Eligibility for University Education

MY DAUGHTER'S recent applications for entry to the three local universities - Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Management University - were all rejected. The reasons given were an overwhelming response, limited places in the universities and stiff competition.

My daughter is an above-average student who had excelled in sports. She has met all the criteria for entry to a local university. Is being eligible not enough? Must one now get extraordinary grades to be granted a place in university?
...
Are my daughter's grades of an A, B, C (General Paper) and an E not good enough?
My son, who is 27 years old and had A-level grades of A, B and C, graduated with a Second Upper Class Honours degree in the Arts and Social Sciences at NUS.
See Chee Wee

The Straits Times, 29 May 2007

All sorts of letters are making it into The Straits Times forums these days without regard for whether the letters are truly of merit or not. This is just a letter by an overly eager parent who does not realise that having the A-level subject grades of A, B and E and an AO-level subject of C is nothing when today's students are turning in straight As for 4 A-level subjects AND AO-level subjects.

Parents and students these days need to realise that people are getting increasingly exam smart in their preparations for the GCE A-Levels examinations and good grades will definitely be needed if there is any intention to have a good option of University courses to choose from.

When you do not perform well enough to be eligible for University, look inwards and see what you have done wrong instead of blaming everyone else. Why should Universities lower their standards and accommodate students who have not performed up to par? As institutes of higher learning, it is little wonder that they will seek to admit the best students possible since these students are more likely to perform and contribute to improving the generation of knowledge.

To this perhaps ill-informed parent, grades of an A, B, C (General Paper) and an E are just not good enough for entry to University this year. Try applying again and hope that the next cohort is not as competitive or get your daughter to work harder and retake her exams for a better grade.

Anything or Whatever?

Person 1: Will you like to drink Anything?
Person 2: Whatever...
Person 1: Whatever?
Person 2: Whatever.
Person 1: Here's your Whatever.
Person 2: ...


A new beverage has just been launched and it is the "Anything" and "Whatever" product range. This is a surprise-packaging concept where every beverage has a generic design which makes consumers unaware of the flavour of the purchased beverage until they drink it.

The Anything and Whatever range features six flavours each, with "Anything" containing carbonated soft drinks and "Whatever" yielding non-carbonated flavours.

This is a very innovative product that latches upon the common observation that people are not able to decide when trying to purchase a beverage. The responses of "Anything" or "Whatever" frequently placed the person tasked with making the purchase on behalf in a bind. With these 2 new products, you better think twice before casually answering questions as to what drink you like for now it is possible to buy Anything or Whatever!

Eyesight Test

If you cannot decipher anything, then try pulling the corner of your eyes or squint your eyes. The truth will shock you...

Makan Places Lost and Found (Kallang)

The recommendations on Makan Places Lost and Found by Gurmit and Michelle Chia on 8 May 2007 can be obtained via SMS for $1 per episode but here you get it for free as follows:

Geylang Lorong 20 Goreng Pisang
Old Airport Hawker Centre (Temporary)
#01-23

King Fish Head Noodles
Marine Parade Food Centre
84 Marine Parade Central
#01-182

Target Cafe
Thomson Community Club
194 Upper Thomson Road

Song Huat Fishball Noodles
Orchard Hawker Food Square
100 Orchard Road

When is Mothers' Day?

When exactly is Mothers' Day? The date will depend on where you are from but many countries celebrate Mothers' Day on the 2nd Sunday of May. On Mothers' Day, the restaurants are packed and so many people go round trying to get presents for their mums to show how nice they are.

But do we really need to celebrate Mothers' Day? I guess my mum's views summed it up quite nicely... There is no need for any special celebration be it Mothers' Day or Fathers' Day. To our parents, there is nothing better than to have the children demonstrate their fillial piety on a daily and continuous basis. What is the point of making an effort to celebrate once a year when the other 364 days the parents are ignored? Furthermore, these special days are fast losing their meaning as retailers try to latch on to up their sales via promotions and tie-ups.

Instead of making a special effort once a year, let us make a dedicated effort to transform each and every day into a Mothers'/Fathers' day!