It has been two weeks since I became a Secondary 3 Student and my first reaction was "Whoa!". I was told that life in Upper Secondary was going to be very different as compared to Lower Secondary but still I was surprised.
First off, I was more accountable for myself. Upon entering the school compounds, I had to remind myself to tap my EZ-Link Card on the card reader to record my attendance. Failure to do so will result in an email from the School Administration asking me to clarify my absence.
Then there is the Class Mentor vs Form Teacher issue; the Class Mentor is merely a teacher that mentors the class whereas the Form Teacher is closer to the class and is in charge of the class administration. This meant that we had to be a lot more independent and self-reliant, so most of the class matters had to be settled among ourselves.
Education turned out to be a whole different ball game too. Laptops were compulsory for Online-Learning, in which students had to access websites to do their own independent learning. There are also quizzes and assignments to be completed, often involving drawing Mind Maps and Concept Maps. Subjects become tougher too, with Triple Sciences, Languages, Integrated Humanities Core, A. Maths and China Studies in Chinese as compared to the previous Lower Secondary Science, Languages, Integrated Humanities and E. Maths.
I guess the biggest change for me was the level of stress. Being part of CSE SMTP means higher expectations and more pressure to perform and excel, and definitely no room for error. Free time for oneself is effectively reduced and working long and hard hours is no longer an option but an obligation.
"You will never be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life."
~ Dr. James G. Billkey
