felt the effects of taking 7 modules in a semester. it really feels like dying.
i tot giving myself one day to write each section of my urops report was sufficient. unfortunately, i was wrong. there's still so much to do after writing. most of the graphs and results which i tot i had already standarised, had to be changed. re-titled, font size changed, boldened, and re-pasted into the report. and i had 30 graphs (13 pages) in the appendix. each in different files. there are lots to learn from this. advice to all my classmates who are doing final year project:
1) establish a systematic way of name your results EARLY, foresee the required fields eg not only conc and parameter measured, need volume used, need temperature, batch of chemical used (stock solutions that you prepared).
2) tables and graphs, title properly, with the report in mind, consolidate them in a single file or folder. make sure the values are dynamic. otherwise when you decide to "not show" some results (you have 12 sets, you only want 3 but not in running order), then the graphs will update themselves.
3) finish report at least one week before the deadline so your prof can read and comment/edit. chances are, the report is totally not inline with report-writing-grammar, then you have to re-write. and you have to re-phrase to prevent copyright infringements.
4) record or write down everything the prof discussed with you, be it in full or in notes. you'll need the exact words. especially when you're in a rush and you can't remember what the prof said during your first meeting.
must thank God for giving such a nice supervisor. after i handed in my report on the deadline, she read it overnight, and gave a a 5-page word doc on how and where to improve my report on. of course i know that i'll be graded on my first submission. but she actually bothered. so i spend a few sleepless nights doing my urops, my game theory, my marketing report.
then i fell sick. was preparing for my urops oral presentation on wed, the in afternoon i had to present for DI lecture. i finished the ppt only at 12am wed. so didn't have the chance to print the ppt. then i went early to sci co-op to print it, the guy before me too 15 mins then printed until there was no more ink. so the printer was out of order. then i went to CBLC. but the queue for printers was long, the queue for release of print jobs was even longer. didn't get to eat breakfast either because the queue was so long. i was so stressed and frustrated that i almost wanted to break down and cry, i forgot to ask where the presentation venue was. despair!
thank goodness to the someone who accompanied me and took all my frustrated vents. i reached my prof's office just as she was leaving and dialling my hp number. was very nervous during the presentation, even the examiner had to tell me to calm down. so i paused and carried on. couldn't handle the quesitons they asked, because i didn't and couldn't do the MS part of my experiment. only grad students can undergo the training to use it. and class didn't really go into the practical concerns, Dr Bong, one of my examiners too, taught it and only said we had to understand the principle.
only only consolation was that the new prof was interested to take me when i'm doing my FYP, unfortunately, i am underqualified. haha. my CAP doesn't allow me to do FYP, and it's too late, i'm not a year 3 student.
they encouraged me to do grad studies? should i?
Sunday, November 12, 2006
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2 comments:
Haha. Take grad studies then can pei me in school!! If not I'll be so lonely.. =__(
7 modules, wazan, u superwoman ah?
Why cramp so much into one semester? Should spread it out and take things easy and enjoy learning mah.
Last time I turned down and offer (scholarship) to do graduate studies and be academic.... coz I was in a hurry to come out to the workforce and earn $$$ and let my parents retire.
I wish I didn't have to do that...... now want to do oso cannot liaoz. So hor, if got chance and can afford to. Don't miss the opportunity (unless u hate studying, then that's a diff story)
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