Wednesday, May 23, 2007

To laugh or to cry, I really don't know.. You tell me..

For some reason, our faculty seems to be going through a lot of havoc.. Kinda turning out to be like some TV drama series.. What happened you asked? Let me try to put it in layman terms.

Situation:
1. Our exams are in 3 weeks time. Refer to an earlier post on deadlines and stuff.
2. Our semester has 14 weeks (compared to only 13 in other faculties). However, week 14 stuff (mainly neuroanatomy) will not be covered in exams.
3. Because some students complained that in the final week of their course, they still have assignments due up to a few days before exams (ie no time to study), the student association in Clayton struck an agreement with the university that 1 week must be allocated as study break before exam can commence.
4. Since we have teaching until Thursday of week 14 (7 June), exams in actual fact can only start legally on 15 June. Unfortunately, ours is on 13 June due to some miscommunication with exams department.
5. The student association noticed this and asked a few students (whoever they are)whether this will affect their studies. They said yes, and asked for something to be done.
6. Student association insists that exam date contradicts the agreement and demands for it to be changed. Faculty admits that it made a mistake, so our exam gets postponed to --> 1st week of Semester 2. There goes the holiday plans for quite a number of people.

The aftermath:
1. Loads of personal attacks, finger pointing and angst expressed in the discussion forum (bashing the students who brought it up, with stuff along the lines of "You cannot finish studying in time your problem lar, why our 1 month holiday with friends and family have to be ruined coz of you? Some international students already planned and booked their flight tickets home" etc)
2. Quite a number of the first years here in Malaysia were also affected (I don't know why, since it's MED 2031 for us Year 2..) I think some were actually cramming the lecture notes 24/7 to the point of almost wanna cry already, just wanting to get it over with and relax.. not very fair on their behalf..
3. Idea of a petition to overrule the decision was shot down by the faculty.
4. Week 14 stuff on neuroanatomy (which was initially not covered because it's last minute and it's a tough topic, will be included in a new set of exam papers)..

Weird mentality lar I noticed.. come to think of it.. With all the deadlines mentioned earlier (applies only to the Malaysian campus), it is going to be a nightmare and virtually impossible to cover everything in time for this exam if held on the 13 June, but yet for some reason we would rather mess up in the exam (since it's only 5% of the year) than sacrifice our holidays.. Honestly, I haven't started studying also (I've had less than 6 hours of sleep for the past 3 days).. so I don't know what to think or feel about it..

4 comments:

bookatitle said...

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,..

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;..

Isaiah 43: 2, 4-5

People's lives are so interesting and with God it's way more exciting than we can ever imagine! ehe..
not sure how you're feeling now & maybe itu verses are a bit bombastic but i hope that you'll continue to have great faith and trust in Him :)
take good care, Gary! :P

GaRy said...

Haha.. this year is indeed a year of building faith and humility..

I remembered the other day, when Anna kinda told me, "You of all people should actually learn to have more faith that He will protect you from harm." when I freaked out upon seeing a huge mosquito entering her car (thinking of dengue since a lot of people in condo got hit, wrong time to fall sick during exam season)

Which brings me to a question I asked my shepherd, "How do you distinguish when to practise faith and when to exercise wisdom?" haha :p

bookatitle said...

haha.. not together? pray with faith for wisdom, while still having faith all the time inside.

so, what did he say? :)

GaRy said...

good question.. :p lolz