On selecting courses
I have decided to drop my stats course in place of a macroeconomics course. Now why would I do this? The stats course, is after all, even easier than A-level stats while the macroeconomics course would take up an avg of 10-15 hrs a week. Am I feeling so bored with my time or just love torturing myself?
Actually, it's because of this evil thing called GPA. Now, a lot of Singaporeans who are here on scholarships require a minimum of 3.6 or 3.8 otherwise they will get a warning letter 'you are not upholding the standars expected of a blah blah blah scholar' or something like that. As a result of this restriction, a lot of scholars are torn between selecting courses which they are interested in but are extremely difficult to get A (Honors analysis being an example which has an average mark of 10%) and selecting easy courses. Another example would be the calculus sequence which many of us place out of. Should we still take it( a free A which can help to pull our GPA up, and A's are precious commodities here)? Or should we skip it and attempt harder courses. Now DSTA, thankfully didn't give me any formal GPA to meet. But there's always that desire to excel. To do well and be the best in everything you do.
As a side note: We Singaporeans have actually made a name for ourselves in U of chicago as all the other Hong Kong and foreign scholars actually try to *avoid* the courses where all the singaporeans flock to as we normally push the grade curve higher *giggle*
Anyway, the reason I decided to drop the stats course was because it requires a freaking 90+ for an A/A-. Now I cannot even remember the last time I have scored 90+ for an subject. Maybe secondary school. Than again this is STATS. OMG. Look up one value wrongly off the stupid booklet and *poof* there goes 15 marks. And I know I am very very careless. So there. 2 wrong values and suddenly I find myself with a C.
Anyway, I've decided to flee from that course and hide in a macro economics course which, well, has 1/3 of people getting A =). I know, going to courses because it is easy to get A is well, superficial, but that's life. At least in U chicago, where the Dean's list is, well, 3.2. So there.
Actually, it's because of this evil thing called GPA. Now, a lot of Singaporeans who are here on scholarships require a minimum of 3.6 or 3.8 otherwise they will get a warning letter 'you are not upholding the standars expected of a blah blah blah scholar' or something like that. As a result of this restriction, a lot of scholars are torn between selecting courses which they are interested in but are extremely difficult to get A (Honors analysis being an example which has an average mark of 10%) and selecting easy courses. Another example would be the calculus sequence which many of us place out of. Should we still take it( a free A which can help to pull our GPA up, and A's are precious commodities here)? Or should we skip it and attempt harder courses. Now DSTA, thankfully didn't give me any formal GPA to meet. But there's always that desire to excel. To do well and be the best in everything you do.
As a side note: We Singaporeans have actually made a name for ourselves in U of chicago as all the other Hong Kong and foreign scholars actually try to *avoid* the courses where all the singaporeans flock to as we normally push the grade curve higher *giggle*
Anyway, the reason I decided to drop the stats course was because it requires a freaking 90+ for an A/A-. Now I cannot even remember the last time I have scored 90+ for an subject. Maybe secondary school. Than again this is STATS. OMG. Look up one value wrongly off the stupid booklet and *poof* there goes 15 marks. And I know I am very very careless. So there. 2 wrong values and suddenly I find myself with a C.
Anyway, I've decided to flee from that course and hide in a macro economics course which, well, has 1/3 of people getting A =). I know, going to courses because it is easy to get A is well, superficial, but that's life. At least in U chicago, where the Dean's list is, well, 3.2. So there.
posted by Anonymous at 8:51 PM
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