I wanna add on to kenz' mention regarding anon talking about stress! yes, o levels, n levels, a levels and PSLE is definitely a very big stressful milestone. while us study channels don't seem to look stressed at times, just messaging on deadlines, giving wakeup calls, there is a lot of stress that you may not see that we do not want to share (unless it's in a spam channel with a closer circle)

these "wakeup calls" do benefit people, they help some to see the reality of how close exams are, they are super stressful to those who work very hard, but are beneficial. at the end of the day, study channels main goal is to share insights, reminders, wakeup calls, tips, and for kenz' case, countdowns to the exam.

in no way are we purposely trying to stress you out, but we do apologise if we come out harsh. most of us censor "harsh" words and give a warning, especially because we do know it can mentally drain some people (me included at times even though I do like wakeup calls too)

so don't worry too much, we all are coming from a good place okie <3

~ Expectations ~
a smol reality check :>


ik most of us r gg thru some stressful times rn such as
1. still having myes
2. abt to receive mye results
3. prepping for upcoming exams or other major events

Perhaps these are the reasons why we are harbouring negative thoughts.
Do you feel the dreadful weight of expectations pressing down on you?

Well, what makes these expectations burdening to u? Is it the pressure to surpass those expectations? Do you fear the aftermath of not reaching them?

This is what I want u to know:
So what if we didn't meet these expectations? The world isn't ending.
So what if we met these expectations? We didn't suddenly discover the solution to world hunger.

We hit or miss these expectations, then we move on to work towards a new set of expectations, hit or miss these new expectations and we have to move on again. The outcomes of meeting/missing expectations are so small, so short-lived. These expectations are not even real or tangible, regardless of who created them. They don't really matter.

Even if you do not meet your expectations, you should never discredit all the effort we have put in. You are still growing, so it is completely normal to fail as you are not in our most optimum state yet. The potential is THERE, so continue giving yourself time and space to grow and bloom. Don't ever put it to waste just because u didn't hit a target that is so superficial, so unrealistic.

If you meet your expectations, literally the same as above applies. You credit all the hard work you put in. Even though you exceeded a certain bar, you are still growing. Life moves on and new challenges arise. No one can ever remain stagnant, so continue giving yourself time and space to grow. Don't ever put your potential to waste just because u hit a target that is so temporary.

~

Look up at the sky
Take a moment to realise how infinitely wide it is
This is the vast universe, the plane of reality we all exist in.
Do the magnitudes of our expectations, our challenges, our flaws
Even amount to the tiniest bit of it?

And yet certain things matter so much to us. While we are experiencing our disasters and catastrophes in our own tiny personal worlds, have we ever stepped outside and realised that nothing is happening at all?

tips for the last bit of chinese (oral+lc) for ppl who aren’t good in it👍
> my oral score is around 30/50ish? i would say that that’s pretty decent since i’ve vv poor chinese vocab & i slaughter the reading aloud part💀
> LC scores for EOY & MYE : 18/20

LC tips :
1st round of reading : translate key ideas into english and jot it down!! for vv impt ideas, make a doodle of what’s happening in the scene.

when they’re reading the qns : •translate every single qn/at least the key idea for what they’re asking for
• don’t be lazy & assume that you already know the answer
• always listen for the 2nd time. but do put a tick beside the qn(s) that you think is the answer.

2nd round of reading : listen carefully & read thru your written down translation , pick your answer!

———————————————————
Oral tips :
• greet the teacher in fluent chinese!! it makes a great impression

• smile! don’t show your anxiety, when you screw up, quickly repeat the corrected version & move on! if you panic, there’ll be a long period of awkward silence

• if you can’t read the passage, it’s ok, it’s alw better to be able to talk than read. don’t tell yourself that you’re doomed just bc you can’t read the passage

• don’t alw stick to the formatted answers, try to come up w smt original! (try to put in personal examples as best as you can!)

• eye contact! eye contact is so so important as it shows that you’re talking to the examiner & communicating with them (that’s what oral is about!) if you can’t keep eye contact, look at their eyebrows!

• thank the examiner(s) sincerely! it’s vv obv if it’s a half-hearted thank you & it doesn’t make a good impression on you!

> trust me, smiling, eye contact and how you start/end is the most important as that is how you communicate irl, not by memorising some answer and regurgitating that out (you’ve to remember that the examiners have tested many students already & they know the basic answers)

oh yes,, and also, use your hands to express your words! like hand movements, those show that you’re engaged in conversation & you’re fully concentrated on brain storming to think of new ideas

it’s better than hiding your hands or holding onto them as those actions show nervousness!

hi
as someone who usually gets average scores for mt lc, i can't really offer much advice but i'll list down what i remember from my teacher and ex-classmates :]

- when you're listening to the recording, scribble every detail down with a pencil (shortform encouraged so you have more time)

- if you're unsure of what a certain word means, infer from the context of the sentence (option)

here's "uncommon" words:
• muhibah = 'goodwill' / cultural harmony
• cahaya = brightness/light
• jiwa = soul
• dunia = life
• bidadari = angel (like a pet name)
• malaikat = angel (literal angel)
• cemas = anxious
• gementar = nervous
• derma = donation
• sukarelawan = volunteer
• talian = online

- listen to the recording UNTIL THE END! yes you may second-guess yourself into erasing the correct answer, thus keep alert!!

it's best to hear the entire recording as much as possible and see which option fits BEST

take note of the phrasing, the timing of when the speaker mentions the detail(s), the preposition and the meaning of what they say

while it's possible the answer will not be 100% exact to what the speaker says, make sure they mean the same thing

#note

that being said i thought eae interview emails will start being sent out today?

UMI???

HI GUYS so apparently EAE emails on interviews will be sent out starting from today, so be sure to check your emails everyday and see when your interview dates are on and prepare everything you need to prepare ya

to add on from what kexin said^

- dont be too worried if ur friend gets the email first and you haven't (sometimes the school are just slow lmao)
- ensure that you read the whole email bc some require you to do something before the interview

checklist for tmr
- ENTRY !! PROOF !!!
- IC / ezlink
- extra pencils, eraser, pens

sleep early today!! the exam starts at 230 at the end of a sch day so u wont want to feel sleepy ^^

don’t forget your water bottles everyone!!

golden hour <33

mental health talk, TW because i will be touching on some sensitive topics. (a lot of cursing, so i’m sorry)

now, i covered mental health several times, so have the other study admins, but has anyone talked about it again?

when someone mentions mental health, people would often associate it to depression, mental hospital, moody. what even is mental health to begin with?

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.”

mental well-being indeed. many of you experience and go through a lot of shit in your life, some more than others. and that is what influences your mental health and well-being.

the list of common mental health problems:
- depression
- anxiety
- PTSD (trauma)
- ED
- personality disorders
- dementia
etc.

i will be diving deeper in one of which many of our age experience as a student in singapore.

Depression.

depression is something that can be caused due to prolonged sadness and other factors, like stress and trauma.

depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. it causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.

someone close to you could be suffering from it, but you never know. it’s easy to hide with externally but you can’t run away from it internally.

depression is a huge ass obstacle we face in life

it affects the body, mood, and thoughts to a point of disruption of normal social relations. It affects the way we eat and sleep, how we feel about ourselves, and how we perceive things.

one with depression may face difficulties in their relationships and daily tasks, and may be unable to work towards their goals in life.

“oh you can just snap out of it”

people mistakenly believe that it happens when they allow themselves to wallow in their grief and that it can be cured with positive thoughts or a change in attitude.

in fact, depression is a serious condition that affects the way we act, think and behave and can lead to changes in our daily life/activities.

how do we help those struggling with depression?

it is indeed treatable, but it’s hard to just poof it away just like a normal flu. it’s not so simple.

the environment and people also affects them.

1. understand how depression affects one.

Depression is a serious condition. don’t underestimate the seriousness of depression. depression drains a person’s energy, optimism, and motivation. one experiencing depression an’t just “snap out of it” by sheer force of will. it’s not that simple

the symptoms of depression aren’t personal. depression makes it difficult for a person to connect on a deep emotional level with anyone, even the people they love the most. It’s also common for depressed people to say hurtful things and lash out in anger. remember that this is the depression talking, not your loved one, so try not to take it personally.

hiding the problem won’t make it go away. It doesn’t help anyone involved if you try making excuses, covering up the problem, or lying for a friend or family member who is depressed. In fact, this may keep the depressed person from seeking treatment.

they aren’t lazy or unmotivated. When you’re suffering from depression, just thinking about doing the things that may help you to feel better can seem exhausting or impossible to put into action. babe some patience as you encourage them to take the first small steps to recovery.

you can’t “fix” someone else’s depression. As much as you may want to, you can’t rescue someone from depression nor fix the problem for them. you’re not to blame for your loved one’s depression or responsible for their happiness (or lack thereof). but you can help them through it with support.

2. start a conversation

it can seem very subtle, but it is impactful. being supportive involves offering encouragement and hope. often, this is a matter of talking to the person in language that they will understand and can respond to while in a depressed state of mind.

talking to people about depression is hard, but it allows them to actually understand that you care for them.

what you can say:

- “You’re not alone. I’m here for you during this tough time.”
- “It may be hard to believe right now, but the way you’re feeling will change.”
- “Please tell me what I can do now to help you.”
- “Even if I’m not able to understand exactly how you feel, I care about you and want to help.”
- “You’re important to me. Your life is important to me.”
- “When you want to give up, tell yourself you will hold on for just one more day, hour, or minute—whatever you can manage.”

but some things can be sensitive to them, so don’t ignore it and just say it like that. eg.

- “This is all in your head”
- “Everyone goes through tough times.”
- “Try to look on the bright side.”
- “Why do you want to die when you have so much to live for?”
- “I can’t do anything about your situation.”
- “Just snap out of it.”
- “You should be feeling better by now.”

It may be hard to believe that the person you know and love would ever consider something as drastic as suicide, but a depressed person may not see any other way out.

depression clouds judgment and distorts thinking, causing a normally rational person to believe that death is the only way to end the pain they’re feeling.

suicide is a very real danger when someone is depressed, it’s important to know the warning signs:

- Talking about suicide, dying, or harming oneself; a preoccupation with death
- Expressing feelings of hopelessness or self-hate
- Acting in dangerous or self-destructive ways
- Getting affairs in order and saying goodbye
- Seeking out pills, weapons, or other lethal objects
- A sudden sense of calm after depression

Talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a person’s life, so speak up if you’re concerned and seek professional help immediately.

good lord that is long

https://youtu.be/MGb2lKToBgY

I’m not sure about other exams but as an O Level taker i think this really helps since it’s applicable to me!