Saturday, July 28, 2007

Going back..

..to PGP tomorrow.

This will be an all new semester. Dilemma over whether to take 6 modules onot. I will be clearing up to 21MCs in the process. With 5 modules I already have 4 freaking labs but only clearing 17MCs..sien. I might not take any extra modules at all. Other than that, I have to go for CCAs this semester. I feel ambitious and rather pumped up this semester, with a few CCAs in my mind.

I believe this is the time for me not to laze,but to step out of my comfort zone (as dear Edward repeatedly told us to do so) and really involve myself in the real world. I pray that I can cope with my studies (at least 3.5, somehwere near 4 would be delightful) and at the same time do all the CCAs that I want to be a part of, with commitment and strong sense of responsibility. It is my oppurtunity, and its up to me to grasp it.

Also looking forward to fostering new friendships with freshies...white they are still fresh ...lol.

Hmm..I have so much things to do this semester...lol.

p/s: I used the phrase "looking forward" umpteen times in my posts lately. Which is contradictory to my situation; I am short-sighted.. =)

I used that phrase so many times, I "look forward" until my neck gonna be long like giraffe and wanna snap liao.

Friday, July 27, 2007

I can...

..assure you what you are currently feeling now is not true.

MSL and UFO

MSL = Malaysian Students' League, an organisation that befits its name, welcoming every Malaysian that come to NUS.

UFO = University Freshmen Orientation , MSL's flagship annual event, in its second edition this time. Not to be confused with the flying thingy you thought existed somewhere up there.

A year ago, I was like most of the people who joined this UFO: came to NUS with a few friends, but without anyone to guide me along, help me settle my stuffs and doubts. This all changed when I started to get involved in MSL through the forum, and the rest is history. I could still remember, the day when I met Kim Wong for the first time; it was him who went all the way to Tg.Pagar train station to fetch me and my friends from Kluang; we didnt even know how to go to NUS that time! Imagined all the hassle I would have gone through if it was not for him. Until today, I still thank you Kim Wong , for being the first senior to reach out to us in such a personal manner!

And also our beloved Thomas Chua aka Lame King (his throne will soon be descended by a certain someone who shall not be anmed :P). He was and still is someone I look up to, it was his enthusiasm and presence in the forum that made me look forward to meeting him.

In the UFO, I met many people with many different talents and abilities from many places all over Malaysia; my social circle wasnt just confined to my Form 6 and secondary school pals anymore. It expanded exponentially! Soon, I had my very own gang(s) of best pals in NUS: 5B gang and the Mech Eng gang; I wasnt short of friends anymore. In fact, they were the main reason I was relutant to commute back to Johor every weekend even though its so near to NUS. With their companionship, 2 semesters of ups and downs, highs and lows breezed past just like that.

Fast forward to UFO2: I am now a "senior" to many of the freshmen coming to NUS this year. Again, I would be meeting people from all over Malaysia with different talents. They say NUS is a school for Smarties (not those you can hold in your hand and taste like chocolates), I have no doubt that it is now. I looked forward to meeting my juniors, help them settle down in NUS, find their own clique of friends and at the same time widening their social circle too (I am sure this is the first time many of them met so many people from different states far and wide). I wanted to give them the chance to experience what I had did beforehand when I was a freshmen in UFO just like them.

From what I see, I had no doubt that UFO's objectives had been acheived. Many freshmen are mixing together, and from what I see from the BBQ night, this year's freshmen really have great potential; in short, the BBQ night was nothing short of marvellous, and I dare say, better (maybe XD) than the BBQ that me and friends organised for our seniors last year! You guys make a great team!

The joy I felt when I joined in the cheers on that night (although I am not a good exponent of the cheering art lol) was indescribable. You see, I have finally found a family of friends in Singapore; more precisely in MSL, where humanity, giving and friendship prevails above all things else, something hard to find in Singapore! And seeing all of the freshmen crashing in and jumping together together with the seniors, the feeling was really great; our days of preparation and 4 days of everything culminating in this very scene was worth it after all. If I was a bystander, I would surely be touched. Edward had good reason to tear that night, I could truly understand his feelings; Xander was absolutely spot-on in his blog, I feel the same way too. The images of that will always be imprinted in my mind as one of the most enduring images of the UFO, symbolic of MSL's spirit.

However, during the debrief session after the UFO, we realised that this years' UFO could be improved in many aspects, some of it due to negligence and some of it occured because we didnt even think of it. I look forward to the day to impart knowledge and experiences gained from being part of the UFO OGL to our dear freshies, so that they can do an even better job than us. I have a hunch that the next UFO will be the best! :P

p/s: sorry Group Number One (The Ones) I managed to forget our cheers even though I am the leader...zzz. Guess I was too tired that day.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Bidding

Not a conventional title for this post. But yes, the bidding culture is indeed a way and part of Singaporean life. Or, at least for Malaysians studying in NUS.

In Singapore everything also need to bid one. From COE to subjects that we have to take for each semester, bidding is the way to go.

I would say that on the basis of scarcity of places, bidding is a good way to go. But then, with bidding comes a lotta headache.

The problem is, I have to choose which modules/subjects to bid for. And trust me, it gets a little mind boggling at times, especially with so many modules to choose.

A few modules I have in mind,mostly General Education modules:

GEM2000 Foundations of Real Estate Appraisal. Not a module that Engineering students would normally take. However I find the real estate business in Singapore kinda interesting and intriguing, especially with the Singaporean property boom that has already happened in land-scarce Singapore. Because Singapore is just a small red dot on Earth that cant even be seen from outer space, people are paying a premium for real estate here.

GEK1600 Dynamics of Interpersonal Effectiveness. Another oppurtunity for me to learn about how human psychology works.

GEK1016 History & Theory Of Modern Architecture. Architecture stuff obviously. If you guys didnt know, I am someone who loves looking at houses, and I love the minimalist design. It could also explain my interest in the real estate module stated above, I just thought of that. I am just not sure whether I can d well in it though. Sometimes what you like just isnt what you are good at. Anyone with the same problem? :)

GEK1541 Reproductive Health: What One Must Know. Yeah, biys and gals, it sounds interesting. It doesnt hurt to know more sexual knowledge right. On a lighter note, it could also be the module that marks my "coming of age". The classes are held in the National University Hospital. So weird one. Will only put in a bid for this if all else doesnt work.

It all gets a bit confusing sometimes.

And it does get frustrating at times. When you out in a bid with all the points you have only to find out that some big koko or jiejie has outbidded you just because they can throw their bid points into the system like girls throwing oranges into the river during Chap Goh Meh. I experienced that when I wanted to bid for Forensics last semester. Damn sien one OK.

And whats more, at the CORS website, they show me this:


Module selection and module allocation are mission critical exercises for you as well as the university. There must be fairness, equity and responsibility. As the university advances towards a broad-based education, you will be required to enroll in modules across faculties, and a system must be established to facilitate you and at the same time allow the teaching departments to manage their resources optimally.

It is hoped that a bidding system will accomplish these objectives. The bidding system requires you to make careful consideration of your priorities as each decision has an impact on your future choices - a good training ground to prepare you for life after graduation. It is an opportunity to educate you on the need to weigh your options, make decisions and live with the consequences of your actions.




I feel that the whole evil CORS crew is laughing at me now. =.="