A "mini-Miracle" of sorts

Today, we got back our scripts for our mid term examinations - Goodness gracious. I took an initial look and I got 23.5 upon 60!! Gosh!!! How can that be?? I was expecting about 30 plus points thereabouts. I knew I didn't ace the exams but surely, I didn't do THAT badly? I was quite surprised when they first posted our grades on the webpage. I didn't expect to do so badly.

However, I found out that the teaching assistant had forgotten to add five marks for my last question - that means, my total should have been 28.5, which would bring my grade to 3.0 after rounding up (still not a pass grade, which is 4.0). Nevertheless, it would improve my average score together with my assignment (which my classmates have painstakenly taken time to do and managed to get a 5.5 average out of 6.0 so far) - I said my classmates because, I contributed almost nothing to the assignments - no clue how to do - I am totally helpless when it comes to Matlab programming for Empirical statistical analysis - Yes.... I am lousy with programming. Perhaps I should pick up some programming in the holidays.

And I felt that I should check again - guess what??!! I found that he marked one of my questions wrongly!! I got another 2 marks - this brings my total to 30.5!! This doesn't change my final grade - but still - it made me feel better about myself. I'm not THAT bad. I just need to work harder. So - the mid terms was within my expectations after all. I just didn't expect them to be so slip shod with the counting on the marks and the marking and I didn't expect them to be so strict with the grade. Come on... 30.5 out of 60 is more than half the marks. Conventionally, this should be a pass - it's more than 50%!! And this is a Masters programme for goodness' sake! Why does one need 66.7% of the marks to pass??? It really baffles me! The professors here are a bit crazy.

But I am really thankful to God for bringing me thus far - My grades are improving (finally). And I am better able to understand what's going on in class. The squiggly formulae no longer scare me. I am able to look at all those differential equations and feel proud that I actually understand what they say. Amazing. Previously, I would just lament and stare into blank space. It was really tough... but I think my brains are adjusting. But... I still have a lot more to work on. Still far away... so gotta work harder - and depend on God's grace.

Ciao for now.

Barns