Tuesday, August 26, 2008

11:20 PM

Well, my dilemma has been solved. Thanks for the advice people! Especially Vanessa. Haha. In the end, I dropped cultural psych and took another module, which thankfully is not as heavy.

However, that has led to another complication. Now I am really really slack. Its bad ok! I have deadlines to meet, as well as that stupid econs paper to write (I only got as far as copy and pasting information from online. which is not much. ARGH) I realise that I am totally not in the right frame of mind to start school yet, because my heart is still far far away in the snowy ice-capped mountains. What's more, I have no urge to do any work once I get off class. Coming back from exchange is more agonizing than starting it. Because you know you have at least 4 months of non-school to look forward to. Well the main point of exchange is not studying, even though you will eventually get down to some form of studying sometime within those months you are over there.

But still. I have no concentration left! It doesn't help that I have many shows waiting for me to watch on my computer. I guess while my brain has accepted that I have started school, my heart has yet to do so, and thus it keeps wandering around, to anywhere but work. Its painful, because I have promised myself that I would work hard for my last 2 semesters.

What's more, people around me are trickling off to exchange. Wini has gone off to Canada already, and Alan has gone to HK, with Xiaoqian and Marcus flying off to Vienna soon as well. I want to return to that phase in my life again, where all you worry about is where you will be traveling to next. Sigh.

Which leads me to my next ranting point. (In case you haven't noticed, this post is all about complaints.) There is absolutely no one who has the same break times as me! Sure, I have friends in every class I am taking this semester, but I have no lunch buddies at all! It seems like whenever I am free, people have class; and whenever I have class, people are free. Its going to be a lonely sem, I predict. :(

Maybe I will be so overcome by loneliness and boredom that I will start doing work. Maybe.

ARGH.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

12:36 AM

Omg. I just read Jer's post on bidding. I have a dilemma now too! Its not exactly the same, but well it revolves around the same problem too.

First and foremost, planning your modules SUCK. Especially when you are taking a course that is usually being neglected by the school, so there are not many choices in terms of major classes to take.

But that's besides the point.

Here's the short version: I am currently debating over whether I should drop cultural psych.

Long version: Because I didn't work hard enough in Bern (yes, all the traveling -_-), I ended up marginally failing that stupid econs mod. So I had 7 mods left instead of the initial 6. Therefore, I decided to take 4 mods this term in order to not make myself so stressed in the last term. But since i marginally failed, i decided to take my chances and try emailing the prof to ask for some extra credit work. I emailed in early July. He JUST replied. Like 2 days ago. So now I have an essay to write in order to pass the class, but once I get pass the gathering information part, its all pretty much set.

Hence my dilemma: I bidded for a module that really requires alot of work, which is cultural psych. I have nothing against the course: I think the prof has very valid reasons to give the readings she did, but sometimes she seems to forget that we all have other classes to prepare for as well. The workload so far (and its only the end of week 1!) is already rather intimidating - the most I have seen for any class so far.

So now, since I am almost guaranteed a pass in my econs mod mentioned above, should I still go for all 4 modules this term and chiong it out, leaving only 2 modules for next term? I really want to maintain my gpa, or even try to raise it, which is a major reason why I want to take 3 modules per term. However, if I drop cultural psych now, I would have to take 2 psych modules and 1 political science module next term, which is not easy as well. On the other hand, if I manage to see this term through (with good results of course), I will have a really slack last term, and I can do other things at the same time, say doing another part-time internship.

Confusing? I think so too.

Ok let's do a list.

If I continue with the module:
1. I need to really slog it out this term.
2. I end up with 2 modules for my last semester.
3. I can do other things next semester in addition to studying, eg internship.

If I drop the module:
1. I take 3 modules next semester, all major modules, which might be tough.
2. I get to devote more time and resources to all the modules, thus having a bigger chance to pull up my gpa abit more.

How? I need advice. Window closes when BOSS does, which is Sunday night. Thanks alot people!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

8:24 PM

Well, after 6 long months, I am finally back home. To where I belong. (Forgive the cheesy ndp-sounding line!) In some ways it seems like I have never left, but in some ways I have been irrevocably changed.

Ok this all sounds so sad and depressing, but its true. Many people have been asking me what I feel about coming back to Singapore, but the truth is, I don't really know. It all seems so familiar, but there is just something different about everything. I still can't put my finger to it. But one thing is certain: I will always treasure the time I spent in Europe. The good, the bad, the happy and the sad. Everything. Because I know that this is something I will never get to experience ever again. There might have been things I would want to change if given another chance to start over, but what I have seen and felt in Europe is something I will carry with me for a lifetime.

Digression - Listening to 宥嘉's cd now. Not bad! Review coming soon. - End digression.

I hope the change in blogs will be noted. Haha. That was just a blog to commemorate my exchange experience. I'll probably keep it there, cos it holds quite alot of memories for me.

I think I am still in a state of adjustment right now, everything just seems so strangely normal. It is as if I had a very long dream about Europe. But I have never been so affected by the weather in Singapore. It is suddenly too hot and humid for me, and the slightest increase in temperature has me complaining to all and sundry. IT. IS. SO. BLOODY. HOT.

I made quite a few good friends through my exchange, and its weird that Singaporeans who never met in their lives would become friends halfway round the world. That is just fate's strange way of working I guess. And I am really grateful for that.

So, if you are considering going for exchange, here is my advice: GO FOR IT. Grab it with both hands and run away with it. Don't worry about whether you are going with friends or alone, just go. It doesn't matter where you pick - choose something within your financial abilities - it is the experience that counts. Don't share a room (erm, no offense) if you are someone who really needs a physical personal space (I am like that but I didn't consider it when making the decision because of the cost and other complications). Explore the place! There's nothing more fun then making a new place your own, and knowing where everything is.

But right now, I am just taking one day at a time, trying to get into the pace of life again here at home. I'll tell you guys about how it feels like to be back once I sort out my thoughts.