Demistyfying Mech Eng in Imperial (2)-- Reading the university guide

For people dont really know the universities in Uk so well . Sometimes the university ranking become a factor of decision , besides the location/friends matter/fees/other stuff.

However, as the output quality of the graduates is strictly controlled by uk Government trough independent third party assessment, the teaching quality in each universities wont differ that much. Instead, you properly get the same teaching quality from Imperial and Cardiff for example....

However, Looking into the details in some column of the ranking table might give you slight overview on what you will get in your undergraduates. Here is some guide,

First, forget about the research quality part unless you planning to continue your PhD ( even so it doesnt matter much as you can apply for other uni for your PHD) .

Teaching score: quite important. Together with students satisfaction percentage , can give you a clue on hows the students feel about learning in that university.

Expenditure per students : Important too. Make sure it match the fees you pay ( especially for international students ) . The higher the expense, the higher the benefits you get from uni ( like free lecture notes, fast broadband, sponsored lunch with tutors, fund on clubs so you get everything subsidied, fund on halls so you get activities subsidied etc. )

career prospect : It indicates two things , first, how well known the university are.
Second, how good the university at organizing career fair and helps.

Value added score. Indicator on how the university help you improve you. If you already a good students, just skip it.

Students : stuff ratio. Important, indicator on how much human resource a university can spend on a students. ( For example, in Oxbridge, the personal tutor will have time to check your progress, while in imperial it may not be so ).

The course structure. Which is out of the table. But will determined what you going to learn from your career.

Peer experience. Quite useful. But beware that it maybe biased/ distorted. As people will tend to overlook on what they dont get.

If you are international students outside Uk/Europe, The famous of the students may need to be counted in. However, the most important is your own ability. Which you need to development during Undergraduates study.

Above all, try to maximize fun! Thats very important.

Conclusion: A higher ranking in universities guide does indicate higher percentage of meeting good department in good universities. Sadly, it just a rough indicator which shouldnt be the deciding factor.

Demistyfying Mech Eng in Imperial (1)

2 months ago, I arrived in London, United Kingdom. And started my 4 year studys of mechanical Engineering in Imperial here. 2 Months passed, there are some disappointment, some surprise, and some good or bad as a Mech Eng students in Imperial.

First go, Clarify some misunderstanding first.
1. Imperial is one of the prestigeous university around Uk and the world, as it always ranked top in Top university guide.
Nope, the ranking lists where Imperial got the top are either The Times ( Uk ) or Guardian ( Uk ) . You should get what i mean. Furthermore, the Good University guide empasizes large chunk on Ratio of international students, published on profesional magazines, etc. Which are less related to an Undergraduate students here.

2. Imperial is very hard to get in.
Nope, the only two university that hard to get in ( for overall courses ) are Cambridge and Oxford. Theoretically , you need 3/4 As to get in, but practically, getting 3 / 4 As isnt that hard.

3. Lecture here are very compacted, with tonnes of works stacking up for the students.
Nope, taking Mech Eng students for example, you only have like 11 hrs of lecture ( which no attendance is taken ), and 6 hours of tutor class ( where you do all the problem sheets ). Usually you will have one manufacturing/mechatronics/ experimental reporting skill lab per week. which last 2-3 hrs but carry no extra homework with.
Besides, there are two lab report per term, which can be finished in 10 hrs .

The disappointment,
1. Lecture and tutorial. Basically dont covered much on topic we may need to know. Taking Fluid Mechanics as example, we study newtonian equation for shear stress in fluid motion, we study velocity profile, but we dont learn how to construct the equation of streamline.

2. Library. Books concentrate on Textbooks style ( much like Mara college Banting ) . But lack of profesional journalism book to be lend ( like Newsweeks, National Geography, The economist ) .

The surprise:
1. Printer, Multifunction tasking, and the Mech Eng department even put 10 pound credit in your security swipe card .

2. Supporting resources. Moodle are helpful. Lectures note are given in hardcopy and softcopy. Computer rooms opened 24 hrs ( like others uni in Uk ) Even gt shower room inside Department's Toilet.

Bad things:
1. Environment are little bit loosen. Where you can virtually not do anything until exam. Which maybe too late.

2. They dont have good scenery. Places are limited. Sporting facilities are ok-ok. But if you want to plat specific sports, payments need to be made.

3. Accomodation and transportation problem. Next year the students need to move out. Where virtually it is impossible to find cheap place around south kensington campus. ( minimum around 120 pw). If you leave far away, time and cost of transortation will be another problem.

Good things:
1. Connection are Good . ( even wireless is 20 times faster then Malaysia Streamyx Package ) . Only drawback is 5 GB download and Upload limit per day.

2. Design course are interesting . For example, one day we build a cantilever for testing , (See picture below). One day, we take a free ride on the London eye( the ticket is expensive in a way that is not worth it if you buy for it. ) One day, we take a trip to national Science musium. And just today, we made a tower out of one piece if " The Financial Times" newspaper.

Others : More to discuss. If i am paying 6000 per term for the tution fees i might feel little overated for what i got . Anyway, gt to find the way to exploit the college's resource soon.


The bridge we made, which last 3.5 kg.


Looking at the Big Ben from London eye

付费？别傻了。。。。

如果你能免费获得更多的影音， 娱乐资源。 谁还会花钱去买那一片CD?

互联网是个好东西。

刚开始的互联网，本来是用来做学术间的交流。

接着下来， 是交友互动，网络交易， 或者是娱乐媒体的另一个收费平台。

更后来，它成了BT者的天堂， 分享者的乐园， 口袋没钱却想看戏听歌玩游戏追综艺节目的年轻人的香格里拉。

你要电影， 可以上 surf channel, 土豆， 优酷。
你要电影加字幕，可以找subtitled org
你要电视剧或综艺节目， 可以上youtube.
你要音乐，可以上百度或搜狗。
你要漫画， 可以上onemanga.
你要找游戏软件，可以找limewire, BT, emule, 迅雷。
你要找直接下载的文档， 可以在谷歌，搜索文档名字后加上rapidshare, bandogo, sendspace, easyshare, zshare, megaupload 等字眼。
你要下载视频，可以用最新的realmedia player 或orbit 等截取软件。
你要下载不能右键另存的照片， 可以直接存整个网页再到相关文件夹中寻找。

只要有频速，基本上你无所不能。
那么，影音娱乐的工作者如何生存呢？
完全杜绝盗版是不可能的， 残酷的说， 我们都得接受盗版的存在。

几个想法，
一是售卖主程序外的精工品， 如正版游戏的包装盒等。
二是抓人气带来的周边收入， 比如说歌手， 代言开演唱会广告接秀的收入远超唱片销量。
三是在主节目中参杂广告信息而不是广告片断， 比如说在电影中的车子型号。

话说回来，
一个人如果习惯了在F1 跑道上极速奔驰，那么当他回到KL尖峰的车龙中，就会非常郁闷，赌烂，想要发泄。
我一旦习惯了30mbps 以上的高速， 打死也不愿意回到streamyxs 1。5mbps 的龟速去，更别提 56kbps 的烂速了。。。。
连新加坡都开始全面铺设光纤网络了， 马来西亚， 何时才能真正提速？
没有10mbps, 请不要和我谈2020 宏愿 ！

'喜剧之王‘

主演：周星驰， 吴孟达，张柏芝， 莫文蔚

看点：
一， 一幕戏， 周星驰当跑龙套时，成龙客串了一下。
二，记得少林足球里，会铁布衫的四师兄吗？喜剧之王里的其中一个小流氓。

老实说，喜剧之王是周星驰迈向幽默大师的一个里程碑。 它没有周星驰之前电影的无厘头对白， 没有夸张式的动作情景， 没有后来少林足球的高科技，功夫的脱实，长江七号的非常。 它只是边缘人物，跑龙套， 管饭的，三陪女郎，小流氓， 围村乡边， 一系列小人物的故事。 平凡，写实，唏嘘， 令人笑中流泪。

唯一败笔， 是片尾帮Pringles 打的广告。

整出片，没有一段赘戏，每一个人物，场景， 都很好的结合起来。 然而，看电影最重要的， 或者说评断一部片能不能成为百大电影的，是看我们在电影中看到了什么。。。

我看到的， 是坚持， 是那种明知道会被拒绝，仍然厚着脸皮不断打电话去讨没有对白的通告的坚持。
我看到的， 是努力，是那种明知道没有多少人在意，仍然不断凑足演员，观众的努力。
我看到的， 是争取，是那种一有机会， 就表现自己演技的争取。
我看到的， 是自卑，是那种对钟爱对象自觉高攀不起， 然后将身上所有财产都交给对方当‘买夜费‘ 的自卑。
我看到的， 是失落，是那种明明有机会却流失了， 然后很努力想要装没事，却不自觉想补抓消失的那一刻的失落。
我看到的， 是追求， 是那种一直问，有没有对白，有没有的发挥的追求。
我看到的， 是尊严，是那种争取吃饭盒的资格， 争取别人对自己付出认可的尊严。
我看到的， 是满足，是那种哪怕有个观众就能演，哪怕是一句对白的角色也很高兴的满足。
我看到的， 是回归， 是那种在曾经很接近云层， 最后跌下来后，发现自己脚下大地才是最真实的回归。

活着，就要觉得自己有用，就要觉得别人也觉得自己有用，就要觉得自己让别人觉得自己有用。否则就如同行尸走肉， 沦为屎尿。 如果不能做出至少和看门狗同等的贡献，就没有资格去吃那一盒便当。 你，觉得自己有吃那一个饭盒的资格吗？

“努力！ 奋斗“
尹天仇---《喜剧之王》

9th December....

1. Have been quite buzy recently, ( thanks to the attitude of procrastination! )So probably wont updated my blog until 16th Dec.

2. Today have an interesting manufacturing lecture, which know some interesting statement, like :
a) The cause of the rebellion of North America is due to restriction in manufacturing and used of steel, not the Boston tax on tea leaves.
b) Cowboy dont wore gun on their holder, as the guns will rust eventually.
c) Half of the cowboy are black.
d) The story of cowboy is a myth, when railway start building across America, the cowboys getting useless.
e) World famous and most popular used rifle is Kalashnikov's

3. The above are statements, mean you need to find evidence on it.

4. According to weather forecast, tonight, tomorrow and Thuesday the temperature will drop to below zero.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml

5. Another tragedy happened in Malaysia, where a landslide near 淡江/bukit antarabangsa caused at least 3 deads.

6. Kuala Lumpur Composite Index closed at 835.17 , a decline of 3.11 point from previous day.

7. I still alived!

Some random Pic

Summer in China...





CNY in KMB...






Genting....




Ex College...


SunRise ....



Never play in the club XD


Guys, Kind of missing you....
anyway more is coming....

Some thing about my blog....

After 56 posts, although not much comments leave, :). Its a time to review and reinovate my blog.

Review:
1. Currently only one third of my blog is written in Chinese, so more will be coming.
2. Its seem that the topic covered are rather wide and random, maybe i should focus more.

Coming Soon :
1. Perhaps some articles in Malay,
2. More pic about life, friends, views, etc.
3. A better layout with more feature?

Updated list:
1. Add a feed list where i can view latest post from my friend.
2. Done labeling,
3. Add 3 more friends blogs.

Thats all, shall review again when posts reached 100 ++

Noted the end of November, the tragedy of Mumbai terrorist attack.

Just weeks ago, a series of terrorist attacks set off at several location in Mumbai , India, which killed at least 172 people....

Further details can be found here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2008_Mumbai_attacks

According to the news, One Malaysian woman was killed.
http://www.zeenews.com/world/2008-12-01/487559news.html

al- Qaeda and a Pakistan militant group were suspected to involved in the actions, yet, no Official attribution of responsibility was made by Indian Government.

Nine of the gunman who killed were Muslim, Where Indian Muslim council refuses to bury the terrorist.

I personally think that we should condemned the people who responsible for the attack, whatever their motives are, they shouldnt involved innocent people's life, especially when they shoot indiscriminately to the crowd.

Sad day for Mumbai, Sad day for India, Sad day for world peace.