coming to a close. but before that...
ok i've decided that i'll be "closing" this blog (or something to that extent) soon... but before i do so... there's just a few things that i might wanna say before wrapping things up here. one thing that's really postponing this eventuality is a recent phenomenon that i've been hearing upon my return. and i find it most troubling.
since returning i've had a significant number of people coming up to me knowing EXACTLY which courses i'm taking ("Oh, I heard a rumour that you're taking this class", they seem to say)... and asking which specific class time slot i'm taking. this is, of course, quite surprising... surprising but not unplausible considering the fact that I've previously mentioned my courses online before and some people must have been spreading it. i'm only surprised that anyone would want to keep track of wat courses i'm taking.
and without fail... the people who ask me which class time slot i'm taking... will always tell me that they're glad that they're not sharing the same timeslot as me... that they do not want to be in the same class as i am... because they think "he'll take up all the As and not leave me with any."
now that part is something i find extremely disturbing. firstly, the notion that i'd "wipe up all the As" is absolutely ludicrous. I might have my pros, but I have my cons too. Do not think me to be a God. I am just an ordinary student. A lucky one perhaps, but a normal student nonetheless.
What's even more frightening to me is the notion that one shouldn't take a class because one believes that the As will all be wiped out leaving none for them. ASSUMING that it is true indeed that I or any other person in SMU is capable of the wiping up of As feat... is that reason enough not to take a class? Forgive me for being blunt here when I state outright that I believe such an act to be cowardly and weak... and also a strong indication of one having the wrong set of priorities.
The priority for that person is to obtain an A and nothing else. get a 4.0 GPA and not bother about one's learning process. That is the sort of impression I get from someone who chooses his/her class based on the least competition each class presents. Such a person will only leave the school finding that they are completely ill-prepared for life when they leave. A GPA is not what your employers want out of you. What they want is a person who has learnt well from their university experience... choosing the easy way out can NEVER provide such an experience.
I look forward to going into a class where someone can "wipe out the As". I shared the same class as Kong Wee (SMU's first valedictorian") once... and enjoyed every moment of it. Though he was one of those who you could truly say would "take up all the As", the learning experience I went through through my interactions with him was just plain fantastic. If you have the opportunity to interact with someone you believe to be better than you... why sacrifice that over an easy A?
Lastly, never consider yourself to be weaker than someone else... sure someone might have had a better grade record than you do... but to go into a class and say "ah he is sure to wipe out all the As" that's a self fulfilling prophecy! Go into a class and say "this is going to be a challenge but i will do my best!" Not that I believe I'm that special someone you should go up and learn from... it's more likely that I'll be learning from you than vice versa... but yeah, never lose that opportunity if you ever find that someone special like me from Kong Wee.
In short: 1. Getting an A shouldn't be your main priority. It should be learning. 2. Taking the easy way out is never the right thing to do. It is sad and cowardly especially if it's over something like grades. 3. Never let go of an opportunity to learn from someone you think you can learn from.
and 4. I'm no genius. Wanida will gladly tell you I'm a moron.
posted by Darren @ 2:28 PM
:
Okay, confess... How much did Kong Wee pay you to advertise for him? *hee hee*
Anyway, I agree with whatever you are saying. Grades don't matter much. I have not heard my GPA being mentioned for the longest time. Nobody cares in working life. It's "can do" or "cannot do". If "can do", how well? If "cannot do", then how?
eh eh. of course i would have said that special someone was you lah eric.
but then hor. we never shared a class together what.
too bad for u lor :p
haiyah. few more months and i'm joining ur quarter life crisis gang. :S
Me? Erm, I won't want to be your special someone lor. Gee, how you have changed! *shudder* Anyway, it's well-documented how destructive I was in class, so no illusions there :P
My quarter-life crisis gang? What gang? I ain't that old. I am only 12 or something. Or is that my mental age...? *hmmmm*
Been following ya blog for a couple of months, you had written quite a few funny posts (good sense of humour). Will miss them if u r really closing down.
- Junior
yah lor. don't be gay lah. why you close your blog?
don't close leh. only gays close their blogs. you want to be like me is it?
Hey, I don't know you, but I typed in Moroccan, sex, and men and your blog came up on the post.
I am trying to call this Moroccon teacher that i have had a crush on. I have been tracking him from university to university. He taught me how to read and write Arabic.
I think he was noticing me in our last class and I was noticing him too, but it seemed like he was also trying to avoid me.
But we have since been parted by time and universities because he bounces around alot. He is a Muslim. I am a Christian. I have his number but I am reluctant to call him because he may see this as stalking him or some cultural taboo. I need your advice, should I call him, cause he didn't give me his number.
Really, shoot some advice.
Anonymous.
I agree, you're a moron. :).
In all fairness, however, I do not think it fair to consider "sizing up the competition" an act of cowardice. For all practical reasons, higher education is a commodity, and the stamp of quality attached to this commodity is the GPA. As much as the process is über-important, it would be quite naive to say that grades don't matter and that the learning matters more. Add the "If you don't have a GPA of 3.xx, don't consider applying to Company XYZ" mentality and I don't think people can be blamed for their cynicism.
If you really want to be more cynical, you can think of it from a business perspective - would you, without the prerequisite resources, go up against Google in trying to start a search engine business?
Of course, education SHOULD be about the process. But the harsh reality is that it isn't, and all that we can ask for is a moderate balance of eudcation being both product and process.
jouste:
12 yr old? pls lah. dun insult 12 yr olds can? ;)
anonymous junior:
glad to hear you've enjoyed the blog! so you're the one who's looking for my email add? haha! why dun u give me urs then i contact u instd if u want :S
tangoh:
gay like u? errr. no thanks :S
song:
of course your points contain many truths. that IS how the world works to some people. (i know tangoh start coughing -AF.. cough! AF!- heh heh.) doesn't mean it should be condoned ya? call me naive but i have enough faith in the system that if one pursues the knowledge-seeking route... the results will naturally come to a good enough extent. of course the correlation isn't 100%, but the significance is good enough for me i guess...
then again, i've been extremely lucky in my past 3.5 years so far so i guess... perhaps... i'm not really suited to comment on this issue.
I am not that Junior who wanted your email add. i am that 10K (if u still remember) - Junior
oh! i still remember! junior aurelie or something? yes yes. i remember :D glad you've liked the blog!
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