Saturday, September 17, 2011

A New Semester!

Ok, the day I landed in Singapore back from Texas, NUS started. LOL. That's pathetic. But I really don't regret going for the 2 summer programmes at INPG and UT Austin. I really couldn't ask for more! Anyway time really flies. It's already the end of week 6, which means next week's recess week! Ok some updates thus far. This semester has been a really fulfilling yet most tiring semester thus far. Here's a glimpse at my timetable..

CN3108: Chemical Engineering Lab II
CN3132: Separation Processes
CN3135: Process Safety, Health and Environment
CN3421: Process Modeling and Numerical Simulation
GEM1535: Clean Energy and Storage
GEK2008: Environmental History
EG2605: UROP

Really intense schedule. Almost fully packed everyday with my 27 MC semester - my heaviest semester to date. Oh and I started by UROP project. Some computational catalysis stuff. Really interesting, but it's really tough learning another programming software from scratch. It's like taking IT1005 again. Ouch. And my supervisor is probably the most infamous Prof in Chemical Engineering in NUS. But he's really a very nice Prof. No idea what's with all of "Are you MAD?!" response I get from my friends when I told them. Working for some PhD student and with an FYP student, who's also super helpful people. Can't thank them enough. I just had my first mid-terms for CN3132. I think I did really badly. I really hate MCQ papers, but everything in NUS is becoming MCQ. Haiz. What to do? Just keep pushing on and see how it goes. And for my history module, I did decent in my tutorials, so hopefully that would translate to good grades. But then again, if not good I can still S/U. So I will just try my best. 

Oh and I have been really busy with Operation Orion stuff as well. All the fund-raising activities and planning, and all the money matters. Really lots of work to do. But it's really fulfilling, so yea, I'm not complaining about it. But it's quite sad that I'm not going overseas this year, coz my STUPID re-service just had to clash with it.. EXACTLY! Really pissed. But it's not too bad, since it wouldn't be a bad idea to stay in Singapore with my family and friends before I go MIA for another 6 months for SEP. Anyway I SEP is more or less confirmed. I'm going to TU Delft. 

But I'm still thinking whether or not I should complete my degree in 2.5 or 3 years. Or rather, it's more of whether I want to stay another semester to pull up my CAP, or just be satisfied with what I have and move on to a M.Sc in Chemical Engineering. Hmm. Maybe I should just apply for a M.Sc Programme and see if I get in or not before deciding. I have been reading through lots of university websites/rankings and it seems like there aren't that many universities that offer a better engineering degree than NUS! My first choice would definitely be Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich or more commonly known as ETH Zurich, in Switzerland. Why? Coz it's in Europe, and I think the European system really suits me best. And it's probably the best place in Europe to get a M.Sc. Imperial and Cambridge's M.Eng is just equivalent to NUS B.Eng (Hons), so it's totally useless to get it. And the other option is University of California at Berkley. Really good engineering school. But the draw back is USA. I know it sounds insane to many, but to me, the US system isn't all that good. Doesn't suit me. And MIT and Cal tech.. come on, let's be realistic. They are probably too tough to get in, so I would really think twice before applying.

But then again, if I manage to land a good job, then I would give M.Sc a miss. Next thing is IA. If I take 3 years to complete, I can do IA! I have been asking many seniors and Prof's and they seem to advocate IA. Or at least VIP. Reason being it's good to have some Industrial exposure during undergraduate days. But to think of it, if I don't go SEP, I can do IA and still complete in 2.5 years! Such a headache! Gotta straighten out my plans and stick with it before it's too late. Anyone with any opinion about what I should do please feel free to contact me! I really need as much advice as I can get now! =D

And one more thing, I realize that I haven't been keeping in touch with my friends as often as I hoped these days, so to my friends, I'm really sorry if I PS-ed you guys for outings, coz I really can't find the time and energy to get out. So yea, will definitely make an effort to meet up more often!

And thanks to my TMS family for celebrating my birthday with me! Really appreciate it! 
August Babies!
The angry birds gang! =D
Once again, sorry for the PS's (not me)! Will make up to you guys!

Anyway so many things to think about and do these days, I really have no time to relax. Gotta make full use of my recess week to give myself a good break to re-charge! 

Summer 2011 Part II

Ok, I know this is far-over due, but here is part 2 of my summer holidays! At the University of Texas at Austin Summer Nuclear Engineering Institute!

The Admin Building @ UT Austin
My room @ San Jacinto Residence. Fully Air-conditioned, damn awesome in the sweltering Texas heat!
Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab @ UT Austin JJ Pickle Research Campus!
UT Austin Stadium - I swear it makes the Singapore National Stadium look like crap!
What can be more American that Walmart! Haha =D
Dinner at Solomon's family's place! Really hospitable people from South Africa! (and super yummy dinner!) =D
Round Rock Premium Factory Outlet, where everything's branded and CHEAP! =D
Round Rock Donut - the biggest donut I have ever seen! =D
Texas BBQ! =D
Class Texas BBQ Dinner! =D
Beautiful Dusk at Bat Bridge @ Austin!
Austin Capitol Congress Building at night!
Inside the Congress Building. Beautiful dome!
Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant!
I really like this picture! =D
Control Room in the Nuclear Power Plant!
Outside Geroge W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford Texas! 
NASA!
Heidified? =X

Galveston Beach =D
Houston, Texas at night!
Hard Rock Cafe, Houston!
Ice Cream Truck! Old school!=D
The core of the UT Nuclear Reactor! =O
The top of the reactor!
Texas Leader Shop! =D
On some random (and exciting) outing! =D
A visit to a river in Austin!
The super adorable squirrel on campus! =D
Really intense month at UT. But really appreciate the hospitality that I received, especially from my classmates and everyone! Thanks so much for making my summer an unforgettable one! =D

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Summer 2011 Part I

Summer 2011 will definitely be a summer that I'll not forget in a long long time. Definitely the most fruitful holidays I had. 2 Summer Programmes back to back - the first being the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG) Summer School in France, followed immediately by the University of Texas at Austin Summer Nuclear Engineering Institute (SNEI). Really tough in terms of workload, especially for the SNEI one, but really fulfilling. I've learnt and experienced so many things that I would never be able to get here in Singapore - and I gained quite a bit of credits as well! So definitely a worthwhile experience! Words can't adequately describe the awesome 2 months of experience, so here's just a photo entry of my 2 months abroad!

The first part of my adventures at INPG! =D

Touch down! Lyon Saint Exupery Airport!
Aeroports de Lyon!

Grenoble!
Residence Houille Blanche - My home for 4 weeks!
Really beautiful residence away from the city centre!
My study table - with the very short internet cable causing my laptop to be weirdly positioned. =X
While I was exploring Grenoble, the church that first caught my attention was this.
Beautiful monuments scattered around Grenoble
More beautiful cathedrals around Grenoble!
The main building of INPG - the place I will be studying at for 4 weeks!
INPG is located directly below the alps! Damn beautiful! =D
First lesson at INPG with the NUS trio - Yew Thong, Zhong Hang and me! =D
Another day at school with the NUS peeps!
Lab work in the clean room! =D
Extra armour to deal with the notorious HF!
Testing my photovoltaic cell! I MADE IT MYSELF! =D
Singaporean peeps with our lab instructor Anne (and our photovoltaic cells that were all working! )
Weekend getaway at our mobile home! =D
SG Peeps at dinner at La Taniere at Villard de Lans
A small waterfall in Villard de Lans
The superb view of the mountains!
A distillery near Grenoble!
In the distillery! Huge tanks of wine! =P
Wine-tasting class!
Cable Car to Fort Bastille
Cable Car!
At Fort Bastille!
A museum at Fort Bastille
Really tempting chocs in a chocolatier in Grenoble!
Dinner at a little restaurant in Grenoble! Really nice and rustic look! =D
Dinner with a few of the summer school peeps! =D
Paris! Paris Gare Lyon Train Station! =D

Notre Dame Cathedral
Musee du Louvre




The Eiffel Tower from beneath!
Eiffel Tower!
Barcelona!
Barcelona Airport!
Barcelona City Centre!


Palau Nacional
Musical Fountain at Font Magica

A Harp Player! =D
Zhong Hang, Yew Thong and me in Barcelona!
Nou Camp!

Tram up the hill to Tibidabo! =D
Cathedral at Tibidabo! =D
Really Beautiful cathedral - a couple was actually getting married there! =P
Barcelona from the top at Tibidabo! =D
Barcelona Olympic Village!

La Sangrada Familia! Really a masterpiece yet to be completed!
.... to be continued! =D