I just came back from a 2 days 2 nights camp at SPS room and Changi beach. Well not exactly come back, I'm still at SPS room, fresh from Changi beach. Well, of all the camps I went that requires me to sleep under a tent, this is the one that offers on suffering at all. It must be my experience as a scout that I can compare this. It also means that scout camps are generally made harder than it could have been.
I am taking 6 modules this sem. 2 Physics, 1 Maths, 2 USP and 1SPS. Now I'm doing my homework for the USP Writing and Critical Thinking module. On a topic called " News and the Public". LAter tonight I'll have to come for the MSL meeting to organize a sports day event for msl, I'm the Programme Head for the com.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Who am I?
Tonight was the UFO finale, which is the eve of the starting of schooling. The seniors talked about a lot of things which surprisingly wasn't boring. It was nice that msl had developed so nicely and we even had international friends along with us on the steamboat night on Singapore's national day.
One of the speeches reminded me of what am I doing in Uni, Who I wanna be in Uni. Then by the good graces of Lucas, I was introduced as the Olympian. As a result, most of the remarks I got was about my Olympian status which btw I can't join anymore since I'm in a Uni and will be 20 by next year July, so don't say next time get gold to me lah. Oh well, at least there's Rubik's remarks and personal remarks as well. Thanks everybody!
This reminded me of who I wanna be in Uni. So far I had only remained low profile or at least lower than I could have been(until someone tell me to talk more). lol. It's not that I'm not ready for Uni, It's more like I'm extremely tired after the busy UFO to UKM to Vietnam (distributing at lease 300 over name card) to Petaling Jaya (home) to NUS again to matriculate and CORS bidding (which I think if I could get some USP senior guiding me, I could be having 6 modules this sem but as it is, I will settle for 5, 2 Physics 1 maths 1 USP 1 SPS) but oh well, suddenly there's nothing else to do. no one to tell me what I must do next and yet so many events, opportunity to join anything, so many things even before the start of the sem.
So I struggled through this 11 days since 31st July until now doing lots of things and not doing lots of things. I talked to a physics professor about taking more than 6 modules, we agreed on looking at my results for this sem. So I can only settle for talking more than 6 modules at the fastest by next sem. I read 2 books of Issac Asimov, on his foundation series of which now I have 2 more to finish the 7 book series. I joined msl on lots of activities they have, all informal and fun and sometimes can involve lots of people! I had done lots of things online and offline too.
So now I'll say what I didn't do. I didn't had the time or motivation to play the numerous games in my laptop, I didn't see much tv, I didn't print out lecture notes despite the first day of lecture is tomorrow. I didn't read the relativity and cosmology books I borrowed 5 days ago. I didn't read the nus student guide, I hadn't explore finish the nus website or read it all, I hadn't gone thought to which module(one by one) I would like to have,I hadn't check out all the societies of NUS I would like to join, I hadn't organise my room, I hadn't done post IPhO clean up or report. I only helped out a little for the rag for USP and Science. I didn't joined the SOW Science Orientation Week. I didn't think about what am I doing here.
So it's time for me to get Orientated, It's time for me to power up, to use all the experience I had in UKM, in IPhO, in Form 6, in all the trainings that I had been through. All my life, Was for this, So I'm gonna Super Saiyan 1 for tomorrow. Going up more if needed. But now... sleep............
One of the speeches reminded me of what am I doing in Uni, Who I wanna be in Uni. Then by the good graces of Lucas, I was introduced as the Olympian. As a result, most of the remarks I got was about my Olympian status which btw I can't join anymore since I'm in a Uni and will be 20 by next year July, so don't say next time get gold to me lah. Oh well, at least there's Rubik's remarks and personal remarks as well. Thanks everybody!
This reminded me of who I wanna be in Uni. So far I had only remained low profile or at least lower than I could have been(until someone tell me to talk more). lol. It's not that I'm not ready for Uni, It's more like I'm extremely tired after the busy UFO to UKM to Vietnam (distributing at lease 300 over name card) to Petaling Jaya (home) to NUS again to matriculate and CORS bidding (which I think if I could get some USP senior guiding me, I could be having 6 modules this sem but as it is, I will settle for 5, 2 Physics 1 maths 1 USP 1 SPS) but oh well, suddenly there's nothing else to do. no one to tell me what I must do next and yet so many events, opportunity to join anything, so many things even before the start of the sem.
So I struggled through this 11 days since 31st July until now doing lots of things and not doing lots of things. I talked to a physics professor about taking more than 6 modules, we agreed on looking at my results for this sem. So I can only settle for talking more than 6 modules at the fastest by next sem. I read 2 books of Issac Asimov, on his foundation series of which now I have 2 more to finish the 7 book series. I joined msl on lots of activities they have, all informal and fun and sometimes can involve lots of people! I had done lots of things online and offline too.
So now I'll say what I didn't do. I didn't had the time or motivation to play the numerous games in my laptop, I didn't see much tv, I didn't print out lecture notes despite the first day of lecture is tomorrow. I didn't read the relativity and cosmology books I borrowed 5 days ago. I didn't read the nus student guide, I hadn't explore finish the nus website or read it all, I hadn't gone thought to which module(one by one) I would like to have,I hadn't check out all the societies of NUS I would like to join, I hadn't organise my room, I hadn't done post IPhO clean up or report. I only helped out a little for the rag for USP and Science. I didn't joined the SOW Science Orientation Week. I didn't think about what am I doing here.
So it's time for me to get Orientated, It's time for me to power up, to use all the experience I had in UKM, in IPhO, in Form 6, in all the trainings that I had been through. All my life, Was for this, So I'm gonna Super Saiyan 1 for tomorrow. Going up more if needed. But now... sleep............
Saturday, August 09, 2008
All set for NUS
This is the first post for NUS. So as you all know, I'm here(NUS) before on 15th and 17th of july and came back on the 31st July straight after flying back from Vietnam. My family brought the rest of my stuff 2 days later. And I borrowed lots of books from the library.
For those who don't know, NUS is National University of Singapore. Here in Singapore they sure use lots of shortcuts, Ez-link is like touch n' go, DBS bank card is effectively an credit card and ATM card, and cash card is the way to pay for photostat and printing until I got my own printer that is.
So I came here and with the generous help from msl(Malaysia Student League), I checked in, matriculated, applied for student pass, and bidded for my modules in CORS. And maked a lot more friends in msl.
So these few days was actively nice for me, lots of things happened, despite we should be free in the Week 0. Next week is week 1, the real start of the sem. And I'll be quite busy in NUS. I'm taking double major physics, second majoring in Mathematics, USP, and SPS. I'm wondering if I should take SEP after all this cramming. I'll be averaging 7 modules per sem I think? Oh well, that's exploiting NUS to the fullest, since they'll ask me to repay so many loans and bond me for 3 years.... lol nonsense. I'm doing this because I want to. Because I can do it. Because I'm challenging myself.
For those who don't know, NUS is National University of Singapore. Here in Singapore they sure use lots of shortcuts, Ez-link is like touch n' go, DBS bank card is effectively an credit card and ATM card, and cash card is the way to pay for photostat and printing until I got my own printer that is.
So I came here and with the generous help from msl(Malaysia Student League), I checked in, matriculated, applied for student pass, and bidded for my modules in CORS. And maked a lot more friends in msl.
So these few days was actively nice for me, lots of things happened, despite we should be free in the Week 0. Next week is week 1, the real start of the sem. And I'll be quite busy in NUS. I'm taking double major physics, second majoring in Mathematics, USP, and SPS. I'm wondering if I should take SEP after all this cramming. I'll be averaging 7 modules per sem I think? Oh well, that's exploiting NUS to the fullest, since they'll ask me to repay so many loans and bond me for 3 years.... lol nonsense. I'm doing this because I want to. Because I can do it. Because I'm challenging myself.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
At last! I'm in the news!
贏奧林匹克物理賽銀牌‧優秀華裔生選讀新大
（布城）現年19歲，畢業自馬六甲高級中學的黃信照，成為馬來西亞史上的第一人，贏取世界奧林匹克中學物理競賽銀牌獎。
馬來西亞另一位參賽者，來自巴生高級中學的潘朝富，在剛結束的越南河內舉行的本屆奧林匹克物理賽會，也贏得優異獎。
為國家爭取到學術榮譽的黃信照，週三（7月30日）傍晚與其他參賽代表和領隊老師，乘坐馬航班機飛返吉隆坡國際機場。
但他可沒有甚麼時間慶祝這次取得突破性的勝利，因為週四（7月31日）他得趕往新加坡國大報到，正式開始他的大學生涯。
Monday, July 28, 2008
The IPhO experience
Hello again, sorry for taking so long to post another topic about the Ipho, but I've been having lots of fun here. After the last post, I went to The Opening.... oh well I'll tell yo this later, I got some important things to tell you before I go to the closing ceremony. I was sick 3 days ago but now I'm feeling a lot better now, just a bit of running nose left.
And I got Silver medal! See it here. Oh and to impress you on how big a surprise it is to me and how important this medal is to Malaysia, I'll give you some background.
First, to me, I thought I'm doomed to no medal or honourable mention after the Theoretical exam, it was so hard(everyone says so) , I think I hardly got 15 marks for it (turns out I got 11.6). And so doing my best in the Experimental one, I only left 3 marks undone there (I got 16.3). Everyone says that it's easy. So, I was hoping for a HM or Bronze, but decided to just keep my hopes to HM, to avoid disappointment. I thought I got less that what I had last year( 27 marks) turns out I'm almost correct. Rumors has it that 35 marks for gold (it's 33 actually), 20 for bronze(19) and 13 for HM(14or 15), and nothing about silver(don't remember) .But I'm really am glad to got to know that I got silver from Prof. Roslan.
Second, this is the first time malaysia has an medal more than bronze and it means a lot to the IFM, and to me it means Malaysia does produces genius. Go future Olympians, go and make your country proud!
And I got Silver medal! See it here. Oh and to impress you on how big a surprise it is to me and how important this medal is to Malaysia, I'll give you some background.
First, to me, I thought I'm doomed to no medal or honourable mention after the Theoretical exam, it was so hard(everyone says so) , I think I hardly got 15 marks for it (turns out I got 11.6). And so doing my best in the Experimental one, I only left 3 marks undone there (I got 16.3). Everyone says that it's easy. So, I was hoping for a HM or Bronze, but decided to just keep my hopes to HM, to avoid disappointment. I thought I got less that what I had last year( 27 marks) turns out I'm almost correct. Rumors has it that 35 marks for gold (it's 33 actually), 20 for bronze(19) and 13 for HM(14or 15), and nothing about silver(don't remember) .But I'm really am glad to got to know that I got silver from Prof. Roslan.
Second, this is the first time malaysia has an medal more than bronze and it means a lot to the IFM, and to me it means Malaysia does produces genius. Go future Olympians, go and make your country proud!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Vietnam!
Surpise! Now I am in Vietnam, after a not too long flight from KLIA which William, Michelle, and my sis came along with my family to see me off. I am inside the internet room of our hotel right now and I gotta tell you I am glad that we got a girl as our contestent guide. The hotel room is definately better than what we got in Iran. 3 of us are sharing the same room with a personal toilet and a big screen TV! Today is the arrival day, so it'll be a little free for us. So now I'll leave this for a while and go make some more friends. This year, there are China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau team here! Amazing is it not?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Plans, my last days in Malaysia
Sorry for the lack of update for last month. Resuming after the family reunion, I came back on Sunday, then went to RedBox at the Curve for a 7hours(should have been 6) of singing with 3 of my cousins for a whooping RM 25 per person! Then off I went to Penang on Thursday. During which 5 of us cousins, missing my sis, had a very good time playing. After putting a lot of games inside my laptop, I came back on Monday with William and Michelle.
A week later, after going to Malacca again, I came to the last camp to find out that I was the best among the top 5. I was awarded a book, Physics for Scientists and Engineers With Modern Physics 2008 edition! The top 5 are not the same as last year but it's my fault for comparing. Each year the team have different members and so they will have different "atmosphere" so to speak.
Now I'm studying like never before for the IPhO! And the future...
Later, on the 15th, I'll be going to Singapore for the UFO. Coming back on 17th and going to UKM on the 18th to go to Vietnam straight away. I'll be in Vietnam from the 20th to the 30th of July. Flying back, I'll have to rush to Singapore on the 31st to register for NUS! And it's there I'll stay for 4 long years(except on Chinese New Year of course!)
So from now till the 15th, These days are my last in Malaysia, for some months at least. I really dunno what to think, I have seen many friends with their last days in Malaysia too, dunno what they think.
A week later, after going to Malacca again, I came to the last camp to find out that I was the best among the top 5. I was awarded a book, Physics for Scientists and Engineers With Modern Physics 2008 edition! The top 5 are not the same as last year but it's my fault for comparing. Each year the team have different members and so they will have different "atmosphere" so to speak.
Now I'm studying like never before for the IPhO! And the future...
Later, on the 15th, I'll be going to Singapore for the UFO. Coming back on 17th and going to UKM on the 18th to go to Vietnam straight away. I'll be in Vietnam from the 20th to the 30th of July. Flying back, I'll have to rush to Singapore on the 31st to register for NUS! And it's there I'll stay for 4 long years(except on Chinese New Year of course!)
So from now till the 15th, These days are my last in Malaysia, for some months at least. I really dunno what to think, I have seen many friends with their last days in Malaysia too, dunno what they think.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
International Physics Olympiad
The IPhO is an annual competition held by countries around the world. About 80 countries are participating in this competition currently. Each country are allowed maximum 5 candidates to enter. Each candidate must be below 20 years old and never reveiced a University/College training. In addition, 2 leaders who's job is to translate the questions, mark the papers of the candidates and participate in the discussion process are required for each country. About 2 observers are allowed too and they function as helper for the leaders in translation, trying out the experimental sets and listening in the discussion but aren't allowed to vote. Besides that visitors can tag along but are not allowed in any of the activities listed above. Visitors can only enjoy the sightseeing in the host country. Malaysia's team has no visitors, 2 observers, 2 leaders, and 5 candidates.
The IPhO usually last around 10 days and is always held around July, summer time. The 1st day of arrival is empty of activities to allow all countries to arrive at different times. the morning of the 2nd day helds the opening ceremony. The next day sees the Teoretical Examinations. After that, we are allowed 1 day of rest before the Experimental Examination on the 5th day. After that, we are free to follow the sightseeing activities of the host country and making international friends. The closing ceremony is held on the day before we go back. In the closing ceremony, medals, honourable mention, and special prizes are given out.
Now as for the core part, you must know know that there is an Teory exam. It last for 5 hours straight. Normally 3 questions of 10 marks each and of course lots of subsections with marks allocated to be as small as 0.1! So the total marks is 30.0! The experiment exam is totaled 20.0 marks and usually contains 1 or 2 questions. The apparatus are prepared for each candidate individually and you can be sure that there are many data points to be gathered and many graphs to be plotted. But the most time consuming part might be error analysis. Oh ya you guess right, it's an 5 hour exam too. The IPhO is an individual competition. So it doesn't matter how your teammates perform, what matters is that each person do his best.Total Score is 50.0 marks.
Gold medal is arwarded to the top 6% of the total candidates. Silver for the top 18%, Bronze for the top 36% and Honourable Mention to the top 60%. The 5 Special Prizes are the One and only Absolute winner: the highest scorer! The best score in Teory, the best score in Exam and the best Female are also considered in the Special prizes. 1 more is unfixed, it can be the most original solution, the best performer among the newly entered countries, or anything else.
The candidates are separated from their leaders and observers for the duration of the IPhO. They are teamed up with a team guide who acts as an translator and well, guide. The team guide is from the host country and usually knows how to speak the native language of the country they guide. English is used in both Opening and Closing ceremony and it is the main language of communication used. One trivia fact is that female candidates are usually very little, less that 10 % of the candidates are female. As far as I know Malaysia has never had a female candidate in IPhO. The total candidates are about 300-400 as not all countries sent 5 each.And each day there's a new newsletter with pictures of the IPhO inside. It's one of the things we look forward to each day as we might just see our faces in it!
The IPhO usually last around 10 days and is always held around July, summer time. The 1st day of arrival is empty of activities to allow all countries to arrive at different times. the morning of the 2nd day helds the opening ceremony. The next day sees the Teoretical Examinations. After that, we are allowed 1 day of rest before the Experimental Examination on the 5th day. After that, we are free to follow the sightseeing activities of the host country and making international friends. The closing ceremony is held on the day before we go back. In the closing ceremony, medals, honourable mention, and special prizes are given out.
Now as for the core part, you must know know that there is an Teory exam. It last for 5 hours straight. Normally 3 questions of 10 marks each and of course lots of subsections with marks allocated to be as small as 0.1! So the total marks is 30.0! The experiment exam is totaled 20.0 marks and usually contains 1 or 2 questions. The apparatus are prepared for each candidate individually and you can be sure that there are many data points to be gathered and many graphs to be plotted. But the most time consuming part might be error analysis. Oh ya you guess right, it's an 5 hour exam too. The IPhO is an individual competition. So it doesn't matter how your teammates perform, what matters is that each person do his best.Total Score is 50.0 marks.
Gold medal is arwarded to the top 6% of the total candidates. Silver for the top 18%, Bronze for the top 36% and Honourable Mention to the top 60%. The 5 Special Prizes are the One and only Absolute winner: the highest scorer! The best score in Teory, the best score in Exam and the best Female are also considered in the Special prizes. 1 more is unfixed, it can be the most original solution, the best performer among the newly entered countries, or anything else.
The candidates are separated from their leaders and observers for the duration of the IPhO. They are teamed up with a team guide who acts as an translator and well, guide. The team guide is from the host country and usually knows how to speak the native language of the country they guide. English is used in both Opening and Closing ceremony and it is the main language of communication used. One trivia fact is that female candidates are usually very little, less that 10 % of the candidates are female. As far as I know Malaysia has never had a female candidate in IPhO. The total candidates are about 300-400 as not all countries sent 5 each.And each day there's a new newsletter with pictures of the IPhO inside. It's one of the things we look forward to each day as we might just see our faces in it!
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