AMATH Revision Outline

If you didn't get this from Mrs Tan after AM Paper 1, please download and refer to it. PLEASE ALSO DO THE PAPER ON SHAREPOINT.

English over, MOVE ON!

English paper is over and this is the important paper, not because its your L1 but because it sets the pace for the rest of the O levels.

DO NOT LET THIS PAPER AFFECT YOUR MOOD FOR THE REST OF THE O LEVELS. Do not worry about results. Have faith in your abilities and focus on the upcoming papers. THE NEXT 4 DAYS ARE MATHEMATICS! We must do well as a class, because we have done well for Prelim 3. FORGE ON and soar!

We all have faith in our abilities. What we need ourselves to do is to show our full potential!

Good Luck All for O Levels!

Minna-san, Ganbatte ne!

The holidays are over and what little enjoyment you treasured has yet again dwindled into oblivion. CCAs are ending, thus leaving you with so much available time that your tickled heart tries to deceive your mind into taking a ‘break’ before mugging full force for the upcoming exams! Lessons and tutorials are beginning to end too; there’s nothing new left to learn for the time being and revision seems the only thing you are pre-occupied with now. The exams are… one day away? Are you prepared? Or are you panicking and beginning to contemplate suicide? Don’t you wish that time would be merciful and slow down enough for you to cram all that you’ve learnt for the exams, and yet wishing for it to accelerate quickly altogether so that this whole exam pandemonium would be disappear sooner? It’s so difficult to please the average soul.

I suppose the relaxation during the holidays is the primary impetus for us to keep going, a long-awaited and much anticipated break that is met by all with jubilance and enthusiasm. No matter what your drive is, the time has come again to park yourself down and flip open those detestable 3 inch-thick textbooks that have been accumulating dust for the past month. Resist the itch of playing DotA (Defense of the Ancients) and WoW (World of Warcraft), stop watching anime, re-stock your supplies of coffee, and let the mugging begin!

MUG! MUG! MUG!!!

This simple act as succinctly depicted by the 3 alphabets ‘M’, ‘U’, and ‘G’ has almost become a catholic high school culture, one that has integrated with our mundane lifestyles and has been subconsciously blended into our drilled minds, becoming not only a dependence in our lives but also an act of habit that we cannot do without, for fear of losing out to others. Just taking an unintended stroll around the school grounds will grant one glimpses of secondary school life in Catholic High, allowing one to observe the intensive preparations occurring backstage that give our school its prestige on the world’s stage. Fuelled by the knowledge that one is engaged in all-consuming race against one’s peers and by wisdom of the fact that they are also constantly improving themselves as well as learning more and more as every second passes, one inevitably resorts to the act of mugging.

To paint the definition clearly for everybody, mugging in this context is not referring to the undesirable act of an armed street robbery, but rather to a Singaporean colloquial term to describe intensive studying. In academics, mugging (also known as cramming) is the practice of working intensively to absorb massive volumes of informational material in short amounts of time. This has become an arithmetic trend not just in Catholic High but many other schools in Singapore. Mugging has replaced passion for sports and arts and has not only developed into a unique pastime of its own but has infected the minds of many and become a deleterious habit. A simple Google search on the word ‘mugging’ will lead one to encounter amusing yet very true results such as ‘Will mugging for long hours enable one to score good marks for exams?’, ‘I LOVE MUGGING!’, ‘Can somebody teach me how to mug pls?’ and ‘How to stay awake for mugging?’. ^[1] Delving deeper, one uncovers sacred techniques on the art of mugging and finds that ‘staying awake for mugging’ requires an exhaustive list of secret methods such as using Adderall, doing 20-30 pushups every night and bloating oneself with black coffee among others. I doubt these methods actually work, because if someone had actually tried them out he probably wouldn’t have survived it.

The quintessential question in mugging is the controversial ‘quantity or quality’ While some may argue that quantity should be attributed 100% priority in studying, studying smart is also vital. The key to mugging is not does not lie in the volume of information and resources that one ‘mugs’ but rather in the art and lore of selective absorption of information and mugging smart.

Obviously, just studying and studying and studying isn't going to do you any good if you don't actually know what's going on. To give a fundamental illustration, knowing the formula V = IR isn't going to help whatsoever if you don't know how to identify V(voltage), I(current), or R(resistance). Similarly, knowing that pro-opiomelanocortin neurons stimulate satiety and inhibit feeding isn’t going to help you at all unless you actually understand the regulation and control by leptin in arcuate nucleus neurons. ^[3] Understanding is a vital as knowledge is and probably even more so as knowledge without understanding cannot be applied and hence cannot be knowledge. Such is the knowledge paradox and if you don’t want to be entangled in its sticky webs of bewilderment, you therefore have to have the basic understanding of your knowledge. There is a saying that knowledge is power, but the fact remains that one might not know at all what to do with all that power, let alone comprehend the fact that he wields power in his addled-mind. Understanding the knowledge is where the true power and ability comes in. However, do not place all your emphasis on trying to understand the knowledge you have mastered. This is where studying smart comes in because at the same time, studying and studying and studying eventually makes you remember things. This is obviously very helpful, especially if you’re doing a subject that requires lots of factual information like biology and literature.

That being said, will mugging for long hours even help one to secure flying colours in his examinations? Yes, it has been scientifically proven by statistics that mugging does help to secure a pass rate and that one-night of pre-exam mugging is better than nothing, but by how much? Mugging can make one rush and feel preoccupied which helps by reducing that relaxed state of mind and complacency which tends to lead to lower-efficiency and reduced thinking capabilities, or as one may put it, mugging can help to kill the sin of Sloth. Sloth is a sluggishness of the mind and heart. Sloth paralyses our capacity for doing everything except what is truly useful. It is the reluctance to expend even the smallest amount of energy and effort to do what it takes to change things, to fix the brokenness around you and to do something about one’s decadence and atrophy of the mind. Sloth is a selfish trait of the tainted human character and works for itself, disregarding all matters and promoting low efficiency and degeneration. ^[4]

Mugging not only creates the atmosphere and passion for learning in the short span of time but also creates a net pressurizing force which drives one to work faster, and also think better with more creative chains of thought coupled with a strong sense of urgency.

However, mugging has been deemed by researchers and experts alike as detrimental to both a person’s physical and mental state. ^[5] One does not effectively retain information from mugging, and actually retains information less during cramming. There has been numerous research conducted using animal models that show us that the most effective way to remember things is going over it many times, with breaks in between. One who goes over things many times with no breaks, which defines the art of mugging, actually retains significantly less information than one going over it fewer times with breaks. There is a clear link between the ability of the brain to form memories and the amount of rest it is given between periods. As such, I would like to emphasize the importance of consistent studying rather than trying to ‘mug’ and cram our puny brains with the infinite expanse of knowledge in the limited amount of time. The phrase ‘burning the midnight oil’ should not be applied as it deprives you of sleep, rest and hence focus and concentration. Consistency is the key to studying smart in addition to the filtering of information.

Another variable in studying is the environment that one studies within. You can study anywhere but obviously some places are better than others. For instance, it is rudimentary knowledge to all and sundry that studying in a cacophonous, disorderly and obstreperous venue will lead to deteriorating inner-focus and lack of concentration and chi, hence inevitably directing one the dreary road to failure and depression. On the other hand, studying within a domicile which lacks the above mentioned distractions, providing a placid, congenial and tranquil environment for one to concentrate to maximum potential and work with optimum performance. The varied results are obvious and I highly recommend that you find a perfect place for yourself to lucubrate as soon as possible. A favourite studying hotspot and popular alternative venue for many would be the National or school library located in close proximity to Catholic High and thus being highly convenient.

Mugging in itself is a flawed culture and trend. People who mug actually tax their brains beyond what they can handle in that short span of time, the result being that they would forget everything that they would have learnt and would hence have to ‘mug’ the same things over and over again in a dull monotony, leading us to the common expression of the ‘no-life mugger’ that we brand many who have fallen into this pointless and vehement cycle of mugging. Mugging is a short term process that keeps repeating itself and serves only to expand ones knowledge in the next 24hours or so. If you care about what you are learning, it is the worst thing you could do to yourself because in the long-term it would only serve to deteriorate one’s thinking capacity, memory retaining capabilities and result in a highly dependable force of habit routine. So for all those out there who need to prepare for an upcoming examination, don’t mug last minute but try to remain consistent in your daily work from now until the examination. Effective studying requires utmost discipline from oneself so as to achieve proper time management and optimal thinking skills. Time is one of the most valuable and wasted resources to a student and has to be seen with high regard in this aspect. Effective thinking skills cannot be studied but have to be built up over a period of time. Some highly effective studying techniques are shared with students in Adprima.com and If you have the time, you should check them out. ^[6] However, the saying goes that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Hence, it is up to one’s style, approach and potential that truly determines the effectiveness of his studies. May you find your own path to academic success and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish one and all the very best of luck for their upcoming O levels examinations!

References

1. http://www.google.com.sg/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_en___SG319&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=mugging
2. http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/archive/index.php/t-2193119.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obese
4. Broader Perspectives, seven sins and virtues article
5. http://media.www.hartfordinformer.com/media/storage/paper146/news/2009/03/05/News/Late-Night.Cramming.Hurts.More.Than.Helps-3661925.shtml
6. http://www.adprima.com/studyout.htm

Hahas, random much yeah =]

Last Lap

Just a note from me as you approach Monday.

Stay strong and stay calm all the time.

Believe you can and work towards your goals...

Assuring you of my support, prayers, etc

Cheers

Mr Edmund Yong

Good Luck from the US

good night, and good luck
Friday, 23 October, 2009 10:47 AM
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Good Luck to everyone for your O'Levels in:

3 DAYS & 12 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriously good luck, and i hope you really don't need it. After the O's you guys can come here and we'll lolz about stuff in the holidays.

Brandon, I haven't forgiven you yet.

Over and Out

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey guys...the following is IMPORTANT, so read carefully.

THIS COMING MONDAY. THERE WILL BE A CLASS PRAYER RIGHT AFTER ENGLISH AND JUST BEFORE WE LEAVE CLASS TO GO HALL. PLEASE BE PRESENT. MRS TANG, MR TAN JH AND MR YONG WILL BE THERE TO ALSO PRAY WITH US.

IT WILL JUST BE A SHORT ONE. EVEN IF YOU ARE NON-CHRISTIAN, LEAN BACK TO YOUR OWN FAITH. NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE HAVE WORKED, THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF UNCERTAINTY AND LUCK. THUS, WE WILL DEFINITELY NEED GOD'S STRENGTH TO TIDE US THROUGH.

YES, WE WILL BE SAYING OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS, BUT CAN WE JUST SAY ONE CLASS PRAYER TOGETHER? IF WE PUT OUR HEARTS TOGETHER, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE DONE.

SO I ASK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION ON MONDAY, AND PLEASE JUST COOPERATE. WILL TAKE LESS THAN 5 MINUTES, BUT IT WILL BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL. TRUST ME. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE NEED DIVINE INTERVENTION.

THANKS

Error In Chem Textbook

There's an error in chem textbook. Go

http://www.simplechemconcepts.com/error-in-marshall-cavendish-gce-o-level-chemistry-textbook/

to find it out.

Additional Eng Compre Practices

According to Sharepoint, Mrs Tang says that she will be printing out comprehension passages and answers for those who want to try the questions. I will be passing out a class list on Tuesday to collect the requests from the class.

I do not know how many additional comprehension passages she will be providing us, but I suggest that you do at least 3 or 4 additional ones on top of what Mr Heng is giving you. It will be impractical to finish all of the additional ones for sure, so just randomly pick any 3 or 4. (or just pick 3 or 4 together as a whole class)

The first one is the Eagles passage which has already been posted on Sharepoint. What we are lacking now is the answers. If you would like the answers to be printed out, either inform me now or tick the class list on Tuesday.

CALL FOR PHOTOS

Hey people,

send me or pass me ALL the photos you got for the Grad Assembly and lunch. I be collating all then burn into CD. if possible, i will burn one copy for everyone. depends on how many photos i receive.

pls send them to my email or pass me in thumbdrive asap. colin has sent me his. if files too large, put them in zip folder, then go www.sendspace.com to send it to me. the max you can send is 300mb file.

thanks

Last words...at the moment

Hmm as I say this, my stomach hurts. Real bad. Must be the effervescence caused by the food i shoved in at Seoul Garden...

But where was I? Ah yes. The final lap,the final run.

It is a real sense of deja vu. I clearly remember when I put the timers up on this blog, it was 130 days. 130 days. More than 4 months. And God, guess what? IT IS 9 DAYS LEFT.

Time really flies. I dont know what to say really now. I guess that it is time that we stop spiking each other, and for that reason, I wil not be posting anymore of that sort of wake up call. I guess we have all woken up.

And it will be a promise that this blog will be kept alive even until next year. That is a promise.

So what i want to say is thank you to ALL OF YOU for ALL you have done. Thank You for everything, and thank you for all that you have given one abnother.

Last day...

Hello guys.

I hardly blog here, but since it's the last day of school, I just want to play a final small part and say something here.

(Pardon my poor english if you spot any errors lol)

Ok here goes...

Well firstly I am really thankful to be in this class, yep.

It's really fortunate.

We have fantastic teachers and classmates.

I think most of us, if not all, would agree that we had fun for the fun 2 years yeah =D

Well but nevertheless, someday such fun has to end, and tmrw's the so-called "official day".

Yup.

2 years just simply zoomed by so quickly.

It was like, 2008 was only yesterday.

Well, 2 years on,

this is where we are.

We braved the storms together.

We played hard as one, and we worked hard together too.

And now, it's just 11 days before the big "O"s, and tmrw is the Farewell Assembly.

Just want to thank everyone for being there all the time.

Yep.

Hope that everyone stays in touch, where ever we are. (:

But in the meantime, LET US FINISH THE FIGHT TOGETHER!!! :D

O levels are approaching, and I wish everyone the best of luck for the event of the year.

Jiayou people~!!!

Last Day of School (official)

So tomorrow is last day of school... I know everyone of us has different feelings about the event, but I'm sure there is a sense of reluctance and surprise that time flies fast.

Well, I hope you guys know the plan for tomorrow. English remedial is still on at 7.05am. After that is class contact time and a VERY EARLY recess (Guys please don't eat anything. We want to starve so that we can make the very best out of our class fund money for the afternoon at Seoul Garden =P Unless you skip breakfast that is)

Then after recess is the graduation assembly, prize presentation, graduation video showcase (ahem) etc.

We will be having lunch at Seoul Garden Marina Square. Please change into your class shirt for that lunch. And I hope all of you know how to get there. It's either bus 162 from the bus stop outside (not opposite school) or MRT to City Hall and a 20 minute walk via Citylink and Suntec City.

And apparently some people in class are interested in having a KBOX session (there's a branch in Marina Square). Enquire with KCS for details.

So there. Hope you guys enjoy yourselves tomorrow, the last official day as a class together.

Last chem lesson

yea yea...we all know and reminisce mR Tan's singing...

well, here is the rather blur and noisy recording. i did some edits, but due to the low quality of recording, there is not much i can do. I am trying togehter with some of us to make the clip better...for now, this is the best we can do.

and we found the song he sang online..title is "Friends Are Friends Forever" by MIchael W. Smith. check out the full song at

http://www.tsrocks.com/m/michael_w_smith_texts/friends_are_friends_forever.html

there;s a youtube video on the right side.

The Final Fight

Maybe I should say this, maybe i shouldnt...

today we got back our results. a mix of emotions i would say from the class. most of us were ok with our results, some were happy, some were disappointed. but i would like to say this...yes...a blatant point that is VERY STARK AND DIRECT.

you know, all of us would want to do well dont we? yet more often that not, it is the amount of effort we put in to achieving what we want. it is HOW BADLY WE WANT IT. I look around, I see and know some who are working hard and toiling towards their goal. Similarly, I see some who really WANT to excel, but somehow i feel that they are NOT putting in the effort.

i see this group of people talking about JC, subjects, career at times, yet they are putting the cart before the horse. let's talk about O levels. let's be pragmatic.

i dont want to really compare, but look at the work put in by mitchell...yea i know you will say he got no life or whatever related sort, but think again. WHY is he second in class, losing only to sheng mao? because he is pragmatic.

When did you ever hear him talk about JCs, career or whatsoever? before you dismiss it as having no life, STOP. take a step back and reflect. do you think people really dont care about what JC they are going to?

Its just that people like him RECOGNISE that the most important thing is to do well for the O levels, that's why they are putting in the effort.

You may be disliking me for saying this, but come one, GET ALIVE! its less than 2 weeks now.

my challenge to you is that you can actually continue to discuss about JCs, career, etc., but SHOW that you really want it. SHOW THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO WELL FOR THE O LEVELS.

It all starts now. You don't do it, you sleep in class, you play handphone games, watch movies, DAYDREAM, ZONE, ITS ALL YOUR CHOICE

学习如逆水行舟，不进则退！ the moment you STOP, YOU LOSE.

Homework

1. Literature. Two literature essays and the St Nick's unseen paper.

2. English. Comprehension Passage (The one on The Hanging by George Orwell)

3. Mathematics. All the remaining 2008 papers.

4. Higher Chinese. Clear all remaining trial papers from other schools.

5. Cedar Girls Physics Paper (will be up on sharepoint sometime soon)

Oh ya, please bring $70 on Monday to pay for the Graduation Night tickets. You may pay in either cash or Cheque (addressed to: Catholic High School).