It has been a while since I last blogged about something. JC life really is taking the life out of me... Any ways, for all those who are interested in going to a JC to peruse your tertiary education, here are some of my opinion of how JC has been like and how different is it from my O Level life.
General Comment:
1. One thing for sure is that in JC, lessons end much later than in Secondary School. For my class the earliest time that we are actually released from school is 4.15pm which I had a hard time coping with previously as I had always been released from secondary school at 2.30pm, which gave me more time to study after school.
2. Content is much more in depth and scope than in O Level. In O Level, we built up on our knowledge in the subjects that we had learnt in PSLE. If that's considered a lot in your case, then I strongly recommend that you not go for the JC curriculum that will scare the lights out of you after you enter.
3. Lessons are much more fast paced than in O Level. For example in H2 Bio, our lecture only had 2 lectures, that is one week of school to finish the chapter of enzymes, a chapter that used up almost 2 weeks of 6 lesson in secondary school to finish. Therefore, A level also has a lot of self directed learning.
In a specific note, for the various subjects...
O Level English-->A Level General Paper
In O Level English,
- Candidates are only required to read, understand, write, talk and listen in Internationally Acceptable English. Hence, as long as your language is on par, you will have no problem in scoring well, regardless of how mediocre your content is.
- It is easy to pass O Level English, as long as your essays do not have too much 'exp' OR 'ss' or 'sp' or 'ww' etc. on them.
- Time constraint is not much of a concern in O Level English, as plenty of time is given to evaluate the text and answer the questions.
However in GP,
- Candidates are now not only require to read, comprehend and communicate effectively in Internationally Acceptable English, they are also required to think critically and communicate their ideas in a mature and sophisticated manner in order to score well.
- Time Constraint is always a problem that you experience as 1 hour 30 minutes is never enough to finish 8 SAQ (Short Answer Question), one 120 word Summary and one 2 page Application Question.
I have not recalled any instances where I actually managed to pass my GP essay due to the perceived lack of maturity of understanding and appreciation towards worldly affairs.
O Level A Math and Math--> A Level H2 Math
In O Level Math,
- Presentation is always the determinant between the A1s, A2s and B3s.
- All questions can be done through thorough analysis and formulaic approaches.
In H2 Math,
- Presentation, even though is one thing that affect marks, is not much of a concern as it can only be penalised if you even attempt the question! Once you cannot understand the question OR even know which chapter this question is testing you on, you cannot even answer the question! Many people suffer in J1 due to the lack of practice and appreciation towards the Mathematical Concept.
- Time is also a main concern, as long workings may be needed for even a 2 mark question.
O Level Biology-->A Level H2 Biology
O Level Biology
- Looks at the physiological component of life. (human body system and its functioning to sustain life).
- Split into 4 themes.
- Each theme requires at most two hours to revise before exams.
- Exam does not require detailed explanation if not prompted.
A Level H2 Biology
- Dive further into the body and towards the molecular basis of the body. Amplified specification of some topics, such as Biological Molecules (Nutrition in Humans) and Molecular Genetics (one entire theme dedicated to this topic).
- Greater understanding and appreciation towards the half truths that O Level Biology provide.
- Split into 6 themes for new syllabus.
- Requires answering techniques that, when not applied may cause one to score 0 marks for the 20 marks essay question.
- One theme require the entire day in order to revise.
- Detailed explanation is encouraged and demanded for all questions in the Bio Paper.
- Time Constraint is a Huge Issue due to a lot of information needed to be written.
O Level Chemistry-->A Level H2 Chemistry
O Level Chemistry
- Foundation knowledge on Organic and Inorganic Chemistry
- Questions are highly predictable.
- Data Analysis questions can be answered using information from text.
A Level H2 Chemistry
- Go into depth for ALL the O Level Topics and teaches that many concepts learnt in O Level does not hold in reality in A Level H2 Chemistry.
- New Topics are included.
- Time Constraint is an issue, especially for MCQ Question.
O Level Combined Humanities--> A Level H2 Economics
O Level
- Limited skill set required (Usefulness, Reliability, etc...)
- Time Issue easily resolved, especially with revised syllabus 2267.
- Writing something with key words and just inferring sources will pass you immediately.
- Formulaic Approach are despired, but get you the A1 for CH.
- NAQ may give you 1 mark.
A Level H2 Economics
- High level of Maturity of thought needed to tackle all questions.
- Skills are a more diverse range, must be trained and not taught.
- Formulaic Approach cannot hold in reality for Economics, and will even give you 0 marks for NAQ.
- Time Issues always a concern.
If you need more information on the JC curriculum or sample pages on notes on some of the H2 subjects, email me at littlebunniehellokitty@gmail.com
Thank you!
