Many a times, I've often been told that I'm not funny by a couple of people; that instead of cracking a really good joke, I've cracked a really bad egg. One thing I am thankful for however, is this. That I've never taken these words to heart but one can't deny that initially, they sting.
It's not because I'm no more funny than any other person on this planet, it's just because I've become more stupid. No, I wouldn't say I'm as sharp or as witty as I used to be simply because I've lost my knack for it. But I would say this, I-blame-it-on-life-in-the-polytechnic.
I often wonder, has the external environment surrounding me really placed me in such a predicament? As for now, I'd honestly say 'Yes'. Ever since I stepped in, I was prepared to mix around with different cultures and backgrounds but I definitely wasn't prepared for my standard in English to drop. And along with that, my level of wit (now's the time where you question if I had any in the first place).
Here's what it's like in the school of business in Nanyang Poly. You take a specialised course of study for three years. Those three years get compressed into two years because the MOE and 'coincidentally' the school..has decided to compress the academic year. This, in actual fact, means that you pay for three years of education, while you only get two years of shit...before they discreetly kick your arse out while calling it a g-r-a-d-u-a-t-i-o-n.
In between entry and exit, you get to break it down into individual academic years split into two academic semesters..kinda like peanuts where you break a shell and voila, you get, well.. two nuts.
ANYWAY, within each semester, you have various modules to complete. For simplicity's sake, let's just focus in on one shall we?
Each module holds a certain weightage for the exams, which normally range between 40-60%, which, in my opinion, makes studying a whole bloody lot easier because the traditional routine of drilling holes in your brain to make room for eleventh-hour informational cramming is virtually eliminated.
Depending on how much your exams take up, 5-10% goes to class participation which I think is just utterly useless because no matter how much you suck up, stick up, fuck up or pucker up, you still get the same results as any other dimwit in the classroom. No offense to my classmates..I think you guys are really cool ;)
The remaining 40% or so rests on the hopes of your projects. The thing about projects is that it is a very vulgar word. Almost comparible with that fairly familiar four letter word we all know as 'Fish'. And what we do in projects has evolved into standard procedure..
- Copy and Paste information gathered from the internet
- Structure and Compile a Report
- Add on an entire library archive's worth of references
- Hand it up for submission whereby a Stageplay we call 'Presentations' are held.
It's because of this, I have become stupid. Not only that, my brain has become lazy and so filled with cobwebs, even kids who play in jungle-gyms would get baffled. I really wonder, can't the Director of the school come up with anything else to spice up education in Nanyang Polytechnic? ANYTHING at all? It's extremely difficult to comprehend two things.
- Why my school will always be inferior grade
- Why people always get my school name mixed up with that better one at Clementi Road.
The first being understandable as not everyone's born well-informed or well-versed. We've all had our fair share of learning havn't we?
The second? Well..that's still a mystery.
Seems like a pretty fitting scapegoat doesn't it? But in reality, you all know it's just a silly cover-up and a pathetic excuse that I'm actually not THAT funny after all.
Sherwin.
