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SUNo, this is not a rant about the Student Union (if you're not happy, don't rant, run - for a position in SU and make all the difference you can), rather, it is about the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option.

I chanced upon this Facebook group "FIGHT FOR S/U OPTION AFTER RESULTS RELEASE FOR NTU". Well as the group name suggests, these students are rallying for the S/U option to be exercised after the examination results are released. I didn't join the group as I don't agree with them, rather I stand by the school's point of view.

The S/U option was introduced as a way to encourage students to explore areas outside their major without adversely affecting their GPA. That means it should not be used as a means to improve your GPA. By applying the S/U option after knowing your results, you are effectively given the option to improve your GPA, whereas with the new extension until just a few weeks before the exam to apply the S/U option, you should by then have a very good idea of how well you can and are willing to do in a subject and thus be able to make a very informed decision. Otherwise, you might as well let the computer system automatically apply the S/U option (up to your maximum quota) to subjects that you do poorly in, and maximize your GPA for you.

With regards to motivation, I don't think having the S/U option after the exams helps to spur you on to try harder to attempt to get a better grade. My personal opinion is that it's all about personal interest and self-awareness. If you're really interested in the subject, and you have been consistently performing or at least know that you are able to perform in the subject, then you're likely to do well in the final grade since you have the attitude and aptitude, and thus wouldn't want/need to S/U it. If, however, you're lacking in either attitude or aptitude, then it's unlikely that you'll do well and you'd want to S/U the subject. But then again, I don't suppose anyone ever takes any subject without any interest unless they think they can score well in it. Haha, it seems like I'm beginning to contradict myself. Oh well, let's just look at it this way: if you had already opted to S/U a subject before the exams, you'd just want to do marginally well (i.e. obtaining at least a C) to pass it and thus focus your efforts on other more important subjects,whereas if you hadn't S/U the subject, you would be spurred on to work hard to score well for it.

To summarize, I believe that the current system (with the extended time period to exercise the S/U option) is working perfectly fine and shouldn't be changed. Don't try to fix what ain't broken! And don't bother inviting me to that group, I'll just ignore your invitation... The World Financial CrisisIf you have difficulty understanding the current world financial situation, the following should help...

Once upon a time in a village in India , a man announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10.

The villagers seeing there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10, but, as the supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their efforts. The man further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer rate increased to $25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now act as buyer, on his behalf. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers: 'Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when he returns from the city, you can sell them back to him for $50.'

The villagers squeezed together their savings and bought all the monkeys.

Then they never saw the man or his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere! Be careful what you do or say to othersThat was the lesson I learned after watching a TV show (up to you to guess what show).

This middle-aged man had a girlfriend who appeared to be sincere but was actually all out to ruin his life. But this girl, after being with him for a while, realized that the man is really a good guy and not as bad as he was made out to be, aborted her mission and left him. This girl was actually hired by a woman who was the classmate of the man. As it turned out, the woman had a crush on him but was frequently teased about her size - he used to call her a fat pig and treated her as an outcast.

What you say to others or do to them may come back to haunt you many years down the road, when you least expect it. But what's done can't be undone, just be true to yourself from now on and don't unknowingly put a dent in other people's lives, and people can forgive you for your wilful behaviour in the past as you were immature, and they will appreciate you for who you are now.