Unrestricted Electives. Some of us see them as a burden to our already busy study schedule, while some of us see them as an opportunity to broaden our minds or pursue our interests. But which UEs should you choose, exactly? As NTU students, we’ve all faced that dilemma. The possibilities are endless, but because they are endless — where do we begin? This article aims to give you some insights on the interesting UEs you might want to consider when applying for them!
Note: This list is non-exhaustive and some modules may only be offered exclusively in either semester.
NIE Modules
The NIE modules are another world on its own for NTU students to discover. They have a wonderful plethora of hands-on modules about sports and arts. Most of these sports classes are held 2-3 hours, once a week and, overall, just a great workout session!
Some of the sports modules available are as follows:
Field Hockey - SS9203
Soccer - SS9202
Squash - SS9103
Table Tennis - SS9107
Floorball - SS9204
Rugby - SS9205
And even a gym mod - SS9002 Principles of Strength Training
For Arts, they have performing arts, music and even visual arts! These are usually 3 hours long, held once a week and can be a relaxing module to take — away from the usual words and equations that we encounter from our core modules. Do also note that for some of these art courses, in which specific art materials are required, you may need to pay a fee to purchase these materials (if you do not already have them).
Some examples of such modules are as follows:
Introduction to Theatre and Performance - ADP16A
Malay Music (do take note that there is an audition for most music modules before you can enrol in it) - AAI48B
Painting - AAA18H
Drawing - AAA18E
Watercolour - AAA18J
Printmaking - AAA18Q
Batik Printing - AAA18M
Voice Studies and Production - AAU28D
Fashion and Design - AAA08B
Introduction to Hip-Hop - SS9303
Film-based
If you’re like me, you’ll love taking classes where the assigned homework is to just watch movies. It gives me an excuse to sit down, relax and watch a movie without feeling guilty each week. Classes are likely to be 3 hours long and held once a week.
Some examples of such modules are as follows:
Madness in Literature and Film - HL8001
War in Literature and Film - HL2015
Social Constructions of Utopias and Dystopias - HL8025
History of World Cinema - DF2009
Science Fiction Film - CS8300
Global Cinema - CS8900
Language
Another possible route is to take language modules so that perhaps you can better understand foreign songs, dramas or animes that you are currently watching! These modules are found under the School of Humanities and are usually 1.5 hours long, twice a week. Assessments usually consist of two tests, maybe a presentation or an oral exam. You can also consider taking up these languages to the higher-levels from Level 2-4, if available!
Some examples of such modules are as follows (all of these are level 1):
Arabic - LA9001
Chinese - LC9001
Korean - LK9002
French - LF9001
Russian - LR9001
Spanish - LS9001
Hindi - LH9001
Italian - LI9001
Japanese - LJ9001
Sign Language - LL9001
These are just some of the Unrestricted Electives that you can consider when contemplating your choices for subsequent semesters. Wishing you all the best in enrolling for these electives and doing well for them!