This year (6th September 2008), the University of New South Wales had their undergraduate open day (they call it Courses and Carrers Day) under a rainy day. However, rain wasn’t the worst enemy though, the wind is. Tents that were set up by the seniors were sent collapsing by the crushing wind. The attendance during the Courses and Careers Day (CC Day) was poor, but UNSW did not fail to present their best to their future students.

For your information, I have not attended any UNSW open day before I transfer to UNSW. So I was a bit confused as I was entering the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Building mainly because I have no idea where to start. At the ground floor, there’s the UNSW race team with their mini red colored F1 race car. I was supposed to go to my lab to settle my assignment, so I just speed pass the race car without even taking pictures of it (I know, stupid me) and went straight to my lab.

Surprisingly, the lab was locked. Maybe they don’t want outsiders to steal stuff from the lab. So I joined the kids who were taking a tour at the different specified labs in the Mechanical and Manufacturing Laboratory Building. I joined halfway while they were entering the laboratory I am majoring in, which is Mechatronics Lab.

Mark and Edward (my tutors) was the people in charge of the presentation. Well, not impressive I must say, Mark should do the talking and Edward should do the other stuff. I did not take any pictures, AGAIN.

Next we went into the Machanical/Material Lab. This was much more impressive. My group mates from Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) would know remember how we polish our steels in the material lab. Haha, we were using our hands to polish the hell out of ourselves. In UNSW, they have this machine.

The Metal Polisher

Basically, you just clamp the steel there and put on the weights for different pressure, which means different surface finish for the metals then pour the abrasive. After the preparation, just wait until it is fully polished. Saves time and energy. TARC needs to improve!

Milling Machine

Beside the metal polisher is the 5 axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machine . Now this is something, this CNC miller has a hidden compartment which can store up to 30+ different millers (as told by the presenter). WOWO, cool huh.

Different products made by the Milling Machine

Well, he explained a lot of stuff so here are the pictures that will explain a thousand words for me.

3D Printer: Prints layers by layers to make a 3D shape

Water Jet Cutter

Electrical Microscope, monitors and lots of stuff

I also got to know a person, actually 2 persons from Malaysia currently doing their thesis in UNSW. They explained some stuff to me about these instruments. As expected, these monitors can calculate surface depth by the nanometers!

After the Mechanical lab, I was already blown away by the cangihness (coolness) but the Aerodynamics Lab was much better.

The Aerodynamic Lab

Now, how many of you ever seen a real shock wave? Not the one in Warcraft 3 ok. A real shock wave made by air deflected by a metal when shot by high pressurized air. We actually had to wear ear plugs because to the noise produced by the shock wave and the machine generating the high pressured air was too loud. Interesting stuff. If I had done this a year ago I would have major in Aerospace. Hahaha !

Shock wave appears in the are the red arrow is pointing

Well, as stated in the caption, the shock wave was formed in that tip. Then projected by don’t know what thing to a blackboard (it’s clearer there).

More Aerodynamic Lab

After that we go to the Manufacturing Lab. This lab has many types of machines, both conventional and CNC machines. And as expected, it’s by far better than the equipments TAR College has. I know you guys love looking at pictures, so … here goes.

Conventional Crap

CNC Lathe Machine - Costs 300k AUD

LOL, when the instructor was talking about this machine. Everybody was like, “huh? What the hell are these?”.

I forgot what this machine does already LOL

The trip ends here, most of the visitors goes out into the rain, stupid people. I stayed to chat a bit with the dude and have him explain more about the machines. Then I told him I am currently studying here and we chatted more. I found out that we, the mechatronics students can actually use all these machines. All we need to do is create our own designs with Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) software like Catia, then let them manufacture the thing.

I went out from where I came in and up to the Simulation Lab, this was what makes the open day at Mechanical & Manufacturing Laboratory Building looks best. F1 alike race simulation and flight simulation is built in the Lab.

The n00b (sorry), he crashes at every corner.

After looking at the simulation testers crash their cars for many times. It was my turn to test the simulation. Huh, luckily there was somebody beside to guide me how to drive a F1 alike racing car, I did better than the rest I’d seen but in the end I got too excited and end up in the tyre barriers, F***. I want to test some more!

Well, the person told me they are going to implement hydraulic seats next time so that when you turn the simulated car, the seat will give you a fake G-force effect. Wowo, I’m looking forward to next year’s Courses and Careers Day.

More simulations…

I have no idea how this works ... Just a monitor playing these things

Airplane Simulation

My visit to the laboratories ended with about 10 miss calls and 10 sms messages in my handphone. I was about 2 hours late to my meeting. LOL!

Happy reading…

Day 1, Monday

First class in Civil Engineering Building 101 was Critical Thinking Lecture lectured by Shannon Balderson from America (I think). First lecture was okay, nothing special about her or the class.

I ate the lunch my aunt had prepared for me, even though the lunch was already cold, but it was better than nothing. After eating it, I walked around the Roundbuilding to take a look at what’s going on. It’s right on top of the UniPub but it was nothing up there. Then, I went to Sam Cracknel Pavillion to look at the sports they have for registration. Nearly everything there needs money, and the cheapest I’ve seen was 40 bucks? For the basketball one I think. Not worth it …

It started raining quite heavily soon when I was at the Sam Cracknel Pavillion. My Critical Thinking tutorial was at Quadrangle, so I had to run all the way there under the rain just to listen to Shannon talked about Beetles and the Rolling Stone (which I have no idea what they are) and 2 person argueing about “do we need Bibles or Qurans to teach us how to be a proper human?” How boring. I expected more …

Day 2, Tuesday

Tuesday was the best! I only get to study from 12 – 2 PM. It was Getting into Business lecture by Micheal Peters. Wow he’s good, his lecture was funny. But when he gets high and talks very fast, Jayson and I will be clueless of what he’s talking about. Apparently, he claimed that he will teach us about business law and how to break law without getting caught. LOL!

Day 3 and 4, Wednesday and Thursday

Ahhhh, I hate Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, classes starts from 10 AM to 6 PM. Basically, I had to leave home at 8:30 and reach home at 7:15. Thursday was the worst, class starts from 9 AM ends at 6 PM. You do the calculation. Wednesday and Thursday will be tiring man.

Day 5, Friday, UNSW Welcome Party

Wowo, Friday was a day full of excitements. It began with me in ISS (International Student Services) lounge at 12:30 PM realized that I did not bring the document that enables me a free ticket to the UNSW Welcome Party. Plus I had to do a campus tour at 1 PM so I decided to do the campus tour first.

The tour took us about 1 hour and 30 minutes. It was about 2:30 PM after the tour. If I were to go back to take my document,  and based on worst case senario, say 3 hours to go back and forth, I’d miss the bus to the Welcome Party at 5.15 PM. But luckily, Katie (ISS Head) knows that I was one of the person who was joining the campus tour for the party, so I got the ticket, woohoo. Thanks Katie!

The welcome party was great! It was what Wilson Ho explained when I was still in TAR College. We went to Coogee Beach Hotel, obviously it is located at Coogee.

The first activity we have there was to fill up a person’s name according to the question (We can not repeat the same person though, that’s why it’s interesting).

eg. Find somebody who
1. Has never seen snow
2. Loves Vegemite
3. Knows surfing
Total up to about 12 questions I think.

What a great opportunity to meet new people I was thinking inside the room. After exchaging names with my fellow buddies Jayson, Ivan, Eugene, Jonathan, Ash (Asshole, LOL) and MeiLing (where was Claire?!), I flew off to talk with more girls (My goal of the night).

I knew quite many (have not talked to sooo many new friends before) new people. I can remember a few, Estervina from Indon, Chris, Fiona (Looks like a Korean!) from China, a girl from Malaysia, Ali from Iran, erm … LAWL I forgot the rest! Hahaha too many names to remember! Bler. Well, let’s just say I’m looking forward to see all of them again in ISS lounge.

After the first activity, the next one was Limbo Dance. I tried that as well and many people tried also. Wooo, that was fun. Awhile later, we had some group games, which everybody from the other team cheated to win. That’s so sad and unfair.

The last activity was dancing. MeiLing made some great trains on the dance floor. Which nearly everybody from the floor joined! Damn geng huh. The party ends at about 9:30 and I had a rough ride back home … Don’t wanna talk about it?

Sorry about this post, I know it’s a bit blur.

There were many activities to join, but maybe not as much if compared to the March’s Orientation.

Journey to UNSW

About 12 hours before the journey start, I was busy searching for routes that would take me all the way to UNSW. I did not bother how to come back, all I wanted to know was how to go there. So I spent the whole night checking wikimapia for my journey and planning it. I had done my best, but the first day was still a bit hectic.

At early morning, Cher told me top was 14′C. I nodded, but in my brain, I was thinking “what’s the big deal?” until I went out of the house. I felt like I was smoking air and it was so damn cold I chilled all the way to the train station.

It is Roseville Train Station that I was going to and thank God it got warmer when I reach there. I went over and told the cashier that I want a single ride to the city, then I got this feeling from the cashier that nobody starts their journey with a single ride using the train. Weird … I guess normally people buy a return ticket instead. Oh and I was charged 50 cents extra by buying a single ticket! Ugh.

But smart person as I am, I planned to go to UNSW with a single trip ticket. Then after 3PM, buy the weekly TravelPass from my school because when you use the weekly TravelPass after 3PM, you get to use it for the rest of the day plus 7 more days. Wah I am so proud of myself.

Here’s the view of the Roseville train station. Looks old huh? Wait til you see the station at Chatswood. Sorry I do not have them. Haha

After sitting inside the warm train for 30 minutes, I exit the train at Central inside Sydney CBD. It looked a bit crowded with people so I go all the way to the express bus stop at Eddy Avenue to wait for 891, a one way express route to UNSW.

I was busy enjoying the great view of so many birds at Belmore Park until I forgot to take notice of the bus is prepaid. Then when I was trying to board the bus, the officer told me that bus is prepaid. Gosh I got a shock of my life but thankfully he told me to get a ticket from 7-11 just opposite the bus stop.

I went into the 7-11, got cheated by the shopkeeper for 3 AUD per single ticket, I’m not sure single ticket to UNSW are that expensive or not, but the last time I sat a single ticket, it was 2.50. Then I went out and board the 20+ minutes bus to UNSW.

The whole journey from my cousin’s house -> Roseville Train Station -> Central Train Station -> Bus stop -> UNSW took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

UNSW Orientation Day 1 – 2 days ago, 23rd July 2008

I attended the Official Welcome for Undergraduates from 10AM to 12PM. Then during break at 11AM, I went straight out to another Welcome for Engineers, which was a better choice because an hour later at 12PM, we had free BBQ! From there, I get to know Jonathan, Claire and MeiLing through Jayson.

Jayson is the Golden Jubilee guy, Jonathan from Singapore looks a bit like my 2nd brother, MeiLing is very a open minded girl, talks about almost anything and Claire is well sort of like an auntie when she speaks English. LOL

After the BBQ, I went to settle some of my enrollment stuff, then joined the Meet the Mentor talk. God damn it, took us about 20 minutes to found out where the venue actually was. I chose our mentor during that mentoring talk … our group was all guys, AGAIN (I’m bored), because he’s from the Engineering faculty as well. I get to know Ivan, Ash, Eugene and Wesley there. Ivan, Ash and Eugene was from INTI Penang and Wesley was from China.

We went on a campus tour with our mentor and I captured some really nice pictures of the campus (dirty one as well, haha at the older buildings, I’m not showing that.)

This will be the first thing you see when you come right into the UNSW main gate.

After some walking down the campus, you get all these buildings. Wooo this is equivalent to Putrajaya!

Our UNSW library. The tallest building on campus. But all I had done these few days in the library was to print my documents for certification at the Student Central.

This building is called John Niland Scientia. I heard the lectures that expects about 200 to 300 people will be held here.

A shot right outside of the John Niland Scientia building down to the main gate.

Look! Pool tables! At the campus pub. Unfortunately these are as small as Giri’s pool table.

The campus tour by our mentor (I forgot his name) ended after 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking around the university. That was not the end of my walk, it was about 4:30PM that time and I had to walk all the way up north-east to Randwick to get my prepaid simcard from Optus.

The guy from International Student Service (ISS) only told me to walk straight using Botany Street. I’ve got no map, all I did was to follow my instinct there. Luckily I reached there, I thought the shops are only 500m away from UNSW, but I checked from wikimapia at home and it is approximately 2 KMs away.

The funny was I lost my way back. Luckily at Randwick Racecourse I met my lifesaver, Eve, she is a sweet girl from France who came all the way here to study English. She was actually jogging her way back from Centennial Park, but since she had to direct me, we chatted back to UNSW instead. Thanks to her I get to go home that day with the 891 bus.

UNSW Orientation Day 2 – Yesterday, 24th July 2008

I woke up at 11 AM just to reach school for this, BBQ organized by ISS! Hahaha!

Look at the damn queue, everybody was waiting just to eat free food here in Australia. Sad case, the newspaper is right, Australia is ranked 15 as the world’s most expensive city to live in.

Look, everybody was enjoying the food. This room looks so old school.

The food wasn’t good, but we took our time waiting for Claire to finish eating and in the same time chatted with a Chinaman who said that I look like a ABC (Australian Born Chinese). I’m a Malaysian !!! But not a proud one.

We chatted too long until the talk we wanted to go was too crowded with people. This was a talk about getting permanent resident in Australia. This was the first time of me staying at the door listening to lectures. WTH, if I’m at TAR College, I’m long gone.

UNSW Orientation Day 3 – Today, 25th July 2008

Woke up at 10AM, but it was drizzling quite heavily, so I continued sleeping again until 12. It was still drizzling though, but lighter. Today I spent 3 hours of traveling just to listen to 1 hour of talk about finding part time job and 1 hour of crap. Oh I’m so hardworking, all thanks to weekly TravelPass.

Eva Chan talked about finding part time jobs, I think she’s from Hong Kong, by the Cantonese accent. She smiles sweetly and I love her presentation. The other 1 hour talk was rubbish by some Malaysian person, I should have just left the hall.

So that’s all for the orientation. Bah I need to know more girls.

Oh yea, I have to show this. This is the coolest environment friendly tissues (erm, towels) I have used in a toilet. If you want to dry your hands, just pull down the newer towels, the wet towels will automatically pulled up into the … thing … machine. No need to waste any tissues as it will be cleaned and reused over and over again (I think).

We have to implement this now and save the world.