Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
//my desk is on the verge of collapsing-thankfully my world is not//
well my ultra messy desk has a lot of junk- and just a handful of useful stuff.
most of my books are on the shelves so i'm wondering why is it collapsing.
a signal that i should clear up my junk?
anyhow, i've just realise that as we grow older the world seems to get messier.
just like my desk.
we accumulate more junk as we grow.
on the other hand, we acquire more knowledge and experience as we grow.
is that considered a good thing?
i dunno.
it just seems to me that the knowledge and experience that we supposedly gain are for practical purposes like living and working in the real world.
which simply helps to contribute to our already messed-up world.
perhaps i should take back my words.
from another perspective, the world never become messier.
it's just that as we grow older, we become more aware of things happening in our country and even at the other end of the world.
i doubt if anyone would get my drift cuz i'm not too sure myself.
just some impulsive thoughts.
just want to comment that as we grow older
many things become out-of-reach.
and impossible.
for example.
a naive seven-year-old tells you,
she wants to grow up to become a teacher.
Grown-ups: Wah good girl! To be a teacher is being a useful person!
when she's eight, she says
i want to be a doctor.
Grown-ups: Good! Doctors can earn a lot of money and save people.
when she's nine, she changes her mind yet again.
i want to fly in spaceships! i want to be an astronaut.
Grown-ups: Good! What an adventurous girl!
when she's ten, her fickle mind can't stop.
i want to be a lawyer! so cool man.
Grown-ups: Yea! just talk a few sentence and you'll earn loads of money.
when she's eleven, she thought over and over. thinking very hard.
she says, i dunno what i should be in the future.
but the job must
1. make a difference in someone else's life
2. allow me to have a sense of satisfaction
3.allow me to travel to other parts of the world
Grown-ups: Girl, stop daydreaming, there's no such perfect job. just be a teacher/doctor/lawyer. you can earn loads.
At twelve, she has no time to think of a new ambition.
she has to study for Please Stop Learning Everything.
when she's in secondary school, she stops her daydreams.
she studied. she ate books.(figuratively) she swallowed that irritating "Air-math" ten-year-series.
in fact.
she studied for the sake of studying.
in jc.
she realised she could never fulfil any of her ambitions.
because she didn't want to?
because she couldn't?
because she has finally gotten a glimpse of the rat race.
she couldn't forget how horrible it is.
how impossible it is to achieve her dreams.
how elitist the society is.
how you have to be the very best to get what you want.
in the end, she realised.
perhaps she should just lead a normal life.
hold a normal nine-to-five office bound job.
earn a healthy income.
forget her ambitions.
forget her dreams.
she has to be practical.
she has to be logical.
oh how she hates the word practical.
oh, by the way, if you haven't already guessed so, the once-naive seven-year-old is yours truly =)
well my ultra messy desk has a lot of junk- and just a handful of useful stuff.
most of my books are on the shelves so i'm wondering why is it collapsing.
a signal that i should clear up my junk?
anyhow, i've just realise that as we grow older the world seems to get messier.
just like my desk.
we accumulate more junk as we grow.
on the other hand, we acquire more knowledge and experience as we grow.
is that considered a good thing?
i dunno.
it just seems to me that the knowledge and experience that we supposedly gain are for practical purposes like living and working in the real world.
which simply helps to contribute to our already messed-up world.
perhaps i should take back my words.
from another perspective, the world never become messier.
it's just that as we grow older, we become more aware of things happening in our country and even at the other end of the world.
i doubt if anyone would get my drift cuz i'm not too sure myself.
just some impulsive thoughts.
just want to comment that as we grow older
many things become out-of-reach.
and impossible.
for example.
a naive seven-year-old tells you,
she wants to grow up to become a teacher.
Grown-ups: Wah good girl! To be a teacher is being a useful person!
when she's eight, she says
i want to be a doctor.
Grown-ups: Good! Doctors can earn a lot of money and save people.
when she's nine, she changes her mind yet again.
i want to fly in spaceships! i want to be an astronaut.
Grown-ups: Good! What an adventurous girl!
when she's ten, her fickle mind can't stop.
i want to be a lawyer! so cool man.
Grown-ups: Yea! just talk a few sentence and you'll earn loads of money.
when she's eleven, she thought over and over. thinking very hard.
she says, i dunno what i should be in the future.
but the job must
1. make a difference in someone else's life
2. allow me to have a sense of satisfaction
3.allow me to travel to other parts of the world
Grown-ups: Girl, stop daydreaming, there's no such perfect job. just be a teacher/doctor/lawyer. you can earn loads.
At twelve, she has no time to think of a new ambition.
she has to study for Please Stop Learning Everything.
when she's in secondary school, she stops her daydreams.
she studied. she ate books.(figuratively) she swallowed that irritating "Air-math" ten-year-series.
in fact.
she studied for the sake of studying.
in jc.
she realised she could never fulfil any of her ambitions.
because she didn't want to?
because she couldn't?
because she has finally gotten a glimpse of the rat race.
she couldn't forget how horrible it is.
how impossible it is to achieve her dreams.
how elitist the society is.
how you have to be the very best to get what you want.
in the end, she realised.
perhaps she should just lead a normal life.
hold a normal nine-to-five office bound job.
earn a healthy income.
forget her ambitions.
forget her dreams.
she has to be practical.
she has to be logical.
oh how she hates the word practical.
oh, by the way, if you haven't already guessed so, the once-naive seven-year-old is yours truly =)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
//trying to get the spirits up//
yesterday.
was supposed to throw a surprise birthday celebration for a friend.
was running late, but
i cannot believe how coincidental is that.
to meet her at the door of the mrt just as i was about to alight.
then i had to fake some reason why i came despite the fact that the night before i just told her i couldn't make it for the "shopping trip"
of course that was only a smokescreen.
luckily,
still she believed my reason to be there and the surprise wasn't spoiled.
anyway, everyone went on low budget yesterday.
no popcorn or drinks for the movie, Red Cliff. 赤壁.
well, critics from ST said Red Cliff part I had less battle scenes than part II
truth be told, I thought part I had really a lot of battle scenes.
anyway, this film is rather easy to understand, even for me, a noob of the Three Kingdoms.
(i vaguely remembered my chinese sec3/4 textbook had this excerpt 赤壁之戰 whereby 周瑜 led 130 thousand troops and won the battle against 曹操 800 thousand troops. at that time i was amazed by the victory)
but i don't really understand why it had costed so much ($80 million) to film this movie.
my guess is that they spent a lot paying the extras, and for the props (a lot of ships and horses, weapons and armour)
if you ask me which part of the movie I like most, I would say the acting.
especially Takeshi Kaneshiro as 诸葛亮, and Chang Chen as 孙权.
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as 周瑜 didn't leave much of an impression on me, though.
Vicki Zhao as Sun Shangxiang 孙尚香 fitted her onscreen personality though i'm rather taken aback by how much she has aged, even as her playful character amuses the audience, as always.
and it was unanimously agreed that the scenes in which Chiling Lin appears as 小乔 as Tony's wife, were meaningless.
perhaps in Part II her role will become more useful as the devilish 曹操 had a crush on her since aeons ago.
anyway, even though i was yawning through and half asleep at the start of the movie where 曹操 army emerged victorious against 刘备troops. (maybe the righteous side of me hated to see the devil prevail over the good)
i was wide awake when they discussed the military strategies and the first victory battle claimed by the 刘备-孙权 alliance.
but since the real 赤壁之戰 haven't been shown yet, perhaps perhaps i might catch Part II when it is showing. (who knows when?)
yesterday.
was supposed to throw a surprise birthday celebration for a friend.
was running late, but
i cannot believe how coincidental is that.
to meet her at the door of the mrt just as i was about to alight.
then i had to fake some reason why i came despite the fact that the night before i just told her i couldn't make it for the "shopping trip"
of course that was only a smokescreen.
luckily,
still she believed my reason to be there and the surprise wasn't spoiled.
anyway, everyone went on low budget yesterday.
no popcorn or drinks for the movie, Red Cliff. 赤壁.
well, critics from ST said Red Cliff part I had less battle scenes than part II
truth be told, I thought part I had really a lot of battle scenes.
anyway, this film is rather easy to understand, even for me, a noob of the Three Kingdoms.
(i vaguely remembered my chinese sec3/4 textbook had this excerpt 赤壁之戰 whereby 周瑜 led 130 thousand troops and won the battle against 曹操 800 thousand troops. at that time i was amazed by the victory)
but i don't really understand why it had costed so much ($80 million) to film this movie.
my guess is that they spent a lot paying the extras, and for the props (a lot of ships and horses, weapons and armour)
if you ask me which part of the movie I like most, I would say the acting.
especially Takeshi Kaneshiro as 诸葛亮, and Chang Chen as 孙权.
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as 周瑜 didn't leave much of an impression on me, though.
Vicki Zhao as Sun Shangxiang 孙尚香 fitted her onscreen personality though i'm rather taken aback by how much she has aged, even as her playful character amuses the audience, as always.
and it was unanimously agreed that the scenes in which Chiling Lin appears as 小乔 as Tony's wife, were meaningless.
perhaps in Part II her role will become more useful as the devilish 曹操 had a crush on her since aeons ago.
anyway, even though i was yawning through and half asleep at the start of the movie where 曹操 army emerged victorious against 刘备troops. (maybe the righteous side of me hated to see the devil prevail over the good)
i was wide awake when they discussed the military strategies and the first victory battle claimed by the 刘备-孙权 alliance.
but since the real 赤壁之戰 haven't been shown yet, perhaps perhaps i might catch Part II when it is showing. (who knows when?)
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
//lazy//
recently just too lazy to blog.
haha.
anyway, contributing to my lazy mood is due to the lazing around that I've been doing since 11 june, the day which mark the end of my jap exam.
Just to comment that I felt so lucky that I got the jap module for this special semester.
Last week, I received an e-mail that from next year onwards, NTU gonna charge 500 bucks for special sem!
Haha! I did not need to pay any additional school fees for this special sem.
While lazing around, well, I've been finding work but to no avail.
Anyway, I'm surviving on my income as a tutor.
Which serves fine except that I'm so bored in the afternoons.
Newspapers filled my mornings and that's fine cuz I don't rise early.
It's habitual, I think.
someone said before that if you are born in the morning, you'll tend to rise early and if you are born in the night, you'll tend to sleep late and it's quite true for me.
updating my life is so boring because it's truly plain.
recently just too lazy to blog.
haha.
anyway, contributing to my lazy mood is due to the lazing around that I've been doing since 11 june, the day which mark the end of my jap exam.
Just to comment that I felt so lucky that I got the jap module for this special semester.
Last week, I received an e-mail that from next year onwards, NTU gonna charge 500 bucks for special sem!
Haha! I did not need to pay any additional school fees for this special sem.
While lazing around, well, I've been finding work but to no avail.
Anyway, I'm surviving on my income as a tutor.
Which serves fine except that I'm so bored in the afternoons.
Newspapers filled my mornings and that's fine cuz I don't rise early.
It's habitual, I think.
someone said before that if you are born in the morning, you'll tend to rise early and if you are born in the night, you'll tend to sleep late and it's quite true for me.
updating my life is so boring because it's truly plain.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
//Seeking Gratitude//
If you woke up this morning with more health than sickness, you are more fortunate than the one million people who will not survive this week.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you can attend your religious activity or political meeting without fear of harassment arrest, torture, or death, then you are more blessed than three billion in the world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in your pocket, then you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you woke up this morning with more health than sickness, you are more fortunate than the one million people who will not survive this week.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you can attend your religious activity or political meeting without fear of harassment arrest, torture, or death, then you are more blessed than three billion in the world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in your pocket, then you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
//feeling emo //
i wonder how people who are always at the top feel when getting their results
perhaps they find no kick in seeing their straight As results
for me, well, i was so terrified of seeing the results.
those in my jap class checked their results before going for the oral exam.
this leads me to think that i've shown no emotional maturity at all.
anyway, this sem I've done worse than last sem.
as expected.
i wonder how people who are always at the top feel when getting their results
perhaps they find no kick in seeing their straight As results
for me, well, i was so terrified of seeing the results.
those in my jap class checked their results before going for the oral exam.
this leads me to think that i've shown no emotional maturity at all.
anyway, this sem I've done worse than last sem.
as expected.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
//what happens in Vegas//
ok. a romance comedy.
actually it wasn't what I have in mind.
haha. but it was entertaining.
like all romance comedies go.
guy meets girl.
in this case well.
ashton kutcher meets cameron diaz in Las Vegas
and they hit the slot machine jackpot.
3 million USD
well it was actually after their discussion that both will not take their one-night fling seriously.
but for 3 million USD
they went to court.
and you know, the funny court scene where they are supposed to "try" to live a marital life, otherwise the prize money will remain frozen under the court's rule.
it was funny when they tried to piss each other out.
by doing idiotic things like taking out the bathroom door.
as you might have guess,
they finally end up together.
there are simply too much coincidences in the story.
oh well.
what happens in Vegas only will happen in Vegas, in reel-life.
Real-life is much too complicated.
ok. a romance comedy.
actually it wasn't what I have in mind.
haha. but it was entertaining.
like all romance comedies go.
guy meets girl.
in this case well.
ashton kutcher meets cameron diaz in Las Vegas
and they hit the slot machine jackpot.
3 million USD
well it was actually after their discussion that both will not take their one-night fling seriously.
but for 3 million USD
they went to court.
and you know, the funny court scene where they are supposed to "try" to live a marital life, otherwise the prize money will remain frozen under the court's rule.
it was funny when they tried to piss each other out.
by doing idiotic things like taking out the bathroom door.
as you might have guess,
they finally end up together.
there are simply too much coincidences in the story.
oh well.
what happens in Vegas only will happen in Vegas, in reel-life.
Real-life is much too complicated.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
// it's eat-eat-eat after the exams //
I have been eating so much after the exams.
woah.
so much so I wasn't even tempted by the filet-o-fish today.
I need to stop.
Anyway, I've been accompanying my parents shopping these few days.
Went to Carrefour.
Ate a bento and a plate of western food.
glutton!
Went to JB.
Ate an american-style set lunch.
sinful!
ok, I'm so guilty.
as you might have guessed,
currently,
I'm so bored that I am actually blogging about what I ate.
yes, I'm uber bored.
there's nothing good on TV.
there's nothing to do online.
to be specific, I have already finish watching yesterday's episode of "chao ji xing guang da dao" on youtube
(so left nothing much to do)
in case you are wondering, it's a singing competition in Taiwan.
anyway, yesterday's episode was especially nice =)
the judges were supposed to eliminate 1 contestant
but they saw the tremendous effort put in by every contestant to perfect their singing as well as dancing.
in the end, no one got eliminated.
so everyone got a chance to compete again.
that's nice because some of them really can dance but cannot sing well
whereas some have good vocals but lack the body language.
i daresay, this show is at least 10times better than Singapore's Project Superstar or Sg idol for that matter.
the judges are really professional.
they are always eager to pin-point the weaknesses of the contestants
with the hope for the contestant to become better.
whereas, in singapore, the judges are much much too conservative.
assuming the judges are also similarly qualified,
judges in singapore just do not really point out mistakes or give constructive suggestions.
sometimes i really wonder they are just there for the sake of having judges?
the host, tao zi, is also great.
she herself is a singer so she also gave some good recommendations to the contestants.
she thinks on her feet and reacts quickly.
in this area, sg really pales in comparison.
the hosts are always dishing out overused, cliche comments which we have probably heard for a thousand times.
great show!
it should be broadcasted in singapore also because there's 2 singaporeans left in the competition.
I have been eating so much after the exams.
woah.
so much so I wasn't even tempted by the filet-o-fish today.
I need to stop.
Anyway, I've been accompanying my parents shopping these few days.
Went to Carrefour.
Ate a bento and a plate of western food.
glutton!
Went to JB.
Ate an american-style set lunch.
sinful!
ok, I'm so guilty.
as you might have guessed,
currently,
I'm so bored that I am actually blogging about what I ate.
yes, I'm uber bored.
there's nothing good on TV.
there's nothing to do online.
to be specific, I have already finish watching yesterday's episode of "chao ji xing guang da dao" on youtube
(so left nothing much to do)
in case you are wondering, it's a singing competition in Taiwan.
anyway, yesterday's episode was especially nice =)
the judges were supposed to eliminate 1 contestant
but they saw the tremendous effort put in by every contestant to perfect their singing as well as dancing.
in the end, no one got eliminated.
so everyone got a chance to compete again.
that's nice because some of them really can dance but cannot sing well
whereas some have good vocals but lack the body language.
i daresay, this show is at least 10times better than Singapore's Project Superstar or Sg idol for that matter.
the judges are really professional.
they are always eager to pin-point the weaknesses of the contestants
with the hope for the contestant to become better.
whereas, in singapore, the judges are much much too conservative.
assuming the judges are also similarly qualified,
judges in singapore just do not really point out mistakes or give constructive suggestions.
sometimes i really wonder they are just there for the sake of having judges?
the host, tao zi, is also great.
she herself is a singer so she also gave some good recommendations to the contestants.
she thinks on her feet and reacts quickly.
in this area, sg really pales in comparison.
the hosts are always dishing out overused, cliche comments which we have probably heard for a thousand times.
great show!
it should be broadcasted in singapore also because there's 2 singaporeans left in the competition.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
//10 people chasing after 1 ball - one guarding goalpost//
wahaha.
never knew soccer could be so exciting.
my dad asked me to help him check the results of EPL match.
Chelsea v Man-U.
2-1.
haha.
he's disappointed i guess.
that Man-U won't be able to claim their trophy as yet.
but i stumble upon these videos.
thought they were pretty cool =P
Ballack's goal no.1--- http://videos.sapo.pt/JEZHPFWrjy63BDnkRckN
Rooney's goal --- http://videos.sapo.pt/ZPeC3jgbFEitj8rJmhPo
Ballack's penalty goal --- http://videos.sapo.pt/Ae1bOiGSTzODR0Mvnzqs
wahaha.
never knew soccer could be so exciting.
my dad asked me to help him check the results of EPL match.
Chelsea v Man-U.
2-1.
haha.
he's disappointed i guess.
that Man-U won't be able to claim their trophy as yet.
but i stumble upon these videos.
thought they were pretty cool =P
Ballack's goal no.1--- http://videos.sapo.pt/JEZHPFWrjy63BDnkRckN
Rooney's goal --- http://videos.sapo.pt/ZPeC3jgbFEitj8rJmhPo
Ballack's penalty goal --- http://videos.sapo.pt/Ae1bOiGSTzODR0Mvnzqs
Friday, April 25, 2008
// so.......is that a confirm C grade? (or worse) //
omg.
should have S/Ued "Impact of Chem on Society"
9 marks out of 20!!
how could it be?
i did some research at least.
the last test when i did zero research,
i even managed to scrape a 12/20.
must have been by sheer luck.
so now i'm almost certain a big fat C or D will greet me.
when i read my final grade for this CBC.
gosh.
my worst mistake ever is not S/U-ing this module.
my core modules are dying and now even this elective is pushing me into the boiling, hot soup.
i am engulfed.
last two papers - Physics and CBC
will prove to be the most crucial and toughest of all.
because i've failed both CAs.
omg.
should have S/Ued "Impact of Chem on Society"
9 marks out of 20!!
how could it be?
i did some research at least.
the last test when i did zero research,
i even managed to scrape a 12/20.
must have been by sheer luck.
so now i'm almost certain a big fat C or D will greet me.
when i read my final grade for this CBC.
gosh.
my worst mistake ever is not S/U-ing this module.
my core modules are dying and now even this elective is pushing me into the boiling, hot soup.
i am engulfed.
last two papers - Physics and CBC
will prove to be the most crucial and toughest of all.
because i've failed both CAs.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
//trying to keep up the optimism//
Gauss's law states the net flux through any closed surface is ......
when everybody else in the world is revising,
it seems like i'm just starting to learn everything
i took one whole day to learn electric fields and Gauss' law.
counter-productive.
why didn't i understand the concept earlier?
what was i doing during the lectures and tutorials?
it's just the start.
i've counted.
18 physics chapters to go.
not forgetting chem and impact of chem.
3 more papers to the road of freedom.
by the way, i've enrolled for jap lvl 1 module in May.
after much, much consideration.
well, in case, i've got to re-take any of the modules (predict: maths/physics/computing)
next sem.
i won't have time to study an elective then.
it's hard to keep up the optimism when things aren't going your way.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
// PROCRASTINATION //
It is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time.
Psychologists often cite procrastination as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision.For the person procrastinating this may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of personal productivity, the creation of crisis and the disapproval of others for not fulfilling one's responsibilities or commitments. While it is normal for individuals to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning.
Chronic procrastination may be a sign of an underlying psychological or physiological disorder.
The psychological causes of procrastination vary greatly, but generally surround issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-defeating mentality. Procrastinators are also thought to have a higher-than-normal level of conscientiousness, more based on the "dreams and wishes" of perfection or achievement in contrast to a realistic appreciation of their obligations and potential.Author David Allen brings up two major psychological causes of procrastination at work and in life which are related to anxiety, not laziness.[citation needed] The first category comprises things too small to worry about, tasks that are an annoying interruption in the flow of things, and for which there are low-impact workarounds; an example might be organizing a messy room. The second category comprises things too big to control, tasks that a person might fear, or for which the implications might have a great impact on a person's life; an example might be the adult children of a deteriorating elderly parent deciding what living arrangement would be best.A person might unconsciously overestimate or underestimate the scale of a task if procrastination has become a habit.
From the behavioral psychology point of view, James Mazur has said that procrastination is a particular case of "impulsiveness" as opposed to self control.
The relaxed type
The relaxed type of procrastinators view their responsibilities negatively and avoid them by directing energy into other tasks. It is common, for example, for relaxed type procrastinating children to abandon schoolwork but not their social lives. Students often see projects as a whole rather than breaking them into smaller parts. This type of procrastination is a form of denial or cover-up; therefore, typically no help is being sought. Furthermore, they are also unable to defer gratification. The procrastinator avoids situations that would cause displeasure, indulging instead in more enjoyable activities. In Freudian terms, such procrastinators refuse to renounce the pleasure principle, instead sacrificing the reality principle. They may not appear to be worried about work and deadlines, but this is simply an evasion.
The genius procrastinator
Genius procrastinator is a type of relaxed procrastinator intelligent person. Unlike the typical relaxed type procrastinator, who usually does not care about what they are delaying, geniuses do care but do not need to put a great deal of effort into that area to do well, and therefore can wait until the last minute, put in minimal effort, and still produce a good result. Genius procrastinators often work well under pressure; often, when they do not have a deadline set for a project, their work lags. Other genius procrastinators are just lazy with their time in general, and when they're procrastinating in a subject that they are not as skilled at, they usually fall under the tense-afraid type (see below). A common example of the genius procrastinator is the precocious student who is working in a class where the expectations are set far below their ability level in that subject. For example, a gifted writer in a standard elementary or middle school English class often waits until the last minute to write their papers because they know that they will get an A even by putting in the lowest amount of effort possible, and that to expend any more effort than that on such an assignment would be wasteful.
The tense-afraid type
The tense-afraid type of procrastinator usually feels overwhelmed with pressure, unrealistic about time, uncertain about goals and many other negative feelings. Feeling that they lack the ability or focus to successfully complete their work, they tell themselves that they need to unwind and relax, that it's better to take it easy for the afternoon, for example, and start afresh in the morning. They usually have grandiose plans that aren't realistic. Their 'relaxing' is often temporary and ineffective, and leads to even more stress as time runs out, deadlines approach and the person feels increasingly guilty and apprehensive. This behavior becomes a cycle of failure and delay, as plans and goals are put off, penciled into the following day or week in the diary again and again. It can also have a debilitating effect on their personal lives and relationships. Since they are uncertain about their goals, they often feel awkward with people who appear confident and goal-oriented, which can lead to depression. Tense-afraid procrastinators often withdraw from social life, avoiding contact even with close friends.
It is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time.
Psychologists often cite procrastination as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision.For the person procrastinating this may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of personal productivity, the creation of crisis and the disapproval of others for not fulfilling one's responsibilities or commitments. While it is normal for individuals to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning.
Chronic procrastination may be a sign of an underlying psychological or physiological disorder.
The psychological causes of procrastination vary greatly, but generally surround issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-defeating mentality. Procrastinators are also thought to have a higher-than-normal level of conscientiousness, more based on the "dreams and wishes" of perfection or achievement in contrast to a realistic appreciation of their obligations and potential.Author David Allen brings up two major psychological causes of procrastination at work and in life which are related to anxiety, not laziness.[citation needed] The first category comprises things too small to worry about, tasks that are an annoying interruption in the flow of things, and for which there are low-impact workarounds; an example might be organizing a messy room. The second category comprises things too big to control, tasks that a person might fear, or for which the implications might have a great impact on a person's life; an example might be the adult children of a deteriorating elderly parent deciding what living arrangement would be best.A person might unconsciously overestimate or underestimate the scale of a task if procrastination has become a habit.
From the behavioral psychology point of view, James Mazur has said that procrastination is a particular case of "impulsiveness" as opposed to self control.
The relaxed type
The relaxed type of procrastinators view their responsibilities negatively and avoid them by directing energy into other tasks. It is common, for example, for relaxed type procrastinating children to abandon schoolwork but not their social lives. Students often see projects as a whole rather than breaking them into smaller parts. This type of procrastination is a form of denial or cover-up; therefore, typically no help is being sought. Furthermore, they are also unable to defer gratification. The procrastinator avoids situations that would cause displeasure, indulging instead in more enjoyable activities. In Freudian terms, such procrastinators refuse to renounce the pleasure principle, instead sacrificing the reality principle. They may not appear to be worried about work and deadlines, but this is simply an evasion.
The genius procrastinator
Genius procrastinator is a type of relaxed procrastinator intelligent person. Unlike the typical relaxed type procrastinator, who usually does not care about what they are delaying, geniuses do care but do not need to put a great deal of effort into that area to do well, and therefore can wait until the last minute, put in minimal effort, and still produce a good result. Genius procrastinators often work well under pressure; often, when they do not have a deadline set for a project, their work lags. Other genius procrastinators are just lazy with their time in general, and when they're procrastinating in a subject that they are not as skilled at, they usually fall under the tense-afraid type (see below). A common example of the genius procrastinator is the precocious student who is working in a class where the expectations are set far below their ability level in that subject. For example, a gifted writer in a standard elementary or middle school English class often waits until the last minute to write their papers because they know that they will get an A even by putting in the lowest amount of effort possible, and that to expend any more effort than that on such an assignment would be wasteful.
The tense-afraid type
The tense-afraid type of procrastinator usually feels overwhelmed with pressure, unrealistic about time, uncertain about goals and many other negative feelings. Feeling that they lack the ability or focus to successfully complete their work, they tell themselves that they need to unwind and relax, that it's better to take it easy for the afternoon, for example, and start afresh in the morning. They usually have grandiose plans that aren't realistic. Their 'relaxing' is often temporary and ineffective, and leads to even more stress as time runs out, deadlines approach and the person feels increasingly guilty and apprehensive. This behavior becomes a cycle of failure and delay, as plans and goals are put off, penciled into the following day or week in the diary again and again. It can also have a debilitating effect on their personal lives and relationships. Since they are uncertain about their goals, they often feel awkward with people who appear confident and goal-oriented, which can lead to depression. Tense-afraid procrastinators often withdraw from social life, avoiding contact even with close friends.
oh man. I think I'm in-between the first and third
type.
Friday, April 11, 2008
//End-of-Sem//
Whoa.
It's the end of another semester.
Which means year 1 has (almost) ended.
That is.
If I managed to scrape through the exams in the next three weeks.
For this going-to-end semester, I mostly planned the timetable myself (with Liqing too)
#Lab Mondays#
The most interesting thing about doing lab experiments is that we go to different labs each week to do different stuff.
The worst: a 10-page lab report in 2 weeks
Need I say more?
#Mac Tuesdays#
The only day I can wake up at 8am, the latest among everybody in the house.
The only day I have a luxurious 2-hr lunch break.
I'll grab some food before maths tutorial (which I absolutely detest the tutor)
And have MacDonald's (under peer pressure from yb and lq)
I think I only eat and crap on those days.
#Panic-over-computing Wednesdays#
Firstly, I fear being late for the class (which I have a tendency to)
Secondly, I go frantic over how much I don't know about computing.
Not to mention that after I complied the program, the number of errors-to-be-corrected totally freaks me out.
Thirdly, the mad rush from South spine to get to the PHYSICS tutorial at the North spine is enough to make anyone breathless and lose concentration during PHYSICS.
#Evil Thursdays#
It's the most EVIL day of the week. (imagine us nearly-got-struck by lightning)
After being brain-drained by vi's loved professor Talia, there is no way anyone could still function like a normal human being.
That is when I threaten to shoot down all the birds at Hall2 while Vi professes her love for Talia to bushes and trees.
We simply suffer from laughing disorders- getting tickled by the most innocent thing we see. (namely bushes, trees, flowers, birds and Einstein)
Did I say we saw Einstein?
Yea, that's how evil it gets.
#Slack Fridays#
The day ends at 12.30, which is no surprise why it's my favourite day of the week.
Except when there is Chem test.
I'll just die of stress when I see many people get nine or ten marks (out of ten) while I could only manage a pathetic seven.
Anyway, life gets pretty mudane and routinal after some time.
For this sem, at least.
For every week, there's the same timetable, same classes, same classmates, same tutors, same route to class.
Whoa.
It's the end of another semester.
Which means year 1 has (almost) ended.
That is.
If I managed to scrape through the exams in the next three weeks.
For this going-to-end semester, I mostly planned the timetable myself (with Liqing too)
#Lab Mondays#
The most interesting thing about doing lab experiments is that we go to different labs each week to do different stuff.
The worst: a 10-page lab report in 2 weeks
Need I say more?
#Mac Tuesdays#
The only day I can wake up at 8am, the latest among everybody in the house.
The only day I have a luxurious 2-hr lunch break.
I'll grab some food before maths tutorial (which I absolutely detest the tutor)
And have MacDonald's (under peer pressure from yb and lq)
I think I only eat and crap on those days.
#Panic-over-computing Wednesdays#
Firstly, I fear being late for the class (which I have a tendency to)
Secondly, I go frantic over how much I don't know about computing.
Not to mention that after I complied the program, the number of errors-to-be-corrected totally freaks me out.
Thirdly, the mad rush from South spine to get to the PHYSICS tutorial at the North spine is enough to make anyone breathless and lose concentration during PHYSICS.
#Evil Thursdays#
It's the most EVIL day of the week. (imagine us nearly-got-struck by lightning)
After being brain-drained by vi's loved professor Talia, there is no way anyone could still function like a normal human being.
That is when I threaten to shoot down all the birds at Hall2 while Vi professes her love for Talia to bushes and trees.
We simply suffer from laughing disorders- getting tickled by the most innocent thing we see. (namely bushes, trees, flowers, birds and Einstein)
Did I say we saw Einstein?
Yea, that's how evil it gets.
#Slack Fridays#
The day ends at 12.30, which is no surprise why it's my favourite day of the week.
Except when there is Chem test.
I'll just die of stress when I see many people get nine or ten marks (out of ten) while I could only manage a pathetic seven.
Anyway, life gets pretty mudane and routinal after some time.
For this sem, at least.
For every week, there's the same timetable, same classes, same classmates, same tutors, same route to class.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Friday, April 04, 2008
//Funny -Crazy//
Water fight in NTU canteen?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_2gVzNaeso
Triple-sharing hostel rooms
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MXVYGi3DWJk
Water fight in NTU canteen?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_2gVzNaeso
Triple-sharing hostel rooms
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MXVYGi3DWJk
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