I’m back with some blog entries again. The stress was finally over on Wednesday, after 6pm. What I was referring to was the examinations that I had to go through since last Friday. The papers were alright but I do not have the confidence to score for my Coaching paper. Well, maybe a brief description of the paper later but let’s start from Friday, which the examination begins.

The day before the first paper, or should I say the few days before the start of the first paper, I was actually making my own notes and mind maps to study. All thanks to Ms. Lee, my Secondary form teacher for the entire 5 years in Canberra, who taught us how to do proper mind maps during school days, which makes me to be dependent more on mind maps for future academic examination revisions. Hence, I was scribbling for the past few days, from afternoon up till the wee hours but of course with some breaks in between. What was I doing during my breaks? Playing Pro Evolution Soccer 08 or killing the baddies in Counter Strike, depends on which side I’m taking.

So there comes the first paper and it was NSA. Once I sat on my chair with the first glance on the paper, I was quite relief with the setting of the questions. It was not too difficult but though shall not estimate such papers and questions. Every meaning has another meaning in beneath it. I begin doing the paper when the time starts but as I continue to write down my stuff, I was feeling quite uneasy, probably due to the stress that I have not met before for the pass few weeks and months. At the end, NSA was a safe paper, which I think I have the confidence of scoring at most a C+ or B.

Next was Quality Management (QM), which was considered one of the toughest paper that everyone had to face. It was quite alright at the beginning but once it passes Section B, pressure starts to rise and the difficulty increases. Right from the bottom of my heart, I was feeling angry and depress about the paper. I studied like a mad man for the past two days and I have to face weird questions, like one of it, which states “Name the CRM qualities in the business…” HUH?!! Was that part of QM stuff? The note doesn’t seem to have it though. Well, once the paper ended, it was end and done with. Nothing’s gonna bother me for now as I’m going to concentrate on my next exam paper.

The next day was WHP, which was the easiest paper among all. I only manage to spend about 2 hours to memorize all the notes at the day of the examination but it was quite alright. The questions are mostly direct and it’s helping students to gain marks for this module. All thanks with the help from Mr. Lionel Teo, my PEM and tutorial lecturer, who has been helping us by giving useful tips before the examination begins. Well, at least he is kind enough to do so, unlike some lecturers who would give vague and useless tips, like for instance, “Class, the tips are in the entire textbook. Read the topics of ….” Well, once again, thanks Mr. Lionel Teo. I have full confidence of scoring a B+ for this. =]

Last but not least, the most depressing paper of all examinations is Coaching. I could not do the first question for the entire paper and that was the start of my drained hopes for the module, for doing my best into it. Attempting the questions was like pushing a horse from the field to its stable, with no strings attached. It was really hard, in addition with the tricky questions playing around the students, it was a disaster for me to score, at least a PASS!! I don’t aim high for such a paper but hope to attain a ‘D’ grade for once. The last ‘D’ grade I got was for Principles of Accounting, which was during my Year 1. Here’s comes the other paper with a depressing grade. Haix…

Although there is a point that lecturers should provide students with some tips before the examinations but it is not fair when the lecturer wants to help but isn’t helping. Andy’s statement was right that James Wong was not in the wrong. However, I guess it will be easier if he do not say a thing after all. If you sincerely wish to help, do it, and not beating around the bush. On the other hand, I guess it is not fair to what Andy has said that James Wong is good and its students fault. Probably it’s the differences in ideologies but one thing is for sure.

Healthy education is not by digesting what you have learnt. Yet, it is through experiences that we encounter during the learning which makes it very useful to students to have the capability to learn more. The phrase, ‘Own your learning’, does not mean that digesting 2 books a day before examination will help.

Especially towards this module, coaching is not about reading books and implement it what the book says. It’s about how you manage your players well, in and off the pitch. You fail to understand such a simple concept, I wonder why would you be a coach, or even be a student of S.W.? Is it for the sake for a diploma or for the purpose to understand sports? If it’s just a diploma, then forget it.