Marked 23rd July 2003

Took Qualifying English Test (QET) that day and as expected, topic was darn difficult. I got to understand as to why some of my friends had to take ET1000 as a module in NUS for failing QET. I wondered why NUS and NTU don't conduct QET on the same day and giving same questions. Can't they just sit down and agree on one date for the QET?

The QET really took a toll on my brain cells. A lengthy three pages close passage extracted from a Taoism alchemist book with thirty errors to be corrected, three pre-reading questions to ponder on, one lengthy small font-sized article extracted from the Economist Review titled "Dollars and Degrees" to read on, and a 500 words killer essay to be completed. Topic of the essay was "Nowadays, universities are concerned on making profits as well as innovation and creativity. Which should a university be mainly concerned with?". For someone like me never used to writing argumentative essays in secondary school plus I never written an essay for FIVE long years (3 years in poly and 2 years in the army), 500 argumentative essay really did kill me.

NTU seemed to be more kind to their students giving many essay topics to choose from with topics like "Write an event that happened in your country", "What is your future prospect", Why do you choose NTU, etc. Furthermore, they are allowed to complete the essay in just 300 words. UNFAIR UNFAIR UNFAIR but what to do.

CRAPS CRAPS and many more CRAPS! Please let me pass!