Tired of this.

We sit in school from 4th year to 5th year learning what we need to obtain our coveted places at university. Then 6th year arrives upon our road to vocational enlightenment like a coy street performer, enticing us one way or the other with the promised rewards of more qualifications, an easier time at university and a faster and shorter route to success. Our closest friends turn unwittingly into the obstacles of our educational prosperity as they acquiesce to the jester's desires, reaching deep into their pockets to give him one year of their lives, his need for which remains remarkably unjustified.

That was how it was for myself at my own sheltered bubble of a private school. Little enough reason was provided for us to attempt 6th year, yet we still followed slowly along the goaded path of high school education. Possibly, the majority of us opted not to apply to university after the close of 5th year simply because we were told we could then procrastinate crafting a personal statement till the next year.

It seems other schools may have wisely encouraged their students to complete their high school education at the boundaries of 5th year education. Now upon the less defined road of a University course, I find that our ever-caring University staff have taken assiduously to ensuring that each and every candidate is allowed to relish in the fact that they avoided sixth year studies or at least, they studied nothing of any real worth during their ultimate year, by providing compulsory classes that yet again will find anyone of remote scientific or literary competence dispassionately repeating not only their 6th and 5th year, but portions of their standard grades as well.

I was aware that Universities had entry requirements. Perhaps they should be a little stricter, instead we are all fed in the same paddy field of projected incompetence. It grows tiring proving repeatedly that your awarded grade in 4th year english was genuine and that you do recall the procedures of producing a critical essay of the most basic requirements. Conceivably a higher grade in Computing would permit any given candidate to infer that his or her ability to produce simple powerpoint presentations and discuss them in front of an audience was suitably capable. A standard grade, let alone a higher and advanced higher in Biology and Physics would, if conjecture allowed, permit any student a suitable knowledge of plant structures, basic gas laws, concepts of photosynthesis and a general understanding of DNA and its role in the repetitive breeding of drosophila flies.

In truth I understate. There's nothing that we have learnt in the provided scientific classes in university that either was taught to me at a higher or advanced higher level, or that I could have deduced with some applied thought. The struggle is only to recall what I did learn in 6th year. This pandering to the incompetency of the majority of 1st year candidates is obscene. Let alone the relative unimportance of the material we are presented with, in regard to the courses we're actually studying.

Either we should all avoid sixth year, or Universities must cease indulging the astounding deficiencies of any of their candidates, and firmly stick to the letter of their entry requirements.

BM101. The class responsible for mass education regarding to the production of power point presentations, and the difficult steps required for anyone to successfully use Google.

"Attendance at all lectures, tutorials, and examinations is compulsory and an attendance record will be kept. Although the lectures are accompanied by a complete set of lecture notes, attendance at lectures is regarded as essential for the proper understanding of the subject. Random checks will be made of attendance at lectures. Unsatisfactory attendance may result in you being considered non-qualified to take the appropriate degree examination. If your attendance is unsatisfactory you will be given an oral examination, the result of which will determine your entitlement to take the degree examination. If you do miss a session it is essential that you provide the class co-ordinator with a satisfactory explanation (e.g. a medical certificate) for the absence."

I can't possibly think what the questions are going to be if a candidate hasn't attended any of the lectures, labs or tutorials. Perhaps they will ask me if I can turn on my computer? Operate a keyboard? Give a talk in front of an audience of enraptured chimpanzees? Define the structure of a good essay? Stand on my head and shout about my general inadequacy to the world? Declare that I am completely inept, like everyone else, in regard to the requirements of University.

Have we really left the sheltered bubble of high school, or have we just curled up in a fetal fashion therein and hidden our eyes with our hands? My searingly declared plea would be that we were permitted the right to learn regarding our actual subjects. Two hours of Forensics studies a week serve only to whet my appetite and sate not my hankering for more.

Perhaps I should've left after 5th year, because I'm tired of this.