A Piece of Advice for all Class4 aspirants out there.

Here is some tips, advice & mokkai for you all…:D

You might often think the questions asked in orals are very simple and wonder how someone could fail despite being asked such easy questions!!!

You are probably right about it but why would someone fail to answer such easy fundamental questions???

It is because they had probably forgotten the BASICS just like you would forget them too!!!

Trust me… this may happen with you too!!!! How????

Let me explain my own experience. When I was in my 6^th semester when my faculty said about how our seniors were performing in their orals and how they were unable to answer simple questions, I had always wondered how someone could be so dumb. Guess what, that is exactly what had happened with me too…:’(

If you had asked me about intercooling and its advantages in my 6^th semester, I would have filled atleast one A4 sheet. When I was asked the same during my orals, I couldn’t say more than just 2 points!!!

Similarly when the External asked me about TPC during my orals, I readily answered him “ sir, it is the tonnes per cm immersion …the weight required to change the ship’s draught by 1cm”.

For which he replied “everyone saying the same answer”. At that time, I wondered if there is only one answer how could someone come out with a different answer!!!!!!!

I hope most of you would have thought the same but trust me the answer was WRONG!!!

NOTE: An incomplete answer is as good as a wrong answer!!!

If I had asked the same question during your pre-sea training, you might have come up with an answer atleast this long.

So what should you do the next time when someone posts his questions??????????

-You shouldn’t just read through the questions and ask the answers for the unknown questions alone.

-Even if you get answers for those questions, you shouldn’t just stop there.

Please take time in understanding what it is all about. If you just knew what to answer and do the same during your orals, the surveyors will corner you through their cross questions. These cross questions are to ensure that you actually understand what you are telling and not just blabbering.

(This is the main reason why the surveyor would have accepted your friend’s answer but not when you gave him the same answer. So know the BASICS before you open your mouth next time before the surveyor. Some of the surveyors would wait till the last word comes out of your mouth. Each surveyor has his own way of cornering so don’t just bluff. Admit that you don’t know politely when you really don’t know.)

-If you know the answer, you should engage yourself in discussions and not just spectate. Only by discussions you will learn many new things.

(it is very simple… just comment whatever comes to your mind…

if it is correct, people will agree… and it will boost your confidence…

if it is wrong, someone will give you the correct answer…

or at the maximum, you may get a sarcastic reply… now your ego is disturbed… you will refer books and get the correct answer yourself!!!!!!

Either way it is a WIN-WIN situation for you…J)

-If you think it is an easy question, don’t just skip it.

Many a time you will ignore those questions and will convince yourself that you know the answer.

Each time you see that particular easy question, your mind will subconsciously reply “I know …I know… I know” and once when you are asked the same question during your orals, all you can remember is “I KNOW”only and not the actual answer…L

So the next time you come across an easy question, try answering it for yourself and see if you could recollect what you had learnt a long time ago and ensure actually “you know”…J

If not, then take a notebook and make notes about the same for future reference so you can revise it later and recollect. This way you can work on your basics.

Why should you prepare your own notes!!!!!!

You can refer notes from many sources but it is always advisable to prepare your own notes which can be understood just by glancing and will serve as a ready reckoner when you are in doubt. It will always come in handy for your final revision just before your orals.

It will also give you confidence that you have come prepared for the orals and not just for an MMD visit. If you feel down when waiting for the orals, you need not read anything but just glancing through your notes itself will be of some morale boost that you know something.

NOTE: Your notes have expiry dates!!! START FRESH EACH TIME!!!

Your notes’ validity is just one & half month. Prepare fresh notes for each attempt or at the least update existing notes because you might not be able to recollect/grasp all the stuff from your previous notes.

You might be able to remember points/ideas from your notes for the immediate appearance but not the subsequent ones. (just like you would forget the subjects of your previous semester in the ongoing  semester)

What should you do before asking a question in the group?

There is a search option available in FB groups. (only for those who are not aware of it yet)

For example if you wanted to know what is meant by GREEN SEA then just try all possible combinations like green sea, green water

Just go through each post and all comments. Your doubts might have already been answered by one of your great grand brothers!!!

Also you would get more idea from the discussions which happened earlier.

Similarly, you can also use this method to get a particular surveyor’s questions.

e.g. Choudhry, chowdhry, choudry, chowdry etc.,

What should you do when no one answers your question/doubt???

It is very simple. Just give a random/stupid answer yourself in the comment and leave it.

You would get response within next 24hrs for sure because some people cannot just sit back & tolerate any mistakes/wrongdoing before their eyes…;-)

(This is called “Aniyayathai kandu ponguthal”)

Learn from your seniors as well as your JUNIORS!!!!!

Your seniors can help you with their experiences. So when they say something just keep your eyes & ears open and follow them blindly.

(“Kelvi kekathaey palanaimattum anubhavi”)

No matter how smarter/brighter cadet you are, he is still your senior and he definitely knows something more than you. You also have the right to disturb him any time so be good to him. Believe me I had really freaked out some of my seniors to the FULL.

Even when I was told to find the answer for “Accumulation of pressure test” by Mr. Mathews, I asked one of my college seniors only. You might wonder what the big deal here is. What if I told you that  he was also told to come back by Mr. Mathews and he was first in that line!!! If I was in his place, I would have simply replied “I don’t know” but he explained me patiently because of which I had cleared my orals. Unfortunately he didn’t…L

Despite being in the same college for 3 yrs together I didn’t even know his name nor had I talked to him but when I was in need he helped me readily.(Thanks a lot bro… I owe you a million thanks._/\_ )

Sometimes you have get help from your juniors too. Trust me they can give you more points and better answers than you might think they will. Because they might have just wrote a test or an assignment in which they had written:

10 differences b/w safety v/v & relief v/v

What is TPC & its significance?

What is intercooling & its advantages?

Why a TIMER is provided for L.O. cut out in reefer compressor?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>endless>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Why saying someone to “google it” may actually be rude at times!!!!!!!

“Google it” is the most common answer you would come across. When I just finished my cadetship I had always wondered why people are so lazy to even google before asking/posting the doubts/questions in the FB groups that is when I was using an UNLIMITED DATA PLAN. But when it all turned to LIMITED DATA PLAN in a 6months time and  just WHATSAPP PLAN & FACEBOOK PLAN in an 8months time, I had realized how rude it is to say  “Google it”!!!!!!

So the next time when someone asks you to provide exact link to something, please think in this line before saying him to “Google it”

I’m still confused what should I do when a random member had posted his orals questions but has failed!!!

If I liked the post, it may send him a wrong meaning!!!!

If I had commented like “I’m sorry for you” or “hard luck” or “better luck next time”>>>etc>>>

again I might have spoiled his mood because he might have already recovered from that thought and I had probably reminded him and worsened it further.

Also who am I to console him? There are always his best friends & family members who are there to console him.

(For example: If a guy posts a sad post on FB… remember time passers just comment on the post but the real well wishers would send a  personal message or make a direct call )

And a kind request for you all.

Please use this group [MEO CLASS 4 PREPARATORYORAL QUESTIONS, MMD CHENNAI. ] exclusively for posting oral questions and subject doubts.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/358698064208866/

If you are going to flood this group for your general clarifications such as slot booking opening time,  seat booking opening time, whatsapp group formation, etc., remember one fine morning when you want to go through the type of questions asked in that week or in that month, you would find your own rubbish posts. (I actually wanted to use some other word here). So please friends it is for your own good and for the greater good of your fellow members. Please remove those posts yourself and help the group to serve its purpose better.

You can always use this group [ Chennai MMDClarifications ]for your general clarifications.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1526795567540804/

And there is this confession page [Chennai MMDClass4 Orals Confession Page. ]  to post your oral questions anonymously in case you don’t want to receive those annoying notifications each time someone likes or comments about your post and wants to know about your results for no reason!!!

https://www.facebook.com/chennaimmdoralsconfessions

Thanks for visiting my blog.

This blog is for helping the beginners for Class4.

This blog will give you an idea about the minimum level of preparation required for Class4 orals.

This blog is purely a copy-paste work from various reference books, manuals, blogs, websites and discussion forums.

I have to compile a lot of topics from my notes. I will begin by posting answers for some common questions in the coming days. So if you need anything in particular, you can leave it as a comment here>>> Request a post <<<

I will make a post on it at the earliest if I already have the answers for them in my collection of notes…JJJ

Thank you.