AAA #35

Designed by: Lee Chin Yi (23-E4)

Q1: School is so stressful and I lack motivation to do my work or go to school everyday. I feel like no matter how much effort I put into my studies or other activities, I can never do something well and I’m not recognised for my effort, I’m also not achieving the results I want.

Hey there! Aunt Agatha hears you. JC life can be very stressful indeed, given the greater emphasis on independent learning, and it is totally valid for you to feel stressed or frustrated about your academic journey.

Perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed with the accumulating lecture debt or tutorial homework, and feel that there’s too much to be done in too little time. Don’t worry, as every JC student has experienced lecture debt at some point in their life, and it is good that you recognise the situation that you’re in. After all, the first step to resolving issues is to face them and identify their root causes. We think that perhaps a visual structure to track your lecture debt could work out for you. By listing the lectures or tutorials you have to catch up on in chronological order for each subject, you will have a clearer idea of the amount of work awaiting you and be able to plan accordingly! Lecture debt might not look as daunting once you’ve broken it down into smaller tasks. After all, there is a well-known saying, “divide and conquer”. You can use platforms such as Notion or Google Docs to create a to-do list, and try to tick off at least three tasks from that list each day. Through this, you can better allocate your time and make full use of any breaks you might have between lessons. 

Additionally, you can incorporate a reward system into your schedule. For each task completed, you can reward yourself with a snack or a social media break. This can serve as small motivations on your path to getting back on track!

If you have the habit of scrolling through social media for hours on end and find it a struggle to start doing work, you might want to consider downloading studying applications on your phone to motivate yourself. One great example is Forest, which allows you to plant a tree each time you are studying, eventually growing a lush forest with various types of trees and plants. This is a very cute application, available on both the Apple App Store as well as Google Play Store. If you prefer to have Forest on your personal learning device, it is also available as a browser extension, so you need not fret over running out of storage space on your phone. 

We understand the frustration you must be feeling, having put in a lot of effort, yet not achieving your desired results. However, this may be an indication that you are not studying in the most efficient manner. Sometimes, we tire ourselves out by studying for prolonged periods of time without a clear goal in mind. Studying smart is much more important than studying hard. An option is to use good studying techniques to guide your learning, so that you are able to organise your learnings more thoroughly. Plus, you can always consult your teachers when in doubt. Don’t let your uncertainties over a certain subject accumulate until it gets out of control. We are sure that your tutors will be very happy to help you with your studies!

Remember that success is not always measured by grades or achievements, and that it is important to recognise and celebrate your own personal growth and progress, no matter how small it may seem. All the best!

Q2: I'm getting unbelievably stressed out over GP because I'm not doing well enough but at the same time I can't get much help. AEGIS won't consider me because my grades seem fine and I'm also not in ASAP. My GP tutor has been ghosting me. She won't review any of the practice essays I've been asking if she can and I don't even know if she has read my messages because they are all greyticks. Tuition is not an option. Please provide advice :(

Hello! Thank you for sharing your worries. Your concerns over your grades and lack of access to help are completely valid!

It is great that stress acts as a motivator for you to achieve your academic goals. However, in any case, balance is key, and while you are encouraged to seek help and advice, it seems to be causing you a great deal of distress as the outcomes are not what you had envisioned. 

You have already observed that many opportunities have been closed off for you, so why focus on them? Many of these opportunities are outside your sphere of control and should no longer be your main focus, especially since it is taking away precious time and energy from the things you can control and do to improve. If AEGIS and ASAP have already rejected you, why dwell on it? If you have no access to tuition, why constantly think about obtaining it?

Along the same train of thought lies the problem of being ghosted. Especially during these times, many teachers are burnt out and tackling their own struggles. Teachers are humans too, meaning that they have their own stresses, problems, and boundaries. Offer them grace and the benefit of the doubt, and find alternate methods of feedback within your control. For example, you could get help from your peers. Approaching classmates who are good at the subject does not hurt, and perhaps you can exchange your essays and do some peer review with each other. This is a good learning opportunity for both parties! While you get new perspectives and learn different answering techniques from classmates, the other party can also become sharper in terms of spotting problems and distinguishing between a good and a great essay.

Alternatively, you could consider approaching your tutor in real life so that he or she is able to address your questions and doubts in a face-to-face setting. There is a possibility that your tutor simply does not check his or her messages that often, or accidentally ignored the messages from you.

As you have said, AEGIS thinks your grades are okay and not in desperate need of help, and the fact that your teacher has not made any alarming feedback might even mean that the essays have no huge underlying problems. Try to focus more on what is within your control. Write more essays and read more model answers and articles. Remember that while stress is a good motivator, over-stressing might only cause you to become burnt out and unmotivated.

Wanting to improve is never wrong, but try not to put too much pressure on yourself! We hope this advice is useful to you. Best of luck with your studies!

Q3: (shortened for brevity)

Don’t get me wrong, I love EJ with all my heart, but I was sorely mistaken when I thought that coming to jc would mean people would finally be mature enough to look past differences. My classmates don’t acknowledge my presence, nobody is ever too excited about working with me for class tasks during tutorials. I just wish I was a part of a group of friends who invite me to lunch, study dates, who wish me happy birthday. I have evaluated and re-evaluated if something was wrong with ME, because it doesn’t make sense for me to be neglected this way if I wasn’t a nuisance or an offence to people. But even when I raised this issue with some people I knew had tensions with me, they simply said they knew I didn’t mean it that way and that it was never my intention to be that way, it’s simply how I come across?? I don’t know. Just gonna mug and get 90 rank points and disappear.

Hello! First, you mentioned that you have difficulty connecting with your peers. It is understandable why you might be feeling this way, as it takes time to get used to new people and environments. While a year in JC may seem like a lot of time, it really isn’t when you consider that it is only a few weeks of school in total — which may not be enough for some to forge strong friendships. 

Since this is an anonymous forum, it is a little difficult for us to understand your situation fully with limited context, but we can assure you that you are not the only person feeling the way you are. 

From personal experience, it’s alright to feel like you are having a different experience from your peers. Some of us don’t have a tight-knit group of friends who would do all of the things you mentioned, and that’s okay! Friendships are often very different depending on the person and how you get along with them. Overall, you need to remind yourself that you cannot please everyone, and that relationships with people cannot be forced.

Instead, when the environment and the people may feel hostile or unwelcoming, you must remind yourself to focus on your own development. After all, we may not be able to control our current circumstances, but we can always change how we respond to difficulties!

First of all, you must feel secure in your own identity. You can start by carrying out reflection exercises. Find some time to write down a list of positive qualities you possess, which will help you to identify and appreciate your own strengths. While this may seem insignificant, it has helped many in raising morale and self-confidence, especially during the times when you feel lost and isolated from everyone else. 

Moreover, it may feel like you are bound to the social circles of your class, but there are many opportunities to bond and meet with new people outside of school as well! The JC experience differs for everybody, and one way you could get through JC is by buckling down to mug and get the 90 rank points you desire. 

However, you should ask yourself: is this the most fulfilling option?

Since you have already tried to ask your acquaintances about the existing tensions between you, maybe you could consult someone closer to you — perhaps a family member, friend, or maybe even a teacher or the counsellor.

Just remember you can always write back to us if you would like to be heard. All the best!