1 down, 1 more to go

Yesterday was the first paper for this semester. It was high vacuum. Don't know if its because I'm taking too little modules this semester or is it because I'm nearing the end of my school life, but this semester has generally been a pretty slack half a year. Usually by this time of the semester I'll be frantically studying and reading and digging into my books, but this semester I'm still playing games and watching TV up till now. Throughout the 25 years of my life I've taken countless exams and test and this has got to be one of the most relaxed exams I've taken in my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm still worried about my results and I'm still studying hard for the papers, only that the feeling thats going into the exams is not exactly the same. Even my mum was telling me last night," I thought you are having exams now, how come always see you watching TV". haha. Well I just hope that this semester will be a good semester. Yesterday I wouldn't say that I did very well, I don't think I managed to write an A paper, so I can only hope for the best.

Anyway just before I left home for the paper yesterday, I took some photos of myself (who else) and some of the things I bring into an exam. I thought it would be interesting to blog about of the exam must-haves for me, and some of the taboos that I have during the exam period. Hmmm lets see if we have anything in common....

One of the must haves in an exam is definitely my water bottle. Don't want to be like thirsty inside. But then again, drinking too much will result in going to the toilet too much during the paper (don't look at me like that, it happened to me before)

Watch. To take note of the time of course. Although there is always a clock in the exam hall, but if you sway sway sit behind the pillar or is too far at the back, you might not be able to see the time. Time management is super important in an exam. (again this happened to me before)

How in the world would anyone go into an exam without a pencil case. Erm I know my pencil case is a little bigger than others, but I prepared everything inside. I think I got at least double of every stationary.

Notes. These are super important especially if its an open book exam. Well if its not, then you can read a little bit of it just before the paper (while ya waiting for the hall door to open), though I do not recommend this. I'm just afraid that I'll see some points that I did not read about before in my whole life.

This is quite important to me. Tissue paper. Sometimes my nose just lose control in the exam hall, and it can get quite messy and irritating when this is not present.

Of course, no exam is complete without Brand's essence of chicken. I must have one of these before the paper. I don't know why, but guess its a tradition thingy.

Never underestimate the power of the air con in the exam hall. Always bring a sweater to guard against the cold. Shivering throughout the paper is not going to help you during the paper in any way. Mmmm I do have a lot of sweaters at home, this is just one of the many. I have this thing about buying sweaters, been telling myself to stop buying (I'm in SG anyway, its like hot here, don't know why I like to buy them so much)

This is me just before I left my place. I took a nerdy photo of myself with the glasses on (I don't wear glasses, those are my dad's glasses, haha), and another photo without the glasses. If there's one thing thats very important during exam days, its grooming. I always take the trouble to make sure that my hair is ok, and that my shirt and jeans match. This is very important during exams, I believe that when I look good, I feel good, annd I'll do better in the paper, hahahaha. Well at least I hope so. I have quite a few taboos for exams, think I'm actually pretty phan tang. Another thing about exams is that I don't cut my finger nails for hair when it is very near the exams (even more so during the exam period). I believe that I know everything at my fingertips, so if I cut my nails, I lose some knowledge. Haha, sometimes I wonder how I manage to come up all this. And I'll always make sure I go to the Guan Yin temple at bugis before the exams to light some joss sticks and pray for the papers. I admit that I'm not a very religious person, I use to attend an Anglican school for 12 years, my kindergarten is in a church, my brother is christian, my family is largely buddhist, I used to go to sunday services of my friend's church (my very good friend, Alvin, who used to ask me along), I go for many of my friend's cell group gathering. From the looks of it, I going in the direction of the chapel, but nooooo, I'm still a free thinker, and I think I'm more inclined towards the buddhist side ( my parents play big part in this). Not only for the exams, usually if there is anything big that's coming up, like our family going for holiday or something like that, I'll go to the Guan Yin temple to pray, just for health and safety. Well it doesn't hurt right.
After the paper we went for kopi (they had lunch/dinner/high tea, whatever you want to call it) at canteen A. DY was eating this steak that he can't bite off, he ending up looking at the chinese ghost with the long tongue 黑白无偿, hahahaha.
So now its just one more paper to go, and thats 14 days aways. Gotta also prepare for my last presentation, just got my date, its on the 7th of May at 1pm. My big day!!!!