Nicole Bernadette

Before we begin talking about my grades and the modules, I wanted to start this post with a lighter video which also showcased my live reaction when I opened my results and my thoughts on my results as well as my transfer into another course/major in NUS. 

I hope you enjoy the video! It has a lot of fond memories from the December holidays~ 

CFG1002 Career Catalyst

UTC1416 Jr Sem: Games, Game Communities and Society

LSM1301 General Biology

LAK1201 Korean 1 

MA1301 Introductory Mathematics

CS2030S Programming Methodology II

After reflecting on how my first semester at NUS as a Computer Science student went, I realised that I essentially vlogged the entire semester from start till end HAHA. I covered every week, every high, and every low, and I hope my experience can shed some light on the struggles and life of a Singaporean university/college student. 

Once finals were over, I felt a HUGE sense of relief and weight lifted off my shoulders. We had a lot of celebrations and I also got to try out floorball which was something I wanted to do for s long time. It was also time to move out of my dorm in CAPT.

A lot of people say that Year 2.2 is the hardest and that once you (and your GPA) survive year 2.2, your grades are more or less set. Hearing this after surviving the first semester of year 2 and receiving feedback from my teacher to not overload myself this semester, I made sure I focused 90% of my time on work. With the nature of the hefty workload this semester, it was good that I stayed super focused.


Source: https://i.gifer.com/BilS.gif

I would say that what helped me a lot this semester was staying consistent since day 1, the loving and positive support system and the all-nighters at Changi Airport💖 and Tampines Hub💖. With the combination of all the things mentioned, I managed to do well :)  I'm enjoying the holidays now and I've seen my results by the time I write this post. I won't go into too much detail but I'm really happy and thankful for the grades that I got😊.

Since the holidays started, I've been pretty busy. I got selected to attend the Pre-U Seminar 2019 which is such an honour. It's been an enriching experience so far. There's an upcoming interview with a resource person and a 3D2N residential stay at a residential college in NUS - I'm really excited for that!

Speaking of NUS, I attended several university open houses this holiday. I visited SUTD, NTU, SMU, and NUS. Seeing the different curricula and options available makes me nervous because everything sounds so appealing! I do have one more year in poly before I decide where to go though - plenty of time to mull over it.

Besides the Pre-U Sem, I've also had the opportunity to attend a conference on Industry 4.0 as well as the U@live forum in NUS. I'm very grateful for my poly for offering so many opportunities to participate in external events😊

Another exciting thing that happened this holiday is that I turned 20! I had a lovely, cozy party with some classmates and boyfriend the day before and on the actual day of my birthday I went out with my boyfriend - we had a lovely lunch and went to the National Gallery together. I also had a cute picnic with my secondary school friends💖

I also got to spend more time with my family this holiday. We had a staycation and just before that I got an iPad 2018 with the 1st generation Apple pencil! My parents and I were a part of the transaction and I'm truly grateful for everything💖 I've been wanting it for a while for school, but since it's the holidays I've been doodling on it a lot in my free time.

Last but certainly not the least, ezbuy reached out to me and I got to kind of do a little collaboration with them. They gave me a link bit.ly/eznicolebernadette which can be used to register and get a free $10 voucher for a purchase on the ezbuy website! I don't know how many people registered but to you who's reading this, yes you, I would reallyyy appreciate it if you could check out the link above and register an account using the link if you don't have an account on ezbuy😊
They have so many items; clothes, stationery, furniture, groceries, mobile and electronic accessories... I believe that there's something for everyone on that site. I made a post on my Instagram just showing a few looks made possible with the clothes/accessories I purchased on ezbuy😊

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A post shared by :･ﾟ✧ 𝙣 𝙞 𝙘 𝙤 𝙡 𝙚 ✧ﾟ･: (@nicolebernadette_) on Mar 20, 2019 at 3:39am PDT

Enough of the updates - now I'm going to talk about the work I delivered in year 2.2.

As I mentioned in my previous school update post, I had to do well in my last Cross Disciplinary Subject (CDS) to be able to void the grade that I got for my previous CDS. I managed to get a good grade in my last CDS, Global Citizenship, so I'll be using this grade instead of the last one that I got for Cross Cultural Communication. This may not make sense, but it's okay HAHA.

For the core subjects in my course, Information Technology - this semester involved a lot of programming. To any juniors or prospective IT students who are planning to enter polytechnic, there is a pattern - the semesters will most likely be alternating from theory to practical work. (Year 3 entails internship, a major project (which may be combined with your internship) and a few modules.) The previous semester was more theory-based hence this semester was very hands-on - I had to create 2 websites and we also had an Internet of Things (IoT) project using a Raspberry Pi and various sensors and actuators. I actually really enjoyed it :)

Here's the video of our messy self-monitoring and maintaining plant system for the IoT Application Development (ITAD) module:

We also made a simple website and mobile application which showed the plant data collected in the form of a basic dashboard using ThingSpeak.

Besides IoT, the websites were made for the two modules; Full Stack Web Development (FWEB) and Microservices (MCSV). Both of which I did well in, so I'm really glad that my all-nighters paid off :)

Here's a video of my FWEB website:

I made an attempt to be more creative with my FWEB website and proposal. Our project was very open-ended and we could make any website we wanted. I decided to go with a studying flashcard website because Quizlet saved my life and my GPA the previous semester. This website was tribute to that and I think I did a decent job.

The website is called Encore and it means ‘again’ in French. The reason why I chose the word ‘again’ for my flashcard/studying web application is because flashcards are something which need to be studied repetitively in order for the content to be memorised.
“Encore” is often said at an end of a performance when the audience really enjoyed the concert and want a song to be repeated. In the same way, I want people who have to study to be excited to study again and again in order to score well in their exams/tests/quizzes etc.

I incorporated a little Text-To-Speech feature where the user can click on a button to hear what is on the flashcard. I also added an OCR feature to copy and paste captured words onto the flashcard - makes it easier for those who are lazy to type things which are captured in images.


Here's a video of my Microservices (MCSV) website:

personALL is a booking website that allows users to create an account and online ‘resume’ which includes their area of expertise, picture and contact information etc. The web application also allows users to book these skilled workers to be their personal chef/tour guide/gardener/trainer/baby-sitter/translator/photographer etc.

The objective of my solution is to equip employers with the tools they need to find and hire employees and to also allow employees to have a platform to put themselves out there and gain more job experience in the skill they have.
With a job portal like ‘personAll’, it will be much easier for employers to find the skilled workers they need and it will also be much easier for employees to find potential job opportunities.
There is a module that I was exempted from but in its place I had to make an Android mobile application with another friend of mine. That project is still ongoing so hopefully all goes well. There will be more updates about it in the next school update :)

The end of year 2 marks the beginning of year 3; my final year in polytechnic. I'm excited and a little nervous because this is the year where we will embark on our internship. I know where I'll be interning at and I think I'll keep it a secret until I actually start my internship. It's a well-known agency and I'm curious to see what it'll be like for me there.

I guess that is all for this lengthy update. Bye for now :)

When I write reports, I feel like I'm carrying out surgery. Maybe it's because I'm being meticulous, or maybe it's just because I'm weird. Probably the latter.

Anyway, what a way to start this blog post - absolutely morbidly - just like how the second half of this semester was for me.

I'm being dramatic, it probably wasn't so bad. But it was definitely challenging.

On the first day of this semester, I was greeted with a slap on my face. My teacher told me that I was not meeting expectations and I have not done very well during the first half. I cried (what's new) but quickly took action to improve.
That same day, 25th June 2018, I deleted several apps from my phone including Instagram, PUBG, Twitter, YouTube and more. I eliminated them because they were a source of distraction for me - and I didn't want that. I couldn't afford to have that.

Following the deletion of the apps, I worked hard and stayed as focus as I could.

Fast forward more than a month, I survived without Instagram for approximately 43 days! I'm actually quite impressed and proud of myself because Instagram and I used to be inseparable. But

Source: https://media1.tenor.com/images/c6e249926e0174b8aaf3175649e92338/tenor.gif?itemid=4969734

My my, so much has happened in 6+ weeks.
First off, I kind of rekindled my faith. It's shaky, but it's there. I feel like I've been so doubtful, fearful, and shameful the previous few months - but meeting up with my precious friend Melissa and great church leader Kenji has helped me realise how cool, loving and forgiving God is.

Also, in my post about the previous term, I mentioned that I needed to make a website and be in an MOE video for web design and development. I think I can talk a little more about it now since the video is out on MOE's Instagram, YouTube channel and it's even being featured on an Instagram advert. High-key embarrassed because I don't look very glamorous. Nonetheless, it's pretty cool.

The link to the Instagram post is here.
The link to the full video on YouTube is here.

Well, I guess this is a followup from my previous Done with Year 1 post. I did better than I expected in my previous semester and, once again, I'm so thankful.

Source: https://tenor.com/view/thank-you-jesus-jesus-jesus-did-that-real-housewives-of-orange-county-rhooc-gif-6077126 

For the previous year, I used to post after every semester but I felt like changing things this year. I'm planning on posting after each term. Also, the post that will come after the semester (or second term) will actually include me having the knowledge of my results, unlike in the past where I would hope for a good GPA and only update in the next post (which would be way later).

Without further ado, here's how this first term in year 2 went.

You know the drill,
These were the modules I took for this semester:

• Communication in the Workplace (CMSK)
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD)
• Secure Coding Practices (SCDP)
• Mobile App Development (MBAP) 
• Software Quality Assurance (SWQA)
• Transnational Studies (TNS)
• Cross-Cultural Communication (CCC)

There were fewer modules this semester and considerably less coding (because I think the next semester will be a killer when it comes to programming). This semester involves a lot of reports, I feel. A good thing about this semester is the timetable - it's so much more relaxed! Some days we only have one 2-hour lesson.

CMSK:
Nothing much to say about this module. It's compulsory for IT students to do this from the start of year 1 till the end of year 2 and I'm not really mad about that. This semester focuses on communication in the workplace so we have projects like a written report, meeting roleplay and making meeting minutes.


OOAD:
I think this is the most challenging module among the modules I'm taking this semester. It's just very technical and abstract. I'll probably have to really spend more time to understand this subject. Besides the content, the teacher has been great! He reminds me of a grandfather or something; very gentle and patient :)  The project which I have submitted before the term break started was a report and a video. Again, it's another embarrassing video but I think I got the job done. Just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best for this module.


SCDP:
When it comes to reports and documents that need to be submitted, it's so lengthy! I don't know why but this semester, there are no word or page limits for most of the work which needs to be handed up so and pretty much all students are exploiting that fact. My reports/proposals/documents etc. have been so long but I think I've done what I could to filter out unnecessary information. I think I just need to remind myself that it's quality over quantity.

Anyway, SCDP has been alright. I think my class is pretty confused about the structure of the subject but it's a manageable module so all's good.


MBAP:
I have to say hello again to the program that first taught me "Hello World"; Android Studio. It's also the software that gave me panic attacks and nightmares in my very first semester at Poly.

The projects for this module are to create a proposal for a mobile application and to actually code the Android application. It's very open-ended so there were no limitations to the type of app you want to make - the only limitation is time because it's due in Week 13. The subsequent project is to code an app that can run on any operating system (OS).

Now, the interesting this is - I'm exempted from the first Android project. This is because I'm participating in an Artificial Intelligence competition which involves the use of Android Studio, DialogFlow, and Firebase. My team members, 2 good classmates and friends of mine, are exempted too. We've been making pretty good progress this past week. It's term break but we've been going to school from 10am to 6pm every weekday to get our solution done. It's been really great though😊
Here's a video of what my day has been looking like this past week.


I have 2 CDS' this semester and that is proving to be a very difficult task. The only silver lining to this cloud is that the CDS' are pretty similar. Other than that, it's been quite torturous. The two subjects take up my Friday, making it the longest day of my week - which is pretty unfortunate.


SWQA:
Nothing much to say about this module. It just consists of a lot of reading and studying I guess. The projects include software testing and a test.


TNS: I mentioned CDS is my  Done with Year 1 post but I'll do a quick recap - cross-disciplinary subject (CDS) is a compulsory module that a student has to take which is unrelated to their core course of study. For example, if I'm an IT student, my CDS cannot be related to IT.

TNS is a really popular CDS and the main appeal is the compulsory dorm stay for 2 weeks (you get to go back home on the weekend). I haven't gone for my stay yet but I'm so excited! My stay is going to commence a week after I go back to school after this term break.

The projects for this module are quite extensive - there's reflection journal entries, presentations and more. I guess the only thing that upset me a little before is the fact that I've been doing most, if not all, of the group project work. But my group members have apologised, and I really appreciate that - when people acknowledge the work that I do. So I'm letting it go and I'm honestly not that upset about it anymore.
Just hope things go well from here :)  I'll be staying in the dorm with my group and I don't know what to expect, but I'll be filming a little each day to make a video diary of my stay. Should be fun😋


CCC:
This has been a pretty painful CDS. The online lectures have a lot of content crammed within 6-ish weeks and the course structure in itself is pretty confusing.

It's also pretty similar to TNS so I get a little confused between the two sometimes. On the bright side, I'm happy that my group members have been good and we did pretty well in the presentation assignment. I think my test went alright too so I'm not too upset about CCC. It's just that 2 CDS' in one semester is pretty challenging. I only have 1 more CDS to clear after this sem and I'm done with it. I'm doing my last CDS during the semester vacation - I'm just not really sure whether I'm going to Cebu or Japan. We'll see :)


This term has been overwhelming. I'm participating in 2 competitions - one is the AI competition I mentioned under MBAP, another is also an AI-related competition. On top of that, I got news that I got an award.
I've also been selected to be a part of an MOE video which is related to WorldSkills. I need to create a simple website and I'll have to be filmed developing the website and explaining the flow etc. It's quite scary but I'll just focus on the development for now - I'll just follow instructions on the day of filming.

Other than that, I'd say this semester has been pretty smooth and consistent. I've been focused and I've been pretty good at juggling my commitments. I just have this problem where I get sucked up in all my work and I feel compelled to not stop until I'm done. It's a severe illness called workingitis and I'm afraid there's no cure, only temporary remedies like my lovely boyfriend.

Source: https://tenor.com/search/love-gifs 

I still get too caught up in my studies sometimes but it's because I know working hard now means an easier life later - and I want a comfortable life for me and my loved ones. I also want to work hard for me, ya know? To reach my fullest potential and to achieve my goals.
But yeah, I just need to split my time better. My boyfriend has also been supportive and understanding when I have a lot of work to do. I'm just really thankful :)

I also told myself after the previous semester that I'm not going to let any opportunities that come my way go to waste - which is probably why everything has been so overwhelming. One opportunity which I grabbed the past term was the one-day Batam trip for students from the school of IIT. I got to go with quite a few classmates of mine and it was so fun :) Really love my class!


Another thing I'm thankful for is that I feel like my typing speed has increased at each milestone, hahaha. My typing now is pretty fast and furious and at times, I don't even need to look at the keypad when I type. It's pretty exhilarating. Am I weird that these things excite me?

Source: http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1245071-jugheads-im-weird-speech 

I'm exhausted but I actually really love the feeling, is that weird? I think school officially broke me. My system is whack and my brain is fried, haha. But in all honesty, I just really love studying and doing work - it's my coping mechanism and my escape from worldly problems. I hope this love for learning and education will never end😍 I also owe all my successes to God. If not for Him, I would not be where I am today.
That's all for this post, bye for now :)

My my, how time flies.

The applications in the picture above were the torture devices for this semester.

Year 1 was such a roller coaster ride and let me just continue from where I left off in my First Semester in IT post. At the time, I hadn't gotten back my results for the first semester yet but all I can say is - I did better than what I expected and I'm very, very thankful that my hard work paid off.


For this second semester, which completes my first year in polytechnic, I personally feel like it was more manageable. Perhaps it's because I've already adjusted to the system and I know how to manage my time better. Another factor could've also been the fact that web development is more manageable compared to mobile application development.

This post will be me rambling and giving a summary of the semester 1.2 and my first year in TP IT.

These were the modules I took for this semester:

• IT Security Essentials (ITSE)
• The Essentials of Persuasive Presentations (CMSK)
• Digital Devices and Systems (DDSY)
• Data Structures and Algorithms (DSAG)
• Coding and Testing (CODT) + Database Application Development (DBAV) + Application Development Project (ADEV)
• Sports & Wellness
• Introduction to Language & Culture (French)

ITSE was fun during the first half of the semester. There was a project where we had to talk about cyber security and such - I made a video on Ransomware Growth which captured some attention from the teachers, I think HAHA. But one of my philosophies when it comes to school work is to make yourself feel like:

In a good way of course, haha. I think you'll get what I mean after you watch my video for one of my ITSE projects. Here's the link to the embarrassing video.
It was good because teachers knew me but bad because it put me under a lot of pressure due to the expectations which the teachers had for me. I'm honestly not sure what grade I'll get for this module but I'm hoping that I won't be too disappointed.

CMSK is a compulsory module which I'll have to endure till year 2 ends. It's not too bad but it's still a cause of stress - especially when a presentation comes around. Speaking of presentations, I feel like my presenting skills have improved by leaps and bounds. I no longer feel as nervous and I feel like I'm able to memorise my script much better. I'm also a little more comfortable with improvising on the spot. It feels good :)

DDSY, from what I heard, was a pain for a lot of people. I'm no exception. Nothing much to say but this module was stressful. I'm just hoping for the best.

CODT, DBAV and ADEV made up one cluster of subjects and the final project for those three modules was a website. The previous semesters major project was a mobile application - this semester was focused on web design and development. The theme for the website was food and beverage so, being a vegan foodie in the past, I decided to make a website selling vegan food and I made use of my past food pictures.

Sports & Wellness was implemented the year I entered poly. I thought it would be a chore but it was actually really fun. There were many laughs - like the one time we played netball and I got body slammed by a classmate and fell HAHA, and doing pilates with the girls - I really enjoyed S&W.

French was my cross-disciplinary subject (CDS). I won't go into the details but CDS is essentially a compulsory module that a student has to take which is unrelated to their core course of study. For example, if I'm an IT student, my CDS cannot be related to IT.
French was so fun and I really loved learning the language and the culture. I did rather well in the tests and role play presentation so it's reassuring to know that my CDS wasn't going to affect my GPA negatively. One of our assignment is to attend some French event outside school so I went to watch a French movie called Alone (Seuls) at Shaw Theatres during the French Film Festival.
Throwback to dusty blonde hair.

When I thought my French journey in school has concluded, I received news from the head-of-department of French that I got nominated for a French Alumni Award :')  One student from every institution receives the award and it is really such a honour to receive it. It's always so motivating when hard work pays off.
I think I'm going to continue learning French - it's truly such a beautiful language.
Woohoo :)

The first half of semester 1.2 was good, I was told by my care group teacher (form teacher) that I was doing very, very well. But I guess I got distracted during the second half of the semester. Things got difficult and then it got dull. I was more unstable and the assignments and tests in the second half were more taxing. Nonetheless, I did my best and I just kept going. And voila, I made it to the end of the year. and I'm praying that when the results come out in April, I won't be too disappointed. If I do badly, I believe that it'll be much-needed wake-up call.

I learnt a lot this semester, not just academically. I've made and strengthened a lot of friendships, especially within my class and I've learnt a lot about myself too. I won't go into too much detail but I think overall, this semester was a roller coaster ride. I met a lot of new people and encountered a lot of not-so-nice individuals that got me like:


But I've met some gems too and I think all the hurt I went through was worth it in the end :)

I actually filmed my reaction when I opened my results for the first semester, I'm planning on filming my reaction for this semester and the following semesters as well. Then I'm going to compile the clips into one video do a final reflection on my time in TP! I think it'll be fun to look back on :)

All in all, I really enjoyed my first year in poly and I'm proud of myself for persevering. I think it's so important to celebrate the small victories too! I'm also so grateful for the teachers and friends who've made this past year so much more enjoyable and amazing♥ Also really thankful for the unwavering support from my family♥♥♥

I'm enjoying my holiday so far. I recently performed with my secondary school string ensemble in Victoria Concert Hall. I have a vlog of the nonsense that went on behind the scenes leading up to the concert on the day itself on my YouTube channel. The link is here :)

I can't wait to keep doing enriching activities for myself and relax after a grueling first year, haha. Going to recharge for year 2, I definitely need all the rest and chill vibes I can get. In the meantime, I'll be eating, sleeping, going to the gym (been getting back my fitness) and spending time with loved ones♥
Last but certainly not the least, I'll be praying that my semester 1.2 results will be favourable, and if not then I'll also be praying that I won't be too disappointed.


That's all for this post, bye for now :)

[Source for all the gifs are Google]

The applications in the picture above were the tools IT used to slaughter me. It wasn't easy, but I made it. And in this post, I'll be sharing my thoughts on my poly experience so far. I realised there aren't many polytechnic students who talk or blog about being in IT so I thought it'd be cool to do it.

My dream would be to inspire more girls to pursue technology💕
Enough blabbering, here's the tea.
So much has happened since I last blogged. Let me address the biggest update first which is how did my first semester go?

It wasn't easy. I knew I'd be in a very male-dominated environment but I wasn't expecting it to affect me as much as it did. Let me talk a little bit about my background.
I studied in an all girls' school from primary school till secondary school. The only time I got to study with the male species after that was in my first year in JC (thank goodness for that or it'd take me so much longer to adapt to studying among so many guys in poly).

Let's talk about the gender ratio in my class. There are 4 girls out of the 26 people in class. I'm very thankful for the girls though, they make going to school fun. I'd group with the girls for almost every group project. Some guys are very friendly and helpful too which is great but some guys got us girls triggered nearly everyday. But I suppose you can find all sorts of people anywhere.

The first semester started off well. I felt like I had a good start and was on the right track.

I came into poly with big dreams but having experienced the first term, I'd be delighted to come out of poly with a 3.65 GPA, anything more would be a bonus. 

I have friends in business who are in their second year with a 3.95 GPA and I respect them so so much. Maybe IT is a very different ball game but wow. What a dream it'd be to have a GPA of 3.9+. Then again, business seems very content heavy and I can imagine the things they'd test - especially if economics is involved (*flashbacks to JC econs*).
Every course has its own struggles.

Anyway, IT is not easy because there is a lot to juggle during a short amount of time. I managed to do alright for the first term but when major submissions came around in term 2, there could be 3 submissions due on one day and 4 presentations in one week. On top of that, you have to make sure you're doing the weekly online quizzes for most subjects.

Some teachers also weren't very helpful, in my opinion. It's sad because if each student had gotten more individual attention and fostered a stronger student-teacher bond with the lecturers, the whole learning process would've been so much more enriching. But the teachers always seem to be so busy. The only means of communication with the teacher would be email (excluding calling their school phone number). Some teachers tend to reply late too which can be frustrating especially if you have a submission due around the corner.

On the other hand, there are some kind and patient teachers as well. If you kindly email a teacher for a consultation, more often than not they will meet up with you. You can request for a one-to-one consultation and really make sure you are getting the help you need in your assignment.

Also, be ready to spend a lot of time with your computer. If you are planning to do IT, make sure you have a good laptop because so much work will be done online.
Some subjects are e-learning subjects so there are no face-to-face lessons for them at all (a lot of students were frustrated that they basically paid the polytechnic to learn online instead of from teachers but that's the way it is I guess).
Many subjects also provide a lot of e-resources and when you do go for the face-to-face lesson, you feel like you've already learnt everything online and the teachers are just reading off the slides or repeating what you already know thanks to the e-learning. So no matter what, students are always going to complain. #guilty

I'll probably make a video or blog post about some tips when starting out poly, we'll see how it goes. I'll take a look at my GPA for this semester and see if I'm worthy to give advice, HAHA.

I'm currently waiting to get my results for the semester, I'm not sure when it'll come out but I'm so nervous. I doubt I did as well as I hoped, but there's nothing I can do to change my results now. I just have to do better from now on. 

So what kind of assignments/projects did we have to do?

I'm studying Information Technology in Temasek Polytechnic. During the first semester, we had these diploma modules:

• Logic and Mathematics (LOMA)
• Statistics and Analytics (SANA)
• Computational Thinking (COMT)
• User Experience and Interface Design (UXID) 
• Network Technology (NETY)
• Business Information Systems (BUIS)
• IT Law and Ethics (ITLE)

ITLE was 100% e-learning.

UXID was fun because it had some design elements involved which I enjoyed.

The subjects which I really struggled in were COMT and NETY.
COMT is basically the subject where the bulk of our coding was done. We were tasked to create a music player app and it was honestly quite difficult.
It's so important to not get influenced by other people in class because some have coding experience- good for them, they put in the time and effort to learn - they better be better than you (for now at least).
Students who went to ITE have a huge advantage when it comes to NETY because that's what they did most of in ITE, so don't be intimidated when they are good at it, again, - they better be.
Just keep up with the school work and you should be fine. Classmates are also usually very helpful so don't be afraid to ask for help - this is so important.

As I mentioned previously, I had to make a music player application for COMT. My music player application turned out fine, I suppose. I had the main basic features like a signup page, login page, music player page with several buttons like play, pause, next, previous, shuffle etc. but I couldn't manage to get a lot of my more advanced functions to work which really stressed me out. I kept comparing my application to others which were so much more aesthetically pleasing and advanced but in the end, I decided to just work with what I have and do what I can. I'm hoping for a B at least (please).

Whenever the emulator/app crashes, I felt my heart sink and shrivel in my chest. I felt so immobilized whenever something went wrong. 

Very often you don't know what's wrong and that makes it so much scarier. That's IT for you and I quote my teacher, "It's only the beginning." 

I told myself that I'm going to work on my coding during the holidays and that's what I've been doing since the holidays started :)

I have stayed up quite a few nights on the brink of panicking when my app doesn't work. I have broken down a couple of times and one of those times was in school. I've never felt this worried about my work before, not even in JC. I've come to realize that the more you care, the more stress you get. It's not about which post-secondary path is more difficult or stressful, because there will be stress wherever you go as long as you care about what you do.

Does being a girl in IT have any benefits?
Some teachers have the tendency to be a little less comfortable with girls, simply because they're not used to teaching girls too so they'd be more careful with their words and gentler in how they explain things. But that's a small percentage of teachers and it's not all the time.

Most of the time, if not all, how a teacher views you is not so much dependent on your gender but how you behave. A lot can be said about your character from the tiniest mannerisms and habits so I'd say to be mindful of how you behave around teachers, especially in the first term so that you're able to make a good first impression- the perception your teacher has of you tends to stay for quite a while.

But think about it, how cool is it to be a girl in such a male-dominated industry? Girls in technology are such a rare commodity and you'll definitely stand out amongst the many other male applicants during a scholarship or university interview.

It's a benefit because, at the moment, it's uncommon.
But it's funny how an advantage can also be a disadvantage - the lack of females in IT is shunning more females from entering IT which makes it a vicious cycle.
But I guess what I'm trying to say is - be proud and confident in what you do, no matter what you choose to pursue.


How have I improved so far?
I've definitely learnt a lot regarding IT but I've also learnt a lot about myself and improved some personal skills.

1. For one, my typing skills on the computer has improved by leaps and bounds. 
2. I also discovered what study techniques work for me. 
3. I've definitely improved my public speaking skills due to the array of presentations we had to do. 
4. I'm much more comfortable around people because of orientation and having to make new friends.
5. I'm much more comfortable around guys - I remember crying in JC one time because I was so shook by the new species that is boys. But I honestly treat some of the guys in class like gal pals HAHA. Very thankful for some helpful guys in my class though, honestly.
6. I'm better at managing my time and prioritizing.
7. I've found my motivation and that has allowed me to really push myself to do the best I can.

Do I regret dropping out of JC to go poly?
Ultimately, no. But I've been doing more research and recently discovered some amazing YouTubers from UK who are very intelligent and going to top universities like Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Harvard etc. and I kind of regret not staying in JC to do A-levels.
The A-levels, if done well, can get you to so many good places. With that being said, I felt that I wouldn't be able to perform well for A-levels at that time due to my lack of motivation and purpose which is why I made the decision to go poly.

Now that I'm in poly, studying a field which I have interest in and having a goal in mind (I'll make another blog post about my goal hehe), I feel so motivated to do my best.

Being in poly has its drawbacks when it comes to future prospects but in the long run, if you're able to do well in poly, you're as qualified as any JC student.

In conclusion, this first semester in Information Technology hasn't been easy and I felt like giving up on IT a few times. I questioned myself if this was really what I wanted - so many people have also told me that I don't seem like an IT person. But I pulled through and now that the stress is gone and I've been able to collect my thoughts, I am quite certain that I enjoy what I'm doing.


That's all for this post, bye for now! :)