General JC Advice / Life Hacks

Tip 1: Start thinking early about your possible further education and career paths

The Radcliffe Camera Building of Oxford University, England

It's really normal as a 17-18 year old if you don't exactly know what you want to do as a university course and/or a career. Ambitions and plans may change with time and circumstances (I went from wanting to be a historian, to being a teacher, to being a government official in the span of two years.) But it is good to consider the possible pathways that you are most likely to be suited for, because it can guide you in which extracurricular activities you wish to pursue.

Some of us made the common mistake of thinking that such planning can be completely left till after A Levels. The problem with that is that some competitive university courses, special programmes and scholarships place a premium on students who have demonstrated interest, experience and excellence in relevant fields. If you leave the planning till after A Levels, that could mean your list of extracurricular activities lack relevant qualifications, and you'll have to play catch-up. Moreover, if you're a girl looking to study in the US and certain UK unis, you'll have to apply during J2's A Level season, if you are to avoid taking a gap year.

Even though the relative simplicity of local university applications might require slightly less research to navigate, there still is important information you'll need to glean, especially for competitive courses like Law, Medicine and PPE, scholarships (e.g. NUS Global Merit, NTU CN Yang, NTU USP, SUTD STEP) and special programmes (e.g. NUS College). If you have concerns about your academic performance, researching about aptitude-based assessments (ABA) might also give you greater peace of mind in your studies and applications. Chances are, your JC’s ECG department will organise talks and university fairs, and universities will organise their own open houses as well, during which professors and students will share about their course and answer your questions. Attend those that most interest you.

For guides to US and SG universities, see here and here respectively.

Tip 2: Contact your seniors for information, advice and resources

Your seniors could be one of your major pillars of support in JC, because they’ve already been through the process once. Whether you’re deciding which JC best suits you, applying for special programmes and scholarships, going for competitions or looking for some academic help, you may know seniors who can help you with that. For those who aren’t as well connected, you could also seek help online, through the various initiatives mentioned earlier, or through subreddits like r/SGExams. You’ll be surprised by just how helpful some folks there can be.

Tip 3: Chances are, there are more things you could do about your portfolio than you think

Some students might think there is nothing left that can be done to expose themselves to extracurricular learning and leadership experiences, especially after J1, when council and CCA elections are over and leadership positions are cast into stone. We’ve got good news for you: There are plenty of competitions, special programmes, and volunteering that you can still go for. Many JCs like HCI and VJC even have internal school portals that regularly announce such opportunities, so do keep a look-out for suitable ones. There are also a slew of other opportunities you can take advantage of independent of your school. We’ve made a compilation here.

Tip 4: Make use of your holidays

No doubt, holidays are primarily for you to relax and recharge. Go for a holiday with your loved ones, catch-up on all those shows you missed on Netflix, read a book you’ve always wanted to read etc. But do allocate some time for light studying or other activities like researching about your future education options and internships. One of us went for a 3 week internship at a government agency as a way to explore his future career options. Not all holidays are equal as well. March, June, September holidays may involve a little more studying, by virtue of them being shorter, sandwiched within the school year, and nearer to internal school exam periods. By contrast, there is greater space for you to do a wider range of things in the December holidays of J1. Holidays in J2, by virtue of their proximity to A Levels, would require more intensive academic preparation as well.

Conclusion

These two years are going to zoom by really quickly. JC often feels like three years compressed into two, because the pace of everything is much faster than in primary or secondary school. Even in your CCA, you come in during J1 as a newbie, and in just a couple of months, there are already leadership elections for your batch, and within a year, your batch has already stepped down. But even in the midst of the frenetic pandemonium, do give yourself some time to live in the moment and soak it all in. Go make some friends and memories :”) because this period of your life doesn’t last that long. Don’t let it slip by!

Good luck out there!

By JC Starter Pack Team (Anonymous and Alyson)

For a compilation of useful study tips, see our other blog post here.