Out of Sorts

Last week was our Prelims, and yesterday I started getting back my exam scripts.

I first got back paper one for Physics. I was the lowest in my Civics Group -- only managing an E -- and I was really quite saddened. I didn't expect anything from this paper though; I was not concentrating during this particular paper.

Next was Geography paper one. Despite merely attaining a sub-pass, I didn't get as sad as I was for Physics, considering it was still an improvement from failing the entire paper altogether during the Mid-Year exams. My DRQs were appalling though, I got a zero for question 4.

The last paper I got back for the day was paper two of General Paper. When I saw that I got 27 marks, I was pretty disappointed. After managing to add 3 marks -- making it a 30, Marcus promptly reminded me that 30 out of 50 is actually a B grade, so its really pretty good. I was then suddenly jolted into realisation that hey, that's a B!

After school I completed the 2008 A Level Math papers in preparation for today's Math tutorial and after which I realised it was still quite early -- barely 6pm -- but I didn't have any other work with me then so I left the school.

The first lesson for today was supposed to be PE but we do not have PE lessons this term so it turned into a self-study period where my class sat at a study bench mostly doing Math.

During Geography we spent over 80% of the time watching a video of a basketball player -- Larry Bird -- and the legacy he left in his sporting career. Mr Chen showed us the video trying to illustrate what 'mind over matter' meant; apparently he saw that a couple of us in the lecture theatre were visibly depressed yesterday while getting back our papers.

For Math lecture we got back both paper one and paper two, and surprisingly, I did not fail! Despite scoring merely an E (which I wasn't too happy about since there is a whole bunch of people who scored close to full marks), I was trying to encourage myself by telling myself that at least I didn't fail and at least it was still an improvement over failing both papers altogether during Mid-Years.

The last subject in which I got back papers for the day was Chemistry during tutorial, and it was pretty scary since Mr Lee returned us all three papers at one go. Before the class started he casually asked who is still sleeping less than eight hours a day and I giggled a little. Mr Lee knows the sleep I get is pathetic every schoolday but he gave a smile, saying that I got a sub-pass for Chemistry! The class clapped a little; they know how badly I've been doing all the while and how this improvement -- albeit still not very good in absolute terms -- really meant a lot to me. A subpass isn't even a proper passing grade, but Mr Lee was a quite happy that I am seeing the improvements I've been working towards, and he told the entire class to not give up.

After the lunch break I had Physics tutorial, and Mr Cha went through some paper two questions, and being ahead of time he also ended the lesson earlier. I went to the washroom, and walking back I entered the classroom from the back door, and I saw a whole bunch of students in the room and Mr Lee was in the middle of teaching them.

I WAS IN THE WRONG CLASSROOM!

I just walked in, saw what I had gotten into, and immediately said sorry, turned around and left. It all happened within ten seconds (but it felt like ten minutes) and Mr Lee didn't even had time to respond. As I walked out I could hear the entire class giggle.

Oh goodness, how I wished I had a hole to hide in. I'd never been in such embarassing situations, being very alert and street-smart at all times. Apparently that was S402, since Chester promptly texted me about it. I just cannot live this down. Thank god I realised my mistake fast enough when I walked in there instead of staying stunned there though. Apparently after I left the room Mr Lee told the class "and that's my student". Really, shit. I don't know how I am going to face Mr Lee during Thursday's Chemistry tutorial. Mad embarassing.

I got back into the class and told a few people about it. I was madly hyperventilating over the embarassment. As Mr Cha left the classroom at the end of the lesson, I walked with him to the staffroom, first telling him about the embarassing episode I went through and next just generally chatting with him about my Physics grades.

During Math tutorial Mr Sim showed us our unreleased truncated timetable for the next two weeks, just so he could book 4 continuous periods a week for us to do full papers. -_- Still we took a sneak peek at our truncated timetables and it was really 'truncated' initially, before Mr Sim booked those slots of course.

Geography was turned into an entire self-study period but people who wanted consultation could do it then too. Chloe, Rebecca and I thus did our Math homework and I stayed in the class for over three hours until Mr Firdaus finished consultation with every single one and was checking on me. He was going to leave but I asked him to just take a quick look through my entire Geography paper one and give me some comments since I don't really have specific questions to ask. While he was going through the paper I ended up having some questions as he spoke and I really think I always ask the weirdest of questions 'cause he really had to spend some time thinking through. So basically overall he commented that I was thinking enough to know what the questions were asking and had no problems coming up with the points, but I really have to add in more details tweak a little to really give value to the factors I wrote in since none of them were conceptually wrong, simply undeveloped.

Well at least that showed that I still have much hope for my Geography paper one since I would just need more practice to gauge how much detail I need and also study the content more thoroughly.

Will get back all my papers by the end of this week... I really hope I won't get U for any subject...