NUS High School of Mathematics and Science (Diploma)

[snggy]

My son also enjoyed it. Talks about the experiments and what he saw and learnt today. Guess it is a good experience.

[layperson]

quote Maximustan: Hi I just finished the Selection Camp. I just found it a little boring, especially the Biology part with the hole puncher into chye sim testing for photosynthesis, our whole group had Zero result with no bubbles and the other stations had a lot of 'shake leg' time. The new \"GENERAL\" station was strange, with them asking us to find the way they did a magic trick. They said that if the card name was NINE OF HEARTS then nine=4 and you shuffle four cards from front to back and then 2 cards then 6 cards, then pull 5 cards as \"truth\" and the nine of hearts would appear, many students could not even remember the names of the cards like spades, hearts and when we asked, the teacher said that it was individual work. :? Throughout the camp we were told that talking to team mates was not allowed and there was almost no group work. The chemistry experiment was nothing interesting, just told us to add some calcium to concentrate and observe. Am I the only one experiencing this? :scratchhead:


Dear Maximus, I sorry to read this .

My younger son who was rejected from the round 1 could answer both the practicals and given the equation for the calcium carbonate chemical reaction. He said you probably should have checked the underside of the leaves where the stomata are for the air bubbles.

[lurline]

Dear Maximus, I sorry to read this .


My younger son who was rejected from the round 1 could answer both the practicals and given the equation for the calcium carbonate chemical reaction. He said you probably should have checked the underside of the leaves where the stomata are for the air bubbles.[/quote]

layperson, I like your post!

[iRabbit]

layperson:

Dear Maximus, I sorry to read this .


My younger son who was rejected from the round 1 could answer both the practicals and given the equation for the calcium carbonate chemical reaction. He said you probably should have checked the underside of the leaves where the stomata are for the air bubbles.

My friends told me that the round 1 test was very easy, in fact much easier than the GEP selection tests. Maybe they got lucky.

[Artume]

Personally, I too was surprised by the fact that my station was individual work. It certainly was a change from last year (and years ago).


The amount of ‘shaking leg’ time was unfortunate. Since it’s individual work, the presentations are individual too. I tried to entertain the rest of my group while they are waiting for their turn to present, such as talking about school and other non-related things. Maybe things will improve next year.

My take on the general station is that it is not meant to be ‘solved’. The way it was conducted came as a surprise even to us helpers at the end. I think it was to see if and how students analyze and approach a new problem that is nothing like they have seen before and has no clear indication of goal, approach or even time limit.

[layperson]

He said he would work hard for PSLE. He's the careless type unfortunately :rotflmao: it would take a miracle for him to join his brother.


As a parent I have to be honest to access his interest and ability before deciding whether to put him in 6 years of accelerated pace Math and Science. I felt he has the interest. His brother is very happy in NUSH and has been the source of encouragement and inspiration for him.

Artume has been posting very interesting articles to share with parents wishing to know more about the school and provided valuable insights :salute:

[Artume]

layperson:

He said he would work hard for PSLE. He's the careless type unfortunately :rotflmao: it would take a miracle for him to join his brother.


As a parent I have to be honest to access his interest and ability before deciding whether to put him in 6 years of accelerated pace Math and Science. I felt he has the interest. His brother is very happy in NUSH and has been the source of encouragement and inspiration for him.

Artume has been posting very interesting articles to share with parents wishing to know more about the school and provided valuable insights :salute:

Thanks!

Hope your younger DS would join the school! I, too, am a very careless person... In some ways, being in NUSH has allowed me to retain my carelessness since not doing that well in the exam has less of an impact on my overall grade, but it's still painful when I get back test/exam papers that are on the passing line, I thought I did them perfectly!

[Pen88n]

layperson:

My thoughts on the Selection Test is that it is not foolproof. Children has different level of maturity.


Talented candidates often like to read and spend their time learn new things. They love their subject matter and read widely and deeply, even for things not taught in the mainstream or GEP course. Often the talent are hidden as they're not tested in any applicable test unless the adult were to converse with the child on the topics.

While well-practiced ones are narrow in their reading or learning. Such candidates knows all the exam technique through months of training, tutoring may not be well read, driven or even interested . The latter ALWAYS outperformed the former in all primary test, exam and PSLE simply because the subject matter is so narrow and some so called high ability students confessed to memorising the steps to solved Math problems instead of really solving through their own ingenuity.

However most of these deficits in their learning are often exposed in unconventional questions in Olympiad, still the better drilled ones may even went on to top the Olympiads.

The major flaw: a lot of school relied on narrow selected questions and past performance to assess a child's suitability to obtained entry into the school .

To its credit, NUSH has a fairer system than any other school in its selection by requiring GEP and MS to sit for a common test, however the results may not always yield the best selection.

Still bright students may get eliminated through careless mistakes whereas a handful of wrong candidates who shaded the correct boxes in Multiple Choices questions may get selected.

I have seen suitable candidates flourish in the nurturing environment of the school and its teachers. Some were bored with the primary school life and thus performed badly now triumph through by being top in the level.

While children who were relying on heavy drilling in primary school suddenly found themselves unable to cope with the expansion of subjects taught at the accelerated pace.

Even as now, a number of the Y1 are attending remedial classes, some are attending it for a few subjects. Others are busy complaining about the very school work that they supposedly clamoured for.

NUSH isn't the only place I see such mismatch. Teachers in other school also commented where supposedly top PSLE students hate A Math and can't do their algebra. It is disheartening and troubling to see all these lack of interest revealed only once the students gain entry.

So parents, please be honest with ourselves and consider the children's learning ability instead of imposing our desires in their educational journey.

Not all top students are \"drilled\" - in fact, as you rightly pointed out, the \"drilled\" ones will end up as mismatch in the school system. However, if you were to look at the % of mismatch, it is probably very low compared with the overall intake in most top schools. I shoud like to think that this goes to show that the selection system is still quite in-placed to pick the \"right\" candidates.

Totally agreed that as parents we need to be honest and choose what is best fit school for our kids. We should also be honest to accept our kid's capability - sometimes being smart and well-learnt is not all that is required to do well in top schools as certain level of maturity, aptitude and attitude are needed too. Being in the school with the right pace and environment may allow the kid to have more breathing space and time to grow and nurture instead of being too focused on enhancing subject learning only.

[snggy]

I also recall my son mentioning about the air bubbles from the leaves. He was amazed by the bubbles and stomata etc and went on and on. He was also excited about the reaction when he mixed the various stuff during the chemistry part. Probably my boy is mountain turtle so he enjoyed it. Hahaha

[4leafclover]

Artume:

Thanks!

Hope your younger DS would join the school! I, too, am a very careless person... In some ways, being in NUSH has allowed me to retain my carelessness since not doing that well in the exam has less of an impact on my overall grade, but it's still painful when I get back test/exam papers that are on the passing line, I thought I did them perfectly!

My DD can't stop talking about her experience at the school this morning.
She said the seniors are very friendly. Good job!

The bio & chem experiments aren't difficult but she was amused sitting through the lesson on collision theory.
She talked most on the physics experiment and the 'magic' card trick. Both requires quite a bit of analytical thinking. She likes activities where she gets to explore on her own.

Overall, the camp is great as she gets a classroom experience at NUSH.