The 'thoughts' of this semester.

A semester again, and I am going to do the ‘thing’ that I always do for every semester… the evaluation for my course for the moment. So far, this semester seems not really pleasant as there are trouble and also something bad (personal) happens around me..

Let’s get started. I will use the ratings for the index (scale 1 to 5), for course difficulty, the higher the rating, the harder the course. For stress, the higher the rating, means the course is stressful. For workload, the lower the rate, the ‘load’ is lower for this course. For ‘others’, the lower the rating, means there are no issue and the course is absolutely good.

DA
Course Difficulty: 3
Stress Index: 4
Workload: 4
Others: 2

Wow, this is one of the major course that most of our friends will try to avoid, just in order to buy some time and hope that the lecturer for this course change in the next semester. Sorry to say but the lecturer for this course still remains at the next semester.

This course is actually not that hard, the only issue about this course is the lecturer is somehow… strict. His lectures are hard to understand due to the ‘complexity’ of the words he used for the lectures. As it is actually an easy thing he made it complicated. Sometimes it is better if you study yourself and ignore the technical words yourself. The assignment is not that hard, but it is really time consuming as you need to do a lot of research to analyse this and that, as well as follow the way a researcher to do the research. I guess this has to do with his course taught too (after all he is the coordinator for research purposes).

Awfully to say, he might be a pain in his personality, but undoubtedly he is a good lecturer that will not bias (he said it, so I dunno about this). It is also true that this course will aid or affect us in our future PSMP as well as the way we do our practicum and also in daily life (we applied it indirectly). Well… Just a word from me, focus on what he teaches is enough. If he wants to do something else or to show off, let him be. There are some lecturers are even worse than him. (You will find it out soon enough).
His tutorials will be the best moment to kill you out. Beware. This is what I impress about him (not confirm yet), if he still giving the assignments as a solo work, and the presentations in solo too? Then there will be roughly 80-100 presentations and also solo assignments, and is the format for the mid term and finals for this course is still essay? A lot of questions remain.

P/S: His final is easy to score too! If he is really serious that he is not bias and taking account for the marks, then for sure I can score for this test… just if he is mean ‘bout that though.


LTA
Course Difficulty: 3
Stress Index: 2
Workload: 3
Others: 1

This is a ‘supposed to be 3rd year’ course to take. However, it has been taken by us at this semester, and this is taught by our coordinator. It is more about how we are going to assess our test and create a good test paper based on the criterions. Sadly, I have no idea that what I have learned for so far. Luckily to say, even though I don’t know what I have learned in the lecture, but still I can learn something through tutorial. His tutorial is really interactive (if compared to certain course) as most of the tutorials started and ended with discussion. We can say anything during the tutorial (as long as it makes sense).

The workload is quite heave due to the marks allocation, but this is a good opportunity for me as the mid terms and finals are only cost 50% of the weightage, it means that process is also important for us to score well. Not really confident that I can score this or not, a B or better is good enough.


Syntax
Course Difficulty: 4
Stress Index: 4
Workload: 1
Others: 3
This is the course that taught by a foreigner. What I learned for this course is… learned 50 and confuse 50. I am blur about what he taught after the mid semester exam. The tally of this course is also a ‘?’ as he did not mentioned it (maybe he mentioned but I am not sure). And a yay for him - he is the first lecturer caught cheaters on spot in the mid term exam. That is the reason he is mad for a day as there are ‘some’ of us tried to deceive him (and you know who it is).

The workload for this course is tremendously low. We just need to do an assignment, and a portfolio (we actually done that by week to week, perhaps he wants to see that any of us is not paying attention in the lectures). But, how much are the marks for those items?

Honestly, I cannot get the hang about this course, is because the atmosphere of the lecture. It is dull. And I cannot get any information about what I had learned even though I attended (and spent some time outside during the lecture) all of his lectures and tutorials. He has requirements for us too, so it is not easy to score for this one.


Psychology
Course Difficulty: 5
Stress Index: 5
Workload: 2
Others: 4

I don’t know what happened to the lecturers for this semester. What I can say that I am appallingly annoyed with this course. Who knows what happened to the first lecturer, from what I heard from the second lecturer, she had gone to further study for the moment, and we will be going to miss the first 7 lectures for this course. The second lecturer can ask us to change this course so that we can avoid that we learned nothing… but they didn’t do so, even the school too. How sad.

The total lectures for this course is not even 5 (even the second lecturer have any extra time or what) and I don’t have the idea about what I am supposed to do or learn or study, and the final for this is insane. 108 questions include 8 subjective, by paying RM10 to buy his book and study everything within 2 weeks?! Shoot. Not going to say about this anymore….


Pentadbiran
Course Difficulty: 4
Stress Index: 3
Workload: 2
Others: 2

This is another course I took for this semester. The lecturer for this course is really kind, and she seems to be really experienced in teaching (indeed she is as she has became principal for years before she became lecturer). This course is a bit tough (as she is using both English and Malay to teach), but it is not a problem as you can get the information from the notes and study yourself; you will get the hang so soon. Her teaching style is unique too, as she only teaches after we have presented our work (and that was the assignment, make a PowerPoint of your own topic and present it before you do your assignment in essay mode). It make we can understand the topic further.

The final paper is a bit tough, as we need to study 9 topics and only 6 out of 9 are chosen for the final paper. And this course for this semester is really unique. Even though this is a major school course, there are only 16 students (including me) taking for this course. It is rare somehow.


Computer curricular activity
Course Difficulty: 2
Stress Index: 2
Workload: 1
Others: 2

They said that co-curricular activity is used to save your pointers as it holds 3 credit hours, and it is true. I taken this co-curricular activity this semester (related to computers) and it seems that is not really that hard. The only thing that is stress enough is because I need to sacrifice my Saturdays and 2 mornings to study something that is not really useful. As a ‘kokum’ taker, I also need to sacrifice one of my Sundays to attend the carnival (if you have read my earlier post), just for the marks. This course is not really that hard unless you don’t have even a little bit basics on computers.

Others than need to waste your time on Saturdays, co-curricular activities are sometimes useful… on saving your pointers and money.


I guess there is nothing to say about Spanish. It is still tough as always, and now I hope I can survive and get a B- or something, and then I can say that I am relief enough. Rumors that the language result will not be taking account in next semester. Don’t know it is real or not (but I hope it is real though).

I think this also concludes the comments for the courses for this semester. It is for sure that next semester will be tougher than this one, so let’s strive together to survive for it. Let’s enjoy our holiday and meet again at next semester. Bon voyage and I will update this as soon as I can.

Just something with regard to our course.

Okay, so it seems that there are lot of problems on our faculty and our coordinator is trying to sort the problems out. So this is the response I get from the lecturer.

From the next semester onwards, all of us must going to get the same major regardless of the number of us. There will be no additional options and if you miss it, then the worst condition is to extend your study. You don't like it, so do I. Nobody loves to extend the study for this reason.

There will be 4 major (total of 12 hour credit) that we must take for next semester.

1. Discourse Analysis (WED, 8-10am)
2. Approaches to Language Learning (MON 11-1pm)
3. Introduction to Morphology (FRI, 8-10am)
4. The Social Context of Language Learning (Unknown yet)
5. Materials Development (THUR 10-12pm) *my mistake on this. Changed to correct day.

You only need to choose between Discourse Analysis and Approaches to Language Learning. If you taken Discourse Analysis, then in the next semester you will need to take Approaches to Language Learning and vice versa.

In your pre registration for the next semester, please take the courses that listed as above. For the time table for The Social Context of Language Learning, I think the admin office (not so confident though) or the lecturer will inform us as soon as possible.

Therefore, for most of us, the credit hours for next semester will be like this...

4 Majors (12CH), 2 Schools / 1 School, 1 PPIB/ Kokum (6CH) and 1 Foreign Language (2CH) that sums up to 20, or 17CH or 14CH, up to you.

Remember, all of the major course listed above are the courses that we MUST TAKE. You will regret for sure if you not taking it for the next semester.

Any information will be updated as soon as I can. Unless stated other way, or not we will stick onto these courses for next semester.

P/S: I will totally ignore whomever that SMS me about this. Unless you call me, otherwise I will not reply to your SMS.

The School's Carnival Co-curriculum day (Karnival Kokum)

Ever wondered how is Carnival Kokum in our school? This is how it looks like, take around 3 hours and performances with a average arrangement (well it is like that). The pictures here - as I promised. Have a view on these and enjoy.

Backstage event.

The orchestra team, it seems that they also making the background music for the theater below.

If I am right, this the drama that is something related to Tuah and Jebat (theater)... But not completed as the full version is on the next day in Recital Hall.

The Music asli... But it seems to be more in choir.

The Senam Robik, second part.

Lotsa bows, undoubtedly that this is archery.

'Genuine' club of mechanics. This is the co-curricular for "Mekanik Asas".

The SEJATI. This is one of the 5 parts in SEJATI, and if I am right, the Kembara section.

The choirs. Divided into two parts - black and white.

Not so sure what is this, but I think it is related to Batik.

The Tarian Asli, I presume.

The first Windows computer from Acer, the HDD is only 5GB and the RAM is 16MB (try to compare with today's computer).

This is the PC show of one of the co-curricular activity. It seems that this is the first DOS computer from Acer, in 1990-th.

I think this is calligraphy...

Golf. They held a putting game after that. I did joined but I only get a put from 5 of them.

I think this is the seni khat?

The first show of the carnival, silat cekak (Just if I spelled it right).

Well. It seems that items are not in chronological order because I forget that which one is for which. Anyway here are photos and enjoy. I am also not sure that if I have fun at there since I need to wake up early at Sunday, it is painful for me.

Final Exams, Good Luck.

Some of us had started the final exam yesterday and surely we have suffered extremely a lot in the 'psiko' exam and those dang lecturer and school's fault by not informing us that the lecturer is missing or what, the second lecturer teaches not more than 5 lessons and gave the book in last 2 weeks and then suddenly exams, exams, exams... Surely I am finished with that subject. D-oh.

Just cutted my Celcom Broadband and now I am using D campus. Quite slow, but better than nothing. Will try to upload something interesting within this week (still working on the carnival kokum in my school).

Friends, good luck for your final exam. Any updates I will make it at here. (DA is really easy! Ha!)