something more

with thanks

yes this is an update of my life.

and so ends the last full work week of 2018.. here begins the last weekend of 2018. the new year is dawning. i cannot believe how much things have happened over the past 12 months. so many changes. so many new experiences. so many new people. as 2018 comes to a close, i thought i would be great to think back a little on what are the things i really appreciate and will hold on dear to.

i am thankful for a wonderful FYP mentor. a part of me still cannot believe that it was only this year i was struggling to produce the last bit of the results for my FYP and begin to write my thesis. moreover, i just got back from a somewhat traumatising trip to Malaysia, having cheating death (story which i will not share here). regardless, Prof. Teo Y. Y. had been ever so helpful, providing my guidance and fruitful feedback. despite his hectic schedule, i could still meet him in person for discussions on my thesis and presentation.

i am thankful for the friends i met in university. the 4 years in university could have been so much tougher without them. people from my first science orientation camp to the science committee members to random friends i met along the course of 4 years.. everyone of them has been helpful and supportive in his/her very own way.

i am thankful for my company and colleagues. moving into the working world can be a really scary thing but they are such a nice bunch.. so helpful and open. i could not feel any "ranking" system in this place. it seemed that everyone is working side by side and literally we are. i really appreciate how feedback, thoughts and opinions can be passed in any direction and to anyone. such a healthy place to work, learn and grow.

last but definitely not the least, i am thank for my family. without them, so many things could not have happen. like every other family, we may have squabbles and problems now and then.. nonetheless, those have not held us back but knit us closer together. may we all stay healthy and awesome forever. until next time then, cheers.

short weeks

yes this is an update of my life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, fellow readers to whoever have been faithfully reading my posts and those who only recently chance upon this blog. last festival of the year is here. this year's Christmas is particular more interesting for me. nonetheless, i am thankful to those who have been and will always be by my side.

second last week of 2018. short working week.. next week will also be a short working week as well. shall focus on my internal research while one of my project managers is away on holiday. got a good news at work as well.. exciting things (hopefully) ahead in the first couple of months in 2019. shall really go into the details when everything is cleared and confirmed.

speaking of giving an update on details on a later date, i understand i still owe something here which i promise that i will get it done before 2018 ends.. my 2B journey. patience.. i have been squeezing out whatever time i have to summarise all the points from the journey into a blog post. cannot and don't want it to be too long as well. i will definitely get it out soon.. hopefully by this coming weekend. until next time then, cheers.

everything i need

ready for the end

yes this is an update of my life.

slightly hectic week is over. thank goodness.. now as everyone is off on a holiday and clients probably prefer replying to email in the new year, i wonder what i will be busy with next week. somehow decided not to take leave during this period since technically can rest a bit in office with an expected slower pace. well, "expected".. hoping no bad surprises will come.

as 2018 draws to an end i wonder if i am ready for it to end. in terms of achieving what i aimed to achieve this year, i would say i have accomplished most of them. in fact, one of the major thing i accomplished was something i planned to do in early 2019. well, no harm being this early.. haha.

2019 will definitely be a more interesting year. apart from the usual uncertainties, there are some certainties that i can look forward to. from nice shows to nice movies to little milestones in my career journey.. and maybe preparing the next path to further studies? well, let's see how this goes. gosh this post is beginning to sound like the last post of 2018 but no it isn't. until next time then, cheers.

sign

glow

yes this is an update of my life.

back from a well rested week in Taiwan.. though my immune system took a slight hit in the last few days. second time being in Taiwan for holiday with the family. explored new places and old places that we really missed since our last trip back in 2016.

i have now the glow of a person who had been through a well rested break.. back to the grind come tomorrow. not looking forward to the number of emails but am looking forward to seeing my colleagues again. exciting times ahead, i would say. Christmas party, personal internal research and a proposal i do not want to go into too much into for now. i foresee days of overtime but it will be worth it come January.

in other news, today was a rather productive off day as well. managed to get the gift for the upcoming office Christmas party. got myself a new wallet (the old one last me 5 years, wow) and also bought assessment books for my tutee. the roads of Singapore can be really interesting.. each day i ride i bound to see funny road users.. pedestrians and drivers.

alright time to enjoy the last couple hours of me-time before preparing for a slightly shorter week of work. last stretch of 2018, here i come. until next time then, cheers.

mission grow fat

yes this is an update of my life.

gosh time flies.. or maybe i am just a little bad with time management. just realised i have not posted here in a half a month. apparently i am prioritising many things before updating my blog. there is even a draft blog post that i intend to post before 2019 arrives but have yet to write all the details in. anyway that can wait a couple more weeks. now i would rather update on what has been going on in the past 15 days or so.

let's get the thing that might be of least interest to readers aside first.. work.

if i dislike my job, i will never talk about it here. well of course i am still enjoying it. yes, the workload has been a little insane the last few weeks.. one of the main factors that led me to not posting here as often. there were so many deadlines and changes that were somewhat out of mine, or even my company's, control. found myself working OT more than half the days in the last 2 weeks. glad things managed to work out in the end.

there have been quite a couple of changes in my department as well. this sort of hints a more stressful times in months to follow. nonetheless this also revealed an opportunity that i have been pondering on for quite some time now. shan't get into the details but let's just say as soon as i am back in office in 10 days' time, i need to craft an important positive letter.

moving to something more interesting, linking to the 10 days of absence.

am on leave from now for the next 10 days.. on a special mission of growing fat. heading back to Taiwan again after two years. i really miss the food and weather there.. cannot believe i will be there again. exploring couple of new places but will be visiting some of the places we really loved the last time we were there as well.

well then, given short attention span, i shall leave some updates in the next post, or the one after if i decide to talk a lot about my trip in the next post. until next time then, cheers.

clocked steps

yes this is an update of my life.

been a while since i really update here. unfortunately, updating here slips down my priority list ever since i begun working. i still put things like catching up on shows, catching up on YouTube videos, iphone games and rest above updating here. 2018 is coming to an end but it seems the resolution of updating here more often will be an annual recurrence.. with some years me not fulfilling it.

anyway recently the National Steps Challenge kicked off its new season and i have managed to get myself a steps tracker to be part of it. this sort of motivate me to head out and wander around more on weekends.. which i think it is a really good thing. yeah, so what if most of the times i get out to play PoGo.. it definitely beats rotting and idling too much at home. so yes, been diligently clocking those steps. while this program encourages people to lead a healthy lifestyle.. i find it rather ironic to have rewards that include sweet drinks and what not. well, who cares, cannot really complain much about free stuffs like this.

another thing would be i just realised i close i am to the next holiday trip. back when the flights were booked, i thought it will be quite some time to it.. but now it is just couple weeks away. man, time do fly. probably a timely break from the rush from Monday to Friday each week too. work has been great, don't get me wrong. just that the mind needs to unwind a little every now and then. until next time then, cheers.

stan

not all superheroes wear cape.. a tribute to a real life superhero who brought so much to this world.

this is not the end

wrath of the drivers

yes this is an update of my life.

been a month since i got myself a secondhand motorcycle. naturally have been riding around.. enough to continue seeing the wrath and insecurity of many Singaporean drivers. never understood why more than half of the drivers out there are out to rush to some places. on top of that, they seem to be very disturbed by the fact that they are behind a motorcycle now and then.

no, i do not road hog. pretty playing it safe especially with the probation plate. even as a car driver, my friends have said i am one of the more thoughtful and decent drivers out there. i mean it isn't difficult to be one. just relax and never have the notion of rushing to somewhere. set off early if you do not want to have your mind to be overly focused on rushing from point A to point B. this isn't rocket science.

thanks to those who have been nagging me to be safe on roads whenever they know i am riding to other places. i will.. i will not succumb to those lame ass wrath/rage. until next time then, cheers.

without you

dying to hold you

busy weekends

yes this is an update of my life.

of course, from the title, i will be updating on my weekends, beginning with the one that is about to end. went to do a maintenance on my bike.. burnt one big hole in my pocket but the feeling of riding on the better tuned vehicle is good. went out volunteering with couple of my colleagues at Kranji mudflats. it was so messy and tiring to thread through the mud but it was indeed satisfying. went out exploring and taking part in PoGo community today as well. made full use of the family's car since my parents were on a day trip to Batam.

the past few weekends have been almost as busy as this as well. but i am happy this is so since most of the time i am actually doing something useful.. rather than extending the number of hours of sleep past the amount needed. unfortunately, this makes me feel that weekends move past way faster than i thought. guessing after next weekend would be better since i do not have as many plans as the past month.

speaking of month, gosh. October is ending. how are your 2018 resolutions going? personally, i have managed to clear my biggest few resolutions.. so hmm, very good i guess. i don't mind going into 2019 just for the sake of getting new resolutions. until next time then, cheers.

le onde

that new ride

yes this is an update of my life.

pardon my absence but i foresee myself updating probably once/twice a week from now. given my little busy lifestyle and the things i have to struggle every now and then. nonetheless, i still strive to update as often as i can. so anyway, since the last update, there have been many things happening, mostly positive, i have to say.

first and foremost, my new ride. the past proper update highlighted that possibility and now that possibility is a reality. got myself a second-hand Yamaha FZ-16 couple of weeks back. since then, have been caught up with settling the inspection, road tax and finances. the finances are not fully done yet but there is a plan.

next, housewarming at a friend's place. it is the period time where friends around me are slowly getting into these adult stuff. new house, marriage and many others. so been to a housewarming recently and am glad we all managed to hang out despite our busy lifestyles. hopefully we can still maintain such relationships.

next, Pokemon Go events. yeah i am still at it. new monsters, new quests, new events. those have been filling up my weekends pretty well. good exercise i guess haha.. at least apart from hanging out and getting fat, i am burning them every now and then as well.

last but not the least, the peak period at work. still stressed and hectic every now and then during the weekdays. nonetheless, i am still persistent on leaving work on time. at least the discipline of turning up in office early is still there. i realised i cannot really do productive work past 6pm anyway hence the need to go early.

well.. October is 66% over and i am still thinking/feeling that October just started. time has to slow down a little. until next time then, cheers.

i'm a mess

possible ride

yes this is an update of life.

stressful work peak period aside, i have been slowly opening my eyes looking out for a possible new person al ride. a month ago, i got my 2B license and am now looking around for a economical bike to get along with. after much search and reading, i have narrowed my choices down to about 4 models and 3 dealers to head to. shall explore them in the near future and hope i find one that is of decent functionality and cost.

yet in another blink of an eye, another month is coming to an end. i still really cannot believe 2018 is moving so fast. just to think that i was in the crunch time of my FYP earlier this year is somewhat shocking. on the bright side, i am glad things progressed quite a bit this year.. and this is probably the main reason why i am finding 2018 to be moving so fast. until next time then, cheers.

california dreaming

hotel california

time-challenged

yes this is an update of my life.

midway through September.. probably about a quarter through the peak period of my work. still stressed but slightly less stressful this past week i guess. nonetheless, there were still tasks and coding that were really time sensitive. one thing i know about myself is when it comes to time-challenged tasks i get very eager. well, some levels of eagerness is good i guess but things will be going downhill if it becomes anxiety.

this is the main reason why i always aim to leave home earlier. my mind will not be functioning well enough to do efficient work, which includes coding as well. i rather be in earlier to clear work than to stay later to do so.. i will definitely take an hour to clear a 20-minute task if i stay past 6pm or so. different people work very differently. so far so good i guess.. i consider my self rather efficient considering the fact that more than half the time i get to clear more things that i aim. no, i am not aiming low since at times i have to wait up for other people to clear or catch up before i can actually move on.

motivation is a very strong thing. i figure i get to do all these as i am still in love with my job. may this continue for a long time.

but yes it has its challenges. this week i had to crash course and pick up new stuff in SAS. while learning, i have apply on a big project. no one to hold your hand in the outside world so yes am swimming through tons of Google searches and what not. well, so long it works and helps. online assistance for SAS isn't aplenty as well.. since the software isn't exactly free.

work aside, i am trying to sort out some family stuff (no, nothing serious, no worries, just some supplementary stuff related to them) before moving on to my next aim.. searching for a motorbike. until next time then, cheers.

the giving tree

bop bop baby

all you wanted

fastest week

yes this is an update of my life.

another week is over. somehow this week felt like it literally flashed by.. fastest week so far. i think this is because of two main things that occurred this week. one, i got my 2B license. two, this week is the start of my job's peak period in a way.

i am still slightly in disbelief that i passed my Wednesday traffic police test. don't get me wrong, i am really glad i did and am slightly relief that i need not pump in more money to try and achieve that goal of mine. there are other expenses for me to worry more about.

then i have my work peak period. need to crash course quite a couple of new things along the way. so many deliverables yet so little time. but i am still swimming and surviving the deep oceans.

this weekend comes real timely as well. may i regain my drive and energy. until next time then, cheers.

good life

costly resolution

yes this is an update of my life.

5th September, another day to remember. the journey to class 2B license have come to an unexpected end.. in a good way though. i never really thought i would pass on the first try earlier today. off day well-spent indeed.

i was so anxious to take the test that last night i had to toss and turn for couple of hours before really sinking into dreamland. had to be up around 5:30am as well.. which roughly equate to a mere 5 hours of sleep. though brief, i dreamt that i was in a room full of riders receiving the the good news of us passing the practical test.. then half a day later the real thing happened. seems like dreams come true.. in this case literally.

will be posting a more detailed path and cost i underwent since February to obtain this license about half a year later. for now, just wanted to say the circuit part was scary since the bike i was assigned to wasn't exactly good and i had problems with the clutch most of the times. open road riding was tricky with the weekday working traffic crowd. so many jams resulting to numerous unexpected stops and at times stopping at a wrong gear. well, just glad that i passed with 18 points.. lol yes i was one mistake away from failing.

well well well. that is one big resolution for 2018 off the list.. the most costly one i would say. rough estimation would lead to roughly $1100 spent. nonetheless, i will post on the breakdown soon.. when i have more time. in the meantime, back to work.. peak period. until next time then, cheers.

modern kind of nightmare

yes this is an update of my life.

so i had a very hilarious yet scary nightmare over the weekend. i would like to call it a modern nightmare. traditional nightmares usually revolve around things like running away from some unknown chaser or falling from high areas and what not. this nightmare i had is more modern. here it goes..

dropping your phone into the toilet bowl.

yeah, modern technology going down the sewer. haha.. well i literally startled myself awake after having that scene in my already-weird dream. first time having such a dream/nightmare. well, i found it slightly hilarious as well. cannot imagine that happening in real life though.. hopefully never find out as well. until next time then, cheers.

run

66.66

yes this is an update of my life.

the hectic period of my work begins. yeah.. so it begins. fingers crossed i am able to tackle this period with strength and positivity. there are so many things i can learn and at times i wonder if i will have the time to do so. one of the main thing that hinted that i really like where i am now is the fact that i am always looking into ways i can make a greater impact and contribution. i guess that i am able to do for the role i have now in the company is relatively new for them.. hence the opportunities to venture, grow and take charge. so many things i strive.. so little time.

i am hungry to grow and expand in terms of professionalism.. hopefully i have the strength, positivity and time to do so. unlike most people, i can say for now i enjoy what i am doing and the people i am working with. yeah, this role has its really demanding aspects every now and then but hey, you gain some you lose some.

moving on.. i hope my motorbike learning journey is coming to a great end with a pass in my upcoming traffic police test this Wednesday. for the sake of my wallet, time and energy, i really hope i can clear this milestone in the first try. fingers crossed.

now, yet another month has gone by. let that sink in with the fact that two thirds of 2018 have flown by. what have you been doing? are you where you hope you are when you were making goals 8 months ago? 4 more months to right whatever is left. until next time then, cheers.

rise

light me up

the adjustment

yes this is an update of my life.

well, August seemed to have just started.. or so i thought. now, into the second half of the month, i wonder when will i have more time than whatever i have now. yeah maybe still in the midst of adjusting to the life of a working adult. some days i feel like i have no energy. other days, not much time. previously, i noted struggling with things happening around me all at one time. well, i am glad the dark phase is over and i am slowly regaining my pace. taking one step at a time. glad to have great people around me as well.

work has been alright so far.. learning a lot, working around great colleagues, decent welfare. workload.. well.. hmm still manageable i would say. no free lunches in the world. i still have friends looking for jobs or some even unsure what to look out for or where to try for. glad i figure those during my days of FYP or even before my final year. different people will definitely have different needs and wants.. that i understand. however, one thing i don't quite understand is the fickle mindedness. if you are one of them, well stop it.. touch your heart to find that one true answer. that answer might not stay for a life but you need it to stay for quite awhile.. the sooner then better. get on with it.

if you ask me, definitely i want many things out of a job.. decent pay, work-life balance, healthy environment, chance to learn, space to progress and many more. nonetheless, it is rare to have them all in one. my current position offers more than what i expected.. that is why i am happy here. however, rewind 4 months ago.. if you were to ask me what were the key considerations.. i would tell you, personally at this age i value more on chance to learn, space to progress, and work-life balance. where is pay? well, honestly back then i knew the healthcare/biostatistics sector isn't known to be one of the better paying places for a statistics graduate to go.. so basing on the rough gross median of $3300, i told myself that if the place seemed decent i would probably let go a little in terms of pay.. hence, not in my top three.

well, hope that helps. figure what you really want to do now, basing on what you really value i guess. until next time then, cheers.

new new divide

all falls down

picking myself up

yes this is an update of life.

well yes i am back for now. as you know, i needed to be away to settle a lot of things that have been happening in my life. to be honest, not all of them are really under control or solved yet. nonetheless, i figured that i could use some of my evening time these few days to be back here. take mind off things and to relax.

there is so much thinking going on in the past couple of weeks. so much uncertainty. so much distractions. so much annoyance. nonetheless, i am thankful for how things are slowly progressing. i am picking myself up again as i go. cannot stay down for too long anyway. life still goes on not matter what and i have to try to use every single day wisely. some disappointments are not worth harping over for too long i guess.

with that said, not saying things happening that are weighing me down a little are caused by external factors. there are things of my own doing as well. with all mixed together you get one messed up lifestyle and a joyride through emotional rollercoaster. don't worry, i am fine.. just picking myself up again.. slowly but surely. until next time then, cheers.

singapore

in light of the recent national holiday, i shall share this really video done by NOC. this just add on to the many reasons why i think this is my most favourite local channel of all time. 

darkside

broken arrows

easing back

yes this is an update of my life.

fingers crossed, things are starting to look better and i look forward to be back active again soon. until next time then, cheers.

time out

yes this is an update of my life.

well unfortunately, life isn't going very nice these few days. so many things to juggle and i am using much more energy than anticipated. as such, i will be away for couple of days or weeks until some things are well sorted out. these times are hard. until next time then, cheers.

truth potato #20

this entry of Truth Potato taken from the Bored Panda website is somewhat similar/linked to the precious one. i think at the end of the day, the main point of these two posts would be don't forget your own happiness at the expense of pleasing everyone else around you.

truth potato #19

the 19th entry of Truth Potato taken from the Bored Panda. this is an advice that i will definitely throw at my younger self if i have the chance. whenever possible i would let those kids today know as well. it is always not about pleasing everyone. your life is more than just that form of self-validation.

so yes, when someone is disappointed in you for being you, don't take it to heart.. it isn't worth your time and effort and feelings. there will tend to be those who would appreciate you like how you would appreciate them.

do not sleep

yes this is an update of my life.

almost the first month anniversary of since starting work. got to say i am more or less adjusted to the work day schedule and what not. this job provides me the necessary challenges to keep my mind active and learning. i like to feel that i am making full use of the time each day to better myself.. be it in knowledge or what not. for now i am and i am happy about that.

pardon me for the limited number of quality posts these few days ever since i started working. i feel rather tired each day after work. good thing is that i know i am making full use of my brain during the day. bad thing is i have no energy to enjoy my evening at times.. at times just sleeping way earlier is the only enjoyment i can have. i am excited to what is ahead though i am a little nervous knowing that i have a lot of projects heading straight into my face next month.

away from work, i am heading to reservist next week and also my convocation. wow.. 4 years of college education led to this ceremony. to be honest, i don't feel anything much about it.. kind of like having a 21st birthday party.. have also can, don't have also nevermind. well, then again i understand that my parents would very much want me to be a part of it and them being part of it as well. so yes, i am going for it.. just not sure how to feel. how i feel now is just so surreal.. how did 4 years fly by just like that? then again, i am glad i made it. regardless of the struggles, the hurdles, the pain.. i made it.. i made it past yet another milestone of my life. i am proud of myself. i am thankful for the opportunity and to those made this possible.

so.. 1st July.. Youth Day and also a Sunday. Sunday evenings feel weird since i know the moment i decided to sleep, i will be waking up to Monday, kicking start a new week of war fighting at work. ohh, relax, it isn't bad.. i am just describing the situation in my head as i take on new coding and analytical challenges. maybe this is why i try to not sleep early on Sundays. until next time then, cheers.

truth potato #18

this edition of Truth Potato taken from the Bored Panda website is somewhat relatable to something close to heart. relationships. i value relationships a lot and tend to take them more seriously as compared to most people. that was pointed out by one of my close friends before as well.

being so comes at a cost at times. holding on to people who are tying you down.. so at times i end up caring about the wrong issues and people. nonetheless, those times are over i guess as i find myself more picky when it comes to who i should keep close to heart. this is a timely reminder as well.. hopefully it is to some of you.

truth potato #17

yeah, if you have been following or are observant i actually skipped a couple of entries from Truth Potato.. this is due to the fact that some messages are somewhat vulgar. so yes, we move to #17 from the Bored Panda website.

more than just thoughts i think words hold the same weight as well. like if you have the intention or said you have the plan to do something, it doesn't really count or matter much until actions are carried out. people are more impressed with actions rather than thoughts and words. go beyond the "no action, talk only" to really create an impact.

truth potato #14

in this edition of Truth Potato taken from the Bored Panda website, the quote reminds us not to expect too much, or in fact even anything, in return. doing 3 good deeds would not equate to getting 3 favours done for you. being nice makes your life and others' life better.. don't expect anything in return.. if you want to be nice just be nice, that's it.

this is kind of useful to remind ignorant people and those who have a very false sense of self-entitlement. the world owes you nothing.. regardless of who you are or even how rich/famous you are. anything with less expectations would prevent necessary unhappiness as well.. so why not try adopting this idea.

truth potato #13

in this edition of Truth Potato from the Bored Panda website, i think most can relate. we are always multi-tasking and thinking that by doing so we achieve more. in fact, rather than achieving more, at times it is just our attention is divided.. hence inefficient. well, like what some would suggest.. it isn't about quantity but quality. if you can't do that task well while multi-tasking, drop it. 

this quote can be taken into the account of life schedule. while being so busy and caught up with things at hand, at times people neglect things that are more valuable than dollars and cents.. like relationships. so yes, pause and look around now and then no matter how busy you find yourself to be.

a thousand

yes this is an update of my life.

well, here it is the 1000th post since the remake of this blog. i am somewhat amazed at the fact that i am still using this platform. nonetheless, i still remain positive that this will be a long-term thing. frequency wise, i try to update as often as possible.. with a clear mind and what not. that said, yeah i have been gone for quite a few days. two reasons.

the first reason would be i have been adjusting to the new work life. the expectations, the routine, the responsibilities, the energy required, the rest required. it feels like i am always on the edge in office. it feels like i am fighting a war in office. relax, not war with co-workers but rather the project and messy data. as weird as it may sound.. i find my job so far really challenging yet enjoyable. probably due to the fact that i get to grow and learn as i work on the things i am passionate about.

the second reason would be home internet. my home internet was down for a couple of days over the week. phone data usage is not a viable source for i want to avoid exceeding the monthly limit. things got a little messy but it is all fixed now.. tough i think this new modem is giving me slower internet.. hmm.

busy weekend and i just hope i get sufficient rest to take on another 5 days of "war" until next time then, cheers.

girls like you

first and heavy

yes this is an update of my life.

first week of adult-ing done. settling in to my first job slowly but surely. the past week has been a tiring one. so many information to take in with the given amount of time. by sheer coincidence, my first week or work is also a short work week. thanks to the public holiday on Friday, the work week consisted of only 4 days.

got myself through various induction programs and what not. got to taste a little of the projects i am working with. the first project has a very big dataset set as well. i can slowly feel the responsibilities and expectations weighing down on my shoulders. while i embrace the change and adjustment, i am somewhat anxious about the path ahead. would i cope well and properly?

regardless, i choose to believe that learning never stops and all these transitions and discomfort is part of learning. who knows after a while i will be really comfortable to handle such weighs. in the meantime i shall treasure each opportunity. until next time then, cheers.

truth potato #12

taken from the Bored Panda website, this note from Truth Potato serves as a good reminder to each and every one of us now and then. somehow or rather, we all tend to try please others. be it your parents, your friends, your bosses and what not. after a while, this would take a toll and you would soon realise in the midst of pleasing others, you aren't happy.

so yes, invest in yourself isn't selfish. in fact, i believe it is very important to invest sufficient time for yourself every other day. you are human as well.. you are not born to serve or please others.

truth potato #11

in this instalment of Truth Potato taken from the Bored Panda website, i think not many people are able to relate. in an era where purchasing power is generally decent in most of the populations, we still see increasing issues of depression, anxiety and what not. yeah, money cannot buy all happiness but in certain way it sets a new "starting point" in being happy.

with money, past woes of proper meals and shelter are eliminated hence everyone would be, by default, happier than in the past. of course, money cannot achieve all the happiness in the world.. it depends on how money is used as well. for starters, maybe use it wisely to cultivate and nurture relationships. share to show care every now and then.

the night suana

yes this is an update of my life.

i need to complain about the weather these few days. too damn hot and humid. simple actions and activities like taking a meal outdoors will lead me to bath in my own sweat. staying indoors without aircon is of not much help as well. my room is facing west and i stay in the east.. so in the afternoon the sun will be boiling my room. even at night.. my room still feels like a suana.

anyway got to treasure my last few days as a naive graduate before heading into the working world for real. nope, still not feeling the very surreal moment that everyone tends to feel. well i guess i need to experience a couple of days of it first. until next time then, cheers.

illumielle

year four in review (NUS)

well, four years of undergraduate life just flew by.. this is the final year in review in a really small nutshell. i would say that the final year is both relaxing and challenging at the same time.. allow me to explain my take.

relaxing in a way you know more or less your CAP cannot change by much so the efforts you put in tend to be more selective that the pats few semesters. relaxing in a way your timetable might not be as packed as the first two years. challenging due to the fact that over your regular modules, FYP is a the thorn in your toe. challenging due to the fact that you have to start to keep a close eye on job opportunities and what not.

either way, no regrets taking statistics as a major in NUS. thankful that my academic mentor advised against my idea of taking economics as a second major.. without a second major i was able to read more interesting UEs. however, slight regret would be not taking public health as a minor. ohh wells.. my career path will be on that road i hope. like the past few years, below are the modules i read in my final year and their respective reviews.

year 4 semester 1: -
ST3240   ST4231   ST4234

year 4 semester 2: -
GEK1900   ST3244   ST4242

final year project (FYP): ST4199

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

ST4199 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

this review will be slightly different since the topic of the project varies from student to student. in statistics course, ST4199 offers two different paths as well. one would be the individual FYP and the other is the group/seminar style. note that, even the group seminar/style, in the end the report writing, presentation and other assessments are done as though it is an individual project. meaning, in a group/seminar setting, you can discuss on literature review and what not but ultimately your submissions and what not are done individually. yes, your topics are similar but your "products" vary.

i have a rough idea how group/seminar path works but not in detail so am not confident to share on that as well. i took the individual FYP path and as such, will be talking about that.

assessments

for individual FYP, the assessments include report (2 drafts) and oral presentation, with Q&A. the report has two submissions, both submission is the entire thesis. the first would be around semester 2 just after recess week while the second would be after the oral presentation and Q&A, right before reading week. oral presentation is a 40-minutes session though if you take less than that is fine too.. just try not to exceed that. straight after the presentation would be the Q&A.

my project

my FYP was titled "Survival Analysis of Identified Diabetic Patients". the main few analyses included Kaplan-Meier estimate, Cox proportionate hazard model and computation of restricted mean number of years of survival. I had two awesome supervisors, Prof. Teo Yik Ying and Dr. Stefan Ma.

rough progress timeline

though the department required those doing individual FYP to submit the project details and supervisors' name by 3rd week of semester 1, i began finding supervisors since June and managed to confirm all the details by late June to early July. retrieval of my datasets took quite some time so between August to early September, i did tons of literature review and learning of the few statistical methods that were required and that i have yet to understand fully. 

to be honest, even for the remaining of September, i did mostly literature review. my data came quite late and i only started to do simple cleaning and merging of data so that it can be used for analysis with minimal issues in later stages. cleaning and merging thankfully took about 2 days before i head on to summary statistics and churning out simple results.

October came and yes, still some literature review and reading of research papers. i would say my project had three main sections of analysis/results.. with the last two sections having three sub-sections. let's call these sections and sub-sections A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3. so in October, i produced the results for A which mainly consist of summary statistics and other simple results. i began coding a little for B1 and C1.

in November, i completed coding and producing the results for B1 and C1. then i went on to B2 and C2. these were a little tricky so it took couple of meetings and tries to iron things out but i remembered by reading week i was near done with them.

in December, after relaxing a while after the final examinations of the first semester, i went on to B3 and C3. due to unforeseen circumstances happening elsewhere outside school work and in my personal life, the break wasn't as productive as i hoped. so this spilled to the first half of January. by middle of January, i had all results out and started to figure the interpretations and what not.

February involved a lot of edits after presenting the stuff to both my supervisors. started writing the backbone of my thesis in early February as well. spent the second half of the month mainly writing up my thesis and letting my supervisors to run through before editing again and again.

March was the submission of the first draft. then also started preparing slides for my oral presentation. by middle of March, my slides and speech were up and ready. practised with my peers tons of time. well, what came after this would be the oral presentation with Q&A and the final submission.

individual VS group/seminar

yeah i know some might be thinking which paths might be better. while certain ranges of CAP will put you in a spot where you cannot choose, there are some who can choose between the two paths. or another way is probably you are now aiming to score within certain ranges of CAP so as to grant you a particular path. nonetheless, i will try my best to weigh out the pros and cons of the two paths to give a rough idea to you all.

time management. notice that all the deadlines for individual FYP happen in the second semester so technically no one would be pushing you or setting a pace for you specifically to follow. good time management and proper planning is needed. then you also cannot set the timeline same as other individual FYP since the nature of most individual FYPs varies. some might face a slower data collection or data extraction process while others have to take a slower pace in other aspects. on the contrary, the assessments for group/seminar FYP are spread out.. so you roughly get the sense of urgency now and then. professors taking students on this path are more likely to check on you and push you now and then too.. well, apart from a few lazy professors.

meetings. on this aspect, group/seminar FYP students generally will meet the professors more often as they will set up say bi-weekly sessions and what not. i think such platforms serve as a good place to clarify doubts efficiently. individual FYP wise, no meeting also can but of course that is for extreme case in which i have never know someone who has done so. however, for individual FYP student, the professor will usually agree to meet if he/she is free.. bluntly speaking, you are not the priority. so time between each meeting could be up to a month or so. i'm sure you can hear some horror stories elsewhere. thank goodness i have awesome supervisors.

freedom of choice. individual FYP tend to have greater freedom of choice.. be it topic wise or supervisor wise. i get to choose who to find and ask if he/she could be my supervisor. of course start early since any professor cannot take a lot of students in an academic year. topic wise, i had a little say as well.. highlighting my interest in biostatistic and/or public health. for group/seminar FYP, you get to rank the professors you want but more often than not, you cannot get the first choice. topic wise, those professors have set the topics even before your selection of professors begin. 

running into trouble. this is where group/seminar FYP is the obvious better option. while reports might vary.. background topic can be similar.. so anything unsure you have a few others to discuss with you. for individual FYP, for obvious reasons you are on your own if you run into a mini hiccup or what not. yeah your supervisor might hint you but they wouldn't usually suggest a solution.

my opinion

i think ST4199, regardless of the path you take, is a really good exposure to research work. if you think you are definitely not going into the statistic or analyst or research line.. year 4, and thus FYP, might not be your cup of tea. if you decide to got for FYP, know what kind of project you probably want.. like roughly the "industry" and what not. be it individual or group/seminar FYP, then go ahead and choose professors based on their interest of research and topics offered. 

ohh which reminds me of a common misconception. difficulty. both paths are difficult.. come one FYP sure got tons of challenges. that is why it is important to choose properly.. i am sure it is less painful if you are doing something you prefer.

actually, i think time management is important in both paths.. just one might be more reliant on good time management. this module is clear very different from any other modules. last minute work or cramming will never work out fine. nonetheless, embrace this opportunity and whatever challenges it may pose.. for the finish line is sweet.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

ST4242 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

things you lean: -

titled "Analysis of Longitudinal Data", this module kicks start by introducing the two forms of longitudinal data.. namely the wide and long format. thereafter, the module teaches you various model formats such as linear mixed models, generalised linear models and others. you will get to understand smoothing and be introduced to various covariance and correlation structures when modelling various data.

assessments: -

the assessments are just tutorial submissions and final exam. the tutorial submissions grading was rather straightforward. you either get 1 or 0 for satisfactory and unsatisfactory respectively. final exam was more tedious and torturous. one sheet of cheatsheet is allowed. time was a huge factor in the paper for there were so many questions.

my opinion on the module: -

hmm.. to be honest i not quite how to put a feeling to this module. but my first impression would be mildly challenging yet interesting. the models you get to learn are pretty new. the presentation of observations and what not in matrix forms are more complex than any previous modules you read.. because in this case you get an individual recorded at various timepoints having numerous variables.. so yeah go figure. hard work is needed to understand this module well and to tackle the assessments well.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

ST3244 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

things you lean: -

title "Demographic Methods", this module introduces you to various terms and methods such as proportions, rates, standardisation, life tables, population growth and many more. the topics cover are aplenty and are essential in understanding and interpreting demographics. this module is an important stepping stone if you intent to work towards population studies in your education or future job.

assessments: -

the assessments include tutorial attendance, 2 assignments and final exam. tutorial attendance is self-explanatory.. taking place during the second hour of the second lecture slot each week. the two assignments were straightforward and not so time consuming if you bother to know the key ideas from the lectures. final exam is open book. though so, there were tons of questions.. so one has to find and get those answers down on the paper fast. there would be little or no time to check through your work.

my opinion on the module: -

easy module. you should aim to score full or close to full marks in the assignments. the content of this module can be rather overwhelming but difficulty wise i am sure most would get it after a couple of reads. nothing too abstract other than a couple of proofs which the professor that taught me did not really focus on much. after all this module is more application rather than the hardcore statistics stuff like previous level 2000 statistics modules.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

GEK1900 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

things you lean: -

titled "Public Health in Action", this module serves as an introduction to the public health studies where students are exposed to various health issues the world faces today. through them, policies and what not are evaluated and analysed in lectures and the various assessments. it serves as a good indication if such a field would be an interest. even not so, it provides a fresh aspect of education.. definitely adding some colours to your primary major or course.

assessments: -

students were assessed on lecture quizzes, group reports, group participation, peer review and 2 assignments. the lecture quizzes were based on each week's readings.. straightforward actually, no need to read beforehand since you can bring your laptop to use the "find" function for most of the answers. these quizzes generally penalises those who were late. group reports start from week 2 onwards though grading begins from the 3rd week onwards. they would be based on themes or health issue for that particular week. each group was expected to submit their copy within 45 minutes in the middle of the 3 hour weekly slot. the last hour of the slot would be group participation where groups get to share their ideas and answers to get the few percentage of grades. peer review is self-explanatory. the 2 assignments were just essays and essays.. one given around week 3 and the other near reading week. troublesome but ohh wells.. anything for no exam.

my opinion on the module: -

i have a particular interest in public health so i really quite enjoyed this module. the bid points are always insane.. for good reasons of course. no exams and interesting module. i find the assignments a big drag tough.. very time consuming. nonetheless, the lectures are very interesting. assessments, apart from the assignments, are rather manageable.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

ST4234 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

things you lean: -

titled "Bayesian Statistic", this module offers a very fresh take on analytics using the Bayesian mindset or approach or method.. whatever you want to call it. it definitely open doors to more possibilities in terms of data exploration and analysis. the entire module circles around the posterior, prior, likelihood. computational methods picked out include Monte Carlo approximation, hierarchical models, multi-parameter models and others.

assessments: -

students were assessed on tutorial presentation, group project, midterm exam and final exam. the tutorial presentation was done in groups of 3 or 4. a group is expected to present once per semester only. the group project was done with the same group. it involved literature review on Bayesian researches and a task on Bayesian computation. the exam papers were rather challenging.

my opinion on the module: -

i love this module. i think i learned quite a lot from this module. like i mentioned earlier, this module gives you a fresh look on handling data and what not when it comes to statistical analysis. as the Bayesian approach is relatively new compared to classical statistics, you get to see the potential for it to move on in years to come. nonetheless, a word of caution is this module is very challenging. you need quite a bit of time to understand and do the tutorials. group project is painful but not as painful as i feared probably due to my awesome and cooperative group members. i would always advise any juniors to take this module.. but if you aren't those who love challenges then skip this.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

ST4231 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

things you lean: -

titled "Computer Intensive Statistical Methods", this module is a core requirement for statistics undergraduates. this module teaches you complex stuff such as generating random numbers, variance reduction techniques, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), classification and others. you deal with quite a lot of mathematical symbols, matrices and what not.

assessments: -

each student was graded on tutorial submissions, assignment, midterm exam and final exam. it is obvious what tutorial submissions are. for assignment, the lecturer gave couple of new stuff to work on that is a big leap from what was taught in lectures.. but not tested in exams. both exams were open book, consisting fair mix of difficult and manageable questions.

my opinion on the module: -

the lecturer was a lecturer i met in one of my previous modules and i did not really like the style of his teaching and assessments. hence, my opinion might just be somewhat biased. nonetheless, while taking this module, i feel as though i am swimming in deep waters. the things you learn are somewhat abstract at times and tutorials might take some time to finish. the assignment was a complete waste of time and effort to be honest.. i felt like i did not learn anything from it. think the lecturer was trying to spark interest among students in that kind of research.. but obviously did not work for me. do not fret if you struggle in the exam papers since most would.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

ST3240 review (NUS)

DISCLAIMER: firstly, i am not a professional writer, so if there are mistakes in my language, move on. secondly, the review is mostly based on opinions, so i would advise you to google for more reviews to get a diverse take on the modules you are interested in. thirdly, module details change every semester, so do not expect every assessment will stick. last but not the least, i will not talk about grades. hope this is useful for you, cheers.

things you lean: -

titled "Multivariate Statistical Analysis", this module obviously goes beyond the simple univariate analysis and takes on datasets with many variables. through this module, you will be introduced to methods like Hotelling's statistic, confidence ellipsoid, cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), k-means, expected cost of misclassification (ECM), error rates and others. this module is a decent step to handling complex data with tons of variables.

assessments: -

this module is assessed based on group project, tutorial presentation, assignments and final exam. the group project is fairly simple.. it involves a default multivariate dataset in R where the group is expected to explore various ways to classify the observations.. in the end, written report and presentation were expected from each group with the presentation happening late in the semester. tutorial presentation will be done with the same group members.. presenting only once per semester. there were 2 assignments which were manageable in terms of difficulty and time given. final exam was tedious.. tons of questions. though open book exam, expect little or no time to check your work.

my opinion on the module: -

easy module. though content seems rather taxing when i put out in words above, i personally find this module very manageable. let's say you learn 20 new things in this module.. i would say probably 9 of them you would study in depth? the rest more or less touch-and-go kind. nonetheless, this module serves as a really important module for your future if you are intending work in a data field and what not. for assignments, aim to score full or close to full marks. don't sweat the project since the percentage was low.

click here to see the modules i have read and their respective reviews. do feel free to contact me via Telegram @alvinngjh for any questions or what not.

two great men

yes this is an update of my life.

one more week to the beginning of the rest of my life.. heading out into the workforce. the feeling of being a working adult and the responsibilities that follow have yet to really hit me yet. nonetheless, knowing my weird mind of mine.. i'm guessing i will only feel whatever i am suppose to feel only when i start to work for a couple of days or so.

treasuring my final few days of living a life or pure bliss and no stress. watching the movies and shows that i usually watch.. even rewatching some of them. of course other than these idling activities.. i kept the promises i make to myself of exercising and writing module reviews. will post those reviews this weekend after my final edits.

next up i would like to mention two great managers that managed the two teams i love. coincidentally both of them has left the club. Wenger leaving Arsenal and Zidane leaving Real Madrid. sensational managers stepping down and future of the clubs in a little uncertainty. well, Arsenal appointed Unai Emery.. hopefully things at Arsenal will improve. as for Real Madrid, i am quite curious as to who will be appointed. maybe Wenger? haha.. well if that really happens, i would honestly be a little surprised.

end of an era for Arsenal. end of an incredible 3-year good run for Real Madrid. nonetheless, before the next season begins in England and Spain, the upcoming event is World Cup... can't wait. until next time then, cheers.