Tuesday and The Miracle of Technology

Thank the Lord for PDAs.

I almost forgot to have my grades evaluated, and that would have led to serious graduating problems. But, the miracles of technology have given me a gadget to chirp like a pigeon and to tell me to have my grades evaluated. A bird to wind up my world*.

I went to the university and there were a bunch of written announcements in AS 101, otherwise known as the College Secretary's air-conditioned oasis-slash-pleasure dome, complete with eunuchs and belly dancers and an occasional two-humped camel. Most of the announcements were variations of "Keep Quiet" and a few were wanted ads for odd jobs with vague details of what the job entailed. One announcement said, "Evaluation of Grades after Lunch."

It was 9 in the morning. Great. Four hours to burn, which I did walking under the burning sun, doing things that my mechanical pigeon kept chirping on for me to do. I got my sablay for graduation, got a clearance form, got my one-month overdue TOR, and paid my library fees.

All these things, I would have forgotten if it weren't for my wind-up bird, which is a miracle of technology. The gadget also got me through the heat because it could play mp3s. What a miracle! It's like walking on water.


All this talk about miracles of technology reminds me about the cryptic UP grading system. I have no idea how professors decide grades. Each time I do bad in a course, I get a high grade. If I do good in a course, I get a low grade.

Like in Comparative Anatomy. I failed three exams and the finals. By definition**, I have zero attendance. And I sleep in class. Expected grade: 3.0. I got a 2.25. High.

Now, compare it with Science, Technology and Society: perfect attendance, high exam scores, prepared presentations (no adlibs or impromptus), and submitted a well-researched scholarly paper. Expected grade: 1.25. I got a 1.75. Low.

Further compare it with Social Psychology: maximized the allowed absences, didn't pass a single exercise (worth 15% of the grade), barely passed the one and only exam, never prepared for a single presentation, and submitted a crammed, embarassing paper***. Expected Grade: 2.5. I got a 1.75. High.

There are stories of professors who grade their students with dart boards, or little pieces of paper in a hat, and even eenie-meenie-meinie-moo. With every semester of unexpected grades, I slowly begin to believe these stories.

Now, the reason that I was reminded of my grades by the miracles of technology is Child Psychology: all exams dangling on the abyss of failure, overshot the number of absences, no participation in class, and little participation in the group paper. Expected grade: 4.0. Hoped-for grade: 3.0. I got a 1.25.

Now, I have this theory why I got a 1.25. UP has a computerized grading system; so once the professor pushes the submit button, there's no turning back. Professors, being old and technologically equal to walnuts, have trouble using computers. The miracles of technology and the probable bumbling of the said professor gave me a 1.25.

What a miracle!

Of course, I have another theory: I really did get a 1.25 and my severe inferiority complex together with my chronic worrying leads me to underestimate my academic standings.


* I've been reading Murakami. Forgive the stolen metpahor.
** If you're not in class by thirty minutes, you're absent.
*** Papers are supposed to be the holy grail of Psych majors. It's what gives us our high marks.