RMIT Diary

Thanks to the Xmas, a reddy theme has been released by Smashing magazine. I noticed that its color scheme perfectly suits business clus’ website. The layout should be ready after some minnor modifications.

After a few days trying, I now have a working Vietnamese keyboard driver for my lovely Linux box. This moment is really meaningful to me because now I can make a full switch to an open source platform.

PS: My laptop is now running on Fedora Core 10 with x-unikey as the Vietnamese keyboard driver. The GUI part of it (unikey) did not work due to some missing fonts yet ukxim itself can do the trick.

Does anyone know how to enable Dvorak in shell as in Mandriva Linux?

The Business Club’s web system, which is being planned, must be up and running by the next semester. The choice of programming language and framework is now a big question. I am considering the followings:

1. CakePHP/PHP
2. Struts/Java
3. Ruby on Rails/Ruby

Whereas RoR can help building the system in shortest amount of time, J2EE offers highest flexibility, security as well as maintainability. The CakePHP framework is somewhere in the middle and is supported by most web hosting services at lowest cost.

What a dilemma!

EDIT: 2008-12-19 I think I will to build a working website with RoR, which should not takes me more than 3 days, then port to J2EE. The RoR website must be ready before the end of this semester so I can work with Ha on the Java one during the semester break. I know there is a book on RoR development at RMIT ILC which is good for my review.

RMIT University is ranked 200th in overall yet 94th in technology worldwide. This also means that Information Technology is probably the best among the programs that RMIT Vietnam offers. However, the majority of students of RMIT Vietnam choose Commerce or Business, not IT or Design program. Why not?

I think there have been so many misconceptions among the students. Here are some of them

1. IT is difficult

When talking with my friend from other majors about the IT program, the most common respond that I received was “IT is difficult. So many students fail the courses”. It is comprehensible that many students did not choose the IT program at the very beginning. A large number of students in RMIT VN had no idea about the programs offered. Some chose the Commerce or Business as a crowd behavior while others accepted the rumours about the difficulty of IT program without any hesitation and then stayed away from it. As a result, the portion of student not studying IT is dramatically increasing.

I do not think it is a matter of difficulty. It really depends on the compatibility between the students themselves and the program that they study. An IT student may have a hard time doing the assignment of a commerce student and vice-versa. Nevertheless, we never know what we are really good at until we try. Then why don’t you give IT a try (even before applying to RMIT)?

Another reason that the IT program is considered difficult, in my opinion, in the difference in the way of thinking. In IT, the logic is strongly emphasized, which made it easier for students with a mathematics background to begin with the IT program from the scratch. However, you do not have to be a mathematics genius. A basic understanding and interest in the operation of the system are all it takes in order to be successful as a IT student.

Unfortunately, the majority of IT students, as of now, are from Aptech diploma program which is being offered at a lower cost, not from the direct entry. We (1st semester IT students) call this a “reinforcement” because without those guys who are really interested in and understand IT, there would not be enough students to open IT courses and we would never be able to graduate.

2. Business guys earn more money

If you think IT can not make as much money as other majors do, you’d better think twice. Let’s have a look at the list of the 100 richest people worldwide. How many of them work in the IT industry? (I would like to leave this small research for you since you will definitely be surprised.) It also takes much less time for IT people to get rich than in any other majors. For example, when you want to open a restaurant, you need to invest a lot of money on the site, on salary for waiters, waitresses, cooks, etc. And it usually takes generations to have a strong brand in those traditional industries. For IT, the investment is nearly zero. You just need some very good guys for a company. You can work from home and collaborate via the Internet, which eliminate the site rental cost. In other words, all it takes to succeed in IT are ambition, capability and performance.

Moreover, Information Technology is among the most innovative industries. Everyday, there are thousand of IT ideas coming in to action to solve the real life problems. It goes without saying that IT guys need to work with Business ones to make their products successful. Yet it always starts with the technology first. And I think it would be better to study IT and Business than BIS because that is how we can get the most out of our ideas without relying on anyone else.

3. IT is not for the girls

When it comes to girls, it is another rumour that IT is for the guys only. I totally disagree with this since there are many position in the IT industry that are much more suitable for female than male. For example, the majority of software testers are female. They also hold positions of importance in the industry and some of our best IT lectures at RMIT Vietnam are female. Seriously speaking, we are suffering from a lack of fun is my class due to the lack of girls. I hope this would be improved in a not-too-distant future.

4. IT is all about the information system

IT starts with the computer yet that’s just not everything. IT also involves creativity and I can say that IT is no less creative than Design or Fine Art. Programming is not only about writing the code in order to finish a task but also about finding the most optimal solution to a specific problem. In many cases, there are many revolutionary ideas found and implemented, which we call the Art of programming. Besides, a good programmer must be a good communicator. There is a lot of human interaction in the industry. That is the reason why IT students with good communicating skills (including language skill – English) are better regarded than those without these skills. We need to master the art of communications to be successful in every major including IT.

In conclusion

This afternoon, the first meeting toward the founding of the IT club was held. Now we have some ideas to improve the program such as making it easier for students and challenging ourselves even more through national and international competitions. I hope that in the next few semesters, there will be more students joining us in the IT program. We are waiting for you all.

{To be continued}

As Joe told me, RMIT Vietnam does not have a Unix specialist to maintain its server. A few days ago, I figured out a critical security hole in RMIT unix server that enabled any student to access other’s “H: drive” without permission. The problem was reported to the ITS department and was fixed just in time.

Although few students might not have already known about this, three days for a reported problem to be addressed is too long (I reported it on Friday and received the reply on Monday).

Up to now, I am still worried about the wireless network which is open and unsecured.

Today, I met Areum the first time at the new canteen. She didn’t notice that I was Thoai until I called her number while we walked to classes. I also discovered that Tung and Huy are in the same presentation group and that Yen and Huy are schoolmates in high school.

Tung looks so old whereas Areum looks so young in contrast to their real age. It’s really a challenge to guess someone’s age from their look.

The campus is so small. I wonder how long it will takes to know every student here if I continue to develop the network.

PS: Am trying to find all the scholarship holders this academic year (6/23 found).

It is a great honour for me to be the second writer of this diary.

Just one hour ago, I had no idea about what this blog is for. Now, my adopted brother makes me be member of this blog.

Anyway, as Thoai has posted, I hope this blog will become a small community within RMIT students, sharing our memorial student life.

Yesterday was a great day I have ever had in my university life at RMIT Vietnam and in my life as a member of RMIT Business Club. It was Career Day that gave me so many memorial moments not only with my teammates but also with people I assisted as my responsibility.

The day started uncommon to me even at the beginning. The day before, I went to bed at 12:30. Yesterday, I woke up at 5am, just felt like I have been waiting for this event so much that I could not get up any later.

The day was kind of rush and nervous at the beginning because some people came late. But then everything went smoothly. I was the assistant of an investment and capital securities, TVS. They arrived quite late as other companies had already set up their own booths. There were two guys, one Vietnamese and one Chinese – American, and a Vietnamese lady. They arrived at the back door while I was waiting for them at the front door. The Chinese – American guy was sympathy with me at first when I helped him to carry his bag and brought other stuffs. The booth they set up was very simple, it consisted of only one banner, compare to KPMG’s booth with 8 banners around them. I was a little bit surprise as they came late, set up booth very quickly and move all to the Yara room to enjoy their breakfast there.

Regrettably, I missed the General Business session of Unilever and Dutch Lady yet got some useful information in the Banking and Finance session.

At first, I was not really interested in my company’s business, TVS. At the end, I thought of joining this company once. The reason was that the way people within this company, those who attended the Career day, communicated was very friendly and informal. I saw there was no distance between the boss and the staff. They talk to each others like me talking to my close friends. The Chinese – American guy, an equities sales analyst, also told me the reason he joined this company. When he graduated from university, he could get a job in any bank like HSBC or Standard Chartered. But he chose this company because it was young and allows creative working practice. Other big organizations used to have a working pattern that when you worked there you just follow the process that has everything designed.

One thing I think I have learned from these business people was the way they expand their network. When the lobby was not so crowded and there were not many students to come, they went to the booths of other companies, got into conversation with people there and exchanged business cards.

The day finished successfully. We, the RMIT business club, rewarded ourselves by a karaoke party. It was just warm and crazy – a little too much shouting, a little too much waving, a little too much acting. Some were great singing couples who made people feel as if they are truly couples. I had thought that I would be so exhausted at the end of the day that I could not join the karaoke but I just could not stop, could not miss any opportunity to have fun.

Finally, I had a tight sleep without dreaming about Management accounting midterm, which was this afternoon.

Today is December 5th, the day I call “free day”. On this day every year, I write to a complete stranger who I want to get friend with yet do not have a reason.

This year, I wrote a letter to Areum, a Korean student who does not even know my name.

Let’s wait to see what is in the hand of destiny.

Updated (6/12/2008): Well, I made a silly mistake to request a phone call from a stranger. Will see Areum next Monday, in person.

Winter is coming…

People say it is cold yet romantic…

I do not really know whether it is a season for me. But right now, I feel so empty. Am in need of a hug, or a hand hold, or both.

Just a few months ago, I wished I had someone to think about. Now, I do. Yet this is not the kind of emotion that I can handle for long.

I am not lonely. It is just that there is something missing.

Again, I need a hug, from a special one.

Where are you?