Week 13

"This is it." ~ This Is It, Michael Jackson

OK, I'm going to try and keep this short. I've got loads of work to get back to. Lecture was completely and utterly helpful! Mr. Yeap had revision slides and they all managed to refresh my memory on everything. He explained the exam format, told us what to expect, though very vaguely, and wished us all the best of luck =D Thanks sir!!

In tutorial this week, we went through a couple of things that our tutor found important, we went through a past year paper and we also played a game called "Telephone" to show us the importance of correct information flow, I think =D it was absolutely fun anyhow. But haha, the message that came back was so totally wrong! But yes, thanks sir for a fun semester too!!

Moral of the lesson: Never trust our class to pass an important message =D

Seeing that this will be my last post for this blog, here's to wishing all of you All The Best for all your exams! I would also like to say that I had so much fun in this class, with our lecturer, Mr. Yeap, our tutor, Mr. Orimaye, my group; Li Lian, Irsjad and Hendry and the rest of the class. Hope to see all of you soon in another class =D

Toodles!!
=D

Week 12

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" ~ Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland

Aww man! My happiness was short lived. We did system interface in lecture this week. Mr. Yeap lectured about the relational database rule, we converted class diagrams to relational models and we also mapped classes to relations. Quite a heavy lecture this week. Again, I wasn't really awake, so back to books when I get home.. geez..

For the tutorial this week, Mr. Yeap took our class again. This time, he wanted to brief us on whats needed for Assignment 2 and how we should go about doing it. And oh yea, he also mentioned NOT TO USE THE SAMPLE AS A GUIDE. I honestly found that a little bit ridiculous. I mean, why give it to us if we can't use it? Maybe its just to let us know how things are meant to look like. But then again, if they're going to name something as "Sample" it might as well be an actual sample. Something we could actually use as a guide for our assignments. But anyway, back to the tutorial. Mr. Yeap returned Assignment 1b. And YAY! Good marks again! Hahah.. Then we discussed our Assignment. Here's what I understood from all of it:

1. Class diagram
2. Class diagram with objects only related to the use case.
3. Sequence Diagram
4. Design Class Diagram (Class diagram with methods)
5. Pseudo code
6. ERD
7. User Interface =D

So here goes! *starts work*

=D

Week 11

"Find the flame of your desire." ~ Mo Ghile Mear, Celtic Women

I had fun this week! Basically it was because everything was design oriented =D We learned the 8 golden rule for interactive interface design and also the 3 aspects of user interface. It was totally awesome. I never knew simple positioning of link could affect a website in so many ways. Colours, fonts, pictures, everything! I think I've found my TRUE calling in life. DESIGNING! I mean, I've always enjoyed art, I love event planning, I love love painting and drawing.. sigh.. But I've already started this and I never NEVER stop anything half done. I'll complete this course and enter the relevant fields and maaaybe do designing as a side thing =D Its good to know though, that something completely unrelated could open your eyes to something you really love.

It was the same in tutorial too. We had a small discussion about how a 'good' website should look like, how and where links should be placed, colours we ought to use.. Stuff like that. We also took a look at some old websites and compared how they looked like in the past and today. A lot of difference! Today, web-designers have found means and ways to make the sites look more interesting, inviting, easier to navigate through, and all sorts of other things that improve the rating of the overall website. It was totally fun! I can't wait to try my hand at this when we have to design the user interface in Assignment 2.

=D

Week 10

"This is what happens when an immovable object meets and unstopable force." ~ Heath Ledger as The Joker, The Dark Knight

Lecture this week was a bit draggy for me. But I guess I can't put the blame on Mr. Yeap. I've been doing so much work and have had so little sleep, I barely know what the date today is. So all I managed to grasp from lecture this week, with the little attention span I had, was how to design using an object oriented view. Here, we learned the first cut sequence diagram and a three layer design. Mr. Yeap also said that the first cut sequence diagram is important for Assignment 2. So yea, I think I managed to get the important bits =D Not that there were lots of unimportant bits..

In tutorial, we continued our work from week 9 and were also told to draw a first cut sequence diagram and also a package diagram. And I just realised something..

ITS WEEK 10!! noooooooooooo

=D

Week 9

"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions." ~ Russell Crowe as Robin Hood

The main theme in lectures this week I guess were symbols. We studied about the symbols used in flow charts and also in structure charts. Also, we learned how to make the boundary in systems. A little bit confusing, I must admit but we'll see how it goes in the tute. Mr. Yeap sure knows a lot about System Analysis and Design.

As always, the tute questions cleared the doubts I had during lecture. We had an exercise to draw symbols and also the system boundary. We also had to answer review questions and hand them in. I don't know how I'm gonna juggle all these review questions and still have time for my assignments and revision.. Sigh.. Thank goodness the environment here's friendly. Helps keep the stress away.

=D

Week 8

"Then forever will begin." ~ You Are Not Alone, Micheal Jackson

Again, a normal week. Lecture was just the same and tutorial too. This time for tutorial, we had to again draw more diagrams and we also got our Assignment 1a back. Hahah.. SAD is suddenly my favourite subject.

*talk about a confidence boost*

=D

Week 7

"Should I stop chasing pavements?" ~ Chasing Pavements, Adele

Both lecture and tutorial this week was just fine. The lecture was normal, and the as for the tutorial, we had to draw diagrams using Microsoft Visio. It was a good exercise, considering we're going to do this again for Assignment 1b.

=D

Week 6

"Darling look both ways before you cross me, you're headed for a danger zone." ~ The Love You Save, The Jackson 5

Argh! I hate week 6!! Hate, hate, HATE!!

Its week 6. Hell week. This is the week packed with assignments galore. And so, what better way to start the week, than to begin it with Systems Analysis and Design! haha.. Not so exciting, I know. But overall, I think this week went on pretty well. Lecture wasn't boring or anything like that. Mr. Yeap seems to be consistent with his teaching methods for the past weeks. And I'm totally fine with it. It keeps me wide awake in class *ok, maybe not wide awake, but awake none the less* and I totally get what's going on =D Awesome, no?

Tutorial this week was entirely different. This week, Mr. Yeap took over the class to help us out with building Context Diagrams and DFDs. We were given this narrative on a Monash Hospital and were asked to come up with the hospital's pharmacy system. At first it was going well. A little bit confusing, but then again, what isn't. So, Li Lian and I came up with with our Context Diagram *or at least, something that looked like a Context Diagram* and then pondered more on whether it made sense or not. Meanwhile, another student was told to draw his diagram on the board. Then, Mr. Yeap corrected what needed correction and we corrected ours too. And surprise, surprise, ours wasn't exactly correct. At all. Apparently, a lot of the entities that we thought was to be included wasn't supposed to be included. But Mr. Yeap explained the correct method to come up with this diagram and yea, I think we got the gist of it =D It really helps you learn you know, when you actually attempt to do it. Rather than just reading and understanding how to build it. Its like, you can read all you want about bowling. But you'll never be able to bowl unless you actually bowl. About an hour and a half later, Mr. Yeap left and Mr. Sylvester entered. Since time was running out, he quickly went through our mistakes from our last tutorial's homework. Remember the event table? Yea, that one. And thank goodness he did too. It really helped me with the assignment question.

So overall, it was a very... productive week for Systems Analysis and Design. Till next time, Ciao!

=D

Week 5

"Quick! What's the number for 911?" ~ Ross Bagley as Buckwheat, Little Rascals

Week 5!! Woot!!

So OK, this week was by far better than previous weeks. The lecture wasn't dull at all this time. Maybe it was because it had complete relevance to our Assignment 1a, but yea, it wasn't boring or anything like that either. I especially liked how Mr. Yeap took his time to patiently explain the lecture and how to build these event tables and class diagrams even though it was pretty obvious hardly anyone was paying attention and that the size of our class has been in steady decline over the past weeks. I admire the fact that he kept on explaining even though the class wasn't responding to his "See the point or not?". Some of us, *ahem ahem* are a little bit shy when it comes to voicing out our questions and such. And I think his years of experience has taught him that too. Maybe that was why he just kept trying to make it clearer. It definitely did me good =D And I'm sure the rest of us who was paying attention understand this topic better now too. Good on ya' Mr. Yeap!!

Tutorial was good too. We had an exercise on building event tables for a lift system. Not as straight forward as you think. I never realised how much of things you actually do just to take the lift! First you step up to the lift and press a button. It could be up, or it could be down. Or, you could've pressed a button and then realise you never really wanted to take the lift in the first place. Silly you. Anyway, then the lift has to travel either up to your current floor, or down depending on where it was originally. Then you'll have to wait for the doors to open and you make your grand entrance in. Once inside, you press another button. To go to the floor you want. Again, a possible scenario is that you may have pressed the wrong button. Silly you. After all that commotion, the lift will travel either upwards or downwards, depending on where the destination floor is. At that floor, it will open it's doors and you exit the lift. Unless of course, you realise only at that floor that its the wrong floor and that you actually wanted to go to a different floor. In which case, the whole process repeats itself. Silly you. And if this isn't complicated enough, imagine all those giant systems we'll have to analyse and design in the very near future. Goodness gracious. Bottom line is, don't take anything for granted and don't complain too much about how some things are too difficult to manoeuvre. Try building it and see just how simplified it already is. So yea, tutorial went on good. We discussed as a group about this lift system, and after all the confusions, we finished and managed to hand it in on time too. And oh, it looks like Mr. Sylvester is making an attempt to socialize with the class. Nice =D Makes it a little easier to relax more in our tutorials.

On that note, I'll take my leave. School hols are next week, so try not to miss me. =D

Happy Easter everyone!!

=D

Week 4

"Read the directions, and directly, you'll be directed in the right direction." ~ The doorknob, Alice in Wonderland

Well, well, well. I've made it thus far and I'm still standing =D And now, the question on everyone's lips, "How was this week?" =D As I saw it based on the tutorial, it was about getting the right information to produce your system *correctically =D

Truth be told, this week was in fact, an improvement from last week's. Although, I still think the lectures need a little work. I mean, I must admit, they are rather boring. OK, you tell me. Would you like it if you had to get up early on a MONDAY morning just to attend a lecture about building systems. I know its important and all for us in the future but there's just got to be a better way to present it to us. That early in the morning when every one's having the Monday Blues. But I have to give Mr. Yeap credit though. You really can see that he is putting in the effort to get the class more attentive and interested. This week he also discussed a little bit of our assignment with us and gave us a few pointers here and there about what's needed and what it should look like, relating all of it to the day's lecture. He gave us the break in between, which I thought was well needed to take in all the information given, and also more importantly to freshen up a little bit before we get back to work. So, that was that. Lecture.

The tutorial this week was a lot better that it was last week, with the half an hour video and all. This week, we had to interview our tutor, pretending that he was a 'client' of ours and that we were building them a system. What system exactly? A Table =D Yes, you heard me. A Table =D Don't laugh. I know we're in Uni and yes, we were asking questions about how a table looks like. Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot of issues to clear before we actually build a table. How it should look like, whether or not it should have wheels for mobility, drawers maybe? And the list just went on and on. So, OK. We came up with our questions, narrowed it to only the important ones and assigned 'positions' for each one of us. Guess which one I got? =D Hehheh.. I got the position of 'Secretary' =D I just had to sit and write down the points and answers from the interview, and the best part was, no interaction with the "Interviewee" required. It was all good! Until of course, *there's always a but or until* our Interviewee decided to ask me whether or not I had any questions too.

Bang! I was shot dead.

I explained to him my role and escaped for a little while but I knew I had to come up with a question fast. For integrity's sake =D Not that it was a problem or anything. So anywho, we finished the interview, got our comments and was given a task. That we were to summarize the interview and produce a report for our 'Boss'. Also, our tutor. Hahah.. I know.. Very busy man =D So, without delay, OK fine, after a little bit of delaying, we got down to work. Since I wrote down the points from the interview, I summarized them into a table and then with a little help from my fellow team mates, we finished our report. YAY! No homework =D Then I handed it in and got a response from the tutor. And it was a fast one too. So overall, I think this week went on just fine. I'd give it an 8 out of 10 =D

I do want to make a suggestion though. It would be really nice if someone commented on our blog entries every week. It will give us a bit of a motivation to write more. As of now, it just seems like we writing out to ourselves. If no one's gonna read it, then why write? So I guess a small comment at least would be quite encouraging. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. So if there's someone reading this now, please, give me your thoughts on my thoughts =D

=D

*Correctically - Correctly ~ Absalom, Alice in Wonderland

PS: I think you can see by now that I'm obsessed with movie and song quotes =D Hopefully you find the relations to the week's topic =D

Week 3

"Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?" ~ Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

Wow. Week 3 already. And already the assignments are piling up. Anywho, how was lecture this week? Well, I have to say that it was pretty much like it was last week. With the chart drawings, adequate explanations and the occasional joke or two, I can't say I loved it, but.. it was bearable =D On the bright side, I am starting to like this subject. It seems very relevant to our field of study and to the world today. Without System Analysts, I don't think any company will be able to meet the corporate demands of today. Without a good system, they will all be slow in producing reports, error prone and more importantly, slow in going through their daily transactions. And when that happens, who knows what the state of our economy will be.

Tutorial on the other hand, was a completely different experience. And surprise surprise, Mr. Orimaye likes the class to be interactive.. -.- He's quite informative, has an awesome memory for names and overall, I think very enthusiastic about the session. We discussed podcasts today and he showed us a few sites that could help us create a podcast (which I will be later inserting into this post =D). We also got to watch a video today. I know it beats having to answer tutorial questions, but this was an extremely long video. It just kept going on and on and on. The speaker just didn't stop! Because it was soo long, and also because it was 2.30 in the afternoon and I had a stomach full of lunch, I started getting fidgety and my mind wondered off. All I managed to catch from the video was a couple of things about chairs and a Pepsi experiment-like-thing. I just couldn't concentrate after that. I think in the future, if we're going to have to watch more videos, please, please, please make it shorter =D Seriously, a lot of people were dozing off.

All in all, if I had to grade this week, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Mainly because of the video. Otherwise, it was good (probably an 8/10).

=D

Week 2

"Take a look through my eyes." ~ Phil Collins

So, week 2. I found the lecture a little more interesting this time. During the lecture, it was not just all talk by the lecturer at the podium, he also drew charts and such on the board to help tie the things we were learning about together. This helped me understand more because I saw the relationships between the various subtopics. We were learning about the various methods used to develop systems like Waterfall and RAD. After the charts he drew, I managed to distinguish between them, find their similarities, differences and more, a lot quicker. So yea, I'm grateful Mr. Yeap took the trouble to make an improvement from the previous week's lecture. And thank goodness too. I'm more awake now. =D

Unfortunately though, I was unable to attend the tutorial due to some unforeseen circumstances. It was a pity because it would have been the first tutorial with our new tutor, Mr. Orimaye. Now I don't know whether he's strict or lenient, whether he's fun or dull or whether he makes the tutorials sessions interactive or not. You see, I don't do too well in interactive sessions. =D All I know is that the last tutorial with Mr. Ramesh was fun, and yes, even though I was in the hot-seat to do a presentation..... -.- It was all good in the end. Let's just wait and see how next week goes. *crosses fingers*

=D

Week 1

"What we do in life echoes in eternity." ~ Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, Gladiator

So, week 1 and we're off. To a good start, I hope =D So far, everything has been good, the first lecture has been easy to follow and to cope with and the tutorial was.. interesting. To me, breaking us up into groups and already assigning us to a group presentation was a quick way to break the ice.

Up to now, it seems like this is going to be another all-theory kind of subject. Not that its a bad thing or anything, but its just that I don't really do well in this kind of units. I'm more of a hands-on, practical kinda person. But anyway, we'll see how this one goes. The lecturer seems enthusiastic enough, don't really know how the tutor's gonna be though. We had a replacement for last week and for a week 1 tutorial he was quite OK, I guess.

Bottom line is, I'm just hoping the lectures get a little more interesting. I mean for both the study material and how its presented. And that the tutorials come less lengthy..

=D