Choosing between NUS vs NTU (housing, module bidding, facilities)

It's the time of the year where students start to receive offers and one common dilemma is the choice between NUS and NTU. To be honest, both universities are outstanding and you will not go wrong with either. However, I will list certain considerations if you are uncertain on which to pick! If you ask me, the tipping point for me is the S/U system NUS offers.

S/U system:

Both NUS and NTU have the S/U system but NUS's system is by far more superior to NTU's by many miles! In NTU there are several restrictions to the S/U option:

- It cannot be used for a core module 

- S/U must be declared before results release

- Only 12 AUs of credits to S/U

While in NUS... 

- It can be used in all level 1000 and certain 2000 modules (core included) 

- S/U options are exercised after the release of results 

- You have 32 MCs of S/Us and can bring up to 12 MCs over after year 1

NUS's system offers flexibility and give students more opportunities to write off bad grades, even for core modules. This is definitely an important consideration if you know you require more time to adapt to university life. NUS's safety net is stronger for freshies who may potentially struggle. Furthermore, you can bring another 12 MCs of unused S/Us to use from year 2 onwards. Some people may say NUS's system allows the manipulation of your CAP/GPA but I disagree. If you're going to fully utilise your S/U credits (ie S/U the whole of year 1) and get a First Class Honours CAP, potential employers may raise eyebrows. Another contention is if you use S/Us to artificially prop up a First Class CAP/GPA in year 1 (or whatever class), you need to continue getting As/A-s to maintain the CAP or your class classification will not be maintained in later years. 

Module registration system:

In NUS, the module registration system is called ModReg (CORS bidding has been scrapped). For every module, a "priority score" is calculated. The score is computed based on numerous factors, including the seniority of the student (year 4 have higher priority than year 1), whether the module is a core requirement for your major/minor and how you rank the module. And if there are two students with equal score, a tiebreaker will be used. In NTU, it uses the famous STARS wars system where it's based on the fastest fingers first concept. So if you are notoriously not punctual or have a slow PC/Internet connection, perhaps NTU's system may not suit you. Conversely, if you have a fast Internet connection and start bidding on the dot, you will probably get all the modules that you want. Personally, I have not tried the new ModReg system but the system is definitely fairer than STARS wars. 

Housing: 

In NTU, students are guaranteed housing for up to year 2 of their studies. NTU has been embarking on massive construction projects for the past few years and many new halls that look like condos are built. As there are many halls around, securing a housing unit in NTU will be a less of a hassle than NUS. In NUS, there are two main types of housing. The first are the Halls, which are older and very competitive to get in. The halls are reminiscent of older HDB estates. To retain your housing, you need to participate in hall CCAs or maintain some sort of "connection" with hall seniors and a lot of other rubbish requirements that will eat into a lot of your time. If you remain a "hall phantom" and not participate in any activities, be prepared to lose your room. The more popular halls may also take into account your looks. It may sound crazy but if you have a pretty/handsome face, you're more likely to gain admission into the hall exposure camps. Halls have mandatory meal plans and are not equipped with aircon. I heard it can be quite stuffy at nights due to the humidity. Another type of housing is the residential college (RCs) which are academic in nature. The fees for RCs are higher but enrolling into the programme guarantees 2 years of housing without the CCA rubbish. Some rooms are equipped with aircon and you have to take RC modules instead of GEs to fulfill your GEM requirements. The key point is, if housing is the main consideration, NTU will be a better choice. 

Facilities:

When I first came to NUS, it definitely struck me as somewhere from the 1990s. You will see chip-off tiles and bricks everywhere. There are these particular stairs linking the bus stop to Engineering which has been taken over by tree roots, ferns, and mosses. Don't be fooled by the glass facade and tall buildings NUS Marketing Department always tries to convince you with. While newer parts of NUS, like U-Town are indeed shiny, unless you stay in the RCs, you will rarely step foot there. However, to give them credit, they are trying to improve. It's common to see construction works going on around the campus. But to be honest, I find it more of a hindrance. This is probably due to the poor planning done by NUS. For example, they closed the main Engineering canteen and the only McDonald's in NUS for 2 years! A few months later, they closed the canteen used by SoC and BIZ students. The only accessible canteen left is the one at FASS. But I won't be surprised if they closed that down soon! So if all the canteens are closed, where do you eat? Do you remember the barely edible out-ration paper packet meals during NS? It's identical, except you will have to pay for it! Another thing about NUS is that it's built on top of a hill, so be prepared to climb plenty of stairs! And the layout of the buildings is odd. For example, if you're on the 2nd floor and kept walking straight without climbing any stairs, don't be surprised to suddenly find yourself on the 5th floor. In NTU, while many times larger than NUS, the main facilities are concentrated in the North and South spines of the school. This is unlike NUS where it's very spread out and travelling will require to squeeze onto the shuttle buses. NTU facilities are newer and better equipped. In NUS, it's common to find faulty power sockets or shaky seats in the LTs. Not all LTs are equipped with individual power sockets either. I heard NTU video records tutorial classes in addition to lectures while NUS only records lectures based on the lecturer's discretion.

Location:

Both schools are located in the western part of Singapore. NTU is frequently known as "Pulau NTU" because of the remoteness from civilisation. It does not have direct train access you will have to take the packed shuttle buses to Pioneer MRT station. While in NUS, Kent Ridge MRT station is at your doorstep. It's nearby Clementi MRT station by public bus as well. NUS  is more accessible as both Clementi and Kent Ridge stations are closer to city and train interchanges compared to Pioneer station. If you don't plan to stay in the hall, NUS is a more convenient choice. 

Reputation/competition:

Both schools are the best in Singapore and maybe in Asia. You will not go wrong with either. However, in terms of international rankings, NUS is consistently ahead of NTU (although both are excellent). If you are thinking of finding opportunities aboard, the word "Singapore" in NUS may have an tiny edge and Nanyang Technological University may sound like a random university located in Southern China. And NUS seem to have better overseas programmes like NOCs and SEP. But locally, employers do not differentiate too much. You may have heard of this claim that NTU Engineering is better than NUS but I'm doubtful of such claims.