Thursday, May 1, 2014

The Common-sense Guide to PNEC

I wrote this article in Sept 2012, in response to a request from Onib Nasir. But I am not sure if it was ever used, so I am just posting it here in its original form without any editing. 

All these items are common-sense but they are rarely followed.

1st order of business:
 Buy mospel body liquid and apply it to your feet, neck, behind your ears, on your forehead, arms and hand, every night, or if you don't like the smell of mospel, use mortein spray in your room after every three days, spray it under the bed and covered spaces. Mats and coils are ineffective and a complete waste of money, they just make the air stinky. 

Have a live CV: Always have a current and updated CV ready.

Learn the language: Go out of your way to master the programming language in your first semester, go beyond just the class syllabus . C/C++ for Electrical guys, FORTRAN for mechanical/IME guys. Make sure that the philosophy and logic behind the programming becomes second nature for you. Most of the people you meet, might say that you should just ditch the books and sit in front of the computer and somehow you will just magically learn the programming language, I think that's not sound advice, in my opinion books are very important for learning these well-established programming languages. Consult Schaum's Outlines for starting off, then move on to The Complete Reference. 

Study habits and GPA: Life is not about GPA, but college life is mostly about it. Getting a good GPA is different from getting a good education, but it's not an either/or situation, you can have both. Getting a good GPA is not some mysterious art, you just need to follow some good study habits. Pay attention to lectures in class, this point can not be over emphasized, yet it is one of the most ignored. If you pay attention in class you will know what is important for papers, and you will have to spend less time in preparing for tests. Take good notes in class, read online about how to take good notes. Taking good notes helps you remain focused in class and helps tremendously in revising for tests. Submit your assignments on time (but please don't be the moron who submits his assignment even when the rest of the class isn't, if you really want to submit it and no one else in your class has made it, let your fellows copy your assignment so all of you can submit the same assignment). Help out each other in test preparation, but have a no-cheating policy in the exam room. 

Cultivate good friendships: Don't be the person who has none (or close to none) friends in university. Cultivate good friendships, and have a good deal of them. A friend once said that your network should be so strong that you can get anything done sitting anywhere, using just your phone. Have fun with your friends, enjoy with them, but BEWARE don't throw your life away, don't waste your time either, there is a time for play and a time for studies, make sure you can distinguish between the two. 

Social work and extra-curricular: Participate in clubs/society activities, but don't be a faceless volunteer, make sure that your contribution holds real value and that you are aware of that value. Enjoy, learn and socialize through these activities. You must pursue your interests, sports, photography, art, music etc. But balance is of utmost importance.

Be courteous: Being polite and courteous is something we all should aspire to, with teachers and lab assistants, with people of the opposite gender, with our armed forces friends and most importantly with the college and hostel servants and dinning hall staff. Always say Asalamalaikum to them, and treat them kindly, try not to be a jerk with them and remember that they are your elders (the servants and dinning hall staff).

Personal habits: Develop the early rising habit for life. Buy a pair of bathroom slippers, take regular baths, and always wash your feet after coming back from college, don't torture others with the stink. Get the Gillette underarm antiperspirant gel and use it regularly (but to prevent staining your shirts, get short sleeve vests with it, as it tends to leave blue stains on the cloth), also get one perfume or two deos for yourself. Try to offer regular prayers, even if you don't pray regularly, at least make sure that you turn down the music at Azzan time.

Get an ash tray for your room: Everyone around you is/will soon be smoking, so just get a cheap ashtray already.

Celebrating birthdays: Be warned, birthdays in PNEC are a loud and rough affair, be prepared for them, but don't avoid them - enjoy them. 

Keep your PETER under control: PETER = personal entertainment through electronic resources. Save on your phone bill and get some good night sleep. 

Keep your FYP in mind: A wise senior once said that "FYP does NOT mean Final Year Phuddu". Enough said.

Always remember that university life is a unique time to develop skills and good habits for life, make sure that you don't waste it. Good luck to you.