Networking Group - JCs General

[sharonkhoo]

jedamum\" post_id=\"2095852\" time=\"1674569591\" user_id=\"159:

Want to ask for those taking H2 math, I already have a TI-84 plus from ds1 bought 4yrs ago, do I still need get TI-84 plus CE w python for ds2? Thanks.

Have a look at the list of approved calculators:
https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/documents/guidelines_calculators.pdf

Also note that although the approval may say that it's up to 2023 or 2024, the approval is often renewed at the end of these periods.

[jedamum]

Many thanks.

[Option]

I need some help here. For the past 2 years, dd and us had set our sights for her to enrol into a poly this year. The original arguments (for poly and not jc) were similar to what some folks here have put up.

By a turn of events (nothing to do with e.g. fickle-mindedness, adaptability issues, friends’ influence), she opted for jcs for first few choices in this year’s submission and we (have to) support her.

However, this meant that there were certain areas on jc which we had not found out enough :
(a) what is RP90 exactly ? Is this some score that must be obtained for e.g. selected (?) admissions, scholarships or something ?

(b) what possible common reasons can there be for a student to fight for a jc student council participation, articulated or otherwise ? I asked this because in two cases, a non-negligible number of the students we spoke to had somehow turned to other ccas only after unsuccessful attempts to get a place in a student council.

how much difference are we talking about between a student council exco member and a student council member ? I mean, sure there are students who want to develop leadership skills but is this the only significant reason ?

(d) for jcs with ip/ dual track affiliations, did they have more student council members or student council exco members year on year with students from these ip/ dual track affiliations by proportions of student "origin" to vacancies ? If there are jc/(s) in this category that exhibit a different trend, which one/(s) ?
Thanks

[MerlionInGermany]

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:

The maximum number of rank points (RP) for admissions to university a student can achieve is 90. So no, it isn’t “some score that must be obtained for….” It is just a numerical representation of your grades.

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:[quote=Option post_id=2096037 time=1674819793 user_id=185249](b) what possible common reasons can there be for a student to fight for a jc student council participation, articulated or otherwise ? I asked this because in two cases, a non-negligible number of the students we spoke to had somehow turned to other ccas only after unsuccessful attempts to get a place in a student council.

Did you ask the students when you saw them? What did they say? What was their reason to “fight for a jc student council participation“?

Cca in jc is not compulsory, like in pri school. Just pointing this out.

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:

Should be the same between sec school student council exco and non-exco. You could try asking your daughter for the difference in her sec school between these 2 groups. If she is interested, she should find out.

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:[quote=Option post_id=2096037 time=1674819793 user_id=185249](d) for jcs with ip/ dual track affiliations, did they have more student council members or student council exco members year on year with students from these ip/ dual track affiliations by proportions of student \"origin\" to vacancies ? If there are jc/(s) in this category that exhibit a different trend, which one/(s) ?
Thanks

Why would they have more student council members year on year? They will graduate and leave the school and another new cohort joins the school.

(E) so which jc did your daughter choose as first choice? Maybe easier to help you if you have a specific jc.
(F) which sec school did your son get in eventually? We spent a few pages on ksp discussing this, and I am really curious to know which one he chose in the end.

[sharonkhoo]

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:

I need some help here. For the past 2 years, dd and us had set our sights for her to enrol into a poly this year. The original arguments (for poly and not jc) were similar to what some folks here have put up.
By a turn of events (nothing to do with e.g. fickle-mindedness, adaptability issues, friends' influence), she opted for jcs for first few choices in this year's submission and we (have to) support her.

However, this meant that there were certain areas on jc which we had not found out enough :
(a) what is RP90 exactly ? Is this some score that must be obtained for e.g. selected (?) admissions, scholarships or something ?
RP=rank points. These are for entry to local universities and calculated from the A level results. 90 is the max score, i.e. straight As. See this calculator:
https://www.sgunistats.com/calculator

(b) what possible common reasons can there be for a student to fight for a jc student council participation, articulated or otherwise ? I asked this because in two cases, a non-negligible number of the students we spoke to had somehow turned to other ccas only after unsuccessful attempts to get a place in a student council.
A big reason is that it looks good on the CV! Some students also do want to serve the student body. My daughter was a councillor in her JC days, and her main reason was that she likes organising events and getting people to do things together, and being the voice of students in the JC (idealistic!). Being a councillor takes up a lot of time and energy, so some students may feel they cannot cope with that and another CCA. But if they don't get in, then they look for some other CCA.

(c) how much difference are we talking about between a student council exco member and a student council member ? I mean, sure there are students who want to develop leadership skills but is this the only significant reason ?
More status and responsibility, I guess. And looks even better on the CV. I would say that being a councillor already does indicates leadership, so being in the exco is even more so?

(d) for jcs with ip/ dual track affiliations, did they have more student council members or student council exco members year on year with students from these ip/ dual track affiliations by proportions of student \"origin\" to vacancies ? If there are jc/(s) in this category that exhibit a different trend, which one/(s) ?
Can't answer this one.
Thanks

[rrruthie]

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:

I need some help here. For the past 2 years, dd and us had set our sights for her to enrol into a poly this year. The original arguments (for poly and not jc) were similar to what some folks here have put up.
By a turn of events (nothing to do with e.g. fickle-mindedness, adaptability issues, friends' influence), she opted for jcs for first few choices in this year's submission and we (have to) support her.

However, this meant that there were certain areas on jc which we had not found out enough :
(a) what is RP90 exactly ? Is this some score that must be obtained for e.g. selected (?) admissions, scholarships or something ?

Hi there, this is my take based on my daughter's experience (joined a dual-track JC as a JAE student, graduated 1 year ago).

(a) Rank point (RP) is the grading system used for university course selection. The grades obtained for each A Level subject are converted into rank points (similar to O Levels where A1 = 1, A2 = 2, etc.). Basically, RP90 is the best that one can score at the A Levels.
Simple google search, you can read more here: https://conceptfirst.com.sg/how-to-calculate-alevel-rank-points/

Different courses of study in university would have a cut-off point e.g. competitive courses such as Medicine, Law admission requirement would be RP90.
You can read more about university admission here: https://conceptfirst.com.sg/university-admission-grade-requirements-nus-ntu-smu/

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:

(b) As said above, RP90 is the best that one can score at A Levels. So, how can a student differentiate themselves from the rest of the student body, especially if you're from a better-performing JC with a high percentage of RP90 scorers? Student council participation may add to the student's portfolio, showing the university of his/her leadership potential. This could be why there's a higher level of competition for spots in council.
However, JC student council participation is definitely more than just making one's portfolio shine. Council allows one to develop and strive in non-academic aspects, such as event planning and initiatives for the student body.
That said, it is a double-edged sword because events can start to pile up during exam periods. It really depends on how the student juggles between studies and council commitments.
Also, it doesn't mean that student council is the only way to excel in JC. There are also leadership positions in other CCAs, where students get the opportunity to shine through organising CCA camps, leading training sessions etc. There are also other options like class leadership roles (CT reps or being part of the class committee).

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:[quote=Option post_id=2096037 time=1674819793 user_id=185249](c) how much difference are we talking about between a student council exco member and a student council member ? I mean, sure there are students who want to develop leadership skills but is this the only significant reason ?

(c) I would imagine that student council in JC is similar to in Sec. To answer the second part, I think it boils down to the reason why you want to join SC. Is it for clout/being popular/portfolio, or do you really want to serve the student body? After all, the student council's main objective is to be the bridge between the student body and the school management / be the voice for the student, right?

Being a member of council itself allows the student to develop leadership, hard and soft skills. But from my daughter's experience, being in EXCO would definitely come with an increased workload and responsibilities (after all, you are considered to be \"leaders of the leaders\"). The student will have to dedicate more time to planning and executing year-round events e.g. orientation, CNY celebrations, mid-autumn etc. Council also may well be one of the closest CCAs due to the many hours spent together pouring over admin work and event planning. You really do make good friends in council (if you can get along well haha). Another benefit is you can get to expand your network and get to know a lot of people when you organise and carry out events.

Option\" post_id=\"2096037\" time=\"1674819793\" user_id=\"185249:

(d) for jcs with ip/ dual track affiliations, did they have more student council members or student council exco members year on year with students from these ip/ dual track affiliations by proportions of student \"origin\" to vacancies ? If there are jc/(s) in this category that exhibit a different trend, which one/(s) ?
Thanks

I don't think there are official statistics on that but the number of council members per year would most likely be the same (or proportionate to the number of student intake that year).
Anyway, my daughter came from an IP-affiliated JC and was a JAE student, still, she managed to join student council.
If the JC has IP affiliations, I would believe that IP students would have \"an advantage\" over JAE students because their peers from secondary school are in the same JC which most likely means IP students would have a solid base of support already. But you need to consider that there are rounds of interviews and a campaigning period, so JAE students definitely stand a chance of joining council despite the seemingly unfair advantage IP students have. During my daughter's school year, she said that the batch of student council EXCO members had a proportionate number of JAE and IP students. So, just have to campaign hard, network with your peers and trust the election process.

[Option]

Why is RP90 even a measure that people talk about if it doesn’t count for anything significantly different ?


"Did you ask the students when you saw them? What did they say? What was their reason to “fight for a jc student council participation“?"

Nope, one problem we faced was the time taken for the open houses. In that short 2 days, we actually covered different jcs. We actually covered quite a lot of questions but left out those I posted here inadvertently.
I am not expecting answers to all questions but do you (or anyone) have insights why ?

"Should be the same between sec school student council exco and non-exco. You could try asking your daughter for the difference in her sec school between these 2 groups. If she is interested, she should find out."

She knows the differences in secondary school. I am still back to the original question :
"I mean, sure there are students who want to develop leadership skills but is this the only significant reason ?", meaning what impact would it have on e.g. admissions, scholarships, additional opportunities etc ?, Nothing ?, Exactly the same as O levels ?"

"Why would they have more student council members year on year? They will graduate and leave the school and another new cohort joins the school."

What I mean is e.g. in year 2020, there were b students for incoming cohort. out of these students c were from affiliated ip/ dual track schools. So those non affiliated will be b-c.
For student council members in that cohort, there were d students out of which e were from affiliated ip/ dual track schools.
So if we compare c/b and e/f, will there be a significant difference year on year for a particular jc ?
Same line of question applies to years 2021, 2022, and proportions of student council exco members. Maybe we can consider the following jcs : ejc, hjc, nyjc, ri, vjc ?

My son’s case (long story) also came with turn of events and suffice to say "in life, you win some, you lose some". But thanks for your concerns (not just curiosity)

[Option]

Ok, I guess based on the timings you folks replied on the forum and my message out, some of the questions in my immediate posts at 9.18pm were already answered. There are still outstanding ones for the 9.18pm posts though. May I know for those of you with children in sc, what time do they usually sleep ?

I may be the minority but I am thinking in terms of balancing personal development, grades and sleep. If sleep hours for jc1 and jc2 are different, also advise.

[zac's mum]

I dont know if this is still the case today, but a peer of mine campaigned to join the JC student council with an eye to getting overseas scholarships. Extreme introvert, but came out of the shell to make a successful campaign nonetheless. Networked well and got the scholarship offers (also mugged As for 4 subjects + took S papers which was the trend for scholarship applications then).

[rrruthie]

Option\" post_id=\"2096045\" time=\"1674826354\" user_id=\"185249:

Ok, I guess based on the timings you folks replied on the forum and my message out, some of the questions in my immediate posts at 9.18pm were already answered. There are still outstanding ones for the 9.18pm posts though. May I know for those of you with children in sc, what time do they usually sleep ?
I may be the minority but I am thinking in terms of balancing personal development, grades and sleep. If sleep hours for jc1 and jc2 are different, also advise.

Something funny JC kids always say is: between good grades, enough sleep and social life - one can only choose two out of the three. This is definitely true to a certain extent.
My child often sleep between 1-2am. Have to know that student council has commitments and many meetings. More often than not, they will call at night around 10pm to do meetings as you have to find a suitable timing for everyone to meet, considering that certain CCAs (especially sports CCAs) can end around 8-9pm. After that, still have to complete their school work.
Of course, if your child can manage their work and time well, juggling between the three is definitely achievable.

I would say that JC1 and JC2 are mostly the same. Maybe during exam periods, my child will sacrifice a few hours of sleep to stay up and revise.
Note that in JC1, there is Project Work (PW) where there are more calls/meetings needed near the Oct/Nov period.