I kind of enjoy reading whiney, angry blogs which talks about how the whole world is against them. They remind me of my former self and my old blog, some 5 years ago. Consistantly angry, sad, attention seeking, delusional (that people actually read your blog and share your sorrow).
Weak.
These days I write with a bitchy style. Bitchy blogs are the new in thing.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tech Speak: Cyanogenmod Girls
http://pocketnow.com/android/cyanogemod-grows-up-removes-cm-girls-wallpaper
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/blog/the-cm-girls-wallpaper-and-its-effect
For the record, I think enough has been said about this issue. What I don't understand is why is there so much hoohah about a picture like this? Cyanogenmod is a custom ROM for Android created by Cyanogen as a home made custom ROM for a small group of people in the past. It was about openness, more open than Android's open-source-ness is, apparently. This picture apparently symbolises freedom. Naturally there will be 2 camps of people, those who feel that this freedom should stay as it is with the picture and those who feel that professionalism is at stake and the picture should be removed.
But this is just a photo of a group of hot babes right? Is it really so unprofessional? Furthermore, one of the developers (after making the decision to take this photo off), has already uploaded it for anyone to use. I don't get why people still need to make so much noise after a decision has been made. Just get over it already. I think ultimately the spirit of Android is about choice. There will definitely be people who are fine with this and people who are not. The final decision (with the uploading of this photo) is the best compromise. Period, so people should just keep quiet already.
Oh by the way, I'm a proud user of Cyanogenmod and I have been a tester for CM7 alpha ever since Build 10. It works great on my rooted HTC Desire Z. For more info, check out http://www.cyanogenmod.com/ or you can ask me. =)
Open Source FTW.
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/blog/the-cm-girls-wallpaper-and-its-effect
For the record, I think enough has been said about this issue. What I don't understand is why is there so much hoohah about a picture like this? Cyanogenmod is a custom ROM for Android created by Cyanogen as a home made custom ROM for a small group of people in the past. It was about openness, more open than Android's open-source-ness is, apparently. This picture apparently symbolises freedom. Naturally there will be 2 camps of people, those who feel that this freedom should stay as it is with the picture and those who feel that professionalism is at stake and the picture should be removed.
But this is just a photo of a group of hot babes right? Is it really so unprofessional? Furthermore, one of the developers (after making the decision to take this photo off), has already uploaded it for anyone to use. I don't get why people still need to make so much noise after a decision has been made. Just get over it already. I think ultimately the spirit of Android is about choice. There will definitely be people who are fine with this and people who are not. The final decision (with the uploading of this photo) is the best compromise. Period, so people should just keep quiet already.
Oh by the way, I'm a proud user of Cyanogenmod and I have been a tester for CM7 alpha ever since Build 10. It works great on my rooted HTC Desire Z. For more info, check out http://www.cyanogenmod.com/ or you can ask me. =)
Open Source FTW.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
NUS: Financial Assistance (for prospective and returning students)
NUS offers a whole bunch of financial assistances, ranging from partial loan, helping you find work, bursary etc. The deadline for this year is 1st April, which is 4 days away. So don't forget that. Financial assistance application requires you to key in some stuff online. Once that is done, you have 2 weeks to submit some documents, for eg. photocopies of your IC, your parents salary slips etc. The 2 weeks start from the day you submit your application so lets say you submitted the application on 1st March when the application just started, the deadline to submit the documents will still be 2 weeks, meaning you have to submit the documents even before overall deadline of the financial assistance.
Don't fret even if you have missed the deadline. If you request properly, I doubt NUS will deny you financial assistance just because you forgot about it.
There are a few tiers of financial assistance. However they are mostly loans so don't be too happy and just apply without thinking.
Tier 1: Tuition Fee Loan (TFL)
In order to get any other type of loans (with the exception of MOE bursary I think), you need to have this. That said, the final approval date for TFL is late June. You can apply for all other financial assistance which requires this but at the end of the day you will only be approved for those financial assistance if you got approved for TFL. TFL is basically loan of up 80% or 90% of your tuition fees from either DBS or OCBC. You just need to go down to the banks to ask for the application form. TFL requires a guarantor.
Tier 2: NUS Study Loan (w/ Living allowances)
This loan covers for the remaining 10% to 20% of your tuition fees. There's also a $3600 you can apply for living allowances. You can apply for either, or both.
Tier 3: Bursary
You can apply for NUS bursary or MOE bursary during this period of time. If you wish to apply for other bursaries which open for application later, you can do so it. More often than not, you can only get ONE bursary per year. So choose wisely. I got MOE bursary though there's less money but there's less of a hassle. Apparently you need to go for sponsorship/donor talks from time to time if you chose NUS' sponsored bursary.
Tier 4: Work Study Assistance
NUS will help you find jobs inside NUS eg. Lab assistance, ushers for University Cultural Centre, manning of Student Lounge etc. I did not go for this so I don't know much details.
Tier 5: Student Assistance Loan
This is just yet another loan of $500 or $2000 (if you live in Halls of Residences).
All loans' interest starts 6 months after you graduate or the moment you get a job, whichever comes first. Therefore I recommend that people with doubts apply first, there's nothing to lose. Most financial assistance have requirements except for TFL. For more info, visit http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/scholarships-financialaid/financialaid/financial-index.html
Note: this applies to returning students as well.
Don't fret even if you have missed the deadline. If you request properly, I doubt NUS will deny you financial assistance just because you forgot about it.
There are a few tiers of financial assistance. However they are mostly loans so don't be too happy and just apply without thinking.
Tier 1: Tuition Fee Loan (TFL)
In order to get any other type of loans (with the exception of MOE bursary I think), you need to have this. That said, the final approval date for TFL is late June. You can apply for all other financial assistance which requires this but at the end of the day you will only be approved for those financial assistance if you got approved for TFL. TFL is basically loan of up 80% or 90% of your tuition fees from either DBS or OCBC. You just need to go down to the banks to ask for the application form. TFL requires a guarantor.
Tier 2: NUS Study Loan (w/ Living allowances)
This loan covers for the remaining 10% to 20% of your tuition fees. There's also a $3600 you can apply for living allowances. You can apply for either, or both.
Tier 3: Bursary
You can apply for NUS bursary or MOE bursary during this period of time. If you wish to apply for other bursaries which open for application later, you can do so it. More often than not, you can only get ONE bursary per year. So choose wisely. I got MOE bursary though there's less money but there's less of a hassle. Apparently you need to go for sponsorship/donor talks from time to time if you chose NUS' sponsored bursary.
Tier 4: Work Study Assistance
NUS will help you find jobs inside NUS eg. Lab assistance, ushers for University Cultural Centre, manning of Student Lounge etc. I did not go for this so I don't know much details.
Tier 5: Student Assistance Loan
This is just yet another loan of $500 or $2000 (if you live in Halls of Residences).
All loans' interest starts 6 months after you graduate or the moment you get a job, whichever comes first. Therefore I recommend that people with doubts apply first, there's nothing to lose. Most financial assistance have requirements except for TFL. For more info, visit http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/scholarships-financialaid/financialaid/financial-index.html
Note: this applies to returning students as well.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Oh Yeah It's Uni Life: Why NUS Is The Best Choice - Vibrant Campus Life
If you ask anyone from NUS, probably less than 1 out of 10 will tell you that they know of a stray cats society (NUS Cat Cafe http://blog.nus.edu.sg/nuscatcafe/about/). NUS has about a total of nearly 200 clubs/societies/interest groups. There's always something for everyone. Here in NUS, vibrant campus life is an important part of education, an important part of our university life. Throughout the semester, posters of activities are actively being put up and at every turn you will see information/recruitment booths being set up.
University life requires quite a bit of independence. One will not find opportunities flying to them, whether its activities, career opportunities or enrichment programmes. But they are there. Campus life is everywhere as well, though some people do not notice it. All it takes is a little observation, a little curiosity and lots of open-mindedness.
In general, there are 3 categories of student activities. One is under the umbrella of NUS Students' Union and the other is clubs/societies which are generally independent and the last university supported clubs (CFA). NUSSU consist of 14 constituent clubs, of which 10 of faculty clubs and 4 are non faculty clubs, namely Cultural Activities Club, Sports Club, Community Service Club and Political Association. Here's some examples of student activities which I am aware of.
1) Faculty activities
As a freshman, you should always take notice of your faculty club and be familiar with it. There are lots of relevant activities which will be useful to you as a student. Besides the exciting camps, faculty clubs also organises pageant bash, career fairs, fund raising activities, bazaars, student welfare activities and lots more. Personally I attended my freshmen Social Camp at Faculty of Engineering and I never looked back since. I made a lot of friends and got to know the university and how it works a lot better by the time I went for my Engin Oweek Camp.
2) Cultural/Arts Activities
There are many arts related activities in NUS as well. If you are interested in watching performances, keep a look out for posters around school. Arts festivals, regular productions by Cultural Activities Club (the club I am in), various societies are also aplenty. For those who want to learn something new, Cultural Activities Club offer courses for students from beginners till to intermediate for various genres such as guitar, street jazz, hip hop, ballroom dance, salsa, lindy hop and bboying. These courses are conducted per semester basis so fret not about having a busy semester. You can always join another semester and try different things in different semesters. CAC is not the only club which offers such courses. Staff Club, SRC (Sports and Recreation Centre) and CFA (Centre for the Arts) offer courses from time to time as well but usually at a higher rate. If you are a performer and wish to join a group professionally, CAC's clubs have performing teams as well, including singing clubs Resonance (acappella), Voices (mandopop) and Guitar (which is a band). CAC also has a traditional instruments group Angklung. CFA has several performing groups like Dance Blast and Synergy.
www.nuscac.org
www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
3) Community Service
Community Service Club (CSC) is a club under NUSSU's wing as well. Despite that, it has strong connections with other service clubs in NUS such as NUS Volunteer Action Committee. I have not participated in community service in NUS yet so I am not extremely familiar but I do know they have a huge spread of volunteering opportunities including OCIPs.
www.nus-csc.org
4) NUSSU (leadership) and its branch organisations
The Students' Union is basically an organisation which takes care of the students' welfare. Welfare is a word with a broad meaning. While some students don't realise it, many things are part of students' welfare. For eg. photocopying machines in school, computer labs, residential stay, student's lounge, career talks, camps etc all fall under welfare. There are much more to this list of course. Generally, all constitution clubs (10 faculty and 4 non faculty) falls under NUSSU but there are other committees are part of NUSSU as well such as Public Relations Unit (PRU), Bizcom, International Relations Committee (IRC), Computer Based Learning Centre (CBLC) etc.
5) Clubs/Societies
There are many types of clubs/societies/interest groups which cater to different needs and interest. For example, Original Music Club is a club for like minded friends to come together to discuss and play music. Japanese Studies Society's name speak for itself. There are around 100 such groups.
6) Others/Misc
You can join Research Centres as a helper, or help out at student cafes which are completely owned by students. Or you can join a residential committee and contribute to fellow students' welfare who stay in a hall of residences.
As you can see, many opportunities for students exist in NUS. School life never stops and there's never a moment of dullness, if you stop and notice, if you take time to seek, if you take effort to explore. NUS offers you endless possibilities.
University life requires quite a bit of independence. One will not find opportunities flying to them, whether its activities, career opportunities or enrichment programmes. But they are there. Campus life is everywhere as well, though some people do not notice it. All it takes is a little observation, a little curiosity and lots of open-mindedness.
In general, there are 3 categories of student activities. One is under the umbrella of NUS Students' Union and the other is clubs/societies which are generally independent and the last university supported clubs (CFA). NUSSU consist of 14 constituent clubs, of which 10 of faculty clubs and 4 are non faculty clubs, namely Cultural Activities Club, Sports Club, Community Service Club and Political Association. Here's some examples of student activities which I am aware of.
1) Faculty activities
As a freshman, you should always take notice of your faculty club and be familiar with it. There are lots of relevant activities which will be useful to you as a student. Besides the exciting camps, faculty clubs also organises pageant bash, career fairs, fund raising activities, bazaars, student welfare activities and lots more. Personally I attended my freshmen Social Camp at Faculty of Engineering and I never looked back since. I made a lot of friends and got to know the university and how it works a lot better by the time I went for my Engin Oweek Camp.
2) Cultural/Arts Activities
There are many arts related activities in NUS as well. If you are interested in watching performances, keep a look out for posters around school. Arts festivals, regular productions by Cultural Activities Club (the club I am in), various societies are also aplenty. For those who want to learn something new, Cultural Activities Club offer courses for students from beginners till to intermediate for various genres such as guitar, street jazz, hip hop, ballroom dance, salsa, lindy hop and bboying. These courses are conducted per semester basis so fret not about having a busy semester. You can always join another semester and try different things in different semesters. CAC is not the only club which offers such courses. Staff Club, SRC (Sports and Recreation Centre) and CFA (Centre for the Arts) offer courses from time to time as well but usually at a higher rate. If you are a performer and wish to join a group professionally, CAC's clubs have performing teams as well, including singing clubs Resonance (acappella), Voices (mandopop) and Guitar (which is a band). CAC also has a traditional instruments group Angklung. CFA has several performing groups like Dance Blast and Synergy.
www.nuscac.org
www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
3) Community Service
Community Service Club (CSC) is a club under NUSSU's wing as well. Despite that, it has strong connections with other service clubs in NUS such as NUS Volunteer Action Committee. I have not participated in community service in NUS yet so I am not extremely familiar but I do know they have a huge spread of volunteering opportunities including OCIPs.
www.nus-csc.org
4) NUSSU (leadership) and its branch organisations
The Students' Union is basically an organisation which takes care of the students' welfare. Welfare is a word with a broad meaning. While some students don't realise it, many things are part of students' welfare. For eg. photocopying machines in school, computer labs, residential stay, student's lounge, career talks, camps etc all fall under welfare. There are much more to this list of course. Generally, all constitution clubs (10 faculty and 4 non faculty) falls under NUSSU but there are other committees are part of NUSSU as well such as Public Relations Unit (PRU), Bizcom, International Relations Committee (IRC), Computer Based Learning Centre (CBLC) etc.
5) Clubs/Societies
There are many types of clubs/societies/interest groups which cater to different needs and interest. For example, Original Music Club is a club for like minded friends to come together to discuss and play music. Japanese Studies Society's name speak for itself. There are around 100 such groups.
6) Others/Misc
You can join Research Centres as a helper, or help out at student cafes which are completely owned by students. Or you can join a residential committee and contribute to fellow students' welfare who stay in a hall of residences.
As you can see, many opportunities for students exist in NUS. School life never stops and there's never a moment of dullness, if you stop and notice, if you take time to seek, if you take effort to explore. NUS offers you endless possibilities.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Oh Yeah It's Uni Life!: Why NUS Is The Best Choice [1]
I've had a hard time choosing between NTU and NUS a year ago. Now that I'm in NUS, I've never looked back. There are many reasons why one would choose to go to another university other than NUS. But none are as compelling as why NUS is the the best choice.
As a student with an active school life in NUS, I'll be giving you insights to why NUS is the choice. I'll be touching on topics like vibrant campus life, hostel life, academia, facilities, as well as other administrative issues such as financial aid.
Juniors, do feel free to ask me if you have any questions. No matter what, seeing is believing. Come down to NUS Open House 2011 this coming weekend on 12th and 13th March to know what you're in for if you choose NUS. Oh and you'll have to drop by the Cultural Activities Club booth! I'll be there.
As a student with an active school life in NUS, I'll be giving you insights to why NUS is the choice. I'll be touching on topics like vibrant campus life, hostel life, academia, facilities, as well as other administrative issues such as financial aid.
Juniors, do feel free to ask me if you have any questions. No matter what, seeing is believing. Come down to NUS Open House 2011 this coming weekend on 12th and 13th March to know what you're in for if you choose NUS. Oh and you'll have to drop by the Cultural Activities Club booth! I'll be there.
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