Secret War Journal[2015]
It is without doubt that 2015 is another event packed year for all of us. Now that the dust from the year 2015 is pretty much settled, it is once again a time for reflecting what went right and wrong during this amazing year.
I originally planned to start off writing down the highlights of this year but I decided to scrap this idea in the end. It was partly due to the fact that the more I looked at them, it feels less of a highlight to me. (I only have myself to blame for that! Hahas!)
As a result, I decided to scrap the traditional post style for the year's wrap-up (let's hope it will not become a trend).
Glazing at the snow globe...
That aside, I would say that taking into account everything that had occurred, it is a year into adulthood.
They never said being an adult means being independent. Quite the opposite actually. This year, it feels that being an adult means appearing strong and unfaltering while feeling insecure within. Adults are still humans after all. We all have our vulnerable sides but we choose not to show it in front of others.
(I guess all those deep talks with my father did have some effort on me huh?)
Which leads us to the main reason why this post required a total re-write - it is hard to judge whether something is a good or bad thing.
Is it a bad thing that certain individuals cease to maintain contact with you? Should we be upset about it? Does the fault lie with us? Does the fault lie with them?
If it is us, then we should work on improving ourselves.
Then turn it around...
However, sometimes, we have to acknowledge that we cannot please everyone. We win some, we lose some.
As funny as it sound, it may be a good thing if the situation was toxic to start with. Again, this is a matter of judgement from both sides.
And back to watch it settle
One year is too short a time to judge. As a result, there is difficulty in determining whether it was for the better or for worse.
Only time will tell.
Or will it? So there isn't a highlight of what happened this year. Sorry about that. Hopefully, we get to see it in the year 2016! Image Credits: Please click on the image for the source. :)
Secret War Journal[10 August 2015]
My original Tarot journal used to be in Google+. I have decided to move over to this journal starting from 2016 to remove the need to maintain more journals than I have to. (It is a lot of work to update each area).
Astrological Spread [10/8/2015]
-- 1A - Immediate Situation - Death - Renewal. Change of a situation. Signifies the completion of the previous situation 1 - Physical Body / How people view you - 8 of Swords - Self-imposed restrictions / Heavy Responsiblities 2 - One's money / Values - Knave of Pentacles - Beginning to get financial affairs in order. 3 - Siblings - The Devil - Many obligations 4 - Home - King of Wands - Certainty and inner satisfaction. Dependency. 5 - Romance / What one enjoys - Knight of Wands - Enthuastic about one's ideas. 6 - Everyday work / Health - The Lovers - Love affair with a co-worker is very possible. 7 - Partnerships - The Empress - Beauty, Love, Creative Growth. Suggestions of a fair-haired woman. 8 - Other people's money - 9 of Pentacles - Interactions with a woman who owns property. Represents accomplishments and enjoy the fruits of one's labours. 9 - Higher Education - 2 of Wands - Indicates control, authority. 10 - Status - Queen of Wands (flipped) - Calm security of a decision made or acceptance of situation. 11 - Friends - Strength - Patience is needed. 12 - Hidden Fears - Knave of Wands (flipped) - Beginning of the unknown.
Assessment: Class Participation (10%), Quiz 1 (10%), Quiz 2 (10%), Finals Closed-Book (70%) Comment(s):
Be prepared for a steep bell curve for this module. Be aware that a large group of students have a basic foundation on the principles of Economics and you would be competing with them. Thus, if you do not have any knowledge of economics, be prepared work twice as hard to be on par.
The syllabus for this module, as a whole is pretty rushed. Students without prior knowledge will likely grasping for air to take a breather after each lecture. All is not lost for students who are new to economics though. The module seems to have gone for breadth over depth. Hence, no deep understanding of the concepts are required to score.
For students who had taken H2 A levels Economics, there are new concepts being taught in this module. Thus, it is not exactly a breeze for you. Some new concepts include indifference curve and the new AD/AS curves used for this module. The concepts learnt in JC will still be beneficial to you in understanding the concepts in this module.
The quizzes are MCQ in nature. If you are prepared for the topics covered, you should do fine in those.
Textbook is useful for consolidation of knowledge. I did not buy the textbook. Instead, I relied on my JC textbook which was a University textbook.
AB1000 Career Foundations I
Lectures attended: No lecture. Seminars attended: 100%, one day affair Textbook(s): N/A
Assessment: Attendance (20%), Class Participation (30%), Pre-Assignment (25%), Post-Assignment (25%) Comment(s):
A prerequisite module for Career Foundations II, this is an one day affair module with a Pass/Fail grading.
There are quite a number of assignments for this module. Most of these assignments are personality tests and career profiling assignments. Completing these and attending the seminar should likely get you a Pass for this module.
The seminar will be held during the week of Recess Week and will take the bulk of the entire day.
AD2101 Management Accounting
Lectures attended: No lecture. Seminars attended: 100% (Dr Hu Kin Hoi, Billy) Textbook(s): Customised Text “AD2101: Management Accounting”, McGraw Hill, 2015.
Assessment: Class Participation (10%), Online Assignments (15%), Project and Presentation (20%), Finals Open-Book (55%) Comment(s):
This is a very content-heavy module. An average of 3 chapters will be cleared per week. Be prepared for heavy reading.
It is roughly 50% on calculations and 50% on ethics. Knowledge on Financial Accounting is expected.
Class Participation includes a group presentation. It generally involves your group taking over a seminar and cover the contents to be taught during the seminar.
There are 2 textbooks for this module. You have every right to be intimidated because you will finish the two books by around week 8. Ain't you glad this is a open book final examination?
Dr Billy Ho is very approachable and allows people to clarify any doubt, even outside of seminar, easily. He is also very open to feedback. Therefore, if you feel that his teaching methods do not suit you, feel free to inform him.
Textbook is a must for this module, especially the e-learning access. Online assignments use an external vendor platform (McGraw Hill) as of this post and can on be accessed if you buy the textbooks. Expensive, but this is 15% we are talking about. There are 3 online assignments in total, they will take the best 2 out of the 3. It varies from MCQs to structured questions.
For a full list of the modules I took, see link here. :)
Lectures attended: 90% (Dr. Tan Ah & Dr. Zheng J) Tutorials attended: 100% Labs attended: 75%, attendance are taken. Missed one, it was a make-up and I could not make it. Textbook(s): Computer Algorithms. Sara Baase & Allen Van Gelder, 2000. Third Edition. Addison Wesley.
Assessment: Lab Presentation (20%), Mid Term Quiz (20%), Finals Closed-Book (60%) Comment(s):
Many seniors have commented that this is the most difficult module you will ever take during your Computer Science Course and I can see why.
I would think the more accurate description for the module would be the Mathematics behind Algorithms. While they do teach you the logic behind the algorithms, the tests would really test your understanding of the mathematics behind these.
Do pay attention behind the mathematical analysis of the various algorithms, including the proofs (tedious, yes). It may seem like a mathematical module (indeed, it is a similar to a math major module, be prepared) but at least it is not as vigorous.
Do not discount the mid term quiz, the weightage will come back to haunt you during the finals. Securing this 20% would serve as a morale booster during your revision.
Textbook is not essential for this course. However, I found online materials to be useful for further understanding of the concepts taught.
CZ2002 Object Oriented Design & Programming
Lectures attended: 90% (Dr. Zhang Jie, Mr Tan Kheng Leong) Tutorials attended: 80% Labs attended: 100% Textbook(s): Matt Weisfeld, The Object-Oriented Thought Process, 4th Edition, Pearson / Addison Wesley
Assessment: Clicker Quiz (5%), Lab (5%), Group Assignment (30%), Finals Closed-Book (60%) Comment(s):
This course will touch on two programming languages to teach the object-oriented principles. They are Java and C++ with a heavier emphasis on the former.
One thing to look out for this module would be the assignment. The assignment is group-based and it arrives pretty late, after recess week. Thus, you will be in a rush to finish it. The professor might cancel tutorials to allow more time for your group to finish the assignment. Nevertheless, pacing is important.
Textbook is not essential. Practice is crucial for this module. Be consistent with the tutorials and you should do fine for finals.
CZ2003 Computer Graphics and Visualisation
Lectures attended: 40% (Dr. Alexei Sourin, Dr Jianmin Zheng) Tutorials attended: 100% (Graded) (Dr. Alexei Sourin) Labs attended: 75% Textbook(s): A.Sourin, Computer Graphics. From a small formula to cyberworlds, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 2012.
Assessment: Lab Assignments (30%), Tutorial (20%), Finals Closed-Book (50%) Comment(s):
This is another mathematics heavy module. The module is actually teaching you how to convert mathematical formulas to 2D and 3D shapes. If you recall all your geometry formulas, now is a good time to apply them.
The second half of the lecture touches on lighting and rendering. It might be a bit strange for physics students but just remember that this is a mathematical model, not a scientific one.
The programming language you will be learning would be a version of VRML designed by Dr Sourin. The programming syntax is not tested for finals. However, it is used extensively for the lab assignments. The lab assignments can be be time consuming in the beginning, given the number of tasks in the early stages. Try to complete them as they are given and you should be fine. Once you have completed the assignments, you would not need VRML anymore.
One interesting thing to note about this module is the graded of tutorials. If your tutorials are taught by Dr Sourin, you will need to submit the tutorials at the start of the respective tutorials. They are graded and will be counted towards your final grades. Also, for Dr Sourin's classes, you will get back your tutorial a week later though there will not be any indication if your answers were accepted. Do take note.
I have heard that the textbook has provided more useful information regarding the topics taught. I did not purchase the textbook and I think it is possible to do well without it. If you find yourself struggling with the concepts taught during lecture, consider getting a textbook to help in your learning.
For a full list of the modules I took, see link here. :)
Secret War Journal[December 2015][Updated 3 January 2015]
School is finally over. Finals were definitely not getting any easier after each semester. I will need to come up with a new study strategy in mind to better handle the different demands from each module.
Well, academics aside, with the holidays now in full swing, time to settle some personal matters. :)
Read Reaper's Gale
Start Practical Driving
Get a Laptop Cooler
Finish Starcraft II: Legacy of The Void [Brutal] (Computer...keep crashing >.<)
Secret War Journal[6 December 2015]
To be frank, I am not sure if I should publish this post. After all, we did agree not to write about this as part of a new year resolution some time back. But hey, we should also record our struggles as this is about life and life is not just about the bright stuffs. Yep, don't worry, I am still minimising the proportions of it. Your feedbacks have been taken note of. No worries. (Well, I might never ever publish it, like the other posts. Haha. *Shrugs*)
I just came back from a family errand. It has been a long time since I put my thoughts straight into writing immediately upon the occurrence of an event but I figure this demands it for my own sanity. As well as recording our struggles and how we had survived, of course.
There are many things that cannot be described with words. I expected something of this nature but I had just witnessed my father being reprimanded by my grandmother in front of me. I can tell my father was expecting it too, he tried to joke to me that he was scolded by his mother. Yet, I can feel the pain from him. Personally, I am feeling horrible inside as well. Perhaps it was resignation or just us coming to terms, one thing will likely come apparent to us in the future. This will make my father, my sister and I closer.
I have to admit. It is probably a mistake committed in the past. It is not entirely anyone's fault. If people wanted to blame anyone, I guess we all are partly to blame. We, each in our inaction, allowed it to happen. Funny though, how it all sounds when you look at the sidelines. I think some people are wondering how things even get to this state. It is really hard to explain at times. I myself have no idea how to explain to people because I do not want people to be concerned.
Ultimately though, it is how my father sacrificed his pride for the welfare of his children that is worth mention. He has to bear through all the judgement of others. It is definitely not easy.
Well, let's all hope for better days ahead. :)
"The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege." - Charles Kuralt
I’m just the boy inside the man, not exactly who you think I am
Trying to trace my steps back here again so many times
I’m just a speck inside your hand, you came and made me who I am
I remember where it all began so clearly
I feel a million miles away, still you connect me in your way
And you create in me something I would’ve never seen
When I could only see the floor, you made my window a door
So when they say they don’t believe, I hope that they see you in me
After all the lights go down, I’m just the words you are the sound
A strange type of chemistry, how you’ve become a part of me
And when I sit alone at night, your thoughts burn through me like a fire
You’re the only one who knows who I really am.
We all wanna be somebody, we just need a taste of who we are.
We all wanna be somebody, we’re willing to go but not that far.
And we’re all see through, just like glass
And we can shatter just as fast
That light’s been burned out for a while,
I still see it every time I pass
It was lost in the corners of my mind,
Behind a box of reasons why
I never doubted it was there,
It just took a little time to find and even when...
I feel a million miles away, still you connect me in your way
And you create in me something I would’ve never seen
When I could only see the floor, you made my window a door
So when they say they don’t believe I hope that they see you in me
After all the lights go down, I’m just the words you are the sound
A strange type of chemistry, how you’ve become a part of me
And when I sit alone at night, your thoughts burn through me like a fire
You’re the only one who knows who I really am
We all wanna be somebody, we just need a taste of who we are
We all wanna be somebody, we’re willing to go but not that far
We all wanna be somebody, we just need a taste of who we are
We all wanna be somebody, we’re willing to go but not that far
I’m just the boy inside the man, not exactly who you think I am
Trying to trace my steps back here again so many times
When I could only see the floor, you made my window a door
So when they say they don’t believe, I hope that they see you in me
Secret War Journal[26 September 2015]
As part of one of my business modules this semester, I am required to take a few personality tests to better understand myself. Well then, below is the link to the report generated from it.
Secret War Journal[13 September 2015]
So many things happening! Phew. Going to take a short break to update a bit what has been happening.
We are going to Week 6 this semester already. From the looks of it, this semester will be quite a challenge, possibly the most challenging one we will ever have.
We cleared a textbook by week 4! Wow. Who knew I could read the textbook at such a fast rate? (I probably did not absorb much, information overload!!!)
Academics aside, there had been many catch ups with various groups of friends. I hope to be able to post some of them! :)
Time to get back to work! :O
“Use what talents you possess, the woods will be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” - Henry van Dyke
Source: http://cliparts.co/
Secret War Journal[10 August 2015]
I took this profile analysis some time back. I found it quite interesting because it has some surprising results. Indeed, my preference for gaming has changed a fair bit since young.
Your gamer profile consists of your percentile rank across a broad range of gaming motivations.
Your scores are based on how strong your motivations are relative to other gamers. In this customized report,
we’ll explain how to interpret these scores and what motivations we measured. Check out other profile tools and surveys at the Quantic Lab.
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The 5 Motivation Groups
We identified 5 clusters of motivations. In general, motivations within the same cluster tend to be positively
correlated, while motivations between clusters tend to be statistically unrelated. We’ll walk you through
the individual motivations in the section below.
A Quick Word on Percentiles
Percentiles are how you rank relative to other people. In this report, your percentiles are how you compared
with other gamers who have participated in this profile tool. A percentile of 80% means you scored higher than
80% of gamers. Conversely, a percentile of 10% means 90% of gamers had a higher score than you. This means that
a 50% is perfectly average.
The Action Components (62%)
Gamers with high Action scores are aggressive and like to jump in the fray and be surrounded by dramatic visuals and effects. Gamers with low Action scores prefer slower-paced games with calmer settings.
Destruction (36%): Gamers who score high on this component are agents of chaos and destruction. They love having many tools at their disposal to blow things up and cause relentless mayhem. They enjoy games with lots of guns and explosives. They gravitate towards titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield. And if they accidentally find themselves in games like The Sims, they are the ones who figure out innovative ways to get their Sims killed. Excitement (89%): Gamers who score high on this component enjoy games that are fast-paced, intense, and provide a constant adrenaline rush. They want to be surprised. They want gameplay that is full of action and thrills, and rewards them for rapid reaction times. While this style of gameplay can be found in first-person shooters like Halo, it can also be found in games like Street Fighter and Injustice, as well as energetic platformers like BIT.TRIP RUNNER.
The Strategy Components (25%)
Gamers with high Strategy scores like challenging gaming experiences with strategic depth and complexity. Gamers with low Strategy scores enjoy being spontaneous in games and prefer games that are accessible and forgiving when mistakes are made.
Mastery (15%): Gamers who score high on Mastery enjoy playing games that rely heavily on skill and ability. They take the time to practice and hone their gameplay so they can take on the most difficult challenges that the game can offer. These gamers play at the highest difficulty settings and don’t mind failing missions repeatedly in games like Dark Souls because they know it’s the only way they’ll master the game. They want gameplay that constantly challenges them. Planning (41%): Gamers who score high on this component enjoy games that require careful decision-making and planning. They like to think through their options and likely outcomes. These may be decisions related to balancing resources and competing goals, managing foreign diplomacy, or finding optimal long-term strategies. They tend to enjoy both the tactical combat in games like XCOM or Fire Emblem, as well as seeing their carefully-devised plans come to fruition in games like Civilization,Cities: Skylines, or Europa Universalis.
The Achievement Components (35%)
Gamers with high Achievement scores are driven to accrue power, rare items, and collectibles, even if this means grinding for a while. Gamers with low Achievement scores have a relaxed attitude towards in-game achievements and don’t worry too much about their scores or progress in the game.
Completion (25%): Gamers with high Completion scores want to finish everything the game has to offer. They try to complete every mission, find every collectible, and discover every hidden location. For some players, this may mean completing every listed achievement or unlocking every possible character/move in a game. For gamers who score high on Customization, this may mean collecting costumes and mounts in games like World of Warcraft. Power (49%): Gamers who score high on this component strive for power in the context of the game world. They want to become as powerful as possible, seeking out the tools and equipment needed to make this happen. In RPGs and action games, this may mean maxing stats or acquiring the most powerful weapons or artifacts. Power and Completion often go hand in hand, but some players enjoy collecting cosmetic items without caring about power, and some players prefer attaining power through strategic optimization rather than grinding.
The Social Components (48%)
Gamers with high Social scores enjoy interacting with other players, often regardless of whether they are collaborating or competing with them. Gamers with low Social scores prefer solo gaming experiences where they can be independent.
Competition (40%): Gamers who score high on this component enjoy competing with other players, often in duels, matches, or team-vs-team scenarios. Competitive gameplay can be found in titles like Starcraft, League of Legends, or the PvP Battlegrounds in World of Warcraft. But competition isn’t always overtly combative; competitive players may care about being acknowledged as the best healer in a guild, or having a high ranking/level on a Facebook farming game relative to their friends. Community (55%): Gamers who score high on Community enjoy socializing and collaborating with other people while gaming. They like chatting and grouping up with other players. This might be playing Portal 2 with a friend, playing Mario Kart at a party, or being part of a large guild/clan in an online game. They enjoy being of a team working towards a common goal. For them, games are an integral part of maintaining their social network.
The Immersion Components (59%)
Gamers with high Immersion scores want games with interesting narratives, settings, and customization options so they can be deeply immersed in the alternate worlds created by games. Gamers with low Immersion scores are more grounded in the gameplay mechanics and care less about the narrative experiences that games offer.
Customization (65%): Gamers who score high on this component want to actively express their individuality in the game worlds they find themselves in. In games like Mass Effect, they put a lot of time and effort in the character creation process. In city-building games or space strategy games, they take the time to customize exactly how their city or spaceships look. To this end, they prefer games that provide the tools and assets necessary to make this possible and easy to do. Fantasy (62%): Gamers who score high on Fantasy want their gaming experiences to allow them to become someone else, somewhere else. They enjoy the sense of being immersed in an alter ego in a believable alternate world, and enjoy exploring a game world just for the sake of exploring it. These gamers enjoy games like Skyrim, Fallout, and Mass Effect for their fully imagined alternate settings. Story (46%): Gamers who score high on Story want games with elaborate campaign storylines and a cast of multidimensional characters with interesting back-stories and personalities. They take the time to delve into the back-stories of characters in games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, and enjoy the elaborate and thoughtful narratives in games like The Last of Us and BioShock. Gamers who score low on Story tend to find dialogue and quest descriptions to be distracting and skip through them if possible.
Secret War Journal[19 May 2015 - 6 August 2015]
Surprisingly, I almost did not end up working in this company. I am glad that I chose to work here in the end.
I was assigned to the Marine Claims Department. On the first day, I was not really sure what to expect.
Bee Kee, the manager for Marine Claims helped to get me up to speed on the first day.
With the help of my colleagues, Li Xian, Sarah, Amanda and Theresa, I quickly learned the skills required to complete the task.
Some of the skills I learnt during my work there included Marine Insurance and the related risks borne by the insurers. There are many flavours of Incoterms and I was given the opportunity to roughly learn about them and understand the difference between the common Incoterms used in Marine Cargo Commercial Invoices.
Amongst others, I came across many Business Law concepts which I learnt during my schooling in my University (it is useful!) when I was reviewing some of the agreements between Tokio Marine and its agents.
From them, I have a better understanding on the General Insurance Sector in Singapore.
Thus, I prepared a instagram post for them, (forgive Instagram's formatting)!
In addition to my colleagues, my lunch companions help to enrich my work experience during the short 3 months. The perks of working in Tanjong Pagar area means that you are spoiled for choices on what to eat everyday. There are many cafes and restaurants to dine at, including the various stalls at the Hawker Centres.
From an initial small group comprising of Soo Wah, Brandon, Pei En, Clarissa, Zai Hao and Yin Yu, it grew to its peak to include other interns and temporary staff, Reena, Nicky, Zhane, Cyrus, and Wei Wen.
I will not forget the challenges of getting seats in a crowded hawker centre with such a large group. Very often, my colleagues would ask me, "How do you all manage to find seats during lunch?" It is not easy and sometimes it takes a bit of time to find the tables.
Occasionally, we complain about the time wasted to find seats and would just order takeaway and have our lunch at Tokio Marine's breakout room. :p Bonus Corporate Events
I was very fortunate to be with Tokio Marine during this period because as it happens, the recreational committee has prepared a series of annual events for this period.
In the process of being invited to these events and participating, I helped out as a temporary representation for the Recreational committee for Marine Claims Departments.
TMiS Bowling Competition
Within the first week of joining Tokio Marine, I was informed that there was a TMiS Bowling Competition coming up! I participated the event as a supporter and received the company shirt.
Fruits Day
The next event was the annual fruits day for Tokio Marine! This coincides with the durian season in Singapore. Its biggest highlights are its durians! Other fruits include cherries, coconuts, grapes, lychees, mangosteens.
TMiS Movie Night
Finally, the last highlight of the recreational events is the annual movie night for the entire company! This year's Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.
As it was close to my last day, the event really felt like a closure to me.
Thinking back, it is amazing that I get to know so many different colleagues from different departments and have lunch together. For this, I must thank HR department for giving us the opportunity to get to know each other. The staff welcomed us and made us felt like we belonged here.
I had a wonderful experience working in Tokio Marine. If you will be going to work in there, I am confident that you will have a great time. :)
Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures that were taken during my work there! :)
Disclaimer: I have signed a non-disclosure agreement with Tokio Marine. Thus, I have only covered briefly on what I learnt without specific details. Hope you all understand. :)
Secret War Journal[Jan - May 2015]
Semester 1 has officially ended with the passing of 2014. During the first semester in NBS, I took 2 business modules.
AB0601 Communication Management Fundamentals
Lectures attended: No Lectures. It is 100% seminars. Seminars attended: 100% (Ulrike Murfett) Textbook(s): Communication Strategies for the Global Workplace, 2/e [ISBN : 9789814628327]
Assessment: Written Assessment (30%), Assignment (20%), Oral Presentation (30%), Class Participation (20%) Comment(s):
To some, it is the dreaded presentation module. We have to admit that most of us are not born talented presenters. But hey, this is what this module is about. Granted, 3 months is not enough time to transform you into a professional presenter but it's a start.
Students with prior experience with presenting will definitely have an advantage for this module. I believe that if you do not, you will still learn a lot because that is the whole point of coming to school right?
In this module, you will learn basic concepts regarding approaches to presentation, various means of communication including non-verbal forms and email etiquette. All of which will be useful for you in the working world. This is definitely a module that is highly applicable for your future career.
Unless your style requires little practice before the actual presentation, be prepared to invest quite an amount of time for your presentations (at least 2 but subject to your tutor).
The textbook is written by my tutor! :) It is not compulsory but if you are worried that you will forget what you learnt, get it. E-book version available.
AB1202 Statistical & Quantitative Methods
Lectures attended: 100%. No easy feat. Tutorials attended: 100%. (Chin Chee Kai) Textbook(s): Bruce L. Bowerman, Richard T. O’Connell, Emily S. Murphree (2014). Business Statistics in Practice, 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill International Edition. ISBN 13: 978-125-906039-7.
Assessment: Course Participation(20%), Quiz (20%), Final Examination, Open Book (60%) Comment(s):
If you think stats was easy, you will be in for a surprise in this module. This module requires a lot of practice. Think of this module as though it is a mathematics subject, you need to practice and experience to perform.
Students who took A Levels Mathematics will benefit as the first half of the module is similar to what you had learnt during your Junior College times. Do not let your guard down though, as the new topics in the second half are important and will determine whether you score well or not in this module.
My tutor is one of the recommended tutor to have. He is decent, he will explains concepts well during tutorials and ensure that your doubts are cleared. He will also elaborate on the concepts further to allow you understand better and apply in different situations. Expect tough questions to be answered during tutorials. ;)
Getting a graphic calculator is important (It is costly, yes. Alternatively, borrow it from someone for this semester.) It may feel like you are taking the short way out but you will need to get familiar with it as much as possible before the big day itself. Of course, if you have the time, and passion, please do know how to get the solution without the use of the calculator because understanding the concepts is key to scoring well in this module.
I would recommend getting a textbook, the physical one. I made the mistake of getting the E-book before purchasing the hardcopy (my wallet). You will be reading extensively and the e-book platform they are on will just slow you down. Besides, you will need the extra practice from the textbook.
AB1601 Organisational Behaviour & Design
Lectures attended: 100%. Only 1. It's a review lecture, and it's important. Seminars attended: 100%. (Ms Shan Wen) Textbook(s): Customized version of Kreitner, R. & Kinicki, A. 2013. Organizational Behavior. 10th Edition. McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Assessment: Creative Thinking Individual Assignment (20%), Critical Thinking Individual Assignment (20%), Team Presentation including Peer Appraisal (10%), Final Examination, Open Book (50%) Recommended Tutors: by seniors: Don Willis, Cheryl Tay Lee Comment(s):
Think HR, think Psychology. Fun subject to learn, not easy to score.
There are a number of components that make up your final grade for this module. I would recommend putting in effort for the assignments as they play a large part to your grades.
First, the Creative Thinking Individual Assignment. This is generally unrelated to the module as a whole. Let loose your creativity and critically analyse a given document/file. Take care to not write the same things as your classmates, this is a creative thinking assignment after all. Think of novel ideas and insights and you should do fine.
Second, the Critical Thinking Assignment. This has more relevance to the module. The nature of this assignment is similar to the first but without the creativity component. It can be easier and more difficult at the same time. You will be expected to go more in-depth and critique the article given.
There's nothing special about the Team Presentation unless your tutor decides otherwise. Do take note of the Peer Appraisal, do not forget to do it!
My tutor was a PHD student and she is a very motivated tutor. She offered consultation slots for us to clarify any queries regarding the concepts or doubts regarding the assignment. She also took the time and effort to do up her own slides for the seminars. That is no mean feat.
This is a open book final examinations format, buying the textbook is highly recommended. This is a content-heavy module, you would be thankful for it being open book. :P
I did not include the number of AUs for each module. If I receive feedback that such information would be useful. I might update it in the primary list. :)
For a full list of the modules I took, see link here. :)
Secret War Journal[20 July 2015] - Listening to "Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz"
3 more weeks to the end of Holidays.
So much to blog about, so little time left.
A bit more to finishing the post on the NTU Modules update for the Semester 2. I feel really bad that I have not completed the second half but the June Syndrome is especially bad this year. I mean it is already near the end of July and I'm still feeling it. Granted, it started later this year. I had been giving myself distractions in the hopes of preventing it altogether but that only delayed it. I guess they were not kidding when they say you should let it out of the system instead of holding it. Lesson well learnt I say.
Still, if everything goes as planned, I should have the post out by the end of this week. *Fingers crossed* :P
*Takes a look at Wishlist*
There are a few things I have yet to start on. Not good. Fortunately, I had completed the theory portion of C++. I hope to be able to do some hands-on during the next weekend.
That aside, I need to visit my maternal grandparents. At least one more time before school starts. Gods, I miss them. I miss my grandmother's cooking.
My part-time work is ending soon. I will definitely would want to blog about it. Hopefully, I can finish it by National Day.
Until then, do not expect much. Hope this update was informative. It is not much but hey, at least you know I have not forgotten this place. :)
Lectures attended: 70% (Dr. Chan Syin & Dr. Suhaib Fahmy) Tutorials attended: 92.3% Labs attended: 100%, attendance are taken. Every 2 weeks. Textbook(s): Fundamentals of Digital Logic with Verilog Design, 2nd Ed., by Stephen Brown and Zvonko Vranesic, McGraw Hill, 2008, ISBN-10: 9780071265980.
Assessment: Coursework (30%) - Written lab quizzes (at the end of each lab class), Closed-book exam (70%) - 2 hour written paper Comment(s):
Before I begin, bear in mind that I took this module without the majority of the Computing Science students. Thus, many details on how this course was conducted would differ from how this course is normally conducted. I took this module during Semester 2. Hence, if for whatever reasons you are taking this module during Semester 2 (especially if you're in BCG or BCE), this will be relevant to you.
One important thing to note when you are not taking with the main cohort for this module, chances are there are very few other coursemate taking this module in this semester. What this means is that there is a very high chance that there is no bell curve. Of course, that is not guaranteed but you should be prepared of such a possibility.
The first half of the lectures are conducted online. Hardly any face-to-face interactions are required. All lectures in the first half are recorded and upload online just like any other e-learning course. Before you disregard this altogether and save it for cramming in the final weeks, I will advise you not to. There are many reasons. Notably, every lab session will test on the previous week's content. More importantly, the lab tests contribute 30% of your final grades! As a result, you should never disregard the marks from the lab tests. From my experience, going through the recorded lectures and the lab manual concerned one day before should do fine. Try to score as high as possible for this component as it will help to relieve a lot of stress on this module.
The second half lectures are conducted traditionally, which I preferred. Here, you will learn more in-depth in a hardware describing language called Verilog. Prior knowledge will aid you a significant bit in this module, especially during the lab sessions.
Tutorials wise, nothing much to comment on. No attendance were taken. It was a simple going through of answers. You could try to clarify answers during the tutorial though I found consulting the lecturers to be more productive in nature.
Textbook? Not compulsory. E-book editions are available too.
CZ1006 Computer Organisation and Architecture
Lectures attended: 100% (Dr. Goh Wooi Boon & Dr Oh Hong Lye) Tutorials attended: 100% (Dr Oh Hong Lye) Labs attended: 100%, attendance are taken. Every 2 weeks. Textbook(s):
Linda Null & Julia Lobur,Computer Organization and Architecture,Jones & Bartlett Learning (3rd Edition), 2012
Randal E. Bryant & David O’Hallaron, Computer Systems – A Programmer’s Perspective, Pearson Education International (2nd Edition), 2010
John L. Hennessy & David A. Patterson, Computer Architecture – A Quantitative Approach, Morgan Kaufmann (5th Edition), 2011
Assessment: Coursework (40%) - Written lab quizzes (at the end of each lab class), Closed-book exam (60%) Comment(s):
Remember CZ1002? Well, this is basically a continuation to that and CZ1005. If you are strong in the two aforementioned modules, you will do fine in this module.
Dr Oh Hong Lye is a good lecturer and tutor. I had the good fortune of being in his class. One thing to take note though, many students will go to his classes, even if he is not their tutor. Every week, I have issues finding a seat in the classroom as it is very packed. Dr Oh explains concepts in detail and is willing to answer your questions should have any doubts on the topics at hand. This will be very beneficial for you.
Programming languages that you be touching on would be mainly Assembly. There are generally quite basic in nature so you should do fine with a bit of refreshing before the exams or lab quizzes.
Like most Computing modules, the textbooks are not essential. Practicing is more important. Do note that this module is heavier on theory. (Yea.... Memory work....)
CZ1007 Data Structures
Lectures attended: 90% (Dr. Hui Siu Cheung & Dr Jing Han) Tutorials attended: 70% Labs attended: 100%, attendance are taken. Every week. Textbook(s): “Programming with C”, B. Tan and S.C. Hui, Prentice Hall, 2011 Assessment: Coursework (50%) - 2 Assignments, 1 lab quiz, Closed-book exam (50%) Comment(s):
This is probably the one module I had the most fun with during my Year 1 Semester 2. Yet, at the same time, it was one of the module I complained the most to my peers.
Do not confuse this with CZ2007 or CZ4031, you would not actually work on a database. You will only learn basic concepts on how programming languages store data and various methods in doing it.
The programming language you will be using for this module would be C. Here's where I have some gripes on how the module is taught. The module is using a obsolete standard for C. If you have self-taught the language complying with the current adopted standards, be prepared to adapt accordingly as your code may not run in accordance to the old standard. If I recall, they are using C98.
I am not exactly sure why they are not teaching the new standards, several emails were exchanged between the professors and I. The reason given was to maximise portability which can be true. However, as an counter example, most compilers have adapted the new standards because, well it is the current standards right now. That aside, just remember to take note.
Lab sessions are conducted weekly. There is no work to be submitted at the end of the lab sessions, just attendance is taken. Towards the end, the lab questions and the tutorial questions are the same, making one of them kind of redundant.
Textbook is not essential.
Note: I underloaded this semester because I was exempted from CZ1008. Thus, CZ1008 will not be covered by me. Sorry.
For a full list of the modules I took, see link here. :)
