Thinking of joining NUS Business School? Read this first.
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“The main value of college, he said, is to be found in proving discipline by completing “annoying homework assignments” and in hanging around with people of the same age before entering the workforce.” — Elon Musk*
I recently completed my first year at the National University of Singapore. Being a freshman of Business School, I thought it would be useful to write down my experiences. I hope this gives budding NUS business students a better idea of whether this course is really for you! If you are wondering about the following questions: “Is NUS Business school good? What is NUS Business school like? Should I go to NUS Business school?” This article will hopefully help you!
Disclaimer: This represents my own personal views about the course and is thus subjective.
I will be first sharing my general thoughts of the course and then sharing who I think this course is for!
General thoughts:
Modules: The modules I took in the first year were mostly general Business modules. These covered concepts such as Marketing, Business Law, Accounting, Communications and Organisational structure.
As you may realise, many of these modules are what people may refer to as “fluff”. Many of the concepts taught are theoretical and may not be very applicable to the real world. After all, they make sense rationally but the world is rather irrational.
I found certain modules to be particularly useful such as Business Law and Communications. Business Law showed me another aspect to business which I never knew existed. It was pretty insightful to explore how businesses protected themselves which I believe is something all aspiring business owners will find helpful.
On the other hand, I did not really take away many skills from Communications-based modules as the skills taught were mostly theoretical. However, what was particularly helpful was the practice we were given during class to present our ideas and improve how we communicated with others.
Classes: One stark difference you will come to realise as a Business school student is how much of each class is a two-way dialogue. This is contrasted to many other courses which I have heard are mostly information download sessions.
In Business school, a big component is on presenting your work in the form of answering questions in class, participating in formal presentations and working together in groups.
Professors: I have mixed opinions about the Business Professors I met in Year 1. Some of them are really passionate about what they are teaching and usually, these professors are established in the outside world. They make it a point to share their real experiences relating to the module. This provides a breath of fresh air to the otherwise dry content.
Unfortunately, there are also professors who I found to be rather boring and unenthusiastic about their modules. This really dampened the mood of the class and made each lesson a dread. But I suppose this is normal for every educational organisation.
Level of Difficulty: It is hard to generalise whether Business modules are easy or difficult because of the huge variations in the modules. Each module is also difficult in a different way yet easy in another.
For example, accounting modules may be easier for someone who is more structured and does not really like to be engaged in class. Lessons are mostly information download sessions with a lot of revision at home. Since accounting follows a set of rules, it is generally accepted that one has to memorise them. Classes also see a lack in class participation and group discussions.
Communication modules on the other hand focus more on presentations and how much students are participative in class. In fact, there is even a component known as class participation which can be worth up to 25% of the grade. Students who are uncomfortable speaking up in class may find this extremely challenging.
Is attending NUS Business School useful?
“I then thought that decent, intelligent and experienced managers would automatically make rational business decisions. But I learned over time that isn’t so.” — Warren Buffet
The main concepts Business School teaches you seems to revolve around what SHOULD happen in the business world, considering everyone acts rationally and has perfect information.
But, as we know, people are mostly irrational.
So if people act irrationally but we are being taught concepts about how to deal with rational people, then what’s the point really?
Well, I won’t discuss in great depth my views about this but there are some takeaways you can get from Business School. These may include but are not limited to:
Hard skills such as those relating to accounting and law — Although some argue that these can be learn on your own.
An environment which may give you an idea about the corporate world.
An environment where you can challenge yourself. For example, when you are pressured to speak up.
Cultivating resilience.
Building up a network of friends who may support your business or link you up with job opportunities.
Who is NUS Business School for?
“The best education you can get is investing in yourself. But this doesn’t always mean college or university.” — Warren Buffet
I personally don’t believe Business School is necessary for students who want to actually start a business. I feel that I learn way more actually running my own business than the theoretical concepts taught in school.
Nonetheless, I do feel that students, even aspiring business owners still can benefit from school.
Business school is really great for people who want to have a taste of different aspects of business such as HR, Logistics, Accounting or Finance. Although you will probably still need to spend a considerable amount of effort relearning or adapting what you have learnt to the real world, the modules will give you an idea of what these functions entail.
Therefore, I feel that if you are someone who wants to perform any one of these Business related functions as a career, attending Business school would be helpful in making a more informed decision.
As an aspiring business owner, you will also have a better (although general) understanding of how larger corporations allocate their manpower to different functions. Thus, as your business grows bigger, you will be able to adapt these concepts to your own organisation.
Concluding Words
I believe no experience is ever wasted. Whether the concepts you learn in Business School are useful or not is something debatable. However, I am sure you will still takeaway something by attending it.
Hopefully, what you takeaway will not ONLY be that Business school is not for you.
All the best and once again, feel free to reach out to IB Lounge if you are looking for more university advice or may need guidance in your IB journey.
— Written by Markus Ng
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