Third day of school, and I have almost reached the end of my work week, almost entered every single class.
Creative Thinking with Lovell.
Political Science with Mibs, Sean, Lynn and Mib's LKCSP friends.
The BSI talk on the HEXACO model of personality with Lovell.
Technology and World Change with Lynn.
Leadership and Team Building... on my own.
And later, Peer Helping and Mentoring, with Bobo, En Chin and Gabriel.

It's kind of funny. Just Sunday I was panicking that I knew no one for real in my LTB, and worrying that having to start from zero, I create a negative impression... And surprisingly this is the class I leave feeling the best. It's amazing, particularly for a module that I was alone in. There were a few familiar faces from previous classes, but no bonds existing.

The Prof, Paul Lim. Somehow he really makes us feel relaxed, comfortable. He clearly isn't rigid at all- taking class timings and breaks as negotiable, yet having a rational backup for it, not because he too wants to slack. While acknowledging that leadership was hard to teach, I somehow sense that he has an active interest in seeing all of us develop as a person. Almost non judgmental, and acknowledging that different people have different backgrounds and thus he will try to help them better. It's funny- the class participation examples he gave of the 5 marks band was so clearly statements that had no added value. And yet, he seemed to believe that as long as we felt that that was us trying to move out of our comfort zone, it was enough. For his top bands, it even tried to encapsulate the progress and improvement that students put in to try to improve their class part over time.

This treatment seems too kind in the perceived cutthroat environment in SMU. It helps too that he's an interesting prof, candid, relaxed. The fact that he expects us and encouraged me (in my first class part of the sem ._.) to defend my stand and enlighten the class on some part of my argument which they might not already know... really made me warm up to him, in a sense. Volunteered as group secretary- I wonder whether that was a move to challenge myself or whether I overstepped my boundaries by stealing from the rest of my groupmates this opportunity. Nevertheless, I can't bring myself to feel too guilt-driven; I think that doing so will give me an added incentive to prioritise this module and to be more responsible.

It's only after I left the class and started reading up about Peer Helping that I suddenly realised once again that, somehow or rather, I managed to get so many positives to balance out the more dreaded modules this semester. That LTB and SSGS003 are so clearly modules that will appeal to me on an emotional level, and simply are just waiting there for me to open up my more sociable side. That these two modules will potentially help me very much, if I let them, for both my OCSP to Kenya and when I decide to apply as camp faci. Amongst others.


One paragraph caught my eye though. And it's undoubtedly something that I will need to work on for myself first. I have no illusions about how flawed I am as a person, though the specifics I need to be reminded at times for me to realise. The crippling dread with which I entered class on Monday albeit with Lovell which clammed me up and by no means endeared me to my potential groupmates, for example. The lack of confidence or assertiveness or ability to think on my feet for points I am not particularly passionate about which characterised my being mute through the first three lessons of the semester.

Sometimes I wonder whether it is possible that I help anyone given the problems that I am only halfway solving, only halfway in control of. Perhaps as of this semester, I shall pretend I can.

Ahh it's not fair to put so much emphasis on LTB and SSGS003 when I ought to credit the other three mods for its merits as well. For CT, what can I say besides the fact that I have Lovell in the class with me, and that the prof, Alan Tea, clearly knows his businessy stuff and I would certainly learn stuff?

For Pol Science, the presence of my Sosc camp group is a relief- the tension reduced and the fun element increased. Prof Colm Fox kind of just mumbles to himself and is rather monotonous, but I feel that he's a kind soul. Very accepting in terms of class part as well, though his arises from perhaps us being his first batch of students and he still has an open mind, and finding it pleasant that we give interesting answers to the study that so interested him enough to apply for PhD.

Finally, for TWC... I somehow feel that I would reasonably get along with Prof Chan Kay Min. Likely it is my bias, but it did help that he was interested in the MBTI as well and is very particular about the definitions of words plus is a grammar Nazi. Personally I'm led to think he is some sort of Ti user? That said his stance on not mollycoddling and expecting us to push ourselves to do class part regardless of whether we be introvert or extrovert and his clear expectations of no nonsense and no wasting time might make him a hard man to please. An even harder person to please if I have to obtain my As this semester, as well. To my shock and with the help of this ENFP, I am going to be grouped with an ISTJ, Lynn (ISFP) and another INFJ. I can almost start worrying about the inter-quadra conflicts between the two betas and two gammas. Considering however that group work seems very straightforward, perhaps we will see less values clash and I might get the opportunity to watch a duality in action, and dispel my worries about conflicts with deltas.

~ Profile ~

~ some quotes ~

~ Leave your mark~

~Memories~

~ Exits ~

~ Credits ~