But that was not the case for Ms Agnes Chew. The 22-year-old knew exactly what she wanted from the start.
Data Engineering is one of two specialisations under SIT-TUM, the other being Additive Manufacturing. Students can choose to pursue either one in their third year of the four-year direct honours degree programme. Much of the difficulty in adjusting was a result of the different timetable systems implemented by SIT and TUM. While SIT uses a trimester system with multiple modules per term, the TUM curriculum focuses intensively on one module at a time in two-week blocks.
But, thankfully, there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the pioneer cohort. Ms Chew found herself buoyed by the help offered by course mates who had studied chemical engineering at polytechnic. This spirit of community and mutual support was what inspired her to run for president of the Chemical Engineering Student Management Committee . When she succeeded in becoming the president, Ms Chew was put in charge of student life affairs.