NUS Computer Science vs NTU Accountancy
Note: I posted this at http://forum.brightsparks.com.sg/showthread.php?p=60244
Hi everyone,
I’ve already got a course in NUS Computer Science (targeting to go to Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media after the common 1st year) for the 2012 intake. However, I have started to reconsider and the other course I’ve been thinking about is NTU Accountancy. I have to admit, it’s more of a lifestyle than an interest thing that triggered this off.
I need some opinions and experiences, preferably from people who have been there before, whether in the course or the working world.
I have come up with several reasons for the reconsideration, as well as some concerns that I might have.
tl;dr: Important concerns in bold
Overtime (Accountancy)
I’ve read that accountants need to OT often, especially during the end of the month “book closing” period, or the audit period. Is this true? Or do they OT everyday? I want to have a life after work everyday, not slog it out into the AM.
Overtime (Computer Science)
I’m not sure how often Computer Science graduates have to OT, and by the way, I intend to major in Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media, specifically, I want to go into the video game industry. My guess is that OT will occur when I have to meet deadlines for projects, and not to mention that patches and fixes that have to be rushed out after a game is released.
Salary (Accountancy)
I think it’s widely recognized that accountants have high salaries. Not much question here unless I’m wrong.
Salary (Computer Science)
I always had the assumption that programmers make good money, but the IT industry is filled with Indian foreign talent who readily accept a lower pay than us locals. Not to mention, many people have some sort of programming knowledge, especially poly graduates and those who decide to learn it as a hobby. Do I have a valid worry that such people will pull down my salary, or would specializing in some sort of game design prevent this from happening?
Competition For Jobs/Job Prospects (Accountancy)
I have the impression that jobs are readily available for accountants. Is this right or are accountants saturating the market since it’s rather popular? This is attractive for me as it makes my options more flexible and I can change jobs if I am not happy with the working environment there, rather than just “sucking it up and endure it”. Also, is there a need to be always ahead of the pack as an accountant? Or can I just get my degree/ACCA, find a job, and then do my job without worrying that a better qualified person is going to replace me?
Competition For Jobs/Job Prospects (Computer Science)
Take into account my previous point of foreign talent. Also consider the fact that I prefer to go into the video game industry, and that the video game industry isn’t very big in Singapore. Yes, it’s growing, but it’s still small. I’d rather not go overseas. Another issue is that we have to be at the top/be the best at what we do in order to be wanted in the industry (or at least the big ones like Ubisoft or EA), since we have to be competitive and creative. The last issue is that IT advances quickly, and I’m not sure if I want to stress myself by needing to keep up with the times and learning new stuff. Putting aside the video game industry, I know that IT is going to be huge. Smartphones, cloud computing and augmented reality is really coming up now.
Before I go on to my interest level, which I believe many of you will bring up as the key point to what I should choose, let me tell you that I have absolutely no prior background knowledge about Accountancy or Computer Science. If this is any help, I took Economics for the first 3 months (PAE) in JC, hated it and changed to Geography. I’m a avid video gamer, FB addict and can watch TV shows and movies on the computer from morning till night, without getting bored or tired. But like many say, making a game is very different from playing one. I may hate one and love the other. Granted, I’m more comfortable at using a computer since I’m always using one. I took a look at the poly notes for Accountancy, and I found the business law section very interesting (I have yet to look at the other parts of Accountancy at a more in-depth level).
So really, I can’t give you guys or myself a good gauge on my interest level since I haven’t explored enough. Accountants seem to have boring jobs, and Computer Science seems no better, unless I do something related to media or entertainment, like the video games industry. In fact, I have very little interest in getting a Computer Science related job that does not have anything to do with the entertainment or media sectors. So I was thinking, if they’re both going to be boring, why not choose a more stable and lucrative job?
This isn’t really important, but I have more friends and there are more girls in Accountancy. Lol.
My grades are:
GP: B
H2 Math: A
H2 Physics: B
H2 Chemistry: B
H1 Geography: A
PW: A
Chinese: S (yeah yeah)
Yes, it’s VERY borderline for entry into NTU Accountancy. I’m still willing to try.
Well, this is a very long post, and unlike most people who compare similar courses. But I hope you’ll take time to read this and give me your opinions on the matter. This is going to affect my life for the next 30-40 years. Thanks!
tl;dr: Important concerns in bold.
