MS800M Beauty, Form and Function: An Exploration of Symmetry

Lessons:
Weekly lectures

Assessment:
Graded MCQs 35%
Field Exercises 27%
Writing Exercise 22%
Learning Logs 16%

Description:

A MOOC online module which teaches you about symmetrical elements, qualitatively and quantitatively. To me, it is quite hard and does not interest me alot, maybe because I'm just not cut out for engineering and math stuff.

The lectures can be watched at your own pace. Some of the lectures can be a bit long and content-filled so it is good to watch it consistently. In addition, because there are 4 sets of MCQs spread across the 8 weeks, you will have to watch the lectures in pace.

You have to complete 4 sets of MCQs, each varies in weightage. There are a total of 3 tries given for each MCQs, so it is very likely to get full marks for all of them. Each set of MCQs cover the topics in the previous weeks, for example, MCQ Set A cover content from Lecture 1 to 3, Set B covers Lecture 4 and 5, etc.

For the field exercises, you are required to look for symmetrical elements in your daily life, such as floor tiles, logos, etc, take a selfie with the item, and describe it. The assignment will have to be uploaded on Coursera. Examples will be given and you just have to follow. The field exercises are not hard to do, as the explanation are quite easy, the only difficulty I faced is finding an example for symmetry around.

For the writing exercise, you will have to complete a 1500-word essay, based on a journal article that will be given. Specific guidelines and examples of essay will be given to you. However, you must be careful not to plagiarize the examples, as you may unintentionally "copy" parts of them if you read it as reference. In addition, you have to use a software for a part of the essay, which can be quite a hassle. Another problem I faced was understanding the article.

For the learning log, it is basically a reflection of what you have learnt in the lessons. Questions given can be something like, state and explain to which symmetry group does this structure belong to, and your opinions on a certain aspect (I can't exactly remember). 

This module is rather heavy because it is a 3AU module! However, good news is that it is a pass/fail module. Remember is that you MUST sign up for signature track if you want the credit transfer. More instructions will be given on how to sign up for signature track. 

HP3201 Evolutionary Psychology

Lessons:
2 1-hr lectures per week
1 2-hr tutorial per week (only for certain weeks)

Assessment:
Mid-terms 30%
Quiz 15%
Debate and Discussion 25%
Finals 30%

Exam Format:
Mid-terms and finals - MCQs, Fill in the blanks, Short-answer questions, Matching, Short essays, Long essays

Description:

This module is about the evolutionary aspects of psychology. For instance, how did sexual selection arise, why females prefer certain traits in males and vice versa, why mental disorders still exist despite being disadvantageous, etc. To me, it is an interesting module and can be quite intuitive.

Lectures are recorded. According to the professor, lectures are split into 1-hr sessions to allow better absorption of content. But it also means you have to come back for more days so it may not help in getting a "nice" timetable. 

For tutorials. we only had around 6 tutorials in the semester. 3 of them are for debate discussions and lectures (because there are times when the lectures cannot be completed on time). The other 3 tutorials are for debates. In addition, quizzes take place during tutorials so you have to come for it.

Readings consist of textbooks and lecture slides. Alot of content in the lecture slides are not found in the textbook. The professor actually emphasises more on the lecture slides in his exams, except for long essays, in which I feel that the textbook helps more.

Mid-terms consist of alot of components as shown above. Even though its a 1-hr paper, but it is manageable if you manage your time well. Just do not overwrite for your essays and follow the guidelines from the prof. 

For the 4 quizzes, each of them comprise of 20 MCQs, and they are based on evolution-related documentaries. Each quiz comprise of 2 episodes of documentaries, except the last quiz which comprise of 3 episodes. Each episode is 1-hr. The quiz test mostly on the concepts covered in the documentaries, even though there are some questions that are quite specific. Some content in the videos are related to what is given in your textbook, so it makes things easier in a way. Also, do take note of the scientific names, year mentioned (e.g. how many million years ago)

For the debate, in a team of 3 or 4, you will have to do a research by the 2nd tutorial, and come up with a few topics. The final topic will be discussed between your team and your opponent team, and also decide on your stands. The format of the debate will be explained in the 1st tutorial (it's quite complicated so I shall not elaborate). Your debate will take place in one of the last 3 tutorials and the winner is decided via voting among your peers and the profs (but the profs have higher influence, of course). Individual marks will also be given based on presentation skills. 

For the finals, it's the same format as your mid-terms, but just more lengthy (e.g. more essays) and cover more topics. Emphasis is on the later half of the syllabus. In addition, you get to choose 3 out of 5 short essays and 2 out of 5 long essays. Seems alot but its manageable if you manage your time properly. Same thing, do take note of the guidelines for the essays and do not overwrite. 

HP2700 Abnormal Psychology

Lessons:
3-hr lecture per week

Assessment:
Mid-term 1 16%
Mid-term 2 16%
Course Participation 18%
Finals 50%

Exam Format:
Mid-terms - MCQs
Finals - MCQs, Short-answer questions, Short essays

Description:

This module is about mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, depression, etc. You will be learning about the causes, symptoms and treatment aspects of every illness. A content-heavy module, but interesting if you like to know more about mental illnesses! 

Lectures are recorded. Content taught in the lecture can help you to estimate what will be tested for exams. There are content in the lecture slides that are not covered in textbook, so you do have to read both for your exams. Videos will also be shown during lectures to enhance understanding.
Since it is content-heavy, do keep up with the lecture pace! 

Mid-terms are just MCQs and it is manageable if you have studied your lecture slides well. DO TAKE NOTE of the statistics shown in the lecture slides, e.g. prevalence of bipolar disorders, because they will be tested. Even though there are 2 mid-terms, they are helpful in making you keep up with readings. 

For the course participation component, it mostly comprises of your participation in discussion board on NTULearn. There are a total of 3 discussion cycles, each worth 4 marks. Basically, for each round, you can choose to comment on your peers' or professor's thread, or create your own thread. Discussions should be of quality and comprise of some research about the topic and your opinions and experiences related to it. For me, I commented/created around 4 posts per cycle to get the full 4 marks. 

For the finals, the whole syllabus will be covered. For the MCQs, emphasis is on the later half of the syllabus. However, the short answers and short essays, which formed the bulk of the grade, are quite evenly spread, so you should not neglect the front topics! Do take notes of statistics, and some specific details such as the neurotransmitters involved for each disease, etc.

No projects for this module!

HP2200 Biological Psychology

Lessons:
3-hr lecture per week

Assessment:
Mid-terms 30%
In-class essay 15%
Finals 55%

Exam Format:
Mid-terms - MCQs
In-class essay - choose 1 topic
Finals - Short-answer questions

Description:

This module is about the biological aspects of psychology. A very content-heavy module! Slightly beneficial for people with biology background.

Lectures are recorded. Content taught in the lecture slides are very good for knowing what will be covered in exams. It is advised to use the lecture slides as framework to know what to study. Content in the lecture slides are actually adequate for the final exams, but reading the textbook will allow easier understanding of the content.

Readings consist of textbooks and lecture slides. Some content in the lecture slides are not found in textbook, and same applies vice versa, so do read both! In addition, since it is content-heavy, do keep up with the lecture pace.

Mid-terms are just MCQs and it is manageable if you have studied your lecture slides well. However, some options are rather similar so be careful to read properly.

For the in-class essay, it will take place a few weeks after recess week. It is based on a situation and you will have a list of questions to choose from. Each question corresponds to one chapter, so you only need to work on one chapter for the test. However, it is advised to study at least 2 or 3 chapters in case the questions are hard. Use this essay test as an opportunity to strengthen your memory for those chapters so you do not have to study as hard for them for finals.

For the finals, they consist of just short-answer questions. Each question (containing many sub-parts) corresponds to one chapter, except one or two questions that may combine 2 closely-related chapters together. We had to choose 10 questions out of 11. But the exam covers main concepts and not really the in-depth details, so it makes readings less tedious.

No projects for this module!

HP8006 Psychology of Crisis Stress Management

Lessons:
3-hr lecture per week

Assessment:
Mid-terms 40%
Finals 60%

Exam Format:
Mid-terms - MCQs
Finals - MCQs, T/F questions, Short-answer questions, Essays

Description:

This module is about crisis management, mainly what will happen during a crisis, the behaviours of affected personnels, PTSD, the types and forms of interventions to be taken, communication systems during crisis, etc. 

Lectures are not recorded, so I will advise you to attend. And the lecturer tells you stories about his experiences, which makes the lessons much more entertaining and interesting.

Readings will consist only of lecture notes, which may have quite a lot of content to memorise. Consistency is important. Also, it is important to make sense of the lecture notes in advance because you may confuse them with subsequent lecture notes.

Mid-terms are just MCQs and it is very manageable. You will be able to score if you study well and have a proper common sense. 

For the finals, MCQs and T/F questions are similar to those in the mid-terms in terms of difficulty level, so they are manageable. For the short-answer questions, they are purely regurgitation from the lecture notes. It is VERY IMPORTANT to attend the last lecture, which is the summary of the course and he will emphasise on the parts that you need to know for the exams. Focusing on the content mentioned in that lecture will be safe for the short-answer questions. But you do need the other information for the LONG essay, which is worth 40 marks, and it is application-based. 2-choose-1 essay and mostly like case studies where you are given a situation and asked to write an essay. Format may vary though. 

BS8003 Science and Fiction - Biology in Popular Media

Lessons:
3-hr lecture per week
(2 to 3 E-learning weeks)

Assessment:
Finals 100%

Exam Format:
Finals - 50 MCQs

Description:

This module is about analysing the biological content in sci-fi films. In my opinion, it is a very interesting module, especially if you are a hardcore sci-fi lover and wants to get insights about the scientific validity in films. This module helps to strengthen biological knowledge through content featured in films, and also the inaccuracies presented that you may not have even considered when you watch the films. It will be beneficial if you have biology background, but not necessary provided enough effort was put in. 

Lectures consist of film screening and a lecture. Some films are shown in whole, whereas some are shown in excerpts. Examples of films are Jurassic Park, Outbreak, etc. Format of E-learning is the same.

Readings will consist only of lecture notes, so it isn't a heavy module. But do not read your lecture notes at the last minute because it takes time to understand some of the concepts, and you may forget what the movie is about. Even though you can search for the movie online, you may end up spending more time watching the whole movie, which is not helpful if you are facing lack of time. The professor is very approachable so do ask for help if you find it hard to understand. 

There is no mid-terms, all of the grade is based on your finals, which are completely MCQs. On the good side, not much memorising needed. Understanding is more important, and there are Past-Year Papers that you can refer to to know more about how you will be tested. On the down side, the bell-curve will be steep, so you need to be careful of carelessness.

For the finals, the MCQs will consist of both single answers and multiple answers questions