i do not have a problem against SIM or UniSim students. what i cannot stand is dishonesty. for example a person is doing a degree at UniSim offered by Uni of Wollongong. when this person is asked by others where he's studying at, he says 'uni of Wollongong'. but that is factually incorrect. He should say 'im studying in UniSim for a degree offered by Wollongong'. cos if you stop at 'uni of Wollongong' then you give an impression to others that you're actually studying for a full time degree in Australia! imagine the agony you may put the person through if they were interested in studying in Australia too and wanted to know more but it is only then that you reveal that
either you're studying in Clementi
or have yet to go to Wollongong cos that only happens at 2.5 year mark, into the degree as part of the cultural immersion phase
I recently exposed 4 chaps on this forum. prior to this startling revelation I was unaware of this scheme where you can study at UniSim for 2 and a half years and then finish the last 6 months in UK at the uni(for example Manchester) whose degree you're studying towards to.
these 4 chaps were separately dishing out advice to other forum members. take note that nowhere during this period of time did they once reveal honestly and fully that they were only in UK for 6 months as part of the '2.5 years at UniSim and 6 months in UK' route.
although some of the advice they dished out were clearly half-truths I let it slide. but as time went by I began to see a pattern of idiosyncrasy in their posts and I was obliged to probe further. I confronted them with my sharp set of questions and questioning prowess and it all soon began to unravel. the game was up. these 4 blokes had only spent 6 months in UK as part of the finishing lap to what some would say '2.5 years in SG and 6 months in UK' route. So with nowhere to run or hide they did they next best thing. they ganged up together and launched verbal tirades at me.
one user said that I was an elite. another said that the only reason why I could go to UK was cos I or my parents had money. the third said that the only reason why I went to UK was cos I could not make it to the local unis (which means im a failure) and termed my decision to go to UK for my studies as 'backdoor'. (he should try telling that to the 600 SG students who fly to UK every year for their undergraduate studies). the fourth clearly thought that I was none the wiser and ridiculed me for deciding to pursue my course of studies.
and my alleged crime? that I looked down on distance learning students when all I did was point out to them and the general public that you simply are in no position to dish out advice to others on UK or Manchester or elsewhere especially if you were only there for 6 months. if you're stubborn by nature and still choose to dish out advice then clearly put a disclaimed at the top of your post that you only spent or are in UK for 6 months as part of the '2.5 years in UniSim and 6 months in UK' route. that is the right thing to do.
if you're free and want to read more then do a check on my previous posts to get the full picture.
anyways I realized one thing. Birds of the same feathers flock together. To the general public who may be reading this. if you want to pursue a distance learning degree then by all means carry on. its your life and your decision. but please do not overreact like the 4 persons I mentioned above and get all defensive when you feel like someone is attacking you for your choice of doing a DL degree cos that may very well not be the intention of the person asking you those questions.
you need to calm down and ascertain if that is indeed the question. in the incident I cited above, all i asked them was whether they had the right to make claims about UK or Manchester or where ever they were in if they only spent 6 months there. but they went into a fit cos they weren't thinking straight. they immediately thought that I was attacking them for doing a DL degree.
now ask yourself this. why did they overreact and become defensive? there lies the answer.