From undergoing a gruelling GCE ‘A’ Level syllabus to managing the social pressures of fitting in and finding yourself, it’s not surprising why some might associate Junior College (JC) with one of the most stressful periods of their life.
We spoke to four individuals about the social, mental and academic difficulties they went through during their time in JC, as well as how they eventually emerged stronger from these trials.
Hopefully, their stories will serve as a useful guide as you navigate your own JC life.
Struggled academically and with my self-esteem
Coming from one of the country’s "top” JCs made my time in JC one of the most stressful and disillusioning periods of my life.
Back then, I consistently found myself at the tail end of the academic bell curve.
Over time, this translated to a constant and nagging sense of inferiority all throughout my two years there.
Though it was well-accepted that the academic standard of my school was much higher than the national standard (in fact, my actual A-Level results was the first time I passed most of my subjects); it did not help that my peers were still excelling even before the A Level examinations.
This sense of inferiority translated into a sense of disillusionment because it felt like I could not fit in with many of my peers who were doing well in their studies.
Fortunately, I still had friends who invited me along for external tuition classes that had a slower pace of learning, and this gave me a temporary sense of reprieve from the very competitive environment in my school.
I was always at odds with Chemistry, and being in an external Chemistry tuition class helped me learn at a pace slower than that of my own school, which aided me greatly.
In the end, my own A-Level results (straight Bs) turned out to be quite an anomaly in my school as I remembered being one of twelve students in the Biology Cohort who did not get an A.
Nonetheless, I believe that my average A-Level results served as a lesson in helping to shape my character, and I am very thankful to all my teachers in JC who were extremely dedicated in helping me.
Jonathan, 33
Struggled socially and academically
I think my story is not unlike many others - I did super well for the GCE ‘O’ Levels, only to find out that JC was a different ball game, and suddenly failing didn't seem like something that was out of place.
With a subject combination of H2 Geography, H2 Economics, H2 Literature and H1 Mathematics, I found myself unable to cope with the rigorous academic demands - maybe because I just didn't understand how to do well in my subjects, except for literature.
It didn't help that my father started experiencing hallucinations towards the beginning of my JC studies and that became a huge source of pressure as well.
Unable to concentrate, I found myself pretty much just wanting to get out of JC - regardless if I'd passed or failed the A-Levels.
Additionally, I struggled to socialise in school and frequently found myself escaping mentally into my interests and hobbies.
Thankfully, I met several like-minded friends in and out of school who accepted me the way I was, which gave me the much-needed support to be myself.
While I didn’t do so well for my A-Levels, I made some genuine and wonderful friends. They inspired me to at least try a little, when I didn’t feel like trying at all.
It's cliched, but sometimes, the power of friendship and support is what helps you to overcome your darkest days and difficulties. Having someone to rely on is so, so important.
I still think about their kindness from time to time - they've gone on to do great things in their lives and careers, and I wish them the same kindness and happiness that they've given to a weird kid, who needed it then.
Guan Zhen, 27
Failed all my tests and exams in my second year of JC
When I was in J2, I was failing all my tests and exams. My subject combination was H2 Knowledge Inquiry, H2 Literature, H2 Mathematics, H2 Economics and H1 Chemistry.
During my preliminary examinations, I could only pass two subjects.
This was partially my fault because I had taken on too many co-curricular activities (CCAs) in J1, but on reflection, I probably just didn’t know how to study for the A-Levels either.
I was lucky enough to have tuition in Mathematics, a subject I was really struggling with.
During one session, my tutor asked me what the answer to a particular question was.
It wasn't even that hard of a question, but my mind froze and I almost broke down in the middle of class.
I think at that point, I legitimately thought that I would fail my A Levels and not be able to make it to any university.
For Economics, especially, I found out that I was applying the wrong study methods, and could not understand specifically what the questions were asking for.
I knew the concepts broadly but did not know them in great enough specificity to be able to answer so many questions in such a time constrained situation.
Thankfully, my tutor was really helpful in that aspect, teaching me how to recognise the different types of questions, as well as breaking down and organising the content in a way that was understandable and succinct to me.
In those last two months leading up to the A-Levels, I studied super hard, locking myself in a room in school from 8am to 10pm everyday.
I was also fortunate enough to have dropped H1 Chemistry.
In the end, I managed to do well at the examinations but truly, I was not expecting my results at all and it was nothing short of a miracle.
Darryl, 27
Could not understand subject concepts and took on too many co-curricular commitments
Back in JC, I was in the science stream doing H2 Physics, H2 Chemistry, H2 Mathematics and H1 Economics.
Truth be told, I took up this subject combination not because I was passionate about it but because I was led to believe that it would open the most doors for me in university.
However, nobody told me that my subject combination would take up so much of my time because of the Science Practical Assessments (SPA).
In order to do well in H1 Economics, I also found myself having to learn it at the H2 level for a better understanding, just so that I could see the “big picture”.
Academically, I was not performing because I could not understand the concepts for many of my subjects, and spent many late nights on Project Work.
Additionally, I was burdened with extra workloads from my CCA in Archery and the many other school commitments (Science competitions, etc) I had.
Thankfully, my Chemistry, Physics and General Paper tutors gave me one-on-one help and I was lucky to have been surrounded by smart friends as well.
If I had to give any advice to someone who is currently struggling with their studies, it would be to try and figure out what study methods work best for you.
In the end, the score you get for the A-Levels doesn’t determine the trajectory of your life, so don’t be too affected if you don’t get what you want.
Berlinda, 31
It’s okay to ask for help, here’s how
It is not uncommon to hear of JC students struggling socially, mentally or academically in the lead up to the A-Level examinations.
After all, JC can be a turbulent period of time filled with raging hormones, a jam-packed syllabus and a bunch of teenagers all struggling to prove themselves.
If you or someone you know is in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just have a listening ear:
- National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868
- Samaritans of Singapore 24-hour Hotline: 1800-221-4444
- Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
- Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
- AWARE Women's Helpline: 1800-777-555 (10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)
There are also therapists (psychologists and counsellors) in Singapore whom you can reach out to for free guidance and counselling if you are facing any problems in school:
Alternatively, those who would like to get help in their studies, specifically in the area of Economics, Chemistry and Physics, can consider getting tuition from any of these three tuition centres:
All three founders of these tuition centres - Donnell Koh, Anthony Fok and Tony Chee - are renowned and highly sought-after tutors and authors of books in Singapore.
They are former MOE teachers who have helped hundreds of students score distinctions over the last decade.
Under their coaching, you’ll be able to learn the different techniques needed to ace your Economics, Chemistry and Physics subjects at your own pace.
This sponsored article helped this writer look back and come to terms with her time in Junior College.