March in, results out soon

Well, whaddya know? We're now in the month of March!

The last few weeks I've been rushing through marking, script moderation, results processing and reports etc. All too soon it would be the official end of yet another semester.

Many students don't realise this, but the academic staff are busiest after the exams. That's when the "fate" of the students are debated upon. As part of the exam results processing committee, I'm also involved in the administrative aspects of this rigorous exercise to ensure that, simply put, the students get what they rightfully deserve.

It sounds cruel and I don't mean it in a terrible way but it's obvious that some of the students are playing the system. They do minimal work (or nothing at all) at the expense of their other classmates and hope to get away with it. In such obvious cases, their bad results are a true reflection of their effort.

Of course, there are instances when these "free-riders" get away with a grade they shouldn't have been awarded. But I always believe that when these people get off their bums and try to make a living, they'll have to deal with other aspects of survival. And their honeyed words and truckload of excuses will only work for a while before their true colours are revealed. To these kids, I wish them all the best because they need more than luck to get by.

Granted, getting distinctions and good results don't always guarantee success. But that's the first step in kick starting a career. Someone with an average report card is usually seen in a better light than one whose results show too many 'D's and 'F's.

Anyway, my nightmare begins tomorrow. That's when the exam systems will close and the processing starts.

Looks like I need to stock up on more chocolates.