Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Hard habit to break - Chicago
For as long as i can remember, i've procrastinated. And when it comes to exams, I've always put aside studying until the "last minute".
For my SPM (O-Levels equivalent), i left until too late. But looking back, i managed to do pretty well - because of the floods!!!! Yeah, the SPm exams that year was postponed due to the flood in the east coast of M'sia. It was prolly the longest postponement ever (which prompted the Edu Ministry to make drastic changes the year after - which din work out too) - it lasted for a month. It was a horrible time. It came to a point that the exams were postponed indefinately - and we'd be given only like a couple of days notice of when it'd resume. That meant that we had to on our toes and be ready to sit for the exam at the drop of a hat - or at very short notice.
But it oso meant that i suddenly had an extra 4 weeks of revision! :-)
So u'd think i would have learnt me lesson, rite? Nope! For the STPM (A-levels equivalent), i was still studying right up to the moment i entered the exam room. I'll never forget that day. As i sat down behind Ming Wei, my mind just blanked out! I whispered loudly to her, "Ming, help me. My mind's blank. Help!!!! I can't remember a thing...". Ming was oredi receiving the exam scripts and all she could do was whispered back "Pray, Mun Onn, just pray...".
I prayed.
After that, as i read the exam questions, the things come flooding back into me tired brain - and with a sense of relief - and gratefulness to God - i started to answer the questions.
When it came to my undergraduate days, the unforgettable exam for the essay i had to do for Legal Theory. The problem was that back then, there was only one laptop which was shared among all of us - i can't even remember how many of us were sharing!!! Knowing myself, i volunteered to take the "last shift".
To be honest, i finished my work pretty early. I knew wat i wanted to write. I just needed the laptop. But i paid the price being the last one. Each person took a little longer than was allocated - the biggest culprit was the girl before me (yeah, you remember that, dun u? hehehe. no worries, i dun hold that against you!). So when i finally got the laptop, time was running out. Martin - the laptop owner was apologetic when he passed it to me - but it wasn't his fault, and he was in fact doing us all a big favour!
It was another mad rush and i just made it on time!
And now, it's deja vu all over again. At the beginning of last term, it was a mad dash to the law office to hand in me essay. There were some anxious moments as we queued for the printer in the lab - yeah, i wasn't the only one. I told meself that that would be the last time i do that.
Well, i almost kept my word! I finished everything at about 7 am yesterday! The essays were due at 4 pm! Woohoo! 8 hours to spare!!!! Guess wat? i slept! hey, i was up all nite! and the nite before that. And before that...
No worries. Got up at bout 2:30. Still plenty of time. Read the Bible, checked my e-mail and the latest news on BBC Online. At quarter past 3, i walked calmly to the law office to hand up me essays. Haylee looked at my answer sheet and asked, "Do you have a cover sheet?" Blank faced, i replied, "Huh? Err... no."
"You need one for each essay".
"But... but i checked my last term's exam and i din put in one!!!".
"Well, you need to. It's on the notice board outside."
"Ah... er.... "
I decided against arguing - and to be fair, she was being nice and patient. i looked at me watch. 20 past. I can make it!
"OK. I'll get it done."
Ran back to halls. Typed out the cover page for both the essays and saved it in me pendrive. Another dash to the computer lab. Must find one that does not have many people in it - no need to queue for printer. Found it at the lowest floor (Lab K). Got it printed. Dash back to the law office. Handed it up.
Officially, i handed it in at 3:51 pm. Phew... Thank God.
The funny thing is that i was not alone. the law office was crowded wif people like me, trying to meet the 4 pm dateline. It was prolly the same for other courses too - i kept seeing people either carrying answer scripts, dashing around madly like me or falling asleep in the lift!!!!! Ah, student life...
O well... thank God for helping me thru the mad past couple of days. I guess some things dun change. I am who i am...
But, all hope is not lost! By 9 am this morning, i had done my Bible reading, checked mail, read the latest news online, was oredi on my 3rd cup of coffee, had breakfast - and made enuf tuna mayo for the next 3 or 4 days, and blogged (this is my second post of the morning and it's not even 10)!!!!
Yeah, surprise, surprise. I was awake by 6 am! I'm trying to change my biological clock again - as i found out that me exam next month will be held in the morning - 10 am, to be exact. So no more late dinners and sleeping only when the sun is up (it felt so weird last nite as i went to sleep - it was the first time in days that it was actually dark outside when i got onto me bed!!!!).
See, i can change! By God's grace, of course!
For my SPM (O-Levels equivalent), i left until too late. But looking back, i managed to do pretty well - because of the floods!!!! Yeah, the SPm exams that year was postponed due to the flood in the east coast of M'sia. It was prolly the longest postponement ever (which prompted the Edu Ministry to make drastic changes the year after - which din work out too) - it lasted for a month. It was a horrible time. It came to a point that the exams were postponed indefinately - and we'd be given only like a couple of days notice of when it'd resume. That meant that we had to on our toes and be ready to sit for the exam at the drop of a hat - or at very short notice.
But it oso meant that i suddenly had an extra 4 weeks of revision! :-)
So u'd think i would have learnt me lesson, rite? Nope! For the STPM (A-levels equivalent), i was still studying right up to the moment i entered the exam room. I'll never forget that day. As i sat down behind Ming Wei, my mind just blanked out! I whispered loudly to her, "Ming, help me. My mind's blank. Help!!!! I can't remember a thing...". Ming was oredi receiving the exam scripts and all she could do was whispered back "Pray, Mun Onn, just pray...".
I prayed.
After that, as i read the exam questions, the things come flooding back into me tired brain - and with a sense of relief - and gratefulness to God - i started to answer the questions.
When it came to my undergraduate days, the unforgettable exam for the essay i had to do for Legal Theory. The problem was that back then, there was only one laptop which was shared among all of us - i can't even remember how many of us were sharing!!! Knowing myself, i volunteered to take the "last shift".
To be honest, i finished my work pretty early. I knew wat i wanted to write. I just needed the laptop. But i paid the price being the last one. Each person took a little longer than was allocated - the biggest culprit was the girl before me (yeah, you remember that, dun u? hehehe. no worries, i dun hold that against you!). So when i finally got the laptop, time was running out. Martin - the laptop owner was apologetic when he passed it to me - but it wasn't his fault, and he was in fact doing us all a big favour!
It was another mad rush and i just made it on time!
And now, it's deja vu all over again. At the beginning of last term, it was a mad dash to the law office to hand in me essay. There were some anxious moments as we queued for the printer in the lab - yeah, i wasn't the only one. I told meself that that would be the last time i do that.
Well, i almost kept my word! I finished everything at about 7 am yesterday! The essays were due at 4 pm! Woohoo! 8 hours to spare!!!! Guess wat? i slept! hey, i was up all nite! and the nite before that. And before that...
No worries. Got up at bout 2:30. Still plenty of time. Read the Bible, checked my e-mail and the latest news on BBC Online. At quarter past 3, i walked calmly to the law office to hand up me essays. Haylee looked at my answer sheet and asked, "Do you have a cover sheet?" Blank faced, i replied, "Huh? Err... no."
"You need one for each essay".
"But... but i checked my last term's exam and i din put in one!!!".
"Well, you need to. It's on the notice board outside."
"Ah... er.... "
I decided against arguing - and to be fair, she was being nice and patient. i looked at me watch. 20 past. I can make it!
"OK. I'll get it done."
Ran back to halls. Typed out the cover page for both the essays and saved it in me pendrive. Another dash to the computer lab. Must find one that does not have many people in it - no need to queue for printer. Found it at the lowest floor (Lab K). Got it printed. Dash back to the law office. Handed it up.
Officially, i handed it in at 3:51 pm. Phew... Thank God.
The funny thing is that i was not alone. the law office was crowded wif people like me, trying to meet the 4 pm dateline. It was prolly the same for other courses too - i kept seeing people either carrying answer scripts, dashing around madly like me or falling asleep in the lift!!!!! Ah, student life...
O well... thank God for helping me thru the mad past couple of days. I guess some things dun change. I am who i am...
But, all hope is not lost! By 9 am this morning, i had done my Bible reading, checked mail, read the latest news online, was oredi on my 3rd cup of coffee, had breakfast - and made enuf tuna mayo for the next 3 or 4 days, and blogged (this is my second post of the morning and it's not even 10)!!!!
Yeah, surprise, surprise. I was awake by 6 am! I'm trying to change my biological clock again - as i found out that me exam next month will be held in the morning - 10 am, to be exact. So no more late dinners and sleeping only when the sun is up (it felt so weird last nite as i went to sleep - it was the first time in days that it was actually dark outside when i got onto me bed!!!!).
See, i can change! By God's grace, of course!
# posted by imissw : 9:10:00 am
