Pre-exam thoughts...
Time of the term, when many people fret over their unfinished business, (akin to hungry restless souls wandering the earth during the Seventh Month). Unfinished business here implies term papers, written assignments, group project reports, presentation slides - the banes of a Uni student's life multiplied hundred-fold unfold before one's mind-eye.
Still in the process of editing my Biodiversity project report...trying to finish it by tonight, then move on to more pertinent stuff like the actual STUDYING for my exams which start NEXT FRIDAY. urgh. (anyone out there reading this, please please pray for me).
A thought hit me today. One of those thoughts that you get, and decide to file away to address at some-other-time-when-one-is-less-busy. Yeah, that kind of thought. The thought of today was: Why certain people keep crying over spilt milk - in the form of not being able to get into a educational institution of their choice.
I've seen this happen far too often...from Secondary One when we were posted to our schools of choice (or in some cases, non-choice), to Junior College when people would lament over being posted to "FJC" over "WJC". And now, when we're in University, I still hear the ardent cry of many an individual who feels seemingly misplaced in NUS, as they rather be "somewhere else on the West coast of the US".
My reasoning for this phenomenon is derived from the fact that human beings are creatures of greed, with insatiable appetites to yearn for more. We're given one thing. We ask for another. We're given a second. We want BOTH.
Such is the folly of Modern man. For the day that our ancestors harnessed fire was the day that they walked out of the Garden of Eden, into the wilderness.
Sometimes, I hear of those who remark to the effect of: "you know, its not that I couldn't get into X University in the US...its just that I have no money", or worse "I have the money, I have the grades. I could be somewhere else. Why am I wasting my time here?" and I feel like retorting, "Look, IF you could go, and you so WANTED to, then why didn't you? WHY are you spending your time here, giving others who placed a respectable university like NUS as their first choice negative remarks like yours?" Certainly, it is these people who give their compatriots from certain elite institutions which they hail from a bad name.
For the former, I would sympathise more, and would urge he/she to do his/her utmost best wherever, since ultimately the employer would look at the certificate scroll and the writing indicating "First Class", "Second Class", or simply "Pass". Furthermore, if this person who is genuinely intelligent, and not merely some number-crunching-book-chewing-question-answering machine - I'm sure he'll/she'll do well at interviews for Post-Grad scholarships (which will look at the person's holistic performance, rather than simply the grades attained).
I mean not to discourage anyone from going overseas if they are able to support themselves, as well as qualify for the placement via their own merit. What is disheartening to hear is the fact that Singaporean students choose foreign universities over local ones, simply because a "First Class" degree is more attainable for the common student than it is here. By doing so, this creates internal pressures within the Singaporean academic community, with local students questioning the rationale of having such tight, stringent marking systems, resulting in only a measly few being awarded the coveted title of "First Class Honours" on their degree scroll. It is no wonder that many would choose, if ever faintly possible, to escape the stresses and tribulations of the Singaporean "pressure-cooker" school and head to 'greener pastures'.
And what with the rest of us, who are lacking of the proverbial silver spoon (along with its accompanying cutlery set, laid out before the crib)?? Perhaps, we may feel bitter against these fortunate souls who do have more riches and wealth than ourselves to afford a 'better' education elsewhere. But for what we lack in wealth, I say we make up with retaining our own unique Singaporean student culture. Lest jesterly laughs and retorts of "mugger" are heard, we should consider ourselves fortunate to be able to receive a higher education at a respectable university in the first place, rather than simply relagating ourselves to the "couldn't go elsewhere, sit-it-out and slog" crowd. Rather than commenting and comparing "why don't Singaporean get as much benefits as those in X country", we should be looking at how we can create inward-solidarity, and make it known to the higher authorities that there is more to academics than the mere anticipation of a good job after the graduation ceremony.
Still in the process of editing my Biodiversity project report...trying to finish it by tonight, then move on to more pertinent stuff like the actual STUDYING for my exams which start NEXT FRIDAY. urgh. (anyone out there reading this, please please pray for me).
A thought hit me today. One of those thoughts that you get, and decide to file away to address at some-other-time-when-one-is-less-busy. Yeah, that kind of thought. The thought of today was: Why certain people keep crying over spilt milk - in the form of not being able to get into a educational institution of their choice.
I've seen this happen far too often...from Secondary One when we were posted to our schools of choice (or in some cases, non-choice), to Junior College when people would lament over being posted to "FJC" over "WJC". And now, when we're in University, I still hear the ardent cry of many an individual who feels seemingly misplaced in NUS, as they rather be "somewhere else on the West coast of the US".
My reasoning for this phenomenon is derived from the fact that human beings are creatures of greed, with insatiable appetites to yearn for more. We're given one thing. We ask for another. We're given a second. We want BOTH.
Such is the folly of Modern man. For the day that our ancestors harnessed fire was the day that they walked out of the Garden of Eden, into the wilderness.
Sometimes, I hear of those who remark to the effect of: "you know, its not that I couldn't get into X University in the US...its just that I have no money", or worse "I have the money, I have the grades. I could be somewhere else. Why am I wasting my time here?" and I feel like retorting, "Look, IF you could go, and you so WANTED to, then why didn't you? WHY are you spending your time here, giving others who placed a respectable university like NUS as their first choice negative remarks like yours?" Certainly, it is these people who give their compatriots from certain elite institutions which they hail from a bad name.
For the former, I would sympathise more, and would urge he/she to do his/her utmost best wherever, since ultimately the employer would look at the certificate scroll and the writing indicating "First Class", "Second Class", or simply "Pass". Furthermore, if this person who is genuinely intelligent, and not merely some number-crunching-book-chewing-question-answering machine - I'm sure he'll/she'll do well at interviews for Post-Grad scholarships (which will look at the person's holistic performance, rather than simply the grades attained).
I mean not to discourage anyone from going overseas if they are able to support themselves, as well as qualify for the placement via their own merit. What is disheartening to hear is the fact that Singaporean students choose foreign universities over local ones, simply because a "First Class" degree is more attainable for the common student than it is here. By doing so, this creates internal pressures within the Singaporean academic community, with local students questioning the rationale of having such tight, stringent marking systems, resulting in only a measly few being awarded the coveted title of "First Class Honours" on their degree scroll. It is no wonder that many would choose, if ever faintly possible, to escape the stresses and tribulations of the Singaporean "pressure-cooker" school and head to 'greener pastures'.
And what with the rest of us, who are lacking of the proverbial silver spoon (along with its accompanying cutlery set, laid out before the crib)?? Perhaps, we may feel bitter against these fortunate souls who do have more riches and wealth than ourselves to afford a 'better' education elsewhere. But for what we lack in wealth, I say we make up with retaining our own unique Singaporean student culture. Lest jesterly laughs and retorts of "mugger" are heard, we should consider ourselves fortunate to be able to receive a higher education at a respectable university in the first place, rather than simply relagating ourselves to the "couldn't go elsewhere, sit-it-out and slog" crowd. Rather than commenting and comparing "why don't Singaporean get as much benefits as those in X country", we should be looking at how we can create inward-solidarity, and make it known to the higher authorities that there is more to academics than the mere anticipation of a good job after the graduation ceremony.
posted by Nian Long at 11/08/2005 10:58:00 PM
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