Reflection on my First Semester as a Secondary Student

Another term has come and go in the blink of an eye... 6 months of sweat, hard work and mugging has past...


Secondary school is far different from primary school. Forget about relaxing after stressful year of studying for the Primary School Leaving Examinations(PSLE). Here, teachers expect much more out of you. They don't spoon-feed you anymore, like in primary school. You're expected to complete projects and assignments by yourself at home, often without any prior teaching or explaining of the text. New subjects like History and Literature enters, along with huge piles of homework and tight deadlines. Its a whole new curriculum, like nothing you ever experienced before.

Don't get me wrong, Secondary school can be fun and exciting too. The freedom to do what you want, like decide what kind of project you embark on is great. Learning new skills, like researching for information or working as a team, will be useful later in life. Many opportunities for you to excel and demonstrate your leadership capabilities or talents are readily available.

For me, the first six months helped to integrate me into the advanced curriculum. The first few weeks were tough, as it was quite difficult for me to get used to the amount of homework and assignments. I recall lamenting about the homework I got in primary school and promptly sighed, pining for the good old days where homework could be easily completed in 10 minutes. I also had to get used to not having my parents ferry me to and fro school and taking the public buses. However, as time past, I adapted to the environment and discovered its many plus points, like a long recess, freedom to choose what you want to work on and limitless chances to excel.

Now, as I look back at the last few months, I realize that I have matured and am, in a sense, independent. Of course I still need my allowance but I can do assignments and projects by myself, without asking my parents to help. I have also established many new friendships and have a tight circle of them. Homework is now manageable, albeit barely, and I managed to achieve generally high scores in my tests.

As for the next semester, I already mapped the route I'm going to take. I will do my best to max out my ACE and OP points by the end of the June holidays and work on my project for Project's Day. This way, I can avoid the " rush-hour" where everyone hastily does ACE presentations and fight over who gets to present. Furthermore, I will be adequately prepared to present my project and not need to rush through it. I believe that this way, I am able to make the most of the June holidays.