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CONTENTS (please click)

From The Editors Desk [2]

Academic Reflections [3]

Cross Faculty Subjects

Mathematics & ComputingArts Faculty Subjects

Science Faculty Subjects

Do The Boogie-Woogie:Orientation Preparation [7]

Council Sales Catalog [8]

Hey there!

Welcome to the first issue of GLUE

for the year! Well, it's not really the

first issue since it's just a special ori-

entation issue, but, urm, nevermind.

Anyway I bet you're wondering what

GLUE is for. To put it simply, it is a news-

letter published by the Students' Coun-

cil with the intention of bringing the staff

and students closer together through

an additional means of communication

between the council and the college.

This special issue aims to guide for

the new batch of students in making

their subject choices for the next two

years. On top of that we've gone be-

hind the scenes in the preparation for

orientation as well as put up a sales

catalog of the things that the council

sells!

So what are you waiting for? Start

flipping through today!

Alex LeeGLUE Editorial Team

The 26th Student's CouncilAnglo-Chinese Junior College

Telephone: 775 6813E-mail: enquiries@acjc26th.com

Website: www.acjc26th.com

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Having to write the foreword forthis issue of GLUE, I cannot helpbut look back upon my own ori-entation just a year ago. It wasenjoyable, no doubt, but somehowat that time there seemed to besomething lacking.

Don't get me wrong here. Thepeople were fun and my OGLswere fantastic people. But I bur-

dened myself with disappoint-ments and grievances that nowseem all too petty.

Everything was different: the sur-roundings, the people, the thingsthey made us do. It was not some-thing I was used to - the renova-tion made me lost and I wasforced to move out of the comfortzones of familiarity and the lau-rels my former school rested on.

After being spoilt for four years ina school which was used to beingchampions, each time I hearACJC coming in second or third inany competition, I felt very dis-heartened.

Besides, those first few weeks

were far from comfortable. Theschool was undergoing massiverenovation and once again, the fa-

cilities just did not seem as good.(Except for the gym, of course.)

For that few weeks I kept asking

college I wanted to go to.For that few weeks I keptasking myself, why did Imyself, why did I make themyself, why did I make thechoice of coming to ACJC? I couldhave gone somewhere else I sup-pose, I did well enough to go to ahigher ranking college and myparents never restricted me onwhich college I wanted to go to.

Did I come out of mere obliga-tion because I was from a feederschool? In a sense I felt it wasonly right I stayed on in this sameinstitution after I have gained somuch from it the past ten years.I was grateful for the values thatthe institution stood for - to pro-vide an all-rounded Christianeducation with the emphasis oncharacter development. It

seemed morally wrong that Ishould seek seemingly "greener"pastures in my last two years ofschooling.

Then one day in March I waswalking through the canteen andsomeone said "hi". I looked upand waved back. Then someoneelse yelled a big "hey" to me. AndI gave a big "hey" back. That waswhen I stopped to look around.

And I smiled. Maybe things werefalling back into place.

It took me three months to re-member why I came to ACJC.Not for the glory, the achieve-ments nor the reputation. But forwhat the college stands for, the

strong traditions, our culture, ourheritage and the people whomake it all. It is not the physical

facilities nor the awards that thecollege have earned, but theACSian spirit that beats inside usall, whether new to this family or

GLUE is a project bythe 26th Students

Council PublicRelationsSub-Committee.

EDITORIAL TEAMAlex Lee

Darryl SimShaun Khiu

DESIGN & LAYOUTAlex Lee

Kenneth Goh

A big thanks goes out toall those who have

helped us in the printing ofthis special issue of

GLUE. To Mr Loo for yourinvaluable support. To

Kenneth for all your help,we couldnt have done itwithout you. To Pam for

the interview. To Vincentfor help with Adobe

PageMaker, you savedus tonnes of work. To

Mok for all hisencouragement and

understanding. To Shenfor designing the logo forus. Its great. To Sabrina,

Danny and Bryna forhelping with the editing

work. To Madam for theuse of the laptops and all

the support andencouragement. To theprinting company forrushing this job for us

despite the holidayseason. To all those whocontribued to the subjectarticles, including Boon,Jared, Lance, Leonard,

Rama, Karin, Sujartha.

And most of all, to God

above for showing us thelove of Christmas amidstall the stress and work.

The Transition

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Cross Faculty SubjectsEconomics

Economics is basically a social science. Con-

trary to popular belief that it is just about

money, economics is also the study of people

and how they react to certain situations in-

volving products and goods. At the centre of

all the concepts lies the basic understanding

of demand and supply. How much Im going

to let you have and how much Im going to

get back in return.

This subject is divided into two main branches,

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. Why

did the September 11th attacks on the US

affect the Singapore stock exchange so badly?

Thats a macroeconomics question for you.

How much youre willing to spend during

recess, thats a microeconomics question. As

you progress in the study of this subject itgets more complex, and I would strongly

advise you to do some reading up before

attending lectures. Dont imagine that these

theories will help you conquer the world, but

rather, appreciate the fine intricacies and

subtle links which hold this world together.

MEP'To succeed in music, you need passion'. That

was one of the first things I heard from my

Music teacher in ACJC.

I had received a distinction in 'O' level music

and thought that I should pursue it for my 'A'

levels also. I was disadvantaged not being anMEP student in Secondary School. The teach-

ers in ACJC were very encouraging and I

managed to catch up with my classmates un-

der their guidance.

The MEP program also gives us a lot of expo-

sure as it puts us up to perform at recitals.

Even in composition, the school has hired the

Tang Quartet to perform pieces of music,

which we have composed.

Overall, the music program in ACJC is an ex-

perience I will hold with me for the rest of my

life. If you really have a love for music and

the passion and determination to pursue it,

then ACJC MEP is for you.

ArtTheres a common saying that goes on about

how art is all about passion and a popular

belief that with passion comes ease. I have,

however, also learnt that when the art of draw-

ing and painting is to become reflected as a

grade on your report card, it takes a greater

eye for detail, an ear more receptive to

criticism, patience and just about all that has

to be put into each of the other curriculum

subjects to achieve results. Yet, as appalling

as all this may sound, I feel strongly that

interest, and a firm determination to accom-plish the utmost perfection of results is reason

enough to take up and persevere with the

subject. In return for doing so, one can only

attain a sense of self-satisfaction and an even

greater love and passion for art.

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Still unsure about which subjects

you should do at the A-levels?

Need to know more, perhaps not in

terms of sylabbi or university

potential but rather a word of

personal advice from a senior thatjust went through the same thing?

Well fear not, as we have compiled

a collection of opinions and advice

from the J2s regarding the various

academic subjects. We hope they

will sort things out for you.

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Mathematics & Computing

Math AO [Only Arts/SC]When I decided to take AO maths in ACJC, my

friends were less than encouraging. They just

did not see the point in taking what was essentially

the same subject all over again. But I must say I

have never once regretted my decision.

It was always an upward struggle throughout the

year. However, the teachers here in ACJC werealways willing to help me out during the free

periods that they had. While the syllabuses did

not differ altogether that much, AO maths

required a greater depth of understanding from

the student. It doesnt matter whether you have

a background in A maths or not. What matters is

the effort that you put in. The road ahead will not

be an easy one but with determination and hard

work, you can, and you will do well.

Math C [All combinations]I always thought that all mathematics requires is

some logical thinking on the day of the exam itself.

Like most of the other subjects, the first semester

of lectures merely repeated O-level topics. Thinking

that I knew everything, I continued to not pay much

attention even after totally foreign topics startedpopping up in the following semester. Just a week

before the end year examinations, I looked at the

past year papers and turned pale. Something that

I had always taken for granted getting an A for

math suddenly seemed far from grasp. It was

one nightmare week of desperate seeking for help

and practicing like crazy that managed to pull me

through in the end.

Thus the moral is: take an easy subject like Math C

for granted and it will become hard. All you need is

consistency and everything will fall in place.

Computing[Only avaliable in the SA/SB combinations]

The GCE A level computing course in ACJC is one of the most rewarding courses that can be

offered to the student body. The course itself is a unique, stimulating blend of the application of

critical thinking skills and knowledge of the curriculum. Throughout the course, students willdevelop a deeper understanding of the workings of computers and learn how to utilize various

programs, and in turn develop other programs using software such as C++. Most importantly,

the course allows students to develop their own creative faculties as they learn to develop and

create programs of their own. The computing course is indeed one of a kind, a noteworthy

choice if you are so inclined.

Further Math[Only avaliable in the SA combination]

To some, this particular subject is merely an accessory, for the simple reason that no course in

NUS - not engineering, not even mathematics - has that subject as an admission criterion.

However, it is of great benefit in the computing, engineering, physics and mathematics courses.

All of mathematics is based on foundations that have been previously covered, and Maths C

provides the foundations on which FM is built. Topics are covered in much greater breadth and

depth. Naturally, the Maths C syllabus would have to be covered before any FM can be taught,and for that reason, SA students would find themselves completing the bulk of the Maths C

syllabus by the end of term 3, J1. Furthermore, taking FM helps to train and enhance the critical

and analytical skills required for those hoping to take the Maths C S-paper.

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Arts Faculty

Literature[All combinations in the Arts Faculty]

Unlike in secondary school, studying Litera-

ture in JC involves a more skilled approach

than the usual memorize and regurgitate

tactics that most students employ. Since mostof the assignments require you to analyze

and criticize a piece of writing, literature re-

ally engages your thinking skills. No O Level

background in literature is needed although

prior experience in writing literary essays may

come in handy. Most of the foundational skills

and knowledge are also covered in the A

Level syllabus so those who did not take lit-

erature in secondary school need not worryabout being unable to cope with the require-

ments of the subject. In A Level literature,

what matters more is your personal response

to the piece of writing, instead of simple nar-

ration of the subject matter or providing mas-

sive chunks of information for the examiner.

Geography[Only avaliable in the AA combination]

The study of geography involves two aspects.

The examination of the natural world in

physical geography ranges from its mostimpressive parts such as wind systems or

tectonic trends. Human geography, on the

other hand, investigates the reasons and

patterns of human collective.

You will be met with an endless torrent of

graphs and diagrams that await interpretation.

Extra reading is a must and case studies come

in handy. In short, if reading is anathema toyou, give geography, and the arts faculty a

miss. While the study of geography in

Singapore is overly table bound for a subject

that calls for experience and experimentation,

the geography department has put together

a curiously interesting syllabus of projects and

independent research to challenge students.

As one who faces the same obstacles of life,

I can say that I have no regrets taking

Geography with me into the fray of the A

levels.History[Only avaliable in the AD combination]

"Only men who know history, can guide men into the future." It has long been thought that

history was about memorising the events of the past and giving a narrative on paper so as to

attain an A grade. That makes history equivalent to the past and of no practical use to men

who demanded foresight and understanding. History is actually very much about argument,

about how each generation was to view what went on before and thus steer their generation

towards the future but inevitably falling into the books of the historians. That is what JC history

is all about. It is to hone the individual into the art of making sound judgement. It is the

beginning of a call to be the eyes the society, to look behind or forward for the benefit of his or

her time. That journey begins with history in JC.

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Science FacultyPhysics[All combinations in the Science faculty]

If theres one subject thats said to be the stumbling block for many J1 students, it has got to

be physics. No longer do you deal with oversimplified problems and easily quantifiable units,

where everything was clearly stated in black and white. A level physics requires a lot more

critical thinking on your part, and many things that help you solve a problem arent directly

stated but assumed that you know. The concepts may seem easy when you first learnthem, but application of those concepts is a whole different thing altogether.

Practice does not always make perfect when it comes to physics, but it sure makes you a

whole lot better at it. Make sure the formulae and concepts stick in your head, and you can

concentrate more on solving the problems rather than recalling what was taught earlier,

thats one piece of advice worth taking note of.

Biology[Only avaliable in the SC combination]

Due to the governments recent announce-

ment of several initiatives to expand the field

of life sciences in Singapore, the number of

biology students has skyrocketed. However,

it is imperative that you are prepared for the

rigors of biology as an A level subject.

If you have an interest in medicine, dentistry,

pharmacy, accountancy, architecture, law or

engineering, then you are encouraged to

consider biology as one of your subjects.

Biology is noted for the excessive amount of

materials that need to be committed to

memory. However, biology will captivate you

by showing you how nature works to solve

problems in a simple and elegant manner. O

level biology is not a requirement for the

course. Be prepared to put in the effort,

though. It is a subject that gives back as much

as you put in.

Chemistry[All combinations in the Science faculty]

Chemistry is a subject that most people

would welcome as a relieving alternative to

the seemingly more technical other subjects,

but it is a far cry from being as easy as secon-dary school work.

Daunting as this whole new world of chemis-

try may sound, however, the subject is really

very interesting. As the level of difficulty

gradually escalates, so does the level of in-

terest. Stuff that may have sounded totally

irrelevant in Sec 4 all comes together in JC.

Youll find out that chemistry is a fundamen-

tal subject. It is the grounding upon which

other science subjects strike a fine balance

on. The result of this is that many careers

branch from chemistry. The opportunities are

really limitless!

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What made you decide on themass dance song?PAM: Choosing the music was anextremely daunting task as I hadno specific theme to go by.

LEX: (with a sigh)She kept listeningto the songs over and over to gaininspiration, and by the time shestarts choreographing it she has

grown sick of it.PAM: It was impossible for me notto make a switch when somethingbetter came by! Eventual ly Isettled on Jordan Knights Give ItTo Youand Smash Mouths DigginYour Sceneas it allowed me to insert

various genres of dance; from thetraditional feel of a mass dance tochallenging hiphop and a waltz.

Theres a waltz?

PAM: Yup.LEX: Well, she wanted it in despitenot knowing how to waltz herself.Fortunately or not I had to a waltzfor a production before so Iroughly knew how to teach it. Its

very simple really. And at least bythe end of 2003 the J2 batch canall waltz for their graduation dinner!

How has the filming for thevideo been so far?

LEX: (groans) So far weve onlycompleted the Day 3 video.PAM: It took us 3 full days!LEX: Plus I had two weeks ofchurning out drafts for the script

and 12 hours of editing. It wasextremely exhausting.PAM: But at least all of us werevery pleased with the end result.

So what are the videos about?LEX: Well, theres a dance elementto it. As for the rest, you wait andfind out.PAM: Yeah it will spoil Orientationif we tell you now.

LEX: Pam just doesnt want you toknow the embarassing things wemade her do in it. (quietly to me)But later Ill give you some picturesto put in GLUE.

PAM: I heard that!

Then at least tell me what hasit been like choreographingand filming.LEX: One crazy roller coaster ride.

PAM: Getting eyebags thanks tocountless sleepless nights of worryand work.LEX: But I gotta admit, despite allthe stress and frustration, in asense it was fun.

PAM: From the excitement of beingput in charge of the dance to thepressure of trying to come up withsomething to appease everyone, Ihave to say the best part of it all is

seeing the people practising it withenthusiaism and taking the effortto get a copy of the songs andpractise on their own at home.

LEX: (nods)And the pride that theyshare when you show them the finalresult.

Anything else to say?LEX: Ask the girl, she talks more.PAM: (glares at Alex)The task to

choreograph this years massdance has proved to be an invalu-able experience, enriching me in al-most every way possible, brngingme closer to my collegues who

have helped me in this very pressingand difficult task. Therefore Iwould like to take this opportunityto thank everyone helping me fortheir efforts and making the expe-rience so enjoyable and rewarding.

LEX: (feeling awkward saying thisto me)Urm, thanks everyone.

Thanks for the interview.LEX: Yup no problem.PAM: (laughs)You owe me lunch.

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