Today the realisation hit me that I was headed towards a burnout if I didn't pace myself well or discipline myself into having sufficient rest. I suppose that for something that I've been anticipating this badly for my entire life, the motivation and willingness to pour my entire soul, body and mind into this programme is unsurprising, even for myself.
But I realised, as I was playing squash back at Cashew today, that I wasn't my usual self. I was on an adrenaline high from having spent most of the week and my weekend studying away. I mean, I enjoy the work I'm doing so much that it doesn't really take much of an effort to drain myself mentally. So I was in the courts, and my mind wasn't there at all. Nope, I don't think that it was my three-week absence from the courts that was dampening my mental processing. I couldn't read the game at my usual pace. I was losing concentration.
It was then that I started asking myself, what kind of advice would I give any student, in maintaing a healthy balance. Sleep, nutrition, exercise, vitamins, concentrated periods of study, a balanced diet, and a good environment to study in.
So that's my new aim: to do my morning runs as I did when working in FAIMS, and sleep before 12.30am everyday. Let's try this for a week and see how it goes. Bring on week 2!
30 June 2013
27 June 2013
Day 2 - The Dawning of Reality
So it appears that it won't be so easy to be able to finish what we need to. Simply put, the CAAS exams are anticipated to be pretty tough, and we're going to need a lot more than just self-study to pass the exams. Definitely a lot of practice on questions. And now, the real question that remains is, will the rest of the remaining 7 weeks to our first papers be just like it has been the last few days? Lots of self study and CBT.
A lot more needs to be covered and I need to seriously move on ahead with my topics and finish the books ASAP, to be able to leave more time to practicing questions, reviewing, and committing things to memory.
One thing I commend myself on is despite how I only slept for about 4 hours yesterday, it seems that all the habits and patterns that I spent forming about a month before course started has actually started paying off.
Didn't feel like I was sleepy in class, and I was able to study for pretty much 24 hours straight. Now all I need is some rest. Some good sleep would really be welcome.
Carol came by to visit today and the guys were really nice about it.
That's about all I can think of saying today. So tired. Need some rest to realign my thoughts and refreshen my alertness.
A lot more needs to be covered and I need to seriously move on ahead with my topics and finish the books ASAP, to be able to leave more time to practicing questions, reviewing, and committing things to memory.
One thing I commend myself on is despite how I only slept for about 4 hours yesterday, it seems that all the habits and patterns that I spent forming about a month before course started has actually started paying off.
Didn't feel like I was sleepy in class, and I was able to study for pretty much 24 hours straight. Now all I need is some rest. Some good sleep would really be welcome.
Carol came by to visit today and the guys were really nice about it.
That's about all I can think of saying today. So tired. Need some rest to realign my thoughts and refreshen my alertness.
26 June 2013
Day 1 - Settling In
I must admit this. This huge bungalow can be a little bit scary. Maybe it's cos I haven't gotten used to the new surroundings yet, or maybe it's simply because it's located in an old army camp. I'm not too familiar with the history of it, but here in Seletar, there remains only one active unit that occupies one of the buildings located somewhere nearby.
But I'm trying to keep a few lights on, the radio on, and all that, just to make the place a little less eerie. That aside, I feel like I'm also the senior citizen of the house. Boiling water for everyone, bringing the food and tissue paper in, organizing the furniture, and taking residence for being the most organized uncle in the house.
I also happen to be the oldest among my other coursemates, and that prompted them to unanimously elect me to be the course I/C -_-
They also banished the course I/C to the corner of the room, but that actually means I get my own personal space and bed (!) My coursemates are sharing a bunk bed. Funny guys, they are. We went out for a little, earlier on at Compassvale to get some stuff from the bookstore and supermarket. Boy, did we enjoy a few good laughs at the expense of another one of our coursemates who happens no to be living in with us.
Oh, did I mention, of the two rooms o the second level, we decided to share a room and convert the other into a study, which we dutifully utilised in a study session after we came back. I could really get used to these study sessions. The mugging has just started. I hope all of us make it through without much trouble and leave no one behind when we leave for JDK.
But I'm trying to keep a few lights on, the radio on, and all that, just to make the place a little less eerie. That aside, I feel like I'm also the senior citizen of the house. Boiling water for everyone, bringing the food and tissue paper in, organizing the furniture, and taking residence for being the most organized uncle in the house.
I also happen to be the oldest among my other coursemates, and that prompted them to unanimously elect me to be the course I/C -_-
They also banished the course I/C to the corner of the room, but that actually means I get my own personal space and bed (!) My coursemates are sharing a bunk bed. Funny guys, they are. We went out for a little, earlier on at Compassvale to get some stuff from the bookstore and supermarket. Boy, did we enjoy a few good laughs at the expense of another one of our coursemates who happens no to be living in with us.
Oh, did I mention, of the two rooms o the second level, we decided to share a room and convert the other into a study, which we dutifully utilised in a study session after we came back. I could really get used to these study sessions. The mugging has just started. I hope all of us make it through without much trouble and leave no one behind when we leave for JDK.
25 June 2013
Day Zero
Day Zero at SFC - Moving in and Admin.
I'll be trying to keep all my posts short and sweet because of the foreseeable lack of time that I will be granted in the near future. So starting from today it is.
Reported to SFC this morning. Our course made history in many ways. First to have such a small course (cohort) size, fully made up of private candidates, and the first to be taking on the new JAA (pronounced as 'jar') syllabus.
Nothing much, a few admin briefs, went to our accoms for the first time. We being adults, or young adults (just want to feel young here again, me being the oldest in the course), the admin side left us to our own devices. We quickly decided upon sharing one room together, and converting the other room to a study. Went back home, packed up what was needed, and came back. Returned to the accoms at 2300H. Unpacked, and now getting ready for tomorrow's first lesson on POF.
Short Reflection: I think my course mates are great guys. We are all private candidates. All very self-motivated. We want to get through this course and graduate as pilots. Doesn't matter in the end that we still don't have a job in hand yet. Doesn't matter that we are forking out a huge sum. At the end of the day, we are just guys who want to become pilots.
I'll be trying to keep all my posts short and sweet because of the foreseeable lack of time that I will be granted in the near future. So starting from today it is.
Reported to SFC this morning. Our course made history in many ways. First to have such a small course (cohort) size, fully made up of private candidates, and the first to be taking on the new JAA (pronounced as 'jar') syllabus.
Nothing much, a few admin briefs, went to our accoms for the first time. We being adults, or young adults (just want to feel young here again, me being the oldest in the course), the admin side left us to our own devices. We quickly decided upon sharing one room together, and converting the other room to a study. Went back home, packed up what was needed, and came back. Returned to the accoms at 2300H. Unpacked, and now getting ready for tomorrow's first lesson on POF.
Short Reflection: I think my course mates are great guys. We are all private candidates. All very self-motivated. We want to get through this course and graduate as pilots. Doesn't matter in the end that we still don't have a job in hand yet. Doesn't matter that we are forking out a huge sum. At the end of the day, we are just guys who want to become pilots.
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