Tuesday, May 02, 2006
You are not alone - Michael Jackson
Exam is on the 19th this month. I sort of started revising yesterday! Was preparing last year's exam question to discuss in class today.
Ended up feeling real down. The question looked straightforward at first glance. But when i started to do it, i found out how difficult it was. I left the library last nite deflated and worried - and having the question unanswered.
Prof Gilbert tried to calm our fears today - he asked, "What is the worst thing that can happen? You just fail, that's all!"
Yeah, he admits that he can be flippant about things - and Sir Rodley commented sarcrastically that his bedside manners are "brilliant" - to which Prof Gilbert retorted, "That's why i'm a lawyer and not a doctor"!!!!
But i left the class feeling much better. First thing i found out was that everyone else found the question as difficult as i did! Say what u want to but you have to admit that when u are down, the fact that everyone is down there with you is of some comfort!
Next, Prof Gilbert assured us that everyone will have their moment of "terror" - but the important thing is to not let it overcome us. Yeah, he can be quite encouraging when he wants to!
And finally, Sir Rodley said the magic words - they are not interested in how much we know but rather how much we understand! That's good cuz the syllabus is rather wide and there are a lot of things to remember.
Just gotta get meself disciplined - another 17 more days...
p/s - it was surprising nice to attend class again (missed last week's class due to the dateline of our essays - tho i wasnt the only one) and catch up wif me coursemates. Having said that, there's this observation which troubled me a little for quite some time oredi. We - the LLM students - are from all over the world but somehow, we still end up wif people who are like ourselves. There i was today in my usual back row - and along wif me were 3 Japanese (a fourth joined us during the break), one Pakistani and one Indian - the "Asian clique". It's not that we dun talk to the Europeans and vice versa - but somehow, we always end together. Birds of the feather...?
Ended up feeling real down. The question looked straightforward at first glance. But when i started to do it, i found out how difficult it was. I left the library last nite deflated and worried - and having the question unanswered.
Prof Gilbert tried to calm our fears today - he asked, "What is the worst thing that can happen? You just fail, that's all!"
Yeah, he admits that he can be flippant about things - and Sir Rodley commented sarcrastically that his bedside manners are "brilliant" - to which Prof Gilbert retorted, "That's why i'm a lawyer and not a doctor"!!!!
But i left the class feeling much better. First thing i found out was that everyone else found the question as difficult as i did! Say what u want to but you have to admit that when u are down, the fact that everyone is down there with you is of some comfort!
Next, Prof Gilbert assured us that everyone will have their moment of "terror" - but the important thing is to not let it overcome us. Yeah, he can be quite encouraging when he wants to!
And finally, Sir Rodley said the magic words - they are not interested in how much we know but rather how much we understand! That's good cuz the syllabus is rather wide and there are a lot of things to remember.
Just gotta get meself disciplined - another 17 more days...
p/s - it was surprising nice to attend class again (missed last week's class due to the dateline of our essays - tho i wasnt the only one) and catch up wif me coursemates. Having said that, there's this observation which troubled me a little for quite some time oredi. We - the LLM students - are from all over the world but somehow, we still end up wif people who are like ourselves. There i was today in my usual back row - and along wif me were 3 Japanese (a fourth joined us during the break), one Pakistani and one Indian - the "Asian clique". It's not that we dun talk to the Europeans and vice versa - but somehow, we always end together. Birds of the feather...?
# posted by imissw : 7:25:00 pm
