Eight Weeks in LTTS

So it's already my eighth week studying under Lufthansa Technical Training Singapore (LTTS). Many people including some of the parents from my swimming club thought that I was working in LTTS but it's not, it's supposed to be a 'professional' training course organised to train the Aerospace Engineering students in my polytechnic for the industry.

Workshop (practical) activities are tiring, and classroom (theory) lessons are boring. So far there's a bit more boredom than tiredness. I must admit that LTTS has sucked out some of my swimming training from my daily routine. My training attendance has been very shaky since my time in LTTS began. Unfortunately, it's gonna carry on like this until 11 October this year. By then I would only have a couple of weeks to prepare for the IVP Swimming Competition (assuming that it's gonna take place at the end of October like the past two years).

Through my time in LTTS, I have made new friends in my new class. I have also found out more about the engineering components in aerospace. Basically learning in LTTS has taught me how the various components combined together to make the aircraft work and safe for flight. The notes are adequate in preparing me for my 1st quiz of the semester tomorrow. We read the notes, and we summarise them in a log book and add value to it later. Writing in the log book has taught me more ways to break down large amounts of information into understandable and more important portions.

In the workshop, I have to admit that it is well-equipped, a bit small, but small enough to help us learn in a conducive place. The tools are well-organised and the place is clean, making it a safe place to work in. The TSOs who are in charge of the workshop's tool store are not. Those who have approached them to borrow tools would know what I mean.

I remember I was doing work when one of the TSOs was talking to the guy next to me who was working on the same workpiece as me. The TSO walked up to him and saw the workpiece and instead of giving some helpful tips in a gentle tone, said "AIYAH! SURE FAIL ALREADY LAH!" If it was my workpiece, I would tell him, "My dear sir, do you know that if our workpieces weren't so "FAIL", you wouldn't be approaching me anymore".

Really, I observed that no one single person in my cohort ever dares to approach the TSOs for advice. In fact, the TSOs like to keep to themselves all the time, not very friendly, I better stay as far away from them as possible. I don't think our instructors even notice this, but I find that they should be more observant and something must be done to ensure that the workplace is a more conducive environment to work in. Otherwise the next time me or any one of my classmates enter the workshop, they wouldn't dare to even open the door to go in when the TSOs are in sight.

Oh well, if they want to be Ah Beng and Ah Lians, let them be! I don't wanna be an Ah Beng. Okay, enough of the TSOs part.

Up to now, I am still glad and relieved that my Lifesaving crash course has ended (about 2 weeks ago). LTTS has brought me enough boredom and exhaustion, thank you very much. But despite all the pain, I still find that learning in LTTS has taught me a lot of new concepts about Aerospace Engineering. I like the hands-on activities in the workshop, and the notes are well-organised to help me study and enhance my learning about the components in the engineering part of the aerospace industry.

I am thankful to LTTS for giving us the privilege to visit the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Open House 2011 on 27th May. I found the event to be very interesting and easy to navigate around (during the preview which we were attending), we even got the chance to watch the aerial display performed by some of the RSAF pilots.

So yeah, LTTS is a course that I cannot afford to skip in my daily routine. It puzzles me to know that there is a 90% attendance requirement, and the other 10% will go down regardless of whether we got valid reasons or not. So I always tell myself, "I cannot afford to fall sick until after IVP. If I ever fall sick during the LTTS course, my 100% attendance will evaporate. And it is not going to be easy trying to catch up on the lost progress, just like how time waits for no man. And if I fall sick after the LTTS course but before the IVP, I can kiss my IVP progress goodbye."

So yeah, it's going to be a busy period for me until 11 October when the course ends, and it will be a large amount of weight taken off my shoulders, if I can at least pass the course, or else...

I never thought of temporarily stepping down from my swimming to focus on LTTS. Because I got a big competition heating up after the course ends, and I will not go home without a fight this year.

There you go, another post to half-empty my mind before I proceed for my first quiz of the semester tomorrow. Lots to study but still informative.

Best,
Justin