Hello.
I'm matriculating into NUS Science this august and I'm looking to do Life sciences. i don't have H2 bio and will need to take the bio bridging module.
Anyone here has had the same situation before and would like to share their experience?
Anyone else going into life science?
WARNING: its gonna be a very long post.
Haha, I'm one of them without A-level Bio. But I am majoring in Life Sciences. Going to 3rd year already.. haha. Yes u have to take and pass LSM1301 before u declare LS as your major in CORS. LSM1301 is easy and quite similar to H2 Bio I heard. As long as u have interest in it, u will find it easy. I passed it and so I declared it as my major. In your very first sem, u have to take CM1401 and LSM1301 but the remaining 3 mods (each sem = typically 5 mods), u can choose any one to meet other faculty, University-level, breadth requirements, etc. But in your next sem (year 1 sem 2), u have to pass the whooping 4 LSM core mods, LSM1101-4. Each LSM core mod (LSM1101-4) has lab component which is very fun but quite tiring as u rush between lectures and labs! LSM1101 (Biochemistry of Biomolecules) is biochemistry in short - u get to do DNA gel electrophoresis, measuring enzymatic reactions in vitro, basic spectrophotometry.. LSM1102 (Genetics - i hate it cuz the lecture contents are confusing), in lab u get to learn microbiological techniques such as bacterial manipulating, streaking, identifying microbes. LSM1103 (biodiversity, suitable for those who like to study animals, plants, etc)... BEST OF ALL! u get to go on a few field trips outside NUS to study various organisms from animals to plants, like a visit to zoo, Changi Beach, Kent Ridge park, etc. But only the downside is that u have to understand and memorize the biological classification system of those species, from domain (eukaryota, prokaryota and archaea) to species level (latinized names).. but the lecturers allow u to bring notes and books to exam hall (open book exam). Fret not. LSM1104 (Physiology), quite hard to understand, sometimes include a bit of physics (i dont like physics stuff) like how energy from sun is harnessed into plants and how membrane potentials across cell membranes are regulated.. but labs are quite fun, handling live frogs, insects and bioluminescent organisms (very pretty!) and then study the effects of stimuli onto them.
With 4 LSM core mods in a single semester, surely memory overload and also have to write many lab reports! but they will teach u how to write scientific reports. But I survived this semester, so you can do it.. But level-2000 LSM core mods were killer mods especially LSM2101 (extension to what u learnt LSM1101, biochemistry to study enzymatic reactions like glycolysis, lipid/cholesterol metabolism, carbohydrates, protein/amino acid breakdown/synthesis, nucleic acids... too much info to remember, yet still closed-book exam!) & LSM2102 (extension to LSM1102, genetics but this time, quite more advanced and detailed).. so u must mug all the way. Also, u have to take 1 Level 2000 experimental LSM core, which can take up to 6 hours in a single lab session. for this, dun take lsm2201 (experimental biochem) - i heard its very boring and also hard and actually a core mod for FST (food sci) majors. if u can and have enuff CORS points, try bidding for LSM2202A (experimental cell&molecular biology) or LSM2203 (experimental microbiology). 2203 is very popular cuz its quite new mod and easy to pass. also reportedly more fun than 2202A. i did 2202A b4.. u have to run alot of gel electrophoresis again and again.. DNA transformation in bacterial plasmids, screening for transformed cells, etc.. u also have to take either 1 of 2 LSM electives (introductory bioinformatics or ecology). As i'm not keen in ecology, i chose bioinf, which is quite fun but hard, cuz u use basic IT tools to analyze DNA sequences or protein modelling. its also an open-bk exam and lecturers are damn humorous!
having said that, u should have a good idea of what LSM is like. till now, i dun regret my decision to study life sciences although its very stressful! it is still awesome to me although my results are pretty mediocre, thanks to the competitive mindsets of NUS students!! competition doesn't end there after u got NUS offer. right, u had competed with other eligible applicants to get into NUS and competition will continue, as u have to compete against 400-odd LS students! of course, dont stress yourself out and enjoy life as a LS student! u need life man! Jia you!
