Recap my 2nd year 2nd semester life, halfway to complete of degree program, progress 50%.

Hi everybody, Ah Wong is back, after so long time of being idle from blogging. Apparently, we are now in the midst of battling against the pandemic, which is known as Covid-19 spreading across the globe. This pandemic has caused me and even, I believe, everyone’s lives were going on miserably especially this first half quarter of 2020. Luckily, our country, Malaysia had successfully curbed the pandemic from spreading like wildfire in Malaysia. For example, the no. of cases of people getting infected with covid-19 daily was in declining trend as overall although the trend was fluctuating from time to time, where it sometimes may be high or even low (find out more statistics of COVID-19 in Malaysia). All thanks to people abiding to social distancing method and highly practising hygiene SOP provided by the government when it comes to some industry or business. Certainly, classes of lectures and other higher education activities weren’t spare from the impact of the pandemic. We, as the university student, had to change our lifestyle in order to suit with the online learning trend too. Obviously, it may be seen as a boon for majority of us, the students who have the stable connection around, however, there are some people aren’t that fortunate as we to have a stable connection and there is one even climb up to the tree just to get a stable connection for her study… Well, without further ado, I will talk more about my life in this semester amid this special time being.

Random captured Sunrise picture around 7:30am

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (Source: TheStar Malaysia)

Online lectures, different methods of e-learning.

            As I had said in the earlier on the first paragraph, this semester (2^nd year 2^nd semester, Sem 4) was quite special for me as compared to my previous semester (2^nd year 1^st semester, Sem 3 about my first attempt of vlog), since everything was online now. Obviously, regardless of public or private universities in Malaysia, the lesson too still need to be continue amid the face-2-face teaching method is unfeasible for the time being. For example, UKM let thestudents and teachers to have a month preparation since the MCO was announcedin to be comfortable of using e-learning method before the lesson resumed on 27thof April (in which, the date was set by our university’s Vice Chancellor). 

The video of VC made an announcement the sem will be delayed to 27th April to resume.

Meanwhile, our University - UKM online learning method was different as according to the discretion of lecture. Some prefer to use Microsoft teams as recommended by the management of UKM to conduct the class, while some opt for different online virtual meeting apps like Zoom and Cisco-WEBEX. However, these medium of conducting lectures were too common for me as they are all just the same. These online class, although, couldn’t really make us as focus as before in the physical class, but we can replay the recording of online meeting lectures to understand back what the lecturer was teaching before. Meanwhile, the separate thing, some of the lecturers were unique as they opted to us unsynchronized method of teaching by sending us the podcast and we can listen to it anytime and everywhere. Thus, MCO and social distance makes us to need to be self-discipline and self-learning much when it comes to online lectures since we can play back the recording of the online meetings and podcasts anytime.

Different way of doing assignment and presentation

            Upon reading the title, you will know what I want to convey about right here. Indeed, everything is online even the discussion of assignment and presentation since the physical classes and university life was halted since 18^th of March 2020 till uncertain upcoming date. In fact, some lecturer also making us to be convenient in order to accomplish the assignments given. For instance, there is a lecturer of mine changing the method of doing the assignment into online research from the previously method of interviewing for the acquaintance. This is in line with the social distance practice to avoid interacting with the acquaintances whom they might have the potential to spread the disease in that particular time, especially in the month of March and April. Apart from that, there is also another lecturer who just made a suppose-to-be groupwork assignment into individual ones. That’s a bless for me, in fact since I could do my own assignment without have to wait for the progress of the other member to finish their parts respectively in order to do compilation. Thus, it greatly saved up my time to finishing up these burdens in academic since the main burdens were still the examination (which I will talk later about related continuance method of examination). Meanwhile, there was a mandatory university subject - TITAS (Islamic and Asian Civilization studies), had substituted the final examination into the method of summarizing an article. At the first glance, I am blaming why the lecturers who are teaching this subject need to replace it (the final exam) with an individual assignment. However, looking at the bright side, I maybe can defined my own timing to complete summarization of article in the short time of period instead of have to waiting to get prepare for final exam in which we may not know when will it be given to us. In short, for me, MCO had made our students’ lives, perhaps, to be slightly convenient and time saving when it comes to do assignments.

an example of online version of presentation by using PowerPoint video of group of mine.

Continuous Online Examination Method

There are plenty ways of methods that UKM offered for us to opt. According to one of the academic circulars that had issued by UKM, it said that there are 3 types of examination mode such as the online assessment with time limit, open book method with longer time frame and lastly the conventional approach, if the situation permittable. However, most of the courses stick to the first two modes but not the latter one since the period was still in the transition from MCO to CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order on 4^th of May before it turned into RMCO, Relief version). Besides, travel ban across the states was only lifted by around 15^th of June 2020, which was about the end of the semester in 2^nd session of semester in 2019/2020. In fact, within the online assessment method, there was even the “subbranch” of the version method. For my course (Accounting course), there were few lecturers opted to use weekly or fortnightly assessment method. Every syllabus was basically subbed out into smaller chunks in each of the weeks. For me, the drawback for this kind of method is making us a little of time to prepare for the exam. Meanwhile, this kind of method also making me to be numb and indifferent to the examination after going through many of it. “Huh, Examination? Tests? I had no feeling already…” However, on the bright side, this method makes us to be study consistently even though the topics for each of the exams were fewer now. Apart from that, I personally felt this kind of method made me to feel ease in the almost end of the semester since I’ve finished multiple miniature version of exam and left and just a little topics to cover for the upcoming topics. Oh yah, lastly, this method did have an open secret (time is constraining but if you could do it in online assessment, you're pro.) – which was enabling us to search online and discuss with course mates or friends through social media platforms. So, in short, this examination mode had been used in this critical time being enabling us the student to be creative and enhancing technological literacy as well as collaborating with course mates to solve any kind of problems in academics. Perhaps, these skills somehow needed in the working field, who knows…

Open book method of exam is challenging too you need to really have a good grasp of knowledge that you require to answer the question.

Islamic Civilization mandatory course final assignment - 6 pages article that need me to write and paraphrase and summaries to 10-15 pages.

Leisure activities

Well, my leisure activities were divided into three sections. Firstly, when the Malaysia was still in the phase of MCO (18^th March till 3rd of May), I was stuck at home and doing nothing. Basically, that time frame I was totally indulged in inactive mode. Literally eat, sleep, browse memes and read newspaper with little or no movement. I gained much weight at that time. However, I started again my workout and morning walk at the park since the class started by the late MCO phase and the starting of CMCO phase from 4^th of May. This is mainly because stuck at home for a long time made me to feel uncomfortable, and I finally got found some excuse to do some exercise and breathing fresh air as that time some light recreational activities like walking and jogging in the public were allowed by the government. Then, the subsequent phase, RMCO commenced on 15^th of June till 31^st August, enable us to “hit” the gym by practising the tight SOP. Therefore, I go for the gym whenever I had no tests or no lesson on that day. I remembered once I quickly ran to gym right after finishing my exam an hour earlier from the time given. This is because of the timing of the test was not a good timing (11am – 1pm) and it was disrupting my workout timing with my friends, in which we usually ‘hit’ the gym at 11am till 1pm. Fortunately, I managed to score well for that mini test. On the separate issue, I’ve found my strength was stagnant was the same level as before MCO’s workout session after recovering my muscle memory for the heavy lifting and trying to push for personal record. Therefore, as the movement control order was getting relaxed, I am going to do much of the physical activities in which consider as leisure activities to fill up my boring time.
A series of the photos taken by me when I went for jogging...

Autumn season?

As overall, MCO has disrupted our lives as all. However, some even took this opportunity to learn something new or spend more quality time with family, especially in the critical time of MCO. I am glad that those frontliners and society as well in contributing to curb the pandemic from spreading wildly. This is owing to with these efforts as all, we can gradually being free to conduct any activity outdoor and indirectly each of the economy sector with gradually recovering back to the normal level. However, right now pandemic has hit hard on many economy sectors and leaving some companies had to enforce a series of entrenchment. Hence, in this critical time being, some were forced to make some changes in life in order to suit with the flow, such as tighten the month expenditure budget or pathing out the new creative road by selling some homemade delicacies or even consigning some other products. For all of us who still manage to live on as usual, be grateful with whatever we are having right know, and embrace to some changes in life as well. For example, being creative in using resource on internet and adapting to the new norm – everything online. The difficult time will vanish by its own, it take time, so once again be prepared.

Life of first half Semester 4 (2nd year, 2nd Semester) under coronavirus outbreak RMO thoughts

Hello everybody! Ah Wong is back again… Today I am going to share about these few days of mine under Movement Control 14 days amid of Coronavirus outbreak getting worsening (My outstanding semester 4 in university experience). Coronavirus has landed us to live with fear, as more and more people are getting infected with the virus recently… Besides, although it was originated from China, but its spreading speed is as fast you couldn’t conceive, just in less than 2 months it had spread across almost every corner in the globe. According to the data provided by World o meter, thenumbers of people who are infected with COVID-19 (alternative name ofCoronavirus) was at 382,814 cases and the death toll was at 16,578 and Numberof patients recovered from virus was at 102,522 by 23rd March 2020. Meanwhile, as we can trace from the countries’ record on the virus at that website, Italy has the second highest number of people infected with COVID-19 after China as the people didn’t realise about the social distancing concept once the COVID-19 landed in the nation. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the situation is getting out of control when those who had infected with virus while travelling abroad still going for the mass praying conducted as mosques. This obviously would make the virus spread faster and leading to our government to quickly find some measure to curb this virus from outgrowing. Thus, there we go with this Movement restriction period from 18/3/2020 till 31/3/2020. (P/S: due to this lockdown, my Uni has been bring forward a week of mid semester break from 30/3-5/4 to 23/3-29/3.)

This movement restriction called by government had a primary intention to minimize the interaction of the people in which indirectly will make this virus outspread even worse. We should be grateful already, as there are the other countries practising social distancing longer period than us in Malaysia. For instances, China, Italy, Spain and South Korea had been practising this social distancing method to curb outspread of virus earlier than us as these countries are having the highest number of diagnosed on virus. However, in these 14 days, we are still able to buy groceries and foods outside although most of the sectors are closed in these days. Meanwhile, the government had also asked all, regardless, private or public universities to stop all activities related to teaching and curriculum in these 14 days. So, it is quite strange for me to be at home in these couple of days, as everyone is at home and having a “strong holiday” mood even though they (my parents and my elder sister) still have to work from home. For me, it is quite bored to stay at home to do nothing aside from eating, sleeping and showering. Therefore, here go the few things I am doing in these movement restriction days amid of COVID-19 outbreak.

Things I do in these few days:

Reading book

Reading is the best way to act as pastime for me. Usually, I read books related to financial management and world history. Through reading these genres of books, I can get to explore more knowledge which I may and may not know. For example, I’ve recently been reading Robert T. Kiyosaki’s books titled with “Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing” in which this book is disseminating us some knowledge on how to be a sophisticated and inside investor. These investors are required with the a few of investment control among them such as control over income/expense ratios and asset/liability ratios, control over taxes and control when to buy and sell the shares. The exception of the difference is that insider investor is investing through inside of a business, while the sophisticated investor inside from outside the business. Inside investor have exact control power on a business, while outside investor doesn’t have. However, these investors still need these 3 E’s in order to successful which are Education, Excess cash and Experiences. That’s the brief middle part of the book, while the early part was talking on the investor lessons that the writer got from his rich uncle (Rich Dad). 

I could remember a few lessons such as knowing which sides of the quadrant that you wish to be at, and the sophisticated investors will dare to make mistakes and learn from it while the average investors avert from making mistakes. In early and middle part of the book, Robert Kiyosaki often comparing rich dad and his own biological dad - poor dad on how their life looks like, how their perceived on the financial statements and their financial literacy. For instance, in that book, the writer said rich dad were understanding financial statements and knowing how to relate from one to another and knowing how to change a liability into an asset. The asset term in the book is those things that could be used to generate income instead of giving us liability. If you bought a property and you rented it out, that is an asset; if you lived on it instead, you have no income to cover up your expenses on utilities and other taxes on it, so that is a liability. These are just minor part of gist of the book, read more to find it out further. Therefore, from that book, you can refine financial literacy and be financially smart in one day.

Read history related wiki articles

            Undeniably, I’m a fan of history. Prior entering university, I used to read some history articles as my pastime. History is somewhat a best genre of reading material for me as I can get to know more about our ancestors’ did in the long time ago, its cause and effect on this society and what are the lessons that we can obtain from these incidents or stories. My focus on the history is mainly of China and Malay Archipelago histories. From these two different geographic regions, we can slowly relate these places into each other and the nearby regions such as the Sino-centric region (Japan, Korea and Vietnam), Malay Archipelago, South Asia and to Arabian Peninsula as well as Europe. Therefore, I found it was really interesting to understand history from this perceptive of viewing the history.

Entertainment

The entertainment of mine is mainly from YouTube and the memes on Facebook. Since this Restricted Movement Order (RMO) started last few days, I’ve been so bored at home. Thus, apart from reading, I also spared out my time to scroll for the recent memes regarding of COVID-19 that had posted on social media. Memes are the best source of mine to destress too even before the RMO started. It’s a fact of express for the younger generation regarding of the current issues and general news and trend. Meanwhile, I also watch some YouTube videos, and again it’s mostly about the history and minorly about games and science. In fact, I had been eager to find for Plants vs Zombies PC game free full version download link, but I’ve couldn’t find it anyway… So, I gave up on it as playing games will make you to be addicted and wasting time in the end. In short, my entertainment is from memes and YouTube videos in this period of time being apart from reading.

Last but not least, revision.

I did also do a little of revision for my study too. The reason of doing revision in this time being is to refrain me from gradually forgetting what I had learnt before in class. For me, it is not necessarily to overdo the revision, but in fact do it in a little day by day consistently will make you to grasp the knowledge learnt before.

Alright, that’s all about my today blogpost sharing on my Restricted Movement Order 14 days life. Today is just the day 7 of it, it is only half of the restricted movement order days to be home. Obviously, it is quite weird to be at home for 24/7, however, for the public’s health and normal social’s order sakes, it is totally important to do so. As less people gather in the public area will reduce one’s probability to be affected with the virus. So, stay home and work from home or doing some beneficial things at home.

Recap my 2nd year 1st sem's degree life in UKM

“Time flies, a semester had just ended in a flash…”

Hello everybody, Ah Wong the noob blogger is here again to update blog post. It has been a long time for me not updating my blog as last few months, I was busying with my hectic 2^nd year 1^st semester Accounting studies. Well, today’s topic is regarding of recap of my previous semester (2^nd Year 1^st Semester of Accounting degree).

This blogpost will be divided into 3 main topics of my 2^nd year 1^st semester life, which are my general life and academic life of that semester as well as what I had done as my pastime activities during that semester. Without further ado, let’s begin with these topics.

My general life in (Semester 3) 2^nd year 1^st semester

To begin with, I could say that my previous semester life is too dull and boring as I didn’t join any activity or event in the campus (UKM). This is owing to I had very heavy academic subjects to be coped with in that semester as compared to my 1^st year's studies, which in turns making me reluctant to spare time to participate any university event. For an instance, I did have 8 subjects to prepared for examinations as well as 8 assignments or group assignments to be accomplish in that semester. This is totally “absurd” of me to survive in that semester as the workload was about 2 times than previous semester (previous semesters I only had about 3-4 subjects’ assignments to be done) and 4 major accounting subjects to cope with some more. Nonetheless, I am glad that I survive through this hectic and dull semester after looking back at how I managed to cope with all these subjects in the semester.

My academic life in (Semester 3) 2^nd year 1^st semester

Moving on to my academic life, I could again say it was hectic life in previous semester. This is because of many of the assignments were related to accounting majors in greater depth than previous one semester. Taking Accounting Information System (AIS) subject’s group assignment as an example, I could remember vividly how tough was the to be done in the last semester. It demanded us to seek for 3 months financial reports and transaction from any sector of the business in order to use an accounting software to analyse the business performances. Indeed, it was a tough time for us to obtain any info from the companies as they did also reluctant to give up so many info. Perhaps, from what we conceived was that most of the company not willing to share out most of the info of transaction as they scared the students or anyone to abuse this company’s secret info to the rival companies. Luckily, my groupmates and I managed to have some financial transaction and statement from my Puchong friend’s family shop to do our group project. I was very thankful of the shop owner as he believed us of not simply abusing the info given from him. In short, I was very fortunate to be able to obtain info for my group assignment in a short time and most importantly I appreciate that I had cooperative teammates in doing group assignments in ease.

This is my AIS group assignment's video presentation which is uploaded on YouTube. It may seemingly a bit crappy, by the way XDD...

My pastime activity in that semester

Basically, my pastime activity is mainly about leisure activity. I usually walking around in the campus since the day I had entered the campus. For example, last semester I did the same routine by waking up in the early morning to go for a jog too. In fact, jogging in the morning enabled us to breathe in fresh air and giving us some morning vibes in order to carry on a day tasks with positivity. That is why I usually go for morning walk as it could stimulate more positive thoughts in our mind and indirectly increasing the ability to absorb more knowledge from the books. However, last semester I managed to find a junior morning walk member who occasionally joined with me to go for morning walk in the campus. I glad that there were still someone who was also like to morning walk as very few or none of the people in the campus did so (most of them just study 24/7 for the whole day, from what I had assumed). Therefore, although my life in the previous semester consider too dull and boring, but there was still a favourite pastime activity done by me to boost my motivation in study.

View more morning walk pictures taken by me down here…

A series of random photo of sceneries taken by me when I had morning walk with morning walk "kaki" (member)

As a random anonymous saying goes: "Everything in life is temporary. So, if things are going well, enjoy it because it won't last forever. And if things are going bad, don't worry. It can't last forever either." The tough times will soon be gone when you are keep focusing on doing your job without over thinking about it. Everything just goes with the flow… Once again, I managed to survive through this hectic semester. The end.

In the end of this blog post, let me show you all my first ever vlog on YouTube. It is regarding of my morning walk journey from UKM Bangi main campus to Bangi Lama (which is also known as Old Bangi). Enjoy watching it...