The Year Gone By...
Last week this happened:Finally, the school year has officially ended!!!...And i'm done with both chinese and pw forever!!!...haha...i mean i jus completed A level chinese and pw, not that theres any difference though. Well, its the end of JC1...now...
With the end of this year, there is much to look forward to next year...as a JC2. However, I guess, in looking forward to the next year...one cannot help but reflect on the past year. Well, alot has happened in just this one year, milestones...new experiences and most of all lessons learnt. The year produced both moments of joy and bitter moments too...u could say that the year has been, as cliched as it sounds, bitter sweet. Truly, i can say that i've made more progress in this year then in any other year. What i mean is that i've finally done the things i should have done earlier but have not done so till now due to my procrastination and i have opened myself up more, and i have really taken my life to a whole new level, doing things out of my comfort zone. Throughout the year, the events both good and bad have shaped me. And everything worked out for the good. My heart can't help but want to share the awesome year...the memories, experiences and the lessons learnt. Well, i guess that's what spurs me to write this blog entry...so i shall now share the highlights of my very eventful yet seemingly short year of 2007.
Before i could even begin my journey through the year 2007, my destiny for the year was to be decided in 2006 with my prelim and 'O'level results. When my prelim results were released, i got a mere 18 points, not that i was hoping to gain more than 18 points...(as if it weren't enough.); but well i managed to reduce my mid year's grade of 31 points to 18 points for my prelims. That in itself was a miracle. Of course, it was also a result of my teachers support and my own effort although only God made it possible. So, i knew that my results weren't good enough to get into, honestly the only school i'd want to be in, ACJC. True enough, after PAE, i was posted to PJC. Thus, my parents with the help of important "people" at ACSI, sent in my appeal to ACJC. In the mean time, my parents went to check both school's out and realised that both schools weren't totally hadicapped friendly. My parents then set out to let me visit both schools to see if i'd prefer to just stay in PJC...however, in my mind at least there was only one place for me ACJC. Frankly, i think we all felt confident that my appeal was going to be accepted, not that i take for granted the fact that i could easily have gotten my appeal rejected but it was God grace which i knew would be sufficient for me...that gave me the confidence. By this time, of course, my 'o' levels had been over for a few weeks i think. I felt quite good about my 'o'levels but still feared for it being over 20pts which even an appeal would not be on the cards. I knew if i'd gotten about the same results i'd definitely remain after JAE. When i found out that my appeal was accepted...it was pure jubilation. Then, it proved again, God's grace, which in fact wasn't the first time; my admission to ACSI was as much a story as this one. Nothing was left to bother my holidae and in the blink of an eye Christmas went by and the new year celebrations welcomed the new year of 2007!...so i couldn't wait for my adventure in ACJC to begin.
The year began on a fun note with ACJC Orientation. I was well rested from the holidaes and full of confidence in a great year ahead and in myself. I remember on the first day, facing the unknown there was a sense of uneasiness within me. As i entered the hall for the first time it felt great. In fact, on that very first day i sat right at the front of the hall. The week we had talks, games, time for socialising and a time of getting used to the environment. The first week was full of new experiences and it was indeed an eye opener. It had a profound impact on me, which i don't think i can express in words...but what i can say is that it was both postive and negative, the impact it had on me. I was able to open myself up alot more and i exposed myself to a totally new world outside of my comfort zone which i was indifferent and almost an alien to. Perhaps, that's a little exaggerated. Thereafter, i went for the orientation edition of Movie Under The Stars (MUTS)...yea u guessesd it was the movie which brought many to tears...Click!...Then, came the more serious stuff, the lecture only week which was important in choosing the subjects we would take. It was especially important for me as i didn't know what subjects to take and it was also important to many others who were in the same situation. Btw, by this time i had joined the strategic games club....oh and i was quite active on the chess scene at this time. But, as the year wore on i rarely went for the CCA.
The moment finally arrived, it was time to confirm the subjects that we all would be taking. My mum left it to me when i wanted to take Geography instead of History...knowing i did not take Geog for 'o'levels it was a tough decision for me but i finally went for Geog Econs Chem and H1 maths. The rationale being that i liked to do some science at least, with the only one being H2 chem as i never took bio, physics. And for maths i didn't want to do it but i knew it was too important to leave out. Econs was chosen; as my mum felt i should, so i did. Finally, i actually dislike reading and find history boring so i went with Geog over Lit or Hist. I had chosen the educational path i'd take for the rest of the year or at least for the first 3 months of the year...taking charge of my own learning. This also had determined my class.
It turned out that the class i was to be in was 1AA5...so as it was to be for sometime, we had to introduce ourselves over and over again and as we did for orientation we went through more ice breakers and we had share about ourselves. Though seemingly monotonous and repetitive, somehow i actually enjoyed these sessions. It didn't take long for everyone to get to know each other. Well, initially, ok, mostly, the class stuck together, i mean at least i felt part of the class. In fact, it was in these first 3 months that i spent the most time in the void deck out of a the little time throughout the whole year that i spent in the void deck because later on i actually almost always stayed in the canteen during my breaks which is such a sad thing...coz i drifted apart.
Then, came a huge step forward...ok i guess one might find it lame but really i would count that a important moment because it really was to change everything and have a profound impact. Well, no one would guess it. It was my decision to get my msn account...which came after my dad saw the email of the class contact list, from, if i'm not wrong claire. My dad said something about a suggestion to get an msn account which i didn't have and i didn't even have an email address. And everytime i had to give my personal particulars i had to give something of like a shared email address with my family...well something like that. Yea, so i was so out of touch and out dated...not exactly technophobia...but thats how unexposed i was, i didn't even know wat was msn and people have been using it for like forever. I think if anyone reads up to here i'd be surprised....but reading this would probably help one understand why i feel so frustrated and feel like i'm not able to live life to the fullest. Yes, because practically my world revolves around so little. That's why i desperately wish someone would really just tell me...seriously...this isn't rhetorical...really i want advise on how i can expand my world within the well. But, anw back to my point, so getting my msn really provided a wider world for me and since then i've really broken free i think of this narrow world i saw in the past. And, i think some time around this time i went for a movie with BoonKeng and Ephraim...at vivo...a first outing with friends.
After this, school began to get much more serious...with tutorials, lectures and the dreaded tests. Then, i also remember we met our seniors, which was quite cool although in the end i don't think our class ever had the SJI thing. There was also the second MUTS where i went alone...yes...(awww!). Anw, the movie was Just Like Heaven. Oh, and of course there were technical problems...which btw happened at all the MUTS i went to and it was never under the stars but was under...yes you're rite...LT2..not at LT4 which was the venue for the 1st MUTS of the year. The best part i think, one of the times i'll always remember...my FIRST ever CLASS OUTING...and yes i've never gone out with friends(classmates) b4 until that moment...yup...very deprived huh. Well, we only had dinner at pizza hut and then we all left after that but though i spoke little it felt like i'd had a great conversation...it really meant alot to me and that's probably one of the rare moments where i felt like i was part of 1AA5 and a SOMEBODY. But, i rmb the whole class wasn't there and oh, may and gen couldn't make it. Although, i know the class in different grps had gone out not just on that night and without me...at least i had that moment...i was happy. Oh, and after that, although i went with some of the class for the bbq at weiyi's house...it was to be the last ACJC class outing of the first 3 months 1AA5 for me. By then, i had drifted abit.
The next to come was a nerve wrecking time...JAE. Yup, again i was posted to PJC with the 'o' level score of 15pts. Well, about the day i got my results. I actually ate at Singapore Poly for lunch with my parents and a funny thing was that it seemed at that time like a sign that my results would be only good enough for poly...ok this was jus a joke but of course i really ate at Singapore Poly. In the end, i think i did quite well and my mum cried and so did my chem teacher and even the principal shook my hand. Ok, wasn't glamorous results but truly it was a great achievement and all coz of God's grace again. Now, so while i waited for my appeal to ACJC again...yea it was supposed to be that when i appealed for the second time they would most probably let me remain in ACJC...since they did so in the first 3 months and moreover i did better for my 'o' levels then in my prelims; still i was afraid; but i had to go for the PJC orientation. The PJC orientation proved to be another important experience along my road this year. I learnt many things, made new friends and had some leadership training thing. I also had a class outing with the PJC ppl. However, it was not long b4 i had to say goodbye to the ppl i came to know at PJC, b'cos i got accepted back to ACJC and that day i returned was the second orientation's campfire...cited as the campfire for many of those who appealed back...or something like that. Then, i met my new class, the new 1AA5 which i took awhile to get adjusted to...things went fast from here....especially academically...
The academic year was to really get started after this. And it did. First came pw. And lots of work came piling in. Lessons and more lessons. One of the breaks in between was when i went for passion AC...again alone but was quite an experience...never seen anything like it. But, i was to stop my breaks at the void deck...coz the new class never stuck together as much as the first 3 months 1AA5. The June holidaes then arrived. I created my own blog which i'm using right now as i type this out. I then studied really hard and ,well, for terms, i failed both chem and math but of course passed my other subjects with A for geog. The A for geog meant i was top few in sku for geog. School continued to be busy from here...
To follow was chinese LC, the one acs national day which i was lucky to not need to go for, the sept holidaes which i studied for much of it and the open house which i didn't go for. During this period, sku was a busy time with most of the time spent studying. The class spent more time together and friendships were forged, and for me i got so used to the new class that it felt like we'd been together since the start. The period i'm referring to is end May to Oct. Finally, we had promos, chinese A level and OP...with AC games in between. Which brings me to where i am now...at the end of JC1.
Finally, i've had such a eventful year...it feels like its been more than a year yet it seems like the year has flown by. I've learnt so much and become a more complete person. The year has been a wonderful experience and theres so much more i can say about the year but this entry is too long already so i'll end with this. The year has been an unforgettable one and i hope that i have lived it to the fullest and i look forward to a year of achievement and great fufillment in JC2 next year. Wow! Yup that's all....the year gone by...
With the end of this year, there is much to look forward to next year...as a JC2. However, I guess, in looking forward to the next year...one cannot help but reflect on the past year. Well, alot has happened in just this one year, milestones...new experiences and most of all lessons learnt. The year produced both moments of joy and bitter moments too...u could say that the year has been, as cliched as it sounds, bitter sweet. Truly, i can say that i've made more progress in this year then in any other year. What i mean is that i've finally done the things i should have done earlier but have not done so till now due to my procrastination and i have opened myself up more, and i have really taken my life to a whole new level, doing things out of my comfort zone. Throughout the year, the events both good and bad have shaped me. And everything worked out for the good. My heart can't help but want to share the awesome year...the memories, experiences and the lessons learnt. Well, i guess that's what spurs me to write this blog entry...so i shall now share the highlights of my very eventful yet seemingly short year of 2007.
Before i could even begin my journey through the year 2007, my destiny for the year was to be decided in 2006 with my prelim and 'O'level results. When my prelim results were released, i got a mere 18 points, not that i was hoping to gain more than 18 points...(as if it weren't enough.); but well i managed to reduce my mid year's grade of 31 points to 18 points for my prelims. That in itself was a miracle. Of course, it was also a result of my teachers support and my own effort although only God made it possible. So, i knew that my results weren't good enough to get into, honestly the only school i'd want to be in, ACJC. True enough, after PAE, i was posted to PJC. Thus, my parents with the help of important "people" at ACSI, sent in my appeal to ACJC. In the mean time, my parents went to check both school's out and realised that both schools weren't totally hadicapped friendly. My parents then set out to let me visit both schools to see if i'd prefer to just stay in PJC...however, in my mind at least there was only one place for me ACJC. Frankly, i think we all felt confident that my appeal was going to be accepted, not that i take for granted the fact that i could easily have gotten my appeal rejected but it was God grace which i knew would be sufficient for me...that gave me the confidence. By this time, of course, my 'o' levels had been over for a few weeks i think. I felt quite good about my 'o'levels but still feared for it being over 20pts which even an appeal would not be on the cards. I knew if i'd gotten about the same results i'd definitely remain after JAE. When i found out that my appeal was accepted...it was pure jubilation. Then, it proved again, God's grace, which in fact wasn't the first time; my admission to ACSI was as much a story as this one. Nothing was left to bother my holidae and in the blink of an eye Christmas went by and the new year celebrations welcomed the new year of 2007!...so i couldn't wait for my adventure in ACJC to begin.
The year began on a fun note with ACJC Orientation. I was well rested from the holidaes and full of confidence in a great year ahead and in myself. I remember on the first day, facing the unknown there was a sense of uneasiness within me. As i entered the hall for the first time it felt great. In fact, on that very first day i sat right at the front of the hall. The week we had talks, games, time for socialising and a time of getting used to the environment. The first week was full of new experiences and it was indeed an eye opener. It had a profound impact on me, which i don't think i can express in words...but what i can say is that it was both postive and negative, the impact it had on me. I was able to open myself up alot more and i exposed myself to a totally new world outside of my comfort zone which i was indifferent and almost an alien to. Perhaps, that's a little exaggerated. Thereafter, i went for the orientation edition of Movie Under The Stars (MUTS)...yea u guessesd it was the movie which brought many to tears...Click!...Then, came the more serious stuff, the lecture only week which was important in choosing the subjects we would take. It was especially important for me as i didn't know what subjects to take and it was also important to many others who were in the same situation. Btw, by this time i had joined the strategic games club....oh and i was quite active on the chess scene at this time. But, as the year wore on i rarely went for the CCA.
The moment finally arrived, it was time to confirm the subjects that we all would be taking. My mum left it to me when i wanted to take Geography instead of History...knowing i did not take Geog for 'o'levels it was a tough decision for me but i finally went for Geog Econs Chem and H1 maths. The rationale being that i liked to do some science at least, with the only one being H2 chem as i never took bio, physics. And for maths i didn't want to do it but i knew it was too important to leave out. Econs was chosen; as my mum felt i should, so i did. Finally, i actually dislike reading and find history boring so i went with Geog over Lit or Hist. I had chosen the educational path i'd take for the rest of the year or at least for the first 3 months of the year...taking charge of my own learning. This also had determined my class.
It turned out that the class i was to be in was 1AA5...so as it was to be for sometime, we had to introduce ourselves over and over again and as we did for orientation we went through more ice breakers and we had share about ourselves. Though seemingly monotonous and repetitive, somehow i actually enjoyed these sessions. It didn't take long for everyone to get to know each other. Well, initially, ok, mostly, the class stuck together, i mean at least i felt part of the class. In fact, it was in these first 3 months that i spent the most time in the void deck out of a the little time throughout the whole year that i spent in the void deck because later on i actually almost always stayed in the canteen during my breaks which is such a sad thing...coz i drifted apart.
Then, came a huge step forward...ok i guess one might find it lame but really i would count that a important moment because it really was to change everything and have a profound impact. Well, no one would guess it. It was my decision to get my msn account...which came after my dad saw the email of the class contact list, from, if i'm not wrong claire. My dad said something about a suggestion to get an msn account which i didn't have and i didn't even have an email address. And everytime i had to give my personal particulars i had to give something of like a shared email address with my family...well something like that. Yea, so i was so out of touch and out dated...not exactly technophobia...but thats how unexposed i was, i didn't even know wat was msn and people have been using it for like forever. I think if anyone reads up to here i'd be surprised....but reading this would probably help one understand why i feel so frustrated and feel like i'm not able to live life to the fullest. Yes, because practically my world revolves around so little. That's why i desperately wish someone would really just tell me...seriously...this isn't rhetorical...really i want advise on how i can expand my world within the well. But, anw back to my point, so getting my msn really provided a wider world for me and since then i've really broken free i think of this narrow world i saw in the past. And, i think some time around this time i went for a movie with BoonKeng and Ephraim...at vivo...a first outing with friends.
After this, school began to get much more serious...with tutorials, lectures and the dreaded tests. Then, i also remember we met our seniors, which was quite cool although in the end i don't think our class ever had the SJI thing. There was also the second MUTS where i went alone...yes...(awww!). Anw, the movie was Just Like Heaven. Oh, and of course there were technical problems...which btw happened at all the MUTS i went to and it was never under the stars but was under...yes you're rite...LT2..not at LT4 which was the venue for the 1st MUTS of the year. The best part i think, one of the times i'll always remember...my FIRST ever CLASS OUTING...and yes i've never gone out with friends(classmates) b4 until that moment...yup...very deprived huh. Well, we only had dinner at pizza hut and then we all left after that but though i spoke little it felt like i'd had a great conversation...it really meant alot to me and that's probably one of the rare moments where i felt like i was part of 1AA5 and a SOMEBODY. But, i rmb the whole class wasn't there and oh, may and gen couldn't make it. Although, i know the class in different grps had gone out not just on that night and without me...at least i had that moment...i was happy. Oh, and after that, although i went with some of the class for the bbq at weiyi's house...it was to be the last ACJC class outing of the first 3 months 1AA5 for me. By then, i had drifted abit.
The next to come was a nerve wrecking time...JAE. Yup, again i was posted to PJC with the 'o' level score of 15pts. Well, about the day i got my results. I actually ate at Singapore Poly for lunch with my parents and a funny thing was that it seemed at that time like a sign that my results would be only good enough for poly...ok this was jus a joke but of course i really ate at Singapore Poly. In the end, i think i did quite well and my mum cried and so did my chem teacher and even the principal shook my hand. Ok, wasn't glamorous results but truly it was a great achievement and all coz of God's grace again. Now, so while i waited for my appeal to ACJC again...yea it was supposed to be that when i appealed for the second time they would most probably let me remain in ACJC...since they did so in the first 3 months and moreover i did better for my 'o' levels then in my prelims; still i was afraid; but i had to go for the PJC orientation. The PJC orientation proved to be another important experience along my road this year. I learnt many things, made new friends and had some leadership training thing. I also had a class outing with the PJC ppl. However, it was not long b4 i had to say goodbye to the ppl i came to know at PJC, b'cos i got accepted back to ACJC and that day i returned was the second orientation's campfire...cited as the campfire for many of those who appealed back...or something like that. Then, i met my new class, the new 1AA5 which i took awhile to get adjusted to...things went fast from here....especially academically...
The academic year was to really get started after this. And it did. First came pw. And lots of work came piling in. Lessons and more lessons. One of the breaks in between was when i went for passion AC...again alone but was quite an experience...never seen anything like it. But, i was to stop my breaks at the void deck...coz the new class never stuck together as much as the first 3 months 1AA5. The June holidaes then arrived. I created my own blog which i'm using right now as i type this out. I then studied really hard and ,well, for terms, i failed both chem and math but of course passed my other subjects with A for geog. The A for geog meant i was top few in sku for geog. School continued to be busy from here...
To follow was chinese LC, the one acs national day which i was lucky to not need to go for, the sept holidaes which i studied for much of it and the open house which i didn't go for. During this period, sku was a busy time with most of the time spent studying. The class spent more time together and friendships were forged, and for me i got so used to the new class that it felt like we'd been together since the start. The period i'm referring to is end May to Oct. Finally, we had promos, chinese A level and OP...with AC games in between. Which brings me to where i am now...at the end of JC1.
Finally, i've had such a eventful year...it feels like its been more than a year yet it seems like the year has flown by. I've learnt so much and become a more complete person. The year has been a wonderful experience and theres so much more i can say about the year but this entry is too long already so i'll end with this. The year has been an unforgettable one and i hope that i have lived it to the fullest and i look forward to a year of achievement and great fufillment in JC2 next year. Wow! Yup that's all....the year gone by...
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