Successful Witsies

Hi there fellow bloggers , friends and collegues alike .It's that time of the year again when life other than campus life comes to a halt to make sure that exams run smoothly (so that we can have restful holidays).

I want to wish all of you , esp.all those still studying , the best for these next few weeks.Its going to be tough, no doubt ,but nothing worthwhile comes easily.

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to the end, requires some of the same courage which a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men to win them.- -- Emerson

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.- -- George Bernard Shaw

On another , far more exciting , yet at the same time quite stressful note...the Mini Baja Race SA will be held this weekend(13th and 14th) of October at the Gerotek Racing Facilities in Pretoria.You're all welcome to pop in and watch our seven months of hard work cruise to victory:-)

To the Wits Mini Baja Team:
What an awesome bunch!

Special thanks to Alpesh for joining the Ergonomics team and being there for me when I thought all was lost.

To Dean , go you, you really got the team to the end.

For lots of assistance on the design, thank you Gerard ,Jill and William.Also thanks to Sean Barret who gave me guidlines and advice the whole way .

To Terry and Dave , I think your passion and tirelessness motivated everyone else.Thank you.

To John Shires, thanks for organising everything (especially the extra time in the workshop).I think not only I but the whole team appreciates it.

& last but not least , to Andrew, Randal, Bugga and the first years , what amazing characters .You guys came in in the 11th hour and put in 110%.What a brilliant bunch.

In the end it comes down to working as a team and putting the team first when you have a million other things that you want to do.I cannot emphasize how much I have learnt from the work we have done .Its been tough, frustrating , tiring, intmidating and at some points I think I wanted to give up.But now that we're at the end , and i'm glad I made it this far , I'm grateful for having stuck it out;the brilliant feeling to have designed something and then to see it come together and work , just the way you had planned (okay almost).That makes it all worth the work, time and effort...

See ya at the Race :-)

Glitter Graphics

Murphy's Laws

Law of Mechanical Repair:

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

Law of the Workshop:

Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Close Encounters:
The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result:
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of the Telephone:

When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.

Law of the Alibi:

If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the Next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law:

If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

Bath Theorem:

When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters:

The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result:

When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics:

The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Theatre Rule:

At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrivelast.

Law of Coffee:

As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold

A Big Step Forward

So far , I think all my posts have been a journey through my life as an engineer .The ususal trials and tribulations: the good days of which we may take for granted because thay are actually not outnumbererd by the bad .This blog was meant to get female engineers in touch with the brilliant other female engineers out there . I haven't lost sight.Lets just say that I'm deviating from that for a while .

For all I have been through, there have been a great group of people pushing me forward and backing me up.To all those people , you know who you are, THANK YOU.

This past exam , like many others in Engineering , was gruelling ...the survival of the fittest.I survived , but it was only the preliminary round.November exams loom like a dark cloud in the sky , waiting to burst.It will burst and when it does I will have an umbrella , but that too is only thanks to these wonderful people that motivate mean everything that I do.

I hope your results were as surprisingly good as mine .

I'll give up with wishy -washy stuff 4 now.

Ciao ciao

Engineers at work!!!!!

A minute of Silence ,A lifetime of prayers

When one day , on a day quite like today, when you think you've found peace with your suroundings,it changes in the most sorrowful way.Your newfound pillar of strength reaches his final destination on this earth.

Tumelo Modise , was this wonderful friend of mine that always reminded me to smile in the face of adversity.It's strange how we never notice peoples worth until they can't be there anymore.

Tumelo worked with me and the rest of the Baja team .He was my senior when it came to Baja work and whenever he saw me he'd stop to find out if I was well and my designs were coming on well.He put his heart and soul into the work , even though he'd never get paid nor get any formal accreditation for it.

I will , however , always remember him as the hardest worker acedamically.
I rememeber him always being the first in our MathTutorials, always asking questions, always helping others out and often being one of the last to leave.

I think math tuts will always be a bit tearful for me from now on.As for the Mini Baja Team; there's a stillness ,in the lab.

I will miss Tumelo dearly.

Gifts for engineers ...hint , hint!

The first is a T-shirt for the ladies .It reads "Cutie Pie"

The other is a tape measure...Engineers Rule !

There ar e millions more at http://giftsforengineers.com/ but you can get me wateva you want 2

Sasol Mini Baja 2006

Ever heard of the Sasol Mini Baja Competition?Here @ Wits , you could call it an underground Society...very few know about it, even fewer know how much fun it is!!!

Check out the pics from 1 of the races that we've had in the past year...our cars (car 3 & car 5) totally rock!!

IRIS (LIVE) (Goo Goo Dolls)

Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

Understanding Engineers

Take One

Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike? "

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, mindingmy own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want.

"The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice - the clothes probably wouldn't have fitted you anyway.

"Understanding Engineers - Take Two

To the optimist, the glass is half full.

To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Understanding Engineers - Take Three

A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for aparticularly slow group of golfers.

The engineer fumed, "What's with thoseblokes? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"

The doctor chimedin, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"

The priest said, "Here comes the greens keeper. Let's have a word with him."

He said, "Hello, George! what's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"

The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind fire fighters.They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime.

"The group fell silent for a moment.The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight.

"The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything he can do for them.

"The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?

"Understanding Engineers - Take Four

What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?

Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets.

Understanding Engineers - Take Five

The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?"

The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?

"The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"

The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"

Understanding Engineers - Take Six

Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.

One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints."

Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system hasmany thousands of electrical connections."

The last one said, "No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer.Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

Understanding Engineers - Take Seven

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

Understanding Engineers - Take Eight

An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess."He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week."

The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a Princess,I'll stay with you for one week and do ANYTHING you want."

Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want.Why won't you kiss me?"

The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool."

Great Quotes by Great Ladies

Inside every older lady is a younger lady wondering what the hell happened!

- Cora Harvey Armstrong-

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.

-Helen Hayes (at 73)-

I refuse to think of them as chin hairs. I think of them as stray eyebrows.

-Janette Barber-

Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse.

-Lily Tomlin-

A male gynaecologist is like an auto mechanic who never owned a car.

-Carrie Snow-

Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry with your girlfriends.

-Laurie Kuslansky-

My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being, hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.

-Erma Bombeck-

Old age ain't no place for sissies.

-Bette Davis-

A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't.

-Rhonda Hansome-

The phrase "working mother" is redundant.

-Jane Sellman-

Every time I close the door on reality, it comes in through the windows.

-Jennifer Unlimited-

Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.

-Charlotte Whitton-

Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.

-Caryn Leschen-

I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once.

-Jennifer Unlimited-

If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.

-Catherine-

I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb -- and I'm also not blonde.

-Dolly Parton-

If high heels were so wonderful, men would still be wearing them.

-Sue Grafton-

I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.

-Roseanne Barr-

When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country..

-Elayne Boosler-

Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.

-Maryon Pearson-

In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.

-Margaret Thatcher-

I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career.-

Gloria Steinem-

I am a marvellous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.

-Zsa Zsa Gabor-

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

-Eleanor Roosevelt-

• The final countdown:
  
  

  
  I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with my appeal. A gigamongous THANK YOU to Mum and Dad, Safeeyah, Mbali, Felix, Judy, Randle, Lindiwe, Tara, my doctor, my mentor, my lecturers and all my friends and family who supported me through the whole procedure .I really appreciate your belief in me and the opportunity to get a second chance at the one thing that I can describe as my passion.
  

  
  As I thank my lecturers, I sit with the delightful yet daunting task of preparing for the academic year ahead. I’m not only talking about the stationary shopping, the textbooks, the clothing, the registration or even the timetable. I’m talking about the mental preparation.
  

  
  What does one do to prepare for a year of studying?
  

  
  Well, if anything, I’ve learnt that it all comes down to time planning. Before campus begins, it’s always better if you have a plan what you are going to be doing during the year, in the vacations, during the days, and even during your tea breaks.
  

  
  Someone once told me that engineering involves studying in all your spare time, needless to say, effective studying is necessary.
  

  
  Here are a few things you might want to keep in mind:
  

  
  · Holidays:
  
  Generally, a semesters worth of work is enough to tire you out sufficiently and make you feel like never studying again. Sometimes, when mid-year examinations arrive you’re so pooped out that you don’t think you can go on. Make sure that you schedule a vacation, a getaway of some sort anything that will rejuvenate you during your mid-ear break and that you can look forward to. You DO want to go back refreshed.
  This being said, don’t forget about vacation work. Some companies are not open during the December vacation, so a certain amount of time has to be put in during the mid-year break. That’s quite nasty, especially if the vacation work is compulsory. Make extra sure if you are in this situation that you make a plan to get some “ME” time, a break, time out! Rest, sleep, alternative sports anything out of routine that you will enjoy.
  

  
  · Effective studying

  
  
  We’ve all experienced it. Sometimes you can study for an hour and learn absolutely nothing, while other times you can study the same work for half the time and know all that you need to. What’s the trick? A combination of wanting to learn the material, having a deadline and having the stamina.
  

  
  Give yourself targets. Reward yourself for meeting targets and punish yourself for not. Perhaps you need to read a chapter in Engineering Design and you only have an hour. Give yourself that hour to read, understand and recall the information. If at the end of the hour you have completed reward yourself with a candy bar or a siesta. If you do not complete the task…in true Survivor style…you lose your opportunity to go and watch that movie.
  

  
  · 20 hours +
  

  
  That is the time you’ll need to study, over and above all the time you put in on campus, in lectures, tutorials and laboratories. There is no getting out of it. No pain, no gain! Often you need to study 1 hour on your own for evry hour of lectures that you have .Roughly , that is 20!
  Make sure that your 20+ hours are mapped out even before you start the term begins. Don’t let anyone or anything interrupt that valuable time. Let everyone know that those are your study hours and that you would not like to be disturbed. It pays to be firm.
  

  
  · Study hard and play hard
  

  
  With all this chattering about studying, you’re probably hell bent on changing to a BA by now. Don’t worry; there is light at the end of the tunnel!
  I said in the beginning that everything is about planning. Well here’s one of those things you’ll love to put on your weekly calendar. A break! You really shouldn’t be labelled a textbook case. It’s embarrassing.
  

  
  I know of someone who works really hard the whole week, but absolutely refuses to lift a pen or look at a book on Sundays. He’s real smart. You’d be mad not to try his approach. Take an evening off, away from the world of engineering. Forget the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Hiroshima disaster just for a while. It will do you good! Make sure you schedule it though; we don’t need a re-run of the disasters either.
  

  
  · Be on time
  
  What can be more unappealing? Waking up before sunrise for a lecture you probably won’t understand because you were too busy yesterday with a project that you hadn’t diarised!
  

  
  The only way to know what is happening in class is to be on time .Be on time for lectures. Be on time with assignments .Be on time with tutorials. Be on time for tests and exams. Diarise everything. If somewhere during all of this you find the need for a personal assistant, do not despair – this is a lesson in life–skills. Oh and uh , buy a watch. Your cell phone just won’t do it, especially in examinations!
  

  
  · Keep your goal in focus
  

  
  My life-skills teacher insisted that we walk around with a goal card in our Matric Year. All of us, including me, thought it was ridiculous and a rather pointless exercise. We kept our little cards on us nonetheless and would keep it in front of us while doing work. The goal card had our aspirations for the present, the near future and the far off future. We never forgot what we wanted out of that year and those cards actually proved more valuable in helping us shape our futures. Needless to say, our year had the highest distinction rate the school had had until then.
  

  
  There are millions of other ways of getting your goal in focus. Find a way that suits you.

  
  
  · Sports
  

  
  Just something that you have to fit into your hectic schedule! It’s fun, relaxing, it gets your blood flowing and it gets oxygen to your brain-where you’ll need it the most!
  

  
  If you aren’t already part of a sports club or active in some way, start now!
  

  
  · Correct eating habits

  
  
  Just as important as sporting. A balanced diet means you have enough energy for your day, you can stay awake and concentrate and you don’t gain or lose weight unnecessarily.
  

  
  With all the studying that you are supposed to put in, you’re bound to burn a lot of fat. (Well at least your body uses a whole lot more of energy to keep your brain active.) Try to stick to natural, healthy foods. Stay away from foods with a very high sugar content, as it tends to give you a burst of energy and then a slump. Studying is not only mentally draining, but also physically. Make sure you eat the right foods by finding out more about it from a qualified practitioner.
  

  
  Group Work
  

  
  You can’t do everything on your own, and no one expects you to. Find study buddies to help keep you in check. Beware of the infamous attention seekers. They tend to disturb you rather than assist you.
  

  
  Working in a group is important, especially to an engineer who will be working with other people on just about every project they encounter. Learn to deal with them. It’s a biggie in this field.
  

  
  I know that all this information is quite overwhelming, but take it from me and my many years of bad planning; it’s worth every second if you get it right.
  

  
  Forward your thoughts and comments to mailto: naeema_@excite.com