2014

Hi everyone,

Welcome to a new year.  We've made it.  I do hope the New Year brings good things in each of your lives.  The New Year will mean a lot to people.  Different events might be happening which you may or may not have already planned.  Perhaps events like a holiday or starting work etc.  These all mount up to a significant time in the year.  Whatever it is, I hope you have a great time.  The New Year shall be a change for you.  Improvements on whatever happened in 2013 and can take effect in this year.  If there were problems you were facing in 2013 that you could not change, then now in this year, you have the opportunity to make those changes.

The New Year can mean a lot.  It is a new academic term start for all university students and others in education.  It is a time when people set a goal such as a NEW YEAR’s RESOLUTION which helps with the changes that individuals would like to make in the New Year.

Just a quick show of hands, how many people have already broken their NEW YEAR’s RESOLUTION?  I see one, two, three…   Not to worry, we all do it.  I am not here to judge.  Hopefully, you can retry and this time perhaps stick to it and be stricter on yourself.

I do hope you have reflected on the past and have decided what you want to do differently and/or keep the same from 2013 into 2014.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Graduate Position

Graduate job positions are being advertised on company websites and job agencies therefore it is my advice to ALL THIRD YEAR STUDENTS to apply as soon as possible, as the job won’t wait for you.  The goal is for you to go for the job, wait, and see what happens.

I have had heard and also seen for myself that GET in university are conducting workshops to help you with interviews, CV and Cover Letter writing etc.  I have booked myself on the CV and Cover Letter workshop as well as the Interview techniques workshop which on both occasions I found very helpful.  From the workshops that I have attended, I can now apply what I have learnt from them to any job applications and interviews I get.

The university support students like us to do well and they also prepare us to go out there in the world to look for jobs and get jobs.  I believe that the services that are provided to us students should be taken advantage of because this will benefit each of you in the long run as well as the short run.  I have been informed that the services that are provided to students of the university are extended to graduates of the university for up until 2 years after graduating from the university.   This is for those of you that need more guidance and help in finding a job etc.

To be perfectly honest, just knowing there is only a few months left for us final year students seems unreal.  We’ll be in or looking for our ideal jobs or even furthering studies.  Whatever the path in which you take just remember the opportunity does not wait for you. 

Raspberry Pi??

Have you heard of a Raspberry Pi? Not “Raspberry Pie”, “Raspberry Pi”.   Well if you’re an engineer then you should know what this is.  Of course, I am not talking about the food that people eat; which I personally detest but, that is just me.  I am actually talking about the engineering tool that is used by engineers. 

You can do loads with a Raspberry Pi.  It is quite a nifty tool if I must say so myself.

Just a couple weeks ago, I had to do a presentation of what I designed using my Raspberry Pi.  I developed a dynamic website for a bookstore.  It was quite easy to do once the work and knowledge began to flow.  The website did not need to be very over the top and technical.  It just needed to be a simple website showing different features which had been developed on it to make it user-friendly.  This was a part of an assignment in the Advance Hardware Systems course.  The good thing about it was you were able to share the workload by working in pairs.  The next assignment will be a group project with only 6 members allowed.  I am quite excited to know whom I will be working with and what the group and I decide to design and develop as a large system or software application.

I have always wanted to build a robot so perhaps I will get the chance to do that in this course using the Raspberry Pi.  Overall, to me, the course is going well because I like the incorporation of the practical aspects that it allows you to do.  It is quite like preparation for the real world of work when working on designing and developing new concepts/ideas.

Applying what you have learnt and Proceeding

When applying what you have learnt, do you sometimes think “oh no, what did I do again?” I have thought like that before, so you're not in the boat alone.  I guess it is a common sign of memory relapse.  Somehow, it is considered normal in some cases because many people have this happen to them almost all the time.  So there is no need to worry.  All we have to do is concentrate and focus on what is necessary.

Trust me; it is hard to keep everything in your head whilst dealing with other things.  I have a tip that may help some of you that have the occasional memory lapse.  Try to practice writing things down and memorising them.  For me to keep things in sometimes I have to write the important things down and make a list especially a things-to-do list or else I may forget.  This helps me immensely as it provides me with order and structure so I don't get lost or confused on certain things.  When I write things down in my own way and words, I have a better understanding and this improves my memory.  After this, I am then able to apply what I have learnt from my notes and do the practical actions without having to relate back to my notes or anything else again.  My notes allows me to process all what I have learnt and then store it all in my head which allows me to fully concentrate and focus on what needs to be done.

There are cool games that are available on web and mobile applications so please try them out.

Final Year Project

Perhaps some of you are wondering what is happening with the Final Year Project, well for all my lovely wondering people, I can officially say the final year project is awesome.

The awesomeness of it is the different aspects it provides and the process in which you have to go through to get the end product.  Whenever you start a project, you have to already have a thought or idea in your mind of what you want to do and what you expect to achieve at the end.  The most important thing that is considered when starting the project is the start and end times and how much time you have for each part of the development of your idea.  The first stage of the project is to propose your system or idea of the system that you want to either research on or develop.  I know a few people that are developing systems and others that are just doing research on existing systems and trying to develop/ enhance on them.  Either way, the whole project idea is cool as it allows you to think, research and develop every little bit of the proposed system.  There is always something to develop when it comes to these sorts of projects.  Along with proposing the idea you have come up with, you also have to plan or schedule of the duration of the project.  This should be thought of before the start of the proposal but continued during the thought process of the proposed system or idea.

The good news is I have completed my Proposal Report, submitted and now on the Analysis phase of the project. I can’t wait to get to the design and development stage of the project because that is going to be an accomplishment in my eyes.

What happens next?

Being in your 3^rd year at university on your undergraduate degree course it is important to be on top of your job prospects.  A lot of research needs to be carried out in order for you to have a good idea of what kind of job and company or employer you would like to work for in the future when it comes to you having to work.  You can carry such research out online or in newspapers etc. looking at job adverts, and different companies that may interest you in the line of work or industry you would like to be involved in.  As this is the final year of studying on an undergraduate course of your choice, it is always vital to see and plan your future now.  Think about where you want to be after you leave university.  You should ask yourself these questions:

1. What do I wish to do with my life after university?
2. Where can my degree take me?
3. What opportunities are out there for me?
4. How can I find a job and earn money?
5. Do I need to do a Masters?

Etc.

These are just a few things to think about and ask yourself.  There are more questions you can ask yourself.  If you do come up with more questions that could be mentioned that are different from the ones I have stated in this blog, then please leave your questions in the comments section below. 

Always apply what you have learnt from your course, your own knowledge then I have no doubt you should be fine. 

I believe this is the final year at university that needs to count towards what you want to do in life and where you would like to go.

It’s almost time to face the real world.

Comment and leave questions below in the comments area please.  I appreciate your good feedback and questions.  I always reply back to them all.

Thank you for reading J

3rd and final year

I believe this is my final year at university which will be missed but I can’t wait to face the real world where I will be working in the IT industry, gaining experience, and earning a full-on salary. Yayy!! J

BRING ON THE £££!

Before all of that though, I need to work hard this year to achieve a good degree classification.  There is nothing like receiving a good degree class and going to your graduation to celebrate.

This year may be packed with a lot of work to do but, as I have done in the past, I will strive to do my best.  The only way to succeed is to try and have a positive mind set and pushing yourself to do well.  I do like the encouragement that my parents, family, and friends give to me on a regular basis.  It is very comforting to know people are behind me and supporting me all the way.

Looking at this being my final year at university is a shocker. Where did the time go? After the 3^rd year at university here, it is going to be a scary feeling, as there will be no more lectures or tutorials to attend, no more labs and assignments or projects to submit.  It’s scary thinking about it right now. 

Overall, it has been fun though and I have learnt a lot so far about myself, other people and most importantly about my course of study.  I enjoyed every minute of my previous years at university; therefore, I don’t see that changing now that I’m in my final year.  I will perhaps miss hanging out with everyone at uni when I leave but hopefully those that are dear to me will be in constant contact.