u/21stcenturyisdying

(im 152cm only) i currently use a 15.6inch msi prestige 15 a11sc n its already very heavy. the charger is also insanely huge and heavy compared to my old laptops n i get back aches carrying them daily along w my other stuff to n fro school which is more than an hour away. after researching some recommended me to use GaN 100w with a 100w usb-c to c wire.

Wanted to ask others who have more knowledge in this field if it wld be a suitable substitute to the given charger before i invest since its quite expensive for me ? (pls no malice, simple seeking suggestions n knowledge ! )

like the title states, i used icing sugar, cream cheese, abit of milk, abit of butter. i thought it wouldve been smooth like those cafes but it ended up being abit grainy when i tasted it, but taste itself was nice and fine. any way to make it smooth ? (ps. i didnt have icing sugar so i blended caster sugar into a powdery texture but past bakng expirience w different foods n recipes like meringue didnt have problems w texture)

heluuu, im here just to share my journey as a PDI student in 2026 for those who are thinking of finally getting your lincense :) i started lessons in may and took my tp test in July.

total costs: lessons only [$2400], total [$3149 excl license], PDL [$25], QDL [$50]

total lessons: 20 + 1 on test day. (yk the pdi student booklet u have to sign before every lesson? yea mine was filled to the last row lol, so if u are confident with lesser lessons, 100% cheaper than me)

lesson costs for my PDI specifically: normal road lessons $60/h (1 lesson in 1.5hr so $90) (2026 fee is 70/h but i knew him from a relative so he gave me last year's rate)

practice circuit $135/lesson

test circuit $145/lesson

TP test $600

(PDIs increase their rates by 10$/h every year so btr not wait n start now!)

🚀 TIMELINE + costs & lesson objectives: 🚀

19/04 enrollment [$46.43]

all listed below done same day (incl gst)

1. eyesight test (2mins) [$1.96]
2. digital photo [$7.08] (aunty lets u retake as many times as u wan)
3. btt booking [$7.20]
4. admin fee [$2.94]

no need btt lessons etc if u r a private student, my friend didnt know n booked them n her enrollment fee was around 200$.

if still unsatisfied, just retake any day before u pay $50 for yur license card aft TP test)

most ppl wld need to book eyesight test for another day but i knew the admin so she let me do it on the spot.

06/05 BTT (11.45am)(49/50, need just 45 to pass)

u can take the free shuttle bus from admiralty mrt to ssdc (i attached the schedule n addy below).
i asked for the earliest one available since i had no commitments n was free.
can apply for pdl about 4 hours aft btt completed. (staff thr will tell u how)
apply on TP website [$25]
PDL appears on singpass ard 1 day aft applying.

06/05 booked FTT online [$11.78]

1. test admin fee ($2.94)
2. FTT ($7.20)
3. platform fee (cuz book online) ($1.64)

20/05 Lesson 1 (can start once BTT done) [1.5h $60/h + $100 enrollment fee]

<PDI review at the end of timeline at the bottom>

road immediately
around admiralty industrial area + woodlands area
check:

1. door all closed properly
2. side mirror & rear mirror adjust to your eyelevel
3. chair position
4. seatbelt on

aft he taught me the prechecks, i drove on the road immediately. (he also let me try Drive mode & Eco mode so i cld choose which felt more comfortable for me)
when changing gears, foot on break
car in center of lane: steering wheel in the middle, hands align w road lane lines
*he will assist u by helping u turn the wheel the first few times just so yk the timing n speed⬇️
gentle turn for roundabout and corner: hand dont cross
u-turn: hand cross, start turning once uturn sign pass shoulder, quickly turn 2 rounds (make sure to position hand correctly after steering wheel is turned, dont keep it crossed) and straighten back after turn almost complete. dont look at steering wheel, look ahead at road.
after corner n uturn, stay in left lane, unless obstruction, next lane but go left once pass obstruction area. (u will get demerit points during test if u fail to keep left aft)
change lane need signal at least 3 sec (some testers siao lang less than 3sec signal oso wan give demerit points so just be careful!)

22/05 lesson 2 [1.5h $60/h]

same as lesson 1. trying more turns without help. U turn lesson. corner turn steering wheen face down (180 spin) - over time this tips wont matter to u since u can guage the turns alr, but at the start, if u are scared, can use this tips ! like how much to turn based on types of turn youre doing.

25/05 FTT (11.45am) (45/50 barely passed lol)

even if youre taking 3A (auto) there will be manual questions, like how to change gears etc.

26/05 lesson 3 [1.5h $60/h]

practice turns & uturns without assistance.

vertical parking (lot on the left):

pdi uses lowered mirror method so we can see rear wheels.

rmb during parking, no need accelerator. keep feet on brake and cotrol speed like that.

reverse straight until nearer bar (bar that will end up on my left), align w 10o’clock on left side mirror. once aligned, turn steering wheel left fully (2 times), continue n look at rear left wheel. rim must pass the nearer (left) bar w abit of gap.
*if u see that before it reached the left bar, that it might turn too much n turn in before the bar (outside lot), turn wheel back abt 3/4 (big hole on the right) n continue until left rear rim passes the left bar.
then check right bar n right rear wheel not too close.
continue full left turn until car is parallel in lot then without stopping (if u turn wheel while car is stopped, will get demerit points during test), straighten wheel fully.
*dont be scared to do corrective steps if car is too slanted, or too right etc;

29/05 lesson 4 [1.5h $60/h]

practice vertical parking & learn parallel parking.

1. reverse until rear wheel align w front bar
2. reverse full left (2 left turns) until see full back bar in right mirror, then quickly straighten wheel (2 right turns)
3. reverse straight till right rear wheel rim on lot line (right line)
4. turn wheel full right (2 right turns) n reverse until car is straight / or right before u hit the back bar/pole (once almost hit, shld be fully parallel alr, if not adjust yurself)
5. drive infront abit so equal dist front n back

02/06 lesson 5 [1.5h $60/h]

overtaking: not at bends or junctions. slight bend still can. if yk u wanna turn right at the next junction, can change to middle lane at current junction. no changing across 2 lanes even if road empty, change to middle first, signal again then change to right lane.

can book simulator aft lesson 5. my instructor ended our lesson outside SSDC so i cld just book on the day itself. (rmb he/she shldve given u a paper slip w yur completed lessons. u need to present it at counter). booked all 3 same day as its abt 15min each only. (if u end up not being free, can cancel online and rebook online under TP simulator on SSDC website). not allowed to do back2back sims so book alternate (eg: session 3,5,7). crashed a few times but no pass or fail just try to complete objectives lol. NO APPLE PAY (can bring your card or use paynow or cash)

19/06 lesson 11 Practice Circuit [$135]

practice circuit & test circuits r diff. practice one is more brightly lit, cheaper, and abit bigger (i feel). if u wan circut u hv to inform before hand as need to book. inform which circuit u wan. iirc no weekend ? idk (notes at the end)

i alternated between test and practice circuit to save money. make sure u try test circuit at least once so yk how it feels (theres traffic light as well so abit diff from practice circuit).

22/06 Simulator x3 [$91.56]

lvl 4 access by lift only, once exit turn right twice n walk to the room at the end. waiting room will be inside the room but data signal sucks. theres seats outside w better service while waiting. enter at least 5 mins before. if unsure, door has window, u shld see arcade-like car & bike machines.

🚀 🚀 23/07 TP test ! [$600 T_T]

8am-9.45am practice road driving & test circuit with instructor. (my PDI knew i lived in jurong, so he started the lesson at CCK mrt at 8am, and let be drive all the way to admiralty).

aft that PDI will give u a slip of paper to give to counter. wait in waiting room w other drivers, tester will come one by one to call each name. (u r doing test w yur PDI's car not SSDC car so just bring yur tester to the car).

10am-10.45(?) circuit & road test.

passed on first try. I was very lucky, my tester was soooo chill, he cld tell i was nervous, even strike curb for first station when ive nvr done that in alllll my lessons. guided me on turns etc (didnt rly need it as i knew how but nontheless v thankful). He also would see road conditions, so if he initially said turn right, but nobody wants to give way, he just told me to drive straight instead.

i accumulated points from

strike curb in circuit: 10pts awarded

vertical parking fail to conform safety (blindspots basically): 4pts awarded

parallel parking fail to conform safety (again blindspots): 4pts awarded

fail to check blindspot on road test: 4pts not awarded

once test ends, and i parked the car, the tester explained to me what my mistakes where and y he decided to give me certain points. for eg: he knew i checked blind spots during parking, but not enough, u need to check constantly, thus got points etc; road test, u get 2 free pass for not checking blind spot, 3rd time awarded 4pts, i got marked 3 times but he said he knew i knew when to check thus decide not to award me any points for road test (THANK GOD). passed :)

oso i was so nervous during first station (parallel parking), my car senget but tester didnt mind, some testers WILL make u redo until straight.

🚀 circuit tips i got 🚀

when test starts, u will move off from parking area to the test circuit. Theres is a stop line right before u enter, make sure u stop or immediate failure. When turning into the circuit, your car wont be straight at the stop line, issok just stop, den when clear, inch out forward slowly while making sure no cars, then enter the circuit. no need accelerator, control speed using break.

ramp stn: right wen front wheel hit curb, press accelerator slowly, car shld go up n break before hitting center pole. aft pole removed, let car go slowly till rear wheel hit curb, press accelerator once fully quick n break once both wheel on hill. repeat for reversing. when revering, ur body but be turned so u are looking at the pole directly as u reverse so yk when to brake. (braking too early for the reverse part is still wrong btw, need to pass the line but not hit the pole). Car must be put in park when tester exits to move pole.

S turn: no notes lol, legit just look ahead, dont depend on following the side curbs on directions. if u look at road ahead turning slightly, turn wheel slightly, if road bends alot, turn wheel more. if rly need, look at side curb, when turning left, space on right shouldnt be too big as u risk striking curb on left side. vice versa

Crank course: full right/left turn once steering wheel aligns w sameside curb. if turn left, keep more right, if turning right, keep more left. (eg: first turn will be right, so when steering wheel aligns w right curb, immediately full right.)

Slope: literally just go up, stop, pull hand brake. dont remove yur foot brake. aft a few secs (yur tester wont tell u to go, just go), signal right, check mirror & blindspots, then drive off. tester will tell u turn right or left (theres is a stop line at the end of the slope, make sure u stop or immediate failure !, some testers give directions right when u reach the line so it distracts u).

Directional change: v similar to vertical parking imo, just no need to put car in park. when driving into station, position car more to right (the side whr the lot is). align the front curb under yur side mirror or look at side curb, and align shoulder with 2/2.5 curb. (this sounds confusing but the curbs are alteranting black n white colours lol so 1 colour is 1 curb ig).

Vertical & Parallel parking: same advice as the one listed above in lessons. if u are lucky, ur tester wont mind if slightly senget but if tester siao lang, will make u redo n straighten properly. vertical 3min time limit, parallel 5min. once done, put in park and tell instructor ur done. will get 2pts everytime u turn wheel while car isnt moving so just move it slightly.

on road test: CHECK BLINDSPOT, literally everytime, change lanes? check blindspot, wanna turn? check blind spots, wanna uturn? check blindspots. dont give them a chance to give u points.

some ppl advice to voice out yur actions so testers know u check blindspot etc; i didnt do that, ik some testers will tell u to stfu as well lol, just make sure yur actions r big n obvious.

🚀 PDI review & Tips🚀

book TP outside bus hours. (pdi adviced 10.15am for sweet spot) some ppl say book too late n testers r tired thus less leniant, so dont test your luck. TP slots r hard to get luckily my PDI called me to tell me new date/timings for TP hv been released n told me to book on ssdc immediately (he knew i wanted to book TP alr) Make sure u check w ur PDI as u need his car for the test !!!!!

rmb each PDI is affliated w a specific school (ssdc, cdc, bbdc) so make sure u have a pdi affliated w the school u are enrolled at.

mine is affliated w SSDC (woodlands) so he naturally has lessons at woodlands/admiralty area. he knows i live at Jurong, so if i take last lesson (5pm), he lets me end it at CCK which allows me to drive new routes as well :)

was rlyyy scared of my first lesson as he took quite a while to reply and heard alot of pdi are hit or miss. if he doesnt reply, call him or DM me n I'll refer u (referalls usually get replies)

rly nice guy. small car so easy to learn and wont be scared of turning etc; loves to yap both abt driving n non driving related stuff lol (i can multitask so yapping while trynna be aware of new roads was fine for me). if got qn can just ask he will answer quite enthusiastically, dont need wait till end of lesson just ask during. sometimes will joke as well (i asked him wat my left leg was supposed to do while my right leg did all the work n he said leave it in the backseat💀). clear instructions like where he wants you to turn etc. will give notes before u try out a move, and during as well, such as when to step on accelerator wen turning, or when to start turning. will also remind u on notes if u forget (i keep forgeting to untwist my hand when turning lmao so he keeps reminding me). Lets u do most of the work without assistance unless u legit abt to crash, or change lanes but car behind too close etc;

he does watch chinese drama during lesson (sometimes) (some ppl view this as red flag, but i HATE silent rides so this helped eased the lessons for me). but hes v attentive n will still give advice as u r driving (eg slow down, turn now etc). even wen u tink hes watching drama, he can tell if ur making a mistake, or yur car isnt centered etc;. when parking he lets u exit the car to see how the car is position, or if u make mistake. rarely scolds me (provided u dont make insane mistakes lor, if its a minor mistake he will just give tips on how to avoid it). i just get scolded alot for speeding during turns (dont do that).

usually immediately aft a lesson, he will ask when u are free again so he can write down in his calender to block a slot for u so rmb to check beforehand ! his rate as of 2026 is 70/h (i got lucky w 60). i think it goes up $10 every year lol cuz my fren got $50/h w him last year.

rmb every PDI has diff routine and timings (mine is mostly afternoon i usually do 2pm/3.30pm w him. his earliest lesson is 8am (or 7? cant rmb), last is usually 5pm.

he also tends to reply quicker if he knows u r an acquaintance — i had to get my fren to text him to reply to me lol) so if u are thinking of contacting him n he hasnt replied, feel free to drop me a text ! his calender always seem full tho so i wont give his contact to too many ppl.

this isnt rly exclusive to hiking, but i need some recommendations for sunglass. (wraparound, cycling sunglass etc;). My main problem is i have a very small head (n short! mayb round/heart face shape?) so alot of normal sunglass appear too large. I rly love the vibes of wraparound n sports sunglasses. Pls help ! :)

like the title says, whenever i make anything with yeast (bagel, bread, cinnamon rolls etc;) the dough itself seems to proof abit but once i use that dough n make it into wtv n bake it, the results is always on the denser side. ive tried different brands of yeast n i seem to keep having this problem. when proofing, i leave it by the window in sunlight.

context: i live in a tropical humid country so mayb that contributes? humidity is always >>70%