We did it!

My Dissertation

Yeayyyy... Finally, hardbound (or is it bind?) and sent to the faculty for my confirmation of graduation. My Masters degree is completed and now we wait for official results (my final CGP) and convocation. Woot woot!

10 credits. That’s what the Dissertation contributed to the whole course. And 10 hours per week it took to be completed within 2 semesters. And I did it!

So that’s my topic. I don’t get why people hide their thesis title. I mean, that’s your original work so be proud of it? 

Estimation of Flow Rate and Speed of Heavy Vehicles and Their Effects on Pavement Surface Distress on the Elite Highway.

 There you go. Detailed and Direct. Everyone should get it. Obviously it’s about estimation and how it affects the number of road cracks on the highway known as Elite.   

 My friends said it was pretty impressive of me to get as little data as I had and turn it into a complete thesis. I have to admit I was a little impressed myself. It takes a lot of understanding on how academic research works so yeah... Thanks to the billion courses i went to I got some skills on how to make a page of data into a hundred pages of thesis. I rock.   

 So now all that’s left to do is wait for my transcript and I’m all done for. Master of Science! Woohoo!    

It’s over...

I guess by now it has been AGES since I presented my dissertation to Prof R and my supervisor, Dr F. It has been a long, winding journey completing the task. The day I registered for dissertation, I knew it was gonna be sucky. What seemed like a billion years later I finally managed to finish, and present it! Woohoo! The results of my other 2 subjects also came out. Amazingly I managed to get As for both demonic subjects. I had no idea. I mean, I knew I answered something but I didn’t expect it to be enough to score myself A.

Let’s see... I’ll summarize a bit about the 2 subjects I took last semester.

Construction Business Management

 I registered for this course during my first semester but dropped it due to scheduling and I didn’t like Professor Show-off (me being childish and weren’t ready for LIFE). But it was mandatory and I couldn’t escape it so I took it last. Turned out, the course wasn’t so bad. I mean, I still suck at finance and I had no idea how to manage my own saving accounts, let alone a construction company. But the professor made it alright. I struggled through the tests and assignments. I think I got a frickin’ 60% for test 2 and would be happy to settle with a B+ as long as I pass it. Turned out my financial knowledge weren’t that bad. After a cruel set of final exams, I managed to scrape up what was left of my brains and scored myself an A. I guess having high admiration and respect towards the lecturer made that difference. 
 
Research Methodology

 I remember going to like 3 (or maybe 4? 5?) classes for this whole semester. Not complaining. The lecturer from Iran/Turkey was sooooo busy and was literally forced to take the class for the semester. Replacement classes were out of my schedule, as I was homeless and travelling back and forth from Mars. The rest was hardwork and preservation. I completed all assignments using all I could and managed to do a brilliant job. It helped to be a lecturer myself and knowing how to write papers and grantt forms. Anyways, finals were crazy. 7 questions to be answered in 2 hours. Not to mention the mini paper we had to write in under 10 minutes. But I had fun answering whatever it was I answered. And then I got an A. So all ended well.  So there you go. 10 subjects and a Dissertation for a masters scroll. Still waiting for the transcript, though. I’ll post it as soon as I get it. ;) 

Progress is slow.

This semester has been a total nightmare. Me against my own laziness. Wake up, Anne! Time is running out FGS!

I blame the game

Hello again!

We're back!

Hello to whoever's reading! We're two weeks into the semester and I have got to be honest. Where is my mind? The student feeling isn't here yet. At this point I don't even know if it will be. My mind's exhausted all the time. I'm always distracting myself with GTA online and I haven't lifted a book! Don't even let me begin with my dissertation progress. urgh...

Anyway... I guess this is normal for every student after a long break from the books. I'll note this in my memory so I can find a way to motivate my students in the future knowing they feel this way.

I have 2 subjects this semester and 1 final dissertation. Meaning I'm supposed to have plenty of time to focus on my research. But I am so lazy I hate myself everyday for it. I'm even having a hard time typing as it has been a while since I last used a keyboard for typing. Where's my spirit?

Thankfully, I feel a little bit different when I am in class. Observing the way the lecturers' teach i feel better about completing my masters and going back to work next year. I guess that's what i have to do. Pick myself up and force myself to class and library. And start being serious about studies.  

There's nothing much to tell you about classes so far. It has only been one class for each subject. I'm taking Construction Business Management again because I have to. Remember last time how I complained about the big talk, the showing off? Well I noticed the environment has changed. i hope it'll be a good class and I'll learn how to manage money better. As for the other class, Research mothodolgy, the lecturer seems pro. I like the guy. The way he talks, the confidence... A boost for my laziness. Ao we'll see how things go in the next coming weeks. 

Another Semester down... hello, holidays...

2 semesters done and I can say, I nailed it! 8 courses taken, got 2 left and 1 big final dissertation to get over with. Wow... Time really flies that fast, huh? I'm still 33 going 34 soon and nothing big is happening to my life yet. One step at a time they say. 

So 8 courses. 6As, 1A-, and 1B+. I can say it's not too bad for a beginner, right? All theories, not so much practical, of course I could do it. I am a lecturer after all. I make exam papers and grade them for a living. The only thing is, I hate research! I mean, I still do. I think research is pointless. You're not inventing anything that would change the world anyways. So let me take a screenshot of my exam results. 

My exam results being an open book...

I won't say it's the BEST result ever, I mean see that annoying B+ down at the bottom? Yep. It kinda spoils the whole document really. But I am always grateful. Grateful for getting more than I deserve. I didn't focus that much in classes, I skipped a few and I had no idea what was happening in some classes at all. I felt like this semester was a bunch of gambling and I guess I got lucky. A- in a subject I feel so lost about? Wow... Thanks, Lady Luck!

So there it is. I don't feel any need to hide my results. This is after all a blog about my Masters journey and how I'm walking through it. So yeah, with all that I'm doing and going to do, these are my achievements so far. Still a loooong way to go, especially with final project. I got this. I think. 

I have to admit though, I couldn't have done this without awesome friends and awesome lecturers. Everyone was very helpful to the end. I didn't do this on my own. I had lots of help and people were more confident about me than myself. Even I didn't think I would get what I got.

This is Us.

See you, next semester, UPM!

Sorry...

Almost a month now and I haven't updated anything, I know. It's been a lazy, crazy semester with me battling with my own mind. I feel like I'm starting to sink into nothingness. What have I done?

Okay nothing worth getting dramatic about. So my results suck this semester, so what? At least I haven't failed anything yet. The road seems a bit bumpy ahead but se a vida es, right? I clearly know that comparing my terrible results with others' victorious marks is what's making me blue, and yet my crazy head seems to keep doing it. I hate this train of thoughts. It's full of regrets. Jeezus, move on already, dear Anne!

Yep, I'm doing that dramatic thing again. I need to control myself before I get all worked out stressed for no reason. I didn't manage to get highest in everything this semester. But my marks are still saveable. I just need to study harder and save playing around for later. Life goes on.

This post is for me to vent my disappointment towards myself. Not that it'd make much different but writing about it helps a bit, I guess. Admitting your defeat is the first step to move forward. I didn't work hard enough during the past 15 weeks but I got about 24 hours to kick my ass up and try again.

Brains, let's do this!