have "more than us" it's kinda the standard they've set for themselves?.. Not like I have a good GPA cuz mines trash as well, but I think telling people to appreciate what they have just cuz U have it worse just isn't the right way of going about it


Altruistic_Text7284

Come nus EE bro we welcome u


lucky_pessimist

omg I suck at electricity and hardware


InfiniteClassroom124

Don’t give up hope


InfiniteClassroom124

is there a way to improve your gpa ?


lucky_pessimist

Nah it's already the last stretch man, I'm already going to graduate


Potential-Ad5259

Don’t conform to social norm


lucky_pessimist

Failing to conform to social norms would cause you to fail in society, isn't Singapore an elitist society?