Lack of updates here?

I thought to myself... Its really true.

I lack commitment and passion. Just see how infrequent this blog is updated.

And since I also lack charisma, this blog might as well be forgotten if I had been aiming for people to read it (I did not bother to).

Funny comments about Rebecca Black

Okay, by now I've gotten tired of reading about what trolls are saying about her. Let this be the last post about Rebecca Black for a long, long time. By now the video commenting have become stale, so here's a record of the funnier YouTube comments to remember.

2nd top comment had been a YouTube copypasta for a while now.

What happens when trolls tried to be as irrelevant as possible.

Self-explanatory.

Video related to Florence Foster Jenkins, as 2nd top comment has shown.

Video was a parody of her "My Moments" music video,
where she sings without Autotune.

henryshee666's mother uses YouTube?

iM0L3, the average YouTube user.

Yeah, used to do that frequently for "Friday" Music Video.
Too bad "My Moment" Dislikes growth wasn't as epic.

No one is safe from being trolled.

See my earlier point about being irrelevant?

IPPT results for August 2011: GOLD!!!

Yes! I'm so excited. 2 days after my birthday, I attempted my IPPT for the new re-opened window.

YES, I FUCKING DID IT!

The fastest 2.4 km running time I reached during my National Service was in my BMT period: 9 min 41 seconds. This means I've broken my record: The current 9 min 17 seconds is the fastest in my entire life so far. But oh well, I still feel somewhat "trolled" by myself, in that the results I attained is what I could have gotten a few weeks back when I was still in the "X" Category, where the requirements are higher. Of all times, I actually attained "X" category standards for Gold Award only when I got shifted down to "Y" category.

Still, I'm rather ecstatic that I have actually managed to get the maximum points (With a bit of luck I guess) for each station, which make my results equivalent to Army Commando's IPPT standard for Gold Award!

Most painful decision in years

Although I've become more and more nihilistic, there is still an idealistic streak within me, something made more evident when I made a final choice to accept a job offer from ST Electronics Info-Software Systems.

Well, you see, in my desperation I have applied for MINDEF DXO in Simulation Systems and Training and ST Electronics Info-Soft. Just when I thought that the MINDEF higher management thinks that I'm not a suitable candidate for the DXO position, I got informed that my application got through and I need to wait for some "processing" or official confirmation, in addition to further medical and security clearance.

So yeah, it seemed like an obvious choice to make. DXO's a better job in terms of name, remuneration, benefits and arguably, even the job experience itself. I made my decision based on my career goal, and that is to become an IT project manager by climbing from the bottom level. This means I need to gain real-life industry technical experience.

The only real issue I had with the DXO job is that I start out coordinating military exercises and managing System Engineers, somewhat a step above a Software Engineer position that ST Electronics Info-soft offers. The computer system that the DXO position involved in is so much of a specialized tool that if I were to leave the job after a couple of years (Which is my intention), my choices will be limited. The only transferable skills I have would be management, and what companies are looking for in an IT manager are relevant experience. The worse case scenario is that I would be stuck to continuing these military-based jobs.

Yes, canceling this job application, which already gained approval by MINDEF, was the most painful decision I have made so far my entire life. Truth be told, I have no genuine love for a Software Engineer position at ST Electronics, and my interest in technology is becoming questionable, but deep within me I still wanted to see if I can develop my career through Software Development.

My frustration levels forced me to find a company which almost guarantees a job: Of the 10+ companies I've considered, 9 responded and I went through 10+ interviews and aptitude tests but I got ZERO offers. None, not even NCS itself which is the true breaking point for me. Seeing how screwed up my first job search is, I'm on the verge of giving up on advancing my career, which is why I applied for the DXO position (Its about job security) in the first place.

Even if that DXO position is an accursed one and hence the MINDEF HR department was being desperate, its still a superior job. One might say idealism leads to stupidity, and my decision here can be considered a good example of that. For the record here, ST Electronics here is one last chance for me to see if a technical career is truly for me. I may regret this one day, but so be it...

Let's move on.

Unused Pokemon Type combinations

 Below are the list of Pokemon type combinations that is not used in the franchise's current video games.
01.) Normal/Ice
02.) Normal/Fire
03.) Normal/Electric
04.) Normal/Steel
05.) Normal/Rock
06.) Normal/Ground
07.) Normal/Dark
08.) Normal/Dragon
09.) Normal/Poison
10.) Normal/Ghost
11.) Normal/Bug
12.) Water/Fire
13.) Grass/Fire
14.) Grass/Electric
15.) Grass/Dragon
16.) Grass/Ghost
17.) Fire/Ice
18.) Fire/Poison
19.) Electric/Fighting
20.) Electric/Psychic
21.) Electric/Rock
22.) Electric/Dark
23.) Electric/Poison
24.) Flying/Fighting
25.) Fighting/Ghost
26.) Fighting/Dragon
27.) Fighting/Ice
28.) Fighting/Ground
29.) Psychic/Dark
30.) Psychic/Poison
31.) Psychic/Ghost
32.) Psychic/Bug
33.) Ice/Steel
34.) Ice/Rock
35.) Ice/Poison
36.) Ice/Bug
37.) Steel/Poison
38.) Steel/Ghost
39.) Rock/Dragon
40.) Rock/Poison
41.) Rock/Ghost
42.) Dark/Bug
43.) Dragon/Poison
44.) Dragon/Bug

153 possible type combinations, including the 17 mono-types... And as of now 649 pokemon were introduced (including the unofficial ones in the data), with 109 different type combinations.

Using my own math, assuming GameFreak introduces around 20 new type combinations each generation on average, it seems that the franchise is going to last for at least 2 more generations before they truly ran out of ideas. Probably new features to come?

Wonder would I still be interested in all this by then?

GTA 2 again

Well, I gotta post a screenshot of my high score for Area 2 for GTA 2 before I uninstall the whole game.

Yeah, a personal reminder of how bored I can get.
I used cheat codes though.

GTA 2 Fun Rampage

Well, being bored, I went for mindless rampages in the GTA 2 game in between attempting missions. So apparently there are a total of 22 missions in the third area, which includes a bonus final mission in which I get to kill all the three mob bosses.

I got quite a few "GENOCIDE" bonuses.
Good way to vent my frustrations?

So... yeah, after all missions were complete for the third area, I went for a final mass murder spree before finishing it off.

My final score in the final level.
You can see how bored I am.

Maybe I should try out the 2nd level next.

IPPT Results for July 2011

9 min 54 seconds for 2.4km run... Only 10 seconds faster to get a Gold Award. Previously I got 10 minutes 4 seconds for 2.4km and only 3 points for Standing Board Jump, so this is an improvement of sorts. Somehow my Shuttle Run results had dropped by 1 point, but the overall 4-station results still allowed me to go for the Gold Award during the 2.4km run...

This is so frustrating, but I also faced many other frustrating events too (Considered over 10 companies and went through over 10 interviews but 0 job offers so far), so there's nothing else note-worthy I can add.

Meanwhile... I still suck at interviews, I can't believe I was still too nervous (As one interviewer noted) at this stage! Perhaps I was never born for greatness.

Terrorist attacks on Norway

Hmmm... Just like myself in real life, I don't know what this blog should be focusing on. Entertainment stuff or Thought-provoking issues? Without focus, without passion, this made me a fucked-up loser, and so is my blog as a result. But anyway, back to what I want to share with myself.

*cough cough* Can't think of a better title to describe the recent 2011 terror attacks on Norway.

Lure the victims to come near you, and then fire away.
Apparently, this works in real life too.

Hmmm, am I the first to think of the Grand Theft Auto games when it comes to the shootings? I don't seem to find anyone on the top few results of Google Search relating GTA with the terrorist attacks. Crazy rampages are what I always engaged in when I played the games (GTA I and GTA II). I enjoyed casual mass murder in the games. Despite the inappropriateness of it, I think I have to add this: The recent real-life version is both awesome and horrific.

• Awesome because I always have murder fantasies, killing both random strangers as well as people I hate.
• Horrific because, of course, it appears beyond human nature to kill innocent people.

Truth be told, I am rather apathetic to this. I see little practical difference between paying mere lip service (Verbally condemning the attacks and right after continue your lives as usual) and showing complete indifference to innocent deaths.

And why should I care? I'm not the one in danger.

Why won't these idiots run away when I fire with a silenced machine gun?

And to recall, even when using the invulnerability, double-damage, 10x score multiplier, and 99 lives cheat codes, I still failed many of the missions I attempted in GTA 2. Perhaps I would fare better in newer games like GTA 3 and GTA 4? =/

More Rebecca Black again

Oh well, poor Rebecca Black. At the age of 14 she had to endure hate, mockery, and sexually harassing comments on YouTube. Such is the price of modern internet fame. Only thick-skins will survive through this.

She released her new music video "My Moments" on her new channel, which attracted huge amounts of attention. To give some rough statistics, she got over 70,000 comments in 9 hours, which works out to be on average over 100 comments per minute. It is very difficult to follow up on comment replies without relying on automatic notifications, and most people just blasted away, praising the singer for improving (Apparently she can never go any lower after "Friday") or making the usual hate comments.

No idea what made her set the comments to pending approval after the first 9 hours of responses. Probably she got turned off by the haters again, or her parents were in charge and did not want her daughter to see such negativity on her channel. Whatever.

Some "good moments" that I captured of responses to her Welcome video:

Apparently the original owner of "rebecca" channel had given
up this channel name to Rebecca Black.

Haters gonna hate.

Read the 2nd top comment.

One of the more creative troll comments I read on the channel.

See first comment.
Pretty much reflects what I wrote of Jenna Rose and other accidental "celebrities"

Just one of the many lewd remarks made on the Internet.

Some "good moments" that I captured of responses to her "My Moments" music video...

Comments have been set to pending approval.
Hence viewers "thumbs up" existing top comments as a way of saying "I was here".
Notice the number of thumbs up.

No prizes for guessing the type of comments that doesn't attract
"thumbs up" for a Rebecca Black video.

AWWW! Enough fooling around!

Morning photo taking

As usual, I'm rotting away when jobless and not preparing for any interviews (Read: Most of the time).

Went out with my parents and my aunt to take photos (Need a hundred photos to get a discount for producing the printed photographs). Brought along the academic dress I wore during the NUS Commencement. Yeah, I wore it again for photo-taking.

A few non-identifying photos uploaded here for my own amusement, short-lived it may be.

Amateurish macro shot of nature. :(

Nature at times can be a turn-off for many.
But I would appreciate if anyone can tell me what's wrong with the leaves.

I ask sky! I ask sky! Please give me a decent job!

I attempted planking using the bench handles as support but I'm too weak.

My aunt took photos of me using her own camera, so coincidentally the resolution she set was low enough for the last two photos to make me unrecognizable for most people. So there.

P.S: I finally figured why the planking fad is also a game - Only if the position takes some degree of challenge to maintain.

Another highly disliked YouTube video

I continue with my ARK Music Factory "coverage", this time with the CEO.

Patrice Wilson's funny song "Say What You Want" has reached 10,000 dislikes on YouTube, a tiny feat compared to the likes of other hated YouTube videos, but still, it has a high like-dislike ratio. I personally clicked neither "Like" nor "Dislike"... The lyrics made me laugh (It's basically a "Take that, haters!" response) but the autotune makes it somewhat hard to understand certain parts. Then again, its not that I'm particularly sharp.

Also read the comments on the YouTube video.

Meanwhile...
It has been 3 weeks since the NUS panel interview and I have not gotten a single call. I failed to get shortlisted again? Now it looks like NCS is my last hope. But if this fails and neither ST Electronics Info-Soft nor WinSys Technology calls... I will have to find a generic, low-paying civil service job (In other words, fuck technology).

Mystery of viral hits?

Instead of learning new technologies (Like I should, as a Software Engineer), I'm instead exploring viral hits and at times speculating how they became so popular. It is all a mystery to the retarded layman me. Despite all the bashing ARK Music Factory gets, Patrice Wilson (The CEO) should indeed be credited for having come up with the "Friday" viral hit, whether intentional or not.

Insult as much as you want, but you have to admit some people had all the luck.

Now that it has gained the publicity that it needs, ARK decided to go for higher stakes, this time teaming up with "Good Morning America" to produce "an original music video with viral potential to become the next big hit." From a superficial view, they want to replicate the level of publicity that "Friday" attained. For Patrice Wilson himself, this mission however was slightly different in that he wants to "make something everybody could like."

I will not bother to go into the details of the "One Week to Hit It Big" process, I'm not that interested anyway. What is important is that another teenager, this time by the name of Lexi St. George, was selected and her music video "Dancing to the Rhythm" was done in a week or so.

Some smart guy asked me to pause the YouTube video and press 4.
But I think she is pretty.

Oh wow, it did not seem that much of a viral hit. As of 11th July 2011 the music video has combined views (Posted on both ARK and ABC News channel) of only under 400,000 on YouTube, and it has been more than a week. This barely or even failed to match the short-lived notoriety Tonje Langeteig enjoyed with her so-called song.

Why? I don't like writing paragraphs of text, so here's a summarized list for myself:

• "Friday" was "so bad its good", but "Dancing to the Rhythm" was merely generically nice and fun. It isn't awful, at least to me, but neither is it mindbogglingly awesome.
• Similarly, Rebecca Black has a whole different charm to her, while Lexi St. George, a newcomer, has to compete with the likes of Miley Cyrus in terms of popularity.
• People simply have a poor opinion of ARK Music Factory. As the trolls on the internet were screaming out, "Friday" was what gave ARK its publicity.
• Didn't people notice the rate of diminishing returns in viral music videos for 2011? First we had Rebecca Black, followed by minor viral hit(s) by that of Jenna Rose, followed by a couple of even more short-lived ones by others.
• "One Week to Hit It Big" was a lower-budget effort, and unfortunately it probably wasn't as glamorous as American Idol/The X Factor
• Yeah right, it wouldn't be that viral in the first place if news of the selection process and music video production are released over the course of a few days, isn't it? Element of surprise: Hit the people with the unexpected.

Summary... Rebecca Black and "Friday" were in a league of their own, while Lexi St. George and "Dancing to the Rhythm" had to compete with the more popular hits due to the song's somewhat generic nature.

I believe that a generic song doesn't necessarily mean it will never be a success, it only means the singer needs to rely on other factors to make the song a success. Lady Gaga has her over-the-top outfits and interesting personality. Miley Cyrus... I don't really know much about her, other than she was also a very popular teen actress in kids' shows. Hence even if the artiste happen to have a not-so-special song, he/she can still expect to generate a bit of revenue from it. Lexi needs to work on finding her own niche.

All this reminds me again of how I can't find my own niche to distinguish myself from others, be it blogging or programming. Sigh, doomed to obscurity and mediocrity.

P.S: I couldn't resist posting yet another screen shot from Jenna Rose's "My Jeans" music video. Notice that during this scene her eyes rolled very briefly to look at the camera (Around at 2 min 30 sec of the original).

Haha, she's kind of cute.

Job Search date reminders for myself

5th July is my commencement date. Let's hope it goes smoothly, but again, not that I'm excited about it. I am not even thrilled about taking photos.

The panel of interviewers at NUS Computer Centre mentioned that they will call me if I'm shortlisted within 1-2 weeks. Giving them a few days leeway, it should be safe to assume that I am not selected if there are no calls by the end of 12th July. Meanwhile let's hope other companies which I have sent my resume would respond...

By 12th July Evening:

• If NUS Computer Centre doesn't shortlist me:
  
  • No calls from NCS, ST Electronics, WinSys Technology:
    
    • Have to look again... (Seems unlikely?)
  • There is a call from WinSys Technology:
    • Still have to look again (No idea whether WinSys is an easy target).
• If NUS Computer Centre shortlists me for a 2nd interview:
  
  • No calls from NCS, ST Electronics, nor WinSys Technology:
    • Still have to look again (Still not confident about NUS Computer Centre)

For all other scenarios, I should be confident that I can be landed a job.

I think the above algorithm can still be re-factored to a shorter version, but well, I am still rather amateurish after all these years. Maybe use a truth table or something. But no, I can't be bothered to do that. Written just so I am clear about myself.

Infamy that I can only dream about

Haha!

This is how talent are divided amongst the human population:

• <1% are elites
• About 10% are highly skilled
• 90% are mediocre or are simply not outstanding

And this is how fame is divided amongst the human population:

• <0.01% are world-famous
• <0.1% are famous at the very least locally in their countries
• More than 99% are "nobodies"

Source: Fuck you, those are my own statistics, but probably close to the truth, just like the 80-20 rule.

That's right, it is probably easier to have only talent than to have any significant fame or infamy. Needless to say I don't have any of the two.

And speaking of fame, it can really come and go. The percentage of people who are famous are much smaller than the percentage of people who found their own talent, which the very-naive would imply that those who are famous are exceptionally talented. They might not be aware that there are people who are famous for being famous, and people who are famous for being infamous. These are average people who somehow captures the audience's attention for months to years, be it actors, performers, singers or politicians. They probably made up the majority of the famous.

Fame through infamy
I probably shouldn't be writing all the below stuff at this point in time as it is old entertainment news, but I couldn't resist after so many news about these "celebrities" showing up.

Rebecca Black
Months ago there is this Rebecca Black whose "Friday" Music Video became a viral hit thanks to a popular website referencing it. The YouTube video had more than 160 millions views, mostly people who came just to make fun of it. Comments left on the video were mostly abusive and was eventually disabled. "Friday" also had the dubious honour of being the most disliked video on YouTube history, scoring more than 3.2 million dislikes before the Music Video was taken down for copyright disputes. A pity. At many times I got my cheap laughs from the comments posted by the trolls and haters, so the disabling of comments and the copyright disputes simply doesn't contribute to further publicity. After all, didn't this video demonstrate that there is no such thing as bad publicity for newbies?

Major new memes inevitably have smart alecks combining them with older memes.

It appears that Rebecca Black and/or her viral hit will always be mentioned and compared to whenever a new song or music video grabs the attention of the media, for the coming months ahead. I always sees words along the lines of "Is this the new Rebecca Black?" Oh well, I guess this teenage girl was really lucky to be assured her place in the history of internet memes.

I will not comment on whether is she a good singer, since 1) I suck at judging, and 2) She only released one song as of this writing, "Friday" itself.

Jenna Rose
Rebecca Black news did not even completely die down before another singer became infamous for yet another music video. I am not very well-versed with the entertainment media... Did Willow Smith began the trend of children singing and turning their music videos into viral hits? Or was that Justin Bieber?

So anyway, Jenna Rose gained infamy for her "My Jeans" Music Video. This often drew comparisons with that of the "Friday" Music video. Let me list out the similarities in their music videos, as so many others have done before.

• Subject matter of the songs are eponymous (One is about Friday, another is about... Jeans)
• Both singers are very young teens
• Both girls woke up at the start of the song
• Underage driving featured
• Seemingly weird scenes (Where's the school bus if she is heading to the bus stop? Why isn't she wearing jeans if she's singing about them?)
• Simple... Lyrics?
  1. "Yesterday was Thursday, today it is Friday..." vs "ABC, 123, that girl wore her jeans like me..."
  2. "Which seat can I take" vs "But I don't know what to wear"
• Obligatory black rapper appearance!!! (For "Friday", an adult, somewhat creepy foil to Rebecca Black?)
• Both the rappers are the ones who wrote the songs.
• Kids jumping and partying in the end

This music video had a similar effect on me.

So how did Jenna Rose respond to haters after the abusive responses left on her "My Jeans" video? Through another music video called "O.M.G"... While I find "My Jeans" to be somewhat cute and the black rapper somewhat funny, I cannot say the same for the "O.M.G" music video. Firstly it was ostensibly a response to her haters that she will not give up, but it ruined her image further through her provocative, suggestive poses that doesn't seem appropriate for a child. That is what most people around are saying, I couldn't care less myself. But as much as I do not want to diss music videos meant for little kids, I must admit that I do not enjoy a video of a 12-year-old girl acting like an grown-up. Apparently, hater responses became more abusive than before and so comments and ratings for "O.M.G" are disabled shortly after.

Because of the nature of her songs (Both "My Jeans" and "O.M.G" featured self-centered lyrics) and how she responded to the haters, many perceived her as an annoying, spoilt, ugly brat, perhaps even worse than Rebecca Black. Jenna Rose did sang many other songs and apparently there are people who changed their mind after listening to them as a whole. Unfortunately for her, most people still remembered her for "My Jeans" and "O.M.G" and it seemed unlikely that she will ever come close to the level of fame that Rebecca Black attained. Jenna Rose just demonstrated a negative example of the importance of first impression, and it is going to be difficult for her to become a mainstream music artist and be taken seriously. I myself think she is actually kind of cute. I am also one who finds catfish, flies, and spiders to be cute (I am not joking here), but I digress.

 Don't know why juveniles find this funny, perhaps that shows personal attacks are beneath me.

A short analysis for this simple song, here it goes: Firstly, the song may not age well, it makes explicit references to fashion and pop culture, namely "Heelys", "Hannah Montana" and "Ashley Tisdale". By the time these references are forgotten by the masses, so will the song itself. Secondly, "My Jeans" is targeted mainly towards children as opposed to "Friday" which can be enjoyed by people of all ages (I use the word "enjoy" loosely here). This could explain why "My Jeans" did not have the "so bad its good" appeal as compared to "Friday" video, making it a lesser substitute for the trolls. And it makes the haters look so silly for attacking a song which might not be meant for them in the first place.

Tonje Langeteig
I am having trouble writing and pronouncing her name, its in Norwegian? Tonje's music video "I Don't Wanna be a Crappy Housewife" showed up on early June just when Rebecca Black's meme is simmering down, so Tonje did not even reach the heights of Jenna Rose's infamy. Still, the YouTube video received many abusive comments from those who follows entertainment news... Oh, why am I not surprised?

Tonje Langeteig's music video is the first notable one where I find it truly awful. Collegehumor couldn't have summarized it better for us all: "Babes! Talent! Any discernable melody! If you like these, you'll love other songs!"

Again, note the eponymous subject matter, where she repeatedly belts out: "I don't wanna be a crappy housewife!" for half of the song. I'm serious.

But there are now suspicions that "Crappy Housewife" might be an elaborate joke by Tonje Langeteig. "Stalker Management", the supposed Norwegian label that Tonje is under, does not give any official response but there some tell-tale signs that she may be very different from the likes of Rebecca Black and Jenna Rose. We have come to the times where it is difficult to determine whether a piece of work is meant to be serious or not. Parody or not, it is still something for us to laugh at.

Courtney Stodden
I wish this article could end here, but the last person listed here is what made me decide to write this long blog post. Well true, both Courtney Stodden and Tonje Langeteig have received levels of what seems to be short-lived attention and it is possible that they will fade away into obscurity soon enough, but infamy is infamy. The similarity I would like to point out between the four people I listed on this post is that 1) they are female, 2) they put up at least one song on YouTube, 3) their singing ability seems questionable, 4) the media gets an excuse to write something about that and 5) they get extremely negative responses. The first four points now looks like a decent recipe to generate attention.

 I paid more attention to her body moving than her singing, sadly.

 Took me a few tries to pause at this frame, but check it out. I can't see much myself.

Nice body.

As you can see from the photos right above, some people find it hard to believe that she is only 16 years old, going 17 as of this writing. I myself find it hard to believe. Part of the negative attention is that she is married to a 51 year old actor Doug Hutchison (Probable reason why she get that much attention, but before the news came I never heard of the actor), leading to some wild accusations of her being a gold digger or that marriage being plain inappropriate. Ah well, the drama.

And not to forget her song "Don't Put It On Me". What was that song about... Argh, I can't be bothered to decipher it by now after writing so much. She sounds a bit like Ke$ha. As to whether she is as good as Ke$ha or whether Ke$ha is even good in the first place, sad to say that I'm a rather poor judge in such matters.

Conclusion
Sigh. At many times I wished I could write and act out a parody and post it on YouTube myself, but I lacked the creativity, resources, and efficiency to carry it out.

As a short conclusion you can see that in the world of the internet, just like how flies are attracted to shit, people are attracted to the bad and the degenerate. There's also the "so bad its good" and there's "so bad its comes back as bad", where the former will win out in the end in terms of attention.

See also: Chocolate Rain.

Who am I? I'm nothing special

Next week is my graduation from NUS, and yet I am not particularly thrilled.

Apparently I studied almost excessively hard, which explains my 2nd Upper Honours. Unfortunately I can't land the desired job of my choice so far, and this seem to prove that while I am not terrible, I'm nothing special. Nothing interesting or good I can offer a company that the average programmer cannot...

This counting is getting mechanical...

Companies applied for:

1. DSO
2. IHIS
3. DSTA
4. ST Electronics Info-Comm Systems
5. ASM
6. CSIT
7. OCBC
8. NUS Computer Centre
9. IBM
10. ANTlabs
11. M1
12. NCS
13. ST Electronics Info-Software Systems

Interviews attended:

1. DSO
2. DSTA
3. OCBC
4. ST Electronics Info-Comm Systems
5. CSIT
6. NUS Computer Centre (Engineering IT Unit)
7. ANTlabs
8. NUS Computer Centre (Panel interview)

Went for NINE interviews (Including 2nd interview at ST Electronics Info-comm) so far. No news yet.

Time to lower expectations, I'll have to settle for the average companies.

Technical/Aptitude tests taken:

1. CSIT
2. IBM
3. NUS Computer Centre (Engineering IT Unit)
4. ANTlabs

CSIT test for System Analyst appeared to be easier, consisting of  a written essay and MCQs and T/F questions but its the questions testing on the required specialized skills that I have no idea how to answer.

I most probably did not ace IBM's aptitude tests and hence wasted one day of my time.

The Java test by NUS Computer Centre tests me on Java Server Programming, and I'm screwed because yet again I have no specialized skills.

ANTlabs' technical test was a C-programming task which I completed somewhat successfully at home. Doesn't stop me from screwing up the interview (I can't answer most of the questions they asked).

Job offers: -

Conclusion to Job Search Saga
I've always make sure to keep myself sharp during the holidays by self-practising in programming tasks or going for internships.

What for? The hope that one day I am able to get a big break in my career in technical work, namely Software Development. However, it turned out that a truly good software engineer requires certain skills which I did not train myself well enough! I'll not elaborate: It is easy to list all my shortcomings in preparing myself for the real-life working world, but that's going to take another paragraph.

Well having realized that my big break will not come on my first job, so how about finding a job that will prepare for that? Whoops. Turns out that these jobs require such deep technical knowledge that... 1) I have never learned in school and 2) I may have problem picking up on my own since it is a rather unfamiliar area. ANTlabs and ST Electronics Info-comm are examples.

I've given it a thought and I have conceded: Indeed my technical skills are amateurish and knowledge merely average. I've given up on trying to find a good career path for me, and I'll just go about finding any do-able jobs that pays decently. People would say that it is foolish of me to give up right after graduation, but I'm realistic: I know myself. Even in relatively simpler school projects I did not demonstrate much of the problem-solving skills that the real life software development requires. Even in the safe school environment at many times I was unable to think on my own feet, which again, a true professional requires. And so on and so forth.

So there, probably I will just end up with the vast majority of the human population, who are doomed to mediocrity and obscurity. I'll probably not talk much about this again.

Job Search Pathetic Status

No job was offered yet, is it that my expectations are still too high? And that I should look for lesser-known companies that would give the "minimum wage" for programmers?

All my efforts spent working hard during my 3 years at NUS was simply wasted. Apparently I was focusing on the wrong skills. In the end, a fresh graduate with CAP 4.21 had to compete with those slackers who have neither better skills nor experience compared to mine.

People will say: "Quit complaining, and use the energy to find a job". Well, fuck'em. It's my life.

Companies applied for:

1. DSO
2. IHIS
3. DSTA
4. ST Electronics Info-Comm Systems
5. ASM
6. CSIT
7. OCBC
8. NUS Computer Centre
9. IBM
10. ANTlabs
11. M1

Interviews attended:

1. DSO
2. DSTA
3. OCBC
4. ST Electronics Info-Comm Systems
5. CSIT
6. NUS Computer Centre (Engineering IT Unit)

I managed to get into a 2nd interview at ST Electronics, so that makes 7 interviews so far. But its been more than a month and ST Electronics have not called yet. I can't believe it, I might have been implicitly rejected by even ST Electronics, although admittedly Info-Comm Systems is a different subsidiary from the other Info-Soft Systems which is said to be easy to get into.

I declined OCBC's 2nd interview (The first was more of a briefing actually) since I have no business interest anyway, for now.

Technical/Aptitude tests taken:

1. CSIT
2. IBM
3. NUS Computer Centre (Engineering IT Unit)

CSIT test for System Analyst appeared to be easier, consisting of  a written essay and MCQs and T/F questions but its the questions testing on the required specialized skills that I have no idea how to answer.

I most probably did not ace IBM's aptitude tests and hence wasted one day of my time, and the Java test by NUS Computer Centre tests me on Java Server Programming, and I'm screwed because yet again I have no specialized skills.

Job offers: -

Memorable NUS Life Statistics

That nobody cares about. :(

Overall Grades

-	08/09 Sem1	08/09 Sem2	09/10 Sem1	09/10 Sem2	10/11 Sem1	10/11 Sem2
Semester Grade Point Average (GPA)	3.95	4.5	4.17	4.09	4.3	4.25*
Cumulative Average Point (CAP)	3.95	4.23	4.21	4.18	4.2	4.21*

* For the last semester, GPA was originally 3.9 due to a C+, where my CAP plunged to 4.15. However, I used the S/U option and removed the offending grade.

My worst performing semesters were actually my first and final semester. First semester was due to my trying to adjust to NUS standards and the recent final semester was due to divided attention when I was finding a job (And failed to) at the same time.

Grade Letter Statistics

-	A/A+	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	D+	D	F	Unknown
Number of Modules	10	3	8	6	3	1	0	0	0	0	1
MCs weightage	42	12	32	24	11	4	0	0	0	0	2

• Fortunately, the only C+ grade I got is for a module which I can S/U, and that I did.
  
  • It is also the final semester where I got my first and only C+.
• The only A+ I got in NUS is that of CS2105 - Introduction to Computer Networks, on 09/10 Sem1.
• The so-called "unknown" grade is that of  CS1280 - Java to C++, which is CS/CU graded, that is, pass or fail and there is no actual grade letter associated.
  
  • Might not be too important, but I passed anyway.
• If all but one of my A grades are taken away from the table, it would curiously resemble a bell-shaped curve of sorts eh? :)

Modules with the good grades (From A+ to A-)
1) CS2105 - Introduction to Computer Networks (A+)
2) CS3245 - Information Retrieval (A)
3) CS4348 - Interactive Systems Project
4) CS3103 - Computer Networks and Protocols
5) CS3103L - Computer Networks Laboratory
6) NM3216 - Game Design
7) CS3240 - Human-Computer Interaction
8) CS1231 - Discrete Structures
9) CS2103 - Software Engineering
10) MA1301 - Introductory Mathematics
11) CS4243 - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (A-)
12) CS3248 - Design of Interactive Media
13) MA1505 - Mathematics I
From the limited statistical analysis of the good grades, majority of the good grades are that of CS modules (10 out of 13), which indeed I placed a lot of effort into. The key to scoring in most of these modules are memory work, consistent practice, and/or learning how to trace the algorithms or do the math. Not really true talent requirement. Also, I do not really deserve the 'A' grade for the non-examinable CS4348 and NM3216. I was probably given 'A' for good effort for CS4348, but our project was poorly managed and the idea was badly executed in reality. As for NM3216, Arts modules' grading are probably skewed to the better side and most of the work was done by another student which I tried to claim partial credit for.

Modules with "normal" grades (B+ to B)
1) CS5341 - Computational Photography (B+)
2) CS2106 - Introduction to Operating Systems
3) GEK1531 - Introduction to Cybercrime
4) CS4211 - Formal Methods for Software Engineering
5) IS2104 - Software Team Dynamics
6) MA1101R - Linear Algebra
7) CS4249 - Design of Advanced User Interfaces
8) ST2334 - Probability and Statistics
9) CS4247 - Graphics Rendering (B)
10) GEM2900 - Understanding Probability and Statistics Thinking
11) CS3243 - Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
12) LSM1301 - General Biology
13) NM2101 - Theories of Communication and New Media
14) CS3241 - Computer Graphics
There are about as many "normal" grades as that of the "good" grades. From my perception, 'B+' grade is said to be that of good effort with adequate understanding while 'B' simply means adequate understanding, but otherwise plain mediocre. Many of the modules here revealed what I cannot excel in, despite my efforts: Critical thinking (CS2106, MA1101R), Problem Solving/Engineering (CS4249, ST2334), "Computer Science" minded (CS5341, CS4247, CS3243, CS3241), and Communication skills (CS4249, NM2101). For instance, I can trace a familiar algorithm effectively after practice but I usually cannot write one myself nor understand an unfamiliar one on the spot. Just the same as my dismal project performance for CS4348, at many times I am unable to come up with a good solution to solve a problem, whether technical or not.

Modules with below-average grades (B- onwards)
1) CS4248 - Natural Language Processing (B-)
2) CS2100 - Computer Organization
3) CS1105 - Computing and Society
4) SSB1204 - Labour Law In Singapore (C+)
Glaring weaknesses includes my same old communication inadequacies as in SSB1204, weak independence from a teacher and slow adapting to new concepts, like CS2100 and CS4248. Oh yeah, to think I wanted to start off my career in Computer Engineering which also happens to be my weak (If not non-existent) area of understanding.

Top 3 Easiest Computer Science Modules
1) CS1231
2) CS2103
3) CS3240
CS1231 - Discrete Structures taught by the Mathematics department are surprisingly easy, and I dare say ridiculous back then, and there's no programming assignment. The programming project for CS2103 - Software Engineering isn't that difficult back then because we did not use any tools other than Java and an IDE, and there's no algorithm to adopt. The project for CS3240 - Human-Computer Interaction was almost as easy as CS2103's. The theory concepts are actually non-technical and are about product usability and best practices, in other words, there shouldn't be any algorithms to decipher.

Top 3 Killer Computer Science Modules
1) CS2100
2) CS4247
3) CS4248
CS2100 - Computer Organization stood out only because I did not understand what the lecturer was talking about, hence I flunked ALL the theory and struggled with the practical labs as well. I could not understand the physics-related part for CS4247 - Graphics Rendering, I did not fare well for the midterm, and the programming assignments were in C/C++, which at that time I still struggled with the syntax. Toughest highlights of CS4248 - Natural Language Processing were theory questions where I need to write pseudo-code for algorithms and draw finite state machines for tricky situations on the spot. There are close contenders to the Top 3 like CS3241, CS3243, and more, but oh well, listing the 3 toughest CS modules is probably not as straightforward as listing the 3 easiest ;)

Ranking of Mathematics modules (Easiest to Most difficult)
1) GEM2900
2) MA1301
3) ST2334
4) MA1505
5) MA1101R
Despite my disappointing grade, the concepts for GEM2900 are relatively easy, which is expected since its a General Education module. MA1301 is ostensibly a year's worth of the 'A' Levels Syllabus squeezed into 13 weeks of lecture. And it is still the easiest in terms of scoring potential as compared to others... ST2334 is also easy but as a result it is very competitive. Although MA1505 concepts are more difficult, MA1101R on overall is tougher due the tests and exams that require one to be good at proving and not just blind computation.

Modules where I scored below 50% for a theory test
1) CS2100
2) CS3241
3) CS4247
4) CS4248
5) GEK1531
For CS2100's case, I most probably flunked the final exam as well. There are 2-3 tests for GEK1531, I scored below 50% for one of them. But somehow I managed to get a final grade of B+ for GEK1531. Shrug.

Very First NUS Exam: CS3241
Very Last NUS Exam: SSB1204
CS3241 - Computer Graphics, the first step to a wrong major. SSB1204 - Labour Law In Singapore, the final step before I enter the workforce. How fitting eh?

Crazy Exams squeeze: CS2100 and MA1301 on the same day
CS2100 was at 9 AM and MA1301 was at 1 PM. Luckily, I anticipated that I was pretty much screwed for CS2100 anyway, and focused on MA1301 instead.

Laughingly undoable exam: CS2100
Laughingly easy exam: CS1231
To this day I am puzzled as to why the CS1231 lecturer actually used tutorial questions for the Final Exam.

5-exam semester: 09/10 Semester 2
The exams are MA1101R, CS3103, IS2104, CS4247, and GEM2900

3-exam semester: 10/11 Semester 1 and 10/11 Semester 2
Exams for 10/11 Semester 1 are CS4248, CS4211, and CS4243.
Exams for 10/11 Semester 2 are CS3245, CS2106, and SSB1204.

Total number of NUS Modules: 32
Total number of NUS Exams: 23
I have taken 6 modules on 08/09 Semester 1, and 09/10 for both semesters.

tl;dr... Summary of overall results?
Also useful section here if you happen to tl;dr. What can I say? My results are good but on closer examination, the individual grades are rather unsatisfying. A tiny pool of skills with shallow understanding (Poor breadth and depth respectively), adding on to weaknesses like not being able to think on my own feet and lack of achievements in problem-solving, makes me truly one of those University students who are good at studying and almost nothing else.

Year 3 Semester 2 (AY 2010/11)

The final results have arrived... My graduation and end of school life is almost official.

CS5341 - Computational Photography
Credits: 4
Grade: B+
Comment: Indeed in this module we were exposed to MANY modern computer vision ideas as well as many algorithms to realize some of them. While the module topics are indeed difficult, it was non-examinable for my batch (Perhaps because Professor Michael Brown teaches) and therefore for the assignments you just need to focus on understanding the required topics. One thing I learn from NUS (Too late, too late) by now is that while passion helps you to get good grades, having good grades by itself is not indicative of passion.

CS3245 - Information Retrieval
Credits: 4
Grade: A
Comment: We were asked to incrementally build a relatively simple search engine using Python (Thank goodness its not in C). The theory was overkill - Barely edging out CS4243 - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition! However exams was more or less manageable, assuming you understand the concepts. Amateur programmers may attempt this module to gain appreciation of the complexities in typical software systems before they decide whether the life of a Software Engineer is suitable for them.

CS2106 - Introduction to Operating Systems
Credits: 4
Grade: B+
Comment: This is the most irritating module in this semester, hands down. Guaranteed, the things I have to do are arguably optional: Tutorials, which some students wouldn't bother to attempt, and the 20+ lab assignments which you do not need to complete all to get the maximum lab marks. Still I attempted them almost everything because it is good for learning. The theory part are relatively easy to understand (After previously being exposed to crazier algorithms), but the tests and exams are far from easy. My lecturer was Razvan Voicu.

SSB1204 - Labour Law In Singapore
Credits: 4
Grade: C+
Comment: This module is surprisingly useful with regards to employment laws in Singapore - Because after all, I am going to transition from school to the actual workforce. You need to participate to get a good grade for CA (I did not). The final exam will have you writing essay questions. The final grade I got is probably justified since I did not pay as much attention to this as I did to my technical modules. S/U-ed.

GEK1531 - Introduction to Cybercrime
Credits: 4
Grade: B+
Comment: I did not pay quality attention to this module (Did not put in my strongest effort when studying or writing the report). Strangely this module is taught by the Department of Mathematics, which explains why I can treat it as my Breadth module. There are some Cryptography (Basic Discrete Maths) concepts which you need to be familiar with. I did plan to S/U it but my CAP still stays at 4.21, so there's no point doing that.

Overall Results:
MCs taken: 141 + 20 = 161
CAP: 4.21

Notes/Trivia:

• First, only, and the last semester that I took a module that is not my core requirement AND not School of Computing module AND not a Science module - SSB1204.
• First, only, and the last semester I took a Level 5000 module and got B+ for it.
• First, only, and the last semester I scored a solid 'A' letter grade for a crazy algorithm module (CS3245)
• First, only, and the last semester that I got a C+ for a module.
• First, only, and the last semester that I used the S/U option.
• I should have S/U-ed my B grades during the earlier semesters.
• The only semester that I get only 4 MCs worth of Grade A.
• Worst performing semester if not factoring in the S/U.
• More boring school statistics to come soon.

Final remarks and advice for NUS Computing students if they bother to read:

• I lead a sad life.
  
  • Majority of my semester time at NUS is spent on studies with my remaining time doodling/slacking
  • My peers probably enjoyed their NUS days, owing to their high intelligence therefore studies is easy for them, or that they simply can't be bothered
• I know what I want to be in the near future (Software Engineer)
  • But it is still too vague a title and my area of studies are unfocused
  • You should not only explore career options through internships during school holidays (Even during your early school years), but also coming back to school to focus on the modules of areas that you really like.

I already started thinking of my career options way back in December 2010 and some of more relaxed peers did not do so. It is somewhat disheartening that they already got a job before exams started while for all my good grades, I still get no job offers even after my exam results are released.

Whatever.

Job search records

Guess what? Seems that the title of "Software Engineer" in my head throughout my 3 years at NUS was a bit too vague for the interviewers. It appears that I do not know what I want, which is why I still do not get what I want.

The unfamiliar environment

• 1st 3 interviews were miserable failures
  
  • 1st full time job interview was DSO
  • 2nd was DSTA, and I stammered my way through (How sad I sounded eh?)
  • 3rd was OCBC, a walk-in interview
• Began to understand the idea of selling yourself and also have a slightly more detailed idea of what I want to accomplish as a Software Engineer.
• From the OCBC walk-in interview for Technology Associate, it appears that OCBC prefers business-oriented people which unfortunately I am not. I want to be appreciated as one who can use technical skills to contribute directly to the core business of the company. UPDATE 19th May 2011: OCBC finally called for a second interview (The first interview was more of a briefing) after more than a month of silence, but I decided to decline the interview as the position does not match my goals.

Grades does not matter in the end

• Did my best to sell myself during CSIT interview on 20th April
• Still not qualified - CSIT sent me a rejection e-mail today!
  
  • School grades was supposed to be a stepping stone for the start of my career.
  • I missed the 2nd stepping stone: Passion and the knowledge that comes from it.
• Gives me the final wake-up to the reality that despite my good grades and all my attempts at learning, I am doomed to be equals with the unremarkable and underwhelming people out there at the workforce, and hence that makes me a greater loser than them (See Blog Title).
• Oh well, at least for now. *Shrugs*

Assuring myself through aptitude tests

• Or not.
• CSIT technical test for System Analyst...
  
  • 1st part: Writing an essay
  • Essay-writing wasn't that difficult but I guess I might be a little vague in many of my arguments.
  • 2nd part: Technical test, all MCQs with some True/False questions.
  • Again, the basic programming questions wasn't that difficult but I do not know how to answer many of the questions that are directly testing about the specific job title I applied for
  • So much for passion eh?
• Then from IBM...
  
  • 1st aptitude test was Maths (A timer for each question, I was too slow)
  • 2nd aptitude test was on programming language syntax for Java and C++
  • Apparently testing programming language syntax is the ultimate test of one's familiarity with programming.
  • Guess what? I am certainly not expecting any call from IBM after that aptitude test.

Now I even doubt of my candidacy at ST Electronics (I applied for a job which I have nearly zero experience in).

Current Job Search Status at the time of this writing

Companies applied to:

1. DSO
2. IHIS
3. DSTA
4. ST Electronics
5. ASM
6. CSIT
7. OCBC
8. NUS Computer Centre
9. IBM

1st Interview attended: DSO, DSTA, OCBC, ST Electronics, CSIT
2nd Interview attended: ST Electronics
Technical/Aptitude tests taken: CSIT, IBM
Job offers: -

I am only waiting for a reply from ST Electronics, if any.

Whatever.

Work Experience I had while at NUS

Some students are simply slackers - They just want to enjoy during their holidays. Some students are forced to work during holidays because they need the money for school fees. Well, I am neither one of these two. I worked of my own accord not because of the school fees but because I want to learn more.

Although it is really unfortunate that my experience is very limited and my areas of learning lacked focus, I'll still do a short description.

Google Summer of Code 2009
The 2nd Semester of my first academic year was my highest point in my life at NUS, relatively speaking. I will not list any names here. I was somehow accepted into the Google Summer of Code, where back then my remuneration for successful efforts was US$4500 for three months of development (During my holidays). I was really exposed to the complications of actual software development is, that is, a bit of it, now from how I perceive it.

Technical
The Open Source Organization focuses on Image Processing in Java (Java's the language I am most familiar with), but my project topic was to help them to improve one of their components that was not related to Image Processing (Sorry have to be a little vague here). Technically-wise, of course I learned a lot as an amateur: Learning how to use Git to do revision control of my work so that I can refer back to my old code easily if I need to. I learned about the existence of dependencies between the different components in the software package, and that I have to capture their information in XML properly so that my own software component can keep track of them. I learned to perform hashing on a single plugin component and then do hash-checking after sending it across the internet to maintain integrity of the download. There's more...

Non-technical
But what is equally valuable, or perhaps even more so, is the soft skills I gained. Firstly, having a first-hand appreciation of real world software development: While much of the development of my involved software component is by myself, at times I have to merge my codes with the other developers' occasional contributions to it. I have to either accept their input or argue my case to them on why it should not be done that way, and vice versa. The project also emphasizes on reliability: I cannot simply assume that the download of a particular software plugin will not be corrupted, and I need technical measures to ensure the download is reliable. Then secondly, I learned the importance of refactoring. My fellow developers often insisted that I make my code more concise so that it is more readable to them. This is because actual software development still continues even after I left the project or when I am not available, and they need to understand what I write so they can continue to maintain it in the event of bugs or future development.

Conclusion
Despite the simplicity of the project compared to the other students' Summer of Code projects, it remains my most successful recent major project as of this writing and the one I am most proud of.


Internship at Codebox Pte Ltd 2010
My second attempt at Google Summer of Code 2010 was an abject failure. I completely failed the simple yet unfamiliar technical test that the Open Source Organization set up - They probably did it to filter the number of candidates. This is one of my show-stopping weaknesses (Slowness in adapting to the unfamiliar) that killed me there, so I decided to go for a difference experience instead - Real-life working. Although I had an internship back then in Polytechnic, it wasn't satisfying enough, we don't really get to learn much of how real-life work is like.

What I learnt
My Boss decided that it is probably be better for me as an intern to focus on developing my soft skills, because as a Software Engineer I am required to pick up the technical skills by myself anyway. As a software engineering intern I take part in testing out the company's web service and then suggesting ideas on how it can be improved. I learned that well, Software Engineering in the purest sense is simply Engineering - Improvement of a process. In the real life work I am not supposed to follow instructions blindly and neither am I given clear instructions on what should be done. I have to figure out for myself that for the role I am given, what can I do best so that I can help to improve the quality of work. So I have to continually question myself: Right now I am finding out bugs for the developer, but is this helping to make the product better? Can I make better suggestions? Given that this is working in a real office environment, I also learn about the general do's and don'ts - Frequency of interrupting your fellow developer while he is busy, communicating effectively to colleagues, giving colleagues/superiors prior notice to events, and the like. Besides the soft skills, I get some introductory fun with Ranorex Automated testing tool, and learnt how to build patch panels for the company's networks at the wire level!

Realization of crippling weaknesses
My weaknesses start breaking me down during my internship. Firstly, is of course how weak my communication skills are, although from that point onwards I've been trying to improve them. Secondly, is my poor adaptability, shallow understanding, and low creativity. I have a strong start during the internship, although I cooled down somewhat later on. Although I did picked myself up towards the end, it gradually brought me to realization that I am simply bad at critical thinking and suggestions, a trait that also manifests itself during all modules that Professor Zhao Shengdong taught (He emphasizes on idea novelty and creativity), especially the 8 MCs robotic project. Besides that I am a bit slow at learning and understanding overall, although I *might* have a quick start. This is probably why I spend more time than others in my studies.

Conclusion
Even though Codebox focuses on Web Services which is not really where I want to specialize in (As of time of this writing), I will always remember it for not just giving me a glimpse, however short it may be, into real-life engineering, but also being one that sparks me off in thinking about my future career options, however late it may be.

Anticipation for Year 3 Semester 2 (AY 2010/11)

CS5341 - Computational Photography
Prediction: Although this module has no exams (That is ONLY reason why I'm taking a level 5000 module), its still level 5000, with the prerequisite being CS4243 which I can barely hold my own. It will be a heavy module with half of my time trying to decipher the algorithms.

CS3245 - Information Retrieval
Prediction: I hope there will be some familiar parts from CS4248, allowing me to connect well. Given from the planned schedule that there is programming assignments every two weeks and a tutorial every other week, this module will probably be crazy.

CS2106 - Operating Systems
Prediction: One main reason I am taking this is because the only other viable technical alternative is CS5241 - Speech Processing. CS2106 can be useful background knowledge for my future work as a Software Engineer. I pray that C programming won't kill me.

GEK1531 - Introduction to Cybercrime
Prediction: My Breadth module. Never really expect anything from the module. Planning to S/U it.

SSB1204 - Labour Law In Singapore
Prediction: My Singapore Studies module. Never really expect anything from the module. Planning to S/U it.

Advice for any new School of Computing students if they bother to read:

• Bachelor of Computing (Honours) in Communications and Media really sucks, only consider this if you genuinely want to specialize in any one of the following: Art and Design, Game Development, Computer Graphics, Computer Animation, Image processing, Computer Vision
• Don't make the mistake of "looks interesting, therefore I decide to major in that". The word "interested" implies that you really know what you are getting into (By going through internships) and you have the knowledge outside of what school teaches you (Shows that you are really interested to explore this option further).

Whatever.

Year 3 Semester 1 (AY 2010/11)

Now, for the onslaught of the level 4000 modules (Graduate modules for the Beginners) in my penultimate semester in NUS School of Computing.

CS4348 - Interactive Systems Project
Credits: 8 (2 standard modules' workload)
Grade: A
Comment: It seems Professor Zhao Shengdong has toned down the workload - Apparently enough students have complained about the workload in CS3248 and CS4249. Therefore this module was very manageable compared to other majors' 8 MCs variants like CS3215. For CS4348 the theme set by the lecturer was robotics (Sigh). I was the de-facto leader in the team. Our idea was dodgy from the beginning and our final prototype was a robot which picks up DVDs when requested (The DVDs are located at a fixed height with a specific handle attached for the robot to grip), with the only other sellable feature being sorting the DVDs back to their correct positions (Awful precision: Robot did not keep track of its own position as it moves about). Oh wow, I am so "impressed" with my own project management. Somehow I got an A.

CS4243 - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Credits: 4
Grade: A-
Comment: For almost every lecture the professor introduced around 2-3 long maths formulae/algorithms with many algebraic notations. For the project topic my team chooses 3D Reconstruction. My team did relatively fine - We reconstructed a 3D box, by manually selecting 2D points on photographs of a tissue-box. Ah well, you can see that even a level 4000 module's work quality isn't exactly amazing. The final exam was surprisingly manageable, perhaps thanks to the study guidelines he gave us in the final lecture.

CS4248 - Natural Language Processing
Credits: 4
Grade: B-
Comment: Professor Ng Hwee Tou explains concepts well, considering the fact that this module is a difficult area of Computer Science. There are no tutorials, but the professor gave us problem sets and written assignments for us to attempt, and then discuss/release the answers, which is helpful. Sadly, this module requires you to think on your feet and do it fast, and if you can't, you simply can't finish the tests/exams. This module is only recommended for those good at algorithmic thinking, and as you can see, I am not.

CS4211 - Formal Methods for Software Engineering
Credits: 4
Grade: B+
Comment: The title is a misnomer of sorts. This module is actually an introduction to Automated Theorem proving/Model checking. Check out the concept on Wikipedia. The module isn't difficult but you need to have passion for this area of Computer Science to appreciate it. The project was to create a model of a sufficiently complicated system of your choice using PAT (Process Analysis Toolkit) and then document how the model can be checked for errors, deadlocks, or inconsistencies, etc. As you can see, I'm not that interested.

Overall Results:
MCs taken: 121 + 20 = 141
CAP: 4.2
Stayed at COM4... Waiting to graduate soon...

Notes/Trivia:

• CAP surprisingly rose by 0.02 this semester (A semester GPA of 4.3)
• Not too impressed about my own project management for CS4348
  
  • Unaware of team members' expectations: How do they expect the robot/project to be like - Precision/Robustness, Design, Features? How many hours they are preparing to put in for the different work processes?
  • Unaware of team members' actions: How are they going to start working on their assigned tasks? What are the details of the state of progress on the robot navigation algorithm and the output from the server of the Computer Vision System? What are the different parts that each member working on right now?
  • Poor planning: What is the backup plan? Are the assumptions we made complete and safe? When will the design specifications be ready? When will a particular work process begin and end and who is responsible for it? What are the details of the robot arm design and the parts required to glue the final prototype together?
  • Poor coordination and control: Nobody takes my timings seriously, so please explicitly suggest alternative plans and commit to it? Since nobody is familiar with robotics, please start R&D as soon as possible, with detailed designs where possible (whether or not resources arrived)?
  • Weak pool of ideas and lack of experience: Still salvageable if it had not been for my really awful "I have no idea what I am doing" management
  • I am adding a shitty teammate to be blacklisted from now on
• I failed a mid-term exam (CS4248) for the fourth time in NUS!
• First B- (CS4248) after the first semester results!
• My first semester in NUS where the trend of getting A grade for exactly two modules for each semester stopped. I only get one straight A grade for CS4348
• CS4348 is worth 8 MCs though, the equivalent of 2 standard modules...
• First and only semester where I do not travel to different schools for lessons via Shuttle Bus, because all my modules take place in School of Computing

Whatever. Now for the final semester...