The guardian angels in one’s life: 06 (The persistent naggers)

 

(This is based on the situation at the time [1978] as I remember it now, 47 years later.)

University applications started in November, with interviews in January (or April??).

    Provisional offers were made on the basis that the applicant got the grades asked for.

    If the applicant did not get those grades (come June or July when the results came out), s/he could re-apply through the clearing system in August or September, either for the same subject at another university that would accept the lower grades, or for a different subject — at that university or a different one — with a lower threshold.

    In those days, there was a small handful of UK institutions that offered degrees in Chinese.  Oxford and Cambridge, with their international reputation, would require an applicant to have higher grades, whilst a polytechnic would take applicants with lower grades.

    So, those who’d failed to get the grades expected for a place on the Oxbridge Chinese degree course could try the polytechnic through the clearing system.  It is a benevolent way of doing things that tries to be as inclusive as possible, giving people another chance to get in (and change the direction of their lives).

    The other side of the coin is:  those who got higher grades than previously expected could “ditch“ the first institution that accepted them and go for a more prestigious one [in the eyes of future employers] — which was exactly what Steve and Hugh were encouraging me to do.  (See https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-guardian-angels-in-ones-life-05.html for more about Steve and Hugh.)

    I’d originally applied to the poly for their dual language degree course, which included six months in each of the countries of my two chosen languages for the Year Abroad (Year 3).  Was accepted straightaway at the interview, and duly went off to do my bit for achieving the grades required.

    When the results came out in June or July, I was nagged daily by Steve and Hugh, who were my classmates on the evening Mandarin course, to switch to SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London).  So as (ha, pun!) not to come across as being ungrateful for their kind concern over my future, I finally applied to SOAS through the clearing system.

    And just in time, too.  I was interviewed on the Friday, one working day before the polytechnic registration on the following Monday.  Talk about close shaves!

    I had to ring the poly on Monday to say, “Sorry, I’m not coming in today to register on your course after all.”  (I’m usually the one who’s jilted…)

    Thank you, Steve (deceased) and Hugh for your untiring efforts on my behalf.  I owe you my next lifetime’s worth of favours.

(London, 1978)

The guardian angels in one's life: 05 (The evening course classmates)

The ‘A’ level college in London wouldn’t let me take three subjects in one year, considering it too heavy a workload.

    Just for background reference:  when I was doing my ‘A’ levels in Singapore the first time round, called Pre-U in those days (1971–2), we had to do five subjects and pass them all in one sitting.  If you failed in any of the five subjects, you couldn’t just re-take that/those subject(s) alone, you had to re-take all five.  Such were the high standards demanded of us out in the ex-colony.  In the UK, however, it was possible to take one ‘A’ level subject at a time during those days (1977), adding them up until you had enough to apply for university.

    A British friend’s advice at the time was that although universities asked for a minimum of two ‘A’ level passes to get in (the grades would depend on what was set by each individual university), I would/might have more of a competitive edge with three ‘A’ level passes, even if the third one was a mere D (two grades above Fail).

    Since the day college wouldn’t let me take three ‘A’ level subjects in one year with them, I decided to sign up for an evening ‘A’ level subject at the Polytechnic of Central London for my third offering for university application.  I chose Mandarin, as I’d only done it up to ‘O’ levels (age 16) as a second language (compulsory in Singapore in my days).

    It was on that evening Mandarin course that I met Steve Hunt and Hugh Lansdowne who would turn out to be the two guardian angels guiding me a year later onto the future path of my life.

    I’d originally set my sights on the Polytechnic’s dual language degree because I like languages and also because students got to go abroad in their third year, staying six months in each country of their two chosen languages.  So, in my case, it was to be China and either Spain or Mexico, which was all very exciting.

    After my ‘A’ level results came out, Steve and Hugh said that with two distinctions, I should apply to SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies).  I argued that the single honours degree programme at SOAS offered only one language with no Year Abroad (at that time).  They said that a degree from the University of London would be worth a lot more to future employers than a degree from a polytechnic.

    They then took it in turn to ring me every day to remind me to apply to SOAS through the clearing system*.

    In the end, I was too embarrassed about telling them each time that I hadn’t applied to SOAS, after all their good intentions, which made me feel ungrateful, that I did apply just so that I could tell them the next time they rang that I had indeed acted on their advice.

    So, it was these two guardian angels who set me on the path to SOAS, where I spent three wonderful years on the BA course, then went back four years after graduating to work on two Chinese computer research projects there.

    A BIG THANK YOU to Steve (deceased) and Hugh!  I’m eternally grateful.

(London, 1977–78)

* For more on the clearing system, if you're interested, read https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-guardian-angels-in-ones-life-06.html 

Marking homework (London)

I had a reputation with my students for having a very active red pen.

They’d get their homework back, covered in red:  some were corrections, some were comments (on why a particular usage/translation was wrong), and some were my offerings of an alternative or a better version.  

I often told them that if they made no mistakes, they were then in the wrong grade and should be in a higher grade, and that they were therefore not learning anything new.  This always worked to massage their bruised ego, but it’s true though.  The students themselves would also agree whenever I said this to them.

They got so used to these red markings being an indication of how many mistakes they’d made that they’d occasionally cry out in surprise at a smiley face next to a correct or good sentence.

One of the evening students in my early days at the polytechnic, back in the mid-80s, was a lady in her 60s (70s??) who was very conscientious, handing in homework every week in spite of making loads of mistakes.  (Full marks for effort and attitude — it’s the trying that’s important.)  

Every week, she had to leave ten minutes before the end of class to go and catch her train home (somewhere outside London).  She’d hand in her homework en route to the door, and say with a giggle and a shrug of her shoulders, “I’ll buy you a new red pen next week!”  

Extra bonus point for her sense of humour, laughing about it in spite of the shock of getting homework back that shouts back at her covered in red.  

It’s the learning that counts.  What’s the point of getting 100 marks for every single piece of homework, however rewarding it might be?  She’s not learning anything new.

(London, 1985)