Friday, December 24, 2010

ON VACATION BREAK

I have really had a good but tough semester. Even though I enjoyed some strike break but multiply paid for it. Few weeks to prepare for the exam. I wrote three out of five papers in three days. It was such a tedious task. For good three days I never had a good sleep because I had too much to read. I completed the exam in eleven days. However, not withstanding that, the exam went well. I did my best. I know it will yield good fruit.

I am already in the house. I came home on the 14th of December. That was also the day I completed my exam. I am resting for some few days so that I will make it to Kumasi to deal with SmartKids issues. There are lot to do; untackled and unfinished task to accomplish, decisions to be made, etc. Also, I have personal issues to attend to. School resumes within the first week of January next year,2011.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

RESUMES TO CLASS

Much work to do after we resumed class after the strike action. Hum! There is always something to put in good shape. Workload is more than doubled. I'm almost always in class. Lecturers are trying to wrap up the course outline even though I see it to be impossible. The student are bearing the greater part of the total effect of the strike. There has also been extension of the academic calendar. More cost to bear.

We are going to have our end of semester exam in two weeks time. however next week is a revision week. i only have to prepare to face the exam. I have started that already. I'm still left with some quizzes to write. I wrote two of them just this morning. they were much demanding.
Today is a holiday.An Id Adha holiday. I get this day to browse.I will be much busier after today.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

SUFFERS FROM STRIKE ACTION

Lectures have been more successful for the past one month. However, very sad issue is happening. Our lecturers are on strike. We no more attend lectures. I don’t actually know when they will attend to the classroom. Why this strike action is a question that blows into the minds of students. But it seems students do not bother much about the decision of our lecturers. Maybe the lecturers want to enjoy Ghana’s new salary structure (single spine) which it implementation is in the pipeline. Indeed, it’s very pathetic. Any way, we are also relieving ourselves from attending too much lectures. I can know relax but to keep learning to keep up good pace with my lecture notes. Get enough time to tackle my assignment and to prepare for impending quizzes.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

MADE GOOD GRADES IN THE UNIVERSITY

Wallowing on campus in another semester. Intensive lectures have started. Anyway I’m doing good. I have not found any problem with any of the courses. I get to make it this semester too. I have registered for the following courses this semester: Intermediate Microeconomics 1, Project Appraisal, Economics of HIV/AIDS, Sociological Theory, and Socialization. Last semester, I made the following grades in the various courses:
Social Structure of Ghana B+
Social Statistics A
Research Methods for Social Scientist B+
Element of Economics (MACRO) B+
Mathematics for Economics 2 B+
GPA 3.6
I know I can still do better this semester. I’m not content with these results. Hm! it never easy. Anyway, are the results okay?


This semester, I have done one assignment. I had to move from book to book, internet cafe to internet cafe finding answers to the question. The question was, Analysis of actual food consumption function suggest that some particular individuals may not be consistence in their choices. Under what conditions might people find in their own interest to demonstrate some irrationality in their choices of food item? I think you might have helped me solve this question. Already, I have presented my solution.

Yesterday, I got bored in the lecture hall. Nine hours continuous lectures. I think I should not enjoy such displeasure with continuous lectures again. Our time table should be adjusted to favor some of us. I think every course mate will be happy too if there should be any adjustment in the timetable especially, on Mondays.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

SEMESTER BREAK

I had great moments this time around with my former school, SmartKids, family and colleagues. In fact, I have loved just ended vacation. I re-united with my juniors and teachers in my former school. The annual SmartKids meeting gave me the opportunity to get into contact with Kees, Mad. Comfort, Dr. Ross and almost every SmartKid during the annual SmartKids meeting. You know being at SmartKids annual meetings is a great turn in my life.

During the vacation I had a good stay at Kumasi. I have never regretted going back to my former school to help prepare the students for their impending examination. I met my teachers who taught me when I was in the same school for my S.H.S education. School authorities welcomed me with great pleasure. They were happy to see me come back and not just back but to help them as well. I was the assistant Economics teacher. I was given three classes to handle and did the job with great recommendation. I had good rap ore with the students I taught. Anyway, they were my juniors who never met me in school.

The SmartKids annual meeting organized on 26th June, 2010 and ended on 29th was a memorable one. It was a colorful annual meeting which everyone enjoyed much. We had a good attendance. Mr.Kees (international coordinator), Madam Comfort (Board chairperson, Ghana), Dr.Ross (coordinator, Ghana), Marc (web designer, Holland) and other dignitaries as well as almost ever SmartKid was present. We were happy to see Kees returned to Ghana after a year of departure from us. We also enjoyed Marc’s presents.
We are yet to begin another semester. I’m even on campus for my courses registration for the third year first semester.I think I’m going to have another good semester.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

On vacation

Good to be back from school after a successful semester. Everything that has a beginning has an end. The semester was good with few setbacks. Lecturers were more punctual. Classes were very effective. However, some students were referred in some courses. It is often sad to see students fail in some courses. Among such courses include Economics. It is more or less demanding at University of Cape Coast. Not withstanding that, general performance was relatively good.
I wrote twelve quizzes, six assignments in five courses for the semester. My assessment was okay. I had an average score of 29 out of 4o marks for the assessment. I hope the examination will as well be okay.
Being in the house is the beginning another project. I have enjoyed four days out of 120 days of the vacation duration in the house. I ought to rest for a while. I have interacted with more friends and families in the house. They are happy to see me again from school. Anyway they are very proud of me. I will travel to Kumasi on Monday to start my attachment. I will teach Economics in the senior high school. I will stay on the school’s premises for three months. I will get back to school at the beginning of August My family and friends are also going to lose me once again.
I will attend smartKids junior board meeting at the end of this month at Kumasi. This is to plan for smartKids annual meeting that would be held on 26th of June and to plan effectively for Selection of new kids for the SmartKids Foundation. This year’s selection will cover two or three regions in the southern part of Ghana. Already, we have sent Letters to the Regional Directors of education of two regions about the Foundation’s intention to select kids from such regions. The old selection process still holds. As soon as we are done with the general meeting, the selection theme will travel to the various regions to start the selection. For more regular update of information you can follow my tweets,www.twitter.com/smartaliu1
I have to visit other smartKids in the junior high school (Joystandard international school) on regular basis for my three months stay in Kumasi and also working effectively forsmartKids Foundation. Some of them recently graduated from the junior high school. They will proceed to senior high soon. Those who graduated from the senior high last year are soon to be enrolled into the tertiary. Indeed,SmartKids Foundation is growing.
At the moment, we are waiting for Mr.Kees’ (Founder, SmartKids Foundation) arrival from Holland. It been a long time we had face-to-face interaction with him. We missed his absence. He is to arrive in Ghana with other Board of directors on 12th of next month. I wish him a safe journey to Ghana

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

PROGRESS, APRIL

It is never easy offering a degree program. However, it is a nice investment. Nice investment in the sense that one will probably reap a good profit. It is not an individual’s profit but the society and the nation as a whole. It works like the snowball. It is always good having this sort of investment. The world wouldn’t have survived without that. I’m very happy forming part of the world’s investment.

I was very busy last month. I was working hard on my quizzes. I wrote more quizzes than expected, I’m still left with more quizzes before the end of semester examination. I’m to better my results this semester. It wasn’t so bad last semester. I have written a proposal on low level of education in villages around the University of Cape Coast. It was an assignment. I had 7 marks out of 10. The average class score was below 6 marks of a class of 549 students. I choose this topic because there seems to be poor response to education in the Central Region of Ghana and especially villages around the university. It was indeed a difficult task writing the proposal. It is time consuming and more demanding. However, it has provided the basic knowledge i will need in writing my project work during my final year.

I have made the necessary arrangement to teach in my former school as my end of semester attachment. I have already discussed that with the school authorities. They have granted me the opportunity to teach in the Senior High School. I will teach Economics in the school of business. In fact, I want to help my juniors. Indeed the students are very happy about my decision. At the moment, they are waiting for my service.
We have started enjoying our hall week (Oguaa Hall). I went for the procession yester night. It was great. Almost everyone present was happy. We danced to the tune of good songs. It is a seven-day program. Tomorrow will be a mega jam. Good musicians will be present to perform. However, I do not have to be absorbed into the numerous activities of the celebration. I still have other quizzes to write.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

FEBRUARY,2010

We ended last semester in good fate. The semester was okay with much curricular activities. Every student was very busy with his or her books as it was becoming more and more difficult as student climbs higher the academic ladder. Every student tried to better their grades. As much as I could, I spent more hours on my academic work. Did lot of research works, I performed well in four courses but did not do well in principles of economics. I had as low as D+, the rest included Mathematics for Economics1 B, Foundations and Issues in Social Science B+, Basic Statistics A., Social Psychology A.

As soon as last semester ended, I paid a visit to my grandparent, they were very happy to see me. I had to help them prepare little household chores. I also met few friends in the village. I spoke to them the need to be in school to be able to coop with the challenges of the global world. Most of them had little or no education. They were ever ready to be in their peasant farming. They promised to be in school after speaking to them. I set myself as an example as having negative attitude toward education when I was young. I enticed them to have a proper goal and work towards it. I also spoke to them the need to have a good role model in the society. They were very happy after my good speech.
I had the chance to attend meeting held by Tertiary Student Association in the district. The association is trying to improve the academic welfare of people in my district.

To plan effectively for this year’s smartKids selection and to help our junior smartKids in the J.H.S to make good grades in their final B.E.C.E examination and to have better choices of S.H.S, we organized a smartKids meeting in Kumasi. The meeting was held in their new school (JOYSTANDARD J.H.S). The Junior Board met to discuss issues concerning this year’s smartKids selection. We also deliberated on how we can get everybody to attend the smartKids annual meeting. We planned of doing this years selection in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions. We gave more priority to Eastern region. Other matters were also discussed. Before the arrival of the smartKids national coordinator, Dr Mariama Ross, the junior board had already finished with the junior board meeting. We discussed with her what had pertained in the meeting. She made her submissions before we finally had a general meeting with the student, Headmaster and the Proprietor of the school. The Headmaster, Proprietor, the SmartKids Coordinator and older smartKids spoke to the pupils on the need for serious academic work. More emphasized was on the performance of the J.H.S. 3 pupil. Students were advised to desist from any act that will bring the name of smartKids foundation into bad reputation. To be frank, the kids are doing well in their new school (Joystandard J.H.S). Most of them are getting good grades in the terminal examination. We ended the meeting successfully in the evening and some of us have to stay in Kumasi for the next day before going back to our various destinations. It is our fervent hope that the pupils will get first class schools.

I’m at the moment in school. Lectures have already started. I’m offering five courses this semester. They include; Element of Economics (MACRO) II, Social Structure of Ghana, Mathematics for Economics II, Social Science Research Methods and Social Statistics. I have planned to attend two seminars this semester. The first one which is I.T seminar will be organized on 20th of this month while I’m also working hard to better my results.