Practical

I wonder why they call Science practicals "practicals" when they're, in my opinion, not very practical at all. What does titrating chemicals, warming solutions gently, sniffing out pungent gases, soaking potato strips in sugar solution and drawing fruits and flowers do for you in later life?

I can understand PE - promotion of a healthy lifestyle. They teach us to get active and how to play some sports so at least we can try to look sporty and cool while we're at it (this does not apply to THE screamy bunch). They also help us to ensure that we don't eat too much by constantly checking our height and weight (where would we be without PE?).

The purpose for learning languages is clear - so we can speak and be understood (like, duh). Literature is to help us get in touch with our inner arty farty selves, and to help us appreciate the arts better, while History allows us to gain knowledge on events that took place prior to our existence, so that we can appear intelligent. Another common reason I hear is so that we don't repeat past mistakes. But that's not as important as appearing intelligent, of course. Geography trains one in the art of memorising and regurgitating. It is, after all, better to vomit out paragraphs and paragraphs of facts rather than one's breakfast.

Math imparts to us basic calculation skills, and allows (some of) us to become highly proficient in the use of prized tools, such as the compass (NOT the useful kind that will point you in the right direction if you get stranded on a deserted island aka Lost) and the set squares which help us to draw squares.

Wait, what?

Set squares are triangles?

Oh. Sorry.

Anyway, back to what I was saying, Math is also very useful to those special few that feel a calling within them to become pilots (relative velocity - when autopilot fails them), accountants (when those darned calculators ALL decide to boycott them), fortune tellers (statistics can help them predict who will win Singapore Idol - I think), and weirdos who stand on the ground, look up at a flagpole and wonder what the angle of elevation would be, assuming their eyeballs have fallen out of their sockets and onto the ground below them.

As for the Sciences, I'm only qualified enough to talk about Biology and Chemistry. Let's say we're all aspiring to become great research scientists, or doctors or something, then yes, of course they're useful. They are also good stress building subjects which will always be there to provide one with more stress if at any time, they don't feel stressed enough.

But it's those practicals that bug me. They are the bane of my very sad existence. They are placed in the O level examinations to provide boring Cambridge markers with a source of laughter, especially when they receive my paper. What can I say? I'm a bona fide joy-bringer.

You know, thinking about it, maybe practicals could be useful in the future.


































































































































Yeah, right.

Like if I decide to become a *potato stripper.

*Unofficial definition of a potato stripper: A person who studies the change in length of potatoes placed in different concentrations of sugar solutions as a life long profession.
PLEASE.
What were you thinking?