Each semester in NUS I kept naively thinking that "
Oh God, this has to be my toughest semester ever", and yet the next semester proved to be
even harder. The first semester was tough because of the adjustment period for me to get used to life in NUS. By the second semester I adjusted pretty well but the workload by CS3248 and the great pressure set upon by an immensely difficult MA1505 still make me feel like in a pressure-cooker.
Now its my second year and I tried out taking 6 modules... Now people might think that this crazy endeavor is what makes my life so difficult this time. Maybe, but that's not the main reason.
Let's do a "midterm review" of my modules. Let's start with the more favourable ones to the worst...
6)
ST2334 - Probability and StatisticsJust had my midterm test (There is one more coming too though). It was easier than I thought, although I have to say that this test only tests us on the Statistics part, which is said to be easier. Surprisingly, this module is actually easier than MA1505? That's
probably because its a general introduction to both Probability and Statistics as opposed to modules like ST2131 and ST2132 which have greater in-depth focus on Probability and Mathematical Statistics respectively.
5)
LSM1301 - General BiologyThe lecturer was relatively good although many of the concepts were foreign to me. But I am confident of brushing my knowledge of it well so long as I spent enough time on it. That is provided I am given some breathing space, which sadly I doubt I would have after this break ends. But the lab sessions were fun too, its been like... 7 years since I last had my Biology labs? Overall the module is pretty intensive, but what CA-heavy NUS module isn't? My main worries are still with the 60% final exam.
4)
CS2105 - Introduction to Computer NetworksThis semester is pretty much full of "general education" in an area of study: ST2334, LSM1301, CS3243, and this. It is not an easy module by any means, but relatively light compared to the likes of the modules below, and as of now I'm still confident of getting an A for it. Interest-wise, I am more interested with the higher-level concepts (Like TCP, IP, etc) than the current low-level concepts (Data-link layer, Nyquist theorem, etc) so I'm still waiting for good news.
3)
NM3216 - Game DesignWhoa. As I predicted, it wasn't exactly a slack module. It has no exam, which means its 100% CA. That in turn means it is keeping me very busy. On the positive side, it is a fun module, but I still have to work hard if I hope to achieve a good grade for it. I have my strong doubts I can achieve an A, since it is another module like CS4249 that requires creativity. The last time a "fun" module I had was CS1105 and I got a B- for that, so it remains to be seen whether or not this module is just mentally rewarding.
2)
CS4249 - Design of Advanced User InterfacesA combination of relatively heavy readings, critical thinking, research, and programming will probably mark this out as the most intensive Level-4000 CS module to be introduced so far. It's actually my first Level 4k module, and maybe its a bad mistake for me to take that? To read up stacks of research papers that churns out hundreds of technical terms for me to decipher and to participate and discuss actively after that is not my strong side, but that's only the beginning. I just can't think critically and creatively, and worse I'm not as good with the practical side as I am with theory, despite my initial thoughts to the contrary.
1)
CS3243 - Foundations of Artificial IntelligenceTo say it is my greatest disappointment is a gross understatement. Its more like a wake-up shock to me. Despite it being an algorithm and programming-intensive module, something I thought I was good at, I have problems reading the textbook, I could not understand the lectures, and I can't do the tutorials. However, the biggest blow to me was that my team failed to finish the code on time and get our Lego Robot navigating around the maze: My team-mate saying
right on the deadline itself that he has failed to integrate my algorithm with his low-level robot behaviors and that he will be dropping the module. This is my
second programming-project in my life which I have
failed miserably.
The upcoming demonstration of the robot's navigational abilities was calculated to be worth more than 10% of the module grade, and so its possible that I just lost more than 10% instantly, killing all my hopes of achieving an A here. There's plenty of blame to go around, a fair part of it going to the lecturer for being so vague on the requirements and changing them while the assignment was ongoing, but I will take part of the blame for underestimating the robot's complexity and failing to foresee that such implementation requires a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down approach.
HOW could the ambitious me make such a mistake?!And as I said, given how difficult the tutorial questions are, this might even be my first C grade at NUS, and embarrassingly so since its a algorithmic theory module... I must really go into insane-study-mode as I did in my second semester if I hope to salvage my remaining grades for this module. I wanted to post some images of the robot, but argh, looking at it just pains me. This is the end of my semi-rant.
P.S: This may possibly be the first and the last time I will take Prof. Chua Tat Seng's module; initially I was very interested to take
CS4341 - Multimedia Technologies, in which he will also be teaching. Then again, I was also interested in this current module which had just shattered my confidence.
My second time attempting it after my window is re-opened for the year. This has been another disappointment although expected since I've not trained much and thus have not improved much. In fact my 2.4Km Run got worse by two seconds.
