Finally the M104 batch has completed the phase 1 of Medical Programme. Saturday (19/08/2006) was the day which every1 of us will get our certificate and half of us will leave IMU, going to PMS. However I'm not really excited about this convocation because I'm still staying in IMU Seremban and will be meeting most of my batchmates in Seremban.
There were 130+ of our batch attended the convo. This was the last time for us to meet those who are going PMS. Too bad most of my gang didn't turn up, including Jin-Yu, Yi Ning, Baxter, Yaw Yee, Poh Tian, Zul (who is in KL now but din wanna come according to Chaozer) and Jackson (who went to Dundee after the exam). Chaozer and Jacob came for the rehearsal but didn't turn up for the actual day, weird??
On friday (the rehearsal day), thanks to Xin Yi because got a free ride from her!! Long time we didn't meet up. After I reached IMU, I got a lot of things to settle, including my insurance claim and certify documents for my loan. Then I gotta meet up some juniors to sell my books to them. Talked to them (forgot their names) and Chee Keong about EOS 5. I told them MUST read the past year. I think for our Problem Case, around 10% was from the past year. As usual, they were quite worried and I comforted them that it's not that easy to fail EOS la. Sound familiar?? HAHA... I used to be the junior, asking the seniors a lot of question... and they would tell me not to worry, just study. But I doubted what the seniors said because I think the study leave was too short for us. Now, 风水轮流转... I am now the senior telling the junior the same thing. After that, I was planning to check mail using the Apple PC in the library, because my PC broke down for 1 week de, but too bad the connection was not working. Stupid IMU PC!!
The rehearsal started around 3pm. According to Paul Jambu, there are 297 graduating students attending the convo including C1/04 MBBS, BMed students, M1/04, returning graduates from Strathclyde and Master of Science. We got the robes after the rehearsal. Without the hoods and mortarboards, wearing only robes make us look like Harry Potter.
The next day, we have to be at Hotel Sheraton by 7am. Luckily it's quite near from my house, just 10 minutes. There was a final rehearsal b4 the ceremony starts. We arranged ourselves into seats. First is the Master of Science that only 1 person attended, then C104, following by BMed and M104 and lastly are the pharmacist students. Fraser, who was sitting beside me asked me a question.
"Why always the medical students in front of the pharmacist students?"
Erm... Good question!! I told him, because alphabetically, 'M' comes b4 'P'.
Then he asked again, "Why MBBS b4 BMed?"
Erm... "Because MBBS need 5 years to finish and BMed only need 1 year..."
"Why not M104 b4 BMed? We took 2 1/2 years to finish! Somemore actually it's Master of Pharmacy, should be in front of MBBS, which is only Bachelor."
"Ya hor!" Finally we came to a conclusion...
"It's because the fees we paid. We paid more than the pharmacist student. BMed paid more than us since they already in IMU for 3 1/2 years. MBBS paid more than BMed because they stayed in IMU for 5 years already. OK??" I said.
After we were seated (during the rehearsal), we have to go up the stage ONE BY ONE, practising where to bow on the stage, shake to the Chancellor and smile to the photographer. Firstly, bow to the academic people on the stage when your first step on the stage. Then walk majestically to the Chancellor, bow to him when u step on the a cross 'X'. Then "Shake, Take and Smile". Shake his hand, take the scroll and smile to the photographer. Since we were the 1st batch joining the convo, Paul Jambu want us to go on stage 1 by 1 to practise. OOHH... what a waste of time!! Luckily due to running out of time, we just practise until Matthew's turn.
After the rehearsal, we finally have time to put on our ' Harry Potter's costume'. When the M104 batch pass by, it really looks like a bunch of Harry Potter. OK... I will be in the Gryffindor team... Haha...
The whole ceremony was long and dull as expected. We were so hungry and sleepy. But we got no choice, gotta wait till the whole ceremony end. When the C104 gold medalist being announced, the whole batch stood up and cheered for the gold medalist. We were so shocked. Then we started to discuss whether we should stand for Joseph, our gold medalist too...
"Should we stand ar?"
"Stand la!"
"Huh? Need meh?"
"What if later the pharmacist students also stand and we don't stand? Then Joseph got no face la.."
"Ok la.. just stand la.. to give him face!!"
Then we stood and cheered for Joseph.... Sure Joseph very happy... Haha.. hope Joseph won't see this..
After the ceremony, we left the hall from a side door, passed through a 'secret passage' which Paul said we won't be able to see the food (but we could smell the food lo, Paul!!), and entered the hall again from the other side door. We always do stupid things.... Why we have to leave the hall and enter the hall again? Why can't we just stay in the hall? Really can't understand the lecturers' plan. During the seating arrangement, we have to move also because they forgot to leave seats for BMed students. Haih...
We were the 1st batch to take the group photo. I nearly missed the photography session because I went out to search for my parents. Paul did warn us not to wander around after the ceremony, but I just went out. Luckily came back in time to take the photo.
The food in Hotel Sheraton was quite nice and there was variety. But I didn't get to take more food because I was in a hurry. Didn't get to take photo too... Just took 2 when I was coming down from the stage and took 1 with Mun Yee (P/S: munny, remember to send me the photo!).
Got the certificate and academic transcript with all the marks since Sem 1 by exchanging the scroll. Ya... also thanks to those who congratulate me for being in the Dean's list. Wei-Liang sent me a msg during the ceremony. I was wondering how he knew coz we just knew it during the final rehearsal. He told me that it appeared in the newspaper. Even my high school friends also knew it. Low profile, Ok? Haha...
