University Life - Part 1 - Managing Your Learning

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You've had one semester of this undergraduate thing...

Tips for the Terrified


computing

languages

maths

presentations

writing


Some people have a real phobia about the above areas, either because of bad experiences at school, or because they have never done them before. Here, if you need them, are a few basic tips to get you started. Beyond that, seek help from your teacher/trainer or find out if there are any courses or workshops you can enrol on. This is only a beginning…

Computing

• Find someone to show you. Manuals and help-screens are often as complicated as the program itself, though your institution may have produced a simple guide.
• Ask him or her to slow down. Computer people tend to do things too quickly.
• Make sure you can get out of situations as well as into them. Always ask: how do I get back to where I was?
• Keep a little notebook beside you and write down your own instructions. That way you will understand them properly.
• Practise each operation two or three times to make sure you can really perform it.
• Take your time. Speed is not important.
• Don’t worry, you won’t break it.
• Work at it regularly, otherwise you will forget.

Languages

• Do a little often rather than a lot occasionally.
• Take risks. You will make mistakes but you will learn from them.
• Listen to tapes to get your ear attuned.
• Read vocab lists three times: top down, bottom up and top down again. Then test yourself. If the list has more than 10–12 items, divide it in half and do the same.
• Try imagining one change when you write or speak a sentence (present to past, statement to question, singular to plural, male to female, different adjective, etc). That way you will learn how to vary the patterns.
• Keep an error book. Note down any repeated mistakes you make and cross them out when you no longer do.
• Check your work before you hand it in.
• Have a go.

Maths

• In maths, if you do it right, you get it right.
• Make sure you understand every little step. Don’t skip or gloss over
• anything.
• Make sure you are doing things in the right order.
• Keep an error log of the mistakes you make. Cross them out when you no longer do.
• Try to grasp the underlying principles rather than just jumping through hoops. If you don’t, ask, and if you still don’t, ask again.
• Understand the purpose of it. Otherwise maths is just meaningless procedures.
• Take your time. Except in some exams, speed is not important.
• Check your workings. It is easy to make a slip.
• Get a feel for the solution. Does it look right?

Presentations

• Don’t put too much in. Maximum three key points in five minutes, five in ten minutes.
• Keep a little bit in reserve near the end in case you look like running out.
• List your main points at the start, preferably on a transparency; make the writing large enough; if you can’t write clearly, print.
• Speak, don’t read. Have clear, large notes you can see at a glance, maybe on a card.
• Project your voice and don’t drop it at the ends of sentences.
• Look at people, and not just the front row.
• If you want to get a discussion going, present conflicting views.
• Provide a handout at the end that summarises it all.
• Have your final sentence worked out so that you exit gracefully.

Writing

• Make an outline of your essay/assignment first and leave it for a day or so.
• Say what you are going to say in the introduction.
• Build up your writing in paragraphs. State your main point at the beginning and then develop it through examples, evidence, questions, arguments and counter-arguments.
• Don’t feel that the writing must be complicated just because it is an essay. Think: how would I explain this to someone?
• Don’t let your sentences get too long or you may lose track of them.
• If you are unsure about spelling, buy a compact dictionary and check.
• Read a lot. It helps all other communication skills.
• Don’t try to come to a firm conclusion if there isn’t one.

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DOING BUSINESS IN ASIA Part 1: INDONESIA

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Here are five general tips for foreigners wanting to do business in Indonesia. Do you agree with this advice? What advice would you give to a foreigner?

Be punctual to all business appointments. As a foreign businessperson, you are expected to be on time. However, it would be unrealistic to expect punctuality from all Indonesians, because promptness has not traditionally been considered a virtue. Furthermore, making people wait can be an expression of Indonesia’s social structure. It is the prerogative of a person of higher standing to make a person of lower rank wait, and it is very poor manners for a person of lower rank to show anger or displeasure toward a person in a higher station.

Even foreigners are expected to be late to social events. As a general rule, arrive about a half-hour late. But be aware that there is complex social interplay at social events. Some Indonesians will attempt to arrive later than lesser personages but earlier than more important guests. (For this reason, invitations to some events may state a time, but will add “please arrive fifteen minutes early.” This is to ensure that no one arrives after the most important guest.)

Indonesians show great deference to a superior. Consequently, supervisors are often told what they want to hear. The truth is conveyed in private, “up the grapevine”—often by a friend of the superior. Indonesians honor their boss by shielding him from bad news in public. This Indonesian trait, called asal bapak senan’ (which translates as “keeping father happy”) is instilled in Indonesians from childhood. A foreign executive must establish a network through which he or she can be told the truth in private.

Because Indonesians believe it is impolite to openly disagree with someone, they rarely say “no.” The listener is expected to be perceptive enough to discern a polite “yes (but I really mean no)” from an actual “yes.” This is rarely a problem when speaking in Bahasa Indonesia, because the language has at least twelve ways to say “no” and many ways to say “I’m saying yes, but I mean no.” This subtlety is lost when translated into many foreign languages, including English.

Indonesians are comfortable with silence, in both business and social settings. A silent pause does not necessarily signal either acceptance or rejection. Westerners often find such pauses uncomfortable, but Indonesians do not “jump” on the end of someone else’s sentence. A respectful pause may last as long as ten to fifteen seconds. Westerners often assume they have agreement and resume talking before an Indonesian has the chance to respond.


Feel free to add your ideas and suggestions in the COMMENTS below.

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Entering the NGO World

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"Boost your English skills, broaden your topical knowledge, turn yourself into a more effective job applicant."

The Wisma Bahasa English Division announces a new course aimed at people who want to prepare themselves for a career or part time work in the Non-Governmental Organisation sector.

Twelve 2 hour sessions covering:

• Intensive English practice with a native speaker using materials about development issues
• Focus on how NGOs work and what NGO staff do
• Skills and strategies for language learning and finding a job
• Simulated application process: CV, letter writing, interview skills
• Exclusive, interactive, customized daily blog for the duration of the course and as a permanent archive of materials for the class members
• Certificate on successful completion of the course
• Letter of reference to support future job applications

Participants need to:

• have at least lower-intermediate English language skills;
  
• be self-motivated and ambitious;
• work well in an active, participatory, multimedia learning environment;
  
• be seriously considering a career in the NGO sector, social work or similar employment

"We won't tell you what to think but we will tell you what to think about."

Limited places available!

See Course Details HERE.

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Minigopoly - The Rules

The Inaugural Game of MINIGOPOLY

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It was the first time that this brand new scaled down version of OLIGOPOLY was ever played and its first ever CHAMPION is Ike from "Dewi cs" class.



Wednesday 09-09-09 (what a great date for this momentous occasion!) the competitors in the famous "laboratory rats" game, from left to right: Yeyen, Ika, Dewi, Ike and Donan.



MINIGOPOLY differs from OLIGOPOLY in the following areas: board size, number of properties, number of dice used, when salaries are paid, how taxes are levied, the system used for elections, what makes inflation go up and down. In terms of 'feel', the two versions of the game are very similar. MINIGOPOLY takes 90 minutes to play while a full game of OLIGOPOLY takes three hours. Six is the maximum - and ideal - number of players for both games.



Inflation was "4" at the end of the game so all Corporations were valued at $400,000, and all Marketing Companies were valued at $200,000. Ike won with three Corporations, two Marketing Companies and $3,900,000 in cash. This gave her a total of $5,500,000 in assets. If inflation had been "6" at the end of the game then Dewi would have won because she owned five Corporations! It was a close result. Well played everyone. And well played to Ike who is the Wisma Bahasa's Inaugural Champion of MINIGOPOLY.

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UGM U202 Crew, Day Fourteen: 31st July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.

Call My Bluff

Adrian v Everybody Else: Round 11

Adrian told two stories: (1) "My wife and I have never discussed any of the girlfriends that I had before I met her". (2) "I once put chair legs in two guys’ lunches". From these two stories, one true, and one false, Adrian picked up 18 points and 'Everybody Else' 15 points (there were 14 students absent today!): the current score 180-163.

Can anyone tell the (untrue) story of the 'two chair legs' using the COMMENTS feature below? No more than 150 words. The best attempt will win a copy of the 1975 album "The Velvet Donkey" by Ivor Cutler.

UGM U202 Crew, Day Thirteen: 30th July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.



Today we learnt about some very important life skills...

1. How to cross a piranha infested river
2. How to escape from a grizzly bear
3. How to avoid vampire bat bites in the wild
4. How to fend off a man-eating tiger
5. How to tell if a jellyfish sting is poisonous
6. How to escape from killer bees
7. How to escape from a deadly python’s grip
8. How to eat worms
9. How to eat animals after a nuclear explosion

Can you remember the answers? Comment below.


Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 18 - Revi

Revi told a story about how she made a film with my friends as a project in my junior high school. It wasn't true. Unfortunately for Revi 21 students thought the story was not true so she only scored 7 points.

Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 19 - Ohsy

Ohsy told a story about how, late one night, when she was still in 3rd grade of senior high school, she and her brothers were so hungry that they decided to go to McDonalds secretly. But she accidentally sounded the car’s horn and her father woke up. He brought a sword and her mum brought a bucket. He didn’t believe her lies about wanting to get a CD out of the car. And she talked about something else concerning a naughty ring tone on her mobile phone as well. She was punished by her dad. her mum… etc. etc. etc. And then her friend came etc. etc. The story was true and eighteen of her classmates knew it. Ohsy scored 10 points.


ANY OPINIONS, THEORIES COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS?

Use the "Comments" feature below.

UGM U202 Crew, Day Twelve: 29th July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.

Some Commonly Used Idioms

Go back to the drawing board
Give [someone] the creeps
Cost an arm and a leg
Pay top dollar
Go belly up
Stab [someone] in the back
Keep your chin up
Right hand man
When pigs fly
Buckle down
Over my head
Blow it
Hit the books

SONG OF THE WEEK:

Loudon Wainwright III’s “Your Mother And I”

Your mother and I are living apart
I know that seems stupid,
but we weren't very smart
You'll stay with her, I'll visit you
At Christmas, on weekends,
and the summertime too
Your mother and I
are not getting along
Somehow, somewhere,
something went wrong
Everything changes,
time takes its toll
Your folks fell in love;
love's a very deep hole
Your mother and I will do
all we can do
To work this thing out
and to take care of you
Families get broken,
I know it's a shame
It's nobody's fault, though,
and you're not to blame
Your mother and I
are both feeling bad
But things will get better,
they won't stay this sad
And I hope when you grow up,
one day you'll see
Your parents are people,
and that's all we can be
Your mother and I

ANY OPINIONS, THEORIES COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS?

Use the "Comments" feature below.

UGM U202 Crew, Day Eleven: 28th July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.

Call My Bluff

Adrian v Everybody Else: Round 10

Adrian told a story about how he claimed to have collected 678 recordings of concerts by an American jamband called The Grateful Dead. There were quite a lot of questions and slightly more than half of the U202 Crew decided that Adrian was lying. However, regardless of how embarrassing it is for Adrian to have such a strange obsession, the story was in fact true! Adrian picked up 17 points and 'Everybody Else' 14 points: 161-138.


Wednesday, February 07, 2007
U.S. NEWS REPORTS...


ORLANDO, Fla. — A NASA astronaut accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections was charged with attempted first-degree murder Tuesday as her lawyer sparred with prosecutors to effort her release.

Lisa Marie Nowak was ordered released on $10,000 bail and told to wear an ankle tracking device. That is in addition to the $15,500 bail that was ordered for Nowak earlier in the day for the attemped kidnapping charges.

"The intent was there to do serious bodily injury or death," Orlando Police Sgt. Barb Jones, referring to a new steel mallet, knife, rubber tubing and large garbage bags that police found in Nowak's possession.

Police said Nowak drove 900 miles, donned a disguise and was armed with a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted a woman she believed was a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, an unmarried fellow astronaut.

Oefelein, 41, piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He and Nowak trained together but never flew a mission together.

Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to an arrest affidavit. Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities found a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Oefelein and Colleen Shipman.

According to authorities, Nowak believed Shipman was romantically involved with Oefelein, and when she found out Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, she decided to confront her early Monday, according to the arrest affidavit.

Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers in the car so she wouldn't have to stop to go to the bathroom, authorities said. Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, she waited for Shipman's plane to land and then boarded the same airport shuttle bus Shipman took to get to her car, police said. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.

Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying, the statement said. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said. Shipman drove to the parking lot booth and police were called.

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is a Naval Academy graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She has a teenage son and younger twin girls.

Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.

Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 16 - Nia

Nila told a story about how she split up with her boyfriend and when he said bad things about her, she beat him up with punch after punch and also by throwing things at him. There was something about the passion and energy of Nia's storytelling that made her peers think she was telling the truth! And - of course - she was! As a result - despite her very entertaining story - she only scored 8 points while 22 of her classmates picked up 1 point each.

Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 17 - Rian

Rian told a story about how he reckons he experienced bad karma – for annoying his friend with a practical joke using a padlock - when he had to cut a padlock when he found himself locked into his friend's house and the people with the key (his friend's parents) were away in Jakarta. Rian's story was true and 18 of his U202 friends thought so too. Therefore he only collected 12 points for his story.

CURRENT CALL MY BLUFF LEADERBOARD:

ELWIN.....38
RENDY.....31
UCEN......31
LUTFI.....30
RIFKI.....29
TENI......27
ALICE.....25
SANJUNG...25
SHAFA.....25
MARWAH....21
FEBRINA...18
RIAN......18
DILA......18
REZAA.....15
EGA.......15
NIA.......14
IRKA......12

ANY OPINIONS, THEORIES COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS?

Use the "Comments" feature below.

UGM U202 Crew, Day Ten: 27th July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.

Call My Bluff

Adrian v Everybody Else: 9

Adrian told a story about how he once got mistakenly detained by police after an anti-Apartheid demonstration in London turned violent. Once the police established that he was not on the CCTV footage he was released. Crew u202 didn't buy it! They scored 24 points. Adrian only picked up 9 points. No more trash talk from Adrian... The Crew is cathing up, although Adrian is still winning: 144-120.

MORAL DILEMMAS...

A friend of yours is an artist. She hasn’t had a lot of success yet. She invites you to her first exhibition and obviously hopes that you will buy one of her paintings. They are not very good and they are not very cheap. Do you feel you have to buy one?

Your boss gives you expensive tickets to see a pop group in concert. You forget to make a note of the date in your diary or on the calendar and so you miss the show. The next day, your boss asks you how the show was. Do you tell him you missed it?

You order something from a mail order catalogue. After the item has arrived you receive a refund from the mail order company and a letter explaining that the item is out of stock. It seems that there has been some kind of computer error. Do you tell the company about their error and give the money back?

ANY OPINIONS? Use the "Comments" feature below.



Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 14 - Sanjung

Sanjung told a story about how he used to have a classmate who was a thief. He stole large amounts of money and many mobile phones. Eventually he was found out and then disappeared. It was true. But unfortunately for Sanjung, the class was more or less split down the middle, denying him the chance of registering a big score. Sanjung 17 v 15 Everyone Else.

Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 13 - Dila

Dila told a story about how she once went to Dufan and after she got off one of the rides she realised that her family wasn’t there. The security officers couldn’t find them so they rang her father and he was amazed to find that he had forgotten her when the family went home because of confusion about who was in which car. All lies! Eighteen classmates thought it was all lies! Dila scored 14 points.

ANY OPINIONS, THEORIES COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS?

Use the "Comments" feature below.

UGM U202 Crew, Day Nine: 24th July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.

Call My Bluff

Adrian v Everybody Else: 8

Adrian told a story about how, for 15 years, 1991-2006, he drove a motorcycle in Indonesia without a valid driver’s licence. It was true, but only 12 students guessed right. Adrian scored 18 points: 135-100.

THE U202 CREW ON 24th JULY 2009
(missing: G, Neni Citra)

Photo can also be seen here.

Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 12 - Shafa

Shafa told a story about how when she was a brand new student in junior high school a guy called Gusur asked her to be his girlfriend and gave her melted chocolate. After they split, twenty four hours later, she found out that he had only “dated” her to win a bet with his gang friends. Shafa's classmates thought she was lying but she wasn't. She scored 20 points. Ten classmates picked up 1 point each.


Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 13 - Elwin

Elwin claimed he won first prize in a ‘modified car’ competition in the Sound System category. Just at the end of the questioning session, Alice - Elwin's friend - asked "Why didn't you tell me about that?" Adrian reckons this was a set up. And a clever set up, too. It gave the impression that Elwin was lying and that Alice's 'spontaneous' question gave the game away. Mmm. Who knows? It had the desired effect. Twenty six of the U202 Crew thought he was lying - but he wasn't! Elwin went straight to the top of the leaderboard with 34 points!

ANY OPINIONS, COMMENTS, GOSSIP?

Use the "Comments" feature below.

UGM U202 Crew, Day Eight: 23rd July 2009

"U202 Crew" are the participants in the 2009 Intensive Preparation Programme of the International Undergraduate Programme, in the Faculty of Economics, U.G.M.

Call My Bluff

Adrian v Everybody Else: 7

Adrian told a story about how he went along with his ambulance driver father to an accident and found an eyeball from one of the victims by the side of the road after a horrific motorway pile up. The students beat Adrian this time but the 18-12 scoreline didn't have a significant effect on this lead, which is 117-88.

Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 10 - Alice

Alice told a story about how she once pretended to faint so that she didn’t have to do a science test but the teacher knew she was faking it. The story was true but it fooled 18 students. Eleven others picked up a point for guessing correctly.


Call My Bluff

Peer Group Pressure: Round 11 - Rendy

Rendy told a story about when the 2006 earthquake struck Yogya. He ran out of his house wearing only a bath towel and he saw a naked woman running out of the boarding house next door. This was a massive success for Rendy and he scored 22-7. However Ucen guessed BOTH Alice's and Rendy's Call My Bluff stories correctly and holds on to a slim lead on 30, compared to Rendy's 29.

Call My Bluff:
Peer Group Pressure Leaderboard
after 11 Rounds:

Ucen ...... 30 points
Rendy ..... 29 points
Rifki ..... 26 points
Teni ...... 23 points
Lufti ..... 25 points
Alice ..... 22 points
Marwah .... 17 points
Febrina ... 15 points
Ega ....... 11 points
Rezaa ..... 12 points
Irka ...... 10 points


Daily Interview: Dius & Elwen


Download the mp3 audio file CLICK HERE 1.6 MB

Be sure to download from Rapidshare as a FREE USER.

Questions...

1. What are Dius' plans for the continuation of his basketball career?
   
2. Why did Adrian make a joke about Elwen getting kicked in the head by his mother?
   

ANY OPINIONS, COMMENTS, ANSWERS?

Use the "Comments" feature below.