hello silverhunter,
i have just completed/'graduated' the chem eng course (and receiving said results next monday on the 30th, what joy); while i am in no position to elucidate on SIT's degree (and i like to think that its a rather respectable course too), i've decided to break out of my lurking mode and actually create an account to try to provide you with more information on how chem eng life is in NUS (from the eyes of a current/just graduated student).
for the purpose of discussion, i will not mention anything about UE (unrestricted electives) nor SS (singapore studies) modules since you're free to decide what you want to prescribe to; i will give you a brief synopsis of the mandatory modules you will encounter. for module bidding stuff, you may be able to get more information via CORS, or (surprise surprise) the NUS lip lai thread from other seniors. there're some intricacies associated with module bidding (such as sniping), but in my personal experience, you'll rarely need it since all core modules are largely auto-wins with the exception of technical electives.
the four years you'll experience in chem eng can be broken down as follow:
year 1: core fundamental engineering mods - we're talking about MA1505/1506 (maths), IT1005 (matlab), CM1501/1502 (general, organic chemistry), and the list goes on. you can go to the NUS chem eng website to get the full listing on what are the main prescribed modules you are required to take. of particular note i would direct you is CN1111 (fundamental principles of chem eng). while not always 100% true, i guess CN1111 can be used as a barometer in deciding whether chem eng is indeed suitable for you (or if you'll be able to cope with subsequent CN mods). you can actually try googling 'Elementary Principles of Chemical Engineering' by felder & rousseau and give it a read; see if it is your cup of tea.
these mods are largely hard facts i.e. mostly mugging, sans those CM/IT lab modules. also exception to IT1005/CN1111 (you will realize that the lecturer is rather innovative in terms of exam questions; only if you truly know the content inside out and not just mere memorization, can you actually perform well.)
also, i find that year 1 was the most difficult for me since you're facing against the ENTIRE engineering cohort for those core modules, and everyone's pretty good at it too. that said, with the free SU's given to you as a freshman now, that should give you some breathing space (hopefully).
modules in this year are largely split into mid terms and finals (and lab if applicable). weightage varies based on module so its not wise for me to give you exact values but as a ballpark measurement, its between 30-70 ish. (this is not an excuse to screw up your mid terms though; you'll realize that every mark will help, or hurt you badly).
year 2: core CN modules; fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, particle technology, reaction kinetics. basically, the heart of this course takes place at this year. also, CN2108 (lab I) related to concepts taught in CN modules.
lab grouping are randomized based on which day you've bidded for. (presumably to simulate real life working condition where you've to work with people that you have never met before). hopefully you'll have good luck and get people who're hardworking or willing to go the extra mile. shocking, but even in this course there are actually people who are freeloading off others, and this is not limited to foreigners (some singaporeans are also freeloaders too, which totally disgust me as a local too).
grading system again is similar to year 1 for most modules, mid term and finals (with some permutations such as term papers).
year 3: deeper core CN modules; HSE, process safety, process control, separation processes (distillation columns, stripping columns, etc). also, industrial attachment (six months at a company/organization) with night technical electives (TE) taught by professors/external companies such as CN5191 (project engineering) or CN5111 (optimization).
also, lab II and lab III (CN3108/3109). CN3108 will be the toughest of all labs given that a) its 4MC and b) the content of the lab will physically and mentally drain you. survive this, and you'll be well conditioned for CN3109 (which is so much more relaxed than 3108 for me).
IA is not graded (unlike poly, thank god) in terms of A/B/C/D etc; its graded based on CS(satisfactory) or CU (unsatisfactory). as long as you're not giving crappy interm and final reports to your professor you'll do just fine for IA.
all other core modules in this year also follow the same format, mid terms and finals, with/without term papers etc.
year 4: more technical electives. pharma/fmcg mods (GMP, biochemicals, food tech, etc), process/ oil and gas mods (petroleum ref, downstream, optimization, pinch analysis, etc).
grading for TE varies wildly; if you're taking project based mods then you'll encounter mid terms and a final report/presentation. if you're taking standard modules then its the standard mid terms/final type.
in this year, you have two major hurdles: final year project (FYP) and design project.
for FYP, you will be required to solo a single project topic that can either be proposed by yourself, or from a list of topics proposed by particular professors. there're a range of research topics to select, from experimental ones all the way to computational (such as optimization or computational fluid dynamics). this will be a major test of self-discipline, as you'll control how much you want to progress in this (and consequently, how well you'll perform).
don't quote me on this, but i believe that they're revamping the system such that a) industrial attachment is now a compulsory module (which is the right thing imo since working experience is king, no amount of academic studies can substitute for it, and also experiencing actual working environment/politics first hand if you're unfortunate), b) final year project becomes an optional module (either you take FYP, or you replace it with 3 technical electives. good for those who don't intend to pursue further studies and are content with just a degree).
also, this is the juncture where if you've been gliding/been on cruise control for the past three years, you'll be adequately challenged with the design project. you'll be required to do design project (i.e. creating an entire plant from scratch using simulations and all other means based on what you've learnt) with 6-7 other peers. you will find that teamwork and coordination is essential in order to succeed in this major module (given that its 7MC worth); i've seen first hand on groups who were intially friendly with each other at the start of the project collapsed under the strain of the project.
be prepared to work very, very hard on this project; the sky is the limit as to how much you're willing to go in order to perform well since there are no limitations (even to the point of overnighting in labs - no, i am not joking).
all project works are generally punishing (largely in part due to communication/co-ordination with others, and i agree that it is pretty tiring when you and your team-mates are not on the same wavelength), but if you think of it as a learning experience, you will find that you're prepared to cope with all sorts of stuff when you start working.
(its sort of a running joke that this course is so pressurizing it can turn carbon into diamonds.)
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on grades - there is no escaping the bell curve for most (if not all modules), and it depends in part on yourself and your peers as well. personally, i feel that if you actually devote some solid extent of effort, a B or a B+ should be attainable; anything else higher such as a A-/A/A+ are sort of a bonus to me at least.
an exception to the rule is if the cohort size for the module is too small as mentioned by Ocw655, which may be applicable to TE's. however, this again is at the discretion of the professor/department.
my advise? don't think of the bell curve too much.
always remember - just do your best, and it will work out by itself. you can't control the bell curve, but you can control how much you've learnt and take away from the module, and how much you really know pertaining to the subject/module at hand.
why fuss over something that will never be in your control?
(it works out for me at least, ha ha; my grades largely vary wildly from B+ to A+'s).
also, uni is a good time to get away from the crazy, mindless mugging mindset in JC which i've experienced (and almost died for it figuratively); i emphasize that understanding and remembering a concept/idea are two wildly different creatures, and it will do you a world of goodness if you can truly master the content by actually knowing how it is.
my apologies for the wall of text, hopefully this will help you in making that (momentous) decision!
