Semester Wrap-Up

"You're acting like a stranger, coz you thought it looked like fun," Hellcat Spangled Shalalala by Arctic Monkeys.

Hello there blogosphere. It's been a while, huh?

I have just finished my final exams for this semester. Four subjects, loads of knowledge, lots of hope that all of it'll stick with me forever and ever.

But it won't. *kueng kueng kueng* #WTFmoments

(Noob gila mamat ni guna hashtag dalam blog)

Digressor at heart, me.

So this post is going to summarize the subjects succinctly (let's hope).

Courtesy of spanish-only.com

Aaaaaaaand GO!

EDUC260 (Language, Literacy & Learning)

This subject taught us how to teach and be awesome at it. The lectures and tutorials were unique and great to experience. Yes, they were experiences, rather than just "lessons". We did a lot of work in pairs and were engaged throughout with well-thought-of activities. Overall, the subject made us think seriously about how we were going to make a difference in the world, class by class, student by student.

EDUC258 (Mathematics in School)

What? TESOL students learning to teach maths? But why? But then again, why not? We got to learn a lot of theories and approaches to teaching in this course, because, let's face it, this IS still basically an EDUCATION course. It also re-opened my eyes to mathematics, and shed mathematics in a more kind, less threatening light. The kind of maths that was taught in this course was fun and cool, emphasising on relational understanding. Very different to the maths that was taught to me in school, which was very instrumental and transmissionist in their approach. Any teacher would have benefited from taking this course. If the maths in our schools were taught the way this course taught us to teach it, then there would be a lot more math-lovers out there, and for all the right reasons. If it could transform a math-hater like myself say all these things, you know this course was good.

LING218 (Grammar & Meaning)

This was basically a functional grammar course, where grammar is not seen as just "a set of rules in a language", but the system of shaping reality. I know that's a bit heavy for some people, but that's exactly what it is. To non-language lovers out there, this course is dead boring. But to a person like me who is really into the English language and words in general, it really opens your eyes and makes you say "aaaahhh!" (not like an "aaah! Scary!" but more of an "aaah! Interesting!") It shows how us humans use language to construe the world around us and also how the world construes you. Interesting stuff, I kid you not. The down side was the readings, which were horribly technical, so it got my head jammed several times.

LING109 (Language, Culture & Communication) (Elective)

An interesting (understatement alert!) introduction to linguistics course. In the first lecture, the lecturer said something along the lines of "If you think this course is like rocket science, you're wrong. It's much harder." I imagine that he said those things to weed out the people who were just looking for a kacang course (easy-easy one). Some of my friends decided to switch electives after that first lecture, leaving me to be the only Malaysian in the course. And I'm glad that was the case. Besides learning loads of awesome things about just how humongous an impact language has on significant world events as well as everyday things in life that we take for granted, it also allowed me to talk to Aussies on a weekly basis and be "that Malaysian dude" rather than "one of those Malaysians". Really, fantastic course to learn, and I wish I could learn it all over again. But a big negative on the course were the assignments. They were TOUGH. Finished them on the verge of tears, I did. (Nah, I'm kidding. Or am I?)

So that was all of 'em. Overall, it was a good first semester as a university student. A very busy one, yes, but I learned a lot. Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah for this wonderful opportunity to learn. I hope I'll be able to make good use of all this new knowledge in future. As Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:

When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased). [Sahih Muslim]

So if it won't be of benefit to me in this world, I hope it'll bring me some good in the hereafter. Bi ithnillah.

May peace be upon all of you!

Cheers!