Uni has officially started for me.
The most stressful thing so far is bidding. NUS has a semi-liberal system where we are free to choose any 5 modules per semester as long as we meet the module pre-requisite and finish the core modules which we need to graduate. As may be expected, demand for core modules is very high, while places are limited. To resolve this problem, NUS has a bidding system. Each person gets "money," i.e points to bid for modules--1000 a semester. Bids can be as low as 1, or as high as 2500 (points accumulate over the semesters). The lowest and highest bids are revealed in the trial session before the real bidding starts. The number of bidders versus the quota is always disclosed. Thus if demand exceeds supply (more bidders than the quota), the bid automatically shoots up, as the lowest bidders get kicked out...there are a number of market manipulators (also known as ninjas), who only place bids 5 minutes before the session closes, so that their bid never appears in the trial session--yet they are able to view and beat the lowest bid. Fortunately, the system is more cushioned than it appears, as the minimum bid that gets in is accepted and everyone else gets a refund of points.
Everyone in NUS learns a little about everyday economics. I've already been kicked out of three modules, which is why I, a freshie, now have to take a second semester course in Sociology. I've already missed the first lecture as I thought I would get what I bidded for. Well, at least I only need 1 point to bid for the other course.
I intend to be a kiasu geek for university. I am starting my readings now! But so much money has to be spent on textbooks...sniff sniff. Englit has to be one of the most expensive courses in terms of reading material. I have four compulsory readings for just one module. I can't keep borrowing, as the semester lasts 16 weeks. So with all my reading combined, it's gonna be 150 SGD a semester, I think.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Orientation Is About Cheering Yourself Hoarse
Arts Orientation is a time where it is compulsory to have fun. Am I enjoying it? Let's say I enjoy it as much as it is possible for me to enjoy playing brainless games (cunningly planned, though) and shout unintelligent things like pom-chi-chi-pom-chi (one of our cheers) in upbeat rhythms. As huien told a friend, "alissa is the kind of person that I'm amazed she even showed up for orientation."
Last night we had Fright Night, though Tyler the organiser said there was no such event as Fright Night. "This is called Night Venture." Yes, it's only a Night Venture when they screen The Sisters (Thai horror flick) until midnight and divide you into groups of three to hunt for clues to a body-parts murder mystery. I was in group of four with two other girls and a guy (it's the time for the guys to act macho and play it cool after all their NS training). The other girls screamed a lot. I don't usually scream when I'm frightened; I just seize up. Anyway, I had planned a ghost house before so I wasn't really frightened, just got periodic shocks when the people jumped out and screamed. It's not fun when you know they're going to stand behind you and hold your hand, or crouch and grab your ankles, or brush your legs with something. Kudos to the team for being great ghosts and getting it pitch dark in the room, though. I feel a bit bad because I laughed in the room--a little out of nervousness but mostly because I thought it was funny. I did scream once, but that was for fun. I wanted to see how shrill I could go, whether I could make the proverbial MGS girls's scream (no, I can't).
I am going to get a new handphone. Yes, finally. So it won't die suddenly, so it's ringtone will be louder, so I'll be more contactable than ever before. I must be more responsible and make the most of my uni life. That means getting into committees and planning stuff. I hate that most of all but I think it is necessary.
The best part of this whole orientation business for me really is being able to make friends. It is the only reason I come every day and put myself through all that shouting (makes me dizzy) and all that hanging around waiting for the next event. The best event so far has been inauguration. That would sound uber-lame to all this fun-loving ceremony-hating bunch of Arts folk, but really, I liked best the two minutes in which we stood to welcome the University's President, Masters of Hall and Faculty Deans. When I saw the old fogeys, some walking, some waddling, some doing a mincing little march like a bride going up the aisle--all in ceremonial robes and academic beret thingies--I thought: one day that's going to be me. I'll probably be very old when that happens, but I'll be an old fogey of an academic in a university, part of the establishment, a gargoyle in the fixed traditions, a master of the art of knowledge, one who welcomes innovations in my students's thinking. Yes. I would like very much to be there doing that when the time comes.
Oh, another thing: cheering is so mindless. I know all the arguments about how it raises morale,etc. They justify, but do not refute, the fact that cheering is a mindless activity. Our house chief choonghan led cheers last night till he got a headache. O_o Thankfully both my house chiefs are naturally sedate characters, so we don't cheer as much as the other houses (or as mindlessly either: one other house has a cheer composed entirely of very crude pelvic thrusts).
Last night we had Fright Night, though Tyler the organiser said there was no such event as Fright Night. "This is called Night Venture." Yes, it's only a Night Venture when they screen The Sisters (Thai horror flick) until midnight and divide you into groups of three to hunt for clues to a body-parts murder mystery. I was in group of four with two other girls and a guy (it's the time for the guys to act macho and play it cool after all their NS training). The other girls screamed a lot. I don't usually scream when I'm frightened; I just seize up. Anyway, I had planned a ghost house before so I wasn't really frightened, just got periodic shocks when the people jumped out and screamed. It's not fun when you know they're going to stand behind you and hold your hand, or crouch and grab your ankles, or brush your legs with something. Kudos to the team for being great ghosts and getting it pitch dark in the room, though. I feel a bit bad because I laughed in the room--a little out of nervousness but mostly because I thought it was funny. I did scream once, but that was for fun. I wanted to see how shrill I could go, whether I could make the proverbial MGS girls's scream (no, I can't).
I am going to get a new handphone. Yes, finally. So it won't die suddenly, so it's ringtone will be louder, so I'll be more contactable than ever before. I must be more responsible and make the most of my uni life. That means getting into committees and planning stuff. I hate that most of all but I think it is necessary.
The best part of this whole orientation business for me really is being able to make friends. It is the only reason I come every day and put myself through all that shouting (makes me dizzy) and all that hanging around waiting for the next event. The best event so far has been inauguration. That would sound uber-lame to all this fun-loving ceremony-hating bunch of Arts folk, but really, I liked best the two minutes in which we stood to welcome the University's President, Masters of Hall and Faculty Deans. When I saw the old fogeys, some walking, some waddling, some doing a mincing little march like a bride going up the aisle--all in ceremonial robes and academic beret thingies--I thought: one day that's going to be me. I'll probably be very old when that happens, but I'll be an old fogey of an academic in a university, part of the establishment, a gargoyle in the fixed traditions, a master of the art of knowledge, one who welcomes innovations in my students's thinking. Yes. I would like very much to be there doing that when the time comes.
Oh, another thing: cheering is so mindless. I know all the arguments about how it raises morale,etc. They justify, but do not refute, the fact that cheering is a mindless activity. Our house chief choonghan led cheers last night till he got a headache. O_o Thankfully both my house chiefs are naturally sedate characters, so we don't cheer as much as the other houses (or as mindlessly either: one other house has a cheer composed entirely of very crude pelvic thrusts).
Friday, August 3, 2007
I went to IKEA recently to shop for my room. Since I am committing to at least a year in
The last few days I have been rushing around getting the formalities done. During matriculation fair, so many freebies were shoved at me that I had to call huien for help. I am constantly invading her room, but she assures me that her room suffers multiple invasions daily. She doesn’t mind. I am practically an adopted sister, yays! Sorry YY, but I'm taking your place.
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