I didn't think it was possible but I managed to get a General Education Module (GEM) for 7 bid points.

As I've mentioned, in the university I attend, we get the classes that we're supposed to go to via bidding. We don't sign up for them manually rather we go through an auction like system where the more desperate you are for a certain class means the more points you pile on it to increase the probability of actually getting it.

For a brief overview of the system, please refer to the following:

1. Where Demand exceeds Supply

Scenario: There are 5 places available for bidding in Class A. However, 8 people are now in contention for 5 places, with the respective bids being 50, 30, 28, 27, 24, 15, 8, 1.

Since there are only 5 spots available, the individuals with the 5 highest bid points get it, being individuals being 50, 30, 28, 27 and 24 points respectively. Everyone pays the same number of points and that happens to be equals to the number of points bidded by the individual with the 5th highest bid, aka 24. So the top 5 individuals each pay 24 points and get the class. The others will have to find some other class.

2. Where Supply exceeds/equals Demand

Scanario: There are now 10 places available for bidding in Class B and there are now 6 bidders, bidding 5,6,9,10,17 and 19 points. As the number of places available exceed the number of people wanting to take the class, all 6 bidders get the class and everyone pays 1 point each.

Anyway for my GEM, I found myself in a situation where 142 people were competing for 130 places. Now the last time that happened, which was last week, I had the next minimum bid (to get the class) pushed all the way to 700 (talk about a staggering number for a freshman). In the end, I dropped out of the bidding process for that class and replanned a whole new timetable, this time including the particular GEM I was just successfully allocated.

I didn't think it was possible to get a GEM for under 20 points because if you're had a look at the trend, normally most GEMS and Singapore Studies modules will cost you a couple of hundred points, easily. Now all that's left for the rest of this semester when it comes to bidding is to hope that my last module for the bidding round doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.

Anyway, regarding my nastry trip to the ground, aka my fall recently which resulted in 2 wounds on my knees. The wounds just spent the last couple of days secreting that yellowish liquid, though after the application of a medication that acts an an antiseptic, coupled with antiseptic spray and antiseptic cream (never underestimate the importance of antiseptic what-not), it is now secreting less liquid. It has more or less ceased on my right knee which also has the smaller of the 2 wounds. The wound on the left still looks a little nasty, albeit not as nasty as yesterday, and it's less yellowish, and more pinkish looking. Which seems to be a healthy thing. It should be a matter of time before it stops secreting that sickening fluid and begin to form a proper scab. My knees are now coloured purple due to the antiseptic liquid I've been applying. Hehe. I hope there won't be scarring.