Our school, our family, our village
06 Mar 2024
When the A-Level results were released recently, we spoke to three St Andrew’s Junior College graduates to hear about who and what defined their JC years. One common thread emerges: Their journeys are marked by gratitude and personal growth.
By Arielene Wee
“I transferred from the Science stream to the Arts stream halfway through JC1, because I realised Arts subjects are what I’m really interested in. I ended up having to repeat JC1, but it was what I wanted to do.”
Max Lim had transferred from the Science stream to the Arts stream, and found support and camaraderie with peers who also were repeating a year. “We encouraged each other, and I really enjoyed what I was studying.” With a renewed interest in school, Max even joined the Literary and Debate Society CCA on his friend’s recommendation.
As a student, Max spent lots of time studying in the school library.
For now, Max has yet to decide on a university major, but he is taking his time to consider his pathways. “I will not go in headfirst without knowing what I’m interested in this time,” he laughs.
“My teachers made STEM interesting for us through memes and jokes… things we could relate to. They also pointed me to external competition opportunities so I could stretch myself.”
As a Science student, Kedar Abhay Deshmukh was keen on astronomy and wanted to start an interest group for it. Called the Saints Space Club, it brought together fellow enthusiasts for information sessions and star-gazing evenings. Kedar’s teachers were supportive, and would help to secure venues and facilitate staying late on campus for these activities.
Outside of the Space Club, Kedar was also an active member of his school’s football team.
As he considers his next steps, Kedar is likely to pursue a career in STEM, particularly in the field of software development.
“Even though it was a challenging period, my JC experience was a time where I learnt a lot about myself. It helped me not just to acquire knowledge, but also build mental resilience.”
Vena Tan had faced some stress with her studies and went through uncertainties about taking the A-Levels. She was touched by how everyone in school rallied around her, from her classmates to the teacher-counsellor and even the cleaner aunties. “When I got a bad grade, even the canteen auntie whom I buy food from told me not to stress so much, and offered me sweets!”
.jpg)
Whenever she was stressed, Vena would come to this spot in school to clear her mind.
“My teachers took the time to check in and really listen to me,” she adds. “I’m very grateful to them because I could see the genuine care and concern they had for me when I was at my lowest.”
We are on Telegram! Subscribe to our channel: https://t.me/schoolbag_edu_sg
.jpg)