AB0403 DECISION MAKING WITH PROGRAMMING & ANALYTICS (3.0 AU)

W mod

This module was a general nightmare for me, even though my prof (Yeo Wee Kiang) was honestly a very dedicated and knowledgeable prof. As per the other reviews, the group is really really important. Get someone that at least knows what theyre doing. Consult with your prof too to get a rough idea of how your project is faring, because it was through this way we realise there were many projects wayy better than ours. The prof could also help with some hints towards your problems!
The quizzes themselves… I would simply recommend to keep practicing. I got through the first quiz this way and was quite satisfied. But the second quiz, oh gosh. Best is if you can find someone who can tell you roughly the types of questions asked, if not you’d be in for a rude shock like me. I am not sure how I scraped through this module, so good luck!

If you have had experience with Python & SQL (e.g. CITREP+ after JC/Poly/NS, or ACS/BA/RA specialisations), the module content should be a cakewalk. Study up for the assessments, since the weightage is high. Prepare a good cheatsheet; failing that, download the cheatsheets from DataCamp (https://www.datacamp.com/community/data-science-cheatsheets).

The gripe I have with this module is really about the projects, which are a massive timesuck. A bit unreasonable for a 3 AU module, but NTU curriculum design is weird.

Best advice I received/can offer: Start early, earlier than you think is necessary. Sit down to code, whether you like it or not – you won’t get into a good flow otherwise.

Lecturer was Huang Bin, a part-timer. Teaching was good for the most part; class participation isn’t an issue if you show up.

Grade: A+ (don’t ask me how, idk either)

Prof Koh, first batch of students that had to take this as a compulsory mod

Basically I kind of hated python…. so this mod was kind of difficult for me. I felt like I understood what was taught but when it comes to tests, it is just so much more than basic knowledge taught. You have to understand rather than just memorise how its done to score, I believe.

TEAM is super important because the project can make or break your grades so best to have mates that maybe have basic knowledge

Prof. Chan Wai Xin
AY 20/21

TBH its an okay mod, just need to study and get the technicals right. Overall course coord is p trash, better off watching youtube videos. They dont give feedback so dont expect to learn much. They will tell you, the quizzes serve as an “assessment”, like whats the point of learning if you dont give constructive feedback? Also, Prof. Chan is a snake, project wise is 40% and if he doesnt appreciate your effort, good luck.

I enjoyed this mod quite a lot as I am better at technical stuff. I coped well before PA1. However, afterwards, things got pretty complicated. However, with my class part marks, decent PA1 marks and decent team mates (VERY IMPT), the journey was quite smooth sailing. My probably bad PA2 marks did not weigh me down too much. My prof was also really nice: Prof Yeo Wee Kiang

very interesting mod, giving us a first-hand experience with coding. we got to learn python and some sql which are useful tech skills. the first test was harder than the 2nd test but still manageable. have fun with this mod!

Took this mod in AY20/21 Sem 1. My prof was Koh Choon Chye. He’s a pretty good prof who is very patient, goes through the workshop solutions slowly, and will keep repeating the coding concepts until we get it. He normally gives his own solutions which are actually better than the official solutions uploaded on the blackboard as his solutions can tackle problems better and tend to be more efficient. He is also very nice and approachable and will help you out in your projects. The only problem is that he does not really go beyond the scope unlike Prof Chin Chee Kai. He also does not have much practices before tests so do ask your friends from other classes such as those in Chin Chee Kai’s class.

Honestly, this mod was the most interesting and fun out of all the other mods in year 1. This was my first experience with coding just like most business students. Initially, everyone will struggle with this mod, but trust me it’ll get so much better if you put in the effort to do every workshop and actually have fun playing around with the codes. But of course, this mod is not for everyone because there were many who thought it was too difficult. Still, it is definitely a good skill to have and is a good exposure if you have interest specialising in BA.

Assessments wise, the first quiz is MCQ-based and only tests on syntax. This is quite hard cause it requires quite a bit of memorising of how the codes will turn out to look like which honestly is a bad way of testing coding skills. Most people do badly on this portion. The second quiz tests your actual coding ability which is done on both Spyder and Jupyter. This is much easier but of course as usual many people struggle. So, grades-wise do not worry to much about having to dabao because most the bell-curve is very gentle and will definitely be in your favour. For both quizzes, I received the highest band.

For the group project, it really depends on your project mates. If you get groupmates bad at coding, you will just have to tank most parts. How the project is assessed really depends on your profs. Some profs care more about creativity and the actual codes while others care more about the functionality and idea as they know we are not professional coders. Start during recess week so that you have ample time to complete the project and do well for it.

In summary, all you need to do well is just to make sure that you go to every class and complete all workshops and practices. You don’t really need to go beyond the material being taught but of course that would be better. My final grade is an A so as long as you put in effort like me, you can definitely do well!

Pretty much a self-study module.
Profs are usually adjunct and it might be hard to find one that is good at teaching.
To do well, you have to find a good group with at least one person who is a good coder since the group project is very heavy.
The quizzes may feel unfair since the questions are from a question bank, you might get “harder” questions depending on your luck.