What Every New Student Should Know

What?

It is really hard to believe that my first semester in Virginia Tech is over! I can still vividly remember my journey here a few months ago! Thinking back, I realized that there’s so much to learn in life and so much more to experience.  Life in the States is completely different, but the National Service Program and INTEC (my 2-year preparatory college) definitely trained me well.  Workload and pressure in INTEC is much heavier compared to that in VT. Even though there is no Malaysian food, huge shopping malls and my beloved family here in Blacksburg, I know that I have so many other friends who are experiencing the same thing – I am not alone. The best part of the whole semester is I get to experience my first Fall season, where the leaves transformed into beautiful colors and my first Winter! I saw my first snowflakes on December 1, 2010. Their beauty made every effort and hard work worthwhile.

National Service 3 years ago

American Indulgence Week in INTEC

View of the tree outside my apartment in Fall

View of the same tree when it snows!

So What?

I have listed a few things that a first year student should know before becoming a student in Virginia Tech (especially in Agricultural Sciences program).

Top 10 Things every College Student Should Know:

1. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in VT offers more than 41 majors in its 12 departments. Click here for more information.
2. Students majoring in Agricultural Sciences at VT are required to choose at least 2 minors/concentrations from a few of the departments in this college, which is really cool. Click here for more information.
3. This major allows first year students to venture and look for their areas of interest before finalizing/choosing their majors/minors/ concentrations.
4. Always keep in touch with your advisor as they are assigned to you according to your chosen majors. They can answer all your questions regarding your course, schedules – almost everything until you graduate.
5. Getting involved in Agriculture-related as well as other clubs, organizations, activities and sports will help make new friends, build connections, improve communication and increase experiences in that sector.
6. It is very important to balance work and play. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
7. If you have any problem in class, don’t hesitate to ask/inform the professors as they can help because they can see if you are putting in effort.
8. When you could not understand what some professors are saying, ask them because they may have the Southern slang when they speak.
9. Be very wise when it comes to spending money because there is no mum and dad to manage your finances. Click here for advice.
10. It is best to prepare before classes and manage time efficiently – all you need is practice and success is on your way!

Now What?

I think I’m quite good in doing all of the above now but they will be easier with each semester as I become more mature and experienced. Even though it’s not possible to know what will happen each coming semester, it is always good to know that I am prepared for the fun and adventures waiting for me. Of course, with a goal in mind and determination to improve, things will usually go well with a little bit of hard work and realization of my personal strengths. Goodbye Fall 2010! Hello Spring 2011!

Let's go, Hokies!

Thanksgiving Break

What?

I mentioned something about a trip to Washington D.C. in my one of my blogs. So I did go there even though I was having one of the busiest weeks. Despite that, I had an exciting weekend in D.C.  Accommodation, food, transport and almost everything was provided by the Malaysian government and they were wonderful! All of us stayed at Tyson’s Corner Marriot, Virginia and were provided with Malay food! As for my Thanksgiving break this week, I didn’t go to my roommate’s place for the week. Reason: I know I would not be able to do my work (there’s so much to do!) if I enjoy myself too much – need to be in control.

Met my INTEC friends at the Malaysian Embassy

Didn't manage to visit the Washington Monument

So What?

The entrepreneurship seminar was held at the Malaysian Embassy in Washington D.C. and it went quite well. I was quite distracted though as my thoughts were on shopping and sightseeing most of the time. However, that did not happen as I wished because the seminar started on Friday evening (ice-breaking session), the whole Saturday and ends only on Sunday afternoon. But I still managed to get myself new winter boots, sneakers and a handbag, so it wasn’t so bad after all. As for this week, I stayed in my apartment, watching series after series of dramas online, which means I didn’t really do much work. There were two interesting events, the first is a lunch gathering for the Eid al-Adha celebration and a Thanksgiving “dinner” at Dr. Francis Quek’s place. I’m totally addicted to roast turkey now. It’s so good! And all the food’s good too!

Carving the turkey

Dr. Quek giving his speech

Food glorious food!

With  my new found Peruvian friend, Alexandra

View of Blacksburg from Brush Mountain

Now What?

Thanksgiving is fun! Next time around, I won’t miss the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with Katherine’s family in Arlington. As for the Black Friday sale, I didn’t get anything - maybe next time when I have something to buy. I think I might be in Winter break mode now. I really look forward to another trip somewhere out of town and I don’t feel like doing any work. Again, the coming three weeks are going to pass really fast because they are all assignment and presentation deadlines, and final exam! Good luck to me!

Leadership: Women and Culture

What?

The issue that revolves around women and leadership is not new. Even though large parts of the world have begun to accept women leaders in a company or a country, there are still many boundaries (one of them is the glass ceiling - Draft, 2005; Yukl, 2006) to which a woman has to face to climb the organization ladder. I absolutely agree that women still have to face biasness and prejudice because of their gender, and worse – difference in culture. I have personally encountered these situations and I don’t like that feeling at all. The whole conventional thinking that men should be the breadwinner and women the homemaker is still rampant in many cultures, especially Asia where most of the world’s population comes from. In a team of people, it is sometimes inevitable that there would be potential conflict when it comes to gender and culture.

Future leaders of Malaysia from different cultural backgounds

So What?

In Malaysia, more and more women are earning higher positions in governmental and non-governmental sectors. In addition, more women are educated and they have higher and bigger goals in life – similar to many countries, Malaysia’s public universities have more female than male students. In a country with so many cultural differences, there are of course different thoughts and opinions to women becoming leaders. Thus, majority of higher leadership positions are still dominated by men. What surprises me most is the fact that women in the United States have considerably lower wages in the same position as men (Bureau of Labor Statistics). That is not fair at all! I believe that women will change and speak up for themselves in time to come. Similar for culture and leadership, international trade will improve and increase the need for cultural exchange and understanding, increasing the acceptance in cultural differences all over the world.

sodahead.com

Now What?

In a world with so many cultures and traditions, it is not easy to alter people’s perception towards women. After all these years, I think that women has made a significant change to the world – more and more women, including me, are getting proper and higher education. The good news is, women are also known to be better leaders, using more of transformational leadership. For both women and culture in leadership, acceptance and change towards the better is not impossible as long as there is tolerance and understanding.

Strengths-Based Career

What?

As a government-sponsored student, I have a few curfews after I graduate. I will be required to return and serve my country, Malaysia (an FAO country). The government will then assign me a job according to the major/field that I graduated in where I will serve for 6 years. I, of course, would not know what job will be assigned to me but I definitely wish to work in the Agricultural sector. After that, I will continue with my graduate studies. My strengths: Restorative, Adaptability, Analytical, Relator, Consistency – they affect my decisions-making process and for now, I have settled my thoughts to working as an Associate Professional Officer (APO) for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

ciesin.org

So What?

According to fao.org, candidates for the program include any young professional under the age of 32 with a strong commitment to food and agricultural development development issues, a university degree and practical experience with developing countries as well as a genuine interest in working with people from across the world.

Requirements for candidates include:

1. A university degree at M.Sc. or MA level or B.Sc. or BA level with at least three years of relevant working experience.
2. Working knowledge of two of FAO's official languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian and Chinese
3. Excellent information technology skills, including word processing, database applications, presentation software, and the Internet
4. Minimum of one to two years of working experience in a developing country (optional)
5. Ability to think strategically; to express ideas clearly; to work independently and in teams combines with cultural and gender sensitivity.
6. Strong commitment to development; an interest in adapting to varied physical and professional environments; and a desire to work with people of different language, national and cultural backgrounds.
7. Respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and FAO's Mission Statement.

fao.org

Now What?

Most of the requirements should fit my strengths well; requirements 5 and 7 with Restorative, Analytical, Relator and Consistency, and requirement 6 with Adaptibility. All the other requirements can definitely be fulfilled with my years in the university and my plans for graduate studies. However, it is easier said than done. There might not be a vacancy when I apply and I would be far away from home most of the time. Other than that, there are also many other challenges when in different countries - culture, language, diseases, environmental factors and many others. For me, no job is easy but it doesn't get more difficult if one enjoys doing it.

Unfortunate Doggie Event

What?

I feel as if I’m residing in a gigantic refrigerator. When the wind blows, I’m upgraded to the freezer, and when the temperature drops below 0, I’m officially the resident of the freezer. Let’s not make things colder around here. My busy week wasn’t too bad but I had a day of unfortunate events – on Wednesday. Early in the morning, when I was on my way to the bus stand, I crossed the wrong place at the wrong time. It was the shortcut that I take every day and this time, a big collie (I think) was doing its toilet business. It was too late to turn back; the dog saw me, looked me in the eye, started barking and refused to let me go. Unfortunately, I am not really an animal person and I tried to stay as calm as possible. Thank goodness the owner was there and he managed to get his dog under control. I’m glad I didn’t run but when I reached the bus stand, I saw the bus leaving. Fantastic! For me, it’s not a good omen especially when I have a test that day. Thankfully, I was not late for class.

 blogs.seattleweekly.com

Puppies are ok, but big ones scare me

So What?

My excitement for the football game in my previous blog stops was wasted when I got myself a severe headache on the day of the game. But I definitely made a good choice by not undergoing the wrath of a more-than-3-hours “refrigeration”. It was a very good game, with VT emerging as the winner (28-21) after a few close encounters – I watched ESPN live in the warmth of my apartment. Let’s go, Hokies! Thinking about the beginning of the weekend, I realized how crazy I was. On Sunday evening (October 31, 2010), I went to the Math Emporium to take my Math test (the score was not too bad, but not too good either) and grabbed 10 cans of Campbell’s mushroom and chicken soup from Kroger after that. They were really cheap! – 10 for USD 5! I know they can get much cheaper after Thanksgiving but since they can be stored for a long time, why not? I thought I might want to just in case I decided to hibernate during winter. Weekend is not too fun though because I don’t feel like doing anything in the cold weather.

Now What?

I’m going to Washington D.C. this weekend! How fun! I’m attending an entrepreneur seminar organized by the Malaysian Embassy and almost everything is taken care of (accommodation, food etc.). I can go sightseeing, meeting with other people, and most importantly, SHOPPING! I was told that there is a huge mall right beside the hotel I’m staying in! That is why I'm writing this blog ahead of time. I might need to rush things through this week but no worries; everything usually turns out well for me. Even though all the assignment and paper deadlines are near, I will try my best to finish everything before enjoying my trip. I hope the dog doesn't hold a grudge on me, and may all be well this week!

grosvenorfund.com

D.C., here I come!

My Top 5

What?

I am very amazed at how Clifton StrengsFinder provides each and every person with their personalized Signature Themes after taking a string of more than a hundred questions. I’m not sure if it happens to anyone else, but I think that these themes really affect my thoughts and actions. I think if you believe that these Signature themes are a part of your life, you will see that they become more prominent and obvious in you day after day. That happened to me. I have taken it twice, but the most recent one is obtained from the Strengths Based Leadership Book by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie. Basically, these 34 Signature Themes (The Clifton test will provide you with your Top 5) will be categorized into the 4 domains of leadership strengths: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking.

My copy of Strengths Based Leadership

So What?

My Top 5 Signature Themes in increasing numerical order are Restorative, Adaptability, Relator, Analytical and Consistency. According to Rath and Conchie (2008), leaders with dominant strength in each of these domains are able to do the following:

Executing:  They know how to turn ideas into reality.

Influencing: They are advocators in the organization; they usually take charge and speak up.

Relationship Building: They keep the whole team together and going.

Strategic Thinking: They keep the team focused by constantly analyzing information and  help the team make better decisions.

Can be seen below is the result of my top five Signature Themes grouped under the four leadership domains. None of them is in the Influencing domain. That may explain why I don’t usually speak in front of a crowd, but I still do if I have to. That’s because I am more to the Executing and Relationship Building domains.

My Top 5

Now What? 

The Clifton StrengthsFinder is a good way for one to discover one’s strengths and learn how to focus on them to achieve success. It certainly helps to gain confidence by knowing that you are good in something, when all the while, you think that “there’s nothing special about me – I’m just an ordinary person with no talent whatsoever”. The downside is that the Clifton StrengsFinder is not available for free. The website needs a special one-time-use access code that can be purchased through the books by Gallup or on its own online. It’s definitely an interesting experience for me to discover and pave my own roads based on my strengths.

The access code at the back of the book

Endless Activities

What?

I got a ticket to the Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech game this Thursday evening! I got it through the student lottery this time around and it’s my first time! I’m really excited! How time has passed, it’s the end of October now and winter is on its way. This week has been very good indeed, thanks to my positive remarks in my previous blog, “The Best Week Yet”. My Horticulture test went quite well and I had a great lunch with Anja at Gillie’s after the test. I am still on the lookout for the best deal for my trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I had a difficult time completing my homework because I was in “Disney mode”. I ended up spending the night watching Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella on YouTube even though I promised myself to at least do some work. (Thursday night was “Glee” time while Friday evening was “Chuck” night.

My ticket

Anja and her brocolli pizza

My catfish sub

So What?

I spent a lot of time on the “Cooking with Dog” channel on YouTube this week. It was difficult to stop as I love Japanese cuisine so much! I have a few tests and assignments due this coming week and yet I am procrastinating. I figure that I deserve some entertainment during the weekend because I can sometimes be very productive when the deadline is near. It’s bad but I couldn’t help myself. I had dinner at a friend’s place on Thursday evening; I got to know him though another close friend of mine. Even though the meal was just instant noodles, I enjoyed myself very much as I got myself a few new friends and laughed a lot that day. Then I went grocery shopping in Kroger and saw Keyana, my fun and friendly teaching assistant. It is very comforting to have good friends when I’m far away from home.

Cooking with Dog

Now What?

I hate to say it but this week is going to be an extremely busy week again. I hope that I can get all my assignments done in time and do well for my MATH 1526, RAT (Reading Assurance Test) and Food Science tests. I can’t stop thinking about my dinner appointment with Sul and Nam-yi, and the football game – both on Thursday, one after another. I know I’m going to have a lot of fun after all the hard work! Hakuna matata!

The Best Week Yet

What?

I had a really good week this week. There were not much homework and I got a few surprises that made me a very happy person. On Friday night, I went for the Fall Community Dinner for international students at the Donaldson Brown Graduate Life Center with my friend, Mousumi, a Computer Science major from India. We see each other regularly thanks to the Toms Creek bus that takes us to and from school every day! During the dinner, I met so many of my friends: Seul and Na Mi from South Korea, Jing Jie from China and many others. We were very excited as we haven’t seen each other for a long time. After that, I went to the War Memorial Hall to play badminton (my favorite sport) with my fellow Malaysian graduate students and I saw Bella (she’s from Mongolia!). We talked for a while before my game starts. I’m glad that all of them are doing very well.

A picture of me and Na Mi in Cranwell back in August

So What?

There are too many reasons for me to be happy this week. I went for my first football game on Saturday! – Virginia Tech versus Duke! I got a student ticket and found myself a company. I saw my classmate Anne, while waiting for the bus and we basically stopped talking when we had to separate at the Coliseum. Sadly, I was baked alive that day as I was standing on the North stand with the sun smiling right onto my face, without a cap and a camera. I was quite frustrated but there is no need for that. Two hours in the sun and Duke hadn’t scored anything. It was an easy win for Tech (44-7). Many left early because the game was kind of boring and the winner was obvious. I left early too and managed to grab a Slurpee on my way home. At 5 p.m., my badminton-mates and I went shopping for winter apparels at Ross and T.J. Maxx in Christiansburg. Then we head over to Hunan King for a wonderful dinner!

Virginia Tech won!

Now What?

What a fulfilling weekend! Now, I really hope to get more football tickets (I’m hooked) and have more wonderful weekends like this. I have two tests this week and the coming week, quizzes as usual, and I wish that weekends don’t end as fast as they start. Great experience and great weeks ahead! Can’t wait to spend my first winter in Florida! Disneyworld, here I come!

My First Fall

What?

It is truly amazing to watch the colors of the leaves change from green to a myriad of yellow, orange and red. It reminds me of the first Korean drama I watched in 2004 titled “Autumn Fairy Tale”; I used to be crazy over it. Back in Malaysia, it is hot and humid all year round, so the trees are usually non-deciduous evergreens. This weekend was good and bad for a few reasons. I had two wonderful dinner sessions with the Malaysian families in Blacksburg. We had Fish head curry, which I missed terribly (I love seafood). The bad thing was, I went to my friend’s apartment to prepare something for the dinner session and we forgot to turn off the stove. What’s worse, we went out straight after that, so something was burned and that triggered the smoke alarm. What’s left was a notice from the Blacksburg Fire Department, asking my friend to call the leasing office. The both of us were so careless! I wondered if the whole building has to be evacuated.

Burruss Hall in Fall.

Really pretty leaves.

These reminded me of the singing Pansies in Alice and Wonderland.

Love letter from the Blacksburg Fire Department

So What?

So after this week, I learned yet again a few lessons in life. The first one is obvious: there are many life challenges that should be considered as life experience, not failures. I doubt that I will forget the stove incident though. Even though there are many things that hold me back, there are also many reasons why life is great. Life is tough but it has to go on. I have so many hopes and dreams that keep me going: backpacking with my sister in Europe, getting a few Coach hand bags and a Volkswagen Beatle, bringing my parents on a trip around the world, visiting the Wonders of the World and so many others. The moral of the story is if nothing ever happens in life, it would be dull and meaningless.

Now What?

Life has been pretty much the same for me. Mistakes and success, sadness and happiness, they come and go. Lately, I have been searching for a microwave oven. I almost got one today after receiving a moving sale email, but due to the absence of a cellphone and a car, I lost my chance. I guess I would have to wait for another chance. Everything seems to be testing my patience these days. Thank goodness for Utz, Snickers and Hershey’s, my happy hormones are back in check.

Unit 3

What?

I found myself struggling to finish writing this blog. I did not score well on the Readiness Assurance Test for Unit 3 as I was confused about all the approaches and theories. I think I did not pay enough attention to them; I mixed up the criteria in each topic and could not remember some of the terms used. So far, the ones that I understood best are the “Situational Leadership” and “Leader-member Exchange Theory of Leadership” (LMX) mainly because I have encountered them before.  As I understand it, situational leadership revolves around four leadership styles: directing, coaching, supporting and delegating where they offer different degrees of support and direction to followers. The LMX theory, on the other hand, talks about the leader-follower relationship that is divided into the in-groups and the out-groups. I suppose this theory can be very obvious sometimes.

                Image obtained from http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/leader-member-exchange-lmx-theory/)

In-group and out-group in LMX theory 

So What?

When I entered high school, I joined this specific organization that requires me to take a practical and a written test to become a member. That was more than 6 years ago but I could still remember the whole situation vividly. The supposed leader was supposed to teach me and my friends the skills needed for the practical test but he did not. When the officer asked us to demonstrate, we hesitated. So, the officer asked the leader for an explanation. He then looked at us with the meanest facial expression and said that he did teach us. I was furious and disappointed that he treated us that way while he was being extraordinarily nice to some (usually pretty girls). I never liked being in that organization until someone else replaces him when he graduated. Apparently, according to the LMX theory, my friends and I might be categorized in the out-group, the alienated newbie group that did not meet up to his expectation.

Now What?

After reliving this old memory, I realized that a follower does expect a lot from the leader. I suppose I will expect a lot from my leader too. Whichever leadership style, all of them emphasize on the leader-follower relationship. For if the leader-follower relationship is nowhere near perfect, productivity and loyalty will automatically decrease. One thing for sure, I will not want to be in an out-group anymore just because the leader is biased and is neither directive nor supportive. 

Image obtained from http://www.cvtc.edu/pages/502.asp