NTU Year 1 Guide

New to NTU? Here are the key things to settle before school begins and after school starts.

Last reviewed: 9 August 2026

Info About Important Links for Freshmen

Quick Description of the 10 Important NTU Links

NTU Freshmen Important Dates

Official NTU key dates for matriculation, fees and the Tuition Grant

First Week Survival Guide

Understanding NTU Academic Lingo & Module Basics

Decode the NTU terms you will hear in Year 1 from AU to BDE to Core.

What are Academic Units in NTU?

AUs represents the workload of a course. A common rule of thumb is that each AU roughly equals one additional hour of study per week. To graduate, you'll need to clear a certain number of AUs (depending on your programme) across different course types. You can track this in your Degree Audit.

Common NTU Academic Terms

Core: Compulsory Courses required for your programme.
Interdisciplinary Collaborative Core (ICC): Common university modules that all students have to take.
Broadening and Deepening Electives (BDEs): Unrestricted modules you can take from any school across NTU outside of your own major, allowing you to explore other interests or earn a minor.
Major Prescribed Electives (MPEs): Specialised modules you take related to your major according to your choice.
Index: a fixed timetable group on NTU STARS made up of a specific combination of lecture, tutorial and/or lab slots.
Prerequisite: a course you must clear before you are allowed to take another.
GPA: your Grade Point Average on a 5.0 scale at NTU.
CGPA: your cumulative GPA across all your semesters in NTU. You need at least 2.0 to graduate.

How do Modules work in Year 1?

In year 1 most of your courses are preallocated so you mainly swap indexes or add BDEs on NTU STARS.

How to see my Timetable?

Your timetable will be released nearing to Faculty Orientation.

How to register for Modules in future?

You can register for your modules on NTU STARS during your personalised course registration time and add/drop period.

How to swap indexes on NTU STARS?

On NTU STARS, you can swap your index to any available index. If there is no available index, you can arrange a direct swap with someone from your faculty, but this may require one person to share login information, which is risky and not recommended.

Add-Drop Period

Add/Drop is the period when you tidy up your timetable after your pre-registered courses are released.

When is Add-Drop Period?

For AY2026/27 Semester 1, Add/Drop runs from 7 August 2026 to 21 August 2026, 10:30am to 10:00pm.

What can I do during Add-Drop as a freshman?

You may be able to add courses, change indexes or adjust electives depending on your programme rules. Freshmen usually have their first-semester courses pre-registered, so Add/Drop is mainly used to swap indexes or add BDEs. Dropping courses is mainly for Year 2 or 3 onwards, and freshmen generally cannot drop Core Courses.

Where do I do Add-Drop?

Use NTU Stars to manage your courses and indexes during Add/Drop.

First Week of Lessons

The first week is mainly about understanding how each course runs and setting yourself up before the semester gets busy.

Should I attend the first lecture and tutorial?

Attend every first lecture and tutorial if possible. Professors usually use the first class to explain the course outline, grading breakdown and exam information. It also helps you see whether attendance or class participation matters. Mark all your quizzes, projects, midterms and finals in your calendar early so you do not miss anything important later in the semester.

Will every tutorial start in Week 1?

Not always. Some tutorials only start in Week 2 or Week 3, so check your course outline and NTULearn carefully before making the trip down.

What should I bring for lessons?

A laptop or iPad is usually enough, plus your charger if you need it. There are plenty of charging points around NTU.

Where can I rest or study between classes?

Lee Wee Nam Library's Hygge area is a common nap spot and the study desks there are also good for getting work done between classes.

Campus Navigation

Navigate around the confusing NTU Campus

NTU Maps

What is North Spine and South Spine in NTU? How do I know which one to go?

NTU is easier to understand if you first split it into two main zones: North Spine and South Spine. Your timetable will still send you around campus.

North Spine

Usually where Engineering except EEE, School of Environment, CCEB, CCDS have their classes.
Opposite North Spine, you have NIE Building where NIE students have classes.
Beside North Spine, you have ADM Building where art/design students have classes.

South Spine

Usually where NBS, SoH, SSS, Wee Kim Wee Students have classes.
Beside South Spine Canteen, there is SPMS Building where Physics and Math Students have classes.

SBS Students usually have classes in SBS Building which is near Nanyang Audi, middle of South Spine and North Spine. Entrepreneurship Students will have classes in Techno Plaza. Medicine Students usually have classes in Experimental Medicine Building and Novena Campus.

What does LHS, LHN, SHHK even stand for?

LHS is The Hive in NTU at South Spine.
LHN is The Arc in NTU at North Spine.
SHHK is the COHASS Building in NTU next to The Hive at South Spine.
NS means North Spine.
SS means South Spine.
WCYP means Wee Cho Yaw Plaza also known as NBS Building where NBS Students have classes.
SAC is Student Activities Centre where there is table tennis and places for students to study. If you are a Main Committee of Big 4 Clubs, you will use this place a lot 😉

Check the venue name in your timetable, then search it on NTU Maps. The Hive can be known as UOB Innovation Hub (😭).

Download the NTU Omnibus app and NTU Pass

Travelling to/in NTU

What are NTU Omnibus and NTU Pass for?

Get both the NTU Omnibus app and NTU Pass from the App Store or Google Play Store.

NTU Omnibus checks NTU bus timings which is useful if you stay in hall. NTU Pass lets you flash your student card for discounts and to access facilities around NTU.

Is GPA truly important?

This is just my own opinion. I used to think GPA was everything. I got second upper in my first semester but I was really stressed.

I put most of my attention into studying because I was still stuck in the Singapore education system mindset. I did not want to take risks. I was scared to try something I actually liked.

Later my dad suggested tutoring. I was hella nervous at first but I tried it. It was a whole new ball game. Teaching forced me to explain concepts in simple ways I would never have thought of as a student.

Much later I started taking bigger risks, including mini projects for students like NTU Links. I spent 3-4 months working on it and kept iterating the UI until it reached its current state.

During that period my GPA fell from second upper to 3.6, then to 3.1. It only went back up to 3.5 after FGO. I have gotten countless Cs and Ds, but I honestly feel they will not matter as much because your network and skills matter more.

I like coding and selling mini products. I am happy doing that.

NTU Links is an unofficial, student-run site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NTU. Links lead to third-party portals, so always confirm details with official NTU sources. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from use of this site or the linked portals.