Some thoughts about the exams and other stuff

And it is the time of the year that university students get stressed out over the approaching final examinations.

The judgement day that will determine how well we did for the modules...

Oh well, how prepared we are for it will determine it. Hopefully I won't screw up too badly...

At this moment people are still playing (there's some IFG or IVP, dunno which, competition going on at the hard court now) and of course the age old DOTA is still the rage. i have long deleted Doom from my system and made it such that it is very tedious to re install it. Probably will not re install it even after the exams due to my temp job which i am taking up...

My bicycle is getting pretty beat up due to the rain, the air in the tyres is also in need of some refilling. Guess it wasnt such a good decision bringing it here, will have to think about leaving it at home and letting my family members use it. I don't use it often anyway cos its not a very friendly cycling environment in NUS.

I spoke to my good senior within the Organisation yesterday trying to dissuade him from his 'decision'. Well, looks like his mind is made up. Now let's hope that some other people have good sense not to force him in this respect.

Today is the day when members of the Organisation will pound the streets seeking donations. Being stuck in school all day long (with revision and subsequently work) i dont think i will run into any of them. Anyway, hope the figure gets higher this year. I am still mulling over whether to go down tomorrow to help count the donations. Or, since technically I am supposed to be 'moved up', maybe I should let the 'younger ones' have the chance to take charge. That's part of the qualities of leadership I guess... to groom other leaders to take over. Else they will just grow frustrated and leave after a while.

Succession is at the top of my mind when it comes the the Organisation, even more than the on going problem (which i have put on the back burner till after my exams) regarding recognising members of the Organisation for a period of service equivalent to a decade.

Decade just took on a new meaning for me. For my fellow students taking ME2142 (Feedback Control Systems) they will know that it refers to every scale of 10 on a log graph paper scale.

Ok, based on my study plan that will be done on Monday... Today is still Maths day and I have finally mastered the PDEs (which was Victor Tan's stuff all along.) Ever wonder why I got a C+ for MA1506? :'(

I'm now trying to download old exams from the NUS portal but to my chagrin, the website has some problem!! now the only one i have is an old ME2114 and MA3501 paper.. guess that will have to make do.

(seniors, got any? :P:P)

Okay, time to take stock, 25 days to the exams means precisely 5 days per module and time to shift up to the next higher gear. All students having exams now Good Luck All the best... and remember... just do your best and not focus on the final result...

A4 helpsheet for exams

Another important reminder. Please take note that you are not allowed to increase the size of the real estate on the A4 helpsheet through the use of additional stick-on, or "Post It", notes.

I wonder how many people have tried to 'choot' this 'stunt' before... Real estate, haha

The Organisation

Today was a day of utter disappointment and anger at some things which are transpiring within the Organisation...

It turned out that the interview will result in me becoming a small fish in a big pond instead of a big fish in a small pond. And to complicate matters, one of my bestest buddies in the Organisation who has seen me from a young cadet to where I am now, has made the decision to leave the Organisation after serving for close to two decades. Sad to see him go, and feelings are made worse when it is because of a misjudgment made by the top management in the Organisation.

Another thing which made me very angry is one of the events held in the Organisation recently. Apparently, the organisers made a mistake which has repercussions on one of my stakes within the Organisation. Well, just have to see how things unfold from here on... meanwhile, i am in 'hibernation mode'... :D

in response.

EDIT: post removed.

Some thoughts about the Organisation

I received a note earlier today that I have been nominated to attend this interview that may see the addition of another 20 grams on my epulatte..a black cloth behind my collar lapel...

Somehow, after 10 years of serving the Organisation, and seeing my juniors rise through the ranks and are now same rank as me, I have grown ambivalent towards such things. Perhaps I have taken the cue from my senior, who despite involving in so many activities has chosen to stay put where he is and not move up. This I salute him, and it will take me some time to get used to being the same rank as him (if the interview is successful) as i always view him as my senior no matter what. And I will continue to address him as Sir. However, knowing the situation as it is, I do not wish to make any predictions as nothing is confimed until the rank is finally put onto my epulatte during the presentation ceremony. (EDIT: and I was darned right)

In coming so far, my success would not be possible without two people. You, who has seen me from the time when I was an impetuous sec 4 cadet and when I had to be reined in and told off to avoid making a fool out of myself. And you, who have silently always been there supporting the Corps, and filling in the gaps where I have missed out, while at the same time not compromising on your academics. I salute you both.

another interesting day!

today was NUS open house and i did quite a few things today...

1. in the morning, go there and pretend to be a freshie, which included get goodie bag but most importantly to support Raffles Hall's booth. was thinking of going to help out tomorrow but anyway...
2. the main highlight, i performed in the afternoon with a couple of friends from RH Unplugged! We had planned and practiced for this performance over the last couple of months and were now ready to give our best - which we did, it's very well done and i am glad to have had this opportunity!
3. after my performance ended, went for NUS The Other Organisation's AGM in the afternoon, at Bt Timah Campus (and got another goodie bag which included a very interesting book on the Supreme Court and the judicial system of Singapore.) think it was quite exciting and got to know a few new friends from there... :) congratulations to the newly elected exco, look forward to working with u guys...
4. after that went for dinner with my friends, and then to RV for UG camp...

Well the bane of any uniformed group officer nowadays is cadets who give attitude problems and we must now think of new ways to help them. I think they really need to understand the objective of the education system is to prepare them to step out into the world. Not just to equip you with head knowledge but also soft skills, how to deal with people, all these will be required of them in their future careers. Should they simply choose to kick against the goads, they are ultimately at the losing end.

As mentors for the cadets, ultimately we have their well-being at heart but sometimes, we have to come across harshly in order to get them to learn. Actually, a school setting is a very forgiving place towards mistakes (I wouldn't say the same about NUS where we have the CAP system and of course, not about life where a single misstep can cost dearly, depending on the circumstances.) One of my profs once said, he would rather we make a mistake in the course where at most, instead of A we get B, instead of B we get C. Rather than we make a mistake outside, where an engineer making a mistake, causes building to collapse; doctor making a mistake, causes patient to die; lawyer making a mistake, loses the case. Consequences are much more severe than simply getting a lower grade in school.

Something to think about, perhaps my comments may be applicable not just to UG training but also to normal school setting...

spring cleaning of my msn contact list

as i logged on to my msn from a different terminal today (using Windows Live Messenger) i saw that the contacts whom i have deleted in the past are still there under 'Non-Instant Messaging Contacts'. Began to delete them, this time permanently, one by one... At which i also started to look through my MSN contact list and decided to do a spring cleaning of my contacts.

Even when face to face interaction has been largely taken over by MSN, there comes a point when we speak to one another less and less often until one day, we look at this name on our contact list and wonder 'who's this fellow?'

So went the spring cleaning... All those people whom I deleted are those whom i have not spoken to in a long while... For some, I don't really know them, maybe they were a project group mate from two semesters ago, or an ex colleague from my temporary job, or even old classmates whom we've lost contact with. Oh well. Ppl come and go in our lives and it's a challenge to make an effort to maintain each and every one of these friendships...

lost.

lost.

I ask myself have I done my best and the answer is, yes and no. I have studied for this test the best i know how to but yet I know it is still inadequate. And that is why I still stumbled at the two questions which everyone else found easy.

Am I sad? Yes I am. Can I pick up the pieces and move on? I am trying to. Easier said than done!

---

I wonder, deep inside is there anyone I can turn to in times like this?

Is there anyone who really cares and is willing to listen?

As far as I know, now, NO and therefore I must continue to plod on, fighting this solo battle till god-knows-when.

---

Why am i hurting those who are closest to me?

---
My faith. Not so long ago, this blog title was actually a theological statement. Back then, I professed to put my trust in some higher being but my actions were completely different.

Do I still subscribe to the same faith? Yes, I do in the sense that I believe in the existence of God who created the universe and sent His Son down to die for our sins. I go to church every sunday (well, ok, almost every sunday) etc, all the trappings etc. But do i lead what my peers define as a victorious christian life? answer yes or no.

Those of you out there who know me better will know that i am going through a rough patch in my life. This blog title, my own world may be changed soon because my world is gradually starting to fall apart.

maybe i should change it to "my own world :("

why should i even bother to type this? will people listen? NO so the answer is NO, i shall not bother to type anymore.

Feedback on wasteful practices within NUS

Dear Sir/Mdm,

Please help to redirect to the proper authority if not under your
purview

Feedback No.1
I would like to highlight a wasteful practice in NUS by the NUS
admin, NUSSU and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM).

NUS publishes their quarterly newsletter, Knowledge Enterprise which
is also available online. NUSSU publishes a magazine titled ''The
Ridge'', and YCTSM prints postcard-sized flyers to publicise their
upcoming events. The various Faculties also have their own newsletter.

All these publications are placed at various locations in NUS for
distribution to the staff and student population. However, I have
observed that
More often than not, very few people take the materials, and when a
new edition comes out, these are simply thrown away.

Currently, the online version of Knowledge Enterprise is publicised
to NUS students and staff via e-mail.

The cost of printing these materials would inevitably be passed down
to the students as ''increased operating costs''.

As we have had two undergraduate fee hikes in as many years, and it
seems that another one is likely, I would strongly urge the NUS
administration to first cut down on wasteful practices like this,
before deciding on a fee increase.

Proposed Solution:
- For the Knowledge Enterprise, since an electronic version is
already available on the NUS website, we can do away with the
hardcopy version. Users can just hit the ''print'' button should they
be interested in a hardcopy version.
- Likewise for the YCTSM, instead of printing postcard-sized flyers,
posters could instead be used and put up on the many noticeboards in
NUS. I am pretty sure this will generate the required publicity
without incurring additional cost.
- For The Ridge and the various faculty newsletters, an online
version (publicised by e-mail perhaps) would suffice. No need for a
hardcopy version.

Feedback No.2
In NUS, many lights and air-conditioners in the common areas such as
labs, are kept on 24-hours.

I am pretty sure this wastage applies in other tertiary institutions
and public buildings.

This wastage of electricity will inevitably be passed down to the
students as increased operating costs, given that electricity tariffs
have only been rising over the years.

Proposed Solution:
- Implement electronic timing system to switch off the lights and air
conditioning during periods of low usage. There should of course be a
motion sensor to override this when there is a user in the vicinity.
Perhaps this can be an FYP topic for the Computing / Computer
Engineering students to take up...
- As for the common areas, it is understandable that the lights
should be on due to security reason, but it is possible to only
switch on some of the lights?

I hope that by looking into these issues, we can help the University
to save money and reduce wastage.

Something interesting.

> READ THIS SLOWLY - IT'S A KEEPER FOR SURE. THERE ARE
> SO MANY TRUTHS IN IT.
>
> I believe-
> That we don't have to change friends if we
> understand that friends change.
> I believe-
> That no matter how good a friend is, they're
> going to hurt you every once in a while and you must
> forgive them for that.
>
> I believe-
> That true friendship continues to grow, even
> over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
>
>
> I believe-
> That you can do something in an instant that
> will give you heartache for life.
>
> I believe-
> That it's taking me a long time to become the
> person I want to be.
>
> I believe-
> That you should always leave loved ones with
> loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
>
> I believe-
> That you can keep going long after you can't.
>
> I believe-
> That we are responsible for what we do, no
> matter how we feel.
>
> I believe-
> That either you control your attitude or it
> controls you.
>
> I believe-
> That regardless of how hot and steamy a
> relationship is at first, the passion fades and
> there had better be something else to take its
> place.
>
> I believe-
> That heroes are the people who do what has to
> be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the
> consequences.
>
> I believe-
> That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
>
> I believe-
> That my best friend and I can do anything or
> nothing and have the best time.
>
> I believe-
> That sometimes the people you expect to kick
> you when you're down, will be the ones to help you
> get back up.
>
> I believe-
> That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right
> to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to
> be cruel.
>
> I believe-
> That just because someone doesn't love you the
> way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love
> you with all they have.
>
> I believe-
> That maturity has more to do with what types of
> experiences you've had and what you've learned from
> them and less to do with how many birthdays you've
> celebrated.
>
> I believe-
> That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by
> others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive
> yourself.
>
> I believe-
> That no matter how bad your heart is broken the
> world doesn't stop for your grief.
>
> I believe-
> That our background and circumstances may have
> influenced who we are, but we are responsible for
> who we become.
>
> I believe-
> That just because two people argue, it doesn't
> mean they don't love each other. And just because
> they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
>
> I believe-
> That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a
> secret. It could change your life forever.
>
> I believe-
> That two people can look at the exact same
> thing and see something totally different.
>
> I believe-
> That your life can be changed in a matter of
> hours by people who don't even know you.
>
> I believe-
> That even when you think you have no more to
> give, when a friend cries out to you, you
> will find the strength to help.
>
> I believe-
> That credentials on the wall do not make you a
> decent human being.
>
> I believe-
> That the people you care about most in life are
> taken from you too soon.

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