Memorisation ( A pain in the neck? )

Memorisation. It is something that all students have to do, be it to memorise certain mathematical formulas or some scientific facts. Most would agree that having to remember a set of knowledge and retain it for an extended period of time is not an easy task at all. I mean, we all have a limited memory space, right? 

' Cramming ', as many would call it, is what most people would do to try to memorise for a test or exam. 

What is cramming you may ask? Well, Cramming is defined by the dictionary as squeezing or forcing things into an insufficient space. Basically, in this case, trying to take in as much information as possible into your head within the shortest period of time. 




Personally, I'm not a very big fan of cramming. I used to Cram when I was in Sec 1 but in upper secondary I found that cramming is not a good way to retain long-term materials, especially when I'm currently studying a 2-year course for my 'O' levels. 

What I've found to be a more effective technique is something called, ' Internalisation ', which means that instead of just filling my brain with tons of facts and 'downloading' them onto the exam paper, I actually internalise those facts and make it become a PART OF ME. 

So, what do I mean by making them a 'part of me'? What do I do to achieve this? 

Well, let me give you an example. 

Let's say, on a particular school day, I learn about the fertilisation process in flowering plants. When I'm at home that day, I would revisit what I've just learnt in class and read up the notes one more time ( Of course, although I'm not actually 'Cramming', I would make an effort to remember certain key points ). Before a test on that topic I would revise on it again. When I'm preparing for my major exam I would study it again (Obviously!).... 

note: try to study from the SAME set of notes as your brain would register them quicker every time

Very soon, that specific wealth of information would have already been ingrained in me that whenever I encounter questions related it, my mind would just instantly recall them. It's like having them stored somewhere in your brain and making them available for your usage at any time. 





You often hear people say that in order to be good in maths, you just got to keep on practicing on it. And, from personal experience, I can tell you that it's true. 

Why is practice so important in scoring for Mathematics? 

The answer is simple - It is a form of INTERNALISATION. 

After doing lots of different types of questions, you will soon become so familiar with them that somehow, you could do them with ease and without much thought each and every time. 





This is a way which has worked for me, so, give it a try. It may work for you too! :) 

OFF YOUR SCREEN!

Have you ever been in a scenario where you are out with your friends, be it to watch a movie, meet them for lunch, or just to hang around town and all they focus on is their smartphones?

Well, like anybody else living in this technologically-driven and digitally-connected world, I have. 

I don't get it, are the people they are meeting up with that boring to talk to? Are their smartphones better companions than their friends?  If that's the case, then why meet up in the first place? 

It's fine if they received a call or text message and they need to check their phones to see if it's anything urgent, but if all they do is check their Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, you name it, I don't see how they should be doing any of that. They can do it on their way home LATER, but when hanging out with friends, just enjoy the meet-up. It's not difficult to give your friends your undivided attention, isn't it? 

Now, having said this, some of you may be eager to ask me, " So, Hans, do you use the phone when you're with friends? ( I bet you do ) ? 

Well, honestly, I BARELY use the phone when out with friends. Like I've mentioned, unless I have an urgent call to answer, I don't see the need to use my phone when I have friends to spend time with. I do use the phone to tweet, check my Facebook and all but I can do those things at home or on the bus later on so why would I prioritise a gadget over people? I ask my friends out for a reason and that's to spend time with them.

So if I don't reply to your SMSes or don't answer some of your calls, chances are I'm with my friends. 



Most of you may be extremely familiar with this quote by Albert Einstein and I think what he said is absolutely right. We often see group of friends outside where all of them would be glued and engaged in their handphones but not talking to each other. 



If that's the case then just stay home and Whatsapp each other in a group, there's no need to meet up. LOL? 

There was this one time when I was travelling on the train with a friend and as I was talking to him, his eyes was glued to his phone. It's alright as he doesn't completely ignore me but I find it extremely annoying. It's like, I'm talking to you dude! Look at me. 

A social campaign called, " Put It On Friend Mode " (www.putitonfriendmode.com) was recently launched which I think is really good. It was initiated by four students from the Nanyang Technological University Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and information. Its purpose is to remind us to put our phones down and give our friends our utmost attention.  





Here are some of their videos

In a nutshell, when you're out with people, try to enjoy their company instead of being engaged in your phone all the time. In my opinion, what bonds people together are those deep conversations and memorable time spent with one another. So nurture your friendships now by getting OFF YOUR SCREEN! 

A Personal Frustration

Having lived on this planet for the past 16 years or so, I guess one of the biggest personal frustrations that I face on a daily basis is to perfectly say the " right things " that would appease everyone. 

I know that you can't please society, but sometimes I am just confused as to why some are offended by the things I say. I mean, most of the time, I don't mean any offence and definitely do not have any intention to hurt anyone. 

My intentions would be to compliment someone, crack a joke, or just wanting to give my honest opinion on something. But sometimes, there would be a small minority who get all offended and be like, " How can you say that? That's so insensitive of you. " 

I admit, there are times when my words can be really insensitive since I'm a blunt and brutally honest person and in those cases I would certainly apologise to not make any enemies. But in other times I just couldn't figure out what the person was offended about. Even if I did find out, it would be because of some silly and trivial matter ( WHUT -.-) 


Why are some people so emotional and too easily offended? 

Anyway, here's a video titled " No Offence! " by TreePotatoes. Watch how Tim struggles to help Herman look more presentable for work. A brief story of my life. 

Rebellious Years

Almost every normal teenager would go through rebellious years. It's part of growing up and natural 

It's just a period of time whereby we are already a young adult and we feel the need to break off from the confinements and conformations of society. We feel the need to be free, to be the true ruler of our own lives and not having to follow rules.

I started going through my rebellious years in Primary 6 when I started to have my own saying in life and rebelled a little against my parents and the school. I remember in Primary 6, somehow I was being very disruptive in class, making a fool of myself. I would say stupid shit in the middle of class which I assumed was amusing. 

My form teacher was really angered and annoyed by my actions in class. I was lectured and scolded on a regular basis but I would just say, " okay... okaay... " while showing a stupid grin of mine. 

As time goes by, I started to be more matured and I no longer behave like that. If I had a time machine I would definitely go back in time and slap myself in the face, SERIOUSLY -.- 

I think the reason behind the development of rebellious years is because as a kid, we obediently followed our parents' and the school rules, without questioning why things were as such, because we feel that we could entrust our lives in their hands. 


But as we grow older and find out more about ourselves and society, we feel the need to control our lives ourselves, and thus the problem of " rebellious teenagers " arises. 

I remember when I was a child my parents would dress me up and I would wear any clothes they bought me. But as I got older I came to a sad realisation that they dressed me LIKE CRAP. 

So right now I would pick my own clothing... Not gonna trust them on fashion anymore..

Most rebellions may just be simple acts of disobedience, but if a person rebels to the extent that he does criminal activities, such as taking drugs, drinking underage, then the rebellion needs to be controlled. Is it okay? OF COURSE IT'S NOT OKAY. 

Many people believe that these kids have to be punished severely in order for them to mature and get them to realise that what they're doing is wrong and could endanger themselves. 

But I think that punishment may be able to control them temporarily, but it doesn't entirely solve the problem. 

Most of these kids are troubled, either to find a belonging in society, or going through family issues. Hence they end up turning to joining gangs, smoking, etc. 

I know because I used to be troubled as well. I was struggling to fit in from Primary 6 to Secondary 1. I had lots of insecurities and honestly I did fight. But I managed to finally fit into groups of friends which I can relate to so I guess that saved me ^^

In order to solve this problem, I believe that we need to find ways to help them with their struggles. I heard an analogy from a teacher of mine which says if you have a hole in your bag, you need to fix the hole before trying to store anything inside it. You need to solve the problem from its root. 

Most of you should be familiar with this short film. It was swirling all over the local Television about a year ago ( If I'm not wrong ) and it shows that what changed Glenn was not the punishments he received, but the encouragement and dedication of Mr Kumar to help him get through his teenage struggles. 

Mr Kumar knew he would be a great man, and he was right :) 

I really like watching this series on Youtube called " World's strictest parents ". It's a show where troubled and rebellious teens would leave their homes and live with strict parents in another country. 

Here's one of the episodes that I really like

They say that teenage years are the best years of your life, and it is. But I think there are also obstacles that you have to go through as a teenager and it's a phase that would be very impactful to your life. I know sometimes parents just don't understand us, but they are still your parents who want the best for you, don't forget that fact. 

Don't Deceive Yourself !

The golden rule in accepting any relationship request is very clear-cut and simple. That is, the person accepting must feel the same way towards the person who's confessing. If you like the person, accept him. If you don't, then reject him. 

But as simple as this sounds, some people just don't seem to get it. 

Despite not liking or having feelings for the person, some choose to accept anyway, which I think is absolutely ridiculous and stupid. 

Their " reasons " are that they want to give the person a chance, they want to make themselves like the person back as time goes by, or worse, they DO NOT KNOW HOW TO REJECT. 

I found that the last reason is more common among girls. Girls, by nature, are more sensitive, whereas guys generally are more direct. Being sensitive, girls will start thinking things like, what if I hurt his feelings if I reject him? What if I would feel bad? 

You're afraid that you'll appear mean and all... 

...right? 

If you have this problem, then I have only one solution for you. You got to learn how to be honest and insensitive at times. You got to be crystal-clear, as said by this guy here. 

But no matter what reasons you might have, you have to remember this - A relationship is a two-way thing. In order for it to work, both parties feel the same way towards one another. You can't have one party putting in lots of effort, convinced that the other party loves him/her back, while the other " putting up a show " and pretending that he/she loves his/her partner. 

This kind of one-sided relationship will not last long and in the end, when the devoted party finds out the truth, he's going to be hurt even more than if you had rejected him in the first place.

Also, as selfish as it may sound, a relationship is also about YOU having a good time, and actually being happy in the relationship. If you're in a relationship just to please and satisfy the other person, then I can guarantee you that one day, you're going to feel trapped, confined and might even cheat.  

So I think the point I'm trying to get at is that we should not deceive ourselves into thinking that we like an individual, when we actually DON'T. You are not only deceiving yourself, but also the other party as well. 

I'm not a certified relationship adviser, I'm just saying all these from my own and others' experiences. 

Outside Of Familiarity

How long did you take to learn ABCs as a kid? Let me guess, probably, a few days, weeks? 

And when you want to start a conversation with a friend, what would you do? Well, you would call your friend by his/her name, and just naturally start the conversation with a question or two. 

Well, that's not the case for the intellectually disabled. Some take years to even master ABCs and forming of words, and starting a conversation may not be that instinctive to some of them. 


I went to Bishan Home for the intellectually disabled on Wednesday, 15th of Jan with my classmates to volunteer and entertain the residents there. It was my first time volunteering and actually stepping into a turf of the disabled. I was aware of the disabled people around us but have never really gotten a chance to interact with them in real life. 

When I first stepped into the home, I was having mixed feelings about the volunteer work. There was a bit of fear inside me too ( I don't know if I should be guilty of this ). 

We first stepped into a conference room to be briefed about the things we were gonna do, before putting our valuables inside the lockers. We then headed straight to the canteen and made our way to the hall. 

As I was walking towards the hall, the initially grown fear inside me grew even more. Some of them looked and behaved like normal people, but there were some who were behaving in a creepy manner and saying things that don't make sense to the entire human race. 

To be honest I felt intimidated by them, questions like "  why are they behaving like that? " and " are we still on earth? " ran through my mind simultaneously. 

It was something that most people don't normally see... 

I did not judge them as I know that they were born like that, but it just crept me out, you feel me? 

When we set foot on the hall, we were greeted by a massive amount of audience that stretched across the hall. Still containing the fear inside, I walked up the stage with the class while trying my best not to get the residents' attention. 

We were supposed to put up a performance for them. My classmate and I have printed a couple of songs, and some of them brought things like Piano, Ukulele, speakers, etc. 

We started singing slow English songs to them, they seemed to enjoy them, but what really spurred them on were the Old Chinese songs. Yeah, should have known... 

However, what got them really hyped up was when we started singing and dancing to Gangnam style 



Wow, I wasn't expecting the residents to be so liven up by one of the most popular K-pop songs of 2012. PSY, you rock! :D 

After we finished singing, we were supposed to interact with them, teach them how to fold origami, get to know them, etc. 

I decided to face my fears and approach some of them. I said hi to some, but they just looked away. Nevermind, I continued trying to interact and finally, I got to teach one of the uncles how to fold an origami airplane. 

Surprisingly, he was a fast-learner. But when I tested him after he's done, he took time to recall the steps, but that's okay. I'm a pretty patient person when it comes to teaching.... occasionally. 

I started talking to him and he's really cool. He opens up once he's comfortable. 

Before I know it, it was time to pack up and say goodbye to the residents. I shook hands with bunch of them and at the end of the day, I could see that they were filled with happiness. 

We left the home and it was time to go back to ours. 

After the volunteering was done, I could tell that everyone was enriched by it. Yeah, it was a very memorable experience for us that we will never forget. 

Our class photo outside of Bishan Home. Spot me haha ^^ 

What did I feel after the volunteering? 

Firstly, I would say that I feel really lucky. I mean, I have an IQ level similar to that of most people and I can do things, like a normal human being does. Often, things such as being able to start a conversation with ease or processing information quickly are taken for granted. 

I'm not bragging here, just telling you guys not to take things for granted. 

Secondly, I've come to realise that they are actually normal human beings like you and me, it's just that their brains are wired differently. They just can't control their behaviors. They have feelings too, so it's not right to discriminate them. So, well done Bishan Home for making them feel accepted in society! 

Lastly, I've learned that happiness can be obtained from simple things such as singing with them and doing that extra little thing to help the less fortunate, and god was it satisfying! Maybe the key to life is not to focus TOO MUCH on ourselves, but to also care for others. 


Really hope that we can volunteer there again, will they remember us? I don't know. But it's shouldn't be too much trouble to reintroduce ourselves right.. ^^ 

Venturing into Ngee Ann Polytechnic... ( Open house 2014 )

Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Just hearing those three words alone motivates me to do well academically. Ngee Ann has always been my dream school since sec 2 or 3. Why is that so? Well it's because Ngee Ann is the best school to study the course of my choice. What is it you may ask? Read on and find out :)

                                                                   ...

I attended the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Open house on 11 Jan with my friend's and my family. When my family and I reached the campus, we were immediately greeted by friendly and welcoming students with brochures in their hands, ready to be given to incoming guests. 

Walking into the school while occasionally glancing at the map, I was bowled over by the vast size of the school. The campus was a conglomerate of buildings, ranging from the different academic schools, to the different eateries, Koufu, Toastbox, you name it. 

I first headed to the convention center with my mum to attend the parents' seminar, where they talked about the admission to the Poly, whether poly education is right for the child, etc. The thing that I like about the seminar was that it wasn't propagandic. They did not just talk about how beneficial poly education is but also to see if the child suits the poly or JC education. 

After the seminar, I went to meet my friend and his family there. Hadn't met that guy for some time, so glad that I got to catch up with him a little bit. 


                                                                ... 




We had lunch before heading off to the first academic school- School of Engineering 
            




There, we went to different booths of the different courses to find out more about them. Some booths actually allow us to try out some things that they do! 

For example, the booth of the Diploma in Aerospace Electronics allows guests to try navigating a simulated aircraft. Awesome experience for aspiring pilots :D 

Does this look familiar to you? If you're guessing that it's an F1 car, then you're right. It was not built by some experienced professional, but by engineering students. 

Engineering is an innovative and futuristic field, isn't it? You get to be like Tony Stark, who engineered a computer-programmed, iron-coated suit. Someday, you may just be able to engineer something that will make you famous, why not? it's possible! 


Most of us are unfamiliar with the campus, so there were shuttle buses to take us around. What a great deal of convenience! Ngee Ann, I'm giving you huge thumbs up! 



                                                                    ...


We boarded the bus and alighted at the School Of Infocomn Technology next. 





This is the place where the heart of IT lies, and certainly where computer enthusiasts would love to be in. 

I got to program movements for a robot using a programming software there. Programming was foreign to me, so it was a great first-hand experience. Of course, I wasn't asked to program it in a complicated way, that would be like asking a beginner to beat a black belt in a fight. 


The robot seems tensed and anxious that it's gonna be programmed by me haha... 

Time to show off your cool new moves XD 

... 

Finally, it was time to visit the school that I've always wanted to check out - School Of Film And Media Studies 

If you're someone with lots of imaginations and would love to express yourself (like I do), then this is probably the school that's right for you :) 

There were two tours that we could embark on -

1) Advertising Public Relations/ Mass communications tour  

 2) Film, sound, Video/ Digital Visual effects tour 

I joined the queue for the first tour where we were guided by a Mass Comm student. 

We were first directed to a conference room where a lecturer from the Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations talked about what the course is all about. She explained that Advertising is the spreading of information to the masses while Public Relations is about convincing your audiences in a persuasive way by revealing the good qualities about your product or idea ( Correct me if I'm wrong ). The open house itself, is a form of Public Relations. 

Both of them will then merge together to form a bundle called, Marketing Communications. 

The Media office was our next stop. There, Mass communication students were extremely engrossed in their writing for the school's website, magazines, and newspaper as they rushed to meet the datelines for the respective stories that they cover.

A lecturer introduced some of the school's media platforms such as NpTribune, the school's newspaper, fully written by Mass Communication students.....

...the school's entertainment magazine, HYPE 

    

I learnt that they actually get to interview REAL celebrities face to face! How cool is that?! Well, that's part and parcel of being a student journalist, right? 

With the advent of New Media, what is the media without its internet platform? So let's not forget TheUrbanWire, the school's website covering news on entertainment and lifestyle. 

 

Ever wanted to be a radio Deejay and broadcast on the latest happenings? Well, you can with RADIOHEATWAVE! 

As it was getting late, I decided to just visit one more school, and my last stop was the School Of Business and Accountancy

There are 7 diploma courses, but I'm only interested in one of them. Some of you guys may think, why limit your choices? Well, who says so?  

The diploma that I have interest in is the Diploma in Business Studies and it has 7 SPECIALISATIONS to choose from :

- Entrepreneurship 

- Finance 

- Human capital management

- International Business 

- Marketing

- Marketing communications

- Psychology 

- Service Management 

So I'm actually broadening my choices by picking a well-rounded diploma course. 

A hilarious and unexpected incident that happened was that a Business Communication teacher there said that I'm really matured in the questions I ask. WOW, really? ._. You got to be kidding. 

Me, matured? That's not what many of my friends normally define me as. 

                                                           ...

The open house was really worth going and I will absolutely visit it again next year. I sacrificed three of my tuition classes on that day, but I didn't regret it. 

After much consideration, I've finally made up my mind and decided to set my heart on the Diploma in Mass Communications.

I realised that although the other courses seem appealing to me, mass comm is where my passion lies, and it's a field of study that suits me the most. 

I really enjoy sharing stories with the world and I'm always curious about social happenings around the globe, which explains my enthusiasm in Social Studies in school. 

Immersing myself into the story, getting to know about it from different perspectives, and finally writing and reporting about it is what I would love to do. 

Even in my personal life, I'm always eager to know what's bothering my friends, reasons behind someone's breakup, etc. and often times I would voluntarily dig into them and try to resolve the various issues. I'm naturally someone who takes action.