(end of) August update

Just came in here to dust off some cobwebs. It's been so long since I last posted (a 'real' post - that's 2 weeks ago). Haven't been doing much (unless you factor readings in - not exactly an exciting affair). But yes it's only Week 3, but I think the stress is setting in already. Year 2's exciting but also rather fearful, to me, at least (see post). Suddenly the yearning for holidays is much stronger (funny how we wish school would start during holidays, and vice versa). But that will, of course, be 99 days later when my exams end (wow, talk about time flying past).

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Met up with some JC pple over saturday. The topics, of course, don't deviate much from all the adult-stuff of relationships (and recently, the topic of marriage is creeping in. I reckon it wouldn't be long before the stuff of pregnancies dominate dinner conversations).

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The issue of SEP is also begining to bother me. Technically, application hasn't started, but of course, it's always good to get some info on hand, especially the money part. Suffice to say, I think that doesn't post a major issue. The problem comes more on the bolts-and-nuts stuff like how much credits can be mapped back, what modules can be taken etc. Being an accelerating semester, this isn't the best of stuff to be distracted by all these stuff. But oh well, I suppose the exposure would far outweigh my current mundane preoccupations.

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I just realised how much more complicated life has been since leaving JC and NS. Funny how we always wished to "go out and do real stuff" when we were younger, and now, at the threshold of fulfillment, we shrink back from it. Perhaps the appeal of things back then was that life was so much simpler, so much less complicated. No need for visions of 1, 5, 10, 30 years down the road. Life was always about one step at a time, revolving round recess times, lunches, dinners and nights outs (of course, outfields too). Then again, in retrospect, the past is always varnished.

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timetable finalised.

It's finally settled. A 4-day sometimes 5-day work week kind of sucks, but I guess it can't be helped. Had such difficulty figuring out what to take since everything always clashes. Oh well.



Back to readings!

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on 'strategy'

Some stuff I ripped off the Net. Quotations on 'strategy' by personalities from ancient to modern times:

"Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances" - Sun Tzu, c. 490 B.C.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin, 19th century

"Progress comes from the intelligent use of experience" - Elbert Hubbard, 19th century

“You have to be fast on your feet and adaptive or else a strategy is useless.” - Charles de Gaulle, 20th century

"There is always a better strategy than the one you have; you just haven't thought of it yet" - Sir Brian Pitman, 20th century

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decisions.

I'm rather tired and I'm not really sure why I'm typing now at midnight. It's already past my bedtime.

But anyway, I want to say that my modules this semester is very exciting. I also have a very strong lineup of lecturers, even better than the best lecturers added together from the whole of last year. It is all very exciting, very engaging, very intellectually-stimulating. But, and it's a BIG 'but', it also means alot of effort. Just this afternoon I discovered one mod has SIXTY FIVE files uploaded for dl-ing and printing (and obviously, reading them). That does sort of screw things up a bit, especially when you're accelerating. Suddenly, cramming your readings from Week Negative One was not exactly brilliant. Hmmmm. I might really have to drop a module to stay sane (and alive).

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I met some friends for dinner together. Someone was facing some hard (life-changing?) decisions. Suffice to say that it does mean very different Uni lives (and very possibly, adult life) ahead. The advice he received was that "Don't make a bad decision during a rough patch in your life". That makes sense.

Anyway, some of them were talking about theur European trips, and then the topic of Italy came up. And of course, I must flaunt some European history knowledge, and someone thoght I might make a good European tour guide (as the theory goes, since you know the history, you probably can point out stuff and all. You know, stories.) Of course, I hastened to make the caveat that I wasn't a European-history historian. So naturally the question was, "What is your [area of interest/specialisation] then?" To which I had absolutely no answer. They suggested some. But I've done practically a bit of most things they offered. Asian history? (Some) Southeast Asian? (Some) History of religion? (Did some) Social history? (Did a little) European history? (Some) World History? (Some) I could even add a few more interesting stuff, but I digress.

This isn't a new question. It has been something I've been asking myself for a really long time. Maybe I'm still too 'fresh' to be answering this question. I shall have to continue to ponder and think about it.

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Exchange Program application opens soon. I always settled on going York, UK. But reality hits and sometimes you have to reconsider your options. For one, the $ issue was there. My own savings would be worth so much more if I went to some other places like Eastern Europe. Also, I should mention that it is also very nice and historical. They might also offer Eastern European history and stuff. I might even be able to do something on witch hunts and vampires too. hmmmm.

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Choices, choices, choices.

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96 days to exams!

haha. I think I like to stress myself (And people around me)... It's NINETY-SIX more days to my first exams (24 Nov)! lol.

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I'm rather satisfied with my readings pace. hopefully I can be a little bit faster though. wheeee.

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Welcome back to school, all!

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I like this Facebook quote

cool!

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it's official now

So, I'm taking six modules for this semester (or at least, as far as the first 3 weeks are concerned). Hmmmmmm....



The module selection process has been most frustrating. Note how much drastic change it has undergone compared to my initial concept. Not forgetting, too, the 'process' of adding and dropping modules to mix and match. It's so frustrating to find modules which has exam dates, lecture and even tutorial timings that don't clash! BTW, I added and dropped HY2251 like three times (yes, so that's 3 points spent). lol.

Again, I'm sort of like taking 4 + 1 (2?) history modules. I guess I don't mind taking 4 HY, since there's only 2 HY mods that I'm interested in for Semester 2. Then hopefully, it'll be SEP in the following sem after! But for now... heavy workload ahead!

(At my last check, 4/6 modules have close to or more than 50 students. That's a good sign :) )

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