Nerd , redefined
by Carolyn Low Chai Foong

The Star, 25 September 2011

 

NERD: an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a non-social hobby or pursuit. I love books. They're my best friends. In fact, once upon a time, the only boyfriends I had were Harry Potter and Edward Cullen, if you know what I mean. I have to say that I am perfectly content with how my life is but I'd be lying if l said that the little dreamer deep within me didn't yearn for some TLC. I'd be lying if I said I never dreamt of Prince Charming sweeping me off my feet. I'd also be lying if I said I liked being alone.

Growing up as an introvert is not the greatest thing. I rarely ventured outside my comfort zone and prefered the companionship of books to people. But yes, reading does have disadvantages. I waited for a long time for that one person to complete me. For that fabled soulmate to make me feel on the top of the world. It wasn't until I was older that I learnt there is no such thing.

My first day of secondary school was awkward. Stepping onto unfamiliar territory is not my forte. Too bad the back door of the classroom was locked or I would have sneaked in from behind. No such luck.

So l entered from the front with as much bravura as I could muster, which wasn't much considering how I shuffled along the walls and tried not to be noticed.

I touched down safely at the very end of the classroom and tried to look busy, ignoring the stares my new classmates were giving me. A guy at the same table didn't stare but the look in his eyes showed that he understood how horrible being in my shoes was.

I cannot remember the first words we exchanged but I was glad we did because we became close friends in our remaining two years of school. It turned out he was the smartest guy in class. And I didn't mind it at all because now, we love reading.

Then we went our separate ways and I thought I'd never find a companion like him again. I went about my days keeping to light conversations with acquaintances, and limited them strictly to topics related to college.

I thought that in a lifetime there was only one person who could understand you, only one person who knows you better than yourself I was prepared to be in my own world.

But the forces that govern life decided to take things into their hands and pulled the rug from under my feet. I fell hard but have no regrets whatsoever for getting a sore bum.

I met a stranger whom I never knew would become my best friend. She astounded me because we are so alike, despite her being my senior. We became joined at the hips, like sisters.

However, just as fleetingly, she completed her two years at college (with a perfect CCPA) and is currently studying at the University of Michigan in America. Thus is the reality of life. I feel there are many people who can complement us. They come and go; there is no denying that what you love the most, you cannot keep.

Friendship is like flying a kite. You have to let it soar high up in the air. If you hold the thread too tightly, it will crash to the ground. Although your kite may seem small and distant from afar, you know it's there in the sky because you're connected to it by that thread. And you're comforted because wherever the kite goes, it will return to you.

To date, my secondary school friend is the only one who dares call me a nerd to my face and every once in a while, l try to prove him wrong. My college mate has shown me how much more a person can be beyond the books we study and l hope to follow in her footstep as I prepare to transfer to the United States next year. l appreciate people who make someone smile, who take the time to know someone, who accept someone without judging her. They are no Mother Teresa or Oprah Winfrey, but in their own way, they help make the world a better place by bringing hope to those who are alone.

And to those who are discouraged, and feel useless and ever so small, I wish to say this: "You are someone. Just believe and you will be." This piece goes out to my two most awesome kindred spirits — you know who you are. Thanks for being worthy friends and teaching me that you are more than what people say you are. l know this sounds totally clichéd but l am who I am today because of your friendship and gentle guidance.

Nerd: just another noun that fails to take into account the person as a whole. .

F4 – Ways of improving discipline in school

Nowadays, many people complain about the lack of discipline in schools. As we leaf through the newspapers, we often read about gang fights in schools, smoking among students, truancy and vandalism of school property.

One of the ways of eradicating problems related to bad discipline in schools is to counsel problem students who create disciplinary problems such as habitual truancy dropping out of school or bullying. By counselling these troubled students regularly experienced counsellors can encourage them to air their troubles and can then get to the root of the problem.

Most of these students are emotionally unbalanced and have low self-confidence. By helping them recover their self-esteem and their self-worth, the counsellors play an important role in helping them become more emotionally stable. Thus, they will be able to see things from a more disciplined and mature perspective.

For students who are more 'hard-core', school rules should be tightened and strictly enforced to curb bad behaviour in schools. Anyone caught committing serious offences such as vandalism, extortion and arson should be given severe warnings and be put under surveillance. lf this does not curb an incorrigible student from extorting from younger students or wrecking school property, expulsion from the school is necessary. This will serve as a reminder to other students that such serious misdemeanours will bring about dire punishments.

Another way of decreasing disciplinary problems is to encourage participation in extra-curricular activities. This will ensure that free time after school is well-used by students. Through participating in sports activities, clubs and societies, they gain a sense of togetherness and learn good moral values such as cooperation, honesty, leadership and independence. This in turn means they will be more disciplined, take pride in their school and not cause disciplinary problems.

Lastly, parental participation should be encouraged as parents are the ones who know their children well. School authorities should work together with the parents as much as possible to help improve the students' behaviour. Parents should spend more time with their children to instil in them good moral values and a strong sense of self-worth. As students spend most of their time in school and at home, teachers and parents can have either a good or bad influence on them, so it is essential that these two adult groups are themselves good role models.

If all these steps are implemented firmly and fairly, no problems of discipline should arise. As such, the school can be a safe and conducive place for learning and students can thrive in such an environment.

Words to Replace Walk

Ways of walking
1. Creep: to move slowly, quietly and carefully because you do not want to be seen or heard.
e.g. He could hear someone creeping around downstairs.

2. Limp: to walk slowly or with difficulty because one leg is injured.
e.g. One player limped off the field with a twisted ankle.

3. Pace : to walk up and down in a small area many times, especially because you are feeling nervous or angry.
e.g. I found him in the corridor nervously pacing up and down.

4. Pad : to walk with quiet steps.
e.g. she padded across the room to the window.

5. Plod: to walk slowly with heavy steps, especially because you are tired.
e.g. they wearily plodded home through the rain.

6. Shuffle : to walk slowly without lifting your feet completely off the ground
e.g. the queue shuffled forward a little.

7. Stagger : to walk with weak unsteady steps, as if you are about to fall.
e.g. they staggered out of the pub, completely drunk.

8. Stomp : to walk, dance, or move with heavy steps.
e.g. She stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

9. Stroll :to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way.
e.g. families were strolling around park.

10. Tiptoe : to walk using the front parts of your feet only, so that other people cannot hear you
e.g. they tiptoed upstairs so they wouldn’t wake the baby.

11. Trudge : to walk slowly or with heavy steps, because you are tired or carrying something heavy.
e.g. he trudged up the hill.

12. Amble : to walk at a slow relaxed speed.
e.g. we ambled down to the beach.

13. Waddle:to walk with short steps, swinging from side to side, like a duck
e.g. A short plump man came waddling towards me.

14. Trod: walk heavily
e.g. He trod heavily and reluctantly up the stairs.

15. Pace : walk in regular steps
e.g. He paced the room up and down nervously.

16. Stride : walk quicly with long steps
e.g. He strode bravely up the school bully and confronted him.

17. Stomp : walk with intentionally heavy steps
e.g.He stomped up the stairs and slammed the door.

18. Tramp : walk a long distance , with heavy steps.
e.g. We tramped the streets of Muar, looking for a hotel to stay.

19. Trample: step on something or someone so as to cause damage or injury
e.g.He trampled my garden last night.

20. Stalk : walk in an angry and proud manner.
e.g. He stalked out of the room.

21. Clump: walk noisily with heavy slow steps
e.g. She clumped around the room.

22. Wandered : walked without aim or purpose
e.g. The beggar wandered aimlessly through the streets.

23. Ramble: walk for pleasure
e.g. I love to ramble through these streets.

24. Amble : walk slowly in a relaxed way
e.g.The fat boy ambled nonchalantly over to the door.

25. Saunter : walk slowly in a relaxed way
e.g. He sauntered along the stream.

26. Meander : Follow a route that was not straight
e.g. We spend the afternoon meandering around the streets of Muar.

27. Potter : to move in a relaxed and pleasant way
e.g. I spent the morning pottering around the house, doing nothing much.

28. Dawdle : Walks slowly, taking more time that needed
e.g. He will not reach school punctually if he dawdles.

29. Traipsing : Walking around, tiredly and unwillingly
e.g. My mother spent the night traipsing round the stalls.

30. Loiter: stand around aimlessly
e.g. We loitered about the small town.

31. Strut : walk in a proud way
e.g. The boys strutted around trying to get the attention of a group of pretty girls.

32. Swagger: walk with swinging movement, looking confident and important
e.g. They swaggered into the school.

33. Flounce : walk in an angry manner
e.g. He flounced out of the classroom

34. Mince : walk in an artificial way, with mall delicate steps
e.g. She minced across the room.

35. Prance : moving in an energetic way with more energy than necessary
e.g. She is prancing around the room like a five-year-old kid.

36. Sashay : walk in a stylish way in order to attract attention
e.g. She sashayed down the stairs and into the hall, looking like a glamorous model.

37. Goose-stepped : special, straight-legged way of marching
e.g. The soldiers goose-stepped through the town.

38. Scurry : move quickly with small steps
e.g. He scurried for shelter when the storm began.

39. Hobble: walk in an awkward way because of injury
e.g. She hobbled with a stick, having injured her ankle on a bicycle ride.

40. Shamble : walk slowly and awkwardly
e.g. My grandmother shambled along the corridors.

41. Lumber : walk slowly and awkwardly
e.g. The elephants lumbered through the forest.

42. Barge= Walk quickly, pushing things out of the way
e.g. He barged into the room.

43. Creep= Move quietly and slowly
e.g. The thief crept around the house, careful not to wake the inhabitants.

44. Paddle : walk with bare feet through shallow water.
e.g.We rolled up our trousers and paddled through the shallows.

45. Slink : walk away quietly without being seen
e.g. He tried to slink out of the classroom.

46. Reel : walk unsteadily
e.g. The drunkard reeled out of the room and across the road.

47. Wade : walk through with difficulty
e.g. I manged to wade through the mud.