jksankar:

Can someone from Y3 or Y4 please advise the advantages of taking RA and how to prepare for the entrance exam?

hi there,
I'm in y4 this year, and my mum saw this post and told me to answer you haha I'm afraid I can only give you my opinion based on my experience in a humanities RA.

advantages for taking RAs --
1. if you are very strong at that subject, you get 2 GPAs for it, standard and higher, and you can count them both in core5best2 -- so it does boost your overall GPA :))
2. more attention: teachers have the autonomy of adjusting their teaching pace to the needs of the class, class size is smaller, your opinion WILL be heard in class discussions, questions answered etc.
3. access to higher level competitions -- for subject specific comps they will usually offer to RA students first, then they open up to the rest of the level; more chances are given in RA (in fact they encourage you to take part in at least one comp a year!)
4. content is deeper, we spend more time discussing things instead of skimming the surface? more student driven = more freedom = lessons are usually more productive = learn more
5. field trips are more common! priority for some school trips too (not all, some)
6. good relationships with your classmates, learn to work in teams, but also independently

selection test usually tests upper sec topics. but if you're thinking of taking a humanities RA I would safely say that no amount of studying guarantees that you will get in!

but I would say these are other \"recommended\" things you should possess if you're thinking of taking up a RA:
1. independent learner: you have to take ownership of your studies, be willing to work hard on your own (RA teachers do not spoon feed!)
2. a lot of passion. don't go into RA just because it gives you access to comps which looks pretty on your report book; go in because you love the subject, and you want to take it at a higher level and stretch your learning. don't go to RA purely because your grades are fantastic for a subject, because you might be in for a rude shock (grades can drop, standards are higher, you need to really work hard to pull through :D)

ok that's my own opinion, I hope that answered your question.

Choco05:

kcym:

don't worry too much about non-routine it's a whether you get it or don't get it kind of test so don't fret if you don't get a very good score! and if it's anything comforting those who do so-so for math exams or below average can do very well (even score full marks!) for the non-routine


and regarding fix_you's post (haha hi batchmate you're year 4 aren't you) yes there is banding but only for subjects and not for overall academic results. I think banding affects more of the sciences I guess (though I think bio is left untouched!) and not all classes are affected.

hmm \"banding\" in some sense happens in math -- there's this math advanced, enriched thing in Year 2 apparently (hmm Year 2s, would you like to elaborate? I'm not sure about how this goes), and in Year 3/4 there's math clinic, where weaker students are identified to go for math clinic which will offer them extra help through an extra lesson almost every week (if I am not mistaken), and teachers will also pay extra attention to them for lessons, which is great as it really helps them grasp the concepts better.

oh and regarding assessment/guidebooks for math practice/revision (which I saw somewhere), my take is actually it's not necessary (especially for Sec 1 and 2!)- the school will provide more than enough practice, and the worksheets should be clear enough, and usually have some sort of summary included (especially if it's very big topics) for the student to revise. I think the math textbook has practices too (I hope I'm not wrong...long time since i've been Sec 1). In Sec 3 and 4 the teachers will encourage you to buy a certain type of assessment book so that's when it's encouraged

not sure if the Sec 1s do this, but there's this thing called unit summary that Sec 2s to 4s do for math: teachers will assign a group of students, or for the whole class to do individually, a certain math unit that was taught, and they have to summarize all the key learning points of the topic within some page restrictions. It really aids in revision, for Year 3 they assigned all the students one of the hardest topics with the most number of things to remember, and when we really did the summary we realized it was so so useful for studying later on in exams if different units are assigned to different groups, by the end of the year you'll have a summary of each topic since it's shared.

it's a graded thing though, this unit summary, but not to worry it's rather simple. if sec ones aren't doing this, then you can suggest to your DD to do this on her own and summarize the topic when the teacher finishes teaching (or just before a math test) for her own revision--> for me, it really does help.

p/s Tinkerbelle --> i think your DD is expected to fill up the rest of the worksheet titles on her own? (i might be mistaken though!)

Yes year 2 has enriched/advanced. I think advanced is for those who got selected via the test! And enriched is made up of those who don't pass it, and some GE classes. Like i'm in enriched. There are 3 enriched+1 advanced altogether i think. Or is it 2 enriched and 2 advanced? There are also math clinic sessions for year 2s, if your math GPA is below 3.6, and the teacher calls you for it...

Unit summary is quite fun actually! Though it's graded it's pretty cool. The trick to pick the topic to be presented after June holidays/any other holidays. You get the entire month to do it yay. That's what my group did for last year. It's not difficult to score, and at the same time when you're explaining to others about that unit, you're actually understanding it better yourself too!

I think for year 1 the contents page is already printed with how many worksheets and its title:) It was the case for last year. Even for sec 2 we're getting content pages.

whoops as previously mentioned misunderstood the topic in the unit thing ><
sec 3 the teachers aren't so nice anymore to give you content pages.
and seriously, 3.6? can't be that high. that's below 70%?

oops my bad misunderstanding what you mean by topic in the unit, read too fast! >< but some topics can have two!! when you progress up to higher levels either that or that one worksheet gets really. really. long.

don't worry too much about non-routine it's a whether you get it or don't get it kind of test so don't fret if you don't get a very good score! and if it's anything comforting those who do so-so for math exams or below average can do very well (even score full marks!) for the non-routine


and regarding fix_you's post (haha hi batchmate you're year 4 aren't you) yes there is banding but only for subjects and not for overall academic results. I think banding affects more of the sciences I guess (though I think bio is left untouched!) and not all classes are affected.

hmm \"banding\" in some sense happens in math -- there's this math advanced, enriched thing in Year 2 apparently (hmm Year 2s, would you like to elaborate? I'm not sure about how this goes), and in Year 3/4 there's math clinic, where weaker students are identified to go for math clinic which will offer them extra help through an extra lesson almost every week (if I am not mistaken), and teachers will also pay extra attention to them for lessons, which is great as it really helps them grasp the concepts better.

oh and regarding assessment/guidebooks for math practice/revision (which I saw somewhere), my take is actually it's not necessary (especially for Sec 1 and 2!)- the school will provide more than enough practice, and the worksheets should be clear enough, and usually have some sort of summary included (especially if it's very big topics) for the student to revise. I think the math textbook has practices too (I hope I'm not wrong...long time since i've been Sec 1). In Sec 3 and 4 the teachers will encourage you to buy a certain type of assessment book so that's when it's encouraged

not sure if the Sec 1s do this, but there's this thing called unit summary that Sec 2s to 4s do for math: teachers will assign a group of students, or for the whole class to do individually, a certain math unit that was taught, and they have to summarize all the key learning points of the topic within some page restrictions. It really aids in revision, for Year 3 they assigned all the students one of the hardest topics with the most number of things to remember, and when we really did the summary we realized it was so so useful for studying later on in exams if different units are assigned to different groups, by the end of the year you'll have a summary of each topic since it's shared.

it's a graded thing though, this unit summary, but not to worry it's rather simple. if sec ones aren't doing this, then you can suggest to your DD to do this on her own and summarize the topic when the teacher finishes teaching (or just before a math test) for her own revision--> for me, it really does help.

p/s Tinkerbelle --> i think your DD is expected to fill up the rest of the worksheet titles on her own? (i might be mistaken though!)

gold penguin:

Hi all!


I've read through the later few posts of this thread and would like to say a few things

1) Tuition: Is honestly not necessary, the teachers and materials are more than enough and self-revision (even just two days before the exam, though not recommended, but done very often) can get you through RGS.

2) Incoming Sec 1s: You don't have to ask so many questions here lah hahaha, you'll find out everything in a few days!!!

3) There are a lot of Sec 1s in this RGS online community somehow, and that honestly is the freest year with practically no commitments to speak about, so don't expect sleeping at 8:30 (and with any core cca, which is majority of the cohort) to be something feasible by anyone else.

4) 3.8 GPA isn't the only thing you enter RGS to achieve I believe, or your experience will be completely unlike the pretty exciting RGS experience

at point 2) yup. and classes, isn't it more fun if you find out on the first day? at least that's what i did, it did me no harm. waiting 2 more days won't kill you

at point 3) well said. fully agree with you, but we gotta let them walk this path themselves as well. after all it's only sec 1 they've been through, 3 more years to go. I thought i was superwoman during that time, but well i found out i wasn't very soon after.

thanks for the post, appreciate it

hey all and especially to jtoh who asked that question about sec 3, my friend read this forum and wants to give a reply! so i'm posting on her behalf.

--
Hi everyone I just wanted to get this off my chest cos reading all the posts it just makes me feel quite…. Sad? I don’t know like as in no offence to the sec1s in this forum or anything, but a lot of things change as you go up the years. Life gets a lot more complicated and really, a lot of times in RGS we are just so wrapped up in our own bubble, blissfully unaware of what is going on in the world around us and that’s just… not ideal? Yes, I am sec3 and to be very honest, 2011 has been a really terrible year for me, everything that could possibly go wrong, did. And I guess its been tough, but one thing that really kept me going was my friends who stuck by me, through it all. This year, in school, I’ve experience extreme elation to the point of tears, yet at the same time, there are sometimes you just completely break down in the face of everything that’s going on. yes, I’ve cried millions of times this year, not just in school but at home, on the bus, in the car, at outside school areas where CCA is conducted. The stress at sec3 to perform is just… unbelievably high, and is perhaps brought about by my own class, where everyone studies really really hard and um the average gpa is around 3.7? the thing about sec3 is that everyone tells you about how you are taking over, how you have to step up, how you cannot just merely stand in the shadows, you really have to step out, lead your juniors, lead the school to greater heights.

But then again sec3 is also a time for experiences- I did take part in the nationwide NDP this year (yes I’m in a UG haha) and its really things like this that are unforgettable, yes NDP did take up a lot of my time BUT the pride and joy of being able to be part of YOUR NATION’S National Day is just amazing

For me, my grades went up by…. Quite a lot this year mainly because you do get to drop subjects you don’t like, and because of the new “core5 best2” GPA computation that allows you to not count every subject- it allows you to pursue your interest without worrying about your GPA being affected, which I think is a good scheme on the part of the school. But despite my increased gpa, I honestly only started studying like… on the day of my geography exam for EYAs as there is simply not enough time, and the school did put bio and geog on the same day so I chose one over another in a sense.
Sec3 is really a time for a turmoil of emotions.

I guess one thing I would like to warn the parents of incoming sec1s is that although yes RGS is a so called “better school” it doesn’t mean that the students are any different. We are all after all teenagers and sometimes we do commit foolish acts due to our… youth and lack of experience? And not to mention sometimes life is just unfair. There are people who go home everyday and sleep and watch TV and end up with a 3.94 GPA, but there are also people who study really really really very hard and end up with subpar GPAs? And the people who study so so hard are just really disappointed? It’s the feeling of putting in your best effort yet with no results, but there are no wounds that time can’t heal and yes, people do move on and this is yet another valuable life lesson learnt.

I guess to sum it all, sec3 is just a major waking up call for a lot of us. As such everyone grows up, everyone matures and I guess its really been my best year in rgs ever, because despite the toughness and all the things going on, its good to know that 1) I’ve survived 2) I’ve come out of this year as a much better person 3) you know who will stand by you through it all.

TheHamsterLover:

Er, when are the SAs held? In a previous post in this forum someone said the first SA starts in Feb . Is it true that it starts SOOO early? And if so, is it at the beginning, middle, or end of Feb? Thanks!

i don't think there's SAs in feb for year 1s, just checked 2011 schedule.

at most i know there may be class-based assessments, or what our school calls \"alternative assessments\" that count towards your final subject grade, they should be worth no more than 10%...

if anyone is going to have exams in feb, that would be the sec 4s haha. we're probably going to have science practicals late feb. exams come after march holidays...to give us time to study.

don't think about it now...enjoy your orientation first

jtoh:

kcym:

Most people will falter when Sec 3 comes, though I have friends who manage to sleep before 11pm!
and bananamonster I know who you are already! at least I think I know who you are.

Hi kcym,

Why do many falter in Sec 3? In what way? In terms of grades? Also, do you find that in general most students do better or worse in Sec 3? Thanks.

depends. your coping mechanism has to be really strong. you falter not just in grades, but emotionally as well --> you need a lot of good friends who will support you. it's a time when responsibilities come (year 3, selection of CCA executive committees, leadership board executive committees), and the expectations are much higher. you can't play around with your studies anymore, especially when teachers keep reinforcing the fact that you have to do well to you! (at least, i felt it more in sec 3)

personally, my grades improved in Year 3. i've gotten the highest GPA i've ever gotten in RGS at the end of the year 3. however, i've studied in a worse way than i did in lower sec though, for subjects like geography, for the EYAs I only started studying about 4 days in advance? (you can probably guess my sleeping time then)

emotionally, and physically i've faltered too, fallen ill at least once every term (and on mc). emotionally it's really hard on people if you don't do as well as you did before, and disappointed yourself. for example i know of people who just don't have affinity with a certain subject they take in sec 3 (for example, chem) and although they study, and try really hard, they just can't do well for it. it's really crushing, and some people really feel beaten by it.

but maybe it's just my class that lets me see this though. my class profile is of extremes; we have people scoring extremely well, in RAs, and people having GPAs below 3.0... i see people who really can't cope, practice escapism or other unhealthy habits it saddens me a lot. and on the other hand, there are classes where the average GPA is a high 3.8, and people talk about how they aren't getting the high scores they want for certain subjects (in the 90plus region for math).

but in general, sec 3 is a time when people mature. whether they do better or worse, depends on the person, and what criteria is used to judge that. it's a time of discovery about who you are, and sealing of your identity as an RGS girl. i've come out of sec 3 as a stronger person though. but i want to stress again, this is my personal experience. i'm a really moody person who is quite affected by stress.

my apologies if my rather disturbing post scares you, and parents. but it's good to know. :imsorry:

Choco05:

ms_lim:

[quote=\"bananamonster\"]Okay, since everyone seems to be quite concerned about this, I shall share with you the Daily Schedule of A RGS Girl, namely, me. Hehe I sound so ego.


Monday: Handbells CCA until 5.45, get home at 6.15, eat and bathe, German from 7 to 9 pm.

Tuesday: Mindsports CCA until 4.45, get home at 5.10, chiong piano practice. Sleep at 8.30.

Wednesday: No CCA, piano lesson, get home at 3, practice piano, rush projects/homework etc. Sleep at 8.30.

Thursday: Mindsports CCA/Handbells self-Prac until 4.30, reach home at 5, practice piano, rush projects etc, sleep at 8.30.

Friday: Handbells CCA until 6, rush to French (7-8 pm), get home 8.30, have dinner, sleep at 9.30.

Saturday: Spanish lesson from 11.30 to 1, relax! Yay! Try to get some exercise done so I don't fall sick and die. Watch TV. Go on facebook. Do nice normal teenagerly things Spend time with my mom and dad. Sleep at 9.30.

Sunday: Theory lesson from 8.45 to about 11, do German homework, chiong Monday's stuff, practice piano, do theory, etcetc. Sleep at 8.30.

I take 3 languages , 2 CCAs. I am rather slack for Year One, and Year One schedules aren't that bad. Then again, I don't revise so...

Wow! bananamonster, I am impressed with the way you manage your time! My dd is quite weak in this area. Will let her read this post and learn from you. Thanks for sharing.

I also think it's pretty cool:) But she needs to include homework time in her timetable :evil:[/quote]wow at the sleeping time! and how you manage everything
good good keep this up. Most people will falter when Sec 3 comes, though I have friends who manage to sleep before 11pm!
and bananamonster I know who you are already! at least I think I know who you are.

jtoh:

a child:

[quote=\"Ribbon4\"]

Thx a mil! :rahrah:

You know this class thing is literally killing me. I cant take suspense, totally. :oops:

Anyway, a question. How does RGS do streaming? like after every year, by results or random or wateva???

Haha I couldn't either. So I was calling my friends and friends' seniors and parents' colleague's kids who are seniors :oops:

Yr 1 class move up to Yr 2 intact, while Yr 3 and 4 are intact. Yr 2 to Yr 3 streaming is based on subject combination. There are 3 classes for Raffles Academy students, and then the rest are based on like how many humanities/sciences you take, etc.

There are more than 3 classes for RA students. :)[/quote]7-8 for that matter. there won't be a fully all RA students class (at least i think there isn't) -- there will be a mix. my class has a mix of all the humanities RAs haha.