A shortened version of this article was featured on the Sept 15th issue of the Nanyang Chronicle.
The sheer joy of victory is something every athlete craves for, and this was most evident in the Beijing Games.
But in the obsession for sporting supremacy, it seems that some athletes have lost the joy of participation, resorting to doping scandals and nasty fights. The Olympics has also become a political sideshow – with protests, boycotts, and sharp criticisms headlining the media.
One wonders if the same thing is happening in our university education.
No doubt, the results are important, but so should be the sheer enjoyment of intellectual pursuit, which seems to have become an oxymoron these days. A proclamation of your love for hitting the books will often be met with this common retort:
“You must be kidding me!”
The current university system in NTU, together with the hectic pace of life in Singapore, makes it rather difficult for students to have a truly enjoyable educational experience. As a basic requirement, students are told to complete all tutorials and readings beforehand, but this may prove difficult.
Consider the other commitments that students often have: co-curricular activities, relationships, and even religious obligations. Some are even actively involved in community or grassroots work which falls outside the purview of the university. It seems unfair that students have to choose between maintaining a decent GPA and having extra commitments outside of school.
There is more the university can do to improve the quality of its education.
Firstly, consider the implementation of the study week – a full one week break from lessons right before the examinations. A common complaint among students is the lack of preparation time before sitting for the papers. The study week allows students to have more time to understand and digest the concepts which have been learnt throughout the semester and to clear existing doubts with their tutors.
Secondly, reduce the number of AUs required for students to graduate. At Columbia University – which is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranked among the top ten in the world – a student is required to complete only 124 credits to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in four years. In NTU however, students must complete a staggering 146 AUs to graduate with a Sociology degree in the same amount of time. Despite the disparity, it is no secret which university offers a better undergraduate programme – and it is not about how much you study.
It is an illusion that by taking up more modules, students will benefit from greater knowledge. It is a question of width versus depth: with fewer modules to take, students will be able to have a deeper understanding of the subjects they are taking. Also, lessening the requirements for graduation would give students more time to pursue their own interests. These things are the least the university can do to lessen the burden placed on students by a Singaporean culture already obsessed with academic achievement. For students with a desire to be involved with, say, setting up a business, they would be free to do so without worrying too much that their studies will be affected.
And with all the fuss about poor alumni donations among local universities and poor marriage rates, the above measures just might do the trick in alleviating these problems. More free time equals more socialising – resulting in students building deeper bonds with the school and with one another. Expect more young couples to visit the grassy roof of ADM to star-gaze pretty soon.
A paradigm shift is needed – by students, educators, and Singapore society alike, especially when it comes to how we define success. In the Beijing Olympics, China topped the medal standings based on gold medal count alone. But if we look at the total medals count, including silver and bronze, the US is still tops. However, if you factor in population count, Jamaica is king, with 2.2 gold medals per million inhabitants. The US came in at 33rd, and China at 47th.
So instead of merely recognising outstanding academic achievers at the NTU Convocation, special mention –and perhaps even awards – should be given to students with outstanding extra-curricular work. Small financial incentives that are given out annually can be considered as well. These activities should be in addition to the school club the student may already be involved in. To facilitate this, students should be encouraged to list down – at his discretion of course – a list of his outside commitments. This could be in the form of religious activities, entrepreneurial endeavours, and even private language courses. The whole idea here is that everything the student does that can be deemed educational should be recognised.
With these measures, education becomes more of a pursuit of passion rather than just pointless mugging. And when students are allowed to do more of what they like, they will enjoy the process a little bit more, and maybe even perform better.
Usain Bolt, the flamboyant, fun-loving track star who rose quickly to prominence during the Olympics, exemplified what it meant to enjoy what you do – and to do it well. While International Olympic Committee Chief Jaques Rogge criticised “showbolt” for celebrating with crowd-pleasing theatrics before completing the 100m race, others defended him. Just let the guy have some fun, they said.
He broke the world record in 9.69s, and the funny thing was – he was not even trying very hard. Sometimes, having a little bit of fun can get you somewhere.
The sheer joy of victory is something every athlete craves for, and this was most evident in the Beijing Games.
But in the obsession for sporting supremacy, it seems that some athletes have lost the joy of participation, resorting to doping scandals and nasty fights. The Olympics has also become a political sideshow – with protests, boycotts, and sharp criticisms headlining the media.
One wonders if the same thing is happening in our university education.
No doubt, the results are important, but so should be the sheer enjoyment of intellectual pursuit, which seems to have become an oxymoron these days. A proclamation of your love for hitting the books will often be met with this common retort:
“You must be kidding me!”
The current university system in NTU, together with the hectic pace of life in Singapore, makes it rather difficult for students to have a truly enjoyable educational experience. As a basic requirement, students are told to complete all tutorials and readings beforehand, but this may prove difficult.
Consider the other commitments that students often have: co-curricular activities, relationships, and even religious obligations. Some are even actively involved in community or grassroots work which falls outside the purview of the university. It seems unfair that students have to choose between maintaining a decent GPA and having extra commitments outside of school.
There is more the university can do to improve the quality of its education.
Firstly, consider the implementation of the study week – a full one week break from lessons right before the examinations. A common complaint among students is the lack of preparation time before sitting for the papers. The study week allows students to have more time to understand and digest the concepts which have been learnt throughout the semester and to clear existing doubts with their tutors.
Secondly, reduce the number of AUs required for students to graduate. At Columbia University – which is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranked among the top ten in the world – a student is required to complete only 124 credits to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in four years. In NTU however, students must complete a staggering 146 AUs to graduate with a Sociology degree in the same amount of time. Despite the disparity, it is no secret which university offers a better undergraduate programme – and it is not about how much you study.
It is an illusion that by taking up more modules, students will benefit from greater knowledge. It is a question of width versus depth: with fewer modules to take, students will be able to have a deeper understanding of the subjects they are taking. Also, lessening the requirements for graduation would give students more time to pursue their own interests. These things are the least the university can do to lessen the burden placed on students by a Singaporean culture already obsessed with academic achievement. For students with a desire to be involved with, say, setting up a business, they would be free to do so without worrying too much that their studies will be affected.
And with all the fuss about poor alumni donations among local universities and poor marriage rates, the above measures just might do the trick in alleviating these problems. More free time equals more socialising – resulting in students building deeper bonds with the school and with one another. Expect more young couples to visit the grassy roof of ADM to star-gaze pretty soon.
A paradigm shift is needed – by students, educators, and Singapore society alike, especially when it comes to how we define success. In the Beijing Olympics, China topped the medal standings based on gold medal count alone. But if we look at the total medals count, including silver and bronze, the US is still tops. However, if you factor in population count, Jamaica is king, with 2.2 gold medals per million inhabitants. The US came in at 33rd, and China at 47th.
So instead of merely recognising outstanding academic achievers at the NTU Convocation, special mention –and perhaps even awards – should be given to students with outstanding extra-curricular work. Small financial incentives that are given out annually can be considered as well. These activities should be in addition to the school club the student may already be involved in. To facilitate this, students should be encouraged to list down – at his discretion of course – a list of his outside commitments. This could be in the form of religious activities, entrepreneurial endeavours, and even private language courses. The whole idea here is that everything the student does that can be deemed educational should be recognised.
With these measures, education becomes more of a pursuit of passion rather than just pointless mugging. And when students are allowed to do more of what they like, they will enjoy the process a little bit more, and maybe even perform better.
Usain Bolt, the flamboyant, fun-loving track star who rose quickly to prominence during the Olympics, exemplified what it meant to enjoy what you do – and to do it well. While International Olympic Committee Chief Jaques Rogge criticised “showbolt” for celebrating with crowd-pleasing theatrics before completing the 100m race, others defended him. Just let the guy have some fun, they said.
He broke the world record in 9.69s, and the funny thing was – he was not even trying very hard. Sometimes, having a little bit of fun can get you somewhere.
