Lol…I say school like is slack cos im a slacker, or to put it more nicely, a minimalist. A sizeable number of my friends take many extra modules and they enjoy it. "To each his/her own." NUS High caters to a rather wide range of students, unlike schools like Raffles Institution where, from what I heard from friends, they have no choice whatsoever in the subjects they take, other than 3rd language I think. I recall a teacher of mine saying, "Why settle for a B+ when you can get an A?" to which a friend replied, "So that we can hone other skills, such as sports." I find this rather true as a CAP of 3.5/5.0 is sufficient to ensure entry into several universities. And as I’m not aiming for a scholarship of any kind, I think I’m pretty much happy with what I’m studying now.


*Special note to parents: Please DO NOT force your child to enter a school simply because it is prestigious or they have good CCAs or anything. My parents tried to make me go to Raffles Institution since i got 272 for my PSLE but I "persuaded" them to let me go to NUS High.

Cheers,
Holyaxile

Hm…well, somehow I doubt the aim of the school is to grant only 3~5 hours of sleep a day so I’m guessing many people are wasting time and/or procrastinating with their work. NUS High is actually rather slack compared to what I heard from friends in schools like RI and ACS(I). But heck, I give up. If u insist NUS High is a high-stress school, go ahead.


Cheers,
Holyaxile

I will be hazarding a guess that the senior you mentioned either has no idea what stress is at all or has a very low stress threshold. I consider myself to have an extremely high stress threshold because I recall playing a LOT the day before my PSLE. Most of my Year 5 friends can cope pretty well with their work, as I have said. Perhaps your friend is in the minority of the cohort?

I’m not really sure but they need to be VERY bad in studies to be retained. So I don’t think you need to worry about that. What I meant was, if the concepts are too hard, I marvel that he could get past Year 2 because he would not understand a word the teachers said. That’s all.


Cheers,
Holyaxile

turquoise:

I was told by someone in NUSH that the first two years are rather relaxed and the kids really enjoy the syllabus. The pressure kicks in in Year 3 and some of the weaker kids have problems coping.

Well, that depends on your definition of the term \"weaker kids\". If you refer to students who have been scoring pretty low in Years 1 and 2, then they can consult teachers or classmates or study by themselves. If, on the other hand, you refer to students who cannot understand basic concepts or theorems, I don't think they would have made it past Year 2.

However, as I am only in Year 2, I cannot speak from experience yet. The paragraph above was based on conclusions drawn from observation and questioning of fellow schoolmates. For personal experience, I can only provide it from next year. If you feel like this: :stupid: then sorry but there's nothing else I can do for now.

Cheers,
Holyaxile

Oohkay...this is actually the first time I have witnessed adults arguing like children. LOL :shock:


Random note: ASK UR CHILDREN TO JOIN NUS HIGH! {lol propaganda}

Cheers,
Holyaxile

atutor2001:

holyaxile:

In 2007, I took my PSLE and scored 272. I got into RI, which was my first choice but I opted out to go to NUS High School. From what I remember, an A* in math and science and at least 250+ score is needed to get in. Hope this helps.

Hi holyaxile

How do you find NUS High School so far? Any comments that you can share regarding the teaching method or the environment?

School life seems pretty much okay for now. However, I must let everyone know that I am pretty much a minimalist in modules so I may or may not be an accurate representation of the school cohort.

The teaching method is very...grown-up-ish. There is rarely much scolding in class and students are supposed to copy notes refer to notes given and stuff like that by themselves. If we need help in any subject, we have to consult the teacher ourselves. And overdue homework will not be chased after. Only a percentage of the marks for that piece of homework will be deducted. This is also a warning for parents with students who need to be \"prodded\" to work because a couple of my friends are like that and they...aren't doing so well, to say the least.

For more information, you can refer to the NUS High thread here.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2309&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=195

Hope this helped,
Cheers,
Holyaxile

"Students who are more adventurous or have passion to take up more modules will have a heavier workload as compared to those who just take the Core modules only." -QFT


If a person WANTS to percieve NUS High as a high-stress school, nothing I say will alter that person’s perception. Like I’ve said, from what I’ve heard and noticed from the seniors, they don’t have too much to do. Of course, one could take every single module offered and get 4 majors with honours. I’ve said what I know, if you are less than convinced(which indeed I believe you are), you could ask other students for their opinions.

Compulsory to have laptops? Wow…so how about those under-privileged families? Do they HAVE to get laptops or is it optional for them? Or is it subsidised by the school or Government? If so, does that mean that they get a basic laptop?

As I'm in Year 2 only, I can't tell from my own experience about the upper years but a lot of my friends from years 5 and 6 tell me that even though they are majoring in 1 humanities and 2 sciences and math, they find the work load manageable and have time to relax. I see many Year 5s and 6s playing computer games/sports a lot. And I know for a fact that their CAP and GPA are consistently high, at least above 4.0. And 3.5 is the bare minimum CAP to be eligible for some scholarships. To graduate, a minimum GPA(meaning average CAP over 6 years) of 2.5 is to be achieved, which is VERY VERY simple. To get 2.5 CAP in a subject, a C+ is required, meaning about...55~60 marks i think?


Of course, there are some who keep whining about the work load and how the regret choosing NUS High at all but there seems to be no more of them in NUS High than there are in most other top schools from what I've noticed/heard.

And about the Diploma that NUS High students receive after completing Year 6, it can be used to enter a lot of top universities all around the world. I believe the list can be found on the school website. I'll try to post it later if i can find it.

Cheers,
Holyaxile

EDIT: I've found the link, here it is.

http://www.highsch.nus.edu.sg/content.php?id=aab3238922bcc25a6f606eb525ffdc56

And if you don't feel like referring, here's the relevant information, copied from the school website.

\" C) Graduation Qualification & Prospects for Students

1. What is the graduation qualification when a student graduates from NUS High School and is it recognized by universities worldwide?
The NUS High School Diploma will be the school's graduation qualification. Currently, the Diploma is recognised as an admissible qualification by National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Warwick, King’s College London, University College London, Yale University, Stanford University, Massachusett Institute of Technology, Cornell University , Dordt College, Lewis-Clark State College, Sweet Briar College, Virginia Military Institute, Washington University St Louis, Wilson College, Edith Cowan University, La Trobe University, Murdoch University, University at Buffalo (State University of New York), University of Georgia, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, University of Maryland. The list will continue as we seek recognition from the top-tier universities in the Australia. \"

It's part of the FAQs in the website. Hope this helped!