Tonight, i dream.
Tomorrow, i do.
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Tonight,I dream. Tomorrow, I do.
Monday, September 25, 2017 • 6:06 PM • 0 comments



‘Tonight, I dream. Tomorrow, I do.’

That was the theme for this blog, or you can say the ‘slogan’ as this will be the first sentence that you will see when you open this blog. About one and a half years ago, I wrote a post called Determination. I was sharing my insecurities as well as my regrets as my grades was not doing so well. I was feeling emotional as that day may be the last day where I am still considered a SIT student, an undergraduate. The term ’undergraduate’ still feels a little surreal till now. To me, getting into SIT was not something that I was really really proud of because SIT was not as ‘famous’ and well known as compared to NUS and NTU. Therefore, when I introduce my school to people for the first time, I would start the sentence with ‘It’s a school that no one knows about....’

I did not find anything wrong with this introduction for a very long time. Because it is true, in a sense that, unless you are an undergraduate or someone who is involves in the education industry, you might not have heard of SIT. It was only until recently where I realise that, getting into university is not that easy after all. I consider myself to be really lucky sometimes.

This is my third year in SIT and this journey still feels like a dream. One day I submitted my application to SIT and somehow I got called for interview, somehow I managed to pass the interview and landed myself in a slot in SIT.  The start was not good at all, I was getting borderline passes for all my modules, my CGPA was in the danger zone, I was at the verge of getting terminated by the school. But somehow I made it through and here I am, going through my one year of internship. With just one more semester after this internship, I would be able to graduate. Through these three years, I collected all of available academic status which includes warning, probation and termination. I was actually terminated during Year 2.3 but due to an improvement in my grades, my director decides to give me a second chance. This second chance is the last chance. I have to make it and I did.

My friends and I would often joke around talking about how amazing we are to be able to survive through all this. Looking back, it was really has been a rollercoaster ride. And unfortunately (HAHA), this ride has not ended yet. Internship just started on Sept and to be honest, it was not an easy start. The weekdays are starting early and ending late. I can not afford to be wilful and just skip work just because i don’t want to go. Many changes that I have to adapted to and it has been hard. But this is life, isn’t it? People have to adapt to the environment and not the other way round. ;)

Seems like it is going to be a ‘wonderful’ journey once more. With that, it’s time to end work! (6PM already!) Seeya!!!

Tonight, I dream. Tomorrow, I do. I dreamt about it and I managed to achieve it. How about you?


What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.- Aristotle



Determination :)
Friday, December 18, 2015 • 8:50 PM • 0 comments



Today has been kind of an emotional day, that's why i decided to post in this blog. Just some random thoughts, this blog provides me a space for me to share, so yeah.

Examinations are finally over. The first paper was Mechanics, it is considered tough to me if you compare it with past year papers. The second paper was Mathematics. This paper made me realise how kind Prof Aaron was. Mathematics was just like a total pile of sh*t. I feel sorry for Prof Wee Han to mark my paper. The third paper was C Programming. This was one of the better papers that i did okay in. The last one was Measurement and Sensor. It was a really bad way to end my exams and start my holidays. I could not understand what the exam was about. 

Various thoughts have been going through my head throughout the two weeks. To be honest, my grades aren't that great. For most of my tests, i only managed to obtain borderline passes. Therefore, i was just thinking if i should just give up after this semester. I do not come from a wealthy family, it has been a little tough for my parents to pay for my school fees. I was thinking, instead of wasting their money and my grades are like that, should i just give up and quit? I have been having this thought in my mind while studying for the various exams. This thought or idea of mine just got stronger and stronger after each paper. I felt demoralised during the last paper. Yes, demoralised. You will start to have this thought, "Are the professors trying to kill us and make us fail?". Well, i do know that this is not true, but i just lost all my confidence paper after paper. This is the first examination that i am able to stare at a question in a certain paper and my mind just went blank within seconds. I have no idea what the question is talking about. This was how crazy and serious it got. 

So, why am i still here? I should start filing documents to withdraw from school. Well, i think i should, but i did not. I remembered, it was the last paper, Measurement and Sensor. My friends and i were walking to the bus stop after the paper. One of my friends was looking really sad and depressed. So i went up to her and asked if she's feeling alright. She was sharing with me that she has this thought of quitting school. When i first heard, i was like "oh, me too." And i started explaining to her,convincing her that she should not quit now. I was shocked by myself when i was on the way home thinking about the conversation we had. I have come this far. Maybe three months in the entire university life is considered little, but i have managed to pull through three months. After many sleepless nights, after spending many nights crying because i did not know how to do tutorials, after feeling so frustrated because i just cannot understand what Professors are talking about and after hating myself, thinking that why am i so stupid, i do not want to give up now.

"If University was that easy, you will not have cases of people dropping out halfway through. Or people who cannot make it to University." My mum told me this when i complained to her about how tough the exams were. At first i was really angry when i heard her saying this. I was thinking, she should have comfort me instead. But thinking back, i feel that what she said was true. If it was that easy, it would not be called University, the final lap for students. I start to see things in a different light. University is not that easy to get in, but i am already in, for three months. I find it an accomplishment now that i managed to pass all my tests or assignment, even if there are all borderline passes. I will not give up now. This is a training for me, it trains my determination. If others can do it, i believe i can too. It just depends on how much effort and hard work i wish to put in for my studies. I hope it is not too late for me to understand this now. I am hoping that all my friends can persevere on. Hwaiting guys!


"You don’t just rise to the top. There are times of preparation and many mountains to conquer for the ultimate triumph to the top.” ― Lailah Gifty AkitaPearls of Wisdom: Great mind


Letter of Transmittal
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 • 12:34 AM • 0 comments



Faculty of Engineering
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive
Singapore 138683


20 October 2015


Brad Blackstone
Senior Lecturer
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive
Singapore 138683


Dear Blackstone,

RE: Request for Proposals

This letter is to inform you of our acknowledgement and response to your letter of authorization. We are enclosing our proposal for the recommendation to import a new sensor device for medical use. This report is written with the thought of providing assistance to people, especially the elderly, who are suffering from heart diseases.

This report consists of a brief summary on heart diseases, elderly diagnosed with this disease as well as current sensor devices in the market. It also includes all related primary and secondary research. An analysis of the pros and cons of the current and proposed sensor devices are attached to the report.

Your consideration of our proposal is greatly appreciated. We hope that you would kindly accept our recommendation in providing better assistance to aid elderly, who are suffering from heart diseases, in their daily lives.

Yours Sincerely,


Serene Tan (Team Representative)


Personal Statement
• 12:11 AM • 0 comments



My dad suffers from heart disease. Given the fact that he refused to go for appointments and annual health checks, I feel unsafe as I am unable to keep track of my dad’s condition. I feel the same for the elderly who are living alone. As an engineering student, I wish to do more research and source for better options that would help improve such situation. This project team would analyse and propose a more suitable medical sensor device for the elderly living alone.


Reader Response Draft 4
Thursday, December 3, 2015 • 7:01 PM • 1 comments



In the article “Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (2015) shares about the Envision rating system. It is the new reference model adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits, and awards will be presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. The author reveals that currently there are six projects that have received the award after completing third-party verification. She also emphasises the usefulness of Envision as it can be used in any point in the project life cycle by providing guidance in the decision-making process. I have to agree with the author on the usefulness of Envision because it is the only system that is designed for a vast array of non-building infrastructure projects. Envision expands the concept of sustainability from buildings to non-building infrastructure.

Envision was introduced in 2012, created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The idea behind Envision is related to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), a green building certification program that certifies a building with outstanding sustainable achievements. As quoted by Nelson, Deborah Weintraub, an interim city engineer, “Envision expands our over a decade long use of green rating systems for buildings to civil engineering projects.” Non-habitable structures, such as bridges, treatment plants and other types of civil infrastructure are not what LEED was designed for. (Xlcatlin.com, 2014) Therefore, with the need to be designed with sustainability in mind, Envision was launched.

Envision is a highly flexible system. It covers a wide range of infrastructure project types. (Rowe, 2015) Clark (2014) interviewed the president and CEO of the ISI, Bertera. Bertera mentions that Envision should be thought of as another LEED system. Envision is an assessment tool designed and structured just for non-building infrastructure projects, basically covering what LEED is unable to rate for. Mikel Wilkins, a Dallas-based civil engineer who was mentioned in Clark’s article, used Envision on a pipeline project in 2009. Considering that Envision integrates the social, environmental and economic aspects (Vock, 2015), Wilkins commented that through the rating system a better plan was produced. By doing so, the cost throughout the project lifecycle was measured using the system as well. He ended by praising Envision as a system that works regardless of the scale of the projects. This verifies Envision as a well-rounded system that is similar to LEED, providing the non-building infrastructure community with a complete palette to make themselves sustainable.

In Clark’s article, Wilkins also talked about how the credits in the system helped to mark out more targets after he and his partner opted for Envision. With that, they managed to have more ideas to implement green infrastructure. As Nelson emphasises in the article, Envision guides the decision makers. It allows them to see best practices in civil engineering from another perspective. As a result, it will force them to think out of the box therefore discovering new opportunities to make a project more sustainable. In this way, sustainability can also be achieved in different non-building infrastructure projects by making use of Envision.

However, it cannot be assumed that this is the perfect system for non-building infrastructure projects yet. Envision is the newest and only system for rating non-building infrastructure. As a result this would be the best system so far. The short term effects are satisfying. Then again, there has not been a chance to evaluate the long term effects. There may be underlying long term harm that is not shown at the moment. Nelson mentioned in her article that there had only been six projects evaluated to date. Based on these six projects, it is very hard to come to a conclusion for Envision. As the sample size is still small, I do not consider it to be reliable. More data will be needed in order to prove its reliability. Even so, there is no doubt that this is a promising system. Even though the sample size is small, it is still a good start. The six projects managed to complete third-party verifications and received awards. I think that it has the potential to develop more in the future.

In conclusion, Envision is undeniably a helpful tool as it targets sustainable non-building infrastructure. By integrating the social, environmental and economic aspects into the rating system, it oversees these areas where other rating systems do not. The concept of Envision is akin to LEED. However, both rating systems are on different tracks even though they are leading towards the same goal. I believe with Envision, LEED and the other rating systems, more improvements can be made to the buildings and infrastructures. It would help to sculpt a more sustainable future.



References

Clark, A. (2014, June 26). LEED for roads: Greener infrastructure gains momentum. GreenBiz. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/06/26/envision-greener-infrastructure-momentum

Nelson, D. (2015, June). Advancing sustainable infrastructure with Envision | civil + structural ENGINEER. Retrieved September 19, 2015, from http://cenews.com/article/10098/advancing-sustainable-infrastructure-with-envision

Rowe, J. (2015, July 23). How to Envision Green Infrastructure’s Triple Bottom Line. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://sustainability.autodesk.com/blog/triple-bottom-line-for-green-infrastructure/

Vock, D. (2015, September 16). ‘Envision’ System Helps Cities Build Sustainability. government technology. Retrieved 21 October 2015, from http://www.govtech.com/fs/Envision-System-Helps-Cities-Build-Sustainably.html

Xlcatlin.com,. (2014, November 10). Envisioning Sustainable Infrastructure: An Interview with Tim Psomas | XL. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://xlcatlin.com/fast-fast-forward/articles/envisioning-sustainable-infrastructure-an-interview-with-tim-psomas



The Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback
• 11:32 AM • 3 comments



Effective Communication. I took this module when i was in my Polytechnic. Thus, when i came to University, i saw this on the list of modules taken. My mind was thinking 'It is going to be easy!'. I entered university full of confidence, and now i kind of lost this confidence slowly through this module. Well, it may not be as serious as it sounds, but i feel that i truly understand what is Effective Communication now.

After going through this module, I will unknowingly check for grammar or vocabulary errors. It has become a habit now. Whenever i am writing sentence, i will read back to ensure that my tenses are correct. And to know that Brad hates 'therefore' after comma, and the word 'hence', i am always trying my best to cut those down. I will read it again to ensure there is no errors and it sounds correct. I think this is the influence that this class and this module has brought to me. It is cultivating this habit inside of me, It has become one of my reflexes, to check back on the things that i have written to ensure that there is no grammar or vocabulary errors in my sentences. I feel amazing seeing myself double-checking my own work.

Not to forget, the citing of references for essays. Citation has become important in university. Without citation, it will be deemed as plagiarism. Now i take citation to a more serious level. In the past i would just throw them into automatic citation websites. Without reading it to ensure that it is correct, i will just copy and paste them the citation inside my report. But now, after knowing that Brad looks through them one by one, i will check to ensure that each full-stop or comma is correctly placed. Well, i am still using the automatic citation websites, but i will double check with citation websites. And i feel this sense of accomplishment when i finish my citation. It was just an extraordinary feeling.

I really enjoyed this module. Looking forward to each class every week, this only happens in Effective Communication. I wish to thank Brad for all the skills that he has taught us. You know what Brad, you are really an amazing teacher. It really warmed my heart that you managed to memorise our names in just a short period of time. I feel respected and we are really a class instead of just any tutorial group. For that, thank you~ Thank you for making my first semester in University such an enjoyable one. I look forward to having you as my teacher again.


Good teachers know how to bring out the best in students. - Charles Kuralt


Reflection on Presentation
• 1:48 AM • 2 comments



After a few weeks of researching, finally, we had our group presentation. Supposedly it was scheduled on 12th November, which lies on a Thursday. Because of some reasons, it was postponed to 16th November. My group was really happy as we thought that we have more time to prepare for our presentation. Yet, 16th November was the day for the testing of our Mechanics Prototype. It turned out that we have no time during the weekends to meet up and do our slides. Bringing three classmates together at the first semester to do project is a bad choice. It was not easy at all. Everyone was unfamiliar with one another, we did not understand one another's working style.

In the midst of preparing for the report as well as the presentation, we have tutorials and other assignments to complete. It was tough to ensure that everyone is keeping up to the pace. When one of the group member has free time to meet up, the other may be occupied because of other assignment. My group decided to do the usual way and split the parts up. As everyone has different assignments to complete and everyone has their own pace of doing, Fadhli completed his part first. He moved on to the complete the other assignments. I was kind of doing half of this and half of that. Sha was completing the other assignments before moving to this. Therefore when we decided to compile, her part was half done. Between 12th and 16th, my group wanted to meet up however, we are all occupied with group meet ups for Mechanics. During the weekends, i was working. I was unable to take leave without one month notice.

To be honest, the report and presentation slides were done in a rush but i believe all of us did it with effort. Even at the last minute, we were still reading through the content again and again to ensure that it is alright. I felt that if we communicate a little more at the start of the project , it would have made things go much smoother. I should have put in a little more effort to talk and discuss with my members. By so, we may be able to proceed with our planned schedule accordingly. Maybe it was because this is just the first semester, everything is going at a super fast speed. No one had the time to stop, rest and digest what they have done. I believe we will not make the same mistakes in the following group project. I would have to thank Fadhli and Sha for putting in so much effort in this project as well as tolerating my flaws through this period. Thanks guys, without you guys, i won't be able to complete this module feeling contented. :)


Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. - Henry Ford