AY2014-2015 Semester 1 Module Review

I am so relieved to have overloaded this semester and cleared 6 core modules at one go as I just realized my schedule will only be getting increasingly more hectic in the remaining semesters. On one hand, the modules I intend to take in the subsequent semesters are a lot more difficult and time-consuming and on the other hand, having to juggle work on top of studies and meeting the deadlines set by the professor isn't something easy for me.

But anyway, this semester wasn't as tiring as I had imagined it to be. Rather, I thought it served its purpose of preparing me for even tougher semesters ahead. Nonetheless, I am contented with my SAP this time round and hope to be able to maintain such results for the rest of my candidature.

EC3304 Econometrics II

This module was taken by Eric Fesselmeyer. I thought he had poor planning in the sense that he spent almost 3 lectures only to cover the first chapter which was basically just a review on the concepts taught in EC3303. After he came to realize how much time he had left before the midterms, he started to rush through the next two chapters so that he can include both of them in the midterms as well. And when midterms was over, he took his time on the following chapter only to rush through the last two chapters again. In fact, he cancelled the lecture in Week 11 or so and made up for it with a webcast that I guess exceeded the usual 1 hour 35 minutes (I am guessing as I did not watch it). If he had not done so, there was probably no way he could have finished what he wanted to test by Week 13. What's more the syllabus he showed during the start of the semester included one more chapter on "Quasi Experiments" but due to the lack of time...  By the way, there wasn't even a tutorial on the last chapter.

Anyway, I don't think there's a need to recommend whether you should get the textbook as chances are you might already be holding onto it considering that it's the same textbook used for EC3303.

Topics covered before midterms
Review
Introduction to Time Series Regression and Forecasting (Chapter 14 of the textbook)
Dynamic Causal Effects (Chapter 15 of the textbook)

Topics covered after midterms
Cointegration (part of Chapter 16 of the textbook)
Panel Data (Chapter 10 of the textbook)
Regression with Binary Dependent Variable (Chapter 11 of the textbook)
Instrumental Variables Regression (Chapter 12 of the textbook)

I have to say the proofs that Eric does during lectures are a lot clearer than those in the textbook. And yes, proofs are important as there was one 35-marks proving question in the finals which was the differentiator. And well, he said things that he showed using the visualizer which include the proofs will not be in the webcast but apparently, he doesn't have a good idea of how the webcast works so I actually skipped the lectures after the fourth one and I'll watch the webcast just for the part on proofs cos' other than that, the lectures are pretty much useless.

The workload for this module is very light as tutorials are not weekly but fortnightly instead. His tutorials include application questions that require the use of Stata and I personally think that these questions shouldn't be neglected. There are questions in his papers that will show students the output from Stata and answers will have to be inferred from there. But the point is these questions will give you a good idea of how the concepts learnt in class can actually be applied in real life and you tend to better appreciate this module after doing them.

Weightage
Tutorial attendance and participation: 20%
Midterms: 30%
Finals: 50%

I thought the first component was absurd cos' this module only has 5 tutorials and you have to present just once. Most people will be very 'enthusiastic' in presenting the solutions for the first few theoretical questions but when it came to those questions on Stata, there would be a sudden silence in the class. So I would think that it'll be good to prepare those questions at the back so that you'll get your chance to present. My tutor, though very approachable, can't teach for nuts and yes, I seldom say that so the tutor has to be really quite bad. I would have loved to skip the tutorials if I could as it wasn't value-adding in any way. Due to some reason or another, I did not attend one of the tutorials and even though I went for the makeup in the odd week, my tutor actually forgot to mark my attendance so that I had to go to Eric personally but now I've doubts as to whether he marked my attendance for that week as well.

Ironically, the emphasis in midterms was on stuff covered in EC3303 and I honestly do not admire the questions set by Eric or probably that's because I've taken ST3131. Specifically, there are 3 questions on the 'Review' part and 2 questions on 'Time Series'. So if you are good at the stuff in EC3303, you'll probably do well for the midterms though if you suck at the subsequent chapters, chances are you'll still screw up the module eventually. I do know of someone doing very badly (way below average) for the midterms but still got away with a decent grade and also, another person doing very well (way above average) for the midterms but got a not-too-decent grade eventually. Median was, if I did not remember wrongly, 63/100. I got 73 which was exactly the 75th percentile. Anyway, Eric takes a pretty long time to mark the papers; the papers will be ready for collection at the general office probably two weeks after the midterms.

There were 4 MCQ questions in the finals and each was worth 5 marks. I got the first question wrong which I believe could be the contributing factor to my grade on top of the tutorial attendance issue. But really, finals was manageable; just know what you are doing and you should have no problem in scoring well. In fact, the last question on 'Binary Dependent Variable' was a giveaway provided that you made no careless mistakes.

Result: A-
This was one disappointing module as I was hoping for an A. But overall, I did enjoy this module to some extent as the concepts covered were pretty relevant (though simplistic).

EC3332 Money and Banking I

This module was taken by Seet Min Kok who is a new professor. He is very helpful as he will answer your queries very promptly. I did not attend his lectures at all (not even the first one) as his notes are just a summary of what's covered in the textbook. In fact, I did not print any notes too; I just used them as a guide to what's covered in this module. And one thing about this module is that there are too many assumptions behind the concepts and when I asked the lecturer about them, there are times which he had to agree with me or that he couldn't give me a satisfactory answer. 

I recommend getting the textbook as it is a lot more detailed. Well, I was told by the lecturer to get the 10th edition as he will take questions from the textbook for the tutorials and so I stupidly heeded his advice and bought the expensive book only to see that I can count with one hand the number of tutorial questions he referred the students to the textbook. Anyway, I am not going to list the topics covered in this module as it is very long and more importantly, the syllabus is already written very clearly in the IVLE workbin. I actually think that taking this module with EC2102 will give you a bit of an advantage as there is some overlap.

Weightage

Tutorial attendance and participation: 20%

Midterms: 30%

Finals: 50%

As usual, the first component is absurd though not as bad as EC3304 since the tutorials for this module are on a weekly basis. I think your participation marks is contingent on which tutor you get. For my tutor, I participated only like 3 or 4 times and he mentioned he was very generous with participation marks so he usually gives every student full credit.

Midterms was one of the stupidest papers I have taken in NUS. Yes, strong word: 'stupidest'. Why? Because it is a 30-MCQ paper which tests you on memory and basic concepts. So if you did not read the textbook properly, chances are you'll not do well like me as I only got 25/30 and most people got 27. Well, I could have gotten 26 if I did not misread one question but 26 is still bad enough as that means 4% is instantly gone. At that point in time, I thought the bell curve was insanely steep as this module was really a breeze-through such that if I needed a break from my other modules, I would read this module's textbook for leisure.

Finals was again really easy; there were 7 structured questions and I am guessing you can answer them at any length you wish as students are given a booklet. Some people left early so that's quite indicative of how fast you can finish the paper if you wish. There were even a few questions which was directly taken from what's covered in the notes and textbook. I felt like this was a paper of "who can explain better" rather than "I know my stuff better than you". 

Result: A

I was taken aback by the result so apparently, I might have overestimated the bell curve quite a bit as I was expecting at most a B+. But I was one of those people who did not have free time on hand during the finals as I answered every question in a detailed manner; listing down all the assumptions, explaining how the theory came about, etc. I actually recommend doing that because most people found the finals an easy feat so it was not about whether you can do the question and from my grade, I think finals will still be able to make a difference if you take the paper seriously as much as the questions make you not want to.

EC4102 Macroeconomic Analysis III

This is easily one of my favourite EC modules so far simply because of the introduction of mathematical concepts into the content despite these concepts being very easy, perhaps not even reaching that of a level-1000 MA module. I suggest that instead of figuring out the integral and summation signs around, I think time will be better spent on appreciating the concepts behind the equations. And rumour has it that EC4102 is the hardest EC module around but I can say for sure that the difficulty level is really not like what people make it out to be. It might start out hard or at least it did for me but as you get more comfortable with the content, you'll find the subsequent chapters becoming increasingly easier. The only difficult thing is probably the mere number of people taking this module and the fact that only honours students are left cuts down a lot more leeway. Although this is supposed to be a macroeconomics module, there is extensive use of microeconomics in getting the macroeconomic picture. They term this as 'microfoundations'. Basically, you have to analyze the behaviour of consumers and firms in order to derive the performance of the economy as a whole.

This module was taken by Aamir Hashmi. He is a very good lecturer face-to-face. By that, I mean if you look for him to ask questions, the amount of patience and clarity he has for you is wonderful but you might be slightly put off by the replies he gives if you're talking about emails. Anyway, there are times when students ask him questions and he'll be like "I don't actually know the answer to your question". I actually like his honesty as I've met some professors who smoke their way through students, thinking students would actually believe them. 

The textbook for this module is 'Advanced Macroeconomics (4th Edition)' by Romer. I strongly recommend getting the textbook for this module despite it costing a bomb. For frugal people like me, I believe you do know that there is some way or another to get the textbook without purchasing it. Perks of doing so are the larger font size and more importantly, the ample space for scribbling. But some people might think that his notes are good enough. In fact, I do think that for some chapters, his notes are even better than the textbook. As for tutorials, even though the questions are taken from the textbook, he will also upload them onto IVLE. By the way, given that this is a seminar-style class, tutorials are not given out systematically. Instead, only when Aamir thinks that he has finished what should be done will he upload the relevant tutorial questions. 

Topics 

Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans Model (Chapter 2 of the textbook)

Overlapping Generations Model (Chapter 2 of the textbook)

Endogenous Growth Model (Chapter 3 of the textbook)

Romer's Model (separate paper will be uploaded)

Real-Business-Cycle Theory (Chapter 5 of the textbook)

New Keynesian Models of Incomplete Nominal Adjustment (Chapter 6 of the textbook)

Dynamic Models of Incomplete Nominal Adjustment (Chapter 7 of the textbook)

Well, I guess the good news is that the finals is toned down a lot after 'live feedback' from students several semesters ago whereby there were some people who cried while walking out of the examination hall. I actually enjoyed the past papers Aamir set as it makes you feel that this is indeed worthy of a level-4000 module. 

Weightage
Tutorial attendance: 10%
Midterms: 30%
Project: 20%
Finals: 40%

The first component is free as long as you attend all the tutorials. Midterms was disappointingly easy; anyone can score well if they don't make careless mistakes (though it's pretty hard to) and have studied for the test. How the grading works is that everyone's marks will be standardized and you'll get a grade accordingly. Highest was full marks and average should be around 23/30. I got 27 together with nine or ten other people. He'll upload everyone's scores in a PDF file within a week after the midterms so that speaks quite a lot about his efficiency.

Without a doubt, the stupidest component of this module has to be the project. Basically, every group gets to draw a paper and the task is to come up with a 1000-word non-technical summary on the paper you've drawn. This is worth 15%. Then there is also a 10-minute presentation which makes up 5% of your grade. Not everyone presents at the same time though as it depends on which paper you get. The presentations are spread out over the last three weeks of school. The bell curve for this component is really steep but the unfair bit is that if you get an easy paper like I did, he will mark you more strictly. One thing to note is when he says non-technical, he really means it. Anyway, he turned this component into a summary because he released a freestyle topic when he first took this module whereby students just have to sieve out articles and apply the concepts learnt in this module. However, it was somehow too difficult and so Aamir decided to remove it and change it to something at the other end of the spectrum.

Finals was non-cumulative but was again too easy; straight from textbook, simple manipulation... You name it, you have it. While the median used to be a failing mark in the past few semesters that he took the module, I think the median for this semester should be pretty close to the full mark. Aamir claims that if you do sufficiently well and he feels that you deserve the grade, he'll give it to you. Nevertheless, I may have overstated the ease of the finals as I know of people who lost over 10 marks in the finals and still got away with a decent grade.

Result: A
I was expecting an A- since I screwed up the project component and even though I believe I should have gotten close to full marks for finals, I'm quite sure everyone else did too. I think it is important to attempt all the derivations again before the finals and ensure that there is no room for careless mistakes during the finals.

MA2311 Techniques in Advanced Calculus

Stats majors get to choose to take either this module or MA2108. I personally think that this module will be more useful for Stats majors as it is important to know multivariate calculus. And this module makes it simple enough such that it does not improve any proving as things like Green's Theorem wasn't introduced plus there is no vector calculus. So only computation of multiple integrals will be tested. Besides, the focus of MA2108 is unnecessarily abstract for Stats majors. But if you have talent for that and you're in need for a CAP puller, then take MA2108 by all means. Nonetheless, because MA2311 is the only opportunity for Stats majors to be formally exposed to multivariate calculus unlike for Maths majors, I still hold on to my stance. Anyway, there could be certain Stats electives that may require double or triple integrals (though I don't see them being offered anymore).

This module was taken by Ji Feng. He is excellent, period. Firstly, he is one heck of a good teacher; his lectures are wonderfully conducted as he will take time to write down the steps for his examples on the board. Secondly, he is really helpful; he can get back to you within 15 minutes of your email 99.9% of the time. Thirdly, I had him as my tutor as well and he is very clear in all his explanations. Fourthly, the syllabus for the entire semester was very well-organized in the sense that he could keep a steady pace throughout the semester and still managed to keep Week 13 free. Lastly, his lecture notes have sufficient examples and on top of that, there is often additional information provided during lectures. Lectures aren't webcast by the way.

Topics

Sequences

Series

Vectors

Functions of Several Variables

Multiple Integrals

In terms of quantity, this module is really slack but in terms of quality, maybe it's because I'm not inclined towards the subject but I actually spent a considerable amount of time on this module though I began to neglect it after Week 10. Nonetheless, because this module precludes those who took MA1505 or MA1104, it cuts down the competition by more than half already. However, I must say that the papers set for this module would be an eye-opener if one simply took the tutorials as a gauge to the level of difficulty of this module.

Anyway, there is no textbook for this module though I would recommend 'Thomas' Calculus' or 'Calculus' by James Stewart. I think either one of them should be the same as the textbook used for MA1102R. In terms of content, I think it's pretty redundant to refer to the textbook as the notes are good enough. But I think there are two things in the textbook which are pretty useful: first is the 3d spatial visualizations provided and second is the practice questions. One thing to note about the practice questions in the textbook is that the questions for the first two chapters are very elementary and I don't think they can prepare you well enough for the midterms or finals but for the last chapter, I feel that if there are times when you find yourself not understanding what the lecturer is saying, then doing the practice questions will help a lot.

Weightage

Tutorial attendance and participation: 10%

Midterms: 30%

Finals: 60%

The first component is again, free; just present once and attend all tutorials. The coverage of midterms only includes the first two chapters but because I suck at series and sequences, I screwed up the midterms. The best part was I didn't think I'll screw it up that badly. So the median was around 13/30 and I got only 17. Everyone was cursing the paper after the test in Week 8 but truthfully, it was very doable even though I believed the standard of the paper has increased since the last semester this module was offered as the median was around 20/30 back then. As different as the questions may look compared to those in the tutorials, the concepts required were essentially the same (of course). As typical of a mathematics paper, it just depends on whether you can use the appropriate concepts to solve the problems. Anyway, Ji Feng takes a pretty long time to mark; I think our midterm scripts were returned to us only in the tutorial of Week 10.

Finals was cumulative (obviously since there are only 5 chapters) and I thought the focus was on spherical coordinates as bulk of the marks came from that sub-topic. The thing about vectors and multiple integrals is that most people take the formulas for granted and simply neglect the importance of visualization. Being really bad at visualizing in three-dimensional space, I struggled through the last three chapters but I guess it did help make up for all my lost marks on the two finals questions on series and sequences. As long as you can visualize how vector lines or shapes intersect in 3d space, half the battle is already won.

Result: A-

I was expecting at most a B+. I can't say I got an A- because I could do the questions but it was more of the bell curve that saved me. But I think the most important thing is to understand all the concepts; blindly practising questions will not help at all.

ST1131 Introduction to Statistics

Can I just skip this module? The reason is because I never attended even a single lecture or tutorial and I can count with two hands the number of hours I spent on this module in the entire semester which explains my final grade. Ok, there are a few things I can say: given that the content is insanely easy, the bell curve will also be insanely steep especially with ISE majors around. 

Tutorial questions are taken straight from the textbook. By the way, I don't recommend getting the textbook as the notes are just rephrased from there and will be sufficient for revision. Tutorials require the use of Minitab, a software that I've never bothered to use. I mean why use Minitab when you have R right? In fact, I don't find tutorials useful and I gave up after the fourth one.

Weightage

Midterms: 30%

Finals: 70%

Midterms, a 20-MCQ paper, was really stupid with meaningless qualitative questions which were not flattering of Statistics at all. One thing for sure is that this module doesn't give a good indication of what Stats majors will be in for in the following semesters. It just picks a bit from ST2131, a bit from ST2132 and a bit from ST3131 and the bits come together to form one big module. It'll be completely understandable if halfway through, you find yourself questioning where this or that came about because the depth of this module is really... 

The thing about the finals this semester was that the questions seemed a bit open-ended instead of the usual physical science style whereby it has to be this and this only for the answer. There was even an unnecessary question testing on understanding of output from Minitab. 

Result: B+

This result was totally within my expectations as I know how I fared for the finals; feeling sleepy halfway through and doing at 1/10 of my usual pace just says it all. I think even the sloppiness of my review says it all.

ST2137 Computer-Aided Data Analysis

Basically, students will learn 3 softwares: R, SAS and SPSS (you may take the order as a rank of the 'intelligence' of the software beginning with the most intelligent to the least). Most people complain about why we even have to learn SPSS, a software that involves zero coding but clicking instead, when there's R and SAS around. Moreover, the fact that SPSS was totally neglected in the last few topics goes to show something about the software.

This module, for a change, was taken by Lim Chinghway this semester. As good as he is, I don't like the questions he set for the midterms and finals simply because they are not indicative of a supposed programming module. Instead, bulk of the marks came from familiarity with the syntax of the three software through T/F questions. I also skipped the lectures as the thing about programming is that it has to come from your own intuition and understanding. But maybe that is an overstatement given the level of difficulty of this module.

Topics

Introduction to SAS

Introduction to R

Introduction to SPSS

Describing Numerical Data

Robust Statistics for Location and Scale Parameter

Analyzing Categorical Data

One-Sample Tests and Two-Sample Tests

One-Way Analysis of Variance

Regression Analysis
Simulation: An Introduction
Simulation Studies in Statistics
Bootstrap Estimation
Numerical Methods in R

Weightage

Tutorial attendance: 10%

Midterms: 20%

Project: 20%

Finals: 50%

Bonus (IVLE forum participation): 5%

The first component is free. Midterms had 10 T/F questions which served no meaning at all. I mean when you are programming, is there a need to care about nitty gritty details with regards to the syntax? You'll just type the lines and when you realize there's an error, you'll change it and find out later that your code is able to run. I was actually at the 25th percentile with only a score of 35/50 and the median was 41-42 while the 75th percentile was 45. And this just shows how steep the bell curve for this module is. The reason why I screwed up so badly is because first, I lost quite some marks in the T/F questions which was worth 2 marks each and second, I misinterpreted one giveaway SPSS question at the back. Anyway, midterm scripts will be returned during the tutorial two weeks after the midterms but the scores will be uploaded onto IVLE beforehand.

Although the norm is to take this module when you're in Year 2 Semester 1 of your candidature, I strongly recommend to take it only after completing ST2132 and ST3131. It will not only give you an edge over others in terms of the speed at which you understand the content taught here but also, it will allow you to appreciate the content a lot better. Moreover, ST3131 is able to expose you to different methods of regression analysis that are not covered in this module which will allow you to attempt unconventional ways of doing your project like what I have done with my group. Basically, students are not limited in the scope of their project; they can do anything under the sky but you have to prove that you are able to make use of the concepts learnt in class. Students are also free to use any of the three software they wish. Bonus marks will be given if you can come up with something that has not been covered before in class. By the way, credit is given for creativity. The only thing to complain about this project is the limit of 8 pages with reasonable font size but of course, there are ways to get around that using some tricks.

Finals had like 20 T/F questions?! It was absurd yes, 40 marks on that. Well, other than that, finals actually focused quite a lot on theory as the lecturer decided that theory is important to be able to carry out computational analysis which I do agree to a certain extent. But the finals was so easy such that I felt it was impossible to pull up my midterm results. And time was no issue; many people left early.

Result: B+

I did very well for the project and finals which I guessed pulled me back up to a B+ as I was expecting a B- or below. So maybe the bell curve wasn't as bad as I thought. I think if anyone happens to take this module under Lim Chinghway again, know the codes like the back of your hand and I don't actually think that deep understanding of codes is required or at least it won't be tested in either the midterms or finals.

Update on AY2014-15 Semester 1 Module Review

I know the reason for why the number of views on this blog shot up in the past few days is because readers are waiting for my module review to be up. I am already working on it; right now, I'm halfway through but I do not want to sacrifice quality for speed as well. Rest assured it'll be up by this weekend so for now readers, please be patient!

Course Materials Update

For those who have requested for materials, please try the new link and let me know if it still doesn't work. I don't have the full stuff for everything but it should be enough to give you a gauge as to whether you should take the module or in the case that you have to take the module either way, you can get a sense of the difficulty level.

Just some quick comments though:

• The lecturers for EC4102 in Semesters 1 and 2 are different. So the styles might be quite different but I do think that the content covered is about the same. Also, the notes is missing Chapters 6 and 7 which are just Chapters 6 and 7 of the textbook, Advanced Macroeconomics 4th Edition by Romer.

• I heard ST3131 got a lot harder this semester so I am not going to upload the assignments as they aren't going to be of any help.

• What is covered under "Exchange Rates" in EC3341 isn't a good gauge as to what's going to be taught in EC3343. So what I uploaded in EC3341 is only going to serve as a guide to EC3342. 

Course Materials

I realized I forgot to mention one important thing: I will only upload files upon request as you can now see in the side panel. So if there's anyone who will like to see the lecture notes/tutorials/assignments etc. for a module that I've taken, do leave a comment and I'll upload them as soon as possible. Also, let me know if the link isn't working.

Semester 5 is over!

Yesterday marks the end of my fifth semester as I had my last finals and yes, 6 finals in a timespan of exactly one week. By far, this is the most gruelling semester for me as I had 6 core modules on top of work. Thankfully, not all the modules are too demanding. However, I am not very confident of doing well this time round (again) mainly because of the steep bell curve for several modules like EC3332, EC4102, ST1131 and ST2137; the finals for EC3332, EC4102 and ST2137 were disappointingly too easy and suprisingly, ST1131 finals was a bit more challenging than I thought. I feel a bit bad talking about this module though because I can literally count the number of hours I spend on it for the whole semester. Moreover, there are some modules which I did not do up to expectations for midterms and that may cause me my grade. Well, I shall leave the details to my module review after results are out. 

I'll be starting my internship tomorrow which leaves me only a day in between as my break. But I think it's good to be occupied rather than having too little on hand. Now I think it feels weird to have finished finals in the first week of exams as my finals have been stretching to two weeks since Year 1 Semester 2. Nevertheless, I'm quite drained this semester so it's good to have finished all the finals within a week. Somehow though, it feels like this semester has passed too quickly such that it seems that I haven't settled down very well to study my modules very thoroughly and everything's over.

And MPE is coming up and I guess I should have decided on my modules for Sem 2. Finally, I can take just 4 core modules from now on (if you don't count the last semester) which is good because I am beginning to understand how time-consuming level-4000 EC modules can get. By the way, the Economics department has requested for students to complete a MPE exercise for the next academic year. It seems like they are asking for EC4101 and EC4102 to be taken away as core requirements for honours and also to open more electives for students. I've seen the new electives and they are pretty interesting like the Economic and Financial Forecasting, Income Distribution Analysis and Mathematical Economic Analysis.

Anyway, here are my choices:

EC4332 Money and Banking II

Apparently, this module is many times harder if you take it under Bodenstein instead of Jungjae. He even recommends that students take EC3314 and EC4102 before taking this module. So I guess a fair amount of maths will be involved. I saw things like multivariate, eigenvectors and eigenvalues in the syllabus so it should be one of the more challenging electives. 

EC4880 Topics in Economics: Special Topics in Economic Growth and Macroeconomics

This took me quite some time to decide on it. I was contemplating a few modules mainly EC4333, EC4394 and this. And I decided that maybe it's time I prioritize my interests and grades a bit instead of usefulness. Despite this module being quite theoretical, I think it will suit me better than the rest. I really wanted to take EC4341 in place of this in view of the wider range of electives that's going to be offered in 15/16 and that EC4341 is a must-take for me but then Gentile is really not going to give me as good a learning experience than Davin Chor can. So I will leave this module to Year 4 Semester 1.

ST3239 Survey Methodology

This is one of the more fundamental modules that I think if you are looking into research fields in the future, you should take it. It teaches different types of sampling methods; how to construct surveys taking into cost considerations etc. Conducting surveys is probably one of the more layman-understood areas whereby it's "just like that" so I'm hoping this module will provide me with some new insights. One drawback is that I heard the bell curve is extremely steep and that it is highly popular so it isn't that ideal if you're suffering from the problem of lack of bid points.

ST3244 Demographic Methods

I was deciding between this module and ST3243 but I think ST3243 may be a bit over-specialized. So I'd rather take more general modules to gain the necessary skills to increase marketability. I guess the module title makes it quite obvious that students are going to learn about demographics such as population rates, fertility rates etc. I am looking forward to the part on making projections though.

SSA1201 Singapore Society

This is definitely one of the most irritating component that all undergraduates must clear. I chose this because (1) it fits my timetable (duh) and (2) it doesn't seem like it requires much studying to be able to crap during exams to get away with any grade that's B- and above so that I can s/u it with zero problems. And I am not looking forward to the 25% class participation component at all because I've seen how this department works and most of the time, the arguments are full of fluff.

And so that's all for the updates. It doesn't seem very easy to be able to secure two level-4000 modules when you are not in the SOC4 batch yet. EC4102 was easy to get because no one wanted to take it under Aamir Hashmi due to the rumoured difficulty compared to Semester 2. I hope the same goes for EC4332 since I'm not too sure how EC4880 will turn out exactly. Past experiences tells me 4880 isn't easy to get so it's like you should be prepared to waste over 1k bid points on it. But that's not the main issue for me. The thing is non-honours students are not allowed to bid in Round 1 and I probably have to wait until Round 2A or 2B to bid for it and by then, all the slots may have been filled up and it'll no longer be offered for bidding. So that means I have to go through all that hassle to appeal for it and it doesn't help that I have no other possible choices besides this. Hopefully, MPE will work its magic.

Updated Module Reviews

Now that midterms are over (or at least it was just over for me), some people may be very anxious over their results. But lecturers aren't returning them and you've got no idea how they'll be returning them as well. So I updated all my module reviews to add in this piece of information. I hope it helps a bit.

Anyway, for interested readers, I only know my midterm results for EC4102 and ST1131 as of now. For this semester, I shan't post the scores up at this point in time so look out for my module review during the end of this year.

Start of a New Semester

I will not be posting anything new onto this blog for quite some time. The reason is I'm busy juggling between work and studies.

Well, a short update for my readers though: I like the content covered in EC4102 and MA2311. And although EC3304 and ST2137 aren't as interesting, they're pretty useful. As for EC3332, I took it only because there were not many level-3000 electives left. I mean if the department actually sticked with those interesting level-4000 electives like Mathematical Economic Analysis and Income Distribution Analysis, I would take either one of them this semester. Moreover, it doesn't seem very fuss-free to appeal for EC4332 without taking EC3332. But truthfully, EC3332 was a bit more insightful than I thought. Lastly, ST1131 is just content from ST2132 as well as ST3131 presented in a simpler fashion. I think I spend at most an hour on it every week because I have other priorities on hand. Besides, having already completed the higher level modules gives me quite an advantage. The tutorials are very disappointing though so I gave up attempting them after Tutorial 3 or 4.

And that's all for now. I'll post again later this semester if I've free time.

AY2014-2015 Semester 1 Modules (Updated)

After careful consideration, I have changed my module selection slightly and will be taking the following modules next semester instead:

EC3304 Econometrics II

EC3332 Money and Banking I

EC4102 Macroeconomic Analysis III

MA2311 Techniques in Advanced Calculus

ST1131 Introduction to Statistics

ST2137 Computer Aided Data Analysis

And yes, so I decided to overload this semester instead of the next. But indeed, I find myself quite foolish not to have included EC3332 when I did the MPE (though the points in my P-acct should be more than enough for the remaining 4 modules that I need to bid). And this is the first semester that I actually hesitated so much about which modules to take. Usually, I just MPE what I need and I don't remember any one time that I didn't get any of the modules that I MPE-ed. So this is probably an exception though I foresee more of such coming since it seems that most level-4000 electives aren't very easy to get.

Anyway, there are a few reasons why I chose to take these modules:

(1) Well, apparently ST1131 should be taken in the first semester under Prof Gan Fah Fatt. And in terms of the bell curve, a cohort size made up from two lecture slots as compared to one in Semester 2 is going to make a bit of a difference I guess. Nevertheless, I wish to clear my core modules asap and thus I'm taking EC3304, MA2311, ST1131 and ST2137 all at one go.

(2) Then why didn't I stick to EC4341 and overload? I think given my results and standard, it's a little too adventurous for me to overload to 26 MCs. But more importantly, EC4341 is pretty heavy in terms of both content and workload. Initially, I was pretty bent on taking EC4341 this semester despite it being the module causing all my timetable problems due to some reasons which I'm not too keen on explaining. So EC4102 was the module I would rather give up to overload. However, after careful consideration, I personally think that EC4341 will be more demanding than EC4102 and the fact that I didn't get allocated EC4341 just reaffirmed this decision. 

(3) I wish to take EC4332 Money and Banking II under Prof Martin Bodenstein in Semester 2 so it's a good idea to clear EC3332 this semester.

(4) I've planned my timetable such that I'll be taking only 4 core modules in Semesters 6 and 7 with the fifth module either as SS/GEM (yes, I haven't cleared these modules). So it shouldn't be as bad with 2/3 level-4000 EC modules plus 2/3 ST electives.

Although I'm not confident I'll definitely do fairly well with the above selection, I think this is probably the most optimized arrangement to spread out my workload for the remaining four semesters even though there'll be two exams each day in a span of three days which means I'll finish 4 exams in three days with only one Sunday in between as a break (I experienced worse before: 4 exams in two consecutive days) but well, preparation for finals should really be ready by then.

Guide to Level-3000 EC Electives Part 2

Since I have quite some time on hand now and also being encouraged by the number of views on this blog, I shall continue from my previous post. In this post, maybe let me select the few modules that I have taken and briefly discuss why I recommend them.

1. EC3312 Game Theory and its Applications to Economics

I know that in my module review I had said that this module is pretty much over-theoretical. However, EC3312 is a prerequisite for EC4324 Economics of Competition Policy and I think EC4324 is a good module for anyone who's interested in the study of firms. Apparently, it teaches students how to model firm behaviour which is something that is really quite useful. But whether it really does I'm not too sure.

2. EC3314 Mathematical Economics

To me, this is one must-take elective for any Economics undergraduate who wishes to further his or her studies in Economics. However, if you're a double major or a double degree person doing your first or second major in a quantitative field, chances are you'll be pretty much exposed to what EC3314 deals with. Personally, I have not had any experience with real analysis or dynamic optimization so this module was quite an eye-opener in the sense that I get to know better what's involved in the higher-level modules (I mean 5000 or 6000). Since it's the case that anyone who has gotten a Bachelor's in a quantitative field be it Maths/Engin/Stats can simply cross over to do a Master's in Econs, it's probably good for an Econs single major to boost him/herself in terms of such technical knowledge. If you refer to my module review for EC3314, you'll find the title of the textbook used and I think the textbook is a fairly good one for anyone who's interested in how Maths is used in Econs. After all, it's undeniable how important a role Maths and Stats both play in Econs. 

3. EC3333 Financial Economics I

Like I said, EC4333 is an essential module for those interested in finance and EC3333 does build a bit of foundation and serve as an introductory module for EC4333. I mean stuff like Brownian Motion and Black-Scholes Theory should be fairly intuitive to anyone specializing in the field of finance. 

4. EC3342 International Trade and EC3343 International Finance

I shall do both modules together since I took EC3341 International Economics I. Anyway, no doubt that this is a very pertinent topic all around the world. EC3342 mainly introduces you to the theories of trade that may be able to explain certain phenomenons around the world. When I did EC3341, Dr Lu Yi assigned students a project which was to do a summary on two papers and there are certain points which you could pick out that theories learnt in International Trade could really be used to explain why it was like that. EC3343 continues on from EC3342 by touching on exchange rates and so on. Nevertheless, I personally find EC3343 the more interesting one. It's taken by Prof Jungjae this semester and I actually tried to appeal to waive off the preclusion of EC3341 (but to no avail) as there were many things covered in EC3343 that are not even brought up in EC3341. One of the very interesting things to me is the big topic "Puzzles in International Finance". It touches on things like why certain theories like PPP could not explain what's happening in the world right now. I think this is something you'll find that EC modules rarely teach.

Guide to Level-3000 EC Electives Part 1

Having come to the end of Year 2 and now that I've already completed most of my Level-3000 EC electives, I'm gonna recommend some what I think are the electives worth taking. I'll not disclose the details as to why I think so (you can leave a comment if you want to ask more). Note that if I state certain modules that I had previously declared disinterest in then it must be the case that the succeeding module (i.e. Level-4000 module that requires the Level-3000 module as the prerequisite) might be useful.*

How this works is I'm gonna give a rating (out of 10) for every module that I recommend. Do note that the rating is relative under the list only. It does not mean that certain modules I'm going to rate as low are bad in absolute terms.

1. EC3312 Game Theory and its Applications to Economics (5/10)

2. EC3314 Mathematical Economics (8.5/10)

3. EC3333 Financial Economics I (7/10)

4. EC3342 International Trade (7.5/10)

5. EC3343 International Finance (8/10)

6. EC3361 Labour Economics I (5.5/10)

7. EC3394 Economics and Psychology (6.5/10)

*I have to say this: I think EC4333 Financial Economics II is pretty essential for anyone who's interested or intending to specialize in the field of finance so that is why I gave a relatively high rating to EC3333. 

Well, the readers of the blog can just take this as a reference. It isn't necessarily true for everyone but personally, these modules are the better ones out there. I'll add on Level-4000 electives to this post by the end of my third year. But I hope this can provide a guide to the younger peers who might be at a loss as to which modules they should take.

AY2014-2015 Semester 1 Modules

As usual, I am posting the list of modules that I'll be taking this semester.

EC3304 Econometrics II

EC4102 Macroeconomic Analysis III

EC4341 International Economics II

MA2311 Techniques in Advanced Calculus

ST2137 Computer Aided Data Analysis

I don't think there's much to talk about for my Stats modules since they are core modules which I am taking only now in Semester 5. And there's actually still one more, ST1131 Introduction to Statistics. Ironic? Yes, because I took MA1100 in my very first semester and cross-faculty double majors actually do not have to take UEMs or breadth modules. In other words, MA1100 is an extra module that does not fulfill any university graduation requirements. 

But anyway, I have a choice between MA2108 Mathematical Analysis I and MA2311. Those who have taken MA1505 or MA1104 are precluded from MA2311 but I think MA2311 should be a simpler version of multivariate calculus. I myself am not too sure what the scope of this module will be. I chose MA2311 over MA2108 cos' (1) I suck at convergence series, sequences etc., let alone writing proofs on them and (2) I think multivariate calculus is something very important to Economics majors or even to anyone else so it's good to build a strong foundation and to be able to understand from its fundamentals, vector calculus, and not just know how to perform a double or triple integral. 

As for EC3304, I think it's good to clear it asap. From what I hear, it is not as hard to get as EC3303 for MPE. But I am also not too sure how popular it is exactly. EC4102, on the other hand, is probably a lot more challenging in the first semester. However, the bell curve is really steep in the second semester as the questions simply involve memorising of derivations and I heard the papers are relatively easy (do remember, only honours students are left now). So there are pros and cons in both semesters. Although I can't say for sure that I'll be able to do better in this semester or should I say I am not confident of even securing a good grade, the style of this semester's paper better suits me. So for those who are going to take EC4102 anytime soon, I think it's good to take a look at the papers for both semesters as they really differ drastically. 

I have to clear EC4341 this semester as well as I think taking EC4341 with those who are going to take EC3342 International Trade and EC3343 International Finance (these are new modules for this semester) isn't gonna put me on a level playing field. And at the same time, I do not wish to take EC4341 in Semester 2 as Prof Gentile tends to place more focus on qualitative than quantitative aspects. All this while, I've been very keen on learning how Econometrics can be incorporated into Economics and I believe taking under Prof Davin Chor in Semester 1 will be able to expose me to that sort of knowledge. Of course, there are some of you out there who would prefer a more qualitative course in which I would recommend you then to take under Prof Gentile.

To end off, this semester is pretty crucial for me; it can make-or-break my CAP.

Oh and on a lighter note, for those who wish to take honours modules, MPE gives priority to honours students (and currently, I am still on the ARS3 track).

AY2013-2014 Semester 2 Module Review

Well okay, besides having been occupied for the past month, I did very badly this semester so I needed quite a bit of time to get back up to write this post. Nevertheless, I shall try my best to remain objective so as to benefit the readers of this blog.

CS1010E Programming Methodology

This module was taken by Prof Joxan Jaffar. Apparently, he taught fairly well at the start of the semester, only to deteriorate drastically towards the end. The language taught is C. 

Weightage

Sit-in labs: 50%

Midterms: 10%

Finals: 40% 

This module was basically open-book for every single graded component though I should think that wouldn't help much for a computing module. The main topics covered were control flow, arrays, pointers and structures just like for any other introductory computing module. Sit-in labs were held every odd week (starting from Week 5 onwards) and take-home labs were assigned every other week. If you can do the take-home labs, you might probably consider skipping the lab sessions during the even weeks.

The format of the midterms was as follows: it was a multiple-choice paper comprising of 20 questions; each question has a string of code and you're supposed to interpret it and then choose the option that has the correct output. I actually found it pretty meaningless a paper by the way. But the questions were tricky; sometimes it might just take one semi-colon to make a difference in the solution so exercise extra caution and do not overlook any details. I only got 13/20 which is pretty much below the median I guess. But that is just because I totally neglected one or two topics and there were actually close to 6 questions on those topics so I should think it wouldn't be hard to get above 15. You'll know your midterm results very soon since they'll upload the solutions on the same day itself.

Sit-in labs got progressively harder; there were basically 5 sit-in lab sessions where each subsequent lab was worth 1 more percent than the previous one starting with 8% and ending with 12%. I got A for the first two (but really, anyone can get A for the first one) and B for the remaining ones. That essentially put me in the 50th percentile already. 

Finals was just, bad; pointers, structures everywhere. There were two sections in the finals. Section A was like the midterms just that it was no longer MCQ so that you had to write the output in the blank space provided. There were 15 questions on that. Section B was then testing students on their ability to write codes so as to solve the problems presented in the questions. Personally, I thought some of the questions were quite different from those in the sit-in labs but if you're good at computing, it shouldn't make much of a difference. I basically screwed up both sections and I gave up halfway to the extent that I scribbled some nonsense in Section A. That was how badly I wanted to end this and it doesn't really help that it was my first paper. 

Result: B-

Yes, first B- though it was kinda expected. My advice is to try and get As for all the labs or at least, 4 out of 5. That can secure you at least a B+, I hope. I actually didn't do much practice for this module except  for the take-home labs. In fact, I was quite passive in the sense that I believed practice would only take you so far for a computing module. I am just glad to get over this module which was pretty much useless as C is just obsolete already. If given a choice, I would have loved to take IT1006 but no, CS1010E is a core module for Stats majors.

EC3312 Game Theory and Applications to Economics

This module was taught by Prof Sun Yeneng who was seemingly from the Maths department in FOS. His lectures were so-so as most of the things in the notes were taken from the textbook. I gave up attending them after the first one. Textbook is essential: A Primer in Game Theory by Gibbons.

So there were 4 themes altogether: (1) Static Games of Complete Information, (2) Dynamic Games of Complete Information, (3) Static Games of Incomplete Information and (4) Dynamic Games of Incomplete Information.

Weightage

Tutorial attendance and participation: 5%

Assignments: 10%

Midterms: 35%

Finals: 50%

Basically, attend all tutorials and present once to secure the 5% component, There were 2 assignments, each worth 5%. Assignments were very easy so most people should have no problem securing full marks for them.

The bell curve for midterms was steep; the median was 27/35 and it doesn't help that there are a few PhD students taking this module. So I got only 29 but really, the midterms was actually very easy. The reason why I didn't get above 29 was because there was this particular concept that I didn't clear up before taking the midterms as I started studying only one or two days before the test itself. But the concept itself isn't hard so actually, it shouldn't be a feat to get above 30. Midterms are returned during the next tutorial.

I screwed up the finals especially those questions on Bayesian Nash Equilibrium. Although I could have presented my answers in a more detailed fashion, I don't think it would have helped much as I was pretty weak in that concept itself. The thing about game theory is to really appreciate the big idea. When I was studying for this module, there were many times I had to question myself why this or that has to be done. I just couldn't see the importance in certain things. I mean in reality, most firms aren't going to say, "Ok, so let's formulate our strategies and then work out the Nash equilibrium." It just defeats the purpose of game theory. I took this module actually to train my logic and learn to understand from the perspective of a firm. Unfortunately, I thought there was way too much focus on theoretical concepts so that I didn't actually reap much from this module.

Result: B+

B+ was not shocking given that there were probably only a little over 50 people taking this module and that this module didn't really come as intuitive to me. My advice is that divert more attention to the topics covered after midterms as those will be the main focus of the finals. Well honestly (and I'm not saying this cos' I didn't do well), this module is close to useless unless you want to go on to higher-level modules or do your thesis on something related to game theory. I mean the emphasis on the theories of Nash Equilibrium was just way too much such that I don't see the realism in this module.

EC3333 Financial Economics I

This module was taught by Prof Lu Jingfeng whose English may be a bit hard to comprehend (I seldom comment on such things but if I have to say it, that just means something). But then again, if you don't go for lectures... 

And so this was one module I really disliked and for the first time, I actually regretted taking a module. I thought nothing could get worse than micro in terms of the level of interest but this was just many times worse than micro. Aside from the fact that everything was being thrown at you without any avenues to enhance your understanding (I tried to look for a book that derives all the theories and formulas but to no avail, neither was asking the Prof a solution as well), this module was way too technical for my liking. So it's just formulas and graphs and formulas again.

Topics covered are Optimal Risky Portfolios, CAPM, APT, Bonds and Options. I personally think the textbook was bad (no derivations) but still necessary for this module since the notes are mainly slides created out of the content in the textbook: Investments and Portfolio Management by Bodie, Kane and Marcus, 9th Edition. Note: Investments by Bodie, Kane and Marcus, 9th Edition is almost identical and can be used as a substitute.

Weightage
Tutorial Attendance and Participation: 15%
Assignments: 15%
Midterms: 30%
Finals: 40%

The first component is supposedly easy to get, just attend all tutorials and participate three or four times in class. Similarly, the second component is supposedly easy to get as well but unfortunately, I did not get full marks for the last two assignments. Basically, how it works is that each student gets allocated 3 assignments at random so some may get the ones in the earlier weeks and some may get a mixture of those in the earlier and later weeks. Well, the impression it gives is that it might be somewhat unfair since those who got allocated the tutorials covered in the earlier weeks (especially before the midterms) have it easier. But really, I think the assignments are all easy and given enough understanding, one should be able to score full marks for all of them.

The midterms was disastrous for me. I got a mere 21/30 when the average was probably around 25.5 to 26. Reason: This exact same question from the practice midterms came out and I screwed it up. Yes I did not practise the midterms but aside from that, I think even if I did not, I should have been more careful and have a deeper understanding of the concepts involved. Then there was another question in which I got the correct answer at first but having been too paranoid, I decided to act smart and write something else so I got that wrong too. In fact, there was only one 'differentiator' question which oh, I happened to answer it wrongly as well. That, I can only blame myself for not understanding the earlier chapters thoroughly. In fact, I think the midterms is really doable and it wouldn't have been hard to get at least 26 or something along that line. Anyway, midterm scores will be uploaded onto IVLE once grading has been done.

Finals. Finals was apparently easy since I got a B and I thought I did pretty well. So it's either I underestimated the cohort (doesn't help that there are a few DDP students taking this module) or I overestimated myself. I think it's a mixture of both. Proofs can be easily found in the textbook and yes, contrary to what I thought, many people actually read them. Other than that, it's all just simple calculations and manipulation for one question.

Result: B

ST2132 Mathematical Statistics

Well, the first thing I must say is that as intimidating as Prof Lim Chinghway looks, he's one heck of a good lecturer. He's patient, willing to help, explains concepts really clearly and would even repeat if the class did not catch it. Possibly almost everything you would want to see in your lecturer.

The fact is that this module is very easy compared to ST2131. Like I said, Prof Lim toned it down a lot so that it transformed from a killer module to a CAP-puller for most people I guess.

The big topics covered included Simple Random Sampling, Parameter Estimation (MOM and MLE), Fisher Information, Efficiency, Sufficiency, Hypothesis Testing, Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test and the Comparison of Two Samples. Textbook isn't necessary at all since the notes are sufficient and tutorial questions are from there as well but you could still get it if you want: Mathematical Statistics and Data Analysis by John Rice, 3rd Edition.

Weightage
Tutorial Attendance: 5%
Tutorial Participation: 5%
Assignments: 20%
Midterms: 20% (graded on completeness and also, correctness from Week 2 or 3 onwards cos' they found a grader)
Finals: 50%
Bonus: 5% (for participation either in class or on IVLE Forum)

The first 3 components are free marks so there's no need to talk about them (because you are actually allowed to make changes to your tutorial answers when your tutorial mates are presenting their answers).

I screwed up midterms as usual, got only 24/40. Average was 22 or something. The questions were easy but one of them was pretty unprecedented. But on overall, I must say the Semester 2 paper was harder than Semester 1 paper (and much less people take ST2132 in Semester 2). Even so, it was still doable. Highest was 38/40 by the way. So the S.D. is pretty high. The midterm score was uploaded onto gradebook before the scripts were returned to students during tutorial.

Finals was easy as well. Know your concepts well and trust me on this, copy down all the probability mass or density functions onto your cheatsheet. You'll need it during the exam. With that, you can easily get a decent grade provided you know what you are doing.

Result: A-
Probably got saved by the finals.

ST3131 Regression Analysis

Personally, this is one of the hardest Stats modules I have taken. The level of understanding involved in this module on top of the derivations is not trivial. Oh plus the bell curve is very steep with lots of Maths majors screwing it up. From what I heard, this module used to be on the same level as ST1131. However, since Prof Anthony Kuk took over, it became quite difficult a module.

Coupled with procrastination, I was always lagging behind lectures (I don't go for lectures partly cos it's 8am and partly cos going for lectures isn't gonna make much of a difference). I never attended tutorials as well since the tutor is atrocious as everyone has made him out to be.

Topics covered ranged from 1-factor ANOVA, 2-factor ANOVA to simple, multiple, subset regression, residuals, outliers and the combination of ANOVA with regression. There was no compulsory textbook for this module. All were just references but the main one was Introduction to Regression Analysis by Montgomery, Peck and Vining, 5th Edition.

Weightage
Assignments: 20% (2 assignments worth 10% each)
Midterms: 20%
Finals: 60%

Most people got full marks for assignments which mainly made use of R (I did not though). R isn't tested in finals by the way. Midterms was just plugging in formula. Well, the thing about midterms was that you didn't have to understand what you are doing, you just have to know what to use. Average was around 30/40. The midterm score was uploaded onto gradebook before the scripts were returned to students during lecture.

Finals was the hard one for me or probably for many people. So nothing in the notes appeared and they were all out-of-context questions. This just boils down to how well you understand the concepts and yes, because I didn't, I screwed the finals up badly. But the finals was really typical of an open-book exam where you had to think on the spot and manipulate some stuff. Time wasn't a constraint though.

Result: B
No doubt finals is the determining factor since I got full marks for midterms but at the same time, no doubt that this module is important. My advice is be consistent, clarify doubts immediately, don't ever snowball anything.

End of Year 2 Semester 2

So Wednesday marked the end of my second year. I've been pretty much slacking for this semester. I wasn't working that hard but at the same time, it's not as bad as Year 1 Semester 2. But somehow or other, I feel that this semester has passed really very quickly. It seems like I have not settled down yet and it's already the examination week. 

And I guess the readers of this blog will be quite interested in how I'm doing so far for my modules this semester so I shall just give a brief summary of how I've fared. Basically, I'm more or less prepared for my first B- or C+ for CS1010E; I just totally screwed up the finals and it doesn't help that I'm only slightly above average for my lab component which is 50%. So there is a high chance that I will be using my second S/U this semester and that I wouldn't be able to continue with my second major. I admit that I have not much talent for computing and it happens that finals focused on my weakest topics: pointers and structures (I think it should be the same for most beginners). I think it doesn't take practice but experience and more importantly, wits to do well for this module. As for the midterms for the other modules, I scored just a few marks above average for EC3312 and ST2132 whereas for EC3333, I was a few marks below the average. The reason was because my concepts for the earlier topics for EC3333 weren't exactly strong and that was the reason why it cost me most of my marks for the midterms on top of a giveaway question that was identical to one in the previous midterm exam that was uploaded by the Prof but having procrastinated, I did not do it so I deserve to get below average. Plus the bell curve for EC3333 is very steep and I really do mean very steep. So I can only depend on finals now to pull me up hopefully to an B+ as the finals focused quite a bit on derivation-based proofs and understanding of theorems. But at the same time, I am not hoping for too much, probably expecting a B or maybe a B- now that I think of it. Yeah, that's me; the more I think about something, the more I would lower my expectations for it. As the saying goes, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. I think that's very true for me as I would brace myself for the very worst before getting my results every semester.

ST3131, on the other hand, was one module I did well for the midterms (yes, I should think full marks is considered pretty okay) but then again, the midterms was really easy; it was simply plugging in the right formulas. Yes, it's that straightforward. I feel that ST3131 is a module that is hard to understand but easy to apply once you get it. But how wrong was I as the Prof decided not to be so kind for the finals and set some questions that are not in the scope of the coverage of the lectures which was expected since it's an open book exam. 

To sum up, I am not confident of even securing a 4.0 this semester. Yes, I am not someone who's confident about himself or herself so I am expecting to obtain quite a bad SAP this time round. To drift off a bit from academics, I am now trying to secure the position of a RA with a Prof after being rejected for two internships and having received no replies from other organizations. I just hope I'll at least have something to occupy me for this summer (maybe to act as a fallback for my predicted lousy results). 

Start of Recess Week

This semester will be the first time that I'm gonna have midterms for all my modules. And to make things sound slightly worse, it happens that I am reading five core modules this semester. Fortunately or rather, unfortunately, there'll be only three midterms in Week 7 and the remaining two will be in Week 8 or 9. That just means more topics will be tested at the expense of a less packed schedule. 

But in the last few weeks or so, I wasn't too occupied with studies (in fact, I have been pretty slack the whole time). And finally one company replied out of probably a little over ten companies that I have applied to. I was asked to do a written assignment whereby it was basically answering a few questions if you had taken it literally. After submission though, I didn't find it very perfect and thought I could have done better despite having already spent one entire day on it. So the reply was that I had to wait about two weeks or so to know whether I will be called up for an interview. Yet surprisingly, the company has called me up for an interview yesterday. Although I should say it isn't my most desired internship, I don't really expect much given that I'm only in Year 2 on top of my major.

So back to studies. EC3312 and EC3333 are becoming pretty time-consuming to study. But for now, EC3312 is still dealing with fairly simple concepts, touching on the main themes of Static Games of Complete Information and Dynamic Games of Complete Information. I have been self-studying the textbook and I must say the textbook is pretty well-written in the sense that it is detailed yet at the same time, concise. As I had mentioned in my previous post, EC3333 is still a tad irritating to study as there is not too much focus on derivations and proofs. Somehow I get the feeling that many deem this module as a "formula-based" course though I believe that isn't the main idea at all.

ST2132 is still very straightforward for now in terms of the concepts covered. I'm not too sure how the midterm test questions will be like but I overheard two guys giving a rough gauge of the format on the shuttle bus yesterday. And if it's gonna be like what they described, then I doubt it'll be really helpful to keep practising. But speaking of that, practice isn't going to be more helpful if you overdo it; you can only go this far with practice.

On the other hand, I have received much criticisms about ST3131 with regards to both the Prof and the notes. Yes, indeed the notes are lacking in examples but then I always believe that if one really understands the concepts, examples wouldn't be necessary. And I actually think the amount of effort Prof Anthony Kuk puts in in writing his notes is very commendable. In fact, the only problem I found with the notes is that it assumes too much background knowledge which might be of a slight disadvantage to those majoring in Maths. As for me, it helped a lot that I'm reading ST2132 with ST3131 as there is quite some overlap in the concepts covered. Or to put it more accurately, ST2132 builds the foundation for ST3131. Then again, I don't find attending lectures very useful. Eventually, chances are you would have to go back home and spend time yourself to understand the material thoroughly again. I was pretty much forced to go for lecture yesterday as Assignment 1 was due in class. Weirdly enough, the lecture hall was a lot emptier as compared to the last time I went for the lecture which was probably in Week 4 or something like that when I decided that I should give the Prof another chance. And another thing is I have gathered that the TA for this module is close to atrocious in terms of both his teaching and attitude. So that's another thing to skip though I haven't attended a single tutorial for this module since attendance is not counted.

Just last week or so, I did my first sit-in lab for CS1010E and shockingly, the setting of the so-called quiz or exam was so informal that communication is allowed, both verbally and 'electronically' though neither would help much. Also, again because attendance isn't counted and plus tutorials are apparently useless, I have skipped all of the tutorials for this module as well. I mean it's stuff that I can practise at home to an even more effective extent. So for the midterm, there'll be 10 MCQ and it's scheduled to be on the first Saturday of Week 7. Yes, quite stupid to go all the way back to school just to do 10 MCQ which can be completed in less than half an hour.

And so that's about it for the updates.

Into Week 2 of Sem 2

I'm quite glad I got almost all my desired tutorial slots as I actually thought I wouldn't be able to get most of them. Unfortunately though, I've been allocated a CS1010E tutorial which happens to be at ungodly hours. Hopefully I can get the 1-2pm slot tomorrow during Add/Drop/Swap.

So far, EC3312 and EC3333 are still fairly easy. However, I sort of dislike EC3333's style of teaching in the sense that the lecture notes takes snippets of contents from all over the textbook so I tend to miss the big picture in mind when I study for it. I mean I can't blame Prof Lu cos' the textbook we use is apparently for MBA students so if we were to study entire chapters, it might be a little advanced. But this also means that if the lecture notes are not uploaded early, I wouldn't be able to self-study to get ahead for this module. It seems for now that there is close to zero derivation in this module. Mostly are understanding and applying the formulas though I must say in order to appreciate whatever that's going to be taught in this module, it will be beneficial to have a solid foundation of mathematics and statistics. Otherwise, if you're really left with no choice, you can attempt to memorize those formulas by hard (but that just defeats the whole purpose of learning). On the other hand, EC3312 seems pretty interesting. Prof Sun's lectures are a tad lively and yes, that's probably the first time I ever said that a lecture is lively. But as I'm not very good with formal mathematical representations, I tend to take some time understanding the proofs.

ST2132 is also pretty doable for now. However, I'm lagging behind for ST3131. Now that's the problem with skipping lectures; you have to be disciplined and always be ahead of others. And it doesn't help that I need the earlier chapters of ST2132 to start on ST3131 because fortunately or unfortunately, it seems that ever since Prof Kuk has taken over, ST3131 has lost its reputation of being the easiest level-3000 module. As far as I know, many people were either not listening or trying their best to understand the material covered in the notes during lecture last Friday. I guess most people are still in the festive mood like me. But I constantly remind myself not to repeat the same mistake of excessive procrastination like what happened for MA1506 and ST2131.

Sadly, I haven't started on CS1010E. Well, the thing is probably only 1% of the industries in Singapore uses C so I got pretty much no idea as to why we are still learning this obsolete language. Even C++ or C# would have a relatively higher degree of relevance.

And yeah, I guess that's all for now. For the whole of last week, I've been busy trying to adapt myself back to school and of course, in all honesty, to recover (as I was sick and did not manage to make it to school until last Wednesday). So that means I've quite a lot of catching up to do and will be very busy this week, hopefully.

AY2013-2014 Semester 2 Modules

In the coming semester, I'll be taking the following modules:

CS1010E Programming Methodology

EC3312 Game Theory and Applications to Economics

EC3333 Financial Economics I

ST2132 Mathematical Statistics

ST3131 Regression Analysis

I had wanted to take EC4341 International Economics II this semester while the content for EC3341 is still fresh in my head. However, I think FASS is quite rigid in terms of the fulfillment of prerequisites; level-4000 modules require the completion of 80 MCs. But as I did not overload in any semester, I have completed only 60 MCs.

Apparently, ST2132 used to be a killer module for Stats majors but ever since Dr Lim Chinghway had taken over this module, the content and exams have become much easier.

Also, ST3131 will be the last module I am using to preclude myself from an EC module. As compared to EC3303, ST3131 is much harder (obviously) but more importantly, it is going to be a lot more useful. EC3303 focuses very little on the understanding of the formulas involved and students are required only to apply the formulas. Of course, there will be some derivation involved but it really isn't as difficult as many made it out to be. Moreover, taking ST3131 will allow me to have an advantage over others (except those from FOS) for EC3304. However, there is one drawback from taking ST3131 instead of EC3303. The software used for EC3303 is STATA while that used for ST3131 is R so I'll have to learn STATA by myself.

On a lighter note, I have finally cleared all my exposure modules which means I can start taking only my core modules from now on. This is great news for me as there is nothing else in FASS that interests me apart from econs.

I have checked my preallocated modules; both EC modules have been allocated to me which means I do not have to bid in Round 1 for this semester. However, the enrollment for these two modules does not seem to be very high which means competition will be more stiff (though I don't think the enrollment and competition can beat that of EC3314).

I am looking forward to doing my modules for this semester especially EC3312, CS1010E and ST3131.