JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
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We prioritise teaching very highly : every professor is expected to teach and to teach well .
Professor Tan Chorh Chuan
... they adapt well , they ’ re managing the rigours of NUS , and coping very well , facing the challenges - as good as any other student . So , if anything , we notice they ’ ve been prepared very well
Mr R . Rajaram
When asked about their overall impression of an IB student , Mr Rajaram responded positively , saying that IBDP students go above and beyond school work , are critical thinkers , as well as ready to face challenges . Requirements of the IBDP curriculum , an example being the Creativity , Action and Service ( CAS ) hours , propagate the importance of proactiveness in an IBDP student . Mr Rajaram also mentioned the possibility of the Extended Essay teaching students to read beyond their curriculum . IBDP students possess important attributes that are needed in university , such as the willingness to learn independently , and a positive attitude . From what his observations of the IBDP students currently studying in NUS , he noted “ they adapt well , they ’ re managing the rigours of NUS , and coping very well , facing the challenges - as good as any other student . So , if anything , we notice they ’ ve been prepared very well .”
The burning question perhaps on many IBDP students ’ mind - Is there a separate queue for ‘ A ’ Level and IBDP applicants ? Mr Rajaram clarified NUS indeed had different application criteria for various curriculums , especially since NUS accept students from around the region , who come from diverse education systems . The spectrum of criteria for local applicants includes ‘ A ’ Levels and IBDP , as well as other NUSrecognised curriculums , such as polytechnic diplomas , and the NUS High School diploma . Admission officers consider applicants along with peers from the same curriculum . At the same time , admission officers do not necessarily look at academic preparedness alone - they also attempt to evaluate whether the applicant has the ability to learn and adapt . In some faculties , such as medicine and law , blind interviews are conducted to assess applicants for such personal qualities . When asked if there is a specific quota on the number of students with IBDP qualifications being admitted , Mr Rajaram responded that NUS “[ doesn ’ t ] see [ them ] as IB and ‘ A ’ Levels ”. He observed however , the acceptance rate of IBDP students has been inching upwards as of late due to more schools offering the IBDP , but there is no quota set yet for IBDP students . His advice to IBDP students who are keen to apply for the more competitive faculties is to ensure they score more than 40 points although he qualified this is still not a guarantee they will be accepted .
When the issue of university ranking - based on teacher quality - was raised , Professor Tan Chorh Chuan responded , “ We prioritise teaching very highly : every professor is expected to teach and to teach well .” At the point of recruitment , NUS looks at teaching records , and teachers give a seminar or two , where feedback on the quality of teaching will be given based on that seminar . There are also teaching programmes in the NUS Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning , to orientate foreign teachers to the teaching context in Singapore . Student feedback after tutorials and lectures are also taken into consideration . Majority of teachers have positive feedback ; only a handful are the exception . “ NUS pays a lot of attention to that .” He continues , “ And teaching is given a very high priority .”
Finally , Professor Tan ended the interview with a few words about NUS . NUS is a university that has a flexible set of academic programmes , as well as connections with many global organisations . Partners who can give students a very strong academic experience are chosen by NUS . Moreover , the university is well-linked to many top universities around the world , preparing its students to be ready to engage with the rest of the world . He cited that 70 % of their students go overseas for exchange programmes . With its connections and prestige , NUS is extremely well-acknowledged around the world . “ Anywhere in the world ,” he concluded , “ you ’ ll be held in high regard with an NUS degree .”