this is a joint blog for the legionaries of ij tp!
we belong to our lady of graces junior praesidium!
feel free to read abt the current happenings of our past & current legionaries! =)
Thursday, October 13, 2005
this JC that JC.
i suppose you guys must be super confused after all this prep talk.
fret not. because i'm pretty sure EVERYONE feels that way too, especially when it comes to choosing the RIGHT jc.
by RIGHT, i mean a suitable one for you. not an "elite" jc or one which most of your friends are going to. remember the fact that all of you are capable in different ways.
your subject combination also plays a major role as a deciding factor when choosing schools.
(different schools specialises in different areas - for example, nj's maths is strong, and cj's arts programme is pretty decent)
and yeaps i do agree with jea that there is absolutely no such thing as better or not-so-good jcs.
i mean, okay i suppose i'm not in the best position to say this cause i'm in a school which the general public deem to be in the latter category, but all schools offer the same curriculum and syllabus. all that differs is that they cater to people who learn at different pace.
having been in nj for first three months and cj now, i can tell you that nj's notes and lectures are indeed paced at a higher level compared to cj. the students in nj are able to grasp concepts faster and appreciate the topic without much elaboration (the fact that they perform for olevels would indicate that they have a good knowledge of their basic foundation). for cj, however, our notes are much thicker because a lot of elaboration are included to cater to students who are not so quick to understand new concepts.
if you know you won't work well under pressure, choose a school which will cater best to your learning pace, needs and abilities. (if you don't want to choose nj or hci, aj might be a good alternative)
about the syllabus and who covers more duirng first three months, no offence joyce, but that cannot be compared. different jc choose to cover different topics during the first three months. and that's the case when i moved from nj to cj.
well having said that, dont be too put off by this when deciding whether to stay on after PAE because the teachers are always around to help if you are not able to understand the first three months topics.
alot of people have questioned why i chose to make the move. i might add that even our ij teachers weren't too supportive of my decision. maybe some of you feel i should not degrade myself (as some of my friends have put it) by going to a "not-so-good" school, but i think i made the correct decision by following what i thought was right, and certainly not what others thought was suitable for me.
one misconception that people have of cj is that we are all slackers. well i must admit there are a group of people who have a rather laid back attitude towards their studies, but not EVERYONE in cj is like that. my class, and many of the 4subbers are really competitive and push each other to work hard. it is not uncommon for us to skip breaks to study too, so it is pretty unfair for people to over generalise that all cjcians are slackers.
yeaps for one, i feel more comfortable in cj than in nj. not the cheena part, but more of the catholic environment. it feels, erm, homely? i don't know. well nj is a really nice place, and the environment is conducive but it just doesn't suit me. part of it can be attributed to the fact that i had alot of chinese speaking people in class and i felt uncomfortable communicating in chinese. don't get me wrong, these people are very humble and are less gossipy as compared to ij girls (now now, don't deny that most ij girls are gossipy. haha)
my advice to you is to try out other schools for first three months and not make a hasty decision on choosing cj straight away.
maybe some people might not agree, but i feel that since you know you'll most probably feel at home in cj, why not try out other schools to see how their culture is like? you might end up liking it. and well, i shouldn't be saying this, but crashing schools can be a rather beneficial activity. (okay i can see alot of heads shaking) it allows you to experience other school's culture and find out more about their lesson plans and lecture styles, since you will only get to attend one school before making your final decision at JAE.
all i can say is that i don't regret spending my first thre months in nj, because i experienced for myself what it was like to be placed a totally different culture, and i have met alot of nice people, but i would not have survived there through my two years because i could not adapt well enough.
to end off, yes, you guys MUST pray before making your decision. whichever school you choose at the end of the day, i hope you will treasure your time there and make the best out of your first three months, because to me, it was the BEST time in jc. after that it's hard work, hard work and more hard work!! (:
JO-POK :D:D:
josephine @ 8:38 pm
somehow, i feel like i'm the only one still using my font colour.
hmmmm...
but anyway, i've a bone to pick with some of the things joyce n constance said!!!!
no offence to either of you, btw, its just some things i don't agree with.
especially with some of the things they've said about cjc...
and i'm officially here to clear all these unfounded claims and (perhaps unconsciously?) condescending assumptions about us.
so, re what constance said,
->firstly, if you're looking for a culture in jc that's like IJ, lemme tell you this once and for all---:
you're not gonna find one.
i'm being brutally honest here, but it's true. the only thing similar between CJC and IJ is the Catholic environment.
and while i'm thankful for that, given the fact that we can still have thrice-weekly masses and national day mass, teacher's day mass, youth day mass,CNY mass, assumption day mass, ascension day mass, and all the other special occasions that had previously called for masses back in ij, its just not the same as IJ, y'know?
for instance, there no longer exists that system where classes team up to organise masses like in IJ...
and now the Catholic Activities councillors organise masses, not the legionaries,
and though we're no longer legionaries, we still hv our old instincts of spotting errors like the positioning of the crucifix! hahaha... but anyway that's not the point. tho its' not the same, i guess the fact that there is a catholic env shd give me reason to hv something to be thankful for!
plus there's a legion of mary! :)(tho i shall refrain from commenting about who or what is in there! -winks-)
and, the added bonus of Catholic CCAs like the Acts and St Vincent De Paul. and trust me, u'll only find these in CJ! so yeah.
and keeping in mind Trina's recent very significant letter to the Catholic News re the importance of receiving a holistic Catholic education, i'd think that might be one of the things to keep in mind about the whole Catholic atmosphere... yea.
oh and btw, all that about CJ... so i'll doubt you even need me to talk about SAJC, do you? i was there for the first three months (for those of you who don't know that), and i can tell you i was miserable. in all aspects.
every day i was finding it increasingly difficult to convince myself to attend school. and life there is unbelievably laid-back (even prissy agrees with me, i've asked her about it before.)even CJ has covered far more in history and lit AND econs too than in SA... and i can guarantee you that CJ history, lit and econs notes are better than the ones in SA... and how d'you compare math, anyway?
and based on my first three months' experience, my class got one of the TWO good econs teachers at SA, and the math teachers all stink, (maybe those they give the arts faculty! not so sure about science... but then again i think SAJC's science fac is good, so u cld think about that.) and they've got TWO history teachers and TWO lit teachers for the ENTIRE j1 level. oh, and along with the little detail that SA has a whopping six arts classes in total.
out of like, thirty six, is it?
can't quite remember the exact figure.
but do feel free to correct me if you see this, prissy!
so anyway yeah. this would especially apply to you if you're planning on taking arts subjects at A-level. (that being at H2, if i'm not wrong?) yup.
->and that brings me to another thing... hwa chong and nj aren't the only jcs you should think of when you're "into studies"!!!! as a matter of fact, i think that you can very well study in EVERY JC. wherever you go, no matter how strong the peer pressure might be, if you're focussed enough, you can do well anywhere. and this is true for anywhere you go.
and contrary to popular belief of the allegedly slack environment in CJ, life here is immensely stressful, thank you very much!
especially if you're an arts student. life is KILLER. and you can DEFINITELY trust me on that one.
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and now to what joyce has had to say--
-> for one thing, it is definitely NOT "always the case that better jcs teach more in the 1st 3 mths".
definitely not in the case of arts students anyway.
i've already used SAJC and CJC as a classic example. I took the exact same combi in SA and CJ-- history, lit, econs and math.
In SA, i didn't have ANY lit lectures at all.
for econs, i did up til (and exclusive of) elasticity. (nvm wat that is, u'll find out nxt yr, just take it as a topic k?)
and for math, we did five topics, up til inequalities.
for history, we did about five lectures.
when i got to CJ in 2nd intake, i discovered the following:
Firstly, for history, i was TEN LECTURES BEHIND. for SEA(Paper 2), they had already covered half of the first of three themes that we were to cover throughout the year. (at SA, we did HALF of that!)
for the Cold War paper, paper 3, the situation was WORSE. they had completed the first of three HUGE themes to be covered for this year!!! and i think we only did like five lectures on the CW at SA.
for econs, CJ was two topics ahead, and they had already finished elasticity.
thank goodness, though, they covered demand, supply, price discrimination and elasticity again for 2nd intakers.
and for the first three months, i found out one day when i crashed that they had been having lit lectures on techniques of Practical Criticism and USEFUL things like that!
ok, and not to be unfair to SA, cuz we did do some prac crit during tutorials during first three months, but u just hv to ask lit student at SA now and they'll tell you that Mrs Claudine Tan is pretty much, well, useless. i also specifically recall my class mass-ponning one of her tutorials... and she called ALL of them back and gave them a right scolding. but that's not the point.
i think maths was the only thing that SA was on par with CJ in terms of coverage.
and here's another useful(?) tip from me: don't ever skip lectures or tutorials. especially for your core A-Level subjects.
that's cuz i skipped one day of school to go for a dance rehearsal instead, and missed out on the math lecture on inequalities, and since CJ had already covered it they didn't go back to it. and i paid the price dearly during my mid-years. so yes. PLEASE don't skip lectures during first three months--and in the case of CJ, no matter how much the grand stand beckons! hahaha... you'll get what i mean if you come here first three months.
and don't even get me started on the state of the notes that are given alright.
seriously.
one of these days you shd just ask me to show you and you'll know instantly why i made the transfer from SA to Cj, along with why i almost DIED in shock when i found out how FAR BEHIND i was.
in spite of the fact that SAJC is supposed to be a better JC than CJC, is it not?
so yes, there's that.
->and btw, CJC isn't exactly the "not-so-good" JC that it used to be, you know.
don't assume that since you're from an affiliated school you'll be accepted if you happen to fall into a situation where you have to appeal for a place here.
trust me on this one... i know at least four friends from IJTP who missed the cut-off by like one or two points and still couldn't make it in.
and i know that this situation wouldn't be faced by most of you cuz u did well for prelims, its still a pretty real one cuz u nv know (touch wood, though, of course!) what might happen at the o's.
there are some people whom we all expected to do exceedingly well, who unexpectedly didn't.
not that you guys will be one of these people, but yeah, its always good to be prepared right?
and i know i sound really cynical and annoyed, but yea... i'm just saying that CJC's on the rise.
last year, the cut-off for arts was 13 after bonus. next year brother's pushing for 12 or even 11.
so maybe you might wanna think again about the whole "better" and "not-so-good" thing, yea?
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and yup i think that's about all i have to say. with regard to what joyce and constance have said,
but that duzzn mean i disagree with the rest of what they have both said!
cuz i agree fully. and they do apply.
and i still stick with what i said in my earlier entry, that the subject combi you're planning to take really is ultimately important.
and there may be certain things that matter more to you than others.
for me, it was that the environment cannot be cheena, cuz someone like me wld just DIE in a place like NJ, Hwa Chong or AJ , for example. (and don't deny it guys, u've admitted it to me before loads of times, eh?)
so yea. take your time, and of course, very very very importantly,
please pray about your decision before you make it.
i cannot stress this enough.
As mentioned by all the others, God ultimately knows what's best for us in the long run, even though it may not be obvious why.
so follow your heart (as well as God's "soft promptings"!) and think it through carefully, too, of course!
sorry for being so long-winded, but yes, this would be my two dollars' worth, i guess! :))
P.S/ i'm really sorry if i offended you, joyce n constance. but this is what i feel compelled to say, especially if i said it too harshly.
i'm really sorry.
alright, you guessed it. another meeting to rush off too!
its 4:20 now btw.
that's how long i took to finish telling you guys my two dollars' worth man!! hahaha...
so anyway, gotta dash! ciao!
Jeanette @ 3:22 pm
Hey dears, look at how devoted and caring your seniors are! Good work, Joyce and Constance, I'm sure all the info will be more than sufficient in ensuring legionaries will make the right decision! That said, I haven't much to add on (they've covered about everything), just to double-stress (just like the last standing instruction) the importance of praying about it. As Constance had so rightly attested to it, God makes the best decisions.
Think it over carefully, the next 2 years can make or break you (not really break per se, maybe shake?). Weigh the pros and cons, those so meticulously listed out by Joyce, and based on what you think you're looking for or what you'd like to do with the next 2 yrs of your life. I agree that vibes are very impt too. I chose hc over the others also partly cos of the seemingly friendlier feel to it, and I think tt's really essential, friendships have made jc life much more tolerable. I was also looking for a gd challenge, which I rightly got. As for rankings, I don't think it's terribly impt, unless you're hoping to get a scholarship (mostly awarded to top 5 jcs). What's more impt is whether the envt is conducive enough for study (you'll find it v essential esp nearer the exams when u might need to prepare for them during long breaks on long days cos there won't be enough time to study at home) and play (for healthy constitution!). The teachers will teach the same things but to different depths. Good Jcs may teach more but that might not necessarily be a gd thing. (Hc has fed me w too much info such tt I'm really hving alot trouble trying to pick out what's impt now!) Whether it turns out better or worse for you really depends on how much you can handle.
Yeap, so that's my little piece of advice! Anyone care to offer me advice about choosing Unis? haha, just kidding. All the best to us all yeah? God bless the legionaries of Our Lady of Graces pdm!
Trina Tay @ 2:05 pm
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
hey funky jrs! your funky snr's here to give her 100 cents worth X)
i'm sure u guys have gone for a few/one open day(s) already. you've seen the college in action etc.
and you're thinking of which school to pick now.
hmm, below are some stuff you might want to consider before you submit ur choices at PAE.
1. distance is a consideration. though many times, you find yourself taking 1/2-1 hr just travelling. keep in mind that school will start ending at times like 8? with cca and all and if you've gotta spend so much time on the bus travelling, it can get very draining.
2. subject combi. it is important you check with the school what they are planning ot offer next yr. i know you guys are involved with the new syllabus so it can get even trickier. you don't want to go to a jc where they don't offer combinations you want.
-speaking of combis, you want to start thinking about them. look for the subject tutors when u go for open days. ask about the subject and possible pre-requisites. don't wait till the last minute (like me). i only had 15 mins to decide what combi i wanted to take back during the 1st 3 months. you find that if that's the case, u're easily swayed by whims, friends, etc etc. ya.
so decide think through it early. with the changes in syllabus, it's even more important to chose correctly, cos it affects you later. you don't want to try to catch up after the PAE period etc.
3. personally, i think that if you're deliberating over a better jc to a not-so-good one, chose the better one. thing is,
one:
if u do decide to transfer to the latter after jae, you find that it's easier to catch up because it's always the case that better jcs teach more in the 1st 3 mths. hci covers more than nj which covers more than cj (i think-not sure for the cj part, but it's true for the hci to nj part).
two:
if you don't have the max of 4 bonus points (no higher chi etc), then u'd get the priviledge of 2 bonus affliation points which may be handy.
4. friends. ok it's not suppose to sway you but well.. haha. i was a little swayed when i finally decided nj. i mean i know people there. my friends are there. i don't feel so left out. etc. i mean i always find it more comfortable with ij girls. you will make new friends and tt's good, but sometimes...
5. teachers. not that you'd know a lot but haha it's important. ask from the ushers. they tend to give accurate ans (:
6. overall atmosphere. how does the school make you feel. all warm and fuzzy inside? X) haha. make sure it gives u the right vibes k? u dont want ot end up feeling miserable for 3 mths
aiyoh tt's all i can of for now. you guys have to try to make the best choice k? and pray really hard about it. i think it's God's grace that i'm blessed with the classmates and tutors i have now.
will pray hard for u guys too!
whatever you get for prelims, rem it's only for first three months; if you didn't do as well as u hoped u would have done, work harder-but don't burn out.
if you've done better than you've expected, keep it up! don't burn out, but don't be too overly complacent either.
and whatever the case is, know that God is always there. don't forget to pray before and after the paper k?
lurve ya guys! and hope to see some of u in NJ (:
joyce @ 8:43 pm
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
heyyyyyyy guys!!!
wassup man... haven't seen or talked to you guys properly for ages!!!!
but it was a REEEEEEEALLY good thing that some of you went to the cj open house!!!
thanks fer coming... clara, cassy and ethel!
the rest, i didn't see (or i forgot about... and i'm TERRIBLY sorry if i did!!!)
hahahah..
but anyway that's not why i'm here.
constance has asked me to give my "two cents' worth" on choosing jcs?
so i'm here, and as usual, i'll give my two DOLLARS!
hahahahahha...
ok la but i doubt i'll have enough time here to give my two dollars worth cuz i've got a meeting in like five mins!
*sigh*
maybe i'll come back after?
then again, it seems all you guys are pretty much fine without my opinion...
seeing that no one asked me anything!
*puts on a hurt look*
i've got one thing to say now though.
no matter what, its your subject combi that matters most.
and you should take every effort you can to find out as much as you can about which jcs are good at which subjects, and then u shd go to the jc that's really good at the subjects you wanna do.
i'll elaborate more but i gotta go now.
so for now that's the most important thing la!
and i guess that yea, while distance is important, if you can juggle your time (unlike me!), you can very well go to vj even if you live in jurong.
so yea.
when's the PAE over btw?
i shd be back to blog again before then yea! hahaha
in the meantime, thanks babes for coming to cj's open house!
n for supporting me at our performance, clara! :D:D
oh yea if anyone needs help in anything at all, i'm here yeap!
just a reminder. :)
okayyyy. ciaooos! better run before i get REALLY late for meeting! hahahaha.
ciao!
Jeanette @ 2:22 pm
Sunday, October 09, 2005
talked to jelly & cassy & both of you seem confused, here's my 2 cents worth on the topic of choosing the nxt institution!
pple who go tt jc along with you are impt; you'll realise they make indispensable friends & you'll treasure tt feeling. no friend in jc can ever replace the one you knew for 4/10 yrs in ij. not even the bf you might acquire. =P
distance is impt too; sch ends late but you have many times the amt of wrkload you had in sec sch. once you get home, you'll realise tt all you want to do is bathe, finish hw, eat & sleep. no tv or computer. and few outings with friends. so every min you save is worthwhile.
what tt jc's niche is another factor. if you're into studies, you might consider hci/nj. if you're in CCA, maybe nj/vj? [it depends on the CCA!] for a culture like ij, cj/sa? if you're a little on the chi side, hci/aj? if you're pretty fun-loving then sa/ac? plus the fact tt some jc just have better sci/arts tutors or faculties. you shld check out the subs/combi you're interested in with your current ij seniors. i believe our batch has quite a few pple in each jc!
but most of all, i think attitude's the most impt. wherever you are, if you have the will to adapt, i'll sure you'll do fine. and pray abt it!
why pray? 'cos you never know tt you might end up like me!
i wanted to go to rj 'cos i live in bishan plus it was prestigious. but i also wanted to go nj 'cos i heard tt it was a decent place to go since it had a gd mis of pple.
so i prayed abt it for many days & i finally decided on nj for PAE. [i just had this feeling tt it was the better of the 2, don't ask why!]
i can only thank God tt i did because i did worse at 'O's than at prelims! if i had chose rj, i wldn't have been able to make it to nj 'cos i relied on my affiliation [having been in nj for 1st 3 mnths] to stay on.
if i had taken the gamble & chose rj, i wldn't even be in nj now.
so trust in the Lord! He'll show you the right path!
p.s. i'll try to 'goreng' the other seniors to give their opinions on the matter too, alright? smile always & many blessings from us all for 'o's!
cons @ 7:07 pm
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