Herbie:

Hi! Senior! Mac pro or Mac Air is more suitable for students? Can advise? Tq

Hello
It's really up to your own preference. It depends on what you want.
I'll list several differences of Pro and Air here so you can make a better decision!
As for disk space, the MacBook Pro offers 500GB while MacBook Air offers only 128GB. If you're willing to spend money on a 500GB external hard disk and spend a little bit of time on organizing your files, backing up etc, or if you won't be using your Mac much for anything apart from schoolwork, then the space wouldn't be a problem.
The main reason that students get MacBook Air is due to its lightweight (1.35kg). If you take public transport and you think the Pro (2.06kg) is too heavy for you then you might want the Air (though I got a Pro despite having to squeeze on 190 everyday), but I have to admit the weight difference is really great.
However one thing I find really bad about the MacBook Air is its lack of a CD Superdrive. You can't put any CDs inside your Mac, you'll need an external drive.
Another thing that's better about a MacBook Pro is its better processor. Pro has a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor while Air's is only 1.8GHz. Most people don't really find a difference though.
The MacBook Air is also rumored to have longer battery life but it doesn't really seem that way to me. In any case all of us end up bringing our own Mac chargers to school so battery life isn't really a huge issue as long as you charge it before you come to school.
That's about it for the main differences. If you want more specifications visit the Apple website!
(Also it is highly recommended that you get the 13-inch one. The 15-inch one is really heavy.)

12am:

Queuing for uniform can any seniors advise on how many uniform (Culottes Skirt, PE attire) Thanks Especially the skirt; is it required?

Perhaps this is a little late but the culottes will only be worn once a week on Wednesdays (if your daughter wants to, if she doesn't want to she can wear the pinafore too), and occasionally on other special events. The most I needed out of my culottes was during orientation, where we had to wear it everyday. And usually people prefer to wear their culottes along with a school approved T-shirt when they need to return to school during holidays too.

For the PE attire you need it for all PE classes and that's about it. Perhaps you'll need more at the start of the year but along the way your daughter can choose to purchase school approved T-shirts and wear it to school during holidays/CCA.

If your daughter requires more uniform you can purchase it from school as the vendor comes over on the first Friday of every month at the canteen (if I'm not wrong) so yup

chatterbox321:

Hi, haha just interested, does anyone happen to know the COP of RGS this year? ^^

HI BATCHMATE.

263 I think, hur hur :3

zeedee:

HI I've been posted to RGS and when do we noe if we got into the third language?

Hello, hello junior congratulations for making it into RGS

If I'm not wrong you'll get a form/letter tomorrow, but don't worry about it haha if you are eligible for third lang you'll most likely get in. I don't think anyone from RGS in my year failed to get into third lang as long as they were eligible, as far as I know.

Neko:

How many exercise books & examination pads shd we purchase?


Thanks to littlecloud's suggestion, I fd the booklist @ popular website. Think don't hv to buy Gathering blue, stationeries & CL books (since doing HCL?)

Since there's the 1:1 thing going on, I think your daughter won't be needing much exercise books. I've only used the exercise books I bought in the beginning of the year when the 1:1 programme hasn't started. Just buy a few, you don't need too many. If your daughter needs more she can always drop by the school bookshop to buy some more. It's pretty cheap like 50 cents or so I think?
It's good to buy more examination pads though, I used up most of mine for written notes and stuff, it depends on your daughter.
You don't have to buy stationeries if you already have them and if you're taking HCL you definitely don't have to buy CL books.

Herbie:

Do we need to buy year 1 maths textbk?

Hello I was just a Year 1 this year and I did buy the math textbook however I have never once brought it to school.
The math teachers are unlikely to use it [at least for my class - we never touched it, I'll check with other classes.]
The stuff in the math textbook are generally basic and they can be good for preparing for lessons before-hand or simple revision, and our math teacher has only made references to it a few times throughout the whole year. It may help for some during exam revision but personally I've never used it.
I would say that it would be safer to buy it but if you don't want to spend extra bucks and have them go to waste your daughter can always borrow one from her classmate if required.

Hi

Uh do any parents know a piano school/place where I can rent a studio or a rehearsal room that has two pianos?
I don't need it to be cheap (but not so expensive too ;__;), and location doesn't matter, but preferably in the west. Thank you!

slmkhoo:

Can a Yr 1-going-on-to-Yr 2 student answer this? I'd like to know if there is a lot of time spent looking at blackboards or things in the distance vs looking at close things (computer, books etc). I usually under-correct my daughter's glasses (myopia) but am afraid she may have difficulty in the classroom. She has been overseas and doing mainly desk and computer work in the past years, with very little need to look at a blackboard. Any comments?

Hello I'll be a Year 2 student next year as well, and I must say that the usage of the MacBook should be increasing next year as the teachers start to adapt and find more ways to incorporate the MacBooks in classes. Most teachers use the MacBook to a certain extent, but you shouldn't worry about looking at the whiteboard, it's mainly the visualizer, as my batch mate has mentioned because the visualizers are kind of old and dirty and the quality isn't good so everyone is pretty blurred up, and more often than not the teachers can't focus it properly so perhaps your daughter can arrange with the teacher to sit in the front row to get a better view.

Thank you for your opinions

sleepy:

I presume you are busier than my dd since you are in secondary school. If you can demonstrate to your parents excellent time management skills (not at the expense of less sleep), perhaps they may be convinced to let you take on a 2nd instrument.

Unfortunately, yes that would be the case Even for secondary school I have a great amount of commitments ranging from 3rd lang to Odyssey of the Mind (OM, which requires a great amount of preparation time, perhaps at least 10 hours a week). I was thinking that since OM Nationals ends in early April, if I can demonstrate great time management during this period of time and go to sleep by 10.30pm every night then perhaps my parents will agree to let me take a 2nd instrument when OM ends

pianoprincess:

The only really difficult thing is getting used to grasping the bow correctly and if you already have flexible and longer fingers ( on your left hand) the fingering will not be difficult for you.

It really depends - do you take very long to finish learning anything on the piano right now? How much time do you invest in practicing?

The cello may support you in your piano studies, or vice versa. I got tired of the cello as it was not the instrument I was ever interested in and I don't really like the sound of the cello , plus I definitely didn't enjoy carrying and transporting my cello around!

That's great to know I am also a guitarist so I guess finger flexibility on my left hand shouldn't be a problem, and well fortunately, I don't really need a very long time to learn piano pieces as long as I have time to practice. And awh, that's such a pity. I love the sound of the cello, and yeah, I see that transportation is an issue but I don't really mind

I guess I'll talk to my parents about this again. They're understanding and I think we'll come to an agreement haha. Thanks guys, kaeshion appreciates it very very much

Awesomestxxx:

Herbie:

Do we need to buy the sch tie?

A school tie will be given to you along with other things like 2 name tags (which will be issued after a month or so) and other stuff that are necessary in a bag during orientation. If you lose your school tie, you can purchase it from the Prefectorial Board room beside the General Office

Er yeah I think you have to buy it from the uniform vendor on reporting day, from what I recall, but I think on reporting day there will be a piece of paper that tells you what will be in the orientation package, i think