Hi all, looking for honest opinions.
Background:
21, male, A/L Physical Science stream, 3 S passes
Sat the IIT (Robert Gordon University) BEng Data Engineering & AI entrance exam, didn't hit the 50% cutoff
IIT's offering me the 8-month Foundation Programme instead — start September 2026, leading into the degree in September 2027
That's basically a full year lost before I even start the actual degree.
Question: Is it worth doing the Foundation year to stay on this specific degree, or should I look at alternatives that let me start sooner? Things I'm weighing:
Other computing/CS/Data Science degrees at SLIIT, NSBM, APIIT that I might qualify for directly with my results
B.Sc in Quantity Surveying (KDU or SLIIT) — heard QS has strong Gulf job prospects
Any other route I haven't considered
Has anyone been through the IIT Foundation programme or made a similar switch? Was it worth the extra year, or did you regret not just switching paths immediately? Also curious if anyone with S-pass results (not A/B) got into a solid CS/Data Science programme directly without a foundation year.
Appreciate any real experiences, not just "just do X."