Hi again, so I chosen MI as my first choice and I'm just wondering about the life there.
Hows the enviroment?
School hours?
Teachers?
Notes?
Tutorials and Lectures?
Year 1-3 layout?
There are all kinds of students in MI.
You are who you are with. Choose your friends wisely. Form study groups and really study.
Use the canteen to study. Or use the tables outside the library, near the cafe or outside the staff room.
During weekends or public holidays, you could go to a Polytechnic (or University) to use their tables and chairs, to study. Many people do that. Poly and Uni campuses are open to public.
Usually, the teachers do not collect tutorial questions. (Actually, at poly also like that.) Even if they do, they will usually take very long (until next semester after first promotional exam) to mark and return.
Lecture is like watching the teacher perform a show in front of you. After all, it's called 'listen to lecture'; you are watching a show.
But ultimately, it's up to you. If you do not understand, the first people you should ask is your classmates. The teachers are usually busy because they have other classes to teach or have other things to do.
First ask your classmates to help you clarify the questions you do not know how to do. One/Some/All of them probably know how to do. If you and your classmates do not know how to do, then ask your teacher during class time.
Well, if you feel you cannot catch up, there's videos in YouTube... some teachers there recommend Khan Academy. But that should be at last resort.
Alternatively, you could ask here at SGforums. The "teachers" at SGforums are ex-teachers who are tution teachers now. :)
Well, I know how MI is like because I was from there. If you need any help, whether is it about your school work or personal issues, ask for help.
This is what forums are about. If you ask, you will get what you ask for. Although sometimes it is not exactly what you ask for, but at least we will try our best to help.
Whereas for school hours, if I am not wrong, reporting time is 8am and school usually ends at around 5pm.
As for the notes, they come in the form of bundled notes. In my opinion, I feel that outside resources and the JC bundled notes are better. Nonetheless, regardless of whether the notes are good or not, what natters is how hard-working you are. Once again, if you have questions, first ask your classmates. If still do not know, ask the teacher. If stilI do not know, ask us.
Whereas for subject combinations at Millennia Institute, avoid science combinations. Especially those with two H2 science subjects. You are only killing yourself if you do. After all, you are competing with the people at Junior College and IP schools (e.g. Raffles Institution). I do not know about Arts combination.
Actually, the best is to take business stream, because MI is the only government school that offers business at A level; you are only competing with your own people at the A levels, since it is mostly MI students (the other candidates are from private schools) taking business at A level.
By the way, if you need tuition, you can continue on with the tuition centre you have been (if you have been) going for O level, or go to a well-known tuition centre. Do not worry about MI being three years; one year more than JC. You just pay for one extra year of tuition lor. After all, the tuition centres are running a business. They are more than happy if you are their customer for one more year. Besides, JC also have people kenna repeat have to study three or four years. They also go for tuition. So, do not worry. If you need tuition, just go to any well-known tuition centre.
it's not abt the sch but ur mindset and attitude
you are who you are with. :)
Originally posted by jurongresident:There are all kinds of students in MI.
You are who you are with. Choose your friends wisely. Form study groups and really study.
Use the canteen to study. Or use the tables outside the library, near the cafe or outside the staff room.
During weekends or public holidays, you could go to a Polytechnic (or University) to use their tables and chairs, to study. Many people do that. Poly and Uni campuses are open to public.
Usually, the teachers do not collect tutorial questions. (Actually, at poly also like that.) Even if they do, they will usually take very long (until next semester after first promotional exam) to mark and return.
Lecture is like watching the teacher perform a show in front of you. After all, it's called 'listen to lecture'; you are watching a show.
But ultimately, it's up to you. If you do not understand, the first people you should ask is your classmates. The teachers are usually busy because they have other classes to teach or have other things to do.
First ask your classmates to help you clarify the questions you do not know how to do. One/Some/All of them probably know how to do. If you and your classmates do not know how to do, then ask your teacher during class time.
Well, if you feel you cannot catch up, there's videos in YouTube... some teachers there recommend Khan Academy. But that should be at last resort.
Alternatively, you could ask here at SGforums. The "teachers" at SGforums are ex-teachers who are tution teachers now. :)
Well, I know how MI is like because I was from there. If you need any help, whether is it about your school work or personal issues, ask for help.
This is what forums are about. If you ask, you will get what you ask for. Although sometimes it is not exactly what you ask for, but at least we will try our best to help.
Whereas for school hours, if I am not wrong, reporting time is 8am and school usually ends at around 5pm.
As for the notes, they come in the form of bundled notes. In my opinion, I feel that outside resources and the JC bundled notes are better. Nonetheless, regardless of whether the notes are good or not, what natters is how hard-working you are. Once again, if you have questions, first ask your classmates. If still do not know, ask the teacher. If stilI do not know, ask us.
Whereas for subject combinations at Millennia Institute, avoid science combinations. Especially those with two H2 science subjects. You are only killing yourself if you do. After all, you are competing with the people at Junior College and IP schools (e.g. Raffles Institution). I do not know about Arts combination.
Actually, the best is to take business stream, because MI is the only government school that offers business at A level; you are only competing with your own people at the A levels, since it is mostly MI students (the other candidates are from private schools) taking business at A level.
By the way, if you need tuition, you can continue on with the tuition centre you have been (if you have been) going for O level, or go to a well-known tuition centre. Do not worry about MI being three years; one year more than JC. You just pay for one extra year of tuition lor. After all, the tuition centres are running a business. They are more than happy if you are their customer for one more year. Besides, JC also have people kenna repeat have to study three or four years. They also go for tuition. So, do not worry. If you need tuition, just go to any well-known tuition centre.
Err I already put Science stream as my first option. I want to do physics in Uni, soo wouldn't the science stream be more applicable?
Originally posted by MercuryRyan:Err I already put Science stream as my first option. I want to do physics in Uni, soo wouldn't the science stream be more applicable?
Okay. Good for you. Good that you know what you want. :)
Actually, every subject has its own easy side and hard side.
Nonetheless, please heed my advise about going for tuition at tuition centres, and forming study groups.
This is especially if you find that you do not understand anything, around one week to two weeks into the start of lessons.
Like what VP Azman (Mr Azman)(vice principal of MI) said, this is the survival of the fittest. All the best.
I might not be from MI but I have heard 2 close accounts of students from MI,one being my best friend and the other is currently in Nus,studying there.
My best friend went to MI as he failed english O levels and despite being able to hit the requirements for several neighbourhood jc,he was rejected.
He got into science stream and was the second in level for pcmh.
He had complained of the school environment,especially student culture,where everyone is relaxed,giving the atmosphere of a slack culture.In a way,it has dampened the teachers from teaching at their best as they also feel pessimistic of their students' performance.
He had also told me that business stream excel over the sciences,as somehow or rather,it's easier to perform better for business.
He mentioned that the topper in MI has never achieved 3h2 As for A levels in history and the number of students qualifying for university was very poor.
With that in mind,he retook O levels english and passed,in turn transferring to my jc ,to clinch 6 distinctions for the A levels,remarkable feat by an ex MI student
The next was a girl I met in Nus.She told me of MI school culture as well as the school's performance.
She told me that she was able to count with her fingers the number admitted to Nus and the total numbers heading to local university(exclusive of SIM) did not hit beyond 30.
In her year 1,the cohort was full house.It later dropped drastically in year 2 to less than half. In her final year,there was another drop again.
Most of the people retained or reapply to polytechnic,claiming to have lost a year in their life.
The gist of the 2 stories: It's not impossible to get to university from MI.
You need lots of hidden advantage to thrive,borrow notes from top jcs and be really desperate for your own learning.
Form a study group with a clique of friends from other jcs,share the notes around and compare.That way,you can learn further than what's taught in school.
Please have tuition for Gp or humanities,because I can't emphasise how long school teachers take to assess your assignments for these 2 subjects,unless you are satisfied with your current performance.
I have had a student from MI before. His L1R5 was okok, but he chose MI because he doesn't have A Maths and he wanted H2 Maths badly. He didn't know which other JC could let him do H2 Maths.
Basically he was very disciplined in the first 2 years, and started to feel a bit sian in 3rd year. Overall, he scored B for H2 Physics and A for H2 Maths. He didn't do well for the other two subjects that I didn't teach :x
But it does show that nothing is impossible. Scoring is not tough if the student has the discipline and mental fortitude to carry it through.
Originally posted by MercuryRyan:Err I already put Science stream as my first option. I want to do physics in Uni, soo wouldn't the science stream be more applicable?
Very very good you already know what you want!
You should take H2 Maths and H2 Physics.
If possible, and offered, maybe you could try H2 F Maths (the new subject). These will all help you LOTS in uni