"Minor" Madness No More

Much to my surprise, I got the reply regarding the Minor in Geosciences issue way ahead of the expected time. Here is how it goes:

Dear Yee Wee,

Despite people being on leave in FoS, they have quickly dealt with my enquiry and I can now advise you about LSM modules.

The Department of Biological Sciences advised that: “two modules, LSM1301 and LSM1401, are relatively different;

- the earlier being broad-based, but less in-depth, covering all the main tenets of Biological Sciences – from cell biology, biochemistry of bio-molecules, genetic principles, evolution by natural selection, ecological processes, organization of living organism/physiology and the concept of homeostasis,

- while the later focusing more in-depth into the biochemistry of bio-molecules only, but includes the cellular processes and their industrial and commercial applications (as required by Chemical Engineering and Chemistry students).”

The Department also feels that LSM1401 is not as appropriate for the foundation module for Geosciences as LSM1301 and therefore do not want to change the rules on which modules can count. However, there is some good news:

“The preclusion between LSM1401 and LSM1301, this is no longer in place as of November 2008.” This means that the information you received from your department about not being able to take LSM1301 if you have already done LSM1401 is no longer valid (DBS will be informing the relevant person in Chem Eng about this). Therefore, you should not encounter any problem taking LSM1301 in the special semester, and this would not be in contradiction to any policy.

I hope this clarifies the situation and that you can now proceed to do LSM1301 as planned. I hope you can match your excellent performance in LSM1401!

So I guess there is nothing better to do than to take LSM1401 in the Special Semester so that I am not so brain dead during the hols.

A "Minor" Madness

Time for me to sharpen my "auntie" skill of complaining has arrived at last given the multitude of events that have happened quite recently.

It all started out this way. As a Physical Geography addict, it is impossible for me to ignore the new Minor of Geosciences that is jointly offered by the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science. So, about three months ago, I went about the university website doing a fair share of research regarding the minor of interest.

As part of the minor requirement, I am supposed to take a Foundation Science module from a list of selected modules. One of them happens to be LSM1301 General Biology, where you are able to extract your own DNA or make your own kimchi in the lab practical.

Anyway, I happened to notice that there is a great deal of similarities between this module and LSM1401 Fundamentals of Biochemistry in term of subject content. I had taken LSM1401 in the first semester of study in NUS. In some of the lecture notes, the lecture slides used are exactly the same. Unfortunately, LSM1401 is not listed as a Foundation Science module for the Minor in Geosciences.

Therefore, I emailed the Department of Geography, explaining to them that I have taken LSM1401, which is quite similar to LSM1301, and asking whether I could use it to substitute for LSM1301. That way, I don't have to spend extra time reading about the same thing, if not simpler, but under a different module code. Nevertheless, my regret was rejected.

Well, there was no hard feeling then. I thought to myself that I could take the module in the upcoming Special Semester during the holidays in June (Honestly, long holidays with nothing to do is a killer). So, I went on happily signing up for the Special Semester to undertake LSM1301.

Then, something out of the blue just happened two days back. For no reason, I was surfing the Chemical Engineering website (I don't even know why I did it ... must be boredom) when i say this in bright red :

*Students who have read LSM1401 cannot read LSM1301 subsequently. LSM1301 and LSM1401 cannot be read simultaneously in the same semester.

I am screwed, I told myself. I sent a two-page email each to the Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Geography in a desperation for help. On the next day, I had to call my home department (Chemical Engineering) regarding the matter. Basically, the prohibition boils down to this: if you read LSM1401, LSM1301 should be chicken feet and to avoid an easy A for students(which is what Chemical Engineering department is good at doing), LSM1301 cannot be taken after or with LSM1401.

Anyway, the guy at the Department of Chemical Engineering suggested that I should double-count LSM1401 to meet my major and minor required. Well, in order for this to happen, my request for LSM1401 to be considered as a Foundation Science module has to be approved first. That guy is nice enough to help me out in this matter but he says there is no guarantee.

A lecturer from the Geog Department emailed me regarding the issue at hand and said my "request is reasonable". Nonetheless, he had to discuss this with the relevant personnels from the Faculty of Science and Department of Biological Sciences. Problem is, they are on leave, so I am only able to get reply "later this month".

Basically, the entire picture can be summed up to this: I am caught in a BIG, BIG quagmire. I have only until the 28th of June to drop my module without a grade penalty and fee payable. I am literally at the mercy of the timing of their reply. Any later, I will be in deep shit.

Well, there is nothing much I can do. A tormentous wait is before me...