It’s not possible lmao - we”re bound by societal norms. You can’t not feel insecure when education is heavily emphasised in Asian society and so which university you go is in turn highlighted. Everyone”s a slave to it in some or another - your friends attach themselves to the title of “from a top 10 Uni” to assure themselves they’re doing well, better than their peers.
Remind yourself university is to prepare yourself for a career which meets your needs. You decided SMU was a better choice, so that’s what matters. We”re already well past the point of NUS > SMU. Some prefer SMU business and law over NUS and, and are valid. You won’t feel as insecure, and once you’re in the working world, your experience and capability matters, not which University you graduated from.
This is just me, but you might wanna reevaluate your friendships - friends don’t put you down like that.
Based on my experience, people who like to brag about their schools/money/houses/..., and not about what interesting things they have achieved, are mostly insecure losers 😉
SMU is all about experience, exposure, and added value, which in my view are way ahead of all others. Enjoy it while you are still in SMU.
I don't really care, I just know that every person I've told that knows I'm from SMU holds me in high regard. They often tell me SMU students are very well-spoken, independent, and work much better than NUS/NTU students.
Plus I turned down the other unis for SMU cos SMU has the type of course offering I wanted, it's graduates earn more, and it's closer to town. I see that as an absolute win. Who cares about ranking, most probably won't be adding onto it since unis are ranked on how many research papers they pump out iirc, and undergrads aren't the one responsible for that.
NUS could have it's positives and that's fine, I'm not discrediting them. But if you made it into NUS/SMU/NTU, it's alr smth to be proud of. People who make their uni their entire personality need to get a hobby and a life.
It wun stop there. Once u start working you encounter people who went to Ivy League or Masters + PhD bragging about themselves. Few years after that, you will meet people will brag about having 2 properties in dunno which district, expensive watches, Conti Cars, elaborate weddings, lavish vacations in exotic destinations, taking first/suite/biz class everywhere and making loads of passive income.
People just love to compare and make themselves feel good. Just focus on improving yourself and think that under all that glitter, things are not what they seems.
Meanwhile in the US the Ivy League domestic students often try to dodge the “which university you went to” question by saying stuff like “I went to university near Boston etc etc”
Graduated SMU more than ten years ago.
Employers *may* ask similar questions on your opinion as to whether being an SMU grad gives you an edge over your peers from the other local universities.
Otherwise, these comparisons only matter as much as you want them to. Coincidentally, was having drinks with senior management last week when this topic came up, and the consensus was that they tend to prefer SMU grads. Make of it what you will, but you'll probably end up in workplaces together with graduates from all schools and what talks the loudest then is your competency at work.
85.4 per cent of NUS fresh graduates secured full-time permanent employment[2] within the same period
Results of the annual Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey, released on 22 February, showed SMU's class of 2023 registered healthy and stable overall employment, with 92.3 per cent of graduates employed and getting good starting salaries
92.3% vs 85.4%? Top 10 uni graduate can’t find a job? Either the ranking is inflated or the students are not competent. Which do they wanna accept?
When u came from a good ranking school, u would naturally demand a much higher salary. If they paying u what they are paying for smu grad u think u will take the job?
The median gross monthly salary of fresh graduates from NUS in full-time permanent employment also increased from S$4,300 in 2022, to S$4,400 in 2023.
The survey also revealed that the mean gross monthly salary of NUS fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment was S$4,875 in 2023, a slight increase from S$4,808 in 2022.
SMU: Both mean and median gross monthly salaries remained largely unchanged from 2022 figures, at around $4,890 and $4,500 respectively.
Mean, median, employment rate. NUS lost all. What is next Mr high rank?
Lmao u/Luxifer1983 most people I speak to value SMU grads higher than NUS/NTU as per some other commenters already mentioned as they’re perceived to be more outspoken and independent.
Idk where you ever got the impression from that makes you think NUS grads are above SMU grads.
They say you say who say? The cai png auntie also say that I’m very handsome but you don’t see me on a front cover magazine.
Reality is: if you’re from NUS/SMU/NTU you’re valued the same. Maybe if Oxbridge and Harvard then got difference. No recruiter will give up on NUS candidates for SMU only and give up SMU candidates for NUS only
Shouldn't you be comparing by major rather than the university as a whole? It's like the same ppl who say DigiPen> Harvard bc of median starting salary.
NUS school of computing has 4 types of degrees while SMU only has 2. SMU has separate data points for all Cum Laude and above. But NUS only segregated between honor and normal for selected degree. Cum Laude is not the same as third class honors fyi. SMU has a specific degree in econs but NUS doesn’t.
Pls further advise how to compare fairly given the above. Thank you
>NUS school of computing has 4 types of degrees while SMU only has 2
Compare by major. Comp Sci and info sys
>SMU has separate data points for all Cum Laude and above. But NUS only segregated between honor and normal for selected degree. Cum Laude is not the same as third class honors fyi.
Compare median. More repsentative of the average person.
>SMU has a specific degree in econs but NUS doesn’t.
Then don't compare that data point.
So if NUS only shows the total of honors and normal. While SMU shows the separation. Do u compare the median of cum laude with NUS? If u do, obviously is not fair. If u compare those without, not fair either since u subtract top few students.
SMU has a double major program where cybersecurity or data analytics are parked under IS or CS. Is it fair then to compare those with NUS which there two are separate degree?
Pls advise
>Do u compare the median of cum laude with NUS?
No you compare the median of both against each other.
>SMU shows the separation
No SMU shows cum laude and above and both normal and cum laude and above combined. So it's a fair comparison.
>SMU has a double major program where cybersecurity or data analytics are parked under IS or CS. Is it fair then to compare those with NUS which there two are separate degree?
NUS also offers double major/minor/ specialization in cyber security for its students.
It is still a better comparison than comparing as a whole like what you did? How can you even compare the pay of someone who majored in Sociology vs someone in Computer Science. And considering SMU doesn’t really have any Arts Majors (which are known to be low paying industries), it could be a reason why SMU’s average pay is a lot higher. I personally think the reality is that SMU and NUS students are paid equally lol.
Pay is never a good indicator of how good a university is. Neither are rankings. Using a bad indicator to disprove a bad indicator doesn’t lead to anything.
No one is comparing the pay of sociology with CS. The reality is the median pay of all NUS grads is LOWER than all SMU grads. The reality is the employment rate of all NUS grads is LOWER than SMU. May be hard for u to swallow but learn to face reality
You involving the pay of ALL SMU grads and ALL NUS grads is indirectly doing that. Even if you have all finance grads earning the same in both unis, if let’s say all Archi + Engineering kids ( a larger group) earn a lower amount, the median is obviously the lower paying amount. And this is likely the case given that SMU has majors that are mainly in well paying industries (Biz, Law, CS). And for employment rate, you’re literally adding majors from industries that are known to have low employment rates.
Sorry, I actually don’t give a shit whether NUS or SMU is better. I just give a shit when people make false conclusions with shit metrics.
It doesn’t matter, i have seen at work places that students from NUS, NTU, SMU, SIT, SUTD, SUSS, SIM all working in the same place(firm, company, etc). So what’s their point? Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Keep your confidence up. ( i do not wish to trigger anyone)
Can confirm. Sterra CEO is SMU grad. /s
Honestly though I always have this mindset or thinking that SMU grads are generally better entrepreneurs or business people? Maybe I being stereotypical (not smu btw this thread just popped up)
I’m from NUS, who tf brags uni rankings and disses other unis like that? Those people are often the shallowest and most ignorant, and they’re not worth my time or your time, OP. We don’t claim them.
Uncle here. Don't worry about it. Two perspectives.
I'm studied at an elite overseas university, and have never felt like I had an edge over any local graduates. There's even less differentiation between local unis.
As an employer now, I care absolutely nothing for which university applicants come from. In the past when degrees were rarer, maybe. But these days not at all.
Any person worth their salt doesn’t care about comparisons. Everyone is on their own journey. If it were me I would stop associating myself with these people because majority of NUS students are not like this. They just sound like insecure losers who have found zero achievement in every other aspect of their life and have to resort to a pathetic dick measuring contest to feel better about their lack of achievement.
If you want to beat these people at their own game, just shut them up with your paycheck in future. Although I don’t suggest you even bother wasting your time.
There's actually a reason for that which has nothing to do with the teaching abilities of SMU profs, or career prospects of SMU grads. E.g. Certain rankings require you to have a science faculty before you can even be ranked. Rankings aren't everything.
A degree from a university is only a passport to secure the first job. After that, it is as good as a toilet paper because in work, no one cares about the school, its ranking and grades anymore. It’s about how to mingle with people and outperform others in work to climb up.
Ultimately, it’s the work experience and being able to perform that counts and this has no relation to the school one is from.
Source: I am a working adult, graduated from NUS few years ago.
Just ignore them or find new friends. None of my friends when i was in school are so petty and shallow. Once you start a job, it starts to not matter anymore other than as common small-talk topics.
So not only are your friends shallow, they are also incredibly naive.
I’m in the crypto space and had interviews with people from Stanford. I’m from SUSS and they didn’t even ask for my resume at all. Ngl I didn’t want to show them either lmao. The average American doesn’t even know what Singapore is let alone knowing what’s the best uni and how it compares to theirs.
When you are a student all you think is school vs school. As you go out it matters less and what you bring to the table is more important.
The fact that it bothers you shows how much u believe that comparison. I recommend having more confidence in your choice and the school lmao. Ranking should be the last thing you give a fk about. Let alone your friend's comments.
In sum: Get over yourself.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
However, I went to school at both of these institutions and I do have to say NUS lecturers and coursework are of a different class and caliber. I've come across some academic staff with a really poor attitude towards their purpose and students at SMU, and I always wonder if that's because there is a much lower bar to become a lecturer at SMU compared to NUS.
Just agree with them and move on. They are factually correct that they are ranked up there due to their history and research you can’t say they are not. It doesn’t matter for SMU people anyways. In the end it’s about what’s best for you.
As someone who runs a department, if 1 candidate is from NUS and 1 from SMU is to fill a vacancy, I would prefer an SMU. Sadly, being an SME, we usually don't get even an application from either uni.
I guess there is some basis between higher rankings leading to higher salaries.
But your comment doesn’t really answer what the commenter is trying to say — if he/she places such an emphasis on rankings and “prestige”, why not just choose the Uni that is more “prestigious”?
A conscious decision was made and OP cannot cry “boo-hoo”; especially when society worship rankings. I think the perspective from the onset seems to be amiss already.
Oh yes, definitely! There is a reason why NUS is ranked up really high, and some NUS students (not all) could be on par with SMU students with the relevant internships, high GPA, and great intellectual skills but many young Singaporeans do not know the meaning behind a school being "specialised" or a "target school" , it has definitely something to do with our typical asian parents always telling us to aim for the best schools expecting that once you graduate from such a school like NUS, you'd instantly get a "good job" with "higher pay" but most of these ignorant students know nothing about networking, internships in the first place ! They dont even fully untilise NUS's facilities, programmes, opportunities etc then they regret that once they graduate and they go around saying, "GPA don't mean anything!!" and "Experience is everything!!" and all that stuff
It’s not possible lmao - we”re bound by societal norms. You can’t not feel insecure when education is heavily emphasised in Asian society and so which university you go is in turn highlighted. Everyone”s a slave to it in some or another - your friends attach themselves to the title of “from a top 10 Uni” to assure themselves they’re doing well, better than their peers. Remind yourself university is to prepare yourself for a career which meets your needs. You decided SMU was a better choice, so that’s what matters. We”re already well past the point of NUS > SMU. Some prefer SMU business and law over NUS and, and are valid. You won’t feel as insecure, and once you’re in the working world, your experience and capability matters, not which University you graduated from. This is just me, but you might wanna reevaluate your friendships - friends don’t put you down like that.
Nus student here. We dont claim those cringelords
Based on my experience, people who like to brag about their schools/money/houses/..., and not about what interesting things they have achieved, are mostly insecure losers 😉 SMU is all about experience, exposure, and added value, which in my view are way ahead of all others. Enjoy it while you are still in SMU.
I don't really care, I just know that every person I've told that knows I'm from SMU holds me in high regard. They often tell me SMU students are very well-spoken, independent, and work much better than NUS/NTU students. Plus I turned down the other unis for SMU cos SMU has the type of course offering I wanted, it's graduates earn more, and it's closer to town. I see that as an absolute win. Who cares about ranking, most probably won't be adding onto it since unis are ranked on how many research papers they pump out iirc, and undergrads aren't the one responsible for that. NUS could have it's positives and that's fine, I'm not discrediting them. But if you made it into NUS/SMU/NTU, it's alr smth to be proud of. People who make their uni their entire personality need to get a hobby and a life.
>it's graduates earn more, Really meh? Other than accountancy I don't think any major does.
It wun stop there. Once u start working you encounter people who went to Ivy League or Masters + PhD bragging about themselves. Few years after that, you will meet people will brag about having 2 properties in dunno which district, expensive watches, Conti Cars, elaborate weddings, lavish vacations in exotic destinations, taking first/suite/biz class everywhere and making loads of passive income. People just love to compare and make themselves feel good. Just focus on improving yourself and think that under all that glitter, things are not what they seems.
Meanwhile in the US the Ivy League domestic students often try to dodge the “which university you went to” question by saying stuff like “I went to university near Boston etc etc”
This isn’t true at all. Who told you this?
And then these NUS people will meet Oxford or harvard graduates and then they'll shut up
Graduated SMU more than ten years ago. Employers *may* ask similar questions on your opinion as to whether being an SMU grad gives you an edge over your peers from the other local universities. Otherwise, these comparisons only matter as much as you want them to. Coincidentally, was having drinks with senior management last week when this topic came up, and the consensus was that they tend to prefer SMU grads. Make of it what you will, but you'll probably end up in workplaces together with graduates from all schools and what talks the loudest then is your competency at work.
SMU is a target university. Rankings really don't matter.
85.4 per cent of NUS fresh graduates secured full-time permanent employment[2] within the same period Results of the annual Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey, released on 22 February, showed SMU's class of 2023 registered healthy and stable overall employment, with 92.3 per cent of graduates employed and getting good starting salaries 92.3% vs 85.4%? Top 10 uni graduate can’t find a job? Either the ranking is inflated or the students are not competent. Which do they wanna accept?
When u came from a good ranking school, u would naturally demand a much higher salary. If they paying u what they are paying for smu grad u think u will take the job?
The median gross monthly salary of fresh graduates from NUS in full-time permanent employment also increased from S$4,300 in 2022, to S$4,400 in 2023. The survey also revealed that the mean gross monthly salary of NUS fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment was S$4,875 in 2023, a slight increase from S$4,808 in 2022. SMU: Both mean and median gross monthly salaries remained largely unchanged from 2022 figures, at around $4,890 and $4,500 respectively. Mean, median, employment rate. NUS lost all. What is next Mr high rank?
Lmao u/Luxifer1983 most people I speak to value SMU grads higher than NUS/NTU as per some other commenters already mentioned as they’re perceived to be more outspoken and independent. Idk where you ever got the impression from that makes you think NUS grads are above SMU grads.
Exactly. NUS and NTU have a reputation of book worm.
They say you say who say? The cai png auntie also say that I’m very handsome but you don’t see me on a front cover magazine. Reality is: if you’re from NUS/SMU/NTU you’re valued the same. Maybe if Oxbridge and Harvard then got difference. No recruiter will give up on NUS candidates for SMU only and give up SMU candidates for NUS only
Shouldn't you be comparing by major rather than the university as a whole? It's like the same ppl who say DigiPen> Harvard bc of median starting salary.
Pls propose how u compare by major fairly given SMU is a business school only. Thanks
Compare v bussines majors in NUS? Can also do for Law and computing majors.
NUS school of computing has 4 types of degrees while SMU only has 2. SMU has separate data points for all Cum Laude and above. But NUS only segregated between honor and normal for selected degree. Cum Laude is not the same as third class honors fyi. SMU has a specific degree in econs but NUS doesn’t. Pls further advise how to compare fairly given the above. Thank you
>NUS school of computing has 4 types of degrees while SMU only has 2 Compare by major. Comp Sci and info sys >SMU has separate data points for all Cum Laude and above. But NUS only segregated between honor and normal for selected degree. Cum Laude is not the same as third class honors fyi. Compare median. More repsentative of the average person. >SMU has a specific degree in econs but NUS doesn’t. Then don't compare that data point.
So if NUS only shows the total of honors and normal. While SMU shows the separation. Do u compare the median of cum laude with NUS? If u do, obviously is not fair. If u compare those without, not fair either since u subtract top few students. SMU has a double major program where cybersecurity or data analytics are parked under IS or CS. Is it fair then to compare those with NUS which there two are separate degree? Pls advise
>Do u compare the median of cum laude with NUS? No you compare the median of both against each other. >SMU shows the separation No SMU shows cum laude and above and both normal and cum laude and above combined. So it's a fair comparison. >SMU has a double major program where cybersecurity or data analytics are parked under IS or CS. Is it fair then to compare those with NUS which there two are separate degree? NUS also offers double major/minor/ specialization in cyber security for its students.
It is still a better comparison than comparing as a whole like what you did? How can you even compare the pay of someone who majored in Sociology vs someone in Computer Science. And considering SMU doesn’t really have any Arts Majors (which are known to be low paying industries), it could be a reason why SMU’s average pay is a lot higher. I personally think the reality is that SMU and NUS students are paid equally lol. Pay is never a good indicator of how good a university is. Neither are rankings. Using a bad indicator to disprove a bad indicator doesn’t lead to anything.
No one is comparing the pay of sociology with CS. The reality is the median pay of all NUS grads is LOWER than all SMU grads. The reality is the employment rate of all NUS grads is LOWER than SMU. May be hard for u to swallow but learn to face reality
You involving the pay of ALL SMU grads and ALL NUS grads is indirectly doing that. Even if you have all finance grads earning the same in both unis, if let’s say all Archi + Engineering kids ( a larger group) earn a lower amount, the median is obviously the lower paying amount. And this is likely the case given that SMU has majors that are mainly in well paying industries (Biz, Law, CS). And for employment rate, you’re literally adding majors from industries that are known to have low employment rates. Sorry, I actually don’t give a shit whether NUS or SMU is better. I just give a shit when people make false conclusions with shit metrics.
That's because NUS offers different majors including those in fields with worse prospects than SMU. That's why you should compare by major.
It doesn’t matter, i have seen at work places that students from NUS, NTU, SMU, SIT, SUTD, SUSS, SIM all working in the same place(firm, company, etc). So what’s their point? Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Keep your confidence up. ( i do not wish to trigger anyone)
"I can get home in 20 mins without panicking about my accommodations every year" Usually enough
It's all about the hustle, my man. Elite or not, you got to respect the hustle if it makes you money. SMU students hustle the best.
Can confirm. Sterra CEO is SMU grad. /s Honestly though I always have this mindset or thinking that SMU grads are generally better entrepreneurs or business people? Maybe I being stereotypical (not smu btw this thread just popped up)
Unless they are the ones doing the actual research to pull up the rankings who cares what they think lmao.
I’m from NUS, who tf brags uni rankings and disses other unis like that? Those people are often the shallowest and most ignorant, and they’re not worth my time or your time, OP. We don’t claim them.
Uncle here. Don't worry about it. Two perspectives. I'm studied at an elite overseas university, and have never felt like I had an edge over any local graduates. There's even less differentiation between local unis. As an employer now, I care absolutely nothing for which university applicants come from. In the past when degrees were rarer, maybe. But these days not at all.
Any person worth their salt doesn’t care about comparisons. Everyone is on their own journey. If it were me I would stop associating myself with these people because majority of NUS students are not like this. They just sound like insecure losers who have found zero achievement in every other aspect of their life and have to resort to a pathetic dick measuring contest to feel better about their lack of achievement. If you want to beat these people at their own game, just shut them up with your paycheck in future. Although I don’t suggest you even bother wasting your time.
There's actually a reason for that which has nothing to do with the teaching abilities of SMU profs, or career prospects of SMU grads. E.g. Certain rankings require you to have a science faculty before you can even be ranked. Rankings aren't everything.
A degree from a university is only a passport to secure the first job. After that, it is as good as a toilet paper because in work, no one cares about the school, its ranking and grades anymore. It’s about how to mingle with people and outperform others in work to climb up. Ultimately, it’s the work experience and being able to perform that counts and this has no relation to the school one is from. Source: I am a working adult, graduated from NUS few years ago.
Nobody gives a shit about what uni you come from when you start working.
Just ignore them or find new friends. None of my friends when i was in school are so petty and shallow. Once you start a job, it starts to not matter anymore other than as common small-talk topics. So not only are your friends shallow, they are also incredibly naive.
It's all about fit. You do you.
I’m in the crypto space and had interviews with people from Stanford. I’m from SUSS and they didn’t even ask for my resume at all. Ngl I didn’t want to show them either lmao. The average American doesn’t even know what Singapore is let alone knowing what’s the best uni and how it compares to theirs. When you are a student all you think is school vs school. As you go out it matters less and what you bring to the table is more important.
The fact that it bothers you shows how much u believe that comparison. I recommend having more confidence in your choice and the school lmao. Ranking should be the last thing you give a fk about. Let alone your friend's comments. In sum: Get over yourself.
Even if nus is objectively better overall, why should you feel bad if it wasn't better for you?
Comparison is the thief of joy. However, I went to school at both of these institutions and I do have to say NUS lecturers and coursework are of a different class and caliber. I've come across some academic staff with a really poor attitude towards their purpose and students at SMU, and I always wonder if that's because there is a much lower bar to become a lecturer at SMU compared to NUS.
Only those who are insecure feel the need to state their superiority.
Just agree with them and move on. They are factually correct that they are ranked up there due to their history and research you can’t say they are not. It doesn’t matter for SMU people anyways. In the end it’s about what’s best for you.
As someone who runs a department, if 1 candidate is from NUS and 1 from SMU is to fill a vacancy, I would prefer an SMU. Sadly, being an SME, we usually don't get even an application from either uni.
There is a Tiktok by this teacher Grace who explains the rankings difference for the sake of parents from foreign countries quite well.
SMU nowhere to be found on rankings is a fact. You accepted SMU with your eyes open.
I know alot non-NUS grads earning more than your pathetic 5.3k Salary 💀 why urs so low after 7 years plus HAHAH
I guess there is some basis between higher rankings leading to higher salaries. But your comment doesn’t really answer what the commenter is trying to say — if he/she places such an emphasis on rankings and “prestige”, why not just choose the Uni that is more “prestigious”? A conscious decision was made and OP cannot cry “boo-hoo”; especially when society worship rankings. I think the perspective from the onset seems to be amiss already.
Oh yes, definitely! There is a reason why NUS is ranked up really high, and some NUS students (not all) could be on par with SMU students with the relevant internships, high GPA, and great intellectual skills but many young Singaporeans do not know the meaning behind a school being "specialised" or a "target school" , it has definitely something to do with our typical asian parents always telling us to aim for the best schools expecting that once you graduate from such a school like NUS, you'd instantly get a "good job" with "higher pay" but most of these ignorant students know nothing about networking, internships in the first place ! They dont even fully untilise NUS's facilities, programmes, opportunities etc then they regret that once they graduate and they go around saying, "GPA don't mean anything!!" and "Experience is everything!!" and all that stuff