So you’ve decided on a particular course of study that you’d like to pursue in university—congrats! But now, the question that you’re likely considering is “Which university should I pick?”.

Well, we can’t speak for any university besides SUTD, but rather than telling you why we think this is a solid option for you, we decided to have our SUTDents to tell you instead. After all, there’s no one more suitable for this task than those who have previously contemplated the same considerations as you.

So here, we sat down with five of our students for a chat about their thoughts on SUTD thus far, and what it is about the school that first drew them in.

Billy (Term 4 student)

Which school were you previously from, and what were some of the factors you considered when choosing a university?
I was from St. Andrews Junior College. I didn’t quite know what I wanted to pursue after my A Levels, so I took up a job offer after completing my National Service and worked full-time for a few years before thinking about university.

While I was working, I discovered my passion for design and creation. Because design is so universal, it can be applied to any field or industry, so I was looking for a school that offers a multi-disciplinary curriculum—one that’s project-based rather than academically-focused.

What first made you consider SUTD, and why did you eventually choose to enrol in the school?
SUTD is the only school in Singapore that offers design and artificial intelligence (DAI) as a major, and this is why I eventually chose SUTD.

Tell us about your SUTD experience thus far!
I feel so alive here! Nothing fills me with more joy than getting to work on meaningful projects that keep me awake throughout the day with excitement, or that wakes me up in the mornings with a sense of purpose.

It’s awesome to be creating positive changes in the world with the knowledge and projects that we learn and do in school, and also to be surrounded by fellow students with the same aspirations.

Rae-Anne (Term 1 student)

Which school were you previously from, and what were some of the factors you considered when choosing a university?
I was from Hwa Chong Institution, and the most important criteria that I was looking for in a university is a collaborative culture, because I feel that the best learning happens in a supportive environment, especially in an education system that’s as competitive as Singapore’s.

I was also looking out for a school that was open and honest about its student life and teaching procedures, because I wanted to make as informed a decision as I could.

What first made you consider SUTD, and why did you eventually choose to enrol in the school?
Firstly, the seniors in SUTD were all very helpful and willing to entertain my queries before I even applied. The Unibuddy chat platform on the school’s website allowed me to hear many different perspectives of the school and I got to chat one-on-one with student ambassadors across all the majors. I even had the opportunity to talk to SUTD professors about the majors I was interested in!

Through these channels, I learned that the SUTD curriculum incorporates hands-on projects, where students get to work together in groups of four to five. Each project requires a unique blend of skills, including knowledge from computing, robotics, physics, and math, and students can share their solutions across groups to build on ideas and gather insights from each other. To me, this exemplified the type of collaborative learning environment that I was looking for.

But by far SUTD’s biggest selling point for me was the fast scholarship offer that I received, which actually has a really good coverage of tuition fees and overseas exchange opportunities. Since entering SUTD, I’ve noticed that a large proportion of the cohort is on scholarships, and many of my fellow SUTDents have gotten the opportunity to travel to countries like Finland and South Korea affordably for school-related programmes because of these scholarships.

Tell us about your SUTD experience thus far!
I think it’s been great so far, both in terms of academics and student life.

The cohort in SUTD is quite small; we have about 40 students to two professors and one teaching assistant (TA) in each freshmore class. As such, I find the lessons to be very effective; while one professor teaches, we’re free to approach the other professor to address our queries without disrupting the lesson. Our TAs are also easily contactable on Telegram, and are often the main go-to people to ask simple questions outside of class time.

In Term 1, I worked on a lot of group projects, all of which were very fun and enriching. An especially memorable one was when my team and I built a self-propelled car from scratch using physics concepts. The process was well-structured and guided by the professors, which made it easy for those who have never studied physics previously to follow. I also gained lots of knowledge and experience in CAD-ing and 3D printing, which will help to build my foundations for future projects.

The hostel experience is also one that I will never forget—being so close to my friends and attending all sorts of hostel events together. Most of the girls in my class attended a tie dye hostel workshop and we later coordinated to wear our dyed shirts to class on the same day! It’s the little things like this that make life in SUTD unique and interesting.

Carina (Term 4 student)

Which school were you previously from, and what were some of the factors you considered when choosing a university?
I was from National Junior College, studying in the Integrated Programme, and my hope for university is to have a memorable time exploring new experiences.

I spent the bulk of my pre-university education studying subjects that I wasn’t really interested in, so I really wanted to step outside of my comfort zone in university and pursue my interest in STEM. Hence, I was looking for a university with a strong student community, and a teaching style that encourages students to try different things without the fear of failing.

What first made you consider SUTD, and why did you eventually choose to enrol in the school?
I first considered SUTD because of their focus on hands-on projects. This project-based learning environment is unique among the other universities in Singapore, and it seemed really fun to me. I also like the strong emphasis on Fifth Rows (extra-curricular activities) and global exchange programmes in SUTD, because students are really pushed to grow in all aspects, and to learn simply for the joy of learning.

Before I made my final decision though, I asked myself “Which is the university that will have me looking back on my four years fondly, even when I’m old and wrinkly?”. More than anything else, I want to treasure what youth offers me—the freedom to explore, to make mistakes, and to create memories—and this made SUTD an easy decision for me.

Tell us about your SUTD experience thus far!
When I chose SUTD, there were people around me who weren’t supportive, but thus far, I’ve never once looked back on my decision to come here, and I daresay it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.

Here, I’m surrounded by like-minded individuals who are passionate and concerned about world issues, and who not only challenge me to work hard, but also work hard for a cause. I’ve also tried many things for the first time in SUTD—I now recycle, regularly challenge myself to learn more beyond what’s taught in the classroom, and play hard in my Fifth Rows clubs.

Every week, the school just seems to find a new way to push me outside of my comfort zone, and this never fails to remind me that I can do so much more than I think I’m capable of. I’m honestly having the time of my life here, and I’m sure the wrinkly Carina of the future will never stop telling stories about SUTD to her grandkids.

Joshua (Term 4 student)

Which school were you previously from, and what were some of the factors you considered when choosing a university?
I was from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, where I studied Engineering Science. I really enjoyed that, so naturally, I was looking for a university that would allow me to grow in the field of engineering.

I was also looking for a community that would push me in all aspects of self-development, and a school that would allow me to do hands-on work to solve real-world problems, because this to me is what makes learning interesting and impactful.

What first made you consider SUTD, and why did you eventually choose to enrol in the school?
I was enticed by the fact that SUTD offers many overseas opportunities to their students, and that there are also many avenues for undergraduates to explore research projects through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Programme. But by far the most interesting aspect of the school is the design thinking pedagogy that trains students to think critically, and to build a better world by design.

That said, I eventually chose SUTD because I received a good scholarship offer, and was accepted into the SUTD Honours and Research Programme, which allows me to explore novel research fields alongside the SUTD faculty.

Tell us about your SUTD experience thus far!
It’s been great! The first 1.5 years really flew by for me, and I think I’ve really grown and learned a whole lot in my short time here.

Through my 1D/2D projects, I’ve learned how to use CAD and 3D printing software to bring my ideas to life; I’ve also embarked on a number of research projects in the school’s lab, one of which is about underwater soft robotics. I’ve travelled to US for a two-month summer programme in Stanford, and organised several CAD-ing workshops, and a school-wide robotics competition with my Fifth Row club, amongst many other things.

Most recently, I’ve been exploring the use of food ink in 3D printing with food waste, and I’m really excited to see what else SUTD has in store for me in the next two years of my undergraduate life.

Htet (Term 4 student)

Which school were you previously from, and what were some of the factors you considered when choosing a university?
I was from Singapore Polytechnic, and I studied Engineering.

Throughout my polytechnic years, I really enjoyed working on projects and going through the process of completing projects, so I was looking for a university that had both a strong engineering and makers’ culture.

What first made you consider SUTD, and why did you eventually choose to enrol in the school?
I did a project in SUTD during my final year in polytechnic, and I got to interact with the faculty and use the Fab Lab. Knowing that my team and I were given the resources, equipment, space, and support to make the project happen left a pretty good impression on me, so I began to consider SUTD as a potential university for me.

In the end, what sold me on SUTD was the interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning here. Apart from just our chosen major, we also get to expand our knowledge and skills in other fields as well. This is especially true in our freshmore year when we take classes across all majors. I knew I wanted to be in a school environment that would not confine me to one field, but would push me to learn more than what is in my major, and I feel that SUTD is the perfect school for me in this aspect.

Tell us about your SUTD experience thus far!
It’s great! I’m always surrounded by amazing, talented people, all of whom are motivated to go beyond and to do more than what is taught in the classroom. The curriculum in SUTD can sometimes be challenging, but my friends and fellow SUTDents make it all worth the while.

For me, having gone through my freshmore year in SUTD, I would say that it’s all about exploring new things and finding your niche here in this school. Regardless of our background, there are many opportunities for us to explore and find something that best suits our interests and aspirations, whether it be a particular field of study or Fifth Row.

So, why SUTD? We’ll let you answer that for yourselves. For more information on undergraduate admissions, scholarships, majors offered, and everything in between, visit https://www.sutd.edu.sg/Admissions/Undergraduate.

Like what you just read?
Imagine what an SUTD education will do for you.
Find out more: https://sutd.edu.sg/UG

#whySUTD? We’re glad you asked – here’s why!

It can be hard to ask the right questions that will help you to decide which university to join, so we’ve compiled a list of FAQs for you here.

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