End of University Awards

When I graduated from junior college, I did an award presentation entry, giving credit (and discredit) to subjects and teachers I like (and dislike). (Refer to Dec 2005 entries) So I guess I shall do the same for my university graduation too. Only module titles will be mentioned haha. 

Most Big Family:
MA1505 - Mathematics I

A fundamental module common to all Year 1 engineering students. So basically the entire engin cohort is taking this module at the same semester, with a whopping class size of 1500+ students.

Most Small Family:
JS3208 – Approaches to Japanese Linguistics

A really tiny enrolment size of 10 students conducted in seminar-style class. What's the probability of meeting another fellow chemical engineering student taking this same module? I broke the odds haha. 

Most Improvement:
LSM1401 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry

At the beginning I was totally lost because of the lack of biology background. (My bio knowledge stopped at lower secondary) Eventually I gained interest in the subject after intensive reading of the textbook. Felt that I coped with the assignments and exams pretty well.

Most Lonely:
SC1101E - Making Sense of Society

I took this module by myself during Semester 1 and did not make any friends nor acquaintances in lectures and tutorials. The project is individual-based too, so I'm practically a lone warrior in this module. 

Most Enthusiastic:
JS3208 – Approaches to Japanese Linguistics

Hmm, partly due to the small class size and more importantly my genuine interest in the subject.

Best Lecture Notes:
IT1005 – Introduction to MATLAB

Well organized, clearly presented and full of humour. Not to mention the superbly drawn illustrations.

  

Worst Final Exam:
CN4203R – Polymer Engineering

The worst thing to do in setting exam papers is to let students set their own questions. It's even worse when the lecturer doesn't edit/QC the questions.

Best Final Exam:
MA1505 - Mathematics I

After the exam I felt like I could score full marks. Never had such confidence before.

Most Expensive: 

CN4118R – Final Year Project

Spent a bomb on printing and binding my final report and poster. Fortunately my $$$ paid off, though I felt it didn't turn out as good-looking as I thought. 

Most Surprised Grade:
SSA2215 – Biophysical Environment of Singapore

Had a shock when I checked my grades. The performance of my group assignments was only so-so. Didn't have much confidence for my final exams too. I wasn't really paying attention during lectures too. Somehow the results turned out much better than expected. Thanks to the bell curve I guess.

Best Grades (Core):

MA1505 - Mathematics I

MA1506 – Mathematics II

CN3124 – Particle Technology

CN3132 – Separation Processes  

CN4211R – Petrochemicals and Processing Technology

Have to thank the bell curve for these. Some are just tyco-ly surprising.

Worst Grades (Core):

CN2108 – Chemical Engineering Process Laboratory I

CN3109 – Chemical Engineering Laboratory III 

EG2401 – Engineering Professionalism

CN4203R – Polymer Engineering 

CN4215R – Food Technology and Engineering 

CN4201R – Petroleum Refining 

The word 'worst' is just used in a comparative sense. The grades aren't bad at all haha.

Best Grades (Elective):

SSA2215 – Biophysical Environment of Singapore

LAJ3202 – Japanese 6

JS1101E/GEK1002 – Introduction to Japanese Studies 

LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading

JS3208 – Approaches to Japanese Linguistics  

I should have majored in Japanese Studies hor? Lol.

Worst Grades (Elective + All):

GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media

No tie for this award. This module is obviously my worst-performing all time in NUS. Luckily this module is S/U-able. Shall forgive this module since it's so slack haha.

Module Summary

As my blog readers will know, I usually rate my modules at the end of every semester, according to difficulty, workload and enjoyability of lessons. Let’s summarize the ratings and look at how they rank against each other. But first let’s look at the overall statistics:

Number of modules taken: 41
Total modular credits (MC): 168 (7 MC excess)
Core modules taken: 30
Elective modules taken: 11
Module codes taken: CN (20), EG(3), LAJ (3), MA (2), GEK (2), CM (2), MLE (1), SC (1), GEM (1), IT (1), SSA (1), LSM (1), HR (1), JS (1), LAK (1)
Module levels taken: Level 1000 – 12, Level 2000 – 10, Level 3000 – 11, Level 4000 - 8

Without further ado, here are the rankings!

Top 3 Most Difficult Module       
LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading ★★★★★
CN2116 – Chemical Kinetics & Reactor Design  ★★★★★
CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2) ★★★★★

LAJ4203 definitely wins hands down. For those who are unfamiliar with the module code, this module is about newspaper reading in Japanese haha. Newspaper reading by itself is tough enough, with difficult words and articles covering a wide range of topics. What’s more it’s in Japanese! However this module has definitely helped me to understand more formal Japanese text and expressions, which can be useful in interpreting information from Japanese websites. 

Up till now I still wonder why CN2116 (Kinetics) is so difficult, despite being a fundamental core module. Level 2000 is such an understatement for this. I took this module in my 4^th semester, but even if I were to retake the module now, I would probably struggle just as much as then. The difficulty of CN4121 (Design) lies in its broad scope, and due to the fact that I had to use a lot of CN2116 knowledge for this.  

Top 3 Easiest Module
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media ☆
HR2002 – Human Capital in Organizations ★
EG2401 – Engineering Professionalism ★

Easy module does not equate to good grades haha. Thanks to the bell-curve effect. GEM2901 is a pretty straightforward module that requires simple common sense and a bit of critical thinking. You can still proceed well even if you skip lectures and just read the lecture notes. HR2002 is another ‘common sense’ kind of module, with little specific knowledge needed. Generally in this module, you learn how to evaluate yourself and others, and how to work effectively with peers in the workplace. EG2401 is about ethics and decision-making, similar concept as civics and moral education in primary and secondary school. From a moral point of view, we know we should do this and this. But when the time comes, will we stay true to our morality? Well, there is a reason why police and lawyers exist…

Top 3 Busiest Module   
LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading ★★★★★★★
CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2) ★★★★★★
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 ★★★★★★

LAJ4203 wins hands down again because of the never ending assignments and quizzes. It’s really time consuming to look for suitable newspaper articles, check out the words, write comments and prepare a peer presentation. You may think it’s pretty simple, but if it’s neither in your 1^st language nor mother tongue, it can be quite tough. Not to mention the quizzes on JLPT N1 (highest Japanese proficiency level) vocabulary and grammar, which are tough to drill in. To make up for the workload, it is set as a 5MC module…but I think it’s more like 6MC haha. LAJ3202 (J6) is just a ‘lesser’ version of LAJ4203.

CN4121 is indeed a demanding module. Before this semester I often heard complaints about its workload, and now I truly understand. So glad it’s all over. =p

Top 3 Slackest Module
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media ☆
SC1101E - Making Sense of Society ★
SSA2215 – Biophysical Environment of Singapore ★

Apparently there is strong correlation between difficulty and workload. A difficult module demands more time and effort to study well. On the other hand, you can just sit back and relax for an easy module. Unfortunately, despite GEM2901 being the slackest and easiest, my eventual grade warrants an S/U. SC1101E and SSA2215 may not be the easiest modules, but their assessment components did not contain any projects. Moreover the tutorials were only held biweekly, which did not require much preparation. This is what I like about Arts modules haha (Japanese excluded).

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Lecture   
LAK1201 – Korean 1 ★★★★★
SC1101E - Making Sense of Society ★★★★
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media ★★★★

Hmm…LAK1201 was interesting mainly because the contents were so basic. I’m so tired of modules that require critical and analytical thinking. In LAK1201, I could truly sit back, read aloud simple words and sentences with the class, and enjoy the colourful illustrations in the lecture slides and textbook. Oh, I’m missing Billy and his Bibimbap already.

I took SC1101E during my first semester in NUS and was impressed by its content depth and scope. It allowed me to see things from a broader perspective, and understand how different societies work. It also managed to trigger my interest in sociology for a brief period of time, and made me feel like a knowledgeable university student haha. The enjoyment of GEM2901 lies primarily in the jokes cracked during lectures. I still remember once, the lecturer mentioned about how to measure the time taken for one to fall asleep. “You hold the stopwatch on your hand, and the moment you fall asleep, you press the stopwatch” LOL.

Top 3 Most Boring Lecture
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering ☆
CN3124 – Particle Technology ★
CN3135 – Process Safety, Health & Environment ★

I took MLE1101 in my first semester and it totally shattered my impression of NUS teaching standards. Just as I thought the lectures were bad enough, the tutorials were much worse. CN3124 (Parttech) is comparatively much better, though the lecture style is just…uninteresting haha. CN3135 (Safety) is a little better, though I often find myself fidgeting restlessly, flipping through the lecture notes to see how much more to go before the lecture ends…

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Tutorial
LAK1201 – Korean 1 ★★★★★★
LAJ3201 – Japanese 5 ★★★★★
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 ★★★★★

LAK1201 definitely deserves the first. I applaud the teaching staff for thinking up so many interesting, creative and interactive class activities, such as shopping, auction and five stones. Ok I really suck at playing five-stones. I had the chance to play five-stones during my kindergarten/primary school days, but I didn’t bother to practise (probably because it was deemed as a ‘girls’ game). Anyway it seems like my classmates aren’t any better too…haha. 

Japanese 5 and 6 tutorials were interesting because I get to speak up a lot. Though I always mute myself during engin tutorials, I can become really enthusiastic to speak up during Japanese classes haha. My ‘proudest’ moment was when I was asked to present kun-yomi  (native reading) and on-yomi (Sino reading) of Kanji (Chinese characters) to the class. It all started when I corrected my teacher that ‘niku’ (肉) is actually Sino reading, and not native reading which most Japanese thought.

Top 3 Most Boring Tutorial
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering ☆
CN3124 – Particle Technology ★
MA1505 - Mathematics I ★

Yup, evidently there is indeed a close connection between the enjoyability of tutorials and that of lectures. These tutorials are so boring that I don’t even have anything special to say about them.

Top 3 Most Enjoyable Module
LAK1201 – Korean 1 ★★★★★☆
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 ★★★★☆

This ranks the overall enjoyability of the module, including lectures, tutorials, labs, seminars, field trips etc. There are too many ties for the 3^rd place, so I shall leave it blank. Thank you LAK1201 for accompanying me till the final day, final lesson of my school life. Sorry to say but my heart is still with Japanese haha… However I did have much fun exploring the similarities and differences between Korean and Japanese languages. 

Top 3 Most Unenjoyable Module
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering ☆
CN3124 – Particle Technology ★
CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2) ★

I have said enough for the 1^st and 2^nd place modules. As for the 3^rd, I can only say…I’m glad it’s all over. Chem engin students should be able to understand this.

Last but not least, I took the weighted average of all the stars I’ve given to the modules, under the difficulty, workload, and enjoyability categories. A high overall star rating means that the module is difficult, has high workload, but very enjoyable. Conversely, a low overall star rating means the module is easy, has low workload but not very enjoyable. This rating is indicative of the module’s worth, and how challenging the it is.  

Top 3 Overall Rating
LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading (5.3 stars)
LAJ3202 – Japanese 6 (4.8 stars)
CN4118R – Final Year Project (4 stars)

LAJ4203 and LAJ3202 definitely helped to improve my Japanese ability by leaps and bounds, though I’m gradually losing it due to lack of practice and exposure. I hope even after graduating I still have the chance to use Japanese on a regular basis. FYP indeed provided an enriching and valuable experience in the research aspect, but I feel that I’ve barely scrapped the surface of the topic. There is just so much more to explore and learn.

Bottom 3 Overall Rating
MLE1101 - Introduction to Material Science and Engineering (1.5 stars)
GEM2901 - Reporting Statistics in the Media (1.7 stars)
SSA2215 – Biophysical Environment of Singapore (1.7 stars)

As I announce the Hall of Fame, I shall also reveal the Hall of Shame too. No offence to any particular  departments or lecturers. Low overall rating doesn’t mean it’s bad lah haha…

Semester 8 Overview

In a blink of eye, my last semester in NUS has come to an end. This also marks the end of my 20-year-long schooling journey. The last week of school had been quite ‘eventful’, with a project deadline, role-playing skit, presentation as well as a final examination on my very last lesson as a full-time student. Graduation from university seems a little anti-climax compared to primary school, secondary school and college. There are no big events (like O, A Levels) to send us off on our last days in school. There is still a graduation ceremony coming up soon, but it’s spaced so far apart from our final schoolday. It’s more like a reunion I guess, similar to O, A Levels result collection day, before we officially say goodbye and part ways.

This semester I’ve been busy with lots of non-school work, mainly tuition, Japanese-related activities and job-search. Still managed to have fun though, with a couple of outings here and there. Really appreciate those who initiate outings, despite the difficulty in deciding upon a common date and time, especially when everyone has many other ‘more important’ commitments.

For the last time, let's review the rating criteria:
Difficulty - Self explanatory.
Workload - Amount of lesson hours per week, assignments, tutorials, projects, self-study required, etc
Lecture/Tutorial/Lab - Enjoyability and understanding


CN4121 – Design Project (Part 2)

Difficulty: ★★★★★
Workload: ★★★★★★

A pretty demanding project indeed. It has become a common grumbling topic among the final year students. Previously I heard from seniors about how ‘jialat’ this module is, now I know why haha. The level of demand also depends on which section we are in charge of, as well as the corresponding professor-in-charge. I can say I’m quite lucky to get a manageable section, instead of the *erhem* unit.

This module makes an effort to strike a balance between teamwork incorporation and fair grading to each member. Simply speaking, the department wants us to work as a team, yet grades us separately based on individual performance. Honestly, I feel that I underperformed for this module, for a mixture of reasons. And it does not follow my usual style of taking control, pushing my own beliefs onto others, etc. Probably the scale of the project has made me realise that it’s not possible to take control of every section (unlike in lab modules), and I should try to trust others’ abilities.

As for individual part, it was a struggle deciding whether it is worth the effort to include additional details and research. There are so many things we can include since the project is quite open-ended in a way, but yet restricted by time and page constraints. I kept in mind what my prof said – ‘Focus on the important things.’ But what is considered important? I decided that for myself and naturally took the easier (aka slacker) way out by eliminating effort-consuming approaches. Looking for practical data is not easy too, due to industrial confidentiality.


CN4118R – Final Year Project

Difficulty: ★★★★
Workload: ★★★★★

For most courses, the biggest (and final) project students will embark on before graduating is FYP (or thesis). This is why most people were surprised when I told them I’ve already completed FYP. Thanks to Design Project, the research period for FYP is relatively short (to save us from one agony into another lol).

It was a blessing in disguise when I failed to get all 15 choices in the first round of project balloting. Really thankful to get a good supervisor and a helpful mentor subsequently. Their guidance and support also helped me to overcome several difficulties along the way, to the extent that I feel I didn’t put in much effort myself. Their encouragement kept me motivated all the way too. Sadly I still feel that I’m not suited to do research, though my supervisor often says otherwise.

It was also lucky that my project is computational based so I need not go to school everyday for lab, and I could use the software on my PC. This gave me a lot of flexibility and free time to commit to other matters…oops haha. The most torturous part was report writing, which I spent a lot of time on the formatting and appearance rather than the content, because my report consists of lots of equations and diagrams. As a result, my report ended up looking like a textbook. A considerable time and $$$ was also spent on printing matters. Although my thesis has a pretty-finish, I personally feel that the content is lacking. Fortunately thanks to my supervisor again, I was able to speak my way out during the poster presentation. And that unexpected award made me realise something…

FYP Poster Presentation Day. My supervisor and me (and my poster, which curled like crazy).

Be it in blogs or FB, I see that people usually take photo of their FYP report after completion. I shall monkey see monkey do as well. (anyway the title has a mistake, so I went to bind again...) As you can see, the form of my report is different from the norm, thanks to my supervisor who encouraged me to break the norm haha. It's smaller than A4, bigger than A5.

CN4201R – Petroleum Refining

Difficulty: ★★★★
Workload: ★★
Lecture/Tutorial: ★★

This module is like an extension to the petrochemical module I took last semester, just that it focuses more in-depth into refinery processes. The good thing about this module is that it’s taught by Singapore Refining Company (SRC) engineers who have many years of experience in the field. But the bad thing is they have too much experience to tell, and tend to let us off very late. =(

This is a very very useful module for those who wish to enter the refining industry. It gives a lot of insight as to what chemical engineers do in a refinery and what kind of problems they face. The site visit to SRC was my most enriching visit to Jurong Island (out of 4 visits there) because we were allowed to walk around the actual site, look at the process units close-up and experience the heat and noise, rather than just taking a simple bus tour through.

The assessment is basically memory based. With so much information given and closed-book exams, studying can be quite difficult because you won’t know which information must be memorized in detail, and which information just require a rough grasp of concept. Didn’t do well for the mid terms, as I was caught off guard by questions which require answers that I thought wasn’t necessary to memorize in detail. IIRC I was positioned around the 25-30% percentile. Sigh.


LAK1201 – Korean 1

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★★★
Lecture: ★★★★★
Tutorial: ★★★★★★

I had already thought of taking this module since last semester, as there are no more Japanese language modules left for me to take haha. What a lousy reason to learn a new language lol. Honestly I don’t have any interest in Korean culture, pop songs and their dramas. Neither am I extremely keen in their language because they ditched the use of Chinese characters and used some alien-doodle typography with lots of squares and circles.

However starting to learn a new language from beginner’s level brings me back to kindergarten days when we were still trying to speak simple vocabulary and grammar. It’s a big 解脱 from other modules that require a high level of thinking and analytical skills, and demands strong written and spoken abilities for reports and presentations. When starting off a new language, everything is so simple. If something is A, just say it is A. If you like B, just say you like B. 直接了当，不需理由. No need to explain so much with justifications and supporting evidence. Since Korean is so similar to Japanese in terms of vocabulary and grammar, I could pick them up easily. Except that the pronunciation can be pretty tricky.

The lecture notes, textbook and worksheets are filled with cute and colourful illustrations, really reminiscent of kindergarten times. The instructors are friendly and humorous, making lots of funny gestures and sounds to ensure that we understand what they are trying to say. I appreciate the teachers for thinking up so much fun-filled activities for the tutorials, such as ‘snake and ladders’, jigsaw puzzles, shopping and auction. Never expect myself to experience such an enjoyable class at this age. Really thankful to my tutor who spiced up the early-morning sleepy atmosphere by her hyper greetings, funny antics and evil laughter.

Without passion for the culture, I understand that it’s difficult to motivate oneself to learn the language. But I’ll see how it goes.

Semester 7 Overview

With only 3 less-demanding modules (besides FYP), this semester is supposed to be slack. However I chose to get involved in other miscellaneous activities (mostly Japanese-related) that made my semester busier than expected. This is already my final year in University, and I hope to participate in some fun activities which I won’t get a chance to do after I graduate.

Let’s look at the judging criteria:
Difficulty - Self explanatory.
Workload - Amount of lesson hours per week, assignments, tutorials, projects, self-study required, etc
Lecture/Tutorial/Lab - Enjoyability and understanding


CN4121 – Design Project (Part 1)

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★☆
Lecture: ★★
Lab: ★★★

This huge 10MC module is split between 2 semesters. The workload of Part 1 is lighter (about 3MC), with introductory lectures, fundamental training in software and a mini-project. The heavier part, with a more demanding design project, will come next semester.

I feel a little bad for not putting much effort in this module. I skipped lectures towards the end and didn’t contribute much to the project. Much of the work was done during the 2-hour lab session every week. I didn’t bother to spend extra time, nor take further steps in attempting the exercises. Getting desired results from the software can be frustrating at times, but overall it’s rather simple to handle (compared to my FYP software). Though I didn’t communicate much with my lab tutor, I think he is really patient and committed in helping us with our problems, though he’s a little on the strict side especially when conducting the viva test.
The lectures were alright, though I often felt unmotivated to attend and listen. The first lecturer was longwinded, the second was comical and the third was boring…


CN4211R – Petrochemicals and Processing Technology

Difficulty: ★★★★
Workload: ★
Lecture/Tutorial: ★★★

I think this is one of the most useful Chem Engin modules I’ve taken so far. It teaches us lots of practical aspects of the petrochemical industry and the workings of various important processes. Those planning to work in a petrochemical industry should take this module, as it’s very very relevant. It focuses more on qualitative understanding rather than quantitative calculations. The calculations are simple, but applying and formulating them appropriately is difficult as it requires a great deal of understanding, as well as assumptions (otherwise it will be too complex to solve by hand).

This module is taken by one of the most “well-known” professors in the department. Most students tend to shun him, thanks to his initial reputation created during the very first Chem Engin introduction module. However after taking this module, I felt that he is not bad after all. Probably because I’ve become more accustomed to the subject through the semesters and could understand most of what he’s trying to explain.

His questions are nevertheless still on the challenging side. It can be a real killer if you lack understanding on the topic. It requires applying of knowledge beyond the textbook/lecture notes stuff. As an exam tip, he mentioned ”I guess you guys know my style of questions, from tutorials and mid-terms”. I fully agree haha.
There was also an enriching field-trip to Exxon Mobil. Thumbs up to that. =)


JS3208 – Approaches to Japanese Linguistics

Difficulty: ★★★
Workload: ★★★
Lecture/Tutorial: ★★★★

There is no more Japanese language modules (LAJ) left for me to take, so linguistics studies under the Japanese Studies department is the next best alternative to maintain continuous contact with the language. I’ve taken two JS modules in the past semesters and they were really demanding and strict, especially in the project requirements such as referencing and style. However this module is quite different from the other JS modules, partly due to our friendly and understanding lecturer. I’ve heard much recommendations about her from my fellow classmates. Glad I was able to take this module after a successful appeal even though I didn’t satisfy the prerequisites initially.

This module has the smallest class size I’ve ever experienced in NUS, with a mere 10 students. Lessons were really interesting and informative. There were so many things I didn’t realise before although I’ve been studying the language for a long time. This module also made me more aware of the similarities and differences between Japanese, English and Chinese.

Since non-natives cannot learn foreign language through the ‘natural’ way, grasping the technicalities seems to be the only way to improve our sense of grammar and construct appropriate sentences that sound natural.


CN4118R – Final Year Project

There is nothing to rate on this module since it’s mostly OTOT. Like Design Project, this module is split over two semesters, with the bulk of the workload in this semester. I’ll write a complete review about FYP at the end of next semester.

With most of the time spent on FYP, trying to complete my written report before the deadline 2 weeks later, this holiday doesn't feel like one at all. Anyway a new semester is starting soon. Back to mugging...

Semester 6 Overview

This is my first semester with less than 20 MC, yet I don’t feel any more relaxed than the previous semesters, thanks to some frustrating people.

Just to refresh my judging criteria:
Difficulty - Self explanatory.
Workload - Amount of lesson hours per week, assignments, tutorials, projects, self-study required, etc
Lecture - Enjoyability and understanding
Tutorial/Lab - Enjoyability and understanding


CN4203R – Polymer Engineering

Difficulty: ★★★
Workload: ★★
Lecture/Tutorial: ★★

I’ve mixed feelings about this module. In the first third of the semester, I dreaded going for the lecture because it was so boring. Furthermore the lecture sessions were consecutive (4-6pm and 11-1 pm next day), so it’s like sitting for a 3-4 hour lecture straight. In the second third, it became better as the pace slowed down and I started to enjoy it a little more.

The last third was peer teaching where each group was supposed to present on a certain topic. I was struck with confusion and felt that I couldn’t catch up at all. It was information overload without understanding, as the groups tried to cover as much content in the topic as possible, without giving much explanation. It’s like going through the entire calculus within 45 minutes, multiplied by 15 times. A perfect example of breadth without depth. Fortunately (or unfortunately) each group was to set a MCQ question on their topic. That means we had to study the entire topic just for one MCQ question. Because of this, some people probably shared their questions with each other to save the hassle of studying the huge chuck of information. Yea I’ve little faith in the integrity of university students. Those in the course should know haha.

Letting students set MCQ questions in the final exam looks like a lose-lose situation. Appears like everyone is out to kill each other. 自相残杀. After suffering under killer questions set by lecturers, this provides a good opportunity for students to unleash their resentment on each other. I can’t help but to shake my head after the paper. We always rant about difficult and tricky questions, but yet we set them ourselves. What an irony. Sad for the group who set easy questions…


CN4215R – Food Technology and Engineering

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★
Lecture/Tutorial: ★★★

I’ve been wanting to take this module long time ago, because it involves food haha. Anyway why are my 4k modules easier and more slack than 3k and even 2k ones?! Lecturers play a very huge role in determining the workload. For the first half, we had a funny lecturer who likes to crack cold jokes, digress out of topic, long-winded, keeps repeating the same words over and over again. Thus the pace was really slow, but we had a great laugh every lecture. To add on, the tutorials were done in lecture format, where all the workings and solutions are already presented on the slides. So there was no need to attempt the questions at all. To further add on, the lecturer went through each and every slide of the lecture notes, telling us which slides are tested and which are not. Really specific. She must be one-of-a-kind in NUS. How I wish other lecturers are like that too, because it really lessens the load of studying haha.

On the other hand for the second half, it was total opposite. The lecturer does not crack jokes, but goes straight to the point. The pace was fast and the coverage was really efficient. As a result, lectures often ended early before time, and lessons had already ceased about a month before Week 13 ended.


CN3109 – Chemical Engineering Laboratory III

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★★★
Lab: ★★

I’m glad this lab module only has 4 experiments, because I already had enough writing (and editing) lab reports. The experiment itself was alright, though there were many hiccups faced, such as being unable to obtain the desired results or taking too long to complete. But the vexing thing was having to deal with all kinds of nonsense related to group report writing. Sometimes I wonder how some people can deviate so much out of track, cause great inconvenience to others, give empty promises, use their eloquence to obscure their incompetency, etc.


JS1101E/GEK1002 – Introduction to Japanese Studies

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★★★
Lecture: ★★★
Tutorial: ★★★★

Once again I challenged myself to history. The main objective of this module is to debunk common stereotypes of Japan, like samurai and what we normally perceive from animes and mangas. And find out how icons and behaviours have emerged from a historical context. Japan is not as pretty as it seems. Ok I already realised that when I began studying Japanese language. Coupled with the recent disaster, it gets uglier, sadly. Now, the attention is on Korea.

The lecture content was interesting but thanks to a lecturer who tends to flare up towards a slightest noise from the floor, lecture became a stifling affair. Everyone was made to keep their mouths tightly shut, for 1h 45min (no breaks in between). The Japanese concept of punctuality is also strictly enforced. Reminds me very much of those stringent lessons in olden days.

Tutorial was much better, because we had an understanding Singaporean tutor. (let’s not go into nationality…)

The group work is the one getting into my nerves. Right from the start (when forming the group and choosing project topic) there was already some discontentment. After that we went in circles, getting nowhere to the focus. Having unenthusiastic members in the group is a common issue, but having proactive members with a lot of opinions does have its own share of problems. We could hardly reach a consensus, even till the last meeting. Meeting time is often spent on arguing whose ideas are better. Thought we could complete it earlier, but it dragged on all the way. I have no hopes on a project which is produced out of compromise among members without consensus. Never mind, the ultimate purpose is making the grader happy, not us.


LAJ4203 – Newspaper Reading

Difficulty: ★★★★★
Workload: ★★★★★★★
Lecture: ★★★★
Tutorial: ★★★★

On top of frustrating people, this must be the culprit in making my semester busy. Ok it’s a 5 MC module after all. I find it hard to reply whenever someone asks me which level of Japanese I’m taking. This module does not have a number attached. The syllabus is like one step above level 6, but the prerequisite is only level 5. Thus there are some who took both level 6 and this module simultaneously.

Whatever the case, this module is about reading newspaper and listening to news reports. Sounds boring? Yea, probably to people who aren’t accustomed to reading news and current affairs. For a regular newspaper reader like me, it’s just a matter of reading it in another language, on other country’s matters. Based on my background knowledge on Japan, I’m glad I didn’t face much problem in understanding the articles. =)

There were many pros in the class. How I wish I could speak as well as them. Well, most are from Japanese Studies major and have been to Japan for exchange. Talking about that, I’m getting depressed already sigh…

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So far my results haven't disappointed me. Hope this semester won't be an exception. Though that 'I-don't-think-I-did-well' feeling still lingers after every exam period.

Now I need to find a 1 MC module to make a multiple of 4. Any to recommend? Haha...

"Spoonfeeding Theory" wins hands down

Whenever someone rants about how terrible a module is, some righteous person will come by and downplay the grievance with the 'no-spoonfeeding' concept.

"Die liao, I dun understand what the lecturer was saying."

"The notes are so lousy, so hard to read!"

"Wah lau the exam questions so difficult, all never teach one."

"Why no derivation for this equation?"

"Why no answers?"

"Why no webcast?"

The above complaints can be simply, or conveniently, countered by this powerful word called 'spoonfeeding'. Specifically, this 'no-spoonfeeding' concept argues that university students should study on their own and not rely on lecturers and classes for information.

Thanks to this mighty term, insufficiencies of lecturers and their lessons are being rationalized. Their approach, no matter how lacking, is being defended by the ultimate 'no-spoonfeeding' principle. Students are usually left to fend on their own, thus creating a dog-eat-dog situation at the ground.

On the other hand there are some lecturers who have no idea how to spoonfeed, although they are willing to. They think they are spoonfeeding, but are actually using a fork instead. The students end up suffering from the piercings, getting further confused by their unnecessary elaborations and haphazardly prepared notes.

It cannot be denied that spoonfeeding should not apply in universities, but there is no clear line drawn between 'spoonfeeding' and mere 'inadequacy'. No one can clearly define what extent constitutes to spoonfeeding and what extent remains as a fundamental obligation by an educator. Apparently this judgment is often left to the lecturers to decide.

Some believe lecturers do not teach, but act as facilitators. Like how parents give their children cash and let them buy their own food. Sometimes the problem is that the children do not know which food is nutritious and which is unhealthy. Parents try to guide them but they tend to make the wrong choices. If parents tells their children what to buy, is that considered spoonfeeding? How about buying for them instead? The answer is clear in this case, but when applied to the university context, it is hard to tell.

The underlying principle, which most will agree, is that students should do their best in studying while lecturers do their best in teaching. Students pay for tuition fees while lectures get paid by the university. It is a kind of service industry, technically speaking. If the consumer (student) does not receive the expected goods (knowledge) from the producer (lecturer), can a complaint be lodged to CASE?

Before you do anything rash, think again who holds control over the most important determinant in university education - our grades.

Copycats

At the start of the semester, the photocopying room in the library is full of people busy zapping textbooks and notes. Yea, I am one of them too, after I'm convinced that it's not very worth buying the costly textbooks that will only be used for one semester. Not all chapters of the textbook will be covered, and selling textbooks used by higher level modules with fewer intake might be difficult. With module syllabus spanning over more than 1 book, it seems like photocopying selected chapters is the only viable solution.

That's not really kind to the trees, but when are educational institutions ever environmental-friendly? Their paper usage is alarming.

Wonder which genius invented the photocopying machine. Just by having a single book in the RBR, everyone can have the same copy of materials. But the poor book has to suffer repeated treatment of being opened 180-degrees flat, and being pressed hard onto the scanning surface. Some stiffer-bound books, which can't bend so much, have some of their pages almost dropping out already.

Environmentally speaking, it's probably better to photocopy books than to buy it, especially if it's two pages to one side. I suppose more resources are being used in producing books. However, there is always this copyright issue that looms in the background.

Thanks to incompetent lecturers and poorly-made lecture notes, students often feel so insecure that they have to get hold of the textbook (or a copy of it), even though they might not use it eventually. In some cases it's as though the textbook serves as a primary material, while lectures are supplementary. Might as well abolish lectures and just provide a list of modules and their corresponding textbooks.

Apparently in universities of other countries too, textbooks are the main source of information as little can be gained from the lectures. This brings me to another point, which I'll talk about next time (hopefully).

Alone is OK?

Read the recent Straits Times article about NUS students trying to advocate that it's ok to eat alone in campus. If someone has to step out and address this issue, it tells about the scale of such problem.

My stand is, indeed, I try to avoid eating alone in the canteen. I think it's more of a personal preference rather than due to social stigma. It's like - everyone knows it's ok to eat spicy food, but some people just don't like to. It is not we will get cancer or die from eating spicy food or something.

When I'm alone and hungry in campus, I'll usually buy waffles, pastries, kueh, finger food and such, and eat along my way or find an empty bench. The bench is often clean enough for me to take out my lecture notes or tutorial sheets to read. I wouldn't do the same on an oily canteen table.

The great thing is, I don't usually have to settle my meals alone. Quite thankful for the companionship I have in school.

I wouldn't know how to reply if I were to be asked the survey questions as published in the ST article. "How often do you eat alone in campus? Never? Once or twice a week? Or always?"

I've eaten alone in the canteen before, but not as often as once or twice per week. In my two-and-half years in NUS, I think I can count the number of times I sat at the canteen table alone eating a proper meal, with my both hands. Unless I want to try something new, or I'm really hungry to the extent that mere waffles and pastries cannot satisfy my hunger, I would just settle for convenient snacks.

This bring me to another great thing - I get full easily when eating carbohydrates like bread and bakery items like cakes, pastries and waffles. Maybe I don't actually get full, but my stomach feels satisfied enough. No need for meat and vegetable dishes.

If I really have to eat alone, I would of course avoid the peak hours at all costs. Wouldn't want to weave through the narrowly spaced tables/seats and the crowded walkway in search of an empty seat, while carrying a tray with a bowl of hot noodles. Worse thing is not being able to find one after making a complete round about the canteen. Looking for a 'suitable target' to share seats with, can be a hassle too.

A simple solution for this problem. Takeaway lor. (But keep the study benches clean please!)

Thinking that those who eat alone have no friends? How superficial. Thinking that those who eat alone are losers? How ridiculous. If our supposedly well-educated university students have this kind of mentality, that's really deplorable.

Then again, other people don't really give a damn when they see someone eating alone. They will be either busy enjoying their food or chatting with their friends. Ultimately it's the self that creates such anxiety - "The only person who minds so much is yourself."

Unfortunately I've cultivated a bad habit of doing something else while eating at home, for example watching dramas, TV, doing homework, surfing net or reading newspapers. This explains my slow eating speed, for those who witnessed it before. So if I've nothing to do except just eating when I'm having meals alone outside, I would feel really really bored haha. I'm not particularly interested in people-watching either.

I remember bringing a lunch-box (contains bread only) to school during a semester when I had continuous lessons without break from 8am to 5pm. Rushing a meal during the 10 min buffer between lessons? Nah.

Eating in a restaurant alone? Nah too. Not worth to pay so much for the ambiance and comfort I don't need.

Semester 5 Overview

I realize I haven’t blogged about this semester at all for the past few months. Too busy reminiscing the past haha.

In contrast to the previous semester, this semester is more relaxed as I was able to catch up with my tutorials and projects. There was no feeling of crunch. Had a free day to slack too. I think it’s because I didn’t take any Japanese module this semester haha.


CN3132 – Separation Processes

Difficulty: ★★★★
Workload: ★
Lecture: ★★
Tutorial: ★★

The title sounds simple but it is actually the toughest module of this semester in my opinion. Thanks to the concept called equilibrium, which is usually not consistent, separating substance is not as easy as it seems. Luckily the workload is very light – just tutorials and mid term tests, no group work, graded assignment or whatsoever. Attempting the tutorial questions is rather time consuming however, as they often require graph plotting. Other than that there is really nothing to rant about this module. The lectures and tutorials are just like any other CN modules.

Despite the heavily reliance on graph-drawing for solving problems, we were not expected to plot any graphs in the final exam, much to my relief. I am really really slow in plotting out points on the graph. As such, the paper did not turn out as bad as I had expected. Was it because the mid terms were tough enough? Haha.


CN3121 – Process Dynamics & Control

Difficulty: ★★★
Workload: ★★★
Lecture: ★
Tutorial: ★★

While the separation module is full of graphs, this one is full of block diagrams. Blocks are much more fun and easier to draw! This module started off quite slowly, introducing a lot basic concepts for the first half. I could not grasp the gist of this module at first. As we proceeded to the second half, the key purpose became clearer and more evident. This is when I began to develop an interest for this module, although, regretfully, the lectures and tutorials became more boring. Probably partly due to the freezing lecture theatre.

This module is not very typical of a CN module, since there are a lot of algebraic manipulations and analysis. By just looking at the form of the algebra expression, we can tell a lot about how the process works. This makes it easier to study I think. Moreover my interest made me more confident in this module. Sad to say, its final exam is the most difficult one among all. So much for the confidence. Looks like I still have a lot more to learn.

We were introduced a new application in Matlab, to aid us in our simulation. Hence the two group projects. It was quite fun experimenting and playing around with the functions, while trying to discover the best way to achieve the desired result. Because it is a group project, there are other concerns as well.

I am considering to take the advanced version of this module, but this will depend on my grades. (Hmm actually not really since I have already ruled out several possible choices, so I might still take it anyway) Hope it won’t be a disappointment.


CN3421 – Process Modeling & Numerical Simulation

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★★
Lecture: ★★★
Tutorial: ★★★

This module is even more atypical of a CN module. The title sounds daunting but it is nothing more than just solving equations without a computer, as well as processing data (aka statistics). It has been 5 years since I touched statistics, but luckily I was able to pick it up fast. This module seems to bring me back to my JC days when I was studying F Maths, as there are a lot of similarities. This explains the relatively low difficulty of the module, despite it being a level 3000 one.

This module gives a ‘solid’ feeling – a feeling of ‘knowing what I’m doing’. Arts modules may be easy to understand and study, but the essay writing aspect adds an element of uncertainty. There is no way to know exactly if you are right or wrong. On the other hand, this module presents straightforward questions, and the bulk lies in pure computation. However it is precisely the tedious computation that makes me wish I could have more time for the final exams. It is times like this when I feel I should have bought a calculator which can solve cubic equations, find determinant of matrix, compute statistical values etc.

Both lecturers are interesting and engaging, but I seemed to watch most lectures through the webcast, due to the out-of-way timing and the frequent disappearance of one lecturer. Hope to score well for this module, but if I don’t, the rest must be really good haha.


CN3135 – Process Safety, Health & Environment

Difficulty: ★★★
Workload: ★★
Lecture: ★
Tutorial: ★★★

This sounds qualitative but actually involves more calculations that expected. What is a CN module without calculations? Applying the equations is simple, but knowing what values to put in might be a problem. Also, this module teaches us how to make sense of the values obtained. So far we seem to have merely produced numerical answers without much judgment on how large or small they are.

While I can’t help being bored with the snail-paced lectures, I felt I’ve learnt much more during the tutorials. After every tutorial my foolscap paper would be full of notes and scribbles. Didn’t know the questions could extend so much beyond.
I almost forgot this is a 3MC module. I harbor no expectations but if I were to do poorly, it means I’m just not good nothing then…


CN3108 – Chemical Engineering Laboratory II

Difficulty: ★★★
Workload: ★★★★
Lab: ★★★

The 2nd installment of the trilogy. Lab hours is doubled, so is the MC, but the workload seems to drop. This is because there are more members per group and the workload for the report is split into well-defined roles. Nevertheless it can be very tiring too, as I had to spend almost the whole of every fortnight Sunday checking through the report and spotting for errors, before submission on the following Monday. Editing such reports is really very time consuming, but fortunately there was someone who took care of the formatting part haha.

Once again I’ve beaten the odds, by not being grouped with JH whose name is just before me. Ok I give up already.

Am I the only one who feels viva (oral Q&A) is a good component for this module? However one thing is, grading standards may differ. I wonder how the professors grade us on this. Just by overall impression? Ability to answer a question exactly? Some might be strict or lenient in giving marks. Felt lousy after the final presentation when the group could not answer the prof’s questions. Hopefully this won’t spell disaster.


HR2002 – Human Capital in Organizations

Difficulty: ★
Workload: ★★
Tutorial: ★★★

My first business module in NUS haha. This module is conducted in an interactive seminar style. Attending the lessons was relaxing since I need not prepare anything, and the prof likes to share his interesting experiences and stories, as well as conduct role-playing activities which always end in an anticlimax. There were also video-screening almost every lesson. But it can be quite boring sitting for 3 hours, listening to dry theories. I didn’t participate a lot in the discussion as I had nothing much to share out of my mundane study routine. Gradually I wasn’t looking forward to attending lessons anymore, and I tend to space-out every now and then.

This module is more like a personal development module. The content covered is similar to what you would read in self-improvement books – understanding self, continuous learning, adapting to change, managing emotions, etc. So general haha. Didn’t know there was a tea reception (aka free food!!) on the last lesson. Every module should have this tradition =p.

Glad that I had great group mates with many connections and contacts which came in useful during the project. No high hopes for this module. Since the final exam is open-book, perhaps I should have prepared a sample essay first. A good idea for those who are not skilful in writing essays within a short time.


EG3602 – Vacation Internship Programme

Overall: ★★

My internship is considered a module too, so I think it’s appropriate to include it in my ratings. The work experience was not very chemical engineering related, as the company mainly deals with supplying common chemicals. I took charge of the safety aspects with lots of paperwork, so I wasn’t able to make use of my technical knowledge. Maybe I should have participated in the 6-month IA programme where I could work in companies like Exxon, Shell, Hyflux, etc. My technical knowledge can be of better use too. But in any case I would prefer to study in school than to work outside haha.

I admit I didn’t really like the office politics and the stiff atmosphere which prevailed in the company. My harsh superior added on to my ‘stress’ too. I guess this is the reality we have to accept when we go out to work next time. Other companies might be even worse. Being an intern, I was able to avoid many responsibilities, although some were shoved to me. I just had to bear with 3 months anyway, so it was still alright.

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As much as we focus on our standings in the bell curve, we seem to neglect another crucial determinant of our grades – the grader/marker. They decide how much partial credit we can get if we were to make a careless mistake in our workings. Their strictness and leniency can make a huge difference if the performance of the cohort is close. There might be some extent of moderation or standardization but still, the marks given very much depend on the graders’ judgment.

Therefore, I will pray for a lenient grader. =) The bell curve may skew in any way I don’t really care haha.

Semester 4 Overview

This semester was really a busy one, though it was only 1 MC overloaded. Even the 24 MC semester last year didn't feel that suffocating. With the mid term break shifted 1 week earlier, the second half of the semester became a horror as we had to endure 8 consecutive weeks of lessons. Moreover there was no E-learning week. =(

In any case, glad that it's all over. Will be taking a 6 MC module next. Let's see how I would be able to cope with that. Here are the module ratings:

Difficulty - Self explanatory.
Workload - Amount of lesson hours per week, assignments, tutorials, projects, self-study required, etc
Lecture - Enjoyability and understanding
Tutorial/Lab - Enjoyability and understanding

*Note that the ratings are set at an arbitrary scale and the maximum is not necessarily 5 stars.


CN2116 – Chemical Kinetics & Reactor Design

Difficulty: ★★★★★
Workload: ★★★★
Lecture: ★★★
Tutorial: ★★★

The title of the module sounds daunting at first. After all we’ve only been exposed to theoretical stuff so far and not practical aspects like reactor design. The topics started off simple but became increasingly difficult as it went. Not only were the calculations pretty complex (with numerous integrals and gigantic functions), it required lots of thinking skill, reasoning and analysis. As most of the time no analytical solution can be derived, the answer may not be very clear cut.

Because of this, despite the mid-term test and final exam being fully MCQ, it was still very tough. The final exam was the toughest MCQ paper I’ve ever done. An average of 6 minutes was given for each question, but some may require up to 10 minutes for its complexity. Of course there is always a choice to give up and just tikam an option…

It would be better if the lectures had webcast. But it was worth attending the lectures too since lecturers were pretty competent in explaining the concepts. As some concepts were hard to grasp, listening to the lecture only once may not suffice. The tutorial didn’t help much too, since it could only cover a limited scope. Oh ya, the weekly homework assignments posed a constant nightmare every weekend.


CN2125 – Heat & Mass Transfer

Difficulty: ★★★★
Workload: ★★★
Lecture: ★★
Tutorial: ★★★

I prefer to do the tutorials for this module as the questions are more understandable and pretty straightforward. They can be related to real-life situations as well, such as cooking. Thanks to the numerous correlations, approximate solutions can be easily derived. I find it easier to revise and study for this module too.

Nothing much to comment about the lectures and tutorials. Thanks to the uploaded tutorial solutions, answers can be counterchecked before attending the tutorial session. Sometimes there won’t be a need to attend at all, if you understand everything. For me, I’ll still attend anyway haha. (partly due to timetable considerations)

In the previous semesters, the final papers usually ended on a good note. But not this time. I felt the questions weren’t difficult but I couldn’t finish it in time, leaving behind half-hearted answers. Sometimes this may be more frustrating than not knowing how to do the questions at all. It was tedious looking up data from tables repeatedly for every question, and the data booklet provided wasn’t of much use as I wasn’t sure of how to read off the values. Wished I could have more time, but anyway I pray for the best.


CN3124 – Particle Technology

Difficulty: ★★★
Workload: ★★
Lecture: ★
Tutorial: ★

This doesn’t feel like a level 3000 module. The workload isn’t that heavy and the topic isn’t as difficult compared to the previous two modules. Lectures often ended early and yet could finish a few weeks before the term ended. The scope of syllabus was really that small. Even the questions for the final exam were similar every year. The questions only involved pure calculations – use the equation, substitute values and ta-da you’ll get the answer. How I wish every module is like this.

However many of us had problems understanding the lecturer. If not for the simplicity of the topics, most would have flunked. Because of this, and the availability of webcast, many chose not to attend the lectures at all. Furthermore the bad lecture timing and the frequent early dismissal provided additional reasons not to attend the lecture haha. Ok I admit I skipped lectures too. =p

Have you ever heard of a project group with 7 people? Yea, I’m part of it for this module. Apparently it was to keep the number of groups small to reduce the hassle of grading. Not easy to arrange discussion meetings and split jobs among so many people. Luckily I’m not the group leader haha. There might be a problem of sleeping members too… as well as people who think that they don’t have to do so much work because others can do it.


CN2108 – Chemical Engineering Process Laboratory I

Difficulty: ★★
Workload: ★★★★★
Lab: ★★

I feel that I don’t have much control over the results of this module. 70% is based on group work and 30% based on short oral assessment (basically answering a few questions verbally on the spot). How well I can do for this really depends on my group members. But on many occasions I felt that they weren’t putting in enough effort. Had to edit the whole lab report for conceptual mistakes as well as language and expression errors. Due to my busy workload, sometimes I tried to close one eye and leave it to my members. Didn’t have the luxury of time to refine the reports. But I could feel the helplessness when I had to submit reports, which I wouldn’t have done it that way if it is individual work.

The lab sessions took up a whopping 5 hours every fortnight. Some were enjoyable, some were tedious, and some felt like a waste of time. The lab work itself was not that onerous, it was the lab report after that which brought horror. What a workload for a 2 MC module! Hopefully things will be better in the sequel for this module.


EG2401 – Engineering Professionalism

Difficulty: ★
Workload: ★★
Lecture: ★★★
Tutorial: ★★★

This module doesn’t teach us to become ethical. It’s not moral education after all. Instead, ethical issues and theories are introduced so that we can make wise judgments for ourselves when such situation arises. At this age, our moral and ethical values are more or less rooted in our minds. Nothing much can be done to change it other than considering the consequences which will result from our actions.

The lectures were informative and the tutorials were interesting as students were given a platform to discuss the topics actively. Besides Japanese, this is one module where I spoke up quite a bit during the tutorial. Because it was all discussion based, not much preparation was needed. Everyone was free to voice out their own ideas.

Didn’t know how to study this module, besides familiarizing with case studies and ethical theories. Wrote what I could in the exam, though I felt my answers were rather superficial. With so little time allocated for so many questions, it appeared that the touch-and-go approach was the best.


LAJ3202 – Japanese 6

Difficulty: ★★★★
Workload: ★★★★★★
Lecture: ★★★★
Tutorial: ★★★★★

Just what I would expect from the highest level, the workload was unprecedented, much more than Japanese 5. Three quizzes and two pieces of homework to be submitted every week. Lots of writing exercises along with speech and presentation. Everyone around me seemed to be very competent in the language, giving me a bit of stress. Unlike J5 where we visited the radio station and interacted with Japanese students, there wasn’t much fun activities in J6 other than the company visit. (which wasn’t that interesting) But in-class activities were more varied, such as screening of movies during lectures and debate during tutorials.

The most challenging aspect of this module was the shift from language study to literature appreciation. We were given lots of literature text to read and analyse, and I found it difficult to answer the questions. Yea, I’ve lost creativity. With so many of such questions in the final test, I struggled to give a reasonable argument. It’s no longer the problem of language skills.

Will this mark the end of my Japanese language study in NUS? Hopefully not, as there might be one more higher level module, about newspaper reading, offered next year. Sounds a bit dry but that’s the only way to stay in contact with Japanese in NUS. Praying that there will no schedule clash…


No high hopes for this semester. I'm ready to get disappointed at the end of this month. Just hope that my overall CAP won't plunge that much.