Monday, March 14, 2005.
5:27 PM
went for the interview on the teachin' course in NTU today. didn't want to go at first, coz i wasn't really sure if i wanna take up that course in the first place. yeah, i know i'm crazy, don't like the course than apply for what? but what to do, all the other courses do not appeal to me either. (EXCEPT Comm Studies hehe). well, i went anyway,...since all the people i asked encouraged me to go. and man, i tell you, NEVER go to an interview unprepared. that was what happened to me.ok, so i made my way to the MOE building at Buona Vista. queued at the reception to get my visitor pass. and they asked me to go to level 3 which is the Interview Centre. took the lift up, and went to the counter to give them my interview letter. they took all my documents and asked me to wait. so i happily sat down at the big sofa, and waited for my turn. there were quite a number of people there for interview too. i scanned the whole surroundings and took in everything, the beautiful glass walls, the rows of brown colored interview rooms, and the people who, like me, were sitting at the sofa waiting nervously for their turn. i on the other hand, surprisingly didn't felt nervous. dunno why. maybe the people at the counter looked friendly enough lah. :)
after about 5 mins, someone from the counter shouted "Miss Tan, you can go in now, Room 23!"....and i was like 'What?, so fast?!! shit. oh no oh no.' ...guess i was too engrossed in surveying the surroundings, that i forgot to actually prepare myself for the interview. so everybody was like staring at me, while i calmly collected myself and made my way to the Room 23. god. i was so anxious!!(not nervous), wondering what the interviewers will ask me. there were a thousand things that went through my mind at the moment.
i opened the door slowly, and three (3? isn't that a bit too many?) smiling faces, 1 man, 2 women, looked up at me. the man said "Miss Tan, Good Morning!" and i said "Good Morning", plasting a big smile on my face. man, i was so fake! hahaha. sat down on the chair, and faced them. you know those scenes on TV, where the CID officer was always interrogating the suspect?...yeah, i felt exactly like that! the whole thing was so dramatic!! god. :P
here goes the exact conversation:
Man: Miss Tan, you are a final year student, studying IT, is that right?
Me: Yes. in Singapore Polytechnic. *smiles*
Woman 1: and you are graduating this July?
Me: Yes. *smiles* ( i was already hoping that the interview would end at that moment)
Man: Tell me, why did you chose the BA and BSc programme at NTU?
Me: *thought for a few seconds* actually, because i'm studying IT now, and i'm not really interested in it, so i thought i would just give it a try at Teaching.
Man: *Nods*
Woman 1: *with a questioning look* You are not interested in IT?...than why did you chose the course in the first place??
Me: because i couldn't get in to the other courses, so i had to settle for what they gave me.
Woman 1: *Nods* i see.
Man: What other courses did you apply for at NTU?
Me: er.....Accoutancy. *pause* Communication Studies....
Man: *Nods* and the BA & BSc programme isn't your first choice?
Me: yes. it was my 4th choice.
Man: So i assume if you get into Accountancy/Comm Studies, you will go with that?
Me: *shy smile* Yes. (that was so embarassing :P)
Woman 2 (she finally talked): so what do you know about teaching?, or about the course?
Me: *think think* erm. i went for the NTU talk, sometime last Feb.
Woman 2: was it the 1 at Bugis?, Hotel Intercontinential?
Me: Yes.
Woman 2: and what was the talk about?, what did you learn from it?
Me: *think think think*.........they told us about......erm....the career in Teaching. and they also told us the path to become a teacher. (what a lame ans :P)
Woman 2: *waiting for me to talk more*
Me: erm.......and i also learnt that after i graduated from the course, i will have to serve a bond of 4 years.
All 3: *nods*
Man: Do you have experience in Teaching?, have you teach students before?
Me: No. *pause* but i did teach my brother & cousins though. *smile sweetly* (that was so fake!)
Man: Oh!. that's more like the relatives ya.
Me: ya. *embarassed smile* (argh!)
Woman 1: (dreaded question) ok, lets say you are now in a classroom, and the students are very rowdy, all talking loudly. what would you do?
Me: *think think think* *and think somemore* (inside i was like "Oh no"!!!) .....
Me: *after 30 secs* .....i would try to control them.
Woman 1: *raised eyebrows* HOW?!
Me: *shit*...............erm....try to stop them from talking?..
Woman 2: what if the students don't listen to you?, what if they are still talking loudly?
Me: ............................ Just try to control them lah. (Fail straight away :( )
Woman 2: now Miss Tan. describe yourself. are you a person who is people oriented?, or an introvet?
Me: i'm people-oriented. *pause* ...i work well with people. (that's like a lie. but too bad, i had to regain myself)
Woman 2: *nods* ok, if you were to be offered a place. would you teach the primary or secondary level?
Me: primary.
Woman 2: and what subject do you want to major in?
Me: English.
Woman 2: *nods, and wrote down on the paper* ok, Miss Tan, do you have any questions to ask?
Me: *pause* yes. if i were to be offered a place in the course, can i reject it?, because i haven't discuss with my parents about it yet. (that's like a lie too. :P but i had to find out right?!)
Woman 1: you haven't discuss about the choices, or about the Teaching?
Me: about the Teaching.
Woman 1: do you think they will agree with it? (aiyo. Woman 1 asked all the tough questions)
Me: errr....i'm not really sure.
Man: *interupts. think he was trying to help me* you can reject. you can reject any course that NTU offered to you. you can only chose ONE course.
Me: ok. *nods and smiles*
Woman 2: Thank you Miss Tan!!
Woman 1: Thank you for coming!
Man: thank you!
Me: thank you! *force a smile*
and so i quicken my step out of the room.... once at the counter. i was like , PHEW man! of all the interviews i've attended, this was the most nerve-wreaking. maybe coz this interview is the REAL 1. all the other interviews are with the sch people. well, i can safely say that i wouldn't be selected loh. think only 30% chance. all the serious questions, i cannot answer properly leh! not as if i want to get in anyway! but this was a great experience for me. at least i know to answer professionally the next time. :)
just realised that i have wrote another compo. on the topic "My first Interview". hahaha....Inteviews SUCK!
i. just want to SING
Sunday, March 13, 2005.
9:40 PM
yet another special entry. haha. very wu liao, so whipped out my cam and took some pictures. let me take you around my house!....
the view that you will see when you're at the front door. the partial view of the living room that is. you have to walk through a short, straight corridor before you can see the whole house.
ahh...this is the living room (CNY decorations haven't take down. hehe)... with a big and comfy blue sofa set, and an entertainment station, which consists of a TV, speakers, DVD, and karaoke. am i lucky or what?! :) :) see the 2 stacks beside the TV?....they are full of DVDs & VCDs. everybody in the family loves entertainment!, be it watching movies, or singing along to karaoke. wished we had a plasma TV though! :P
walk further into the house, and you can see the dining table, and the 3 rooms. at the left is my room, middle is my bro's, and the right is the master bedroom. my parents are so generous to give me a room for myself,...which i'm very grateful for. :) i guess it's a blessing that i only have 1 sibling. haha.
turn right from the living room, and there's the kitchen! a rather small 1, but just nice for a family of 4. as you can see, we have almost everything,..a microwave oven (which we can't live without), a rice cooker, a toaster, and a very big and efficient wok! hahah... well, we seldom cook nowadays, most of the days we eat out. maybe coz all of us are very busy at work or school lah. miss those days when we got to savour the delicious food that mom & dad cooked for us. and yes, my dad can cook!, even better than mom i say! :D
turn right from the living room, and you'll see the Study Room! which we converted into a computer workstation. :P this is where i spent hours typing, rushing for reports and presentations.....and also where i spent hours chatting with pals! haha. it's about time that the computer should be upgraded lah. can you believe that i'm still using Windows 98?! for 6 years already! ...god. even the pure white color of the monitor and CPU has faded into grey. i want a LCD screen, a CD-writer, and a scanner!!!! :P
and of course, this is my room. just that day, James saw a pic of my room in my HP, and he was like gushing at my queen-sized bed. hahaha.....it's nothing lah, really. just that you have less chance of falling off the bed only. :D my room is rather small. coz after putting my wadrobe and bed, there's already not much space left. somemore there's my study desk and TV!!....so now you can only walk not more than 20 steps in my room.
and my very own entertainment station!! ok lah, not so grand lah. coz i have only the TV and VCR. being an avid TV fan, how can i not have these?!! :) i HAVE to have them, coz if not, my life will be very boring.
how?, my house not bad right! anybody want to visit someday? :D
i. just want to SING
