Life's Not Fair

I read with indignance the parent who wrote on the child's behalf that junior, having scored A, B, E and a C for General Paper, could not make the cut for a local university.

My only advice: GET A LIFE.

It's just too bad that life deals you with this lousy hand.

I have had my share of lousy hands and honestly, many things suck big time in my life.

Do my parents write to the press and complain that with almost straight As, I didn't get a more prestigious scholarship? Duh!

This is life. Even at work, you are bypassed for the one with the right pedigree, the right connections, the right timing, the right placement, the right opportunities, the right...

There are so many variables. Not making to university is not the end of the world.

Try again next year. In any case, A, B, E, C tell a story. C for GP suggests below average but passable writing abilities - so study what? Arts and Social Sciences? Can't write essays.

I don't know what the A and B are in. Suppose they are some science-based subjects. Then Science and Engineering faculties are too competitive. Even if you make it in by a whisker, be prepared to repeat cos the courses are likely to be too challenging. I've seen a senior repeat MA 103 - Analysis 1 (mathematics) enough times for me to cringe. She was a year my senior and still doing the course (first year module required for graduation) when I'm in my 4th Semester.

Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry are out. Eh, this is not north enough where you can expect places to be reserved for the people of the land even if their results are less than spectacular!

So what's left? Try A levels again or find other universities.

I am a wet blanket and rightly so. But I will also tell you that my friends up north also didn't make it to the prestigious courses of their choice because there is a quota for the people of the land. They ended up doing what was second or third choices. Others also didn't make it because of quota, not because they were not good enough.

In this case, the rejections were on the grounds on merit and interviews. There is at least some form of transparency.

Oh yes. This brings me to another letter who talked about some applicant with straight As not making Pharmacy. The interview is very important. If some unkempt guy walks into an interview room and he does not have behaviour or temperament suited for Pharmacy, are you going to take him or are you going to offer the place to someone else? I think the choice is clear. Straight A people may not make doctors because they may have less than desirable character traits or the also show glimpses of undesirable bed side manners. Some things that you know from your experience that cannot be changed by education or training.

So what is my point? A few points really and I'm not giving my all since the 7 points may already cause some people to rue for the whole week.

1. Life ain't fair. If you can't take it, go suck shit.

2. If God gives you lemons, make the best lemonade possible.

3. Your child is ordinary. If s/he's special, s/he needs help. Otherwise, s/he is not the king/queen of the world. (Think about it. Even Elizabeth II is only Queen of Britain.)

4. No one owes you or your child a living. If you are not good enough, stand aside. Otherwise, do something to become better.

5. The best of the best need not get the best of anything available. Take it or leave it.

6. If you have time to complain, you should have used the time to do a better job in the first place.

7. If you think you're good, someone's better and s/he's out there.

I think I am bloody qualified to make those points above because I have internalised them, some the hard way.