rowlandanthonyimperial
Friday, October 26, 2007
02:52
Losing the trend.
Lately I have been wondering why some fortunate people can discern about the future events ahead of them, and why some people just cannot predict what lies beyond the fortification that is today, thus leaving them embattled between regret and stupidity.
The History elective paper is one the easiest and most annoying papers that students sit for their O Level exams. It is an unbelievably 1 hour and 30 minute- paper only, wherein you need to use your lightning speed abilities to the maximum in order to answer 2 structured essay questions and four source-based questions. Free time? nah. You can only have such a luxury if and only if you are totally a genius or if you did not study at all.
One of the good things about this paper is that it's so short; you will never realise that you have already ran out of time. It's good that way because you do not have to stress yourself for so long.
Well, back to the first paragraph. The culprit? Spotting.
Spotting, perhaps, has been one of the oldest forms of getting away from doing too much work. People would rather pick a few choices from a multitude of options, and hope for the best that those choices will eventually be the right ones, for whatever purpose it may serve them best. It's like playing a game of "guess-where-Kazakhstan-is-on-the-map". It is such a tough game, but once you discover that there is this so-called Borat DVD somewhere in Divisoria you suddenly realise that you do not need to worry about the game anymore. Plus, you get to enjoy the movie as well. Spotting has benefitted millions of people. Spotting also has brought trouble to millions of people too. It all depends on whether they are in the right place, at the right time.
Which brings me to the idea of spotting for the history paper.
This year, 2007, is the first year ever since 2002, that a Germany chapter did not come out for the paper.
And many a people were taken aback by this strange phenomenon, wondering how in the world did Germany diasppear from the list of essay questions.
Was there a printing error?!
Yoohoo, are we in the right place?!
Hey, Mr./Ms. Invigilator, I think you gave me the wrong question paper...
Yes, indeed, the paper did not have a single trace of German stench of atrocious SBQs and perplexing SEQs.
Scary, as it might sound, but I believe that there are just too many people who are so good at spotting.
Some have studied chapters 1,4,5,6 and 10.
Some have studies 2,5, and 10.
Some have studied 4,5, and 6.
And some? 6.
Well, I am happy that many people did not find the paper difficult, although some were still traumatized with the sudden disappearance of what we call "the trend" in the papers.
The moral lesson?
Spot.
Really.
But do it intelligently.
Cause you will never know what will come out until you see it on the day of its revelation.
All the best for our social studies test! :)
