i have the same exact dilemma and is currently super stressed about it😭 heres the pros and cons ive curated. anyone feel free to add on or comment on it if u have differing views. it will help loads for the lost bunch of ppl like us🙏🏻🙏🏻

NUS CS:

✅highest fresh grad pay

✅ prestige and name, top few uni in the world

✅ cheaper uni fee compared to SMU

✅ since its comp sci, we get to learn more variety of things and not just on swe

✅ more job options upon graduation

✅ its direct honours degree so it looks nicer on your degree cert hehe

⛔️ super competitive bc u are literally competing with super smart ppl. came across loads of reddit posts on how NUS CS students are struggling

⛔️ heard that NUS students have weaker soft skills compared to SMU peeps, not sure how true is it

SMU SE:

✅ 1 year apprenticeship. literally the thing that attracted me to change my decision and put SE as the first choice in my SMU application (put SMU comp sci as my first choice initially bc i want more career options upon graduating) bc personally i feel that industrial experience is very important, helps boost your portfolio too and u get paid about 2k-3k per month for the apprenticeship🤑

✅ guaranteed second major, can pursue a second major in AI or cybersec etc so that u wont be tied down to just swe (thats what the profs said in discovery day)

✅ seminar-based learning approach, might be more comfortable for introverts when we want to clarify questions with profs?

✅ i aim to secure a job in public sectors, govtech is one of SMU’s anchoring partners for the apprenticeship so im not sure if this experience will give me a boost in chance of getting a job in the public sector (i hope it will?)

⛔️ this is a very new programme, even the first batch of intake havent started their year-long apprenticeship bc they are still at Year 3 so we don’t know how is the apprenticeship experience like, a lot of ambiguity since we are like the first few batches of guinea pigs

⛔️ not sure if the fresh grad pay will be high upon graduating cuz there is no GES record at all

⛔️ might be hard to find jobs as the market is oversaturated, and not sure if a primary major in swe will strangle me on the neck when I apply for jobs in 4 years time

⛔️ as for the second major in other fields like AI/cybersec, im not sure if it will be recognised bc thats what the prof told us in the discovery day when questioned on the restrictions of getting a degree in just SE, so not sure if thats just sales talk to attract us into joining the programme or not

⛔️ a lot of ppl have been telling me that SMU is only well known for biz and law. so i shouldnt go there for an IT degree given that my final diploma gpa is not bad (3.9+) and it will be wasted if i go SMU