Sarah received her Bachelor's Degree on 27th September last week. So what is the difference between graduand and graduate?
A graduand is simply a student who has passed all the examinations required for a particular degree (or diploma) and has qualified to graduate. The student becomes a graduate when he or she receives the degree or scroll during the graduation ceremony (or convocation, if you like).
Hence, it is incorrect to address graduands as graduates before they receive their degrees.
Quite subtle, I must say.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Merdeka Day
Hello! It's 23rd September and I'm down under in Sydney at Sarah and Scott Velazquez's place. Sarah is our daughter.
THE Federation of Malaya (as it was known then) just celebrated it's 53 years of independence on 31st August. Last week on 16th September, Malaysia (now comprising of Sabah, Sarawak and The Federation of Malaya) celebrated it's 47 years of formation since 1963 (Singapore left the Malaysian Federation on 6th July 1965) . We now call it Malaysia Day.
(A historical note here: Sabah gained it's independence from Britain on 16th September 1963 by joining the newly formed Malaysia whilst Sarawak actually gained independence on 22nd July 1963).
So what's the puzzle here?
It is incorrect to say that we celebrated the 53rd Merdeka Day. Or for that matter the 47th Malaysia Day. We should say we celebrated 53 years of independence. The first day of independence is 31st August 1957. So count it year by year and 31st August 2010 is actually the 54th.
To further clarify, it is absurb to say somebody celebrates his 61st birthday when he is sixty-one years old. We should say, he celebrates his birthday today, the 2nd of October. He is sixty-one years old today.
However, where anniversaries are concerned, after one year of marriage, we say that the couple celebrate their 1st Wedding Anniversary.
So there you are!
THE Federation of Malaya (as it was known then) just celebrated it's 53 years of independence on 31st August. Last week on 16th September, Malaysia (now comprising of Sabah, Sarawak and The Federation of Malaya) celebrated it's 47 years of formation since 1963 (Singapore left the Malaysian Federation on 6th July 1965) . We now call it Malaysia Day.
(A historical note here: Sabah gained it's independence from Britain on 16th September 1963 by joining the newly formed Malaysia whilst Sarawak actually gained independence on 22nd July 1963).
So what's the puzzle here?
It is incorrect to say that we celebrated the 53rd Merdeka Day. Or for that matter the 47th Malaysia Day. We should say we celebrated 53 years of independence. The first day of independence is 31st August 1957. So count it year by year and 31st August 2010 is actually the 54th.
To further clarify, it is absurb to say somebody celebrates his 61st birthday when he is sixty-one years old. We should say, he celebrates his birthday today, the 2nd of October. He is sixty-one years old today.
However, where anniversaries are concerned, after one year of marriage, we say that the couple celebrate their 1st Wedding Anniversary.
So there you are!
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