The Smallest of Variables

Recently, I received the results my national examinations (O LEVELS, JYEAHHH). Interestingly enough, days, hours and even minutes before the moment my certificate was passed to me, I was completely relaxed. "What's done is done, no use crying over spilt milk" these were the words I kept telling myself over and over again. But when D-Moment arrived, that mantra was put to the test. As I saw my classmates cheering in ecstasy due to their good results, the fear began to creep over silently. When I walked up to my form teacher to receive my certificate, he looked right in the eyes and asked me "What were you aiming for exactly?"

                          

At that point in time I was ready to snatch that certificate from him but I managed a weak reply, "Under 10, Sir." His face darkened immediately and that's when I knew, that was not what I achieved. When he passed me that fated piece of paper and I looked at my results, my world came crashing down. I won't mention my results here, but let's just say there were some extreme results on opposite poles and overall, my performance was below my school's average by 0.2 points. I quickly thanked my teacher and, while evading all forms of questions from parents, teachers and students alike, escaped to my old classroom to reflect on my results. Now, though not meaning to show off, I have always been touted by many people in the school as "the all-rounded guy". Be it sports, academics, student leadership and the arts I would always give it my all and stand out amongst my peers. I had many friends in my school and was allegedly "looked up to as a role model" by many. But my results simply didn't reflect that. As I sat in the empty classroom, I called my mother to seek solace. When I told her about my results, she proceeded to identify my faults. Here they are:

1. In my final year, I willingly involved myself in multiple major school events despite O Levels looming around the corner. A normal Secondary 4 student (Year 10 in Indo) would have settled down and began their O Levels(which began on October 24 2011) preparations by April. I on the other hand, due to my multiple commitments, only began preparations in August, round 2 months before my exams to cram in 4 years of education. Impossible? No. But very, very, very difficult. This also left me less settled/"in da zone" than most to face O Levels.

2. I, admittedly, underestimated O Levels. My school's standard is higher than the national average and this "comfort zone" so to speak rubs off on the students (myself included) such that we think O Levels isn't as hard as the adults tell us. This kind of mentality stunts our performance and can cause us to panic when we come across difficult questions in the papers (fortunately, this didn't happen to me but it did to many of my friends). This also caused me to scoff at the moderation system of O Levels (those interested to know more ‘bout this, contact me or Google it) and caused me to think I'm safe, always.

3. A few days before O Levels, I had a really bad argument with my father. We never had a spectacular relationship and I tend to defy or argue with him more than I do with my mother. This argument lasted throughout the exams and the emotional "baggage" that came with it subconsciously took a toll on my mind, heart and soul. This in turn made me unfocused from the main objective.

So, after this looong lecture, the guilt and sadness silently poured out from me. Hahahaha, it was also the first time I cried since August 2010 (AYC guys...my secret is out D:) Because of these minor things, I failed to achieve my main goal. The important thing from this long-ass fable that I wish for any reader to take away is that you must not ignore the small things in your great gigantic plan.  A variable, no matter how small, is still a variable. Screw one too many, the others will not be as strong (THEY WILL NOT COME TUMBLING DOWN INSTANTLY, SO IT'S OKAY TO MAKE ONE OR TWO). It's also vital that you enjoy the small things in life so as to value it thoroughly, a similar (but not congruent :D) concept to the one above. And all in all, when shit happens in life, take a step back to analyze what went wrong so as to learn and move on without guilt :)

                                 

What happened afterwards... I'll tell you guys another time. Before February, promise! But until then, farewell! J

-Ezra Taliv Mo [Singapore]

Empowered Through Science

It's surprising how using the scientific method can change your outlook on life and the career you wish to have. It's also astounding the connections you can make, and the amazing people you can meet and continue to stay in contact with.

I was assigned to participate in science fair on my school level; little did I know my engineering project would take me to Houston, Texas where I would be competing against international projects at the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, Environment, Project Olympiad (I-SWEEEP).

My engineering project focused on light pollution. Light pollution occurs when the light is shining up into the sky, as well as on the ground. There are several environmental issues surrounding light pollution.  Light pollution affects bird migration and the growth of flora and fauna. Light pollution also wastes valuable energy that could have been used to direct light in a conservative way.

To fix this problem, I engineered nine unique light shades to direct all light downwards. I tested each of these light shades with three different types of light bulbs; fluorescent, incandescent, and LED.  The best design was the ninth light shade. This design was a rectangular prism with asymmetrical flaps.  When the LED bulb was put inside, the design gave off the least amount of light pollution, lit the intended area, and illuminated the area consistently.

I have always wanted to travel outside of the United States, and interact with other cultures. I-SWEEEP gave me this opportunity. At I-SWEEEP not only was I able to interact with the most creative international scientists, but I also made friends who I am able to stay in contact with using social networks.

 

At I-SWEEEP, 70 countries across six continents were represented. From these countries, 601 students competed against 440 energy, engineering, and environment related science projects.

There were so many things I loved about being at I-SWEEEP; I loved the down time, judging, and the award ceremony. All the contestants and their guardians stayed at the luxurious Hyatt Regency-Downtown Houston hotel. The great part of all being in the same hotel was the opportunity to interact with the many nationalities through talking, playing games in the lobby, or even competing in the nightly water-polo game in the swimming pool. 

I-SWEEEP provided field trips to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the NASA Space Center of Houston. At the museum, we explored and watched a 3D IMAX movie. While attending the Space Center, we learned everything from the Space Program to what astronauts eat in space.  We were even given free time. My group from Utah chose to use this time to explore Downtown Houston. 

Judging was my favorite part by far; the row I was on was considered the "party row." Between our judging, we congregated in the center of the row and had fun talking about everything from our projects to planning a trip where we could all visit each other's states and countries. Our row was made up of students from Portugal, Indonesia, Brazil, Jordan, Hong Kong, and the USA. The other great thing about talking with each other was we were able to understand and accept differences between our cultures and countries. 

When I first arrived at I-SWEEEP, I thought I understood the pressure the international participants must have been feeling. They would be flying for many hours across the globe to Houston, Texas.  Most of the international participants didn’t speak English as a first language, and some had never been in the United States before.

My new international friends informed me of the extensive process they underwent to attend I-SWEEEP. Their countries had spent so much money to allow them the opportunity to share their ideas and projects with some of the young brilliant minds of the world. Not only were these students competing to receive an award, but they were also competing for the honor of their home country. I was humbled by the continuous hard work and pressure of my friends. I truly hoped they would be rewarded for their persistence, even if I didn’t place.

The award ceremony was amazing. There were many generous foundations and colleges who sponsored the award ceremony. They awarded everything from scholarships to laptops. The most exceptional part of the award ceremony was seeing my friends (representing their states and countries) from “The Party Row” receiving placement awards. The prolonged enthusiasm and support given by all the contestants was an exhilarating feeling. The finishing touch was when all the contestants from Utah placed in the energy, engineering, and environment topics.

I didn't want to leave Houston, and all the new friends I made (we figured we might be able to go on that trip to all our countries when we were successful, wealthy scientists), but we all hoped to be able to attend next year’s I-SWEEEP.

Although I-SWEEEP was May of 2011, I still stay in close contact with my friends from I-SWEEEP; mainly my dedicated and benevolent friend from Indonesia. 

Not only have I stayed in contact with my amazing friends long after I-SWEEEP, but I also knew what I wanted to pursue as a career.  I want to be a Chemical engineer who not only participates in a fun “everlasting science fair,” but who also is working to help the world through scientific discoveries.

Amber Barron [USA]