For many Secondary 1 students out there, the New Year brings about a set of changes in the form of a new school, new class and a totally new environment. Some of you look at this with excitement and exhilaration, while others react in anxiety and uncertainty about the looming future. Whichever it is you’re are feeling, it is natural, as leaving something that you are so familiar and venturing into an unknown realm is sometimes easier said than done.
It can be confusing somewhat chaotic first day of secondary school. The mass of bewildered first years, milling about are enough to kick your nervous system into hyper drive. You ask yourself, “How am I ever going to find my way around here?” Gone are the days when mum and dad brought you around the school, this adventure is yours alone.
One thing to calm the nerves is the school’s Orientation program, meant to help students settle into their new life. Orientation helps students get familiar with the school grounds and its culture. The options can be diverse. Some schools prefer camping in the school compound for a few days to let the students get used to the new environment. Other schools have a mixed orientation program where part of it is held in school while the rest is held in outdoor adventure camps like those at Sarimbun Camp or the MOE Changi Adventure Camp.
TMaking friends in your new school life is also a challenge. To aid this, the orientation camp always starts with ‘icebreaker’ activities, which essentially bring the Sec 1 cohort together in fun and energetic ways. You will be grouped together under the care of a friendly and supportive senior who is there to ‘show you the ropes’ of school life and answer any of your burning questions like, “which stall has the best makan at the canteen?” or “which teacher is really fierce?”
The group activities held during Orientation also help you to remember everyone’s names, perfect for introductions once classes begin. You’ll be surprised how many people you meet in the first days of school end up as your classmates.
The courage to trust another person is especially important in secondary school. With a heavier workload, you constantly need a friend or someone to clarify certain academic queries. On a social note, trusting another friend means someone to talk to during stressful times. Increasingly, you realize that in secondary school, it is about cooperating and interacting with other people on different levels. This can help you develop essential social skills required in working-life too.
A new environment and new friends are not the only challenges you have to contend with. The increasing emphasis on independence means you need to take charge of your own learning and your own time management. In secondary school you need to prioritise more, keep on top of school work and revision so you can also spend valuable time with your friends.
In addition to academic workload, extracurricular activities will also be part of your daily life. The interesting thing about secondary school is that you have more autonomy over the activities you participate in. The wide range of extracurricular activities available in each school is testament to how it wants to match the varying interests of the students. If you’re a talented musician or just want to pick up a new instrument then secondary school is the place to shine. From Chinese Orchestra, to military band and jazz ensemble, nowadays music has many avenues in our schools. The same goes for sports plus there’s drama club and even gaming and robotics CCAs!
As you enter into the New Year, new school and a new stage of life, always remember the memories and places that shape you into what you’re going to be. Be open to new ideas and dare to raise questions and doubts, get out of your comfort zone and take on anything that comes your way. All these experiences will carry you later in life.
Posted on Thursday, January 07, 2009
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