CM3252 - POLYMER CHEMISTRY 1

Academic Year 22/23 - Semester 1

Assessments:

CA1 (A/P Chi Chunyan): 25%
CA2 (A/P Chi Chunyan): 25%
CA3 (A/P Tan Zhi Kuang): 20%
CA4 (A/P Tan Zhi Kuang): 30%

Lecturer(s) and Tutor(s): A/P Chi Chunyan & A/P Tan Zhi Kuang

Review 1

Module Overview: Synthesis of polymers, types of polymers, mechanisms of polymers

Overall Difficulty: Average

Difficulty of Assessment:

CA1: Very Easy

CA2: Difficult

CA3: Easy

CA4: Difficult

Pace of Module: Just Nice

Enjoyability: 4/5

Usefulness: 4/5

Workload of Module (Average Number of hours spent per week):

To learn the content: 4 hours

To complete assignments: 1.5 hours

How did you find the contents (how it was delivered) and the assessments of the module?

Lectures were good for both professors. However, the pacing may be a little rushed towards the end of each lecturer’s parts, due to the number of CAs packed into 13 weeks. As such, certain content was just taught and were expected to be applied within the same week with minimal examples.

How was your experience with the module?
Fun module to take, useful for materials study. Tutorials and lectures require people to answer questions, rather unorthodox in Singapore’s context. For slow learners like me, I usually compile my learning at the end of each day. During the lecture, I could not get most of the questions, so this part was not helpful for me.

Review 2

Module Overview:

Chi Chunyan: Nomenclature and types of polymers (chain-growth, step-growth polymers)/Mechanism and basic kinetics of polymer reactions/Stereochemistry of polymers and how to control them/Synthetic methods for special polymers (cross-linked, block and graft copolymers)

Tan Zhi Kuang: Thermodynamics of polymers (Gibbs Free Energy, etc.)/Analytical techniques of polymers (GPC, DLS)/Mechanical properties of polymers

Overall Difficulty: Easy

Difficulty of Assessment:

CA1: Easy

CA2: Easy

CA3: Very Easy

CA4: Difficult

Pace of Module: Just Nice

Enjoyability: 2/5

Usefulness: 3/5

Workload of Module (Average Number of hours spent per week):

To learn the content: 3 hours

To complete assignments: 2 hours

How did you find the contents (how it was delivered) and the assessments of the module?

Prof Chi Chunyan part was relatively straightforward with a lot of memory work involved. She goes through the content slow enough such that everyone can follow, and she is always open to questions. Both quizzes were closed book. Her quizzes were mostly memory work and quite simple if you memorized well. Prof Tan Zhi Kuang part was also straightforward, and he goes through the contents very slowly especially for the thermodynamics portion as he understands that students mostly struggle with physical chemistry. Both quizzes were open book. The thermodynamic quiz (quiz 1) was straightforward if you listened during his lectures as most of the questions tested were covered by him during lectures. His quiz 2 on properties and analytical techniques of polymers were tougher as each question involves concepts from the different topics he taught and were less straightforward.

How was your experience with the module?

Overall, I think the module serves as a good introduction to polymer chemistry. Polymer chemistry has great potential in the materials and medicinal field. Both Prof Chi Chunyan and Prof Tan Zhi Kuang are good professors who can pace their lectures well and also handle questions well. Prof Chi Chunyan part requires lots of memory work while Prof Tan Zhi Kuang part requires you to listen during lectures. Lectures are not webcasted, but it is at 4pm so it is still manageable, tutorials have various timeslots, and the professors handle the tutorials personally and teaches pretty well too since they took this module for a couple of years already. Bellcurve for all quizzes were pretty steep as they were easy/open book.

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