The love for the sport.... That's what I do when I am bored and feels stagnate amidst the thesis work......
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
That's what you do when you are bored....
The love for the sport.... That's what I do when I am bored and feels stagnate amidst the thesis work......
The End is nearing...
Simply can't believe that the semester is coming to an end.
I am 99% done with my thesis!
Only left with the vetting in the first few sections to be done by Linky
Chris helped me to proofread the later sections already :)
Thanks, Chris!
Of course, I am left with the abstract (to be completed tomorrow)
And formatting the page numbers.
Was wondering if I should get more people to vet it so they can give me more opinions on how to improve it?
Oh well well well, I am starting to miss NUS already........
I am 99% done with my thesis!
Only left with the vetting in the first few sections to be done by Linky
Chris helped me to proofread the later sections already :)
Thanks, Chris!
Of course, I am left with the abstract (to be completed tomorrow)
And formatting the page numbers.
Was wondering if I should get more people to vet it so they can give me more opinions on how to improve it?
Oh well well well, I am starting to miss NUS already........
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Full of T's
I realised that I have been drowning myself in a life full of T's in the past ten months. Now what are these T's about?
Thesis.Tests.Tuition.Tennis.Travel.
Of course, tuition comes first since it started from January! Yeah, tuition's coming to a close in a week's time. Honestly, I have mixed feelings when it comes to tuition. Lately, I find myself flaring up at those kids so often that I start to hate myself as their teacher. Perhaps it's the ambitious expectations that I set on them or maybe it's my low threshold for imperfections. Some students do impress me with their work, their progress and I do not credit myself for the change in them. However, I realise I often take it very hard when they do not perform. I question my own ability to make them learn, to pull up their disastrous academic results but I never found an answer.
Imagine yourself spending 5-6 hours a week on a student, helping him with every aspect academically. Initially, a warm relationship develops out of goodwill and the genuine care and concern you show for him academically. After 3-5 months, you start to get tired of his excuses for not doing his homework, not being able to do certain questions and your tolerance starts to wear out. He doesn't do well for his first mid-semester examination so you sit down, have a good talk with him and try to fish out the reasons behind the screws-up. You constantly remind yourself to show a little more tolerance and faith so you never scrimp on your encouragement and praises him and convince him that he's capable of earning an A.
You see yourself bringing him back to the basics to explain every single concept in the next two months. That 2 months passes in the wink of an eye and though you see gradual improvement, you know that amount of improvement is insufficient to earn him an A. You get extremely fed up and lash out at him for the very first time. He feels tremendously awful for disappointing you and promises to work hard. Tuition starts to get a bit dreary but you still try to impart him your knowledge and all the examination techniques that you have picked up and have successfully earned you merit academically or even personally in life.
Finally the lap before the finals arrives. Despite your hard-pressed schedule, you never once gave up on him and always gave him priority, in hopes of seeing just an A in at least one subject but that wait refuses to end. He flung his exams once again and you can no longer contain the frustration and anger that have been accumulated in the past 8 months. The number of scoldings increases exponentially during the last month and your relationship becomes strained. You do not feel that he appreciates what you have done for him, doesn't reciprocate which explains why he complained that you are unconvinced that he earnestly desires an A too. However, being able to balance yourself better emotionally after seeing so many batches of students, you convince yourself that he needs an avenue to vent his frustrations and not to take it to heart.
But imagine yourself in my shoes, putting in your utmost best to help someone unconditionally only to see that your relationship ends up being strained. You burnt every single Saturday of yours and up till even the week before the finals arrive, you know he's still incapable of earning an A. You are certain you have exhausted all methodologies to make him learn and am at wit's ends.
Truth to be told, I do not need anyone to reciprocate what I have done for them because I am paid to do so but I am not like other tuition teachers who can detach themselves emotionally from their students' results. Now, I am simply crossing my fingers and waiting for the last round of tuition to come next week before I officially bid them goodbye. Whatever the outcome in Jan/Feb next year, I have already aligned my expectations and prepared myself for the worst. I am assured that I have put in 101% in trying to help them get good results and hopefully they can get into a course which interests them. Life's a game such that if you play it well, you open up different opportunities in life and if you screw it up, then you have to make do with whatever comes along even if it's not something which you desire. Make it or break it, I live it to their own fate and hands.
Tuition is not the focal point of my life, rather the thesis and tests are the principle focus for me right now. In NUS, there's an never an end to the various tests that comes week in week out. This semester, working on the thesis has taken up 70% of my time in school and now, I am one week away from my 1st submission, 2 weeks away from my 2nd submission and 3 weeks away from my oral presentation.
Whenever I need to take it easy, I turn to tennis for support. Tennis has become such an integral part of my life that I feel uneasy whenever I don't play it at least once a week. However, the past 2 weeks has seen this beautiful sport eluding me because I am simply glued to the laptop every single possible moment of my life, less the tuition, meals and sleeping hours.
And after the curtains draw, it's time for me to head out to my next destination. Travel! I guess that's the one thing that I will never get sick of. It's an expensive leisure but I love it so much that I'm willing to give up anything else for it. :)
Thesis.Tests.Tuition.Tennis.Travel.
Of course, tuition comes first since it started from January! Yeah, tuition's coming to a close in a week's time. Honestly, I have mixed feelings when it comes to tuition. Lately, I find myself flaring up at those kids so often that I start to hate myself as their teacher. Perhaps it's the ambitious expectations that I set on them or maybe it's my low threshold for imperfections. Some students do impress me with their work, their progress and I do not credit myself for the change in them. However, I realise I often take it very hard when they do not perform. I question my own ability to make them learn, to pull up their disastrous academic results but I never found an answer.
Imagine yourself spending 5-6 hours a week on a student, helping him with every aspect academically. Initially, a warm relationship develops out of goodwill and the genuine care and concern you show for him academically. After 3-5 months, you start to get tired of his excuses for not doing his homework, not being able to do certain questions and your tolerance starts to wear out. He doesn't do well for his first mid-semester examination so you sit down, have a good talk with him and try to fish out the reasons behind the screws-up. You constantly remind yourself to show a little more tolerance and faith so you never scrimp on your encouragement and praises him and convince him that he's capable of earning an A.
You see yourself bringing him back to the basics to explain every single concept in the next two months. That 2 months passes in the wink of an eye and though you see gradual improvement, you know that amount of improvement is insufficient to earn him an A. You get extremely fed up and lash out at him for the very first time. He feels tremendously awful for disappointing you and promises to work hard. Tuition starts to get a bit dreary but you still try to impart him your knowledge and all the examination techniques that you have picked up and have successfully earned you merit academically or even personally in life.
Finally the lap before the finals arrives. Despite your hard-pressed schedule, you never once gave up on him and always gave him priority, in hopes of seeing just an A in at least one subject but that wait refuses to end. He flung his exams once again and you can no longer contain the frustration and anger that have been accumulated in the past 8 months. The number of scoldings increases exponentially during the last month and your relationship becomes strained. You do not feel that he appreciates what you have done for him, doesn't reciprocate which explains why he complained that you are unconvinced that he earnestly desires an A too. However, being able to balance yourself better emotionally after seeing so many batches of students, you convince yourself that he needs an avenue to vent his frustrations and not to take it to heart.
But imagine yourself in my shoes, putting in your utmost best to help someone unconditionally only to see that your relationship ends up being strained. You burnt every single Saturday of yours and up till even the week before the finals arrive, you know he's still incapable of earning an A. You are certain you have exhausted all methodologies to make him learn and am at wit's ends.
Truth to be told, I do not need anyone to reciprocate what I have done for them because I am paid to do so but I am not like other tuition teachers who can detach themselves emotionally from their students' results. Now, I am simply crossing my fingers and waiting for the last round of tuition to come next week before I officially bid them goodbye. Whatever the outcome in Jan/Feb next year, I have already aligned my expectations and prepared myself for the worst. I am assured that I have put in 101% in trying to help them get good results and hopefully they can get into a course which interests them. Life's a game such that if you play it well, you open up different opportunities in life and if you screw it up, then you have to make do with whatever comes along even if it's not something which you desire. Make it or break it, I live it to their own fate and hands.
Tuition is not the focal point of my life, rather the thesis and tests are the principle focus for me right now. In NUS, there's an never an end to the various tests that comes week in week out. This semester, working on the thesis has taken up 70% of my time in school and now, I am one week away from my 1st submission, 2 weeks away from my 2nd submission and 3 weeks away from my oral presentation.
Whenever I need to take it easy, I turn to tennis for support. Tennis has become such an integral part of my life that I feel uneasy whenever I don't play it at least once a week. However, the past 2 weeks has seen this beautiful sport eluding me because I am simply glued to the laptop every single possible moment of my life, less the tuition, meals and sleeping hours.
And after the curtains draw, it's time for me to head out to my next destination. Travel! I guess that's the one thing that I will never get sick of. It's an expensive leisure but I love it so much that I'm willing to give up anything else for it. :)
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Sleep
Would you rather sleep 4 hours a night over two days or sleep 6 hours one night then 2 hours the other?
Indeed, the latter and abysmal choice of mine has directed the resumption of my mouse-slamming habit and my poor mouse, which is only 3-months old is beginning to protest and dying on me!
Great, 3 mouse in a year! "SQUEEZE YOU, GINNELLE LIM!"
Indeed, the latter and abysmal choice of mine has directed the resumption of my mouse-slamming habit and my poor mouse, which is only 3-months old is beginning to protest and dying on me!
Great, 3 mouse in a year! "SQUEEZE YOU, GINNELLE LIM!"
Monday, 19 October 2009
Killing Me...
Now I believe that you are supposed to take a 30seconds break after staring at the computer screen for 30 minutes.
I hardly have the time to catch a breath in the past two weeks! Every morning once I wake up, I power up my laptop and start working on the regression results then tabulation and finally piecing up them nicely onto my thesis. To make things worst, even my coursework requires me to use STATA so basically I have been breathing STATA every day in my life. Tons of assignments, regressions and reports plus a presentation towards the end. My eyes are tearing really badly due to the contact lenses as well. Save Me!
I hardly have the time to catch a breath in the past two weeks! Every morning once I wake up, I power up my laptop and start working on the regression results then tabulation and finally piecing up them nicely onto my thesis. To make things worst, even my coursework requires me to use STATA so basically I have been breathing STATA every day in my life. Tons of assignments, regressions and reports plus a presentation towards the end. My eyes are tearing really badly due to the contact lenses as well. Save Me!
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Waste of a Time.
With each boot-up of my lappy, here's a breakdown of the total time wasted:
1. Logging on to Hotmail to check nonsensical mails, basically meaning clearing the junk inbox.
2. Directing to the web of Soccernet to read the latest juicy football news, especially gossips like who is joining which ever club blah blah blah.
3. Going to my favourite bookmark - Facebook to see some latest news feeds followed by typing maniac if I am feeling unhappy.
4. Plurk if I have something to say - short and sweet stuff.
5. Check my blog to see if I have anything to say, if I have comments to reply to (fortunately, no spammers yet!)
6. Singtel.com for Iphone or SIA for cheap tickets
By the things that I do, I realise I wasted half an hour to 40 minutes of my time every single day doing these stuff.
And the best thing is I nearly couldn't finish studying for my mid-term test last night because I was surfing all these garbage websites! Then I had to sleep for 4 hours and grab a McBreakfast and study at the same time at 730am!
So today's test was the first time in NUS I felt screwed for an exam because I was unprepared!
1. Logging on to Hotmail to check nonsensical mails, basically meaning clearing the junk inbox.
2. Directing to the web of Soccernet to read the latest juicy football news, especially gossips like who is joining which ever club blah blah blah.
3. Going to my favourite bookmark - Facebook to see some latest news feeds followed by typing maniac if I am feeling unhappy.
4. Plurk if I have something to say - short and sweet stuff.
5. Check my blog to see if I have anything to say, if I have comments to reply to (fortunately, no spammers yet!)
6. Singtel.com for Iphone or SIA for cheap tickets
By the things that I do, I realise I wasted half an hour to 40 minutes of my time every single day doing these stuff.
And the best thing is I nearly couldn't finish studying for my mid-term test last night because I was surfing all these garbage websites! Then I had to sleep for 4 hours and grab a McBreakfast and study at the same time at 730am!
So today's test was the first time in NUS I felt screwed for an exam because I was unprepared!
Friday, 2 October 2009
When I was young...
When I was 9 years old, I dream to be a teacher..
When I was 12 years old, I set to be a lawyer..
When I was 15 years old, I wanted to be a counsellor..
When I was 17 years old, I aspire to be an air stewardess..
When I was 18 years old, I was desirous of becoming an auditor..
When I was 19 years old, I hope to become a singer..
When I was 20 years old, I was brought back to reality and become a teacher..!
When I was 21 years old, I aim to become a diplomat..
Now that I am 22 years old going on 23, I realise I love research work more than ever..
At the bottom line, I discovered where my interest lies finally. I realise that my dreams and ambitions may have been redefined and reshaped time and time again however, the fundamental on which it has been based on has not wavered a single bit despite all the diversions along the way...
I want to be a policy maker in future, someone who can touch and change and shape others' lives. :)
When I was 12 years old, I set to be a lawyer..
When I was 15 years old, I wanted to be a counsellor..
When I was 17 years old, I aspire to be an air stewardess..
When I was 18 years old, I was desirous of becoming an auditor..
When I was 19 years old, I hope to become a singer..
When I was 20 years old, I was brought back to reality and become a teacher..!
When I was 21 years old, I aim to become a diplomat..
Now that I am 22 years old going on 23, I realise I love research work more than ever..
At the bottom line, I discovered where my interest lies finally. I realise that my dreams and ambitions may have been redefined and reshaped time and time again however, the fundamental on which it has been based on has not wavered a single bit despite all the diversions along the way...
I want to be a policy maker in future, someone who can touch and change and shape others' lives. :)
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Bring back, Oh Bring back....!
Bring back, oh bring back.. Oh bring back my SOCCER to ME!
I really dislike the fact that Singtel has taken over the Champions Leagues' broadcast rights! With no MIO Tv at home currently, I am missing out all the good fun in the Champions League... To rub salt on my wound (still recovering), they had to rival Starhub for the BPL rights! WTH! If Damien sees this, he will probably gloat over my misfortune again since he used to mock at my MAC for not being able to stream the soccer matches online while his "amazing" PC does it effortlessly.!
Honestly, I need to sniff around for matches that can be streamed on MAC. I don't believe in this advanced technology age, such a task can't be accomplished.! When there's a will, there's a way!
I really dislike the fact that Singtel has taken over the Champions Leagues' broadcast rights! With no MIO Tv at home currently, I am missing out all the good fun in the Champions League... To rub salt on my wound (still recovering), they had to rival Starhub for the BPL rights! WTH! If Damien sees this, he will probably gloat over my misfortune again since he used to mock at my MAC for not being able to stream the soccer matches online while his "amazing" PC does it effortlessly.!
Honestly, I need to sniff around for matches that can be streamed on MAC. I don't believe in this advanced technology age, such a task can't be accomplished.! When there's a will, there's a way!