Hi all! Current Sec 4 in MSHS now and would like to give some feedback and personal experience (and maybe even some tips and tricks). Sorry for the extremely long post but hope it helps!


For the Sec 1 year, its really just an orientation. School is teaching the students how to be more independent and giving them some time to adapt to secondary school life. They have more subjects (and new ones), CCA that requires more discipline etc. The \"wasting of time\" by teachers in class scolding them is part of the process to make them a better person. They don't actually have alot to teach anyway so you will feel like they are progressing very slowly. In fact, they will spend alot more time on things like enrichment and projects, which in my opinion ultimately doesn't really contribute much to the student.

In Sec 1, the content itself is very simple, but most students just slack and play the whole year away, parents nagging and all doesn't help much (personal experience) but most importantly they have to adapt. Most students only start feeling the stress in Sec 2 when they have the subject combinations and all. There isn't even really a need for students to spend all day studying if they concentrate when studying and not use macbook, phone, watch tv etc. And did I mention repeated reading of notes/textbook will not help?

To clarify any questions parents have, I believe students take the Science subject as one now in lower sec. Where they don't split Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This I don't support actually, at least they told us which part of science they were teaching us last time (we had separate teachers for each science) so we knew what we like when picking our subject combinations. The same teacher might not be good at teaching all 3 sciences also. At most, parents can try to explain to them which science they are doing at the moment. Teachers complain to me also since they have to teach all 3 sciences (many teachers usually only specialise in 1/2 sciences out of the 3). Also for the Macbook issue. Macbook is just something that can help them in the process but I believe most of the learning should still be done with pen and paper for best results. You son claiming that he is using Macbook for studying for extended periods is such a lie. I'm sure all of us older/graduated students can look back and see all the lies and excuses we gave to use the macbook.

For Humanities (History/Geography/Literature and Social Studies at Upper Sec), it as an entire new area for the students. Sec 1 is the time for them to adapt and experiment with the different ways of studying. Can't really advice for literature since I don't take it now and I hated it in lower sec. But there are a few \"techniques and skills\" to it that the students must at least know. Geography its better for the students to summarise up their textbooks. No point memorising everything as it will be alot. Geography is quite logical so as long as you see the picture and remember the rough idea, you can link it to the rest. So yup, just memorise the concentrated stuff.

Culture in school is... I can say that students are generally the party hard and play hard type (but more of the former in lower sec). Students can be quite playful and childish and cause alot of discipline problems in school. But when exams hit, students are generally quite hardworking. Even if they don't, they will \"grow up\" sooner or later and realise that everyone around them is studying. School will also push them. At the end of the it all, MSHS's O'Level results are still rather great (although it dropped for the 2014 batch == sorry seniors!), which proves something.

I'll try to end it soon but just let the students enjoy their Sec 1 year but not too much. Results should still be maintained (at least all pass la) and as I said, its \"orientation year\" where they have to learn to adapt to sec sch system of new subjects, handling cca and studies well, late evenings in school (even many nights for me ><), and more more more studying! Most importantly, I realised many Sec 1's are reluctant to memorise things as pri sch doesn't really require that. I believe that as parents, they should also let their sons develop as teens and stop spoonfeeding them. Many things that parents worry about are part of the process and parents should \"grow up\" as they let their sons grow up. Basically, have to understand that they are in a different phase now. Oh yeahh and another thing that popped into my mind, I don't really recommend spamming tuition. Language subjects as long as your son listens well in school, he should be doing well. Math is just practice! Don't know ask in school! Don't let it snowball (like me where I had to study basically my entire lower sec topics near in the later half of sec 2 cuz I let it snowball). Science have to understand, memorise and apply. Physics is more of the understand and apply part. Biology is more of the memorise part. Chemistry is somewhere in between. Humanities always remember to summarise stuff and understand the things well!

All in all, Maris Stella has given many of us an extremely well rounded education. It has shaped many of us from ignorant brats to young gentlemen. See the magic for yourself when you make a comparison between you son's Sec 1 and post-graduation self! So lets not worry too much (I see my poor parents haizz need work and worry for the kids). Let time do its magic If I had the chance to choose the school I wanted to go after PSLE, I would still have chosen Maris Stella (even though I disliked it at first), the place where I made so many memories and learnt a lot.

Hi all,


Based on experience, there isn't really a need to bring a charger as the battery is enough to last for the day but most students bring it anyway.

No need to bring books as the first day will have a welcoming ceremony (as written in my timetable) and some other orientation activities. The form teachers would let your son's know more tomorrow

Looking forward to see the new students tomorrow and I hope they enjoy their time in MSHS :boogie:

MMM:

Eriskang:

To end of, I wish all my soon-to-be sec 1 juniors best of luck in MSHS and see you guys (and the blur faces) on 2 Jan :boogie: Feel free to throw any queries at me and I'll try to answer them

Hi Eriskang,

It's good to see a student joining this thread to share your experience.

Can you share with us the following :
* how is school hours like? Eg. what time does schools starts and what time must the boys reach school? For end time, I know it depends on cca
* Are the boys required to bring the macbook every day?

Hi MMM,

Students are usually required to be in school by around 7:30am except for Thursdays, which are late days where we have to report by 8:40am instead. Typically, CCAs are on Wednesdays and Fridays and the duration depends on the CCA, most last till around 6 or later. If I still remember correctly, for lower secondary, classes typically start at 8am and last till 1:50pm except on late days, where lessons end later.

For the MacBook, most students bring them everyday. Usage depends on the subject/teacher but it is usually used everyday, from notes, powerpoint slides, projects etc. There are also some interesting things taught in IT lessons such as simple game coding and html, if I remember correctly

Hi all,


For the MacBook issue, I recommend that your boys get the MacBook Pro. From my experience, MacBook Air tends to run out of storage pretty easily, can be very flimsy and easily damaged and tends to overheat easily. Up to you guys to see if you want less weight or better usability :scratchhead:

For school bags, I guess it would be better to allow your child to choose his own as I don't think he would want to be ridiculed for carrying a \"primary school kid bag\" so... Sec 1s tend to like to stockpile excess items in their bags too so you might not want to get a bag that is too small

As for those worrying about not fitting in as you were not from Maris Stella Primary, fret not as most students aren't anyway and we all fit in perfectly. I was the only one from my primary school admitted to MSHS and I can say I'm enjoying my time here :rahrah:

To end of, I wish all my soon-to-be sec 1 juniors best of luck in MSHS and see you guys (and the blur faces) on 2 Jan :boogie: Feel free to throw any queries at me and I'll try to answer them

Hi,


Given that Maris Stella is a SAP school, does all students take HCL in Sec school?

Nope they don’t. Majority of the boys don’t take HCL actually. They only take if they have taken in PSLE or meet a certain criteria of the school to qualify for HCL

Someone help with this question :rahrah: O-Level Additional Mathematics question on Maximum and Minimum Values on General Quadratic Functions (Quad Eqns, Inequalities, Modulus Fuctions).


Given that x² - 5x + 13 = (x - p)² + q for all real values of x, find the value of p and of q. Hence, state
(i) the minimum value of x² - 5x + 13,
(ii) the value of x at which the minimum value occurs
Sketch the curve y = x² - 5x + 13

No need for sketch. I'm so weak at mathematics I can't understand the questions at all :scratchhead:

starfish53:

starfish53:

Can anyone help me with the following question?


Find the missing numbers.
May I know how to do the working?

1) - 9 - ( ) = -13

2) -8 + ( ) = 6

3) - 8 - ( ) = 10

4) 11 + ( ) = -5

:thankyou:

Skyed, can u show me the rest of the working?
some i can't figure out

:thankyou:

As Skyed mentioned, let the unknown be x. To put it simply, the answer you want to find is x.

1) - 9 - x = - 13
- x = - 13 + 9
- x = - 4
x = 4

2) - 8 + x = 6
x = 6 + 8
= 14

3) - 8 - x = 10
- x = 10 + 8
- x = 18
x = -18

4) 11 + x = - 5
x = - 5 - 11
= - 16

Hope this helps! And sorry if it came abit late

ControllerOfTime:

Any reasons why are the boys made to wear PE attire under their uniform everyday?

Its just a school rule that has been implemented since... forever? Anyways I believe the reason is because the uniform is very see-through. When they sweat, it becomes even transparent. Not nice to see the insides yea :censored:
Can wear any plain white singlet too although we Marists usually wear the PE singlet :boogie:

Hi. Currently a student from a O'Level stream secondary school. Can anyone be keen to share about HCI's Sec 2/Sec 3 admissions? Do people actually get in via this method? And how do the tests, and their criteria work. Since its HCI, the criteria must be very high? Didn't make the cut during PSLE and aspiring to go in ever since :nailbite: Just curious as if they base it heavily on our current school results or do the aptitude tests affect alot as well. Didn't do exceptionally well for recent exams but confident that I will survive if admitted haha :boogie: (but everyone says that :P)

YLH88:

CuriousHippo:

Can I check with any of you whether I am correct that for sec1, History will start from term 3 and Geograohy syllabus will finish end term 2? Also to ask will there be SA2- year end exam, for Geography? If yes, which will mean DS has to revise Geography again after no more lessons for 3rd to 4th term?

Hi,

History and Geography are taught on a half year basis, ie in Sec 1, Term 1 and Term 2 will be on Geography and Term 3 and Term 4 will be on History. SA1 will only have geography and SA2 only history, which means that the marks your DS gets for geography in this coming SA1 will be final, SA2 will not have geography.

This is what my DS went through 2 years ago, not sure if they have change the rule.

It used to be Chemistry + Biology for 1st Semester and Physics + Biology for 2nd Semester for Sec 1s. I think they changed it now though, its like all 3 sciences are taught at the same time