2021 Day 63 Tasks – Miscellaneous Post Graduate Students Matters

The fact that it is a Friday allowed me to relax a bit today. After all, I have been working very hard, almost non-stop since since several weeks. I need some break and once in a while breaking my daily pattern. I did not immediately work in the morning as usual, but I pampered myself with waking up a bit late… haha…

After that, I woke up and strategize my day. I started by listing down tasks to do for today while waiting for my laptop to stabilize after I switched it on (it’s a 7 year old laptop and it takes time for it to get ready after i pressed the on button).

I checked Efa’s (my full time research master student) abstract again, after my other half corrected it yesterday. It looked simple but it really is not that simple. Need to carefully check both English and Malay version of the abstract. After completing it I emailed it back to Efa.

Other highlighted official tasks of the day:

  • Checked Wirda’s paper for the 3rd time (Pak didi’s student).
  • Checked and commented ABSI’s (my Master Mixed-mode student) presentation slide since he’ll be presenting his 1st stage this coming Sunday).
  • Fast scan AbdelRahim’s (my Engineering Education PhD student from Egypt/Sudan) Chapter 1 draft, but still need to read in great detail tomorrow.
  • Passed Ammaru’s thesis to Sham for references on the analysis part.
  • Communicated with Anwar Hazeem (my ex-MKKH master student from 2017) on his new manuscript project.
  • Hosted Zaqwan who visited us at our home after Friday prayers. He wanted to consult about IEM Mentorship.

2021 Day 62 Tasks – CEE C09 Building Renovation Meeting

Hopefully this will be the last meeting for us that will allow us to meet the budget after sacrificing numerous needs for CEE. The meeting date and time was earlier set since last week between me and Aizat from Jabatan Harta Bina (JHB) UTM and Alhamdulillah we managed to get together in a virtual meeting at 2pm and ended nicely at 3.10pm. Among CEE reps that were present apart from me were Prof Khairiyah, Dr. Fadzil, Dr. Noraini, Dr. Effiyana and Izzati.

Other highlights of the day:

  • Consortium keyword meeting – 8am-9.30am via skype.
  • RCEE Meeting #1 – 3.30pm – 4.30pm.
  • Following of on SCEE RAE stuffs.
  • Prepared and completed CRR for ISP course.
  • Prepared and completed CRR for ITE course.
  • Prepared and completed CRR for Environmental Management MKKH course.
  • Checked and dealt with Efa’s correction of master thesis.

2021 Day 61 Tasks – Koperasi Surau Bestari Meeting

Today, as usual, my schedule is packed with numerous activities. But the main activity that I want to highlight for today is the Koperasi Surau Bestari Meeting that was conducted around 9pm evening. I am the Chairman of the Ahli Lembaga Koperasi (ALK) for Koperasi Surau Bestari Berhad.

Other activities highlighted for today:

2021 Day 60 Tasks – Student Advisory Performance Presentation to Head of Program

Image snipped during the RAE SCL Training
At the end of the Training for the 2nd day with part of the participants

Today, we are scheduled to do the presentation of our own Student Advisory Performance (Penasihat Akademik (PA)) to our Head of Department. My PA students now are in the 3rd year and there are numerous patterns of result. I realized that I need to follow up and check on several of my students that have dropped their points.

Other miscellaneous selected tasks of the day to be shared here:

2021 Day 59 Tasks – 21st Century Learning for Engaging Millennials, Part 1: Effective Implementation of Active Learning

Today, we started another online training which is the continuity from the 1st RAE Training for Indonesian Lecturer. This will be a 3-days workshop that will help clarify the lecturers about Active Learning (AL). Apart from the Indonesian lecturers, there are 4 lecturers from SCEE UTM who participated as well.

2021 Day 58 Tasks – Drafting Mathwork Process Control Problem

Today I was more focused on preparing of Mathwork Tank Storage problem. The problem need to be real industrial problem that students can learn and appreciate. I included real Autocad drawing so it will look real and student can imagine what they will face later when they practice as an engineer.

Other tasks:

  • Finalized marks for the course I taught.
  • Met Dr. Kamaruddin for discussion on the Mathwork problem.
  • Managed bit of the ReCASE 2021 conference and papers.

2021 Day 37 Task – Checking Project Description of an EIA Project

This is going to be a long Saturday as they are just too many tasks to complete. Since the morning started to do:

  • Shared Mock PSM Presentation Webex video to my students
  • Check my PSM student correction slide.
  • Finalize writing and checking the Curriculum Program Review Report for MOU.
  • Check EIA Chapter 3 draft (continued since yesterday).
  • Prepare – check – read Dissertations and Proposals for MKKE Evaluation tomorrow.
  • Prepare Webex Link for PhD second assessment that I am the chairman tomorrow.
  • Resubmit conference fee claim form after being rejected by RMC on Thursday.
  • Final submission of Nazlina’s Chapter 5 to BCREC after being accepted. To submit final typesetting proof read, Graphical Abstract and Article Processing Cost (APC) payment.

Day 312 Task – Master Environmental Management Class Preparation with Miscellaneous tasks

Imagine the preparation for a 1 hour class, we need at least 3 hours for the preparation. Then imagine the preparation for a 3 hour class, the time required could triple. I am not in a very difficult situation which is to prepare for a 16 hour class starting tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday) for this Master Environmental Management Pesisir under the Master Safety MKKH Program. To be honest, this is the first time I will be teaching this class but I believe I am capable of teaching it. I just need to really prepare and design the class which will be conducted via online mode and it ain’t easy to have an online class for such a long duration.

My experience moderating the forum last Wednesday for a straight 3 hours really made me super exhausted and few moments after that I slept for 3 hours plus before 8pm to recover my energy.

Back to the preparation of my class, I will design the class appropriately so everybody will benefit and enjoy the class, InsysAllah. I’m planning to conduct a research for this class simultaneously, which I haven’t planned yet (at the point I write this, but I have some idea).

The preparation of class is not the main thing going on today. There are still plenty of tasks that I need to pause, or if I can squeeze my time and energy, I will do it. I have FRGS improvement and documents to prepare, journal manuscript to submit which was already long pending, a book which I co-handle with a senior colleague to edit and do a bit of final touch edition (that I promised to complete this weekend). But then, those are not the only thing going to happened. Just now, as early as 8am in my weekend break, I already had a phone call to interview a candidate who wanted to appoint me as his mentee to be a professional engineer. Subsequently I joined a Zoom meeting on Mathwork Process Control problem lead by Prof Khairiyah that combines UTM, USM and UMP.

It’s pretty tricky that the older we became, the more matured we be, the more tasks and responsibility we aught to be given. We just need to be wise and intelligent in balancing all official tasks, in official tasks, community contribution, spiritual and family. The family is being mentioned last, but it is the highest priority in actual fact.

OK, all the best to me… 🙂

Read all my “1 Official Task Per Day Record Challenge for 2020” —> https://people.utm.my/zakiyamani/category/1-activity-1-day/ 

Day 311 Task – ITE afternoon Class

It was a busy day as usual. But despite of numerous major and minor task, I still need to focus on the Introduction to Engineering (ITE) Class which took place from 2-3pm. The day took place with us all the ITE lecturers having an online morning meeting to discuss carefully and synchronize what we’ll be doing today. Alhamdulillah, the class was smooth. Later today, I started to prepare for my Pesisir MKKH Class which will be a solid Saturday and Sunday. At the same time, I checked the slide prepared for SPIL 2020 conference prepared by my PhD student.

The time flies really fast nowadays. Too many things moving on from many directions.

Read all my “1 Official Task Per Day Record Challenge for 2020” —> https://people.utm.my/zakiyamani/category/1-activity-1-day/ 

Day 292 Task – Miscellaneous Journal Reviewing’s and Teaching Preparation

The Q3 Journal – BCREC

The Q1 Journal – Energy Report

It’s Saturday today. There are tones of tasks that I need to do. I started the morning handling 2 journals that I need to review,  one from a Q1 journal and another one from a Q3 journal. Both are  related to my expertise in Catalysis and Reaction Engineering.

Subsequently after that, I managed / handled ASEAN Journal of Engineering Education (AJEE) journal which I am the Editor. Two journals need to be dealt with today after I received the comments from all reviewers. I am trying my best to realize the Second Issue for AJEE 2020 Volume. Alhamdulillah the First Issue for AJEE 2020 Volume was released in last July.

After this, there are several tasks such as weekly teaching plan, online teaching strategies, journal paper submission and others that need to be fulfilled.

Wow.. it’s just like there is no holiday.

Read all my “1 Official Task Per Day Record Challenge for 2020” —> https://people.utm.my/zakiyamani/category/1-activity-1-day/