College Finals.

Semester B Finals. The final examination for college, and my last week in it.

Papers will be reviewed from my own account from 0 (WTF?) to 10 (Masterful) for you to get a better understanding of how well I thought the papers were (based mostly on length, time allocation, question variation, experience), not how simply by how easy it was.

Also, do note that I'm no professional examination reviewer (is there such a thing?) and expect different opinions from others who sat for the exam.

LAST UPDATE: June 10, 2011 4:55PM

Subjects:
• Biology B
• Physics B
• Chemistry B
• General Mathematics B
• English Language B

• Week 1:
- Day 1 (Monday): English Language & Biology B- The English paper was a good one, I reckon. The comprehension analysis had us reading this article on the positive points video-gamers possessed and it was a breeze. Question: "In which video-game does Azeroth lie?" Biology was challenging, but it was entirely doable. There were however a few questions that we've never seen before but it was nothing we couldn't handle. (+9, +7.5)
- Day 2 (Tuesday): General Mathematics B - The math paper only had 8 pages and 7 questions but no one left until the end. It wasn't that it was hard, just filled with number crunching and values. I wasted most of my time checking and checking the Chi Square Test which gave a ridiculous value. Fortunately the rest were doing just about the same thing too. There was a statistic question that was intensely long. Imagine, all values correct to 3 decimal places. I've never seen the end of my calculator's queue in an exam before. So long, in fact, I'm glad I'm not actually typing all of this out in numerical form. (+8.5)
- Day 3 (Thursday): Physics B - The paper was surprisingly short, with only 7 questions across 8 pages (not including the formulae page). I'd say the paper was doable, being surprisingly easy, but because of the wide range of topics it covered it was unfortunate for only a small portion of them to come out. Still, I'm not complaining! (+7.5)
- Day 4 (Friday): Chemistry B - A great paper, but there were a few instances of more strange values and unfamiliar questions. (+8)

^{For my thoughts on the Semester A Finals, click here (http://alwayssecondfromtheright.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-come-back.html)}

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Semester B Final Examinations
The grand finale.
30.05.2011 - 03.05.2011

Yearbook.

^{Top Row: James, Zane, Kevin, Zero, Peter, Darma, Sallem
Middle Row: Hirusha, Apple, Naomi, Nattaly, Enswaran, Bernard
Bottom Row: Ali, Ridhwan, Abdullah, Than Doe}

The RMIT Foundation Studies Year End Party last Friday was a blast. Didn't exactly meet a whole lot of new people, but with the ones I already know, we got closer. If you haven't noticed, there's a entire slew of photos uploaded on Facebook already! There are even videos on YouTube.

One thing that did surprise me was how many Foundation Studies students there are in RMIT. The entire floor of the restaurant was taken up by us.

But that was last week. This week I've got three assignments to finish, the sooner the better. Chemistry's the toughest and newest idea: designing and conducting an experiment without the assistance of laboratory equipment.

I've already designed one on the surface tension strength of bubbles at different temperatures. Finding an alcohol thermometer is no easy task in a world now using electronic thermometers. As a substitute, I'm using a "cake thermometer" -- a rod with a gauge on top. Unorthodox, but it'll do.

More recently, about 2 hours ago, I bumped into Erika Hana Putri on Lygon Street!

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World AIDS Day 2010
Get the facts
01.12.2010

Phenolphthalein.

Chemistry Teacher, Mary Fay: "...and class, that is why phenolphthalein is used in Volumetric Analysis for Acid-base titration."
Me, Bernard Sam: "Phenolphthalein. Ma'am, is that Elvish?"

It's quite clear it's a common indicator given the topic we were covering, but I'm just like you.

And by that, I mean that like your Internet, I'm freaking crazy.

College has been mighty fine. The assignments are flooding in at this time, and they are an entirely new beast to handle. But with 2 weeks left, I'm sure I'll be able to finish them off in a before the due date even comes close.

Been singing oldies with the classmates everyday in class, to break the occasional awkward silence during those work periods. We've sung lyrics along the line of: "I wanna be your hero, babeh!" and "Raindrops keep falling on my head."

Oh, and a random thought: before I go any further, if you're attending the International Cempaka Prom tomorrow night, I wish you a great time there! I've been to two of the International Proms already (three if not for the distance) and they certainly won't disappoint.

Right and speaking of college, tomorrow's the Year End Party for all Foundation Studies students. Haven't been very involved with the RMIT social gatherings what with the recent exam and all, so I'm looking forward to it.

Since our English Period Teacher has to be there, our attendance has to be mandatory if we want to check our attendance above 80%.

Never has there been a greater cause to attend English Periods.

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RMIT Foundation Studies Year End Party
Actually it's more of a lunch-thing
26.11.2010

Don't Get Me Wrong.

People think examinations are horrible. They're right. But I know of an even more sinister evil: the results.

The pressure is undeniable, the anticipation more so. Personally, I think no matter what grade you get, you'll be surprised. So why am I suddenly talking about this? That's right, I've gotten my marks back from the teachers for the Mid-Semester's and I'd like to share them with you (and keep a personal log for future me!).

What follows is only the results of the paper which sums up to 30% of this semester's mark.

RMIT Foundation Mid-Semester Results Information
*the following are the results over a 100

General Mathematics: 72
Biology: 91
Chemistry: 89
Physics: 81

On a separate note, take a look at what arrived in the mail today:




It's my long-awaited Physics for the IB Diploma textbook by Tsokos. Before you start pointing a finger at a picture of mine and yell "NERD", this is entirely for my work in class. Finally, no longer will I feel lost in class and wonder which chapter we're on!




The only downside is this particular book is significantly heavy. In fact, I could say this is the heaviest book I've ever owned. This isn't so great when I've got to walk and travel long distances between home and the buildings around the city. Maybe it'll help me beef up.

It's also incredibly dry, but hey, when's school work ever drenched?

Oh, Poo.

Yep, that's right. I'm still using my Cempaka Schools exercise books for writing down those pesky college materials.

Currently, I'm in the middle of my Foundation Studies first Mid-Semester Exam. This is slightly different from the exams I sat in for High School, mostly due to the fact that I have classes in between exam dates. Plus rather reach school at the exact same time each day, I've got to leave the house at different times each morning to arrive on time.

It's different, no doubt, but nothing I can't handle.

If you missed my first exam review, here's how it's going to go down:

Papers will be reviewed from my own account from 0 (WTF?) to 10 (Masterful) for you to get a better understanding of how well I thought the papers were (based mostly on length, time allocation, question variation, experience), not how simply by how easy it was.

LAST UPDATE: November 5, 2010 10:40PM

Subjects:
• Biology
• Physics
• Chemistry
• General Mathematics

• Week 1:
- Day 1 (Monday): Chemistry A & General Mathematics A - Chemistry turned out to be a pretty good paper with few surprises and difficulties; I was expecting something much more challenging. The Math paper, on the other hand, served me my backside. Despite the "basic" topics it covered, it managed to bring out tricky questions and weird numbers for solutions. Although I managed to scribble equations into every space before the time ran out, I'm not so sure if I did well. Being one of the few who thought the paper was a head-scratcher was also unfortunate. (+8.5, +4.5)
- Day 2 (Wednesday): English Language Classes - Went to the library today to learn researching, paraphrasing and referencing skills. I still find the idea of having classes in between exam dates to be weird but the information I got from this class will probably be very valuable especially when I get into university.
Day 3 (Thursday): Biology A - Beautiful paper. The kind of paper where if you study hard, you've got it under wraps. Nothing too surprising, varied and the topics that were used have been covered. (+9)
Day 4 (Friday): Physics A & English Class - This paper was by far the hardest paper in this exam. Everyone's getting different answers (except the one where we all got 1km), toss a few strange numbers in and you've got this paper. Managed to fill in all the blanks (even used an unorthodox method for that tension question), so the past is in the past. English class was normal, filled with singing and communication. Oh, and HAPPY DEEPAVALI all! (+6.5)

^{For my thoughts on the IGCSE Papers (& Driving Exam) this year, simply click here
(http://alwayssecondfromtheright.blogspot.com/2010/05/ere-sun-rises.html)}

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RMIT Mid-Semester Examinations Sept-Intake 2010
Foundation Studies Science, Engineering & Technology
01.11.2010 - 05.11.2010

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Call of Duty: Black Ops
"Breathless & amazing"
- Yahoo!
09.11.2010

Should've Used Specificity.

Us: Any advice for the examinations?

Teacher: Remember your name, your student number, the date and my name. There, I just gave you page one.

If only page one carried more than 0% of the total marks to be given.

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RMIT Mid-Semester Examinations Sept-Intake 2010
Foundation Studies Science, Engineering & Technology
01.11.2010 - 05.11.2010

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Call of Duty: Black Ops
"Breathless & amazing"
- Yahoo!
09.11.2010

First Day.

Sweaty palms. Insides freezing. Trying to remember how to breathe, I'm totally stunned. Speechless as a dozen thoughts swirl around the inside of my head.

It's the first day of school -- and all my life, I've only felt like this thrice.




Where it began, Primary School. A day before the first, by fate, I made a friend underwater in a club swimming pool. Later he'd tell me we were going to the same school the very next day and even later, he turned out to be my first best friend. The first day was painless as it was quick. Unlike most of the other kids, my parents weren't there but I didn't mind. Knowing where was where was tricky, but eventually it stuck.

Secondary School. Before UPSR (the major exam in Std. 6), right outside our window and beyond the road, was where we knew we'd end up. The opposite block was always a mystery to us, as we never ventured beyond the ground floor or the bathrooms. All we knew was our seniors occupied the space, and we'd be meeting them soon. What was it like? We've only ever heard stories. The first day turned out eventful. So many new friends made, an amazing class teacher. This turned out even better than Primary School.




Finally, the third. Cempaka International School. An entirely new school. I only knew of the people there, never themselves. But Ellya was there and had built a name for herself. As I walked beside the building I would later know as the North Hall, I received plenty of stares. I knew where to go, I knew some of the friends through Friendster (didn't use Facebook then). When a prefect asked me to go to 8 Aqua, I was strucked shocked. I panicked. My future classmates saved me. That first day was all it took to make me friends that I still Skype now.




RMIT. It's a blank at the moment. No expectations, because I don't know what to expect.

Nervousness as I anticipate what is to come. That's how I feel. The first time I'll get out of the house in the morning to catch 2 trams into the city. I've only been there four times. I'm really spontaneous and improvisational (Joshua, Muhaimin and Kevin taught me to be), but this time I'm flying without any knowledge, friends and plans. If history repeats itself -- which I really hope it does -- thing's will work out on their own.

I might be overexaggerating, but forget getting me to next year. Just get me to Day 2.

_{*pictures courtesy of respective school websites}

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PAX Prime 2010
Penny Arcade Expo
3.09.2010 - 05.09.2010

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RMIT Commencement
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
06.09.2010