Staying Calm To Analyse The Situation

We may have been told that staying calm in the face of adversity is very important, especially so that we can analyse the situation objectively with a clear mind. For students, this is very important, especially for the periods just before and during examination. Without calmness, one, in my opinion, will never perform up to the standard which he is capable of.

Personally, I had my share of anxiety during the crucial periods of a student's life, just before and during examination. The only outcome: mind block. Yes, mind block. I wonder how many students have experienced it, but having experienced it personally, I have only one comment on it. The feeling is unbearable and is a vicious cycle. The more anxious you are, the bigger the "block", the bigger the block, the more anxious you are.

During my Junior College year 1, I was in the examination hall for Physics paper. I read the first question and started doing. Less than 3 minutes later, I crushed my answer sheet as I did not know how to continue. I went on to read the second question and third and soon, I finished reading the whole paper, without knowing how to do a single question. Naturally I got anxious and this was not helped by the fact that I was seated at the back of the hall, overlooking not less than 300-400 students. Everyone was busy writing and no one seemed to face the same problem as me - not knowing how to do any question. This made me more anxious and I actually perspired in the otherwise cool environment (I was seated below the fan). I nearly fainted (not exaggerating here).

I closed the question paper, sat back and drank about half of my 500ml bottle of water. I just spent the next 15 minutes or so closing my eyes, relaxing and not thinking of anything. I then went to the restroom and wash my face (I have forgotten why I had to wait for so long, probably because there was a rule saying that no one can leave the hall within 30 minutes from the start of the paper). After the toilet break, I went back to the hall and start the paper all over again. This time, I felt more calm and managed to finished the whole paper before time was up.

A scary experience of mine brought me two main learning points.
1) Examination is not all about what you have in your brain, it's also about how you handle the situation, the stress.
2) If you cannot stay calm, nothing else matters.

Hence, I urge all students to stay calm, just like how how I have been telling my students.

Before I end this post, here is a nice article on calmness.
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/calmness-is-contagious-even-if-youre-faking-it/

Happy Children's Day

As we approach year-end, students in Singapore are preparing for examination. Some are already in the midst, some had just finished. In any case, let's not forget that we are celebrating Children's Day!

Remember one of my posts where I mentioned about celebrating little achievements? Yes, we should celebrate this occasion. So what have the students/children achieved? You have worked hard over the past one year, in one way or another. So, give yourself a pat on the back and relax.

Have you collected your goodie bags like them from Nee Soon GRC?

HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!!!

Take Charge of Your Own Learning

I choose all my subjects own my own, with no outside pressure

Since I was young, my parents have never ever dictate what I should study. I chose the subjects on my own, I chose my schools on my own. They just gave me moral support, just like what they are still giving me now. Because of this, I consider myself very lucky. First, I receive zero stress from them. The most they would say is to study hard so that I can command a better salary in the future, and they say nothing further than that. Second, and most importantly, I was able to choose the subjects and courses I am most interested in.

Yes, being able to decide on your own education path is very valuable. Reading something of your own interest, you will only need half the effort to master the skill. The other half of the effort, in my opinion, is to get yourself up and start reading the topic. And so, if you have interest in the subject, you will have no issue starting on it.

Taking charge of your own learning also means that you should not blame anyone if you don't do well. I realise that many students tend to blame the teachers. Mr. X cannot speak good English, Ms. Y can never explain the concept well in class. Instead of playing the blame game, why not take charge and seek the answer actively? If Mr. X cannot speak good English, listen to the concept behind the lousy English. In fact, I think that using layman's terms to explain a scientific concept is easier to understand than using perfect English (maybe because my English is not good to begin with).

Just remember this, success lies in your own hands. Yes, you may be bounded by circumstances, but ultimately, especially in Singapore, I am sure that there are many helping hands around to pull you up. Make use of them. Just don't forget those hands when you have succeeded.