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100 days: 29 Jan. Another absolutely normal day in school. Normal lessons have not finished, Most mock papers are a month away, let alone the final exams.
87 days : 12th Feb, first paper of mock exams. Paper wasnt too hard, people wasnt stress with it. Chinese new year coming too.
71 days : 28th Feb, Econs Mock exams. Proves how much we dont know about econs.
64 days : End of mock papers. Short break and start reading...
50-60+ days : Read all on Socio and that tough and hard Econs Study guide. Many days later, gave up in that 400page study guide and dug into lecture notes.
44 days : 26 march, start of revision month. Long time no see friends, all first greeting questions are: "how had your studying been?"
20+ to 40+ days :
And you see, the most "no-life" period of all students. Everyday you see people in school, taking up every possible bench in all storey, or every desk in library. All self-studying. Including weekends. Towards the latter part, to get a bench you have to be in school before 9am. No joke. A super motivated environment to study. And I'm there, some of the days.
As for the revision lessons, part was by own local lecturers, and others are by UK lecturers, flown in from the London Uni. Do really want to note that, while some was dry, some was sacrastically oftensive (in name of our good-ness, they say), the socio ones was superb. Rosemary is the alive elder lady who almost "jump" about and make it interesting and understandable, and Steve almost felt like a BBC host. Just a lesson and all crystal clear. Really.
And if you are a potential student coming here, do remember, when you have revision class on Sunday or public holidays, please know someone who drives. The school canteen is closed, the cafe offers special lunch box; but with all the students you get a Queue like lunch time at an Army Camp Cook house. Ngee Ann Poly closed, Mac is 3 bus stops away, and hawker centre is a 5min drive. Walking is possible, but you have to eat faster and pray there's no rain.
This is also the time where by you will be introduced to the branch of SIM, known as Management House, on Namly Ave. Located behind Hwa Chong, it was normally not used for UOL courses, but due to the lack of rooms/lecture halls for revision period, they open up lectures at this branch. If you are going by bus, merry chirstmas to you, there's a long long stretch to cover from the bus stop. That's why, many will be late and many cars had been squeezed to their maximum seating capacity. So, do car pool. You have been advised.
...but beyond this, the place is actually very very nice. I like the building circular design, and the surroundings is actually very peaceful. Like a country club though.
1 to 19 days:
Almost the end of the revision classes, so my intensive studies spread around the island. As I gradually lost the ability to study at home, I found friends and joined their study groups. So outside school, it includes Jurong East library, Harbourfront, and even Queentown library. Queentown was actually one of the nicest place; The library was quiet and empty (before students come in and ruin every piece of the peace) and the mac along queenway road is good. I saw the polyclinic, which possibly one of the oldest standing I guess? Looks more than a friendly village to me:
As for travelling, if I were to insist on bus only, I realise no matter to anywhere from Punggol, it takes around 1.5 hours. Be it Town, Queensways or Jurong East. Really. Furthermore I picked my travelling to take place during off peak hours (After 10am) ...So the smooth journeys actually became a form of theorpy for me....please recall my interest as punched on the left.
Weekends are not spared too. Thanks to the understanding of girl, Saturdays was half shopping and libraries: Orchard+Orchard library, or Bugis/suntec + central library.
Sundays are driving days, so it's either Central library again, or any library in the North/West like Bukit Panjang, Yishun, Sembawang, etc etc.
All in all, I guess I had went to almost every National libraries in Singapore...
....I had never studied so much in my life. Not even for A-levels'. .....
Everyone learns their lesson; because we are at where we are.
2 days:
Receives a call from friend. Just 3 days before our statistic paper, it was confirmed that we cannot use our Scientific Calculator, but instead, Basic Conventional ones (aka groceries shop uncle's calculator). That means say good-bye to the Fraction key, Edit key, Square/Cube key, etc etc etc. So encouraging 2 days before Econs and 3 days before Stats.
Once home at night, found that convental calculator and starts practising. To Cube, press digit, "X", and "=" 3 times. This something new. And all steps to be wrote down now, no more jumping. Time to put my new scientific calculator to sleep for long too.
1 day :
Imagine, a day before your exams, you felt you want to practise more, yet you ran a fever and couldnt get off the bed. Yes it happened to me and it was a very very bad feeling. It overcomes all emotions, and in the end I slept and went to the Hall without any anxious-ness...
....The waters are calm....after you had sank deeper than the turbulence...
0 day - D-day : ~~This is the day! This is day that we all had waited.....~~
9th may. Economics paper, possibly the most feared of all.
Here's the weird bit. Because of my practise and study of the lecture notes, I actually did not felt any fear during the paper itself; It was rather smooth to me. But when it's over, some people around me found it was difficult for them. So did I do it wrongly?? Or had the lecture notes over simplified everything, thereby I will lose marks?
-1 day : 10th may, statistic paper. Horrible speed. Me, like many others, did not finish. I was commenting, if they mark us against 70marks instead of 100, we all will do well, coz on average we lost 20+ marks due to incompletion.
-3 days : 12th may, no papers.
Initial intentions was to study at National library; needed a table for the other friends, so it's my first time going and queueing for the "opening" at 10am. As the clock strikes 9.59am and the door opens, I'm amazing at the speed those girls Ran towards the tables...By 10.01am All tables filled. Damn.
So after the noon time, we migrated to SMU. Now, this is a good place. Get a bench on the first floor; Hungry? Subway or mr.bean is behind you. Peace? You have it. But just dont rain. The humidity before rain is quite bad that day...left you sweating.
-5 days : 14th may. Maths paper....actually at this time of typing now I cant remember much of it (cos of the latter better incidents that took place) ... I guess should be ok ?
Went Airport afterwards. Was brought to Terminal 1 BK by another friend. Found another great place to study, and best of all, it wasnt difficult to get home from there. Marks the start of my week long daily (almost) trips to Airport...
-6 days : 15th May, the classic day. Sociology paper.
As you might had seen on the NewPaper, there was a printing error on the script, leaving out 2 questions of the intended 8 in Section C. The topic, which the school had selected for us and taught us, is one of the 2 Q which had been ommited. The examiners on the spot could not do anything, so we all had to "do our best" on what's available. Caused some unrest certainly, and many choosen to leave the hall early.
So some got the media's attention, and others had flooded the respective agency's mailbox.
We were told that "moderation" will be in place to "not put anyone in a disadvantage position". Fingers crossed.
Oh yes, other than Section C, Section A (50 marks) was very unique this year... So lots of smoking and twisting took place. Hope i'll be well..
-7 to -12 days:
Other than a day which I went down to job agencies and the weekend, I was at Airport. It was the most intensive week; 'cos that was the only time left to study for our last Management paper, which we had rarely touched previously... You will be surprised at how much the human brain can take in.
-7 to -12 days:
Other than a day which I went down to job agencies and the weekend, I was at Airport. It was the most intensive week; 'cos that was the only time left to study for our last Management paper, which we had rarely touched previously... You will be surprised at how much the human brain can take in.
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