DiscoverSUTD is a 3-week long introduction to the SUTD community. It will last from 13 September 2021 to 30 September 2021. This event is collaboratively brought to you by the various Fifth Rows, faculty, pillars, housing, and research labs.

The main event page serves as the starting point for your SUTD journey. Within this page, there is a community calendar, session sign-ups and speaker biographies for our flagship event, the SUTD Human Library.

Now before you continue, you are highly recommended to bookmark this page! This guide will be updated continuously as we receive feedback throughout the event. Through this guide, you will be able to learn more about what SUTD can offer.

What you'll learn

These are the key areas of DiscoverSUTD.

  1. DiscoverPeople: Human Library
  2. DiscoverPlaces
  3. DiscoverPillars
  4. Discover5thRows

Over the next few pages, we'll take you through what we've planned in each area, and why you should attend these activities! You'll find a detailed breakdown of the sign-up process in Section 7 of this guide: Calendar.

Last but not least, we have an AMA Telegram group (Check your email for the invite!). You're encouraged to join it and use it to ask questions or report problems/feedback to your seniors.

Human Library

A Human Library allows YOU to borrow "books". These books are real people: professors and our very own SUTD alumni. When you borrow a book, you can sit down with them and have an informal conversation about their experiences both inside and outside of SUTD.

Every single book will have a bio that gives you a rough idea of what conversation topics you might expect! You can read all bios right here(provide link) and pick your book according to the pillar or faculty you are desired to find out more about.

During the Human Library, you can expect to gain new insights about the various aspects of being a part of the SUTD community, as well as the work experiences and lessons learnt by faculty/researchers throughout their careers, giving you a better understanding of the wider world.

Supper sessions

At SUTD, we love free food, or as we call it, DSBJ (Don't Say Bo Jio)

To celebrate the start of your SUTD adventure, we're going to be organising supper four times a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 16/9 to 30/9.

On each day, there will be one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian food item.

SUTD has many research labs located all around the campus. These labs are usually not accessible due to research work but for one day only, we will be conducting lab tours!

Here's a broad overview of the labs that will be opening their doors during the DiscoverPlaces event. Each lab covers a specific niche, so do take note of which lab piques your interest!

iTrust

Research on the development of advanced tools and methodologies to ensure the security and safety of current and future systems in five thrusts:

You can learn more about iTrust on their website.

SUTD-MIT International Design Centre (IDC)

The SUTD-MIT International Design Centre engages in a broad range of collaboration and outreach programs with industry, academia and other design research centers and has incubated a growing list of startups.

You can learn more about IDC on their website.

DmanD

The SUTD Digital Manufacturing and Design and (DManD) Centre was established to carry out cutting-edge research that will create the frontiers of digital design and manufacturing. Our center houses various additive manufacturing machines, as well as characterization facilities, allowing us to move from concept to prototype quickly.

You can learn more about DmanD on their website.

Entrepreneurship Centre

We provide support and avenues for entrepreneurship related activities that turn ideas into reality. Our activities range from entrepreneurship education, experiential programs, overseas entrepreneurship exposures, Entrepreneurship capstone, incubation, mentoring, and events around entrepreneurship.

You can learn more about EC on their website.

FabLab

The Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab) and its Satellite Fab Labs aim to allow students to design and build virtually "almost anything" with high-performance machines such as Laser Cutting and Engraving systems, 3D Printers, Plastic Injection Molding machines, vertical sanders, Water-jet Machining Centers, Vertical Injection Molding machines, etc.

ROAR Lab

Led by Assistant Professor Mohan Rajesh Elara, the Robotics and Automation Research (ROAR) Lab focuses on reconfigurable robotics for cleaning and maintenance. This means that our robots are able to adjust its morphology to adapt to its environment and efficiently complete its assigned task.

DiscoverPillars is where freshmores will have their first exposure to what the various pillars of SUTD offers. Pillars are a key part of the SUTD curriculum where one finds their passion and delves deep into their areas of interest. Don't miss out on this chance to hear from the people who designed the pillar curriculums and clarify any pressing questions you might have.

Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD)

Venue: Zoom

Date and time: 28/9, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

You can learn more about ASD on their website.

Engineering Product Development (EPD)

Venue: Zoom

Date and time: 23/9/2021, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

You can learn more about EPD on their website.

Engineering Systems and Design (ESD)

Venue: Workshop (Registration link)

Date and time: 21/9/2021, 3:00pm - 4:00pm

You can learn more about ESD on their website.

Information Systems Technology and Design (ISTD)

Venue: Zoom

Date and time: 29/9/2021, 3:00pm - 4:00p

You can learn more about ISTD on their website.

There are 20+ sessions designed just for you! These include:

That's a lot of sessions so you can use the event calendar to help sort them out for you! You will be able to sign up from there as well.

Many great things are going on during the DiscoverSUTD period. Hence, we've prepared an event calendar to help you get a bird's eye view of what exciting activities are happening each day!

The calendar can be accessed at https://discover.sutd.dev/calendar/. When you go to the URL, you should see this:

By clicking on the event name, you will be brought to the event abstract where you can find out more details about the event and sign up for the event itself:

  1. Click on the event you're interested in
  2. From there, you will be able to see all the information about the event
  3. If you wish to attend, click the sign-up link (not all events require sign-up)
  4. To fill in the Form, you will need to sign in with your SUTD Microsoft account
  5. After submitting the form, you will be considered registered for the event

Sign up early because some sessions have limited vacancies!

Food is one of the things that matter to us the most! Within the school, there are a few eateries that students go to if they fancy something outside the canteen.

Veg options (no allium) ✔️ Halal✔️

Opening Hours: 9am to 8pm (weekdays)

Veg options (ask for no allium) ✔️

Opening Hours: 8:30am 5:30pm (weekdays)

Veg options (no allium) ✔️

Opening Hours: 24/7

Ready Meals with Veg options (no allium) ✔️

A couple of restaurants at Changi City Point (CCP) offers food at prices that are friendlier for students. CCP is within walking distance, one MRT stop away (Expo MRT). There is also a shuttle bus that runs at 30-minute intervals (starting at 11:15am and ending at 7:45pm).

Fancy heading out a bit further? Want to treat yourself to a job well done? A mere two MRT stops away (and with no transfers required) is Tampines, with the following excellent (if a bit hard on your wallet) food places: (Note: the list is not exhaustive)

Jewel@Changi Airport (closest thing to paradise itself)

Blogs such as TheSmartLocal, TimeOut, and DanielFoodDiary have written so much about Jewel. Guess what? We're literally two MRT stops away! If we were to list the number of restaurants it would take up the rest of the page... so we'll leave you to explore it yourself!

There are three housing blocks for students: Block 59 (nearest to campus), Block 57 (middle) and Block 55 (furthest from campus). Block 59 and Block 55 have nice rooftop areas on L12 with great views and some benches.

Facilities

Hacks

Securing Your Spot After Freshmore

In order of priority, here are some things that you need to know as housing goes by this for consideration to allocate you for housing.

  1. Do not get yourself a letter of warning and a notice of breach. Follow the rules spelt out. Especially for those involving the pandemic. Wear your masks everywhere you go. Even when going to the toilet, sharp eyes security will catch you.
  2. Attend more than 2 events for each term. You get free participation points and mostly free food.
  3. For local students, if you stay in the middle of Singapore or further, your chances are higher for a longer-term stay.
  4. This is very important: Applying for housing before the closing date in your emails at every application cycle.

Note: International students are not exempted from two of the listed criteria. If you are a very obedient person and you do not attend more than two events. Do not be surprised if you are unable to secure your spot at housing. If you have one letter of warning, you can email for reasons and bargain with housing. You can also be kicked out during your agreed stay period.

After some time in school, you would realise that rooms in our school are often referred to using code numbers (e.g. 2.506). Here's a quick breakdown of what this code means to ease getting yourself around:

Also, if you need to go across buildings, the following levels are interconnected in this fashion:

Spaces to work after class are not limited to your cohort classrooms. Here is a quick list of alternatives that are used by your seniors:

Time is short in SUTD, and 3.5 years can pass by you in a flash. Here are some suggestions to help you get the most out of your time here in SUTD.

The SUTD curriculum provides you with robust theoretical foundations and bare minimum practical foundations, which might not be sufficient for thriving in the working world. And in fact, many of the more "applied" courses occur late in your undergrad career (Term 6 onwards). This is after your internship opportunities and about the time when you begin your job hunt.

In our experience, projects and technical skills can weigh far more heavily than grades can. It is important to avoid focusing solely on grades, as it is very important to bolster your knowledge with practical and technical skills for the career path you at looking for.

As such you should be prepared to develop your skills during your own time:

We recommend spending Term 1 joining a UROP, or specialist clubs and societies to try to bolster your skills! Take advantage of the lower academic pressure to invest in your technical abilities. Remember, no matter how well or badly you do, every grade is still recorded as 'PASS' in Term 1.

Then, with a foundation, to start diving into a deeper project or discipline in Term 2 immediately. Pillar years can get quite hectic, and many students find they no longer have the time to spend self-learning technical skills then. Your Freshmore year is the best time to get a firm technical foundation!

That said, don't go around failing subjects! Grades are still relevant. They help you to open up a lot of opportunities in school (like exchanges) and are important for pursuing further studies as well as qualifying for careers in certain sectors (particularly Government sectors and Academia).

Doors are always Open

In SUTD, the faculty and staff are always willing to engage with students. Email professors directly if you're interested in their work, or if you have an interesting idea, and need some help.

Outside of school, you'll often realise that people are pretty welcoming as well. Don't be afraid to cold call companies for opportunities such as internships or mentorship. It is common for students to get better responses from contacting the company directly compared to using the official career portal.

At SUTD, plenty of opportunities for people of different interests are available, and those with a keen desire to do research work will find that plenty of research opportunities abound. During the first few weeks in school, we would like to nudge you to think about topics you are interested in, do a bit of your research/reading, and figure out if you would like to pursue it as a UROP!

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

Funding: Up to $1500 per project

UROPs are the main source of research opportunities for undergraduate students. There are 2 ways that one can join a UROP:

  1. Applying for a project listed by a Professor/Faculty member on MyPortal. Students are to contact project supervisors to discuss the details of the project before applying
  2. No projects to suit your fancy? Pitch your project! At SUTD, the professors and faculty are more than willing to support/guide students in their own initiated projects. If you have an idea that you feel is worth exploring, but lack the guidance and financial support to do so, a self-initiated UROP is always a good idea.

IDC-UROP

Funding: Up to $2000 per student in project group

Have an idea you're super keen on exploring, but UROP funding is insufficient? Consider applying for a self-initiated project with the International Design Centre. Some examples of ongoing IDC-UROPs (slightly outdated though) can be found here

Of course, all funding comes at a price, IDC-UROPs require a detailed proposal and a comprehensive final report detailing the full scope, methods and findings of the project upon the conclusion of the UROP (only good practice really).

Watch out for an email from IDC for an open call for new UROP proposals.

It is not uncommon to have multiple assignments due in the same week (or day), along with multiple project checkpoints or submissions in certain weeks (often right before or after recess week). You should mentally prepare yourself for the workload.

Here are some tips to help manage the workload:

Discourse is a platform for SUTD students where they can create threads about a topic similar to a discussion forum.

Follow these steps to get started with Discourse by clicking here!

Creating an account

1. Go to this website; https://sutdiscourse.org/login
2. Click on the "Sign up" button


3. Fill in the particulars as stated

Important Notes:
Email: Use your school email (e.g [email protected])
SUTD Matriculation Number: Starts with 100XXXX
Role: Student

Click "Create your account" once you have completed












4. Once done, you should receive a notification to activate your account via email. Log in to your email account and check your inbox. Click on the activation link to activate your account.





5. Once you have activated your account, click on the "Log In" button and start to fill in your email/username and password and log in.


Starting a new topic

1. Find the "+

New Topic" button to create a new topic







2. Add the title and the content you want to share in the box below. You can use the category tags provided or create your own tags to categorise a certain topic (e.g Academics, Housing)

Once done, click "+Create Topic" to share

Congratulations! You have reached the end of this guide.

Hope you enjoy your very own DiscoverSUTD adventure!

Wish you the best of luck, and have fun in SUTD!

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