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Argh I'm so frustrated with the education system here in Singapore. It's just so stressful and competitive. You also can't really "study ahead" because almost everybody else does the same thing, and for those that don't "study ahead" they just build a really strong foundation on the current topics being taught and so they are the ones that score above average.
Is this the same in Western countries? It just makes me feel so stressed out and angsty all the time. When you're 12 you take your first National Exam and you're immediately sorted out from average to American ( I kid of course :D ). You're sent to different schools that can be seen as a way of displaying your level of intelligence just by the uniform you wear. Then there's this whole deal with elitism for those that are in the top-tier schools.
I mean, when I was 13 I just took regular mechanical physics, learning about measurements and stuff like that, pretty basic right? However, I knew ex-school mates who were in the top-tier schools that were already doing thermal and wave physics. This just saddens me to know our academic capabilities are already predetermined at such a young age. Surely there are some 'later bloomers' that can't live up to their full potential because of their average and mediocre school?
Recently, I was tasked with a Science project that will make up 50% of my grade this term. The task is to pretend to be 'an active Singaporean who has just obtained [my] undergraduate degree in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley, [I should] have my own views on [ using Nuclear energy in Singapore ] .' I have to back up my argument with proper research findings, expert opinions, documentaries, etc.
Is this too much to ask for from an 'average' 15 year old student? I have no idea what evidence I'am going to use other than from newspaper articles. I will also have to present my argument with ' a letter to a newspaper editor, blog, YouTube video, etc. '
Damn it!
  
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No, it's not unreasonable. Since your english seems to be excellent, use www.lexisnexis.com/scholastic for finding articles on everything, it's a great database.
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On January 31 2012 21:02 Praetorial wrote:No, it's not unreasonable. Since your english seems to be excellent, use www.lexisnexis.com/scholastic for finding articles on everything, it's a great database.
Thanks for the link, but it seems that I need an account to enter the database?
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Does it matter if its unreasonable? Its the way it is, thats it.
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Haha, now you feel the pain I have went through less than 5 years ago. Secondary ~ university was downright hell. Good luck surviving through these, A-levels are impossible in these years 
And no, this is never too much to ask. I was tasked to write General papers marked at A-level standards at the age of 14. Also, your topics are pretty detailed, so you can pretty much send in a few thousand word report.
Think of this topic from two points of view. One, you're an undergraduate from UC Berkeley. you could write about how UC Berkeley ( I have no idea what's UC Berkeley anyway ) teaches nuclear energy, and what are your views as an undergraduate for nuclear energy in Singapore. Also, after learning about nuclear energy for more than two years, you (undergraduate) should definitely know the risks for nuclear energy in Singapore.
The evidences are pretty simple. Use videos, documentaries or accounts from students/lecturers from UC Berkeley about nuclear energy taught there. Also, put in documentaries/articles of how nuclear energy can/will affect singapore. EZPZ!
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YES. That's what it is!
Also, to the guy who said that he had to write an a-level standard GP at sec 2... me too!
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On January 31 2012 21:14 Azera wrote:YES. That's what it is! Also, to the guy who said that he had to write an a-level standard GP at sec 2... me too!
I don't know about you, but I used to love projects because we can use it as an excuse to skip doing homework 
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I know how you feel :D
Drop me a PM if you really need someone to talk to or just some (good) advice. I'm matriculating this year to NUS dentistry. The past 20 years (excluding NS and toddler-hood :D ) have been tough, but hard work will pay off.
We haven't got a choice but to suck it up  Damn our insane meritocracy.
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On January 31 2012 21:17 HaruRH wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:14 Azera wrote:YES. That's what it is! Also, to the guy who said that he had to write an a-level standard GP at sec 2... me too! I don't know about you, but I used to love projects because we can use it as an excuse to skip doing homework
Skip homework in favour of doing projects? 'Blasphemy!', my teachers will cry. Do both at an Asian standard!
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lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun
for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race
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Ah, the rigorous attire code of Singapore schools. Bane of my fucking existence.
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On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race
For my year, I will be taking the new version of EL O-Levels. Expository essay instead of narratives =(
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On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race
Heard of the rumoured story of the O level topic "Bravery"?
Someone wrote
"This is Bravery."
And ended there.
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On January 31 2012 21:21 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race For my year, I will be taking the new version of EL O-Levels. Expository essay instead of narratives =(
Expository essays are much easier than narratives imo.
Argue you ass off. You can do it pal
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On January 31 2012 21:21 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race Heard of the rumoured story of the O level topic "Bravery"? Someone wrote "This is Bravery." And ended there.
LOL We all probably heard different variations of it. What I heard was about the topic "Courage".
"This is courage."
That's what the myth said the student wrote.
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On January 31 2012 21:21 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race Heard of the rumoured story of the O level topic "Bravery"? Someone wrote "This is Bravery." And ended there.
lol when my teacher told the story the topic was "Courage"
Also if there really isnt anymore narrative essays then fuck MOE
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On January 31 2012 21:22 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:21 Azera wrote:On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race For my year, I will be taking the new version of EL O-Levels. Expository essay instead of narratives =( Expository essays are much easier than narratives imo. Argue you ass off. You can do it pal
Yeah thanks :D Fortunately for me, my strong point is argumentative essays since I learnt how to debate in Primary school.
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Yea. The other day i checked out the current PSLE assessment books and i was so shocked to see so much of my secondary school biology being taught in primary school!! Im so glad i survived the education system and did well in them. Keep trucking along! You will make it just based on your post! =)
My only tip to you is dont get caught up in competition. It can be scary being surrounded by kiasu singaporeans and everyone around is mugging their butts off while you arent. But find your own way to LEARNING and just stick to it till the end! Dont be pressured to do what everyone else is doing! Trust me, the singaporean method of studying just for exams can give you a nice cert, but it wont help you succeed in the future!
My method of studying was to just pay full attention during class so i study less at home! This allowed me to actually play during exam time!! Do your homework lol it helps =p. Anyway, jia you! you can do it! =D
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On January 31 2012 21:24 DoX.) wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:21 theBALLS wrote:On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race Heard of the rumoured story of the O level topic "Bravery"? Someone wrote "This is Bravery." And ended there. lol when my teacher told the story the topic was "Courage" Also if there really isnt anymore narrative essays then fuck MOE
No, hes in a different course than normal Secondary school students. I read wrongly
Haha, the memories of secondary school. I was so used to writing General Papers that when we were tasked to write a narrative essay, we had no idea how to approach it O.o
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On January 31 2012 21:26 Ryukku wrote:
Yea. The other day i checked out the current PSLE assessment books and i was so shocked to see so much of my secondary school biology being taught in primary school!! Im so glad i survived the education system and did well in them. Keep trucking along! You will make it just based on your post! =)
My only tip to you is dont get caught up in competition. It can be scary being surrounded by kiasu singaporeans and everyone around is mugging their butts off while you arent. But find your own way to LEARNING and just stick to it till the end! Dont be pressured to do what everyone else is doing! Trust me, the singaporean method of studying just for exams can give you a nice cert, but it wont help you succeed in the future!
My method of studying was to just pay full attention during class so i study less at home! This allowed me to actually play during exam time!! Do your homework lol it helps =p. Anyway, jia you! you can do it! =D
Yeah, I realised that I don't really pay 100% attention during class. I also skimp of the homework part a little =P
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On January 31 2012 21:27 HaruRH wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:24 DoX.) wrote:On January 31 2012 21:21 theBALLS wrote:On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race Heard of the rumoured story of the O level topic "Bravery"? Someone wrote "This is Bravery." And ended there. lol when my teacher told the story the topic was "Courage" Also if there really isnt anymore narrative essays then fuck MOE No, hes in a different course than normal Secondary school students. I read wrongly Haha, the memories of secondary school. I was so used to writing General Papers that when we were tasked to write a narrative essay, we had no idea how to approach it O.o
Different course? I'm in the express stream in a neighbourhood school taking pure chem and bio. A-maths is compulsory.
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that's how developing country catching up to the western world. We simply don't have the resource to copy the education of other country. Without that kind of attitude, i doubt we'll have the Japan and Korean of today, and you can see that the common thing among those two is a very strict education system and hardworking citizen.
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Come to India, where even if you get 98% in school, there's a chance you wont get into medical school because there are so many on 99.5....
I agree that a big school/perfect academics can get you a large boost starting off, but ultimately at work practicality and social skills are very important. From my experience, the people who do get those perfect academic results tend to be bookish, didnt have great communication skills or just werent that street smart. So dont bust yourself up studying all the time, by all means do study, but not to the point where nothing else exists in your life,just to out do other people.
Wave physics/thermal energy are present in the curriculum here too, I think it's quite common to have those at that level in school, it was the most interesting part of physics as far as I was concerned....for the first time I felt I was actually learning about stuff that was cool.. :D
I dont think your teacher expects a top level thesis on nuclear energy, maybe a few reactions, on how it works, the horrors, and localize it so singapore.
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On January 31 2012 21:28 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:26 Ryukku wrote:
Yea. The other day i checked out the current PSLE assessment books and i was so shocked to see so much of my secondary school biology being taught in primary school!! Im so glad i survived the education system and did well in them. Keep trucking along! You will make it just based on your post! =)
My only tip to you is dont get caught up in competition. It can be scary being surrounded by kiasu singaporeans and everyone around is mugging their butts off while you arent. But find your own way to LEARNING and just stick to it till the end! Dont be pressured to do what everyone else is doing! Trust me, the singaporean method of studying just for exams can give you a nice cert, but it wont help you succeed in the future!
My method of studying was to just pay full attention during class so i study less at home! This allowed me to actually play during exam time!! Do your homework lol it helps =p. Anyway, jia you! you can do it! =D Yeah, I realised that I don't really pay 100% attention during class. I also skimp of the homework part a little =P
I regretted spacing out in classes during school. Struggled to keep up with my classmates.
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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/mrAVY.png)
This is all I've got for the presentation so far =(
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On January 31 2012 21:30 dartoo wrote:
Come to India, where even if you get 98% in school, there's a chance you wont get into medical school because there are so many on 99.5....
I agree that a big school/perfect academics can get you a large boost starting off, but ultimately at work practicality and social skills are very important. From my experience, the people who do get those perfect academic results tend to be bookish, didnt have great communication skills or just werent that street smart. So dont bust yourself up studying all the time, by all means do study, but not to the point where nothing else exists in your life,just to out do other people.
Wave physics/thermal energy are present in the curriculum here too, I think it's quite common to have those at that level in school, it was the most interesting part of physics as far as I was concerned....for the first time I felt I was actually learning about stuff that was cool.. :D
I dont think your teacher expects a top level thesis on nuclear energy, maybe a few reactions, on how it works, the horrors, and localize it so singapore.
India is SO BAD.... i went to Christian medical college last year for my medical electives and my god. The doctors there told me about the selection process. HOW THE HELL do you even become a doctor in India -_-! Its crazy! Whats more apparently the fees are so steep that even if you do qualify with your results, you wont be able to pay your school fees and not make it in? Haha, i also saw many signboards with the TOP students scattered around the town.
Be glad you are in Singapore! =DDD
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On January 31 2012 21:26 Ryukku wrote:
Yea. The other day i checked out the current PSLE assessment books and i was so shocked to see so much of my secondary school biology being taught in primary school!! Im so glad i survived the education system and did well in them. Keep trucking along! You will make it just based on your post! =)
My only tip to you is dont get caught up in competition. It can be scary being surrounded by kiasu singaporeans and everyone around is mugging their butts off while you arent. But find your own way to LEARNING and just stick to it till the end! Dont be pressured to do what everyone else is doing! Trust me, the singaporean method of studying just for exams can give you a nice cert, but it wont help you succeed in the future!
My method of studying was to just pay full attention during class so i study less at home! This allowed me to actually play during exam time!! Do your homework lol it helps =p. Anyway, jia you! you can do it! =D
Yeah, I used to volunteer at an RC to give tuition to PSLE students.
I got the shock of my life when they were learning about photosynthesis, extraction of chlorophyll, etc.
Seriously, I really pity our future generations.
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On January 31 2012 21:33 Ryukku wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:30 dartoo wrote:
Come to India, where even if you get 98% in school, there's a chance you wont get into medical school because there are so many on 99.5....
I agree that a big school/perfect academics can get you a large boost starting off, but ultimately at work practicality and social skills are very important. From my experience, the people who do get those perfect academic results tend to be bookish, didnt have great communication skills or just werent that street smart. So dont bust yourself up studying all the time, by all means do study, but not to the point where nothing else exists in your life,just to out do other people.
Wave physics/thermal energy are present in the curriculum here too, I think it's quite common to have those at that level in school, it was the most interesting part of physics as far as I was concerned....for the first time I felt I was actually learning about stuff that was cool.. :D
I dont think your teacher expects a top level thesis on nuclear energy, maybe a few reactions, on how it works, the horrors, and localize it so singapore. India is SO BAD.... i went to Christian medical college last year for my medical electives and my god. The doctors there told me about the selection process. HOW THE HELL do you even become a doctor in India -_-! Its crazy! Whats more apparently the fees are so steep that even if you do qualify with your results, you wont be able to pay your school fees and not make it in? Haha, i also saw many signboards with the TOP students scattered around the town. Be glad you are in Singapore! =DDD
Yeah I think I know about the horrors of India... learnt about it from the movie "Three Idiots" or something like that haha. Was a great film.
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On January 31 2012 21:29 brachester wrote:
that's how developing country catching up to the western world. We simply don't have the resource to copy the education of other country. Without that kind of attitude, i doubt we'll have the Japan and Korean of today, and you can see that the common thing among those two is a very strict education system and hardworking citizen.
On a side note, its really funny how we're still classified as "developing".
You should visit us someday.
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On January 31 2012 21:34 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:26 Ryukku wrote:
Yea. The other day i checked out the current PSLE assessment books and i was so shocked to see so much of my secondary school biology being taught in primary school!! Im so glad i survived the education system and did well in them. Keep trucking along! You will make it just based on your post! =)
My only tip to you is dont get caught up in competition. It can be scary being surrounded by kiasu singaporeans and everyone around is mugging their butts off while you arent. But find your own way to LEARNING and just stick to it till the end! Dont be pressured to do what everyone else is doing! Trust me, the singaporean method of studying just for exams can give you a nice cert, but it wont help you succeed in the future!
My method of studying was to just pay full attention during class so i study less at home! This allowed me to actually play during exam time!! Do your homework lol it helps =p. Anyway, jia you! you can do it! =D Yeah, I used to volunteer at an RC to give tuition to PSLE students. I got the shock of my life when they were learning about photosynthesis, extraction of chlorophyll, etc. Seriously, I really pity our future generations.
Extraction of chlorophyll in PSLE already?! That means my generation is behind already =(
No. =(
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As a canadian, nearly every school system is fucked up... Ours less than most, but i'd still say ours is garbage too, for different reasons.
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On January 31 2012 21:36 Bobbias wrote:
As a canadian, nearly every school system is fucked up... Ours less than most, but i'd still say ours is garbage too, for different reasons.
Garbage in a 'too tough' kind of way or 'too easy' kind of way?
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It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word.
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On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word.
Really?
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On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word.
Haha!!! I'm not proud of our singlish slang T_T!!! People overseas have such a hard time understanding us
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On January 31 2012 21:40 Ryukku wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word. Haha!!! I'm not proud of our singlish slang T_T!!! People overseas have such a hard time understanding us
I think that Singlish is a disgusting abomination and should be treated as such. I have no idea why I have such an irrational hate of Singlish.
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I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya
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On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya
Oh god, the Noose? Yeesh, how can anybody find such drivel entertaining? I speak fairly well in school w/o a Singaporean accent and I don't think I get much flak for it. But that's because I have not many friends =(
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On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya
well, the noose is the only entertaining show that singaporeans can produce...
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I remember my Physics teacher saying something along the lines of "sometimes you will reach hoops in your education that you have no choice but force yourself to jump through." Basically if the education system says you have to jump you just have to jump. There is no point in arguing about it since you can't change the system from the outside. Granted it doesn't hurt to vent your frustration from time to time... 
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On January 31 2012 21:51 HaruRH wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya well, the noose is the only entertaining show that singaporeans can produce...
I actually just wrote an article about how horrible our local TV is and submitted it to ST. However as expected they don't have the balls to publish it.
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On January 31 2012 21:53 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:51 HaruRH wrote:On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya well, the noose is the only entertaining show that singaporeans can produce... I actually just wrote an article about how horrible our local TV is and submitted it to ST. However as expected they don't have the balls to publish it.
Can you send it to me? I would love to read it.
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On January 31 2012 21:53 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:51 HaruRH wrote:On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya well, the noose is the only entertaining show that singaporeans can produce... I actually just wrote an article about how horrible our local TV is and submitted it to ST. However as expected they don't have the balls to publish it.
all Mediacorp wants to do is to milk us all. By making dramas only, it appeals to the widest range of audiences and costs the least amount of capital compared to other stuff, such as games shows. Mediacorp just want to earn money lol
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On January 31 2012 21:59 HaruRH wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:53 theBALLS wrote:On January 31 2012 21:51 HaruRH wrote:On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya well, the noose is the only entertaining show that singaporeans can produce... I actually just wrote an article about how horrible our local TV is and submitted it to ST. However as expected they don't have the balls to publish it. all Mediacorp wants to do is to milk us all. By making dramas only, it appeals to the widest range of audiences and costs the least amount of capital compared to other stuff, such as games shows. Mediacorp just want to earn money lol
I can't believe all the new dramas that they have on Channel 8 / 5 now. It's so repetitive and if you actually pay attention, they're all rip-offs of each other!
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I would have loved to be in a competitive class when I was growing up. The school system here is a fucking joke, sure it's free but still a joke. The teachers barely know what they teach and "You're not better than anyone else" is bashed into your skull until you believes it.
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God I feel your pain, though it was probably worse for me as I was failing Chinese when I was at that age in addition to only doing average. Lucky for me I got out of the ratrace in time. I love Singapore, and though I wouldn't do NS again for anything in the world, I wouldn't deny its a memorable part of my life experiences. But my time in Primary and Secondary school was just pure hell that I would rather just forget about.
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Singapore consistently ranks towards the top in education (globally), and so you've gotta be competitive to be the best!
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Come to Australia, competition is chump compared to those Asian countries.
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Topics like this make me so glad I got out of the (China's, in my case) system and joined in the super chill and relaxed UK system.
Of course, my one regret is that I didn't dedicate all that spare time back then to something useful like Brood War instead of playing FIFA all day long.
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The education in America is nowhere near as difficult, except perhaps in elite private institutions and few extremely competitive public high schools.
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Why don't you just condense (in your drafts) the question to "Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy in Singapore?"
Then pepper with references and findings and figures from papers from the databases suggested by previous posters? That's the easy way of churning out an essay/project, maybe harder for a 15 year old to see that..
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Enjoy studying, no matter how shit your projects are. I'm going into the army in 2 days time. No more SC2 (consistently) for two years
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On January 31 2012 22:04 Aando wrote:
I would have loved to be in a competitive class when I was growing up. The school system here is a fucking joke, sure it's free but still a joke. The teachers barely know what they teach and "You're not better than anyone else" is bashed into your skull until you believes it.
I agree, I would love to have seen if that would have had any effect on my education growing up. I think I would have been much more academic if grades turned into a competition. It's not like I didnt do well in school it's just a neat thought as I definitely did some opportune slacking. I consistently prioritized certain aspects of each course to get the highest mark with the least amount of effort (Which ironically turns out to be exactly what you have to do in uni anyways...).
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The question is what happens to the students that don't do so well? Presumably they don't get consumed by competitiveness, because the state gives up spending resources on them. A state with limited resources is better off focusing its resources on the best students (collecting them together helps). How do they know who the best students are? Tests and such. Do they miss out on some talent? Probably, but you know the students who score well have a high chance of being capable.
The American system of public education, there's a responsibility to provide an adequate education to everyone. Some students might learn more, but there's an expected level of education going into colleges, and the colleges remedy deficiencies by having a required curriculum.
The philosophy seems to be, make sure everyone has a reasonable opportunity for education in primary school. The smarter ones will naturally tend to do well. A lot of US presidents just tended to be the guys who were just easily good at everything, including sports, leaderships roles, and so on, and from my observations this seems to be the attitude that colleges take in caring about extracurricular activities.
So then the US colleges recruit/accept your smart students through the admissions process. It's stressful for students, but overall there are enough good colleges that smart students will end up at a good one, even if it's not the one their looking for. And even if they don't, a smart student with some initiative will shine at a mediocre college and get into a good graduate school (there are many graduate students from state schools even at elite universities).
Not all of the students will work out, but the US often has enough resources to accommodate them and let them pursue some other, perhaps more personally enriching (art? literature?) or useful (journalism? accounting?) degree.
Competitive parents/states seem to want to mold super students. But maybe a lot of initiative and intelligence is something you're born with, and the job of the US college system is to find these diamonds in the rough, and the public school system is to give them a chance to shine while educating everyone with what an "educated person" should know.
Personally, I think this over-competition is the result of people trying to manipulate the system to divert extra resources to themselves. This Singaporean system, these advanced courses don't really sound like they want to educate you so much as test you to see how you handle these courses. Of course the students that handle those well are statistically more likely to handle the next level.
In an ideal system, with enough resources, all smart students will be identified and provided opportunity. There's no point in competing for it, or learning a subject that much earlier, if by the end of your Masters program everyone will have learned everything they need to learn for their field of research.
A lot of my classmates in college, like me, went to public schools, and classes were pretty easy for us. So a lot of us learned more on our own, whether through college classes, contest projects, or just personal interest. Maybe our college chose us because we were the ones who felt like doing it.
And at least for research, doing it for the sake of competition instead of personal interest means you're more likely to burn out and lose interest. But maybe in a competitive system you never hear about these "failures", and if you only have space for 100 chemists, who cares about the potential you wasted?
---
Another thought,
In other countries, education might be seen as an opportunity to improve your life. In the United States, businesses earn far more than PhDs, so being mediocre in school but having fantastic communication skills can be more lucrative than vice versa, so all that effort in school might turn out to be a waste of time.
Even if you don't become a businessman, the amount of academic knowledge you need for a corporate job isn't that high, and there will be a lot then you learn on the job that you will never learn in school. Also, your success often depends on your ability to work well with other people, which might have been more to do with talking to classmates than studying.
For example, there's been a steady increase in the gap between job openings for PhDs and the number of domestic PhDs (although I'm not sure if that's true after the crash). There have also been studies that getting a PhD on average lowers the amount of money you earn, because you spend 4+ years earning a minimal stipend.
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On January 31 2012 22:42 ElusoryX wrote:Enjoy studying, no matter how shit your projects are. I'm going into the army in 2 days time. No more SC2 (consistently) for two years
Dont worry, I am in the army for 1 year, and I still can play SC2 everyday. Dont give up hope!
To OP: I guess advice from me would be to draw from the many case studies to support your argument. My experience has been the more case studies (which can be wikied), the better.
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On January 31 2012 21:08 Catch]22 wrote:
Does it matter if its unreasonable? Its the way it is, thats it.
Well Sweden is the opposite. Do nothing and get good grades. I think the future of Singapore is a lot brighter because of their proper education.
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konadora
Singapore66161 Posts
just wait until you get to junior college ROFL
and then UNIVERSITY LOLOLOL
seriously just enjoy secondary school, it's the best period in your life
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On January 31 2012 22:42 ElusoryX wrote:Enjoy studying, no matter how shit your projects are. I'm going into the army in 2 days time. No more SC2 (consistently) for two years
enjoy it man. even though you don't have that much time for yourself, home is home and work is work. you never bring work home. when you are outside, all the time there is yours and the only thing you have to worry about it going back.
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i believe the fancy title prompt only wants you to make a for/against stand regarding nuclear energy use in Singapore? In which case it's just a skim/regurgitation process of pro/anti nuclear arguments, sprinkled in with some local political/geographical nuances. I wouldn't be surprise if you can find a nuclear debate thread on TL and just paraphrase some people, and add it some statistics / semi-reliable website sources.
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On January 31 2012 23:16 konadora wrote:
just wait until you get to junior college ROFL
and then UNIVERSITY LOLOLOL
seriously just enjoy secondary school, it's the best period in your life
second this man. im not sure about what secondary school is like now but it was the time of my life. maybe it was because i was in a neighbourhood school and competition wasn't that bad.
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4 Months to ORD. Feeling lost now as to why the hell are we studying so much before NS. Those 2 years really wiped a large part of what I have already learnt, even in the field of study that I was taking in Polytechnic.
You will come to the same point as where we all are now. But it seems like schools are teaching more and more advanced topics to students at an earlier age. Good in a way but once you are out of NS, everyone is wiped clean.
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konadora
Singapore66161 Posts
On January 31 2012 23:28 JMave wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 23:16 konadora wrote:
just wait until you get to junior college ROFL
and then UNIVERSITY LOLOLOL
seriously just enjoy secondary school, it's the best period in your life second this man. im not sure about what secondary school is like now but it was the time of my life. maybe it was because i was in a neighbourhood school and competition wasn't that bad.
neighbourhood schools are best schools, seriously
all that elitism is for shit, fuck the haters
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You might be learning a lot of content, but it's at such a low level of rigour you will have to relearn everything when you get to university (with proper grounding in calculus/formal maths in sciences, and with proper essay/research technique in arts)
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On January 31 2012 21:36 Bobbias wrote:
As a canadian, nearly every school system is fucked up... Ours less than most, but i'd still say ours is garbage too, for different reasons.
Lol I would say Canadian high schools were so easy, no one was challenged at least where im from. And anyone that wanted to get into more than half the universities could. But then most just fail out first year and the university steals there moneys lol. University is a different story then high school though they actually have some expectations of you.
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On January 31 2012 20:59 Azera wrote:
Argh I'm so frustrated with the education system here in Singapore. It's just so stressful and competitive. You also can't really "study ahead" because almost everybody else does the same thing, and for those that don't "study ahead" they just build a really strong foundation on the current topics being taught and so they are the ones that score above average.
Is this the same in Western countries? It just makes me feel so stressed out and angsty all the time. When you're 12 you take your first National Exam and you're immediately sorted out from average to American ( I kid of course :D ). You're sent to different schools that can be seen as a way of displaying your level of intelligence just by the uniform you wear. Then there's this whole deal with elitism for those that are in the top-tier schools.
I mean, when I was 13 I just took regular mechanical physics, learning about measurements and stuff like that, pretty basic right? However, I knew ex-school mates who were in the top-tier schools that were already doing thermal and wave physics. This just saddens me to know our academic capabilities are already predetermined at such a young age. Surely there are some 'later bloomers' that can't live up to their full potential because of their average and mediocre school?
Recently, I was tasked with a Science project that will make up 50% of my grade this term. The task is to pretend to be 'an active Singaporean who has just obtained [my] undergraduate degree in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley, [I should] have my own views on [ using Nuclear energy in Singapore ] .' I have to back up my argument with proper research findings, expert opinions, documentaries, etc.
Is this too much to ask for from an 'average' 15 year old student? I have no idea what evidence I'am going to use other than from newspaper articles. I will also have to present my argument with ' a letter to a newspaper editor, blog, YouTube video, etc. '
Damn it!
Sounds like a pretty good project actually. The arguments that you'll be making are going to be of a distinctly non-technical nature. For starters, you could try to look up what types of reactors there are, their risks, what kind of waste they generate, the amount of land area required relative to their power output, and if they'll raise alarm in neighbouring countries (generation of weaponizable materials). You could also look up international treaties and what assistance a country can seek from international bodies on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Pay particular attention to disposal of wastes, Singapore has a very limited capacity to dispose of wastes that remain highly dangerous for a long time.
I detest the mindset that locks a person into a path at age 12. The brain is highly plastic and children of all ages benefit from an enriching environment. Unfortunately, Lee Kuan Yew's ego and his hubris about his own intelligence blinded him to this.
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Also if you have nationally-set exams why are you worrying about a class grade?
Tell your teacher you're not doing it and that you'll spend all the time on past papers for the real thing.
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How long do you get to do the assignment? If you get the whole term then no, only 50% is nothing at all for a project for the entire term. If you get 2 weeks then yeah that's kinda retarded, not unreasonable, just dumb that 50% of the grade is 5% of the term.
No, I wish US had the same system as the east though. US is you go to great schools if you're rich, if you're medium income you buy a house in a good district, and if you're poor you hope your school is good wherever you live. It's all broken up by where you own property except private schools, no placement exams until university.
Which, fucking, sucks. Forget graduating, you have absolutely terrible students wasting resources because they happen to live in a good school districts and no one is allowed to fail. Even if someone does math at a 3rd grade level, every year they move on to the next year with nothing to catch them until the SAT/ACT (which are both terrible as well, granted I haven't seen a good example of a college entrance exam yet so in comparison it's just average. Much better than China's system for example.) comes around and they flop.
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On January 31 2012 21:54 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:53 theBALLS wrote:On January 31 2012 21:51 HaruRH wrote:On January 31 2012 21:46 Ryukku wrote:
I have come to accept it =S. It was my defensive mechanism to fit in during school. If you speak properly / with an accent, you are the main target of bullying =(.
Better not turn on your TV right now, the noose is on. Horribad show i tell ya well, the noose is the only entertaining show that singaporeans can produce... I actually just wrote an article about how horrible our local TV is and submitted it to ST. However as expected they don't have the balls to publish it. Can you send it to me? I would love to read it.
k thru PM
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On January 31 2012 23:58 Count9 wrote:
How long do you get to do the assignment? If you get the whole term then no, only 50% is nothing at all for a project for the entire term. If you get 2 weeks then yeah that's kinda retarded, not unreasonable, just dumb that 50% of the grade is 5% of the term.
No, I wish US had the same system as the east though. US is you go to great schools if you're rich, if you're medium income you buy a house in a good district, and if you're poor you hope your school is good wherever you live. It's all broken up by where you own property except private schools, no placement exams until university.
Which, fucking, sucks. Forget graduating, you have absolutely terrible students wasting resources because they happen to live in a good school districts and no one is allowed to fail. Even if someone does math at a 3rd grade level, every year they move on to the next year with nothing to catch them until the SAT/ACT (which are both terrible as well, granted I haven't seen a good example of a college entrance exam yet so in comparison it's just average. Much better than China's system for example.) comes around and they flop.
A week.
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On January 31 2012 23:37 konadora wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 23:28 JMave wrote:On January 31 2012 23:16 konadora wrote:
just wait until you get to junior college ROFL
and then UNIVERSITY LOLOLOL
seriously just enjoy secondary school, it's the best period in your life second this man. im not sure about what secondary school is like now but it was the time of my life. maybe it was because i was in a neighbourhood school and competition wasn't that bad. neighbourhood schools are best schools, seriously all that elitism is for shit, fuck the haters
not all of us from "elite" schools are elitists, just so you know
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On January 31 2012 23:34 IrT4nkz wrote:
4 Months to ORD. Feeling lost now as to why the hell are we studying so much before NS. Those 2 years really wiped a large part of what I have already learnt, even in the field of study that I was taking in Polytechnic.
You will come to the same point as where we all are now. But it seems like schools are teaching more and more advanced topics to students at an earlier age. Good in a way but once you are out of NS, everyone is wiped clean.
Bro, 1 month to ORD.
Can't remember SHIT.
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Can't remember SHIT.
Past. Papers.
Memorise how the steps they use to get to an answer for each problem type in science/maths. It will be the same for all questions they do.
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On February 01 2012 00:08 Soleron wrote:Past. Papers. Memorise how the steps they use to get to an answer for each problem type in science/maths. It will be the same for all questions they do.
Well its hardly gonna matter in uni :/
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konadora
Singapore66161 Posts
On February 01 2012 00:04 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 23:37 konadora wrote:On January 31 2012 23:28 JMave wrote:On January 31 2012 23:16 konadora wrote:
just wait until you get to junior college ROFL
and then UNIVERSITY LOLOLOL
seriously just enjoy secondary school, it's the best period in your life second this man. im not sure about what secondary school is like now but it was the time of my life. maybe it was because i was in a neighbourhood school and competition wasn't that bad. neighbourhood schools are best schools, seriously all that elitism is for shit, fuck the haters not all of us from "elite" schools are elitists, just so you know
lol i keed, i have friends from elite schools as well
its just that people get the "elitism" into their heads way too much
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On February 01 2012 00:04 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 23:58 Count9 wrote:
How long do you get to do the assignment? If you get the whole term then no, only 50% is nothing at all for a project for the entire term. If you get 2 weeks then yeah that's kinda retarded, not unreasonable, just dumb that 50% of the grade is 5% of the term.
No, I wish US had the same system as the east though. US is you go to great schools if you're rich, if you're medium income you buy a house in a good district, and if you're poor you hope your school is good wherever you live. It's all broken up by where you own property except private schools, no placement exams until university.
Which, fucking, sucks. Forget graduating, you have absolutely terrible students wasting resources because they happen to live in a good school districts and no one is allowed to fail. Even if someone does math at a 3rd grade level, every year they move on to the next year with nothing to catch them until the SAT/ACT (which are both terrible as well, granted I haven't seen a good example of a college entrance exam yet so in comparison it's just average. Much better than China's system for example.) comes around and they flop. A week.
Oh loooooool, yeah that's bullshit. Guess the teacher really doesn't want to grade papers this term.
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On February 01 2012 00:08 theBALLS wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 00:08 Soleron wrote:
Can't remember SHIT.
Past. Papers. Memorise how the steps they use to get to an answer for each problem type in science/maths. It will be the same for all questions they do. Well its hardly gonna matter in uni :/
Universities provide past papers and you can do exactly the same.
Unless you mean you aren't doing a science.
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OP, you're still young, enjoy secondary school while you can. 2 days away from enlisting into the army after 2 extremely tense and stressful JC years isn't exactly what I'm looking for, but I'm sucking it up because I can't escape it. You should do the same too.
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On February 01 2012 00:25 wbirdy wrote:
OP, you're still young, enjoy secondary school while you can. 2 days away from enlisting into the army after 2 extremely tense and stressful JC years isn't exactly what I'm looking for, but I'm sucking it up because I can't escape it. You should do the same too.
Bro.
OH ARGH DEE LOH.
In a month. :D
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Some middle ground between Asian and Western culture would probably be ideal, because that sounds ridiculous, although complexity wise I really doubt it's actually that hard
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I'm usually quite shocked at asian educaion systems tbh, my parents emigrated from Hong Kong so I was educated in a western system and there wasn't the type of pressure that's generally placed on kids and teens. I don't feel that I've been disadvantaged heh.
With regards results, yeah they're important but then you realise that your bachleors results arn't the be all and end all while personal recommendations from lecturers can play a greater role along with the researchers and such you meet along the way. I didn't do a particularly prestigious degree, I'm currently starting my PhD at UCL in the UK even though my grades are definitely not the best but I did an excellent master's thesis with a few publications coming out of it and some follow up work that the company asked me to stay on to do.
As for your paper, don't write on what you think. Write on what you can most successfully argue, personal opinion doesn't matter for this tbh. GL
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Singapore293 Posts
On February 01 2012 00:52 NeoSlicerZ wrote:
As for your paper, don't write on what you think. Write on what you can most successfully argue, personal opinion doesn't matter for this tbh. GL
Yup.
If you can put forth a convincing argument with sufficient points about the topic it doesn't actually matter what you personally feel (although personal anecdotes can provide some depth in terms of elaboration). So you should just research thoroughly whatever you can about that project of yours and piece it together in the most logical and organised manner.
Also, it sounds like your school is being a tad bit too gungho. I mean, it's good to give students exposure to outside material to broaden their understanding and mindset about the world around them, but to give a 50% marked project based on something that is so out of curriculum sounds like a waste of time to me, even if it's just for one week. I would rather they have given something more relevant to the course and make it 50%, or give something out of syllabus and make it like 10%. They can't realistically expect sec school students to come up with something in one week given that most students wouldn't have enough prior knowledge about said topic and it would take time to research, meaningfully understand, and write about it.
-edit-
Also, it seems like our standard of education has jumped a lot since I was a non-tertiary student. I see some of the things my students are learning at sec 1 / 2 and to be honest, I don't think I can solve all of them anymore (hah).
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What you aren't going to go to Raffles Jr College? trolololol
Jk, Asian education systems are just so messed up, but it's really hard to move up in life in SG I've heard without going to a good college. Unless you have connections in sg, the only way to succeed is to study abroad and come back as a banker or consultant.
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It's sadly extremely different here. They up averages and make classes easier to make sure pretty much everyone passes everything in high school. Otherwise parents bitch and blame the schools for their kids being lazy idiots.
Even in university they dumb things down so hardcore (even in 3rd year of a 4 year program, teachers have to make exams easier than expected because people are fucking stupid; at least not as bad as 1st year but still...). In 4th year you finally get real tough classes that one would expect from the start; but even there, some of them are quite easy as well. And that's in a science program... in things like education and social sciences it's a fucking joke like the teacher giving exam questions BEFORE THE FUCKING EXAM! Yes that happened in one of my first year random credits classes -- sociology. Yes I finished in 20 minutes and got 100%. Yes several people failed the exam and the class.
I'm not saying you have it better, but I hope that puts it into perspective. Either have it be a bit too hard, or way too easy. I'd rather be mentally stimulated when I started university or even in high school, not 4 years later. The power of stupid children and their parents forcing universities to dumb down stuff to keep them coming to school... sigh.
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On February 01 2012 01:38 Kurr wrote:
It's sadly extremely different here. They up averages and make classes easier to make sure pretty much everyone passes everything in high school. Otherwise parents bitch and blame the schools for their kids being lazy idiots.
Even in university they dumb things down so hardcore (even in 3rd year of a 4 year program, teachers have to make exams easier than expected because people are fucking stupid; at least not as bad as 1st year but still...). In 4th year you finally get real tough classes that one would expect from the start; but even there, some of them are quite easy as well. And that's in a science program... in things like education and social sciences it's a fucking joke like the teacher giving exam questions BEFORE THE FUCKING EXAM! Yes that happened in one of my first year random credits classes -- sociology. Yes I finished in 20 minutes and got 100%. Yes several people failed the exam and the class.
I'm not saying you have it better, but I hope that puts it into perspective. Either have it be a bit too hard, or way too easy. I'd rather be mentally stimulated when I started university or even in high school, not 4 years later. The power of stupid children and their parents forcing universities to dumb down stuff to keep them coming to school... sigh.
Then universities get paid by dummies completing 4 year degrees in 6 years when they never should have been there in the first place. Thanks for the $40k. ;o
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On February 01 2012 00:25 wbirdy wrote:
OP, you're still young, enjoy secondary school while you can. 2 days away from enlisting into the army after 2 extremely tense and stressful JC years isn't exactly what I'm looking for, but I'm sucking it up because I can't escape it. You should do the same too.
Don't have such a negative attitude to NS. You'll enjoy it more that way.
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I wish I was pushed that hard in school. I always had straight A's. I remember I skipped 92 days my senior year and still graduated with a 3.8. It was such a joke. I used to skip school to smoke pot and then show up on exam days.
If I was pushed harder, college wouldn't be as hard as I find it now because I'm on my own an I have to be my own motivation
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On February 01 2012 01:21 kakaman wrote:
What you aren't going to go to Raffles Jr College? trolololol
Jk, Asian education systems are just so messed up, but it's really hard to move up in life in SG I've heard without going to a good college. Unless you have connections in sg, the only way to succeed is to study abroad and come back as a banker or consultant.
Honestly I would agree with such an opinion. Despite how much people complain about the competition in Singapore, the bottom line holds - the majority (not just the rich and powerful) value the simplicity (and lazy way) of examining a job applicant's certificates and tagging a price to said person. In the civil service it goes like First Class Honours (magna cum laude) +$500 , Second Class Upper/Lower (summa / cum laude) + $300 / $100 or so. Combine that with an amazingly stagnant construct of businesses (large businesses like transport, power, real estate, communications have large government shareholders in them) confines the majority within boxing ring bound by the education system.
Re: your essay, I could recommend Energy from Thorium, a North American/Canadian initiative to use an alternative nuclear fission chain (using Thorium instead of Uranium oxide as fuel) which is intrinsically safer both to run and to dispose of (waste). Add that to the potential political effects of Singapore turning nuclear and the old assumption that running nuclear power = nuclear weapons capability and you should have on your hands a relatively refreshing, if not tried and tested (and of a strong track record -_-) essay/presentation
+edit: apparently China is also racing to build a commercially viable Thorium reactor, which could see a shift in power in the scale of the original atomic race, steam power, electricity, radar, gunpowder etc. which could define the next century of global power (not just electrical) distribution.
Good luck
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going through the singapore education system sucks, yes, but it really gives you a MASSIVE head start later on. i was in singapore from primary school to JC, and after completing my A levels i did a BSc and am now doing an MSc in London.
during my undergrad years, 13/120 students in my class were singaporean. there were approximately 15 firsts, and out of those 12 were singaporean. three years later, i'm doing a degree i have absolutely no background in, and because of the way i'm used to doing things (i.e. mugging my ass off) i'm doing relatively well even compared to other students who have been learning this stuff their whole lives.
in the papers here, you read about how the UK is trying to model their education system after singapore, hong kong...etc (ironic, since we imported it from them anyway) because some secondary school children here don't know their multiplication tables.
so yeah, going through it now is hell, but it eventually works out for the best! gl with the project as well
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Sometimes I kind of wish I was in a school system like this =/. I wish that I could test into a high school, instead of testing into this program which they placed in another high school - so it's a small group of talented students among a bunch of not so talented ones. Even so, we're probably still not at the level of an average Singaporean school. I guess the grass is greener on the other side, but I actually don't know too many people who share my opinion
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On January 31 2012 23:08 stkblee wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 22:42 ElusoryX wrote:Enjoy studying, no matter how shit your projects are. I'm going into the army in 2 days time. No more SC2 (consistently) for two years Dont worry, I am in the army for 1 year, and I still can play SC2 everyday. Dont give up hope!
But I'm PES B Don't think I can book out everyday lol.
On January 31 2012 23:26 JMave wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 22:42 ElusoryX wrote:Enjoy studying, no matter how shit your projects are. I'm going into the army in 2 days time. No more SC2 (consistently) for two years enjoy it man. even though you don't have that much time for yourself, home is home and work is work. you never bring work home. when you are outside, all the time there is yours and the only thing you have to worry about it going back.
Yeah, I'll probably be spending a lot of time with friends and family. That's why I feel I won't be SC2-ing much. Gotta place priorities right :D
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On January 31 2012 21:24 DoX.) wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:21 theBALLS wrote:On January 31 2012 21:20 DoX.) wrote:lol u guys i stuck to narrative compos for sec school and it was so much fun for my O levels topic "Power" i wrote an abridged altered version of Enders Game where the dude becomes intoxicated with power as he kills the aliens and in the end doesnt realise he's wiped out an entire race Heard of the rumoured story of the O level topic "Bravery"? Someone wrote "This is Bravery." And ended there. lol when my teacher told the story the topic was "Courage" Also if there really isnt anymore narrative essays then fuck MOE
Haha I heard the same story in my high school in the US, except the prompt was "Define Courage", and the student simply wrote "This."
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On February 01 2012 01:38 Kurr wrote:
It's sadly extremely different here. They up averages and make classes easier to make sure pretty much everyone passes everything in high school. Otherwise parents bitch and blame the schools for their kids being lazy idiots.
Even in university they dumb things down so hardcore (even in 3rd year of a 4 year program, teachers have to make exams easier than expected because people are fucking stupid; at least not as bad as 1st year but still...). In 4th year you finally get real tough classes that one would expect from the start; but even there, some of them are quite easy as well. And that's in a science program... in things like education and social sciences it's a fucking joke like the teacher giving exam questions BEFORE THE FUCKING EXAM! Yes that happened in one of my first year random credits classes -- sociology. Yes I finished in 20 minutes and got 100%. Yes several people failed the exam and the class.
I'm not saying you have it better, but I hope that puts it into perspective. Either have it be a bit too hard, or way too easy. I'd rather be mentally stimulated when I started university or even in high school, not 4 years later. The power of stupid children and their parents forcing universities to dumb down stuff to keep them coming to school... sigh.
Ya, from what I've seen university isn't to really test yourself, they just teach you the basics of whatever you're doing and then give you a piece of paper.
Not a very efficient system. Plus high school being so easy made me so lazy, so it's probably a good thing for myself. In my last semester of university right now, i have 6 hours of classes a week. I miss like half the classes, and will expect to get 85-90 in everything. Then get some job that's only marginally harder. Whoo. >.>
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I envy you a litle b1t, i did not go for a top school here in brazil cos we just could not afford it (public school overall is too sh1t), i was in public sh1t school all my life, and ofc, i was "normal", just average grades and bla bla, i do a sh1t university today, but when i finish it I wanna start study again, so maybe i can go to the bests universitys of the country. That system that you refer in Singapore looks good, you dont rly need to pay and etc, right? its equals to every1? every1 have the same opportunity? Ofc its cruel, but its fair.
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I'd say if you are only concerned about your o level grade , just focus on your textbook , all these sec 3 projects ( i'm assuming you're sec 3 since you're 15) are probably just small assignments teachers give to fill up time.
What I actually do recommend, if you're planning on furthering your studies in poly ,is to pick up a talent. So you can apply for JPSAE if your results don't meet the Cut off point. The course i chose and my o level result only differed by one point but I didnt manage to make it in through regular JAE. Thankfully I picked up an exceptional talent and managed to get in through JPSAE. Ofc the course i chose was a popular business course so that might've been the reason why.
It wouldnt hurt to pick up a skill especially when you're sec 3. You're developing as a male while you have a lot of free time which gives you opportunity to get good at sports and compete nationally. Enjoy yourself now because it'll only get tougher ans tougher
Hopefully this will help you even if its in the slightest bit
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Photosyntesis etc. is standart in primary school, just saying im wondering why its not obvious for You guys.
Poland have very good level, we are learning like one/two year ahead stuff than western. But its quite easy to pass.
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Singapore education system is ridiculous.
I'm Canadian, but I lived in Singapore for 3 years (one of which I was a student, the other two teaching at a uni/poly), and my wife (Singaporean) used to teach there. She loves teaching but I think she really disliked how the administration/government is always breathing down teachers' necks, controlling absolutely everything, how it's always so results oriented rather than about actually learning how to learn/question/be inquisitive, how creative thinking is crushed into the ground in favour of creating mindless working, government-supporting, unquestioning drones.
so to answer your question, yes. It's very very different.
But there are problems with the system here too, and the Canadian system is moving in that direction. It's just not so far along the road. People are waking up though.
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The people who actually like the asian system, I find kind of confusing. Do you really need to be driven forwards like that? To be forced to either excel or fail rather than being ambitious enough to excel. Also, reading ahead is kind of pointless, know what you need to know for the exams. Excel at those, critical thinking can come a bit later in university but first of all you need to get into uni and you need to not burn yourself out. I was back visiting in Hong Kong and I saw 8-10 year old kids having to go to grind school on saturdays, shocking tbh. While it might produce more excellent students, it also breaks more and I don't regard that as being good at that stage of education.
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come to the west, where knowing about nuclear power and being able to debate it are two different professions, and you'll make a lot more here in either of them rather than knowing both in singapore..
also there was a kid from singapore in my highschool who had a 100% without studying at all, and spent all of his free time tutoring white girls then having sex with them. you're wasting your time in singapore, come enjoy life!
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keep it at, its gonna pay off
never touched math since secondary school, was pleasantly surprised calculus I in US university = additional math lol...
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work hard now, sweat less later! (and foreign countries really really appreciate the pedigree that you are singaporean its pretty huge [but you always get the Michael Fay and chewing gum questions by the cab driver ])
Although I definitely think they should have incorporated some discrete math in Singapore education system. Our entire math education is just about crunching numbers and punching calculators really fast. Which is not useful in University.
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Work hard now, forget everything in NS and enter university with less knowledge than generic 18 year olds!
But seriously, I didn't find secondary school or JC (IB) that stressful.
On January 31 2012 21:44 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:40 Ryukku wrote:On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word. Haha!!! I'm not proud of our singlish slang T_T!!! People overseas have such a hard time understanding us I think that Singlish is a disgusting abomination and should be treated as such. I have no idea why I have such an irrational hate of Singlish.
Because slurring our 'yah lorrr' literally sounds like you're saying things like hurrr durrrrrrr and is difficult to respect.
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On January 31 2012 21:44 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:40 Ryukku wrote:On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word. Haha!!! I'm not proud of our singlish slang T_T!!! People overseas have such a hard time understanding us I think that Singlish is a disgusting abomination and should be treated as such. I have no idea why I have such an irrational hate of Singlish.
I'll tell you why.
It's because the government has a very long lasting campaign to eradicate Singlish and as such it's derided in all the state-produced media, censored from tv/radio so as to not give it any prestige, and subject to an endless stream of prescriptive material, pigeonholed and purposely portrayed as the language of the uneducated.
The strategy is to lower people's perception of it until they don't use it. (i.e. reduce people's perception of its socio-economic prestige as a code)
Your irrational hatred of it comes from internalizing the bizarre, broken, paranoid, patriarchal worldview that resides within the thinking behind that campaign.
Glad I could help.
But celebrate the language man. Singlish is fucking AWESOME
Stick it to the man, speak singlish.
(an example of some campaign material)
![[image loading]](http://yjblog.stupidchicken.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/speakgood.png)
See? government just wants you to be white, mobile, global citizen so you can go work for some Temasek-owned company, maybe travel, but never leave singapore, contribute to your CPF, buy an HDB, and vote PAP (*puke*).
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On February 01 2012 12:37 caradoc wrote:
Stick it to the man, speak singlish.
Yeah fuck the system man, schools suck too, trying to teach you to use the English language coherently yo. You're acting like it's some grand government conspiracy to have people not abuse the language.
And sure, typing in text-speak is cultural too, but I don't have to be impressed by that either.
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On February 01 2012 12:44 Dfgj wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 12:37 caradoc wrote:
Stick it to the man, speak singlish. Yeah fuck the system man, schools suck too, trying to teach you to use the English language coherently yo. You're acting like it's some grand government conspiracy to have people not abuse the language. And sure, typing in text-speak is cultural too, but I don't have to be impressed by that either.
Competence in one dialect does not imply lack of competence in another one.
You can speak Singlish and speak another variety of English and still be good at both
I'm not deriding capability to speak more than one code, I'm deriding the belief that you need to give up a cultural identity in order to do so. That's the white man's burden all over again.
I talk like an academic when I give a talk, I speak Singlish-like in a hawker centre, I speak like neither to my mother, and I speak like none of those to my wife. I speak Tokyo-ben when I'm in Tokyo or with Japanese people I don't know, and I speak Okayama-ben when I'm in Okayama or with people from there (or when drunk, but thats a whole other thing)... no problem.
If someone told me I had to always speak like an academic or I was a failure, I'd think he was an asshole. same thing.
and it IS a campaign to get people to not speak the language. I don't know if I'd call it a conspiracy, it's pretty much out in the open.
I personally know the previous director of the SGEM. If you like, I can also point you to papers, both academic and policy, that specifically outline the attempts to eradicate the language.
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On February 01 2012 12:46 caradoc wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 12:44 Dfgj wrote:On February 01 2012 12:37 caradoc wrote:
Stick it to the man, speak singlish. Yeah fuck the system man, schools suck too, trying to teach you to use the English language coherently yo And sure, typing in text-speak is cultural too, but I don't have to be impressed by that either. Competence in one dialect does not imply lack of competence in another one. You can speak Singlish and speak another variety of English at the same time. I'm not deriding capability to speak more than one code, I'm deriding the belief that you need to give up a cultural identity in order to do so. That's the white man's burden all over again.
I'll never understand people who think that using a language normally is some sort of cultural surrender.
Your former point is valid*, but also irrelevant, because your competence in another variety of English doesn't matter if you're slurring words in the conversation right now. Just like if my English is flawless but I type like 'lol sup kk u nub roflflflf' on the internet, that's something valid to comment on, despite it being practically cultural as well, because it impacts the discussion at hand.
No, I do not enjoy deciphering what people say (or type).
You're welcome to use Singlish where other people are using it, you're right it would be assholish to suggest otherwise. Unfortunately, there's a large amount of people for whom Singlish time = all the time. And now we come to the *: not everyone is both fully capable of clear English and also comfortable slipping into slang - for some it's only the latter, and that can be obnoxious.
As for 'conspiracy', I was referring to this:
See? government just wants you to be white, mobile, global citizen so you can go work for some Temasek-owned company, maybe travel, but never leave singapore, contribute to your CPF, buy an HDB, and vote PAP (*puke*).
which just makes you sound like a bitter teenager.
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On February 01 2012 12:50 Dfgj wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 12:46 caradoc wrote:On February 01 2012 12:44 Dfgj wrote:On February 01 2012 12:37 caradoc wrote:
Stick it to the man, speak singlish. Yeah fuck the system man, schools suck too, trying to teach you to use the English language coherently yo And sure, typing in text-speak is cultural too, but I don't have to be impressed by that either. Competence in one dialect does not imply lack of competence in another one. You can speak Singlish and speak another variety of English at the same time. I'm not deriding capability to speak more than one code, I'm deriding the belief that you need to give up a cultural identity in order to do so. That's the white man's burden all over again. I'll never understand people who think that using a language normally is some sort of cultural surrender. Your former point is valid*, but also irrelevant, because your competence in another variety of English doesn't matter if you're slurring words in the conversation right now. Just like if my English is flawless but I type like 'lol sup kk u nub roflflflf' on the internet, that's something valid to comment on, despite it being practically cultural as well, because it impacts the discussion at hand. No, I do not enjoy deciphering what people say (or type). You're welcome to use Singlish where other people are using it, you're right it would be assholish to suggest otherwise. Unfortunately, there's a large amount of people for whom Singlish time = all the time. And now we come to the *: not everyone is both fully capable of clear English and also comfortable slipping into slang - for some it's only the latter, and that can be obnoxious.
your construal of singlish as 'abnormal' and some form of american english as 'normal' is what I'm talking about.
You can teach people new varieties of a language as a form of education, no problem. That's a positive thing, but that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about the previous poster's irrational hatred of the language, and pointed out that its a result of a government policy to eradicate the language through deriding it publicly and portraying it as the language of the unemployed/uneducated etc etc.
As I said in my previous point, if you have a hard time believing the policy exists, I can point you to policy papers or academic papers that outline it explicitly.
EDIT:
As for 'conspiracy', I was referring to this: Show nested quote +See? government just wants you to be white, mobile, global citizen so you can go work for some Temasek-owned company, maybe travel, but never leave singapore, contribute to your CPF, buy an HDB, and vote PAP (*puke*). which just makes you sound like a bitter teenager.
oh, haha, I was more poking fun at the image. but sure. no prob.
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On February 01 2012 12:55 caradoc wrote:
As I said in my previous point, if you have a hard time believing the policy exists, I can point you to policy papers or academic papers that outline it explicitly.
I've never suggested that government policies do not exist. I'm suggesting your irrational hatred for anything against Singlish, as I quoted in my last post, is equally ridiculous (if not moreso) than the poster you originally quoted.
Personally, I haven't much paid attention to government programs. My opinion is based on the fact that the accent on the slang is exactly the same as my objection to texting language - I can generally understand it, but I find it obnoxious.
oh, haha, I was more poking fun at the image. but sure. no prob.
I honestly couldn't tell :o
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On February 01 2012 12:58 Dfgj wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 12:55 caradoc wrote:
As I said in my previous point, if you have a hard time believing the policy exists, I can point you to policy papers or academic papers that outline it explicitly. I've never suggested that government policies do not exist. I'm suggesting your irrational hatred for anything against Singlish, as I quoted in my last post, is equally ridiculous (if not moreso) than the poster you originally quoted.
My dislike for what essentially amounts to a policy of cultural genocide (linguicide counts as cultural genocide, make no mistake) is a pretty valid dislike imo.
The reason I called the previous posters hate irrational is because he himself called it an irrational hate. So I re-used his own term.
I'm not sure why you think I hate anything against Singlish, as I said, the campaign is paranoid/patriarchal/broken but I'm not sure where the rest of your thoughts are coming from.
EDIT:
Personally, I haven't much paid attention to government programs. My opinion is based on the fact that the accent on the slang is exactly the same as my objection to texting language - I can generally understand it, but I find it obnoxious.
Fair enough, you're allowed. But at least part of your feeling that it is obnoxious is based on the feeling that it is 'corrupted' or 'broken' in some way-- which stems from the government policy I'm talking about.
If anything you should be annoyed at the policy too-- if the policy didn't exist, you'd have nothing to be annoyed at since you wouldnt see Singlish as broken in the first place, but as a valid form of communication, and a beautiful linguistic system in its own right that codifies and expresses everyday life in a way that no other language can.
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On February 01 2012 13:01 caradoc wrote:
I'm not sure why you think I hate anything against Singlish, as I said, the campaign is paranoid/patriarchal/broken but I'm not sure where the rest of your thoughts are coming from.
I was building it of what you've now said was joking - I assumed you were being literal and were just raging that hard against the government and linking promoting good english to everything else.
If that's not the case we can just move along I guess.
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On February 01 2012 13:03 Dfgj wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 13:01 caradoc wrote:
I'm not sure why you think I hate anything against Singlish, as I said, the campaign is paranoid/patriarchal/broken but I'm not sure where the rest of your thoughts are coming from. I was building it of what you've now said was joking - I assumed you were being literal and were just raging that hard against the government and linking promoting good english to everything else. If that's not the case we can just move along I guess.
I'll leave you to deconstruct the image above on your own time. It's an interesting study.
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My mate from high school had Singaporean/Malaysian Chinese parents and he would switch to Singalish mid sentence when talking to me. Freaks the fuck out of me.
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On February 02 2012 15:28 haduken wrote:
My mate from high school had Singaporean/Malaysian Chinese parents and he would switch to Singalish mid sentence when talking to me. Freaks the fuck out of me.
Singaporean/Malaysians who fake an Aussie accent when around Singaporean/Malaysians freak the fuck out of me.
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On January 31 2012 21:44 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:40 Ryukku wrote:On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word. Haha!!! I'm not proud of our singlish slang T_T!!! People overseas have such a hard time understanding us I think that Singlish is a disgusting abomination and should be treated as such. I have no idea why I have such an irrational hate of Singlish.
Hahaha just wanted to say I'm so glad to hear that from you. Every time I go to Singapore, the way people talk drives me crazy !
Good luck with your studies, I guess you don't have other choice than fitting in the system, so suck it up and succeed !
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I don't suppose they expect you to give technical details on nuclear engineering right? Just read some papers, cite various viewpoints and statistics and give your own opinion at the end, and that should be ok.
It does seem rather hardcode at your age though I must say.
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On February 02 2012 15:46 pdd wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 15:28 haduken wrote:
My mate from high school had Singaporean/Malaysian Chinese parents and he would switch to Singalish mid sentence when talking to me. Freaks the fuck out of me. Singaporean/Malaysians who fake an Aussie accent when around Singaporean/Malaysians freak the fuck out of me.
... except i'm not from Singapore, a few years ago while I was still @ uni, these dudes will just come up to me and run off some singa and when I don't respond they must think i'm dumb or something rofl
In 2006 I think it was, every fucking azn in the city was doing the lah thing. It's fucking everywhere, it got so bad if one of us wasn't doing it in msn, we would finish off his sentence with a lah for him...
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On February 02 2012 17:14 endy wrote:Show nested quote +On January 31 2012 21:44 Azera wrote:On January 31 2012 21:40 Ryukku wrote:On January 31 2012 21:37 FuRong wrote:
It's not that different in most other asian countries, in fact Korea is even more hardcore, and China too just by sheer numbers alone.
On the bright side, you guys have the best slang. "Mugging" is such an awesome word. Haha!!! I'm not proud of our singlish slang T_T!!! People overseas have such a hard time understanding us I think that Singlish is a disgusting abomination and should be treated as such. I have no idea why I have such an irrational hate of Singlish. Hahaha just wanted to say I'm so glad to hear that from you. Every time I go to Singapore, the way people talk drives me crazy ! Good luck with your studies, I guess you don't have other choice than fitting in the system, so suck it up and succeed !
Haha! Thanks!
On February 02 2012 18:06 haduken wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 15:46 pdd wrote:On February 02 2012 15:28 haduken wrote:
My mate from high school had Singaporean/Malaysian Chinese parents and he would switch to Singalish mid sentence when talking to me. Freaks the fuck out of me. Singaporean/Malaysians who fake an Aussie accent when around Singaporean/Malaysians freak the fuck out of me. ... except i'm not from Singapore, a few years ago while I was still @ uni, these dudes will just come up to me and run off some singa and when I don't respond they must think i'm dumb or something rofl In 2006 I think it was, every fucking azn in the city was doing the lah thing. It's fucking everywhere, it got so bad if one of us wasn't doing it in msn, we would finish off his sentence with a lah for him...
"Lah" really drives me insane.
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The difference between the Asian and a Western education system is that the Asian education system favours people who work hard and can follow instructions. The Western education gives more leeway towards creative thinking.
End of the day, the education system is designed to work for the country that it's in. For instance, in Asia, it's useful to have hard working people who can carry instructions well. However, note that the creative industries (R&D) is more often than not done in the West (or by Westerners) because they are more equipped to do so.
For my opinion, I believe the Asian education system is actually pretty good because the majority of people fall in this category. The risk is that creativity is stifled for better grades (hard work + follow instructions) so there is a risk that stagnation will occur. In the end, a balance is needed but it's very hard achieving it.
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EPT
