Taken AY2014/2015 Semester 2
SE1101E/GEK1008: Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
I took this module thinking it would be an easy option, but was (not-so-pleasantly) surprised by the workload this sem. While students were previously assessed based on a single individual essay, we were faced with an extremely time-consuming fieldwork project. There is a small plus point however – the content for this mod was rather interesting (especially if you have a penchant for anything Southeast Asian), and the lecturers were humourous and engaging. It may sometimes get too “fluffy” and vague (maybe that’s SEA for you), but that was okay since everything was neatly organized into clear and distinct topics.
Assessment
10%: tutorial attendance/ participation
50%: fieldwork project (25% for presentation, 25% for group paper)
40%: finals (MCQ, short answer questions, essay)
For the project, we were sorted into groups of 2-3 people and assigned a fieldwork location. Don’t bank on grouping with your friends because (depending on your tutor), you may not get to choose your group mates. Also, the fieldsite allocation is completely random, and done by drawing lots – good luck if you’re stuck with something a bit more difficult.
We were given a few questions to guide our field study. Try to answer those questions as best you can (both in the paper and presentation), because you’ll be graded largely based on that. Observe, take pictures, and if there is a need, conduct interviews.
The final exam was a bit of a nightmare. The MCQ consists of a map section, and you’ll be expected to know the rough locations of countries, capitals etc. You’ll also have to read almost all (or at least scan) the readings, because they may test on the smallest of details in the MCQ. Although, I doubt anyone will have the time and willpower to plough through every single one of them. The short answer questions were killer as well. We were asked to give at least four examples for every question, so be prepared to mug as many as possible. Lastly, there was one essay (no options!) to complete. Again, examples are important and since the question requires that you draw on content across multiple topics, you basically have to study everything.
Workload
Being an intro mod, SEA studies definitely has an insane workload. I would say that unless you’re interested in majoring, think twice about taking this mod. You’ll have to be willing to spend a lot of time on the project, on top of your other more important core mods.
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