this is going to be a long post. be prepared to read about my complaints about SMU.
as you may know, it's a policy (at least applicable to all local unis) for all poly graduates to sit for the QET English Test before the term starts. that's just to gage your english competency level and if you fail the test, you would most likely have to do an english module to make up for your not-so-good english. so, same for smu, all poly grads like me have to sit for the QET test. When i received their acceptance letter, it was on 5th july. the letter was dated 4th july. I was only expected to give a reply by 11th July. As i was rather keen to study in smu, i emailed them my acceptance form the following monday. SMU do not send out matriculation package so you have to download everything from their website. I visited their website on monday, 6th july and I realised that their matriculation dates for local students was on 7th, 8th and 9th JULY! hello, i just received my matriculation package on sat. and i couldn't go for the 7th 8th nor 9th july matriculation because it is compulsory for all to go for a medical check up pre-enrollment to uni and it is compulsory to bring the medical report on the day of matriculation. SO, i emailed the registrar to inform them about this and they replied to say that they will re-schedule my matriculation. So they've arranged for me to matriculate on the 28th or 29th July tgt with the international students. Fine, good that they've solved this problem.
Next, i realised that the QET test dates were on 3rd and 5th July! So, how could i possibly sit for the QET test on the 5th when I've just received their letter of acceptance? and i would also need to register for the test at a much earlier date. so again, i email the registrar. they replied and referred me to CEC (Center for English Communication) and they said that they would give me a reply on the following week. Finally, i saw an email from CEC in my hotmail inbox. here's how it goes:
Dear Meibao,
Good afternoon. I write to inform you that: The Qualifying English Test is conducted once before the commencement of Term 1 of the Academic Year. The QET was held on 3 and 5 July this year. As you accepted admission into SMU after the test dates, you will be automatically enrolled in Academic Writing in Academic Year 2008-09.
Best regards,
(his name deleted)
Administrative Executive
Centre for English Communication
Singapore Management University
DID YOU READ THE EMAIL CAREFULLY?? it says: As you accepted admission into SMU after the test dates, you will be automatically enrolled in Academic Writing in Academic Year 2008-09
HELLO, IF I HAD RECEIVED THE ACCEPTANCE BEFORE THE TEST DATE, COULD I HAVE BEEN A FOOL AND ACCEPTED ADMISSION AFTER THE TEST DATES????
i was fuming when i saw this email. they not only enrolled me automatically in the academic writing module, they also pushed all the BLAME TO ME. as if it serves me right to be enrolled into the module because i accepted admission late. SO OBVIOUSLY, i wasn't going to just keep quiet and accept their accusation. and so, i replied to his email. here's how my reply went:
Dear (name deleted),
I feel that this arrangement is not fair to me and there is no basis why I should be enrolled for this module when I have not proven that my English is incompetent. I think it is the school's responsibility to notify all students of their application status and informed those (esp the accepted ones) early enough for them to sit for all necessary test. It was stated on SMU's website that students would be notified latest by mid June. However, I only received the letter on 5th July and it was stated on the letter that the deadline for acceptance is 11th July. If I had been notified earlier, I would have sat for the QET English test.
If the managment did not intend to arrange for a separate sitting, they should have informed those students who were on pending admission to SMU to sit for the July QET English Test.
I will have to spend the next semester on this module and I see no reasons for that. The amount of time I will have to spend on this module could have been better spent on other modules. Since it was no fault of mine to skip the July QET English test, I should be entitled to sit for a separate test. May I request that the management arrange for a separate sitting for those students who have received late notice (after the QET test date) and hence were not given a chance to sit for the QET test?
I would deeply appreciate it if the management could reconsider this arrangement to make this fair for all students.
Thank you very much.
Regards,
Meibao
it was totally unfair to me and stupidity of them to come up with such an email. they lack of communication between the departments. the admissions department obviously did not communicate well with the center for english communications dept. they're the COMMUNICATION dept. wth.. i was so pissed. how can they just enrol me to any module just like that? i was not even given the chance to sit for the test! madness. after 3 days, they finally replied:
Dear Meibao,
I refer to your email dated 16 July 2008.
The QET test dates reflect the time period the Registrar's Office needs to process pre-assigned timetabling in time for Term 1 after CEC finishes grading the papers. So there is no opportunity to arrange a separate seating for late acceptances into SMU at a later date and still have student results ready for Term 1. This is an administrative constraint that CEC must also observe. It is not a policy to sit for the QET pending acceptance to SMU.
As you will discover later, the Academic Writing module is not merely a module on English competence, but one which teaches you the essential skills in reading and writing at the university level with a focus on mastering the kind of argumentative writing that underpins university education. The writing skills you learn will greatly enhance your ability to do well at SMU.
We do hope you will take Academic Writing with the right attitude; we are confident that you will learn much of value. As most SMU faculty will attest, writing skills are among the most portable and useful skills you will have when you leave SMU.
Best regards,
...
Do you see it? they're covering their backsides now, telling me how good is the academic writing module. those who dont have to take up this module will be taking another communications module actually. i understand that they have administrative constraints and therefore are unable to arrange for a separate sitting because it'll take some time and they'll have to arrange the student's timetable. BUT, who can they blame? if the admissions office had not taken their own sweet time and choose who they want to take in, would all these have happened? am I the CAUSE of their administrative constraints? i'll still prefer to call it time constraints. they have bad time managment, honestly. they put it on their website that students will be notified of the application status by mid june. but then? when i called up the admissions office, the ladiessss told me that they'll still be accepting students and sending out letters for the next 2 to 3 weeks. mid june had passed. I'm beginning to wonder whether SMU is really as good as it seems. it seemed that all these dates and other nitty gritties on their website are not-so-true, rather deceiving. if they could inform the public that the notifications letters will be out by mid june but in fact not (and dragged 3 weeks more), it's not surprising if all these raves about higher pay-check and better quality of learning are only another flower wrapper.
I haven't replied to the email. i'm still considering whether i should argue more or just keep my name (still) low profile. I'm negotiating not with this man whom i deleted his name in my post, but with my future 4 yrs and possibly, my communication module's grade. sigh.
