My Two Cents on Graduating College
The 2022 JAE has just ended, so now’s the appropriate time to post this, without interfering with anyone’s opinion. I’m writing this because an interview one of my friends did with 4 other teens from other schools. The interview was published long ago, but I feel that it did not showcase NYJC well enough.
I am very grateful to enter NYJC, and to meet all the wonderful people and teachers there. NYJC had been my first choice. There were a few factors I considered when picking her. First, it is relatively close to my house, which means less travelling time. Time is money, or in this case, knowledge. Second, she offers computing as a subject which not many schools do. The third was accessibility. There’s a sheltered walkway from the MRT to the main gate. Those are the main things I considered.
Some say that NYJC is a lax, but good school and I would agree to a large extent. The school treats the students as young adults, and as such they tend to close one eye on some things, knowing that we will take responsibility. Our notorious chemistry (and math) department is very ambitious when it comes to practise papers and setting exam questions, and I would say that they prepare most students sufficiently for the final hurdle.
All of my subject teachers are very approachable for consultations, and to answer any burning questions I had. The food is decent as well, although I do favour some stalls over the others, but the cafe food is definitely overpriced in my opinion.
It is true to a certain extent that NYJC offers unique subject combinations to students (I think it's one of her 'selling points' when I entered the school). But this also has downsides as well. Speaking from experience, being in a class with unique subject combinations means that your timetable is very oddly arranged and that most, if not all, of your classmates, will be affected by either an early reporting time or late dismissal, as compared to students with more mainstream subject combinations (BCME/PCME). You should factor that into consideration when picking your combination, if you don't want long 1.5 to 3 hour breaks in between classes/lectures.
There was once my classmates had a 5-hour break allocated on a particular day each week until the timetable changed. Some may see it as an opportunity, others may see it as a curse. Whatever it is, the fact remains. Choosing unique subject combinations will come with its own set of issues. But if you are optimistic enough, you could turn the odds in your favour, and make the most out of the time you have in your hands.
Switching streams after entering is highly possible, but you should fulfil the subject's requirement. For example, to take physics (H1/H2), you should have taken physics at O Levels. I personally don't know anyone who switched streams (more like I didn't bother to ask), but I've certainly heard stories about it.
'Work hard play hard' isn't the phrase I would use to describe the culture at NYJC. The phrase is so vague (and cliché), I feel that it can be used on most institutions in Singapore. The people you hang out with will ultimately determine how you describe the school culture. It's not a one size fit all kind of thing. And I feel that we are over generalising when I see online comments/threads of past alumni recounting their experience. Readers should know that each cohort is different. Every class will have different dynamics.
So instead of asking about school culture, ask more in-depth questions about the teachers, the facilities, the food, the timetable, the subjects, etc. Those will help you shape a better understanding of the institution you are enrolling into. In short, ask the correct questions. Generic questions like 'How is the school culture' will only get you generic answers like 'Work hard play hard'. I have covered some points about Open Houses and schools in general in my previous write up as well.
As much as I want to say NYJC isn't too focused on academic results, I can't. There is an honour roll and best-improved list, to commend outstanding students who did well in the exam. They also collate and rank every class according to the average RPs after every major exam. I actually don't know the actual intent of such a ranking, and I feel there is no need to know the average RPs of 30 other classes. I understand the need to commend those who have achieved great success in their studies, and the fact that we should have some knowledge as to where we rank, but the way it’s presented to us, makes me feel that the school is going after good grades.
Instead of ranking all the classes, why not just name the top 3 classes? Like how they only mention those who scored 80/79 RP for honour roll. There’s really no need to know that my class is the 31st ranking in the whole cohort… or the 29th… you get the idea.
The number of events held dwindled because of the pandemic, but based on past event photos, they seemed fun and enjoyable. I don't have enough experience to give a holistic judgement, thus I'll let the photos speak for themselves (if you find them on the school website).
JC is different from secondary school. You need the discipline, responsibility and perseverance to get through. Good friends will make the journey more enjoyable, and sleep is as important too. I also shall not dwell too much on PW as I have talked about it in a previous write up. The 2 years will pass rather quickly, so make good use of it.
It’s really not about which JC you go to. Each JC would have her fair share of wonderful teachers who want to bring out the best in the students. Whether you transfer out after the posting results shouldn’t be dependent on others’ opinions, the school’s reputation or your friendships. At the end of the day, you should be comfortable enough with your decision to sleep peacefully at night. The journey matters more than the end result, although both are important in this aspect.
I would like to state that this piece of writing is not intended to upsell my school, nor to criticise anyone. These are simply my experiences about my time in NYJC. I would be more than happy to continue the discussion in the comments, or in private.
