over

I finally have the time to blog again... It's been a hectic time since the last time I typed into this little box in Blogger.

Over: It's over.. Finally. The end of the FYP presentation and deadline is more relieving than the exams proper - that much I can say for everyone in my semester. The moment the presentation was done, when we shook hands with the client, got a pat on the back... There was this enormous weight that was lifted off my chest.

That Monday, I left the school feeling like I was walking on air.

I felt like I should be off somewhere celebrating, but the exhaustion, coupled with my yet-to-be cured illness, had me going home and surrendering to rest... For a good many hours.

From that day till now, I've been chilling out. But soon I will have to slap myself back to reality - to the fact that I still have an exam next week. Study will have to resume soon.

To all those whose FYP is over: GREAT WORK!!! All the slogging has finally paid off and it's almost time for the handover to the company. No more chionging like mad late into the night (or into the next morning).

... Not till University at least.

Breakdown: I had a complete and total breakdown sometime during the hectic period. Complete with the screaming.

I had to juggle a test, 1 FYP project and 2 other project deadlines within a single week. For the week or two leading up to it, I tried my very best to prioritize, to put everything else aside. And yet, I couldn't. So I had to split my time up even more.

I almost couldn't make it. For FYP, for my projects, for the test.

Almost.

If it weren't for the extension of the 3 projects at the last minute.

University will be coming up soon... If such a situation arises again..... I shudder to think of the consequences. I doubt that University would be so lenient with us as the Poly as been.

If something like this comes up again... I don't think I'll be able to handle it.

But still... This hurdle's over. I should be grateful.

Laptop dead: Oh yea, this is extremely random... But my laptop's finally dead. Reformatting and everything will be oncoming soon.

Thank you: to my FYP group. For helping so so so much.. Especially during that last stretch, and even before that... Amanda: For listening, for just being there. For encouragement, for being my tranquilizer. Clar: For hearing my rants, for the laptop and for any help you gave- Especially during the last few days with the laptop when I was too sick to do anything.


Signing off... ...

FYP: On to Phase 2

FYP: FYP has taught me a lot of things... About myself, about others, and well. Yeah. My group stressed the poor leader out some time back... I don't know how much I managed to help when it was nearing the report submission, but I hope I managed to help, even if just a bit.

My leader's blog: A month or so back, some people told me to view my leader's blog post. They said that they thought what he said wasn't fair, wasn't warranted, wasn't right.

I went to go look, and surprisingly, I could see more of his view than those who informed me about the post.

The sad thing was, I couldn't do anything much about it. I couldn't really lighten his load cause I couldn't see where he was headed, what he wanted to accomplish. Couldn't really get through to him at times either when I wanted the best for the team and the project too.

While he was stressed, I was breaking down too. For different reasons, of course, but it wasn't any easier.

Through this phase: Learnt a lot about this group... About the people, and how they work. In the beginning I could hardly talk to anyone, but thankfully I can talk to practically all of them now. I work best with, well... The one I'm currently grouped with, so... =) That's a good thing.

Starting of FYP: I recall the start when I was quite shocked and not used to the way the group worked. The way one person dominated all, and some just wanting to do what they are told to. I tried to help the leader, but with no idea as to what he was coming up with for the group, I could do little but ask what I could do, what he could give me to share the workload.

That hardly acheived its objective. It was difficult for me to put my two cents in, extremely difficult, and with most of the group not knowing me, debates turned out looking like arguments to them.

The team wasn't much of a team at first - It hardly gelled together. It was a group I kept wanting to run away from.

But now, it's different.

The group, now: Knowledge and understanding goes a long way, that's the least I can say. And while I doubt I'm really helping that much right now, I hope that I'm seen, at least, as part of the team. Someone they can trust. Someone they can work with.

I have put in what I can for Phase 1 (though I have to say I hated and kept getting overloaded looking at the diagrams I had to do due to the sheer number of relationships between the tables... Therefore missing out some stuff), and hopefully it's enough.

Chionging through Phase 1 has really shown how everyone works, who I trust, and how I should work with certain people.

Phase 1 is now over, and hopefully this knowledge will bring me through Phase 2.

Wish me luck.


Signing off... ...
Trying to work

Letter to our company

Warning: Major sarcasm up ahead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear __________,

We forgive you for the constant changing of the project work flow, structure, as well as of the functions of the project that we are supposed to do. We forgive you for telling us one thing, and then telling us to do/not to do something totally different the next week. We forgive you for constantly expanding the size of the project that we are supposed to do; increasing the number of functions that are to be in the system by great notches every time. We forgive you for not answering the questions that we ask most of the time: at least you give us some vague idea as to which direction we should be asking more questions or assuming in.

We thank you for keeping to what you say - that you would send us the information by 'the next day', although it was only one tiny section of the system, and didn't send us the complete fields/information even 2 weeks after the promised date (which coincidentally, happens to be today).

We thank you for your great faith in our intelligence, in believing that we can understand your business jargon and therefore answering our questions to your business jargon with even more jargon.

We thank you for your immense faith in our competence, in believing that we can churn our report out overnight (which will be over 100 pages, from what I see) and submit it in time, although even if we could, we wouldn't be able to, cause the deadline was supposed to be tomorrow.

You have our greatest appreciation and gratitude for everything you have done for us.

For all the inconvenience that you might have caused, you have our forgiveness.

...

...

...

... Okay, so I lie.


Signing off... ...