The ADM Student Survival Guide, Cheatbook, and Walkthrough

The first thing you have to understand about NTU is that we are practically an island. The good news is, we are a completely self sufficient island, with everything you could possibly need on campus. NTU may seem to be a mess of corridors and pathways but with a good map and a couple of months, it will be as easy as navigating around the mess of corridors and pathways in your own home.

This is a map of NTU containing all the information you could possibly require 

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First and foremost: getting to NTU. There are 3 simple ways to get on campus: by bus, car and/or the train. NTU is located on the far West of Singapore, the nearest MRT station currently being Boon Lay MRT station on the East-West line (the green one), though more, marginally nearer stations are currently under construction.

Public Transport

There are three SBS bus services that run through NTU: 199, 179 and 179A, all departing from Boon Lay MRT Station. The queues for the buses tend to get insane during the peak hours, snaking all around the interchange. 179 and 199 are operational from 0600hrs to 2400 hrs on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 0630hrs to 0020hrs on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Bus 179A, the most recent addition to the bus routes in NTU, only pulls over at bus stops on campus, making it an excellent way to get to school. Its operating hours are as follows:

AM Peak: Weekdays (except Public Holidays) from 0745hrs-0930hrs
PM Peak: Weekdays (except Public Holidays) from 1600hrs-1930hrs

Car or Taxi

If you are getting to campus by car or taxi, there are two entrances accessible from the PIE: Jalan Bahar and Pioneer Road North. I recommend entering the University via the Jalan Bahar entrance when going to ADM, and Pioneer North when heading to S3.1.

Here are some directions for those arriving by car:

1.    Exit the PIE at Jalan Bahar
2.    Follow the signs to enter the University
3.    Continue straight down the road until you arrive at a roundabout
4.    Exit on the road to your right when you arrive at the roundabout
5.    By this time you should be able to see the ADM building (it is a great glass behemoth). The entrance to the carpark and pickup/drop off point is shortly after the turn on your left.

Shuttle Buses

Shuttle buses run through most of the roads in NTU. Please refer to the map for their routes. ADM has recently acquired our very own bus stop just outside the ADM entrance in AY 07/08, linking S3.1 to the ADM building. Hooray!

Please note that shuttle buses do not operate on public holidays or during the weekends.

Parking

For those of you who drive, you would be glad to know that the ADM carpark is still currently free parking, though albeit a tad small. The ADM carpark has an upper and lower deck, and is used for a bunch of student activities and projects as well, such as GrafFire, our annual graffiti competition.

Other carparks can be found around the campus. Open carparks are currently free-of-charge, but please only park in the white lots. Parking in reserved spaces or on the chevron markings will give you a lovely note from the campus security (aka Warnings), or even get a $50 bracelet for your wheels (aka Clamping).

Covered carparks at the following locations require a fee to be paid via your cash card:
- Carpark A
- Carpark B
- Research Techno Plaza
- School of Biological Sciences

Parking is set at $1 per hour for the first 2 hours, and $3 for more than 3 hours. The grace period is 15 minutes. Fees are in operation from 5am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday. Parking is free on weekends and public holidays.

Within NTU

In your years in NTU, you will find the need to travel about quite a fair bit to get to your classes. So getting to know your way around and looking out for the occasional shortcut is a definite plus.

The fastest route from S3.1 to ADM, as complicated as it may sound in this guide, is in actuality very simple.

Exit via the smaller elevator to B2. Turn left upon exiting the elevator and cross the bridge to S3. Turn right at the corridor, then left at the corner. Go up first the stairwell on your left to the top most floor. When you exit you should be on a roof. Turn left again, and up the stairs without a shelter. Follow the path around the cafe then go right along the road uphill. Following this road will take you up then downhill to ADM.

As an art student, most of your allowance will probably go to your work and materials. The definitive place to purchase your essentials is, of course, Art Friend. They have 3 branches currently:

Bras Basah Complex:
Blk 231 Bain Street, #03-33, 
Singapore 180231
Tel: (65) 6336 8338
Fax: (65) 6337 0743
Operating Hours:
Weekdays : 10.30am - 7.30pm
Weekends & Public Holidays: 10.30am - 6pm
Open on Public Holidays

Takashimaya Shopping Centre:
391 Orchard Road,
#04-20M, Ngee Ann City,
Singapore 238872
Tel: (65) 6733 8482
Fax: (65) 6732 9180
Opens Daily from 10.30am to 9pm

IOI Plaza (opposite NAFA)
210 Middle Road, #01-04,
Singapore 188994
Tel: (65) 6336 2332
Fax: (65) 6336 8797
Operating Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm
Saturday - Sunday: 9am - 4pm
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays.

Fancy Paper
There is also Fancy Paper, a store stocked with hundreds of different varieties of paper and some drawing and painting materials. Fancy paper is located opposite Bras Basah, on the side of Raffles Hotel.

Popular
On campus there is Popular bookstore, located on the ground floor just after the carpark at S3. You can find very basic art materials, some sketch books and pencils there. Your textbooks for nearly all courses can also be bought there.

ADM Garage Sale
The annual garage sale hosted by the Student Club is another great place to get materials and sell off stuff you don't need. This guide recommends buying textbooks from seniors since the book is incredibly thick and expensive, and you will only use it for less than a year. Conversely, you can always choose not to purchase the textbook and scrounge for information on the vast expanse of the internet.

Sustenance. NTU is full of it and the quality ranges greatly. The nearest Canteens are Canteen 2 and 3, each with their own unique awesomeness. For example, the smell from Canteen 2 that seems to stick to your clothes after dining there.

Every 2 halls share a canteen. Feel free to sample all of them.

Canteen A Area
NTU is now home to a host of fast food and restaurants as well. At the North Spine, we have a McDonalds’, Subway, Canadian Pizza, Old Chang Kee, Sakae Sushi, Food Court, Chinese restaurant and a western restaurant. All excellent. And expensive in comparison with the canteens. A 7-11 is also located at the North Spine, though this outlet is, rather regrettably, not open 24/7.

ADM Cafe
ADM has our own sources of food. The student club run ADM Cafe serves coffee, tea and milo as well as pastries such as curry puffs, eclairs, etc. Opening hours are 830am to 9am, and 2.30pm to 6pm at the open space in front of the gallery on level 1. Chairs and tables are also available. Feel free to doodle on the surfaces!

The Sun
A 24 hour convenience store is located in the heart of the staff apartments. The Sun is a small store much like 7-11. Please see the map for its location.

Printing in ADM is an adventure by itself. Each ADMer is issued $40 worth of printing credits at the beginning of each semester. Using the printers in school will allow you to use these credits (note: the credits do not apply to printers outside of ADM. You will need a working cashcard or EZ link card.)When printing, just observe these few simple rules and you'll be fine.

- Always be sure you have chosen the right printer.
- If you are printing Black and White, select the Print Color As Black function. Color prints are much more expensive.
- Do not hog the printers. Really.
- Do not just leave your scrap paper all over the table. Other students have to clean up after you. Just toss your scrap paper in the recycling bins.

If you run out of credits, just approach the IT office located on level one to purchase additional credits. If there is no more paper, more paper can also be collected at the IT office.

In the event of a paper jam, kick and scream at the printer.

ADM is one of the most well equipped schools in Singapore, having a vast array of equipment for students to borrow and utilize.

Web Checkout
The loan of equipment in ADM is regulated by our online checkout system: Web Checkout. All equipment for your courses may be checked out via this system. You will need your professor’s approval before taking equipment out on loan.

Equipment can be collected from the IT and equipment office located on the first floor. Trolleys and such can also be borrowed from here.

Also, please note that a fine is imposed for late returning of equipment.

The ADM Library is our pride and joy tucked away at the end of the corridor on the first floor of the ADM building. You will be able to find an excellent selection of materials pertaining to whichever major you may be in.

Library opening hours are as follows:

Monday – Friday    830am – 7.00pm    
Saturday    8.30am – 5.00pm
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

Exam Period Opening Hours        
Monday – Friday    8.30am – 9.30pm
Saturday    8.30am – 9.30pm
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

Borrowing
All you will require to borrow books would be your matriculation card. Books can be checked out either at the counter or at the borrowing kiosks. Fines are also imposed on late returning of library materials. These are easily avoided by returning materials on time, or extending your borrowing period if you are not done with them yet. You can extend the period of your loan on the library website found here:

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/library/Pages/default.aspx

The library is also home to a vast collection of DVDs and video tutorials. However, these cannot be removed from the library. Approach a library staff to either book the small theatre on the second floor, or to use one of the many computer terminals to view the materials.

The library keeps a blog on which they post updates on newest acquisitions or announcements. Their blog can be found here:

http://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/library/ADML/?p=120

Planning out your timetable is more essential than most people give credit for. Within the four years of your education in NTU, you will need to fulfill all the requirements of the BFA:

Foundation                           24

Major Area Requirements
    Required Studio                 24
    Required History                12

Major Area Electives
    Unrestricted Studio            18
    Prescribed History               3
    Unrestricted History            9
    Unrestricted ADM              10

FYP                        8

General Education Requirements
        Communication Skills        6
        Human Resource              3
        Singapore Studies             3
        Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences        3
        Business Management            3
        Science & Technology             9
        Unrestricted Electives             9

Total                        144

All courses in ADM are 3AU. Courses in other faculties may range from 2 to 4 credits. A brief explanation of this complicated system:

Foundation
Foundation credits are completed during the first year of studies in ADM. They include Foundation Drawing, 2D, 3D and 4D.

Required Studio
These are the core subjects of your major that you will be required to take every semester in year 2 and 3. There are 4 core subjects per year, and it would be beneficial to find out from seniors which would be the best combination in which to take them, taking into consideration how strenuous or time consuming the module may be.

Required History
These are history modules all year 1 and 2 students are required to take. They are Western Art History, and Asian Art History.

Unrestricted Studio
Quite simply put, anything in ADM you would like to take. You may take elective subjects from your own major, or from other majors. ADM focuses on interdisciplinary studies, and this system makes it easy to do so.

Prescribed History
This would be the history module for your major (i.e., Animation History, Asian Film History, History of Photography, etc)

Unrestricted History
In addition to the required history modules, you will also be required to take 3 other history modules from the many in ADM.

Unrestricted ADM
The 10 AU awarded in this area is no mistake. You may choose to fill this area with more electives, as well as take on a Special Project (requires approval from faculty). More importantly, the AU gained from internship will be placed here. The number of AU awarded for internship depends on how many hours were spent on internship. This ranges from 1 to 4 AU.

FYP
Final Year Project. Enough said.

Communication Skills
Two subjects will need to be taken in this category. The first of which would be the mandatory HL101: Introduction to Literature, which all 1st year students will be required to take. The second will be your choice of one of the following three subjects:

Mastering Communication
Basic Media Writing
The Craft of Writing

Human Resource
This is covered by the obligatory year 4 subject Professional Practice for Creatives.

Singapore Studies
This sounds suspiciously like Social Studies from O levels. You may choose from one of the following subjects that randomly make their appearance on our timetables. My suggestion would be to clear this as soon as possible. Face your fears. Just do it.

Singapore Literature and Culture
Singapore Society in Transition
Understanding Singapore Society

Brief explanation of the GER
Right about now you might be wondering, why in the world do I have to study so many unrelated subjects? The answer is simple. The University says so. In order to produce well rounded individuals, all students are required to take subjects from a range of disciplines. This is a rather common practice in Universities worldwide. Take this as working in your benefit rather than a chore. Nothing learnt is ever wasted. Trust me. I highly recommend talking to seniors to find out which subjects are easier or more enjoyable in the various categories (yes, there are enjoyable subjects such as the extremely popular Forensic Science module). The full list of subjects offered under each area can be found on the STARS webpage.

Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Basically these are subjects that come under the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, of which ADM is part of. You may not use your ADM subjects to fulfill this requirement.

Business Management
These are subjects offered by Nanyang Business School.

Science & Technology
These are subjects offered by the College of Engineering and College of Science.

Unrestricted Electives
You may, and have to, take an additional 3 more subjects from anywhere across the University. Language subjects fall under this category.

With this amount of modules required to be taken, it amounts to 6 subjects per semester. Overloading additional subjects is only allowed if you have a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and above. To allow for more time and flexibility come fourth year, something most ADMers do is clear subjects during Special Semesters.

Special Semester
The summer vacation from May to July is split into 2 special semesters. Students may only take one subject per special semester, and beginning AY 08/09, additional fees apply for taking special semesters. However, not all subjects are offered during the special semesters.

Failing
A common term floating about in NTU is “da pao” which translated as takeaway. It refers to the action of students failing a subject, then carrying it onto the next semester to complete. This, unfortunately, is not an option in ADM. With the strict program of core subjects every year, it makes it nearly impossible to da pao your subjects. In the event you find the subject a tad too difficult, there is the S/U option.

This is the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option which allows you to declare the subject as S/U. You will be marked on a pass/fail criteria and this grade will not affect your overall GPA (Grade Point Average). Each student is only allowed 4 S/U options in their entire period of study. Use them wisely.

Now a little on GPA…
GPA is what decides the class of honors you will receive at the end of your studies. It is calculated by adding in your grade obtained for every subject, then dividing it by the number of subjects you have taken to date. This is your cumulative GPA. Yearly GPAs are also calculated. Both are reflected on your certificate when you graduate. The breakdown of points awarded are as follows:

A+    5.0
A      5.0
A-     4.5
B+    4.0
B      3.5
B-     3.0
C+    2.5
C      2.0
D      1.0
F       0

The awarding of honors is apparently  “confidential information” that differs from year to year. But generally, a GPA of 4.0 and above equates to Second Upper Class, 3.5 to 3.9 is a Second Lower Class. Then there is Third Class honors as well just a pass.

A point to note would be each ADMer is allowed 3 absences, following which, subsequent absences would result in the dropping of your final letter grade for the course.

This brings us to registering for subjects.
Registering for subjects is a hectic time on every student’s calendar. ADM core subjects are registered by arranging for a consultation with your professor or area coordinator during the allocated time period. Non-major ADM subjects as well as non-ADM subjects will have to be registered via STARS, found on the NTU website.

When preparing to register for subjects, the first thing you will need to take note of would be the date and time allocated to you. Most subjects in NTU are allocated based on a mix of balloting and first-come-first-served systems. It helps to look into what subjects you would want to take prior to the date of registration and plan these out on the STARS planner. From there, its just a click away from registering your subjects.

In the event you do fall sick, there is the medical centre on campus, which you would probably have gone to for the mandatory medical checkup.

When visiting the campus doctor, remember to bring along your matric card. While consultation is free, you will still be charged a minimal fee for medication.

Opening Hours of Medical Centre on Campus
Academic Weeks (excluding the examination periods) and the one-week period
before the commencement of a new Academic Year
Mon to Thu: 0830hrs to 1830hrs (last registration at 1815hrs)
(Skeletal staff from 1300hrs to 1400hrs)
Fri: 0830hrs to 1700hrs (last registration at 1630hrs)
(Skeletal staff from 1300hrs to 1400hrs)
Sat: 0930hrs to 1230hrs (last registration at 1200hrs)
Examination Periods
Mon to Thu: 0830hrs to 1730hrs (last registration at 1700hrs)
(Skeletal staff from 1300hrs to 1400hrs)
Fri: 0830hrs to 1700hrs (last registration at 1630hrs)
(Skeletal staff from 1300hrs to 1400hrs)
Sat: 0930hrs to 1230hrs (last registration at 1200hrs)
Note:
During the extended hours, 1300hrs to 1400hrs and 1730hrs to 1830hrs, only normal
consultation and treatment will be given. Non-emergency surgeries, dressings and
medical check-ups will continue to be done only during normal office hours from Mon
to Fri, excluding Sat.
Vacations (except the one-week period before the commencement of a new Academic
Year)
Mon to Thu: 0830hrs to 1245hrs (last registration at 1230hrs)
1400hrs to 1730hrs (last registration at 1700hrs)
Fri: 0830hrs to 1245hrs (last registration at 1230hrs)
1400hrs to 1700hrs (last registration at 1630hrs)
Sat: 0930hrs to 1230hrs (last registration at 1200hrs)
• Although dental care is excluded from the Medical Scheme, dental services are
provided at the Medical Centre on campus.

For emergencies, you may call Campus Security to send the injured to the medical centre or nearest medical facility. Ambulances may also be called in the event of larger emergencies. Ambulance fees are covered by the student’s medical program.

At this point, it would be good to point out again that each student is allowed 3 absences, with or without MC. After which, absences will result in a drop in your final letter grade.

Working overnight is practically synonymous with life in ADM. Nearly every night, you will be able to find students hunched over computers in the labs, cups of coffee and noodles in hand. Some ADMers find it useful to have on hand a secret weapon…

THE EMERGENCY OVERNIGHT PACK!!! (not official name)

Essentials in your pack should include:
Toiletries (including small bottles of soap)
A change of clothes
A towel
Coins
Instant coffee
Mug


The washrooms on level 1 of ADM are now equipped with shower facilities. Coins are for the vending machines. If you find them empty, please feel free to contact the student club. During exam and project peak periods, the student club also provides sachets of tea, coffee and milo in the 3 pantries of the school for students to make full use of. Hot water can be found at these pantries as well.

The doors leading into ADM will lock every evening. You will require your matric card or access card to enter the building after hours. Leaving doors open will lead to an annoying beeping sound that draws the lovely people from campus security over.

Our building attracts many visitors at night. Other than the flocks of mosquitoes and frogs, there are often strange people lurking about. In the event that they begin to disrupt the serenity that is ADM, do what the rest of us do: chase them out with brooms! Though, should you not want to risk a lawsuit,  a call to campus security would suffice.

Things go wrong on occasion. And in those times, these are the unsung heroes of ADM! Or rather, folks you would want to approach for assistance:

IT Office
Level 1
The friendly folks over at the IT office would be able to help you out with a whole host of problems from replenishing printing credits to setting up projectors and such in the lecture theatres.


General Office
Level 1
The general office on level one is where we submit our subject registration forms. General questions regarding the school can also be asked here, as well as the collection of keys to rooms that have been booked.

Student Club
The student club looks after the welfare of the students, providing the vital link between students and university. Feel free to approach any of the student club committee with any problems you might have!

Campus Security
The team of uncles and aunties in the campus security division are the enforcers of law and order on campus. See something suspicious? See someone dubious? Call the lovely folks over at campus security! Their 24 hour hotline is:    67905200

The Art, Design & Media club is the constituent club representing the students of ADM. The aim of the student club is to look after the welfare of the students, give them a voice in the university, and brighten up the otherwise monotonous university life. The club is the bridge between students and university, and is also part of the Student Union council, working with other clubs and societies in the university to collectively improve student life.

Events are organized throughout the academic year. Annual events (in chronological order) are:

Elections
Annual General Meeting
Mooncake Festival
Halloween
FOCAL Film Festival
GrafFire
End of Year Party
Freshmen Orientation Camp

The ADM Club is run by ADM students with a drive to serve a greater purpose. They are headed by the club’s management committee elected every year comprised of

President
Vice President
Honorary General Secretary
Financial Controller
Business Manager
Union Representative

Co-opted positions in the committee are selected by the elected committee of the year.

Welfare Officer
Publicity & Publications Officer
Special Projects Officer

The student club is here to serve the needs of the students with our indomitable spirit of youthful passion!

For general matters:
President
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For welfare related matters:
Welfare Officer
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For event related matters:
Special Projects Officer
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