@bbbay Gulliver’s Travels is a satire - he was poking fun at humans and their desires and ambitions.

Do it with compassion maybe? Highlight the problems follow by what lesson can be learnt? I had an officer during my NS days who used to say, don’t just point out the problems. Give me solutions too.
Anyway, that is my view as a lay person in literature…

I did not said prolonged life span is absolutely
good too

It’s 150yo but not longer, because scientists are aware there is a limit, with current technology trajectory. It will not immortalised us. One application from the result of protein research is the ability to create of new protein - upgrade to better quality body part?

AI will keep changing jobs landscape and discover of new knowledge. Picking a subject to study with the aim of holding on to some jobs may be tricky going forward.

If Gulliver’s travels author went deeper, he may wise up Gulliver to the fact nothing last forever?

…Our generation could all live till 150 yo with new disease treatments. Maybe we should not be too torn on what our children should study next.

“Description of Struldbruggs from Part 3 of Gulliver’s Travels (Courtesy of Cliff Notes): During his stay in Luggnagg, Gulliver hears about the Struldbruggs, people in Luggnagg society who are immortal. Gulliver’s first reaction to hearing about the Struldbruggs’ immortality is one of envy and enthusiasm because it would allow a person to gain immense wealth, wisdom, and the philosophical serenity. He fantasizes what he might do if he were one. However, when an interpreter explains the reality of life as a Struldbrugg — that is they grow old, feeble, decaying, and forgetful — Gulliver’s enthusiasm for a life of immortality disappears as quickly as it began.”

I don’t think the human body is designed to last that long! Things just get old and wear out, and just like a machine, replacing 1 or 2 parts may prolong its life , but there’s really no point if lots of parts are wearing out at the same time.

https://youtu.be/P_fHJIYENdI?si=pjp5zT6YzzN_4xxo

https://youtu.be/WlbU8HDsd_g

many kids are not driven or moltivated during primary school days, and some, even with the best tuition support etc are not able to reach the academic grades to get into top sec schools.

Yes, there are 20 or so kids who would get some form of honorary mention for their good grades, persevering in spite of adversity etc. Am certainly happy for them.

However, I also witnessed a fair number of individual sobbing, devastation and disappointments at the different nooks and corners in school. That stuck with me strongly.

@Imp75 all the best for tmr’s results!

Do parents usually go and sit in the hall? Or will they wait at home for their teens to text them when they are ready?

I think by this age, most would prefer not to have parents hanging around. They would prefer to spend the time with their schoolmates and not feel obliged to “look after” their parents! Anyway, with mobile phones, they can let their parents know their results almost immediately - not like my day when there were long, long queues at the 1-2 public phones in the school!

Do parents usually go and sit in the hall? Or will they wait at home for their teens to text them when they are ready?

A level results release date is just around the corner. Any parent feeling the anxiety? This is the second national exams for my kids and honestly I am feeling very normal and indifferent, very different from the time when they collected the PSLE results.

I try to just observe whatever sensations I have objectively, whenever the outcome of their results cross my mind - neither suppress or dramatise them. During PSLE, my DD had a fever the night before her science paper. We let her sleep early that night. The thinking then was to play the card we are dealt with as best as we can and leave the rest to nature.

On a more logical note, the time to be anxious is already over - that is, during their exams preparation/taking time. After that, it is marking time and it’s something outside our control. Being anxious now cannot change anything

We have nothing against NTU In fact we rather like the NTU option of a 3-year degree programme with honours for progrfammes like Business and Accountancy.

NUS, NTU and SMU will send out invitations to selected JC students to apply for early admission. This is based on prelim results and possibly the subjects the kids read. (Those who did Physics and are selected, receive invitations particularly to apply to NUS and NTU Engineering.) I’m not sure if all courses have early application / admission. Medicine for example, I’ve not heard of early offers of admission before.

My kid applied to SMU provisionally for both scholarship, and degree course. Subsequently, after the A level results were released, my kid applied to NUS for the course, but for whatever reason, did not apply for the NUS scholarship. I left everything to the kid to decide on and handle.

Interviews for the SMU scholarship were conducted after the A level results were released even though the application was submitted in the early round. Offer of admission and scholarship were received probably in April or May (cannot recall precisely). NUS’ offer was received later than SMU’s for the course. Not sure about NUS scholarship as no application was made.