Monday, May 18, 2009

Freshman Composition: What is it?

You have heard that writing is a major component of the American Education and what we receive here in AUN is of no exception. Every freshman offers two courses of writting titled freshman writing or freshman composition 1 and 2 their first and second semestes respectively. But what do they write about?

Many of the writing courses are to develop your thinking ability. A professor would want to see how you reason and how built your imaginative ability is. I got this piece (sort of a trash) on the desk were I am going to do my studies and I found it interesting to blog about. It sort of tell about what professors ask students to write about and for prospective students out there, I felt you may like to know in advance what it is that professors would want you to do in a writing course. This writing 101 assignment is for students to create their religion. I will type word for word this student’s work without disclosing the student’s name however. I think it is sort of an outline.

Titled “Eighteen Questions about My Invented Religion

1. Address if your religion has a god or not: My religion will have a god. His name will be Bass and he will be known to humanity as a microphone (his image).

2.What are the six things people in your relition believe in?
The only sexual abomination is unprotected sex.
The concept in rap is not how you flow it, but how you knwow it.
All money is good money.
In the hood, Niges are like cutlery in the kitchen
Make more haters than you can count
Life is short

3. Six main rules of your religion
Thou shall not kill for no good reason
Never loss your chanin because it represnts your name
Never start a battle with your inferior
Never stal another worshippers lyrics
Do not abuse any microphone in any way
Never claim to be the best

4. Who (if any) will be in charge?
No one person will be in charge. A body of twenty-four of the world’s top producers
(each representing the coast of his continent) will run things.

5. What two things clearly will not be acceptable in your religion?
Piracy is forbidden
Never abuse a microphone

6. Who could and could not belong to your religion?
Conservationist cannot be part of this religion.

7. What religion is it the opposite of in anyway?

8. What roll will you play in uour religion and how will people treat you?
I will be the creator of the religion but no one will know that I created it

9. What will they call you?
People will call me the Voic of Bass.

10. What uniform will you and the men and women priests wear?
My identity will never be revealed because I will always be wearing black hooded sweet shirts with blue jeans and whit sneakers. The priests will also be dressed in the same way.

11. How would your worship building be?
Any structure with an elevation (stage) which allows for people on it to be seen will be used for worship when needed.

12. How much money will it cost to join your religion weekly/monthly?
Money will not be collected in cash. Rather worshippers are expected to buy at
least nine albums a month.

13. How will they pray in your religion?
They will pray with a pattern of lines or rhymes which can fit into a 4/4 music beat count. Any position is accepted except praying lying down.

14. Will there be singing and dancing in your religion?
Yes, Singing, and dancing and any other form of praise that do not conflict with
any of the six don’ts of the religion will be accepted.

15. Give me an example of a song.
Thug Mansion remix by 2pac featuring NAS

16. What will you call you religion?
Hip-popism

17. Was there an old religion, what was it?
No.

18. Is the religion magnetic, charismatic or forced?
It will be magnetic and charismatic but not forced

Saturday, April 18, 2009

The Golden Hearted AUN students that Volunteered during the last orientation

I wrote this early this semester to be a part of the AUN students magazine which unfortunately was never published. I mean the magazine has not or was not printed. Don't know what went wrong. Maybe funding.

The orientation exercise was very well organized; certainly the most organized since the inception of AUN. There are lots of instances to this one of which was the large number of students that volunteered. Such an increase in the number brought division of labor which made the entire process very effective and efficient. It was indeed a far cry from what it used to be in past orientation exercises when very few persons volunteered.


I felt very happy that AUN students were beginning to put into practice the things they have learnt unconsciously. They have learnt that the volunteering service is one way to be patriotic and patriotism is one way we can make AUN great. Also, there is a kind of feeling of joy that comes when you help somebody just for helping sake because you know that they are also going to help someone someday. And this really makes the world go round. These students who volunteered have demonstrated the spirit of love and it was love that does not expect anything in return. For this, I will call them “The Golden Hearted Students.” The large volunteer of students this year (the largest so far) recorded the largest number of students participating in the various programs outlined for them. This made the number of confusion cases that new students normally experienced highly reduced, making their transition to the university a smooth one.

Another reason that made it very organized was the duration of the orientation. It spanned over a week and so the new student had enough time to settle down before classes started. And for the new students, their hopes were very high and in my chat with some of them of lately, they agree that their expectations were surpassed and are convinced that AUN is a surely in the edge of soaring high among Nigerian and African Universities. I hope that these new students will volunteer someday in helping other students such that we can continue to achieve greatness. Together we can all make this great.

Monday, January 19, 2009

I Love Musish Football Club Founded by AUN Pioneer Student

I have no idea how I got to this blog. I think I probably just type in the words "aaun blogger" in the google search engine. Yes, I did. I now remember. Because I was bored. I'm sorry, I'm frequently getting absent minded and forgetful. Maybe it's because getting old. Ok, now, new students orientation is going on and today happen to be the day we got the lowest number of newstudents. It was 62 the first day, second was 74 while yesterday sunday was 47. I just went to have my lunch now and I just checked the new students turn up list at the welcome desk of Peter Okocha hall (formally called the General Purpose building) where the orientation is taking place and the number is about 17 so far today. The school admitted about 400 and is especting 250 to enrol. I am very sure we will get up to 300. There is a flight this afternoon. So, we might still have more students.

This post is not surpose to be about new students at all. Ok, I am a volunteer (as I have always been on very AUN orientation but this time I have kinda left the duty of welcoming and directing new students job to the admission section where I help sort out new students file from the cabinent and make photocopies of whatever document outstanding, a kind of continuation of my vacation job but now not being paid for it.) Since no new student have come withing the period I left for lunch, there is probably no need to go to washington hall where the admission and finance clearance, as well as the dorm check-in, the three essential stages of the orientation, are being done. Here I am in the New York hall where the library is housed temporarily pending the completion of the library under construction, doing some blogging because I am bored. I can see some other bored orientation volunteer playing chess here in the library. It was the boredom that led me to search aaun blogger and remembered mustapha because he calls himself the aaun blogger. Then I remembered that he is now well known as mushish because is the founder of Mushish football club. Then I searched musish and got a blog that wrote something about mushish which I fould entertaining and inspiring enough to copy and paste in my blog. It is an interview by one 35 year old Elie B. Smith, who holds Diploma in Mass Communications and a Bachelor in International Marketing. He is a Broadcast Journalist by profession and has worked with the English services of Radio France International and Canal France International,respectively as a correspondent in Africa and sports commentator in Paris where he is now living. Below is the exerpt and click here if you want to read from the original source.


Champions League kicks off tomorrow in Omdurman, the sister city of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, with a thrilling match pitting the Sudanese champions Al Hilal against Nigeria’s champions Eyinmba Football Club of Aba, Nigeria, in Nigeria and also in other parts of the continent, all sees and ears will be waiting for the outcome. A victory of the people’s Elephant, as the Aba based team is fondly called in eastern Nigeria, will give an indication on their ambition in this year’s tournament. MTN CAF Champions League is a competition that, they have lifted the trophy twice. But there is no ounce of doubt that, Eyinmba FC is one of the best managed football teams in Nigeria and also in sub Saharan Africa. But another Nigerian club from the North eastern Nigerian city of Yola wants imitate Eyinmba. But the problem is that, North eastern Nigeria and Yola in particular, doesn’t sound as a place where such pretensions could made. But the promoter and manager of Musish Football Club of Yola is determined to write his city and region’s name in the annals of Nigerian and African Club Football. How will he achieve such a feat in an area not known to be a paragon of the round leather? That is what Mr Mustapha Ayoola Ishola attempts to answer in the interview that follows.


Elie B. Smith: What is the name of your football club and when was it set up?
Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: The Name of our football club is MUSISH FOOTBALL CLUB. It was set up in December 2006.

Elie B. Smith: In what level is your football club playing in the Nigerian league?
Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: Our club is non divisional at the present. We have decided to remain in this state till we are able to acquire a national division 1 or national division 2 side, sometime in the future. However, we play in the premier league in the American University of Nigeria (AUN) which has been our home soil ever since our birth. We have remained in the premier league ever since.

Elie B. Smith: Given that, Yola and North eastern Nigeria are not sources of talented footballers, who do need players to feed your club?

Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: The American University of Nigeria houses students from all over the country. This is one of our strength because we have a combination of northern + eastern + south-western + south-southern players. We can boast of quite a good spread of players from all over the country.

Elie B. Smith: Given the dearth of young players in North eastern Nigeria, have you not thought of opening a training centre to train local talents or you just import players from other parts of Nigeria?

Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: We certainly have a plan to host some sort of boot camp to sift players from Yola and environs. For now, the university is a good enough breeding ground for us.

Elie B. Smith: If you have set up a training centre already, what are the conditions of admission and how long has your training centre been operating?

Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: We have not set up a training centre yet (though we hope to do so very soon). But we do organize ourselves in the fields of AUN. This has been happening since our birth – will be 2 years in December. We once used the Jimeta stadium when we played in the 2007 Coca-cola FA cup. During that time, there was a mini screening session to get the players that represented the team. After the competition, a reconsideration of the costs was the reason why that very team dispersed. The condition for admission now is that the player should be a student in the American University of Nigeria and that he should be recommended by the manager and/or coach of the team.

Elie B. Smith: What is the name of the centre?

Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: AUN Football pitch – that is where we are at least training for now.

Elie B. Smith: How is the management structure of your club?

Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: Like most organizations, we have a board of trustees who are at the highest point on the ladder. The board includes the president, four vice president positions (only 2 are filled for now), a manager, and players of the club. What I preach as the president of the club is that every member of the club has an obligation to lead and act in their capacities as players (in other words, as members of the board of trustees), although it is the captain that matters the most when it comes to decision making. Each player has a responsibility he does for the club. Every member of the club (except the patrons) attend training sessions and is qualified to play for the club should s/he be considered fit by the manager. Management and Relational concerns are conveyed to the president, and the president conveys to the board of trustees. The structure is such that there is a “Main” Musish Football Club, and there is Musish Football Club, AUN (Musish FC, AUN). Musish FC, AUN is a sub set of “Main” Musish Football Club. The visibility of this concept will be seen as the club grows over time. The Officials are as follows:Mr. Mustapha Ishola – presidentProf. Beniah Oguzie – patronProf. Stuart Brown - patronMr. Ehidiamhen Okpamen – vice presidentMs. Tara Obiago – vice presidentMr. Effiong Okpo – managerMr. Raymond Jacobs – captain.Elie B. Smith: What are the ambitions of your club in the Nigerian and continental leagues?Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: We have very good prospects. We shall play in the FA cup again for the second time in 2009 and we hope to represent Adamawa State and Nigeria in the Confederation cup. We also hope that in not less than 4 years from now, we should have a representation in the Nigerian Premier league, and in 5 years, in the CAF Champions league.Elie B. Smith: Is there any other thing that, you may have wanted us to talk or ask that we have not? If yes, what are they?Mustapha Ayoola Ishola: Yes, I expect to talk about some history of the club. Club HistoryFROM FOUNDATIONMusish Football Club began life when a group of students at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) decided to form a football team in late 2006. The Club had played under the name LXB FC before this time. Their first match was a 3-0 victory over Java FC, on April 21, 2007. Soon after, the name Musish FC was adopted and the Club continued playing in friendlies and local AUN cup competitions for the next few years.The Club turned professional and joined the Football League in the Spring of 2007. They have since then had their home at AUN, Yola, Adamawa, Nigeria. Musish FC have been playing in the AUN premier league, where they have remained ever since.Musish were champions for the first time in AUN in the first ever AUN Premier league in 2006 as the former League of Xtraordinary Ballers (LXB). They were runners up in the following season having lost in the finals to TB FC. Musish FC participated in the 2007 Coca-Cola FA Cup for the first time. During this time Musish had some of the game’s greatest players in AUN on its books: Littbarski Adeh, Richard Etim, Samuel Abok, Yusuf John, Raymond Jacobs, Quadri Danlami and Abubakar Kele, were just some of the names in what was one of the greatest sides ever to play in the Football League. Better has been the last season when they qualified for the first AUN SUG cup competition and played in its semifinals. The trashing they gave to Java FC and the lucky draw Field Mobs had were enough to secure a space in the Semi final of the competition. Musish Football Club has the most fan in the American University of Nigeria and hopes to extend it through out Africa. With heavy dependence on business intelligence within and outside of the club, we ever strive for success on and off the football field.ColorsDuring the first sixteen months of their history, Musish had several different kit colors. The team originally played in orange but as new players arriving at the club wore their shirts during matches as the depreciation grew, confusion soon ensued. It was decided that the shirts would be individual properties with the names and numbers of players written on its back, both to save on expenses and to instill a much smarter look. The jersey that was made comes in royal blue and this is proving popular with fans and supporters. Musish away shirt will be red with white and red shorts and various other editions (like the “other” jersey which will be in white and black) will appear as time passes by.The kit today remains white shirt with a royal blue short and with a blue and white striped socks. The Jersey LaunchThe Club's management was very happy to inform its fans and supporters on the availability of its Jersey for commercial purpose. All the jerseys were made to the tastes of the consumers as their names and preferred numbers came printed at the back of it. To get a copy, they simply sent their names and numbers to musishfc@gmail.com and in a week, they got it. Though the launch date has been pasted for the sake of having a better planning for the event, The management advice that fans and supporters should buy the jerseys for friends and families at the cheap additional logistics costs. Musish Football Club currently boasts of the largest supporter base in AUN, Yola, and its environs. The Club hopes to be keep on in its strive for success on and off the football field as it looks forward to providing a sizable number of the players that will be in the Nigerian Squad in the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

Elie B. Smith: Finally, could you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Mustapha Ayoola Ishola, a native of Ogun State, Nigeria. I attended my secondary school at the Abeokuta Grammar School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, and I am a senior now at the American University of Nigeria. I have for a long time admired European football clubs and after watching several Real Madrid matches, I feel excited to see and belong to a club of such strength and might. That feeling led to the planning of Musish Football Club in the summer of 2006 which eventually started in December 2006 at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa.

I am not a great fan of football though, but I think I like Musish. Particularly his logo. Ok, fine, he is Mustapha is my brother and friend. My brother because we look very much alike. Truly speaking, we are twin from different mother. I don't who is senior anyway. I think it is me even though he has more bears than I do. Little wonder if those bears are really. They could have been got from the babbers shop and glued to his chin by someone who love MUSISH. I love Musish. Click here to read Mustapha's blog about Musish. It was Musish that prompted him to open his blog. He should then be ashamed of himself for calling himself the aaun blogger when he does not blog often. Imagine that he has not blogged since year 2005 chrismas.

Friday, January 09, 2009

Atiku- The Story of Atiku Abubakar (Founder AUN and former VP of Nigeria)


I have just finished reading the book titled Atiku- The Story of Atiku Abubakar. It is the biography of founder of AUN who was the vice-president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, one of the books I planned to read during this holiday. His life history is really very touching. I probably felt the story much because it is one that is akin to mine in the area of background; he is born of humble background. I should probably just get an excerpt from the book for you to understand what I mean. Chapter 3 page 29 of the book is titled Atiku Goes To School.

Young Atiku was a quiet, sensitive boy who assisted his father on the farm and with the livestock. When he was old enough, he would take the animals (cows and sheep) to the fields to graze and bring them back home at sunset. He also fetched some firewood for cooking and for illumination. Kajoli, like most Nigerian villages then, had no electricity or running water. Sometimes, he would only be required to feed the animals at home with hay or supply then water to drink or potash to lick. Like every young boy in the are, these were chores he enjoyed. He was excited by the animals and enjoyed playing with them. He learned to ride horses and donkeys which his father used to transport goods to the various markets.

He spent his free time playing soccer on improvised fields with neighborhood boys… Sometimes they made bows and arrows and went hunting for birds to shoot. Every night after dinner, there would be Koranic studies. His father or any other learned person in the village would teach them. A bonfire was normally made in the middle of the family compound to provide illumination for the evening Koranic classes. Attendance was compulsory. Parents would o build spiritually foundation for their young ones through lessons.
As an only child, he was very close to his parents… Three years after Atiku started school, tragedy struck in December 1957.... Atiku was just 11 years old when he losed his father.

Young Atiku of the1950s has today grown up to become rich and very influential. He has some admirable qualities that everyone would want to emulate. As Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba, the author of his biography puts it while summarising the book in the last two paragraph of the the book (the epilogue section):


“adversity has taught him to be kind, caring and compassionate; his childhood experience as a herdsman leading the family livestock to the pasture imbued in him the value of patience; the loneliness of childhood made him a lover of people and of a large family; the tragedy of being orphaned at tan early age instilled in him the virtues of hardwork and independencd and an abiding faith in God; his 20-year career in the Customs exposed him to the larger and more complex would outside the one he knew in Southern Adamawa; and politics taught him focus, determination and the ability to understand, predict and manage people. His success in life is proof that “the Nigerian Dream” exists and that with providence and handwork one can aspire to any height in life.”

Chritics say he is too tolerant, too trusting and that he allows things to fester until they get out of hand. His admirers say that he is reliable, does not forget friends, has a large heart and that because of his own experience in life he finds it unbrearable to see people suffer. An American wife of a friend once likened Atiku to a sandalwood thatgives its frangrance to even the axe that will cut it down. But in government, Atiku will discover that it pays to have both the tenderness of a lamb and the heart of a lion.


I particularly like his forgiving nature. To be frank, I am not one who forgives easily. It is probably something I need to learn from him. I just find it hard to let go of things for instance if I get offended by someone, although it is usually very rare for me to get offfended anyway. I think I have a very wide range of tolerance. I could say I am not a soft iron but a steel because the latter takes time to get magnetised and also does not readily loss its magnetism.


One other quality I admire in Atiku is his high entrpreneurial acumen. Also, he is someone who shows a vision of a strong, sable, united, prosperous and democratic Nigeria, as Onukaba would put it. I think he is just made and not just born. Hence, Onukaba describes him as a man of destiny. Long may he live.


Sunday, January 04, 2009

QLA -Quarcoo Linear Algebra. Are you thinking of taking this Course?

I did told you that I was going to have a blog on my last semester courses. Well, I took 19 credits last semester. I did pre-register the previous semester, but for a reason not very clear pre-registration did not work for lots of the students. Rumors went that the Samuels portal crashed. The Samuels portal is the AUN students’ registration portal. It was by developed by some Pakistanis who are also pioneer students of AUN. You may want to read about it here. I was supposed to take micro-economics last semester but the class was filled. I was asked to be on a wait list that another section will be opened. I then wrote my name down. As at on Friday the last day for add a course, no new section was opened. Just then I began to think of adding another course. On Monday, the following week, I went to the registrar’s office to check if the micro-economics class was still opened. There were some students still registering however. So, I was convinced that it was not late officially, not knowing that those ones had some grace. They probably had some problems with their registeration or something. In the evening, I met Dr Joseph Quarcoo who asked whether I was not taking Linear Algebra. I told him I had not done Calculus 3. He told me that it was not a prerequisite and that one of my mates Daniel Iyade who took calculus 1 with him was doing it. I was very surprise to hear this. Why didn’t Daniel told me that he was going to add it? I asked. Then I made up my mind to add it. I had missed a week of class. But it doesn’t matter I taught. I will still be able to survive. I had not known that it was a sort of very abstract course. I was then in my way to hell as I dashed into the registrar’s office to collect the “add and drop form”. And so, filled in the course I was about to add and other requirement. Then I was told I cannot add more than 18 credits unless the dean approved it. I met the dean who said he cannot add it because it was already late to add a course. Then I sent a mail to the academics vice-president complaining of my inability to add other courses while I had taught another section was going to be opened for micro-economics. At last, on Tuesday morning, I was added to the class. In the afternoon, I met Daniel and asked him why he had not told me he would be doing Linear Algebra and he said it was the dean that suggested that he do it. He said he was about to drop it. He was already complaining. But it is algebra now, I told him. He told me that it was not as I think and that if he had known he would not have been doing it in that third semester of his. That same day, I went to the book store to get the textbook. Little did I knew that it was going to be the course that I was going to spend about 70% of my study time in and at last, I dropped the course. I actually dropped the course on the day of the final exam!!! What a tragedy. I was just tired and bored to prepare for finals. I was on a D and just felt trying hard to study for finals would not produce the desired result. It might even make me perform poorly in other courses which ultimately will reduce my CGPA. I had met the professor some days before the finals and he has said he could give me a WP (Withdrawal Pass) if I am considering dropping. I told him I was doing 19 credits and it was responsible for my seemingly not catching up in the course and he understood. On the final day of the exam, I worked into the exam hall and told him that I have made up my mind to drop. I came late for the exam anyway and it was obvious that I had no intention of writing the exam.

During the semester, the course Linear Algebra, which I coined as QLA which stands for Quarcoo Linear Algebra was that though that I was considering changing my major. Dr Quarcoo was known as the toughest AUN professor. And the course Linear Algebra was a very abstract course despite. You can imagine a tough professor and a tackle an abstract course. Of course it is the students that will sufferer just as the saying: “when two elephants fight, it is the ground that will always suffer”. I was thinking this could be the hardest course in life and wondered what rocket science or any other though course could be. I was also seeking for any advice to help me sail through. This made me to ask yahoo group a question. You may read the question I asked in the yahoo group and the feedback I got:

Eruditprince:( My yahoo username:)
(title of question) What major is generally for smart persons? Is Linear Algebra generally hard or is just me that is dull?
I use to think that physics, engineering and computer science are for people who are naturally gifted for them. ie. good mathematics persons. A course like linear algebra is kinda very abstract for me to comprehend. Am I dull or the course is generally hard? How may I help myself? Do I change my major?


Gymdudenc: Linear algebra can seem basic, or it can seem quite difficult depending on who is introducing it to you. For instance, I tried it the first time as a freshman at USC with a man who spent the entire first day talking about subspaces. He also did not provide one non-abstract example the entire class. 2 girls even cried during this class - though he was very rude to them. I dropped it immediately. The next year I transferred to a different university and took it again, and this time it was introduced correctly and I breezed through it. So it may not be you that is dull. If you professor started off with a review of matricies and vectors, and started you off solving systems, finding inverses, adjoints, transposes, etc of matricies .....and then started talking about vector spaces, subspaces, spanning sets, basis, diagonalization, and maybe THEN the tough stuff, then he or she has done it correctly. Otherwise you may well feel lost in a sea of confusion.If they have followed this format and you are still sinking, remember that linear algebra is cumulative just like high school algebra. See if you can try to narrow down where your most basic problem lies. If rank, spanning sets, and other introductory ideas are giving you fits you can forget about hermitian operators and real hard stuff.Make SURE you are solid with matrix manipulation, as you'll work with them extensively. Make sure you know properties of determinants like det(AB)=det(A)det(B) and that A^(-1) exists iff det(A) not equal to 0. Make sure you know the definition of a vector space, and the definition of a subspace. Make sure you know lots of examples of vector spaces and subspaces, as professors LOVE to ask for examples of such. If you can do these things, you should get through any introductory linear algebra course as the final should test mostly the basics. Now, if you're taking advanced linear algebra or a linear algebra graduate seminar, you gotta know undergrad LA inside and out!!!!Also, I assume you ARE reading your book. If it is too in the clouds for you, go to the library and look for another text book. There are some real nice linear algebra books out there (modern day) written with the idea in mind that not all taking linear algebra intend to become mathematicians - and most are incorporating some differential equations into it.


Sally: Engineering is the hardest major because it is basically having a major in Mathematics and a major in Science


doug_donaghue: Having spent a few years teaching college math, I have to say that Gymdude pretty much nailed it.Fact is... There is a -huge- difference between being able to do a thing and teach a thing. (And that's true in everything, not just math) I don't think I ever taught Diff.Eq. without someone asking at least one question that made me actually wonder if I understood it as well as I thought I did☺ And the fact is that for all my students said that they learned from me, I usually learned even more from them.Try another teacher. And remember that everybody 'learns' differently because no two people ever have the exact same referential background to which they relate new knowledge. The wise teacher knows how to say the same thing at least 3 or 4 different ways. After the 3'rd or 4'th time, if you see all of the headlights in the class are on, you're ready to move on to the next item. If not, you should start asking yourself, "What am I doing wrong?"The other problem is that -way- too many teachers are willing to give a student a passing grade just to get rid of them. And all that does is screw the student up even more later on. You really have to have it all together before you start to hit the more abstract areas. Don't be afraid to go find one of the 'worked problem' outlines (either in a bookstore or online) and work through a few of the problems. Don't just look at them, take paper and pencil and do the steps to make certain you understand what was done and, more importantly, -why- it was done that way.

shinsplints99: I consider myself pretty good at math. I've got over 60 college credit hours in math. Linear Algebra kicked my butt. It's very difficult to "visualize" the concepts. It's VERY abstract. It requires a lot of memorization. Get the REA Linear Algebra Problem Solver. There are examples of EVERY type of problem you'll encounter. You can get it at many used book stores, or even your local library. If you can't find it at a used or new bookstore, try looking at
http://www.half.ebay.com It's only one course, so don't use it to decide if you should change your major. Look at how you do in your other math courses. They will be a better meter of how you'll do.


Of these, it was Gymdudenc who really hit it at the point. He really explain it deep and I love his answer. I think any computer science major doing Linear Algebra this semester should consider his advice if/when they have problem.

Friday, January 02, 2009

"Speecheless" by Micheal Jackson

I can't believe how and why I fell in love with this song Speechless, by the music genius Micheal Jackson whom you can also call the Miko Wacko Jacko. On coming to school this afternoon, I went to see the new dorms under construction and also saw the atheletic field that is being constructed. After collecting my bag which contains my laptop from the security, I boot it and checked my mail. Somehow, I have not listen for good music for a while now. Ok, you would not believe that I don't have electricity in my room where I live off campus even though my neigbour have. So, let me not tell you then because you think I can't be that lazy as to not connecting light to my room when I could do it myself. I also have a brother/ friend who could do it for me free. By Brother I mean we hail from the same place Benin, he is Mr Luggard and works as an electrician here in the PPDU unit of the university. So, ask me why I still want to remain in darkness. The truth is that I don't know. Meanwhile, I bought a small radio that uses just two batter and it got weak. I was just too lazy to replace it. Can you imagine how this holiday have made me lazy. At times, I sleep till 8.00 am in the morning. I a morning person who normally never sleep more than 6 am. Yes, I still do wake up at 6am but this time I take third round of sleep not taking into congnizance that I need to resume work sharply at 9.00 am. Oh, I did not tell you I have a vacation job. Yes, I do. I work in the admissions offfice. It is a good time to get some pay you know because in three weeks time, it will be back to school. I might still be engaged in work-study program during the semester anyway. But the working hours is limited to 10 hours a week for a pay rate of $2 per hour. Anyway, that is just by the way side.

As for why I am now lazy, I think my friend, Daniel Iyade is to blame. It is he who says I should be resting. He says I seem to work too hard and such definately reduces efficiency. So that's probably why I am never an "A" student even right from high school despite my hardwork. It is true I am a "work aholik". What many people don't also know is that I am also a bibliophite. I just like being around with books. Many a time you see me going to class with book or with my bag. Of course my laptop and books are the contents of the bag. But the truth is most times I don't even read the book. I work on my laptop or maybe just look at the pictures in my books. That's if the book have pictures anyway, which is rarely the case you know.


Well, let laziness not deviate us from the topic. It is about a song that I fell in love with. It is so touching that I can't resist not blogging about it. Blogging, you know is one of my hobbies. I seemed to have abandoned it last year and a year before. But as everyone was making new year resolutions I deceided that I should also make one and let blogging come to life. I use to feel new year resolutions are for kids, you know and probably those have not been very responsible and trying to be responsible. I remember when we were kids, we will say this new year I will try to be very neat and would not insult anyone. Generally striving to be perfect, you know. But there are also people that do think they need to stop smoking or drinking, so make resolutions that they would become responsible in that regard. Pardon my use of responsible in this sense.


Ok, here is the lyrics for the song Speechless.


Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel

But I am speechless, speechless
That's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you
I am far away and nothing is for real
When I'm with you I am lost for words,
I don't know what to say

My head's spinning like a carousel, so silently I pray
Helpless and hopeless, that's how I feel inside
Nothing's real, but all is possible if God is on my side

When I'm with you I am in the light where I cannot be found
It's as though I am standing in the place called Hallowed Ground

Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
I'll go anywhere and do anything just to touch your face
There's no mountain high I cannot climb I'm humbled in your grace

Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real

Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away, and nothing is for real

Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless

Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But in your presence I am lost for words Words like, "I love you."

Click here to view the song on you tube.

Truly speaking, I love this song. You can't believe that tears is running down my cheek as I play it. It is so charmy and alluring. I don't even know the words to describe it. Observe the cadence -the rise and fall of the tone. It's just effable. It makes me think of one particular girl I met once in my life (in FUTY where I worked while I dropped away from school) whom I admired on the first and only -what would probably be the last, day I met. I was just speechless. I could not express my feelings at that instant. Maybe it was because I was -no, not tacturn, just reserved. I like to study people you know. I will write a post about her someday. I actually wrote blog about her although just like many of my writings I did not post it. I don't think I can even still get the writing. I use to write on piece of papers and dump; a sort of bad habit I need to stop this year. Right? And this particular one is more than a year and half ago. I just wonder how I can get it. I know it will be among my archives. Talking of alchives, I do have a Ghana must go bag where all old books of mine go into. I just pray I am not lazy enough not to not try and get it. Hmm, I'm becoming still being a complex writer after my writing instructor, Cherry Pavlick has encouraged me to always write simply. I pray she doesn't read this post.

I feel like dedicating this post to somebody. I actually have corple of persons in my mind. No guy included. They are all girls because only girls are princess, you know. People whom I would say are "down to earth girls" in AUN. Well, by this I mean girls that are beautiful yet very friendly . They do not discriminate. Even when you are on some shabby dress and your shoes aren't polished nor fashionable, they would still not hesitate to befriend you. They take you the way you are. In fact, they all have some unique gift in them. Some just have very good smile and when they smile at you, you would like yourself. So, you see that they are not just princess but "down to earth ones." They know they are princess but they can come down very low and that make me love them with all my heart. I think they understand the sense of the world in every aspect. Well I would blog about this someday. I know the question Oyinda Kossimani is thinking right now (that's if she's reading this now) is whether she is among the "down to earth girls" in AUN? She of course knows that the answer is NO!!!. Well I'm just joking. She is, even though she has laughed at me on two occasions. One was when I sleeped down and fell into the wide drinage between the SAS building and the library under construction on one afternoon when rushing to the cafeteriat during last year's Spring semester. I will blog about this someday also because this post is getting unnecessarily longer than I had anticipated. I would also blog about the books I am reading this holiday particularly our founder's biography titled The Story of Atiku Abubarkar. I just started it and it is very touching. In fact, I am going to buy two copies of the books as gift for some two friends of mine when next I'm going home. I hope to finish it tomorrow or next. Other books I borrowed from our library last week are Barrack Obama's authobiography - the Audacity of Hope, and the award winning Half of a Yellow Sun by the young Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Until I post again, keep being your good self and stay away from trouble. I LOVE YOU.