My first semester at Berkeley is over and I'm back in Singapore for winter break. The 20-hour flight prompted a little reflection of the experience, which I thought I'd share here.
I was in the US for four months. It felt a lot longer. Part of it was being so far away from home; I'm not the sentimental type, and I didn't think I would miss home, but I did. Then, there was the excitement of (finally) starting university, and going for lectures, and slogging through homework and midterms.
So here are some of the more significant things about studying in the US that I've learnt in the past semester.
1. America is an extremely diverse place. At Berkeley, a public institution, I saw many kinds of people - not just racially, but also socioeconomically. The courses are correspondingly more diverse... breathtakingly diverse, actually. The things you can do on campus are also very varied. I joined the Women's Chorale, just for fun, and we sang all sorts of pieces: Disney songs, a Latin oratorio, traditional Christmas songs, and jazz tunes.
2. Studying in this environment is very refreshing. I liked going for lectures to learn, which doesn't usually happen, but the profs were dynamic and passionate about what they taught, which made me very interested in hearing what they had to say. Of course, this doesn't apply to all courses (I'm guessing I won't be quite so enthusiastic about Physics 7A next semester), but the fact is that Berkeley and other top US institutions attract the best of the best academics, and you are sure to find a few who pique your interest and galvanize you into delving deeper.
3. The graduate students can similarly be as inspiring. I say can because they don't have the experience of professors. The system of big universities using graduate students to teach undergrads is both good and bad: on one hand, they're not professors; on the other hand, they might care about teaching more, and they're definitely more accessible. I had varying experiences with graduate students this semester. One, who taught my writing class, was really not that great - she knew her material, but was very disorganized. On the other hand, I am extremely grateful for being able to take a class with my chemistry TA, who was patient, friendly and helpful.
4. Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. I went to the US trying to keep an open mind. I told myself that the America represented by their media was an exaggeration; but it wasn't. There really were people like that. There were those addicted to pot, and those fitness gurus. There were those who couldn't get a B to save their life, and those who got 4.0s without trying. There were the hobos on the street, and the rich heirs and heiresses.
Now for some application... here are some warnings and suggestions:
1. Being diverse, America can be both liberal and constricting. People there curse a lot. A lot. The f-word gets thrown around every five seconds, and you learn to desensitize yourself to it, which may or may not be a good thing. There's also a lot of drugs, drinking and sex going on. Generally, there isn't much racial discrimination (at least in California), but some people really are ignorant and may say things that are offensive.
Some advice that I got from Mr Jeremy Ang that I'd like to pass on, because it's really helped me: No matter which country, before you go overseas, decide on your values, your absolute limits, and make a commitment to stick to them. That way, you won't have to ask yourself whether something is okay right at that moment, because your conscience will know the answer and remember the reasons for it, and this makes it easier to resist peer pressure.
2. Singaporeans generally don't have a problem keeping up in classes, but the style of instruction and examination may differ hugely from what you're used to. Class participation, for example, tends to have a higher weightage - you have to speak up, or risk doing badly. One interesting thing about the US is that you can write your entire exam in pencil, and it's fine. In fact, it's encouraged, because the paper looks neater.
3. Vocabulary. Americans will be confused and not understand some things you say. There are the well-known things like torch vs flashlight, dust bin vs trash can, etc. But there are some that no one ever tells you about. One in particular: "marking" homework. It's called "grading" there. I've lost count of the number of times I've used the word "mark" in this manner and had to repeat myself using the word "grade". And do not ever use the phrase "pass up" to mean "hand in" (this is simply bad English, but since it's so common in Singapore, it merits a mention).
4. You can convince many Americans that you're from Britain or Australia if you really want to. Or New Zealand, if it comes up in conversation. Try it.
5. Take full advantage of office hours. As mentioned earlier, the profs and graduate students all Know Their Thing And Like It Very Much, so use this opportunity to pick their brains. Most of them are truly interested in meeting students who want to know more (not students who don't study and ask silly questions, so be sure to know your stuff or at least be able to act like you do).
Okay that's all I can think of for now. Merry Christmas, everybody, and enjoy the last of your school holidays.
Showing posts with label college life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college life. Show all posts
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Why I gave up doing chemistry as a major
You would think that after 4 years of being in a math and science school, and 2 years before that hating on my humanities, taking up science in college would be a no brainer.
In fact, I myself thought it was a no brainer, and as I approached Year 5 and 6 I invested large amounts of $ in chemistry books from NUS, believing that I would use it then and for many more years in the future. However, I have always been fascinated by the study of human nature and the way they think and behave. Why do people behave the way they do sometimes, why people indulged in irrational behavior, how body language is a great indicator of the intentions of someone. Since I was unable to choose between these two subjects, I did what any kiasu Singaporean would do, I decided to do both. (On my PSC contract it actually says chemistry and/or psychology)
As with any other kiasu Singaporean student, I went into Stanford with the grand plan of completing 99999999 degrees with 99999999 modules per quarter, but of course my grand plan came to naught when I realized that it was not possible after all (ha!) to take 99999999 modules and finish in a realistic number of years. And Stanford simply has too many opportunities available for me to want to spend all my time on chemistry and psychology, and so I decided that I wanted to drop chemistry (in favour of economics which I will talk about in a separate post).
It was a somewhat painful decision all right, especially given the amount of time and $ I had invested in the subject, and also given the considerably easier path that I would have if I had taken this subject. I thought long and hard about the following:
1. Opportunity cost - how much will I be losing out on if I take chemistry as opposed to other things I could be doing with my time?
2. Why am I taking chemistry? Is it because I really like the subject or because I am good at it? It is very easy to take the easy path out and take a good GPA with minimal effort.
3. How much will I be learning, given that NUSHS has prepared us decently well for college level chemistry? (ask vanessa for more info about how well the school has prepared us)
4. How relevant will chemistry be to my job in future - in terms of chemistry knowledge and chemistry degree? What job prospects are available for chemists and will I be interested in those fields?
I can't say I don't like chemistry anymore, but I feel that I have reached a point where I am able to appreciate the basics and beauty of chemistry without needing to study more about it. NUSHS has prepared us so well for most of the sciences that I feel that it is unlikely that any additional knowledge that I learn to attain a chemistry degree will be relevant in the civil service in future. (Law of diminishing marginal utilities, haha) Not taking up a subject as your major does not mean that you are banned from dabbling in it in future - some of my dormmates come up to me and ask me for help with chem, and I am still able to appreciate it when I hear people talk about it!
In fact, I myself thought it was a no brainer, and as I approached Year 5 and 6 I invested large amounts of $ in chemistry books from NUS, believing that I would use it then and for many more years in the future. However, I have always been fascinated by the study of human nature and the way they think and behave. Why do people behave the way they do sometimes, why people indulged in irrational behavior, how body language is a great indicator of the intentions of someone. Since I was unable to choose between these two subjects, I did what any kiasu Singaporean would do, I decided to do both. (On my PSC contract it actually says chemistry and/or psychology)
As with any other kiasu Singaporean student, I went into Stanford with the grand plan of completing 99999999 degrees with 99999999 modules per quarter, but of course my grand plan came to naught when I realized that it was not possible after all (ha!) to take 99999999 modules and finish in a realistic number of years. And Stanford simply has too many opportunities available for me to want to spend all my time on chemistry and psychology, and so I decided that I wanted to drop chemistry (in favour of economics which I will talk about in a separate post).
It was a somewhat painful decision all right, especially given the amount of time and $ I had invested in the subject, and also given the considerably easier path that I would have if I had taken this subject. I thought long and hard about the following:
1. Opportunity cost - how much will I be losing out on if I take chemistry as opposed to other things I could be doing with my time?
2. Why am I taking chemistry? Is it because I really like the subject or because I am good at it? It is very easy to take the easy path out and take a good GPA with minimal effort.
3. How much will I be learning, given that NUSHS has prepared us decently well for college level chemistry? (ask vanessa for more info about how well the school has prepared us)
4. How relevant will chemistry be to my job in future - in terms of chemistry knowledge and chemistry degree? What job prospects are available for chemists and will I be interested in those fields?
I can't say I don't like chemistry anymore, but I feel that I have reached a point where I am able to appreciate the basics and beauty of chemistry without needing to study more about it. NUSHS has prepared us so well for most of the sciences that I feel that it is unlikely that any additional knowledge that I learn to attain a chemistry degree will be relevant in the civil service in future. (Law of diminishing marginal utilities, haha) Not taking up a subject as your major does not mean that you are banned from dabbling in it in future - some of my dormmates come up to me and ask me for help with chem, and I am still able to appreciate it when I hear people talk about it!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Buying your textbooks.
Buying our textbooks is something that we are very familiar with; buying university type of textbooks is something we are also very familiar with.
So there are a few places that I normally get my books from:
1. NUS Co-Op / Clementi bookstore
Books from Singapore are way way cheaper than books in the US (and presumably the UK as well), because we buy the International Student Edition. For example, a textbook that goes for USD $200 can be bought in Singapore for SGD $50+ from the Co-Op bookstore. I haven't bought books from the Clementi bookstore before, just cos I tried comparing Co-Op prices and Clementi bookstore prices once and I found that Co-Op prices were still cheaper (even before all the Co-Op card discounts and stuff). This is the source that I always go to, mostly because comparatively speaking it is more convenient, more available and cheaper than most other options.
This requires that you scout your books beforehand, place orders at the Co-Op if necessary (it can take from 5 days to 6 weeks so it definitely warrants some planning) and then going down to collect books. If you decide not to be lazy and take this option, I am pretty sure you get to save (and may even make a hefty profit)! For science textbooks you can go to the Co-Op at the Science building, for social science books you can go to the one at the Central Library.
2. Seniors
Definitely not too bad a source, they are always quite desperate to get rid of their old books and you are desperate to buy them, so I think this is a win-win condition. Note different editions of the book though and whether it makes a difference (I'd say most of the time it doesnt, but doesnt hurt to check).
3. School book exchange/selling website.
Many schools have a portal that allow people to post up books that they are selling/buying. Normally the prices are very cheap, but they also run out very quickly. You save on shipping (which can add up to a lot otherwise).
4. Amazon
I use this option a lot too, simply because options 2 and 3 rarely have the books I want in stock (oh, the perks of taking a psych major as opposed to a more common one like econs!). There are often people selling 2nd-hand books there as well, some in excellent condition but sold for a much cheaper price than...
5. The school bookstore
I have never bought a book from the school bookstore. I dont know about other schools, but my school bookstore is way overpriced when it comes to textbooks.
6. There is also the library. There have been times when I camp out at the library every other day just to read the library copy of the textbook that was required for my course just because I didnt want to pay $70 for it.
Whenever I make the decision to buy a textbook and think about how much I am willing to pay for the book, I take into account the following factors:
1. Is the book I am buying specific to my school/class? If it is a special book that your instructor specifically wrote for your class, chances are you dont have a lot of people to sell it to in future.
2. How widely is this book used (a good gauge is to see the number of used listings on amazon) and how many people take this class every year? Again this is a question on how re-sellable your book is.
3. How expensive is the book? If it is $2, I'd rather buy it than camp at the library every day.
4. What is the difference in price between a new copy and a used copy? If it is a difference of 1 cent, I dont know about you, but I'd get the new copy. But for some people, they just want the cheapest book regardless of condition. It's a matter of personal preference.
5. How much is shipping? On amazon, if you order through other merchants other than amazon, a shipping fee will be charged on top of the listed fee. Ordering through an amazon supplier sometimes allow you to qualify for free shipping. While the private merchant's listed price may be cheaper, if you intend to order a few books at a go, it may be more worth it to order through amazon merchants instead.
6. How necessary is the book? Sometimes the book is only an obscure reference text that no one has / you can borrow easily from the library because it has many copies.
7. Do I intend to keep the book? Of course, this is hard to say until you actually read the book, but there are certain books that I know I wont want to keep and some that I do - and for those that I do, I'd very much prefer to buy a new one as opposed to one where the pages are falling out.
So there are a few places that I normally get my books from:
1. NUS Co-Op / Clementi bookstore
Books from Singapore are way way cheaper than books in the US (and presumably the UK as well), because we buy the International Student Edition. For example, a textbook that goes for USD $200 can be bought in Singapore for SGD $50+ from the Co-Op bookstore. I haven't bought books from the Clementi bookstore before, just cos I tried comparing Co-Op prices and Clementi bookstore prices once and I found that Co-Op prices were still cheaper (even before all the Co-Op card discounts and stuff). This is the source that I always go to, mostly because comparatively speaking it is more convenient, more available and cheaper than most other options.
This requires that you scout your books beforehand, place orders at the Co-Op if necessary (it can take from 5 days to 6 weeks so it definitely warrants some planning) and then going down to collect books. If you decide not to be lazy and take this option, I am pretty sure you get to save (and may even make a hefty profit)! For science textbooks you can go to the Co-Op at the Science building, for social science books you can go to the one at the Central Library.
2. Seniors
Definitely not too bad a source, they are always quite desperate to get rid of their old books and you are desperate to buy them, so I think this is a win-win condition. Note different editions of the book though and whether it makes a difference (I'd say most of the time it doesnt, but doesnt hurt to check).
3. School book exchange/selling website.
Many schools have a portal that allow people to post up books that they are selling/buying. Normally the prices are very cheap, but they also run out very quickly. You save on shipping (which can add up to a lot otherwise).
4. Amazon
I use this option a lot too, simply because options 2 and 3 rarely have the books I want in stock (oh, the perks of taking a psych major as opposed to a more common one like econs!). There are often people selling 2nd-hand books there as well, some in excellent condition but sold for a much cheaper price than...
5. The school bookstore
I have never bought a book from the school bookstore. I dont know about other schools, but my school bookstore is way overpriced when it comes to textbooks.
6. There is also the library. There have been times when I camp out at the library every other day just to read the library copy of the textbook that was required for my course just because I didnt want to pay $70 for it.
Whenever I make the decision to buy a textbook and think about how much I am willing to pay for the book, I take into account the following factors:
1. Is the book I am buying specific to my school/class? If it is a special book that your instructor specifically wrote for your class, chances are you dont have a lot of people to sell it to in future.
2. How widely is this book used (a good gauge is to see the number of used listings on amazon) and how many people take this class every year? Again this is a question on how re-sellable your book is.
3. How expensive is the book? If it is $2, I'd rather buy it than camp at the library every day.
4. What is the difference in price between a new copy and a used copy? If it is a difference of 1 cent, I dont know about you, but I'd get the new copy. But for some people, they just want the cheapest book regardless of condition. It's a matter of personal preference.
5. How much is shipping? On amazon, if you order through other merchants other than amazon, a shipping fee will be charged on top of the listed fee. Ordering through an amazon supplier sometimes allow you to qualify for free shipping. While the private merchant's listed price may be cheaper, if you intend to order a few books at a go, it may be more worth it to order through amazon merchants instead.
6. How necessary is the book? Sometimes the book is only an obscure reference text that no one has / you can borrow easily from the library because it has many copies.
7. Do I intend to keep the book? Of course, this is hard to say until you actually read the book, but there are certain books that I know I wont want to keep and some that I do - and for those that I do, I'd very much prefer to buy a new one as opposed to one where the pages are falling out.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Getting a phone in the US
I have been enjoying my summer back in Singapore and now I am back in Stanford. Given that the new freshmen were trying to get their phones and all up and running, I thought I'd talk about how phones are like here. I am on an AT & T plan. I am not sure if it is necessarily better than other networks, but generally many Stanford students use AT & T because they have the best reception on campus (by a mile).
There isn't very much of a difference between Singapore and the US in terms of phones. There are 2 options you could go, one being prepaid and the other being a plan. It's really up to you which one you want to go for. For the prepaid option, you pay a $1 flat fee for the first call of that day and all subsequent calls for that day are free. However, every time you send or receive a text message 20 cents is deducted from you.
For phone plans, again there are 2 options, you either go for the individual plan or the family plan. The amount of minutes you get and all are similar, but the family plan requires that you form a 'family' with a few other people (which most international students do), and you split the cost among yourself. This works out to about $30/month for a family of 5 (the max number allowed in a family) vs the same plan under an individual plan for $40, assuming you go for the typical basic kind (just calling and texting).
By and large I'd recommend the family plan as opposed to going solo if you do intend to get a plan, primarily because it saves you some $. However some people are not keen on that option because if someone in the 'family' exceeds the number of talktime it reduces the number that other members in the group are entitled to. Also there is the issue of payment, whoever is the 'head' of the family will have to pay for the whole family every month.
I am on the family plan and paying $30/month. AT & T does not charge me (I think this is a phone plan thing) for calling other AT&T customers at certain hours, and since almost everyone at Stanford uses AT & T I pretty much have free calls. As a result, even though I am entitled to 700 minutes of talktime / month, I use up less than 30.
Some people also intend to come over to the US to get their phones on the assumption that they are newer, better, etc. Again I say that it depends on personal preference. Getting most decent smartphones (e.g. 3G) in the US will require that you sign on to a 2 year compulsory data plan, which starts from $10/month and is on top of your basic bill. For iPhones, the data plan is $15-$25/month additional. While this may not sound like a lot, I know I won't be thrilled if I had to pay $50 for my phone bill every month. Also some phones in the US may not be able to work in Singapore - you got to check the frequency of the phone, but I haven't heard about any Singaporean phones not being able to work in the US. 1 reason is cos some phones in the US are tied to certain mobile carriers.
If you are thinking about getting free phones in the US that might come with signing up for a plan, note that these free phones are free for a reason; I hear that most of them may still be from the black and yellow backlight era.
If you have a preference for certain types of phones, some of them may be more prevalent in some areas than others. For e.g, Nokia seems to be more popular in Singapore than in the US. iPhones are very very prevalent here. Etc. Don't know if that changes anything.
There isn't very much of a difference between Singapore and the US in terms of phones. There are 2 options you could go, one being prepaid and the other being a plan. It's really up to you which one you want to go for. For the prepaid option, you pay a $1 flat fee for the first call of that day and all subsequent calls for that day are free. However, every time you send or receive a text message 20 cents is deducted from you.
For phone plans, again there are 2 options, you either go for the individual plan or the family plan. The amount of minutes you get and all are similar, but the family plan requires that you form a 'family' with a few other people (which most international students do), and you split the cost among yourself. This works out to about $30/month for a family of 5 (the max number allowed in a family) vs the same plan under an individual plan for $40, assuming you go for the typical basic kind (just calling and texting).
By and large I'd recommend the family plan as opposed to going solo if you do intend to get a plan, primarily because it saves you some $. However some people are not keen on that option because if someone in the 'family' exceeds the number of talktime it reduces the number that other members in the group are entitled to. Also there is the issue of payment, whoever is the 'head' of the family will have to pay for the whole family every month.
I am on the family plan and paying $30/month. AT & T does not charge me (I think this is a phone plan thing) for calling other AT&T customers at certain hours, and since almost everyone at Stanford uses AT & T I pretty much have free calls. As a result, even though I am entitled to 700 minutes of talktime / month, I use up less than 30.
Some people also intend to come over to the US to get their phones on the assumption that they are newer, better, etc. Again I say that it depends on personal preference. Getting most decent smartphones (e.g. 3G) in the US will require that you sign on to a 2 year compulsory data plan, which starts from $10/month and is on top of your basic bill. For iPhones, the data plan is $15-$25/month additional. While this may not sound like a lot, I know I won't be thrilled if I had to pay $50 for my phone bill every month. Also some phones in the US may not be able to work in Singapore - you got to check the frequency of the phone, but I haven't heard about any Singaporean phones not being able to work in the US. 1 reason is cos some phones in the US are tied to certain mobile carriers.
If you are thinking about getting free phones in the US that might come with signing up for a plan, note that these free phones are free for a reason; I hear that most of them may still be from the black and yellow backlight era.
If you have a preference for certain types of phones, some of them may be more prevalent in some areas than others. For e.g, Nokia seems to be more popular in Singapore than in the US. iPhones are very very prevalent here. Etc. Don't know if that changes anything.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Driving Lessons in Singapore
Despite most cars being automatic these days, most people choose to learn manual as you get a manual and auto car license. If you learn auto only, you get the auto license only. I've been taking lessons at the Bukit Batok Driving Center, so I'll write about what happens there.
1. Sign up at a driving centre to take lessons. You must go down in person to do so. Bring your IC, money, and visual aids (you must pass an eyesight check with or without spectacles). Make sure you spectacles are updated and you can see colors properly, thats all. When you sign up you get an online account so you can book lessons virtually.
2. Add money into your account. You can only use the driving center's machines if you use nets or cashcard. There's internet banking also, but it looks troublesome. You can add as much money as you like since the extra will be refunded when you terminate your account.
3. Book for two Basic Theory Lessons (BTL). Take the lessons. Don’t be late or you may not be admitted into the classroom. They are all about road signs and road safety.
4. Book for Basic Theory Evaluation (BTE). A driving centre based test similar to the real Basic Theory test. Pass it by getting 90% or better. Its harder than the real test - same reason why schools make their mock exams harder than the real thing.
5. Book for Basic Theory Test (BTT). Pass by getting 90% or better. You MUST pass this to apply to learn to drive.
6. Apply for Provisional Driving License at a counter in the driving school. Pay. Take the eyesight test again. You can now learn to drive under a person qualified to teach driving (not just any Tom, Dick or Harry with a valid driving license). It used to be this way around the time I was born, just hang a Learner plate and drive with your mother/ father/ brother/ sister/ bf at your side, but no longer.
8. Make sure you book 2 Final Theory Lessons (FTL), pass your Final Theory Evaluation (FTE), and pass your Final Theory Test (FTT). This may be done simultaneously with your practical training. Mostly about what you learnt in your practical lessons. Passing rate again is 90% (not 50% unfortunately).
7. Book for practical lessons. There are five stages to it. You must pass each stage to process to the next stange, or you repeat the stage at every lesson till you pass.
8. Stage 1 (10 subjects) teaches you to move the car safely.
9. Stage 2 (10 subjects + driving simulator) teaches you to drive on the road properly. You can book for your driving test after completing this stage, if you have finished your FTT as well.
10. Stage 3 (10 subjects + 1 automatic car lessons) shows you how to park, reverse, and U-turn. Genenerally the hardest stage for people.
10. Stage 4 (3 subjects) teaches how to avoid hazards on the road and reviews what you have learnt. Nothing new is taught, its just revision.
11. Stage 5 is a mock driving test (1 subject). You need to pass this to qualify for the driving test.
9. Take your driving test. Tester is a policeman, not a driving instructor. Don’t screw up by beating the red light, stopping too close to another car, rushing when you see a green light, moving off on the wrong gear, rolling down a slope, shifting gear too abruptly, etc. Pass.
10. Apply for your license.
Notes:
1. Don't drive at night if possible. Visibility reduces, so probability of passing your stage reduces too.
2. Its really a lot easier to learn the auto car. Will really significatly cut down your learning time if you start with it. I didn't realize until I took an auto car lesson. Just like a toy car.
3. Learning from a private instructor is cheaper but I heard its easier to fail.
4. Waiting time for the BTT, FTT, and drivng test is 2 months on average. Try to sign up for classes the moment you turn 18 and clear the theoretical tests first in your last high school year. They aren't too time consuming. Then you can take the practical lessons in your own sweet time once you finish high school, and get your licence before entering uni. There's even leeway time to retake in the event you fail. You probably don't want to learn while studying cause you'll be too busy and put driving lessons on lower priority.
5. Theory lessons have nothing to do with the real test. They are essentially briefings on safety.
6. Thinking safety helps you pass.
7. Don't fail the theoretical tests. Driving test results may be due to luck or Murphy's Law, but to pass the test do what you do best: MUG. The theoretical tests are all about common sense, but you know what they say about common sense.
8. Most people pass two stages in one lesson. Parallel parking takes one whole lesson on average.
9. Lessons are about $60 on weekdays and $68 on weekends and nighttime for each 1 hr 40 min lesson.
10. Book practical lesson slots either weeks in advance, the day before, or on the day itself to avoid disappointment. If you can't get the time you want, keep checking continuously until you do; someone's bound to cancel.
11. Some other driving schools want you to finish every single lesson before you can book your driving tests. That means you might need to take extra lessons to keep up your skills before you take the test.
12. Driving instructors say not to book the practical test during peak hours. There will be more cars and more chance to make errors during those times. Chance of failing increases.
13. Don't take too long to learn as your membership with the Driving School must be renewed every one year or so. This means money.
14. If you book a practical lessons but decide to cancel it, cancel it more than 48 hours before the lesson starts to ensure a refund. Otherwise you have to try and sell it and pray someone decides to take your slot. If no one does, no refund and you turn up anyway or lose your money.
15. Weekend slots are more unpopular as they are more expensive. Try-sell on weekends usually fails. Be careful when you book your slots! Most people learning to drive are high school graduates who hold part time jobs and can thus rush down on weekdays to learn.
16. Its very easy to fail the test. You can accumulate 18 points at maximum during the test and you get points for doing even minor things wrongly.
1. Sign up at a driving centre to take lessons. You must go down in person to do so. Bring your IC, money, and visual aids (you must pass an eyesight check with or without spectacles). Make sure you spectacles are updated and you can see colors properly, thats all. When you sign up you get an online account so you can book lessons virtually.
2. Add money into your account. You can only use the driving center's machines if you use nets or cashcard. There's internet banking also, but it looks troublesome. You can add as much money as you like since the extra will be refunded when you terminate your account.
3. Book for two Basic Theory Lessons (BTL). Take the lessons. Don’t be late or you may not be admitted into the classroom. They are all about road signs and road safety.
4. Book for Basic Theory Evaluation (BTE). A driving centre based test similar to the real Basic Theory test. Pass it by getting 90% or better. Its harder than the real test - same reason why schools make their mock exams harder than the real thing.
5. Book for Basic Theory Test (BTT). Pass by getting 90% or better. You MUST pass this to apply to learn to drive.
6. Apply for Provisional Driving License at a counter in the driving school. Pay. Take the eyesight test again. You can now learn to drive under a person qualified to teach driving (not just any Tom, Dick or Harry with a valid driving license). It used to be this way around the time I was born, just hang a Learner plate and drive with your mother/ father/ brother/ sister/ bf at your side, but no longer.
8. Make sure you book 2 Final Theory Lessons (FTL), pass your Final Theory Evaluation (FTE), and pass your Final Theory Test (FTT). This may be done simultaneously with your practical training. Mostly about what you learnt in your practical lessons. Passing rate again is 90% (not 50% unfortunately).
7. Book for practical lessons. There are five stages to it. You must pass each stage to process to the next stange, or you repeat the stage at every lesson till you pass.
8. Stage 1 (10 subjects) teaches you to move the car safely.
9. Stage 2 (10 subjects + driving simulator) teaches you to drive on the road properly. You can book for your driving test after completing this stage, if you have finished your FTT as well.
10. Stage 3 (10 subjects + 1 automatic car lessons) shows you how to park, reverse, and U-turn. Genenerally the hardest stage for people.
10. Stage 4 (3 subjects) teaches how to avoid hazards on the road and reviews what you have learnt. Nothing new is taught, its just revision.
11. Stage 5 is a mock driving test (1 subject). You need to pass this to qualify for the driving test.
9. Take your driving test. Tester is a policeman, not a driving instructor. Don’t screw up by beating the red light, stopping too close to another car, rushing when you see a green light, moving off on the wrong gear, rolling down a slope, shifting gear too abruptly, etc. Pass.
10. Apply for your license.
Notes:
1. Don't drive at night if possible. Visibility reduces, so probability of passing your stage reduces too.
2. Its really a lot easier to learn the auto car. Will really significatly cut down your learning time if you start with it. I didn't realize until I took an auto car lesson. Just like a toy car.
3. Learning from a private instructor is cheaper but I heard its easier to fail.
4. Waiting time for the BTT, FTT, and drivng test is 2 months on average. Try to sign up for classes the moment you turn 18 and clear the theoretical tests first in your last high school year. They aren't too time consuming. Then you can take the practical lessons in your own sweet time once you finish high school, and get your licence before entering uni. There's even leeway time to retake in the event you fail. You probably don't want to learn while studying cause you'll be too busy and put driving lessons on lower priority.
5. Theory lessons have nothing to do with the real test. They are essentially briefings on safety.
6. Thinking safety helps you pass.
7. Don't fail the theoretical tests. Driving test results may be due to luck or Murphy's Law, but to pass the test do what you do best: MUG. The theoretical tests are all about common sense, but you know what they say about common sense.
8. Most people pass two stages in one lesson. Parallel parking takes one whole lesson on average.
9. Lessons are about $60 on weekdays and $68 on weekends and nighttime for each 1 hr 40 min lesson.
10. Book practical lesson slots either weeks in advance, the day before, or on the day itself to avoid disappointment. If you can't get the time you want, keep checking continuously until you do; someone's bound to cancel.
11. Some other driving schools want you to finish every single lesson before you can book your driving tests. That means you might need to take extra lessons to keep up your skills before you take the test.
12. Driving instructors say not to book the practical test during peak hours. There will be more cars and more chance to make errors during those times. Chance of failing increases.
13. Don't take too long to learn as your membership with the Driving School must be renewed every one year or so. This means money.
14. If you book a practical lessons but decide to cancel it, cancel it more than 48 hours before the lesson starts to ensure a refund. Otherwise you have to try and sell it and pray someone decides to take your slot. If no one does, no refund and you turn up anyway or lose your money.
15. Weekend slots are more unpopular as they are more expensive. Try-sell on weekends usually fails. Be careful when you book your slots! Most people learning to drive are high school graduates who hold part time jobs and can thus rush down on weekdays to learn.
16. Its very easy to fail the test. You can accumulate 18 points at maximum during the test and you get points for doing even minor things wrongly.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Obtaining a driver's licence in California
Given that this writer here has failed her driving test in Singapore, she had no choice but to take it in California.
It turned out that even if I had a Singaporean licence I would still have to take the driving test in California anyway. If you are a Singaporean tourist and are staying in California for <30 days, you can use your SIngaporean licence to drive around, but if you are staying for longer than that, you have to get a Californian licence. I am not sure what the policies are like in the other states or other places.
So, moral #1 is that I should not have bothered to take the driving test in Singapore anyway because it was a waste of money
Getting a driver's licence in California is pretty easy. Like Singapore, there is a written theory test and a practical test. The written theory test is easier to pass than in Singapore; there are 35 questions and you are only allowed to get 6 wrong. However, they always reuse their test papers, so if you get enough test papers from your seniors you can mug them and get full marks in the test (I have some if you all want any).
The written test takes no more than 5 minutes, you just have to show up at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)'s office and you can take the test after they take your picture and particulars and stuff. If you pass you get your provisional licence, if you fail you get to try 2 more times but this time you can only make 3 mistakes.
DMV makes it very clear that they want you to pass! Haha not like Singapore where they want you to fail your driving test.
Most people go for driving lessons after they pass their written test. All the instructors here are private because many Americans ask their parents to teach them how to drive. Go get an instructor or something, if you are a new student you probably only need 8 lessons to finish learning everything. If you are already experienced you might need 1 or 2 lessons to refresh yourself and to familiarize yourself with the driving rules and signs - that was really the biggest problem that I had when I was driving here because the signs were unfamiliar to me! I was charged about $30/hour for 2 hours per lesson, and I was picked up from my dorm and dropped off here as well. Rather convenient.
In the meantime you would want to book your driving test online on the DMV website. However it is a lot faster if you just ask your instructor to book a driving test date for you because they have somehow booked many slots beforehand for their students - allowing you to skip the 1-month long wait otherwise.
It is easier to pass the test in US for a few reasons, one reason is because you are allowed 15 minor errors (as opposed to the 20 demerit point system in Singapore), another reason is because the route is much easier to drive and is shorter, and also because roads here are much wider and so it's easier to change lanes. Oh and you are not tested on parking (ok fine just a little little bit but it's not important).
So if you pass here, you get your driving licence and you can convert it back to a Singaporean licence after 3 months.
If you dont pass, just take more lessons and then take the test again I suppose.
The perk though of getting a licence in Singapore is that if your licence has already been valid for 1 year by the time you reach here, you can rent a car (i.e Zipcar) but if not it's hard (though not impossible, I can rent a car from enterprise if I want to). Well you can always get a car and drive around, it's not that expensive to get a used car.
I'd say get a few lessons in Singapore (so that you get a solid foundation) and then come here and take the test. :)
It turned out that even if I had a Singaporean licence I would still have to take the driving test in California anyway. If you are a Singaporean tourist and are staying in California for <30 days, you can use your SIngaporean licence to drive around, but if you are staying for longer than that, you have to get a Californian licence. I am not sure what the policies are like in the other states or other places.
So, moral #1 is that I should not have bothered to take the driving test in Singapore anyway because it was a waste of money
Getting a driver's licence in California is pretty easy. Like Singapore, there is a written theory test and a practical test. The written theory test is easier to pass than in Singapore; there are 35 questions and you are only allowed to get 6 wrong. However, they always reuse their test papers, so if you get enough test papers from your seniors you can mug them and get full marks in the test (I have some if you all want any).
The written test takes no more than 5 minutes, you just have to show up at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)'s office and you can take the test after they take your picture and particulars and stuff. If you pass you get your provisional licence, if you fail you get to try 2 more times but this time you can only make 3 mistakes.
DMV makes it very clear that they want you to pass! Haha not like Singapore where they want you to fail your driving test.
Most people go for driving lessons after they pass their written test. All the instructors here are private because many Americans ask their parents to teach them how to drive. Go get an instructor or something, if you are a new student you probably only need 8 lessons to finish learning everything. If you are already experienced you might need 1 or 2 lessons to refresh yourself and to familiarize yourself with the driving rules and signs - that was really the biggest problem that I had when I was driving here because the signs were unfamiliar to me! I was charged about $30/hour for 2 hours per lesson, and I was picked up from my dorm and dropped off here as well. Rather convenient.
In the meantime you would want to book your driving test online on the DMV website. However it is a lot faster if you just ask your instructor to book a driving test date for you because they have somehow booked many slots beforehand for their students - allowing you to skip the 1-month long wait otherwise.
It is easier to pass the test in US for a few reasons, one reason is because you are allowed 15 minor errors (as opposed to the 20 demerit point system in Singapore), another reason is because the route is much easier to drive and is shorter, and also because roads here are much wider and so it's easier to change lanes. Oh and you are not tested on parking (ok fine just a little little bit but it's not important).
So if you pass here, you get your driving licence and you can convert it back to a Singaporean licence after 3 months.
If you dont pass, just take more lessons and then take the test again I suppose.
The perk though of getting a licence in Singapore is that if your licence has already been valid for 1 year by the time you reach here, you can rent a car (i.e Zipcar) but if not it's hard (though not impossible, I can rent a car from enterprise if I want to). Well you can always get a car and drive around, it's not that expensive to get a used car.
I'd say get a few lessons in Singapore (so that you get a solid foundation) and then come here and take the test. :)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Word meanings in different countries
This website lists language differences between UK and UK. Its quite surprising how different some things can get. I never knew a 'pavement' was what I call a road in the US. Or that 'Headmaster' was the British way of referring to a 'Principal'. Or how much Singaporean English draws elements from both countries. I always thought we followed the British style but apparently not always.
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/WORDS2.htm
From the same site:
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words3.htm
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/WORDS2.htm
From the same site:
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/words3.htm
Sunday, April 18, 2010
For students going into university...
Have you finally settled on your choice of college and sent in your deposit? Wondering what you can do in the meantime to prepare?
Well, here are some general things that you can do to prepare for the long road ahead.
1. Visa: For students going overseas, you will, in time, receive an I-20 from the school. This I-20 is required if you want to apply for an F-1 visa at the respective embassies for the country of the school that you are going to. You will need to consult the embassy’s website, find out what forms you need to fill in, schedule appointments if required, and so on to get your visa.
2. Finances: How are you going to pay your way? What are the procedures to paying your school fees? If your parents may want to wire money over to you overseas, do you want to set up a bank account with a bank that is more ‘international’?
3. Get pumped up! Go to the school website, talk to people, learn more about school culture and lingo! Find out if they have any orientation programmes or pre-orientation activities! Join Singaporean associations if you are going overseas!
4. Health appointments, if need be. Some overseas schools require that you get immunizations done up before you go over, and some allow you to get those immunizations when you arrive but it may be just much easier to do it in Singapore (especially with the very efficient healthcare system!).
5. Look around at classes, scout around, know what you can skip. This is not very essential but it might be helpful so that you can order textbooks, etc. It will also give you an indication of how much leeway you have if you intend to do crazy things like triple majors etc.
6. Homework! Some schools (especially the UK ones) give homework in advance even before you set foot into their school, and most have assigned readings at the very least.
A general checklist of essentials that you would want to bring over if you are going overseas:
1. Passport, visa, identification documents like ICs
2. Health booklets, other essential documents (like traveller checks, contracts, acceptance letters), money
That’s about it. You can buy anything else when you get over.
Well, here are some general things that you can do to prepare for the long road ahead.
1. Visa: For students going overseas, you will, in time, receive an I-20 from the school. This I-20 is required if you want to apply for an F-1 visa at the respective embassies for the country of the school that you are going to. You will need to consult the embassy’s website, find out what forms you need to fill in, schedule appointments if required, and so on to get your visa.
2. Finances: How are you going to pay your way? What are the procedures to paying your school fees? If your parents may want to wire money over to you overseas, do you want to set up a bank account with a bank that is more ‘international’?
3. Get pumped up! Go to the school website, talk to people, learn more about school culture and lingo! Find out if they have any orientation programmes or pre-orientation activities! Join Singaporean associations if you are going overseas!
4. Health appointments, if need be. Some overseas schools require that you get immunizations done up before you go over, and some allow you to get those immunizations when you arrive but it may be just much easier to do it in Singapore (especially with the very efficient healthcare system!).
5. Look around at classes, scout around, know what you can skip. This is not very essential but it might be helpful so that you can order textbooks, etc. It will also give you an indication of how much leeway you have if you intend to do crazy things like triple majors etc.
6. Homework! Some schools (especially the UK ones) give homework in advance even before you set foot into their school, and most have assigned readings at the very least.
A general checklist of essentials that you would want to bring over if you are going overseas:
1. Passport, visa, identification documents like ICs
2. Health booklets, other essential documents (like traveller checks, contracts, acceptance letters), money
That’s about it. You can buy anything else when you get over.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
International Transaction Fee
Following up on Karyen's series of posts about bank fees :(
Recently, when I bought my air ticket home, Bank of America charged me $35 ''International Transaction Fee'' even though the transaction was in US Dollars and I bought it through the US website of Singapore Airlines. I called up Customer Service and the reason is that the $1100 for my air ticket was routed out of the US so they charge a fee for processing. Neither the bank's customer service nor I can do anything about it because once the transaction costs leave the US, the bank will automatically charge for that :(
Conclusion: Either fly US airlines or book through US-based travel agent if you want to avoid that 2% fee.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Q&A about HMC
Q: How's life at Mudd?
A: Claremont is forty miles from Los Angeles, so it's not in the city proper. The train journey to L.A.'s main station takes 50 min. But there are still things to do both on- and off-campus. It's much easier to get around with a car – this holds for most places in America, except maybe Boston and NYC, but I've been able to explore even without one. Over break, some people went snowboarding and camping. Also, Mudd subsidizes off-campus activities, so on Thursday, four other Mudders and I went to a John Mayer concert in L.A. (Staples Center!)
In terms of academics, HMC is quite similar to NUSHS because the college is small and the professors are very accessible. As a side note, we might take for granted that teachers will always be there for consultations after school, but in American high schools, this isn't the case and teachers normally aren't so committed.
HMC's an engineering/technical school, so offerings in those areas are good, although *somewhat* limited by its size. The other consortium colleges supplement Mudd's sciences, for example, Pomona's neuroscience department is quite strong. As for courses in the humanities, I hear Mudd 'hums' are decent but the other 4Cs have a huge assortment and practically everyone takes courses off-Mudd.
Q: Is Mudd expensive?
A: Compared to other private universities, Mudd is slightly more expensive. Mudd's tuition is $38k, $2k more than Cal Tech. Compared to some public universities, Mudd is substantially more expensive. California residents pay just $8k tuition at Berkeley. Non-California residents and international students pay $31k tuition at Berkeley.
Q: How is Mudd's engineering education compared to larger universities, in the light of the large amount of required courses?
A: Mudd has an extensive technical core, but as a Math major, I would say that the Core classes are very relevant for Engineers. For instance, the required Math courses which I've been taking are Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, which are very important for engineers. If anything, as a Math major, I'd complain that the math Core is a bit too Engineering-y and not proof-based.
The total humanities requirement is 12 classes, which I think is reasonable. I like taking language classes and I plan to take linguistics eventually. Mudd also has distribution requirements – take X classes in Y subject area, etc, but I'm not concerned about that now :)
I don't know a lot about Engineering in particular, but something particularly interesting to me is that the E4 "intro to engineering'' class really emphasizes hands-on and collaborative work. You have to make a hammer, and design/build a creative paperweight. And the capstone of the intro class is an independent project, and my friend Katie is building a better calorimeter, optimizing it so it's smaller. During the campus-wide Presentation Days at the end of the semester, the E4 groups present their work. Engineers also have to do Clinic, a year-long project which is pretty serious. Something related is Global Clinic, where Mudd teams work with students at overseas universities. There's two Mudd teams working with NTU this summer.
In the interests of full disclosure, while plenty of students here do research, the research here isn't at the level of say, Cal Tech. The facilities are okay, but not overly awesome. Professors know that it's impossible to do a lot since they don't have grad students/postdocs. Also, HMC attracts a different type of profs – those who like teaching. Profs who want to win the next Nobel prize won't be coming here, because you need a different sort of environment – with postdocs/grad students – to do really groundbreaking awesome research. That said, I think there's enough opportunities to achieve as much as you want. Also, the professors have really interesting classes. I <3 my Math and Comp. Sci. professors especially! http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_does_mathemagic.html
Q: Why is Mudd so ugly?
A: Mudd is pretty poor, and they're building a new Teaching/Learning building. so they can't spend too much money renovating. I've concluded that Mudd doesn't care too much about its looks – Scripps, the neighbouring women-only college, is really pretty and manicured and has lots of lawns, but then, Scripps has a different image.
Q: Tell me about the PE requirements. Is it compulsory like NUSHS?
A: I wouldn't take PE either if I had a choice, but you get to choose what PE courses to do. Katie did basketball, I'm doing fitness (i.e. work out in the gym) Team sports, like 5C soccer, count for PE.
A: Claremont is forty miles from Los Angeles, so it's not in the city proper. The train journey to L.A.'s main station takes 50 min. But there are still things to do both on- and off-campus. It's much easier to get around with a car – this holds for most places in America, except maybe Boston and NYC, but I've been able to explore even without one. Over break, some people went snowboarding and camping. Also, Mudd subsidizes off-campus activities, so on Thursday, four other Mudders and I went to a John Mayer concert in L.A. (Staples Center!)
In terms of academics, HMC is quite similar to NUSHS because the college is small and the professors are very accessible. As a side note, we might take for granted that teachers will always be there for consultations after school, but in American high schools, this isn't the case and teachers normally aren't so committed.
HMC's an engineering/technical school, so offerings in those areas are good, although *somewhat* limited by its size. The other consortium colleges supplement Mudd's sciences, for example, Pomona's neuroscience department is quite strong. As for courses in the humanities, I hear Mudd 'hums' are decent but the other 4Cs have a huge assortment and practically everyone takes courses off-Mudd.
Q: Is Mudd expensive?
A: Compared to other private universities, Mudd is slightly more expensive. Mudd's tuition is $38k, $2k more than Cal Tech. Compared to some public universities, Mudd is substantially more expensive. California residents pay just $8k tuition at Berkeley. Non-California residents and international students pay $31k tuition at Berkeley.
Q: How is Mudd's engineering education compared to larger universities, in the light of the large amount of required courses?
A: Mudd has an extensive technical core, but as a Math major, I would say that the Core classes are very relevant for Engineers. For instance, the required Math courses which I've been taking are Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, which are very important for engineers. If anything, as a Math major, I'd complain that the math Core is a bit too Engineering-y and not proof-based.
The total humanities requirement is 12 classes, which I think is reasonable. I like taking language classes and I plan to take linguistics eventually. Mudd also has distribution requirements – take X classes in Y subject area, etc, but I'm not concerned about that now :)
I don't know a lot about Engineering in particular, but something particularly interesting to me is that the E4 "intro to engineering'' class really emphasizes hands-on and collaborative work. You have to make a hammer, and design/build a creative paperweight. And the capstone of the intro class is an independent project, and my friend Katie is building a better calorimeter, optimizing it so it's smaller. During the campus-wide Presentation Days at the end of the semester, the E4 groups present their work. Engineers also have to do Clinic, a year-long project which is pretty serious. Something related is Global Clinic, where Mudd teams work with students at overseas universities. There's two Mudd teams working with NTU this summer.
In the interests of full disclosure, while plenty of students here do research, the research here isn't at the level of say, Cal Tech. The facilities are okay, but not overly awesome. Professors know that it's impossible to do a lot since they don't have grad students/postdocs. Also, HMC attracts a different type of profs – those who like teaching. Profs who want to win the next Nobel prize won't be coming here, because you need a different sort of environment – with postdocs/grad students – to do really groundbreaking awesome research. That said, I think there's enough opportunities to achieve as much as you want. Also, the professors have really interesting classes. I <3 my Math and Comp. Sci. professors especially! http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_does_mathemagic.html
Q: Why is Mudd so ugly?
A: Mudd is pretty poor, and they're building a new Teaching/Learning building. so they can't spend too much money renovating. I've concluded that Mudd doesn't care too much about its looks – Scripps, the neighbouring women-only college, is really pretty and manicured and has lots of lawns, but then, Scripps has a different image.
Q: Tell me about the PE requirements. Is it compulsory like NUSHS?
A: I wouldn't take PE either if I had a choice, but you get to choose what PE courses to do. Katie did basketball, I'm doing fitness (i.e. work out in the gym) Team sports, like 5C soccer, count for PE.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Talk about HMC
Calling all NUSHS students! I will be giving a talk on Harvey Mudd College, the small tech school that I attend, on 13 Jan 2010.
Here's an outline of my talk:
- Intro to Liberal arts colleges (LACs) and their general characteristics
- How HMC is different from other LACs
>> HMC as a tech school
- How HMC is awesome
>> 5C consortium and breadth of courses
- My personal experiences, including funding and financial aid
I'm sure it will be interesting for those considering studying in the US, especially if you're looking at LACs. Even if you are not sure of your plans yet, just come to learn more. I'm trying to invite a special guest to come~
Please let Mr. Allan know if you're interested in coming. Tentatively, it will be at the college counseling office at 5:30pm, Wednesday 13 January.
Monday, January 4, 2010
8 reasons to choose Harvey Mudd!
1. Challenging classes that won't kill you.
2. Awesome professors. My professors reply emailed questions really fast, like I emailed at 9pm US time and he replied at 11pm US time. On Sunday.
3. More awesome professors. They are always very willing to talk to you and have a lot of different interests. Two of my Caucasian profs have learned Chinese, one of whom had taught English in Taiwan for a year.
4. Awesome students. Yeah, they're all cool people (:
5. Breadth of courses. HMC is part of a consortium (the 5C's) and it's so. amazingly. easy to register and attend courses at the other 4C's. No nonsense to worry about like 'transfer credit', totally seamless. You can learn Arabic or Ballroom Dance or African-American lit.
6. Small class size / cozy environment. My maths lecture is 60 people; most sections (tutorials) average 15. Right from the first year.
7. Pleasant weather. More pleasant than NorCal (e.g. Stanford or Berkeley) Even though you actually /have/ to wear a jacket sometimes. Haha (:
8. Opportunities. Everyone here wants to help you do cool stuff. I've had like three sessions with the career services office, and I'm a freshman -- they're very available!
EDIT: Bonus!
9. Really awesome talks! Yeah, just remembered. Almost every week during the Fall semester, awesome invited speakers gave talks, including Brian Greene, string theorist, and William Kamkwamba, the Malawian student who built a windmill for his village. And Danica McKellar, actress-cum-mathematician, with whom I participated in a dialogue session -- she's really an inspiring role model: Check out her website: KISSMYMATH.COM. Cool no?
And there's colloquium, where professors or people working in industry come to give talks on their area of expertise. I randomly attended the Computer Science colloquium and Dr Randy Wang, who ''distributes digitally recorded live classes to poor children in slum and rural schools in India''. Mudd paid for the CS dept chair, another student, and me to have dinner with Dr Wang.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Useful website for people going overseas for College/ International students at NUS High School
Hi, I’m Loh Lay Kuan, NUSHS class of 2009.
People going overseas to study may like to take a look at this website called www.craigslist.com. It was introduced to me by a friend. I thought it would be pretty useful especially for people who go to a foreign country for extended periods of time.
Craigslist is a website where you can find all sorts of things in the area you are going to. For example, if for some reason you are unable live in your College’s hostel, you can check out Craigslist. Go to the area your College is in. You can specify the type of housing you want (Private dorm room; rent a room from a local family; share an apartment with a friend); state your acceptable price range; the facilities you want (washing machine, meals provided); whether your landlord has pets; state the acceptable location range from your College. Then an entire list will pop up and you choose the one you want. Contact details provided.
If you want employment, go to the “jobs” section under the area you are in. enter your qualifications; expected salary range; type of job wanted; time you can commit, etc, and a list of vacancies pops up. Again, contact details are provided.
I’m haven’t really explored this website yet as I was introduced to it recently, but if anyone goes overseas, needs a job, wants to buy a second hand bicycle, etc; you can check out Craigslist.
There is a section for Singapore too, so if you are looking for something in Singapore, you may find it. There are many more useful things this website offers, so go explore.
People going overseas to study may like to take a look at this website called www.craigslist.com. It was introduced to me by a friend. I thought it would be pretty useful especially for people who go to a foreign country for extended periods of time.
Craigslist is a website where you can find all sorts of things in the area you are going to. For example, if for some reason you are unable live in your College’s hostel, you can check out Craigslist. Go to the area your College is in. You can specify the type of housing you want (Private dorm room; rent a room from a local family; share an apartment with a friend); state your acceptable price range; the facilities you want (washing machine, meals provided); whether your landlord has pets; state the acceptable location range from your College. Then an entire list will pop up and you choose the one you want. Contact details provided.
If you want employment, go to the “jobs” section under the area you are in. enter your qualifications; expected salary range; type of job wanted; time you can commit, etc, and a list of vacancies pops up. Again, contact details are provided.
I’m haven’t really explored this website yet as I was introduced to it recently, but if anyone goes overseas, needs a job, wants to buy a second hand bicycle, etc; you can check out Craigslist.
There is a section for Singapore too, so if you are looking for something in Singapore, you may find it. There are many more useful things this website offers, so go explore.
Monday, August 3, 2009
College life.
http://www.unigo.com/articles/college_survival_skills%5e58_8_things_you_need_to_know_before_you_go/?taxonomyId=706942
Since I am getting into the mood of college preparation, this (along with other links below on that page) is a good article to get started to know more about college life.
Cheers.
Since I am getting into the mood of college preparation, this (along with other links below on that page) is a good article to get started to know more about college life.
Cheers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)