Not so good news. The project on perylene has been allocated to another student. Because Prof. Suresh said the girl has had experience working with the project's mentor before. Surely a disadvantage for me. Yeah, I had too little time to do UROPS since I am an applied chem student and I got no choice but to do Industrial Attachment, for 6 months.

So, I think I'm going to do this project:

Synthesis of low band-gap materials - Fused ring system

The low band-gap conducting polymers are interesting owing to their intrinsic conductivity and applications in electrochromic displays. Poly (isothianaphthene (PITN) has become the prototype for small band gap polymers with a band gap of 1.0-1.2 eV. In this proposal, a few fused ring aromatic compounds will be prepared and investigate their potential applications. Specifically, the project will be focussed on developing soluble and stable molecules which can be evaporated under mild conditions to form stable thin films.

The mentor for this project is an Indian guy, with a yellow dot painted on his forehead. Sorry if this is mean, but I can't help but thinking that it's funny. The yellow paint dissolves in sweat and when I was talking to him last time, I couldn't concentrate cos there was sorry...'yellow' sweat dripping from his forehead all the time :s haha u dunno how funny-looking it is until u see this guy. He's smart and explains very fast, I have to admit. But, maybe it was the thing above that prompted me not to choose him as my mentor last time. Too distracting. lol. Oh I know, maybe we should discuss in an aircon room next time, that'd be better.

The prof. said that I can only focus on the synthesis and let the IMRE staff do the device fabrication and testing. I was like whoaa...I mean, the synthesis techniques are pretty advanced and I have yet to take even the level 3000 organic chem module. This is once again caused by the IA program. I will only get to study the techniques in the level 4000 module which I can only take during my last sem in NUS. Tough luck, huh?

I have realized a few things from this event...that I can't always get what I want in my career. However ambitious I am, my fate is still determined by God and other people's decisions too, esp. people of the higher rank in status and higher authority as compared to me. Thus, I don't believe in Mao Zi Dong's saying, "Your fate is determined by yourself." No more, no more at all. Secondly, sometimes it's useless planning too early. I can only discuss the project with my new mentor and read up AGAIN, then plan for the synthesis scheme (I know I have to study a lot though I hope I can take up new information fast... which I think I should be able to if I'm dilligent enough). My part time job for the chem dept has been cancelled I guess, so I don't think I'll have any lab work to do until the end of July. I felt that I've been fired. Not to worry since I am phlegmatic regarding this... Thirdly, when I think again whether my effort since May up till end of June is wasted. I think I should not think that way. I have learnt a lot from my readings on perylene. I have learnt some synthesis techniques too through the papers and device characterizations. So, it's not that my readings cannot be applied to the new project at all. I can only hope that what I learnt from the seemingly unrelated papers, can bring a new perspective toward the new project. So that my creativity would improve in problem solving somehow...Let's take it positively. Fourthly, even if you can get Dean's list or maybe you're a first-class student, it doesn't mean they'll give you a favor over other students. Unless you're the best student in your batch. But still, your grades can always fall too and your FYP might not get A- in the end, then suddenly you're second upper even if your CAP has always been 4.9 or something. Seems like horror if I were a first class student and that happened to me =P Dream high, just not too high.

Lastly, no matter what fate is it that you encounter in your life, have faith. Take it that it's already the best that God can give you should you already do your part. So just take things positively and smile

Another update is that the research group is currently away attending an expensive conference at Suntec City. They will only be back next week. Can you see what this means? I think the real holidays have only started now...yes, now.

Currently feeling: relaxed