Good Luck exam letter

April 28, 2015

Dear students in arms,

There are two aspects to consider here that are relevant in undertaking any exam. The first is the psychological and the second is technical; I will try to elaborate on both holistically.

Quote about teacher by NietzcheFrom the psychological side we have to realize that we ourselves are our greatest teachers; tutors and professors can show us the way but we have to travel that path ourselves. A person who is determined and keeps on pursuing ultimately gets his/her rewards, with or without any tutor.  Later onwards in our lives we will realize that ‘one repays a teacher badly if one always remains only a pupil’ (Friedrich Nietzsche).

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“of cabbages and kings…”

March 24, 2015

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes-and ships-and sealing-wax-
Of cabbages-and kings-
And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings.”

The Walrus and the Carpenter   – Lewis Carroll

Well for many of us in fact it is far from the time to be discussing cabbages and kings; with exams looming I’m imagining that most of our befuddled minds are wondering just what the heck we are going to talk about and are we able to do it in the required 45 minutes. So rather than add to anyone’s confusion by blogging on the 17 ways you can increase your memory overnight from that of a small invertebrate to Einstein on steroids, or the 743 absolute must-know contract cases, I thought I would pleasantly distract you with a few news stories that in fact do have anthropological, historical and legal significance but err on the lighter side of information provision!!!

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It is not what you imagine

March 20, 2015

Carl Lewis quote: It's all about the journey, not the outcome.What if I tell you that you actually enjoy studying more than you realise? What if I tell you that scoring distinctions aren’t exactly the contributory factors to the fun of the course? All the hours you have spent boning up a text; compare this to that few minutes of bliss when you realise you score a distinction for your paper. What if I tell you that you actually enjoy the former much more than the latter?

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Motivational thoughts in build up to exams

March 6, 2015

LSHTM logoI hate to say it but we are moving closer to exam time, the most important part of the year for all distance learning students. No matter how big or small sacrifices have felt over the past year, the sacrifices have been made and they deserve a reward at the end. For some this is the last chance saloon where failure is not an option. So here are some thoughts to inspire you through to the end. I could have written study tips but there are enough already online.

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New Year’s Resolutions

January 22, 2015

New Year's resolutions listThe New Year has come and passed.

Like every new year, I make New Year’s resolutions. I know that there are people out there who don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions because it has never really worked for them. For some reason, that annoys me a little because I feel like they give up too easily.

For me, I find that having New Year’s resolutions is useful. It helps me shape my year and gives me a direction of how my year will be. A New Year’s resolution doesn’t have to be something different or something weird every year. Sometimes, my New Year’s resolutions are the ones from the previous year because I haven’t quite achieved them.

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Journey to the Centre of Campus- Departure and Arrival

January 14, 2015

IMG_3770This day has loomed over me with mixed feelings of nerves, excitement and exhaustion. The hours leading up to the actual flight always seem the longest.

I’ve made my packing and to do lists and checked them off (hopefully with none missing). Here are some of my essentials that were found on my packing list that you may have not thought about: Read the rest of this entry »


Painting a Portrait of Education

October 31, 2014

Here, the subject is obviously neither handsome nor portraying a healthy picture by smoking a cigarette. However, we can see that the artist has articulately applied all the different techniques to depict the subject close to life with even a sparkle in the old man’s eyes! How would you rate this artist? If I could paint education the way this artist sketch this old man, I’m certain that I wouldn’t have any problems getting a good grade!

Here, the subject is obviously neither handsome nor portraying a healthy picture by smoking a cigarette. However, we can see that the artist has articulately applied all the different techniques to depict the subject close to life with even a sparkle in the old man’s eyes! How would you rate this artist? If I could paint education the way this artist sketch this old man, I’m certain that I wouldn’t have any problems getting a good grade!

Over the course of 6 weeks, I’ve been taught how to paint a portrait of education and been tasked with reflective assignments. The mind map with its spaghetti wires is akin to the hair. The abstract with its emotions and clarity is akin to the eyes and eyebrows. The two statements are akin to the mouth. Citations are akin to the ears as we harness the congruity of our thoughts and thought leaders in the field of education. But… what about the nose? Surely, Mona Lisa wouldn’t look pretty without her nose right? Not forgetting the largest organ of the human body … the skin! Oh, where can I find these two organs?

Turns out that these two organs are found in an essay. The skin is our flow of thought; the language and presentation in the essay. The nose is the central theme and/or argument that connect all the other features of the face together. In fact, there was a lecture on academic writing that teaches students how to paint the skin and nose. My confidence is regained!

Students were given the liberty to do their mock exams whenever they’re ready but must submit it by a stipulated deadline. Before opening the mock exam questions, I was wondering if it will turn out the way I anticipated. When I saw the questions, I was pretty happy as there were two portraits (i.e. questions) that I know I should have no problems painting (i.e. answering). However, painting two pretty portraits in 3 hours is a challenge! Quickly, I prepared my palette of facts, littered with different colours of views and citations; at times mixing different colours to get a whiter or darker shade. Read the rest of this entry »


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