Jointly reported by:
Rachel Koh Huey Shin Jr3Z(2)
Ho Chia Chien Jr3Z(4)
On 23rd July 2022, Kuen Cheng Counseling Department held a webinar featuring Madam Lim Siow Wei, starting from 11 a.m. till 12.30 p.m. This webinar was held specially to assist all Junior Middle 3 students in making course selections for the senior year. The event began on an explosive note by a lively emcee, our Teacher Ms Tee Wan Chin from the Counseling Department.
The day’s speaker started by having students draw a giant “S” on a piece of paper. Then, students were asked to mark their educational goals from the age of three and their respective strengths and weaknesses. Up next, Madam Lim cleared up some misconceptions regarding course selection. She emphasised that course selection should not be made based on the difficulty of the stream nor the capability to cross departments in the college ahead. Instead, it should be done based on the ideal life you have in mind.
“Make the right choice, or make the choice right,” said Teacher Ms Tee. In order to make the best decision, students need to be aware of the subjects they will take and possible jobs opening for each stream. Students are urged to think long and hard before coming to a conclusion because it can directly affect their future choices such as university and the courses available to them.
Fear not of making the wrong choice as Mrs Lim shared some tips and tricks to avoid them. First of all, students should ensure that they’re qualified to join the stream of their choice by reviewing their test results in respective subjects throughout three years of junior high school. Next, students should consult their respective subject teachers to make sure their interests, capabilities and potential are fit to join their respective streams. Lastly, it is also necessary for students to understand their intention in selecting a course.
When it comes to career planning, most students are uncertain about their future. Madam Lim enlightened students with a foolproof table about career planning by Swain, a professor from the University of Illinois, USA. According to the table, one should clearly understand themselves, their surroundings and the resources available before setting their goal.
Career planning table
Then, it was the Q & A section, generally these are questions the students are most confused about.
- Is it the best way to follow the usual school grouping?
Arrangements for science, arts and commerce streams were, traditionally, made based on the grades and performance of students. This formed the stereotype that only students with good grades can join the science stream. However, in Madam Lim’s point of view, everyone has their own strengths and loves so it is more important to take a path that suits you. And to do this, students should first know themselves, think about the future and plan for it before choosing. - If students are good at mathematics and science, but not so interested in them, should they give up the science stream?
If the ability is not an issue, choices should always be made according to personal interests. This is because when one is intrigued by things learnt in the stream, no matter how difficult it is, they would try their best to understand it. In contrast, if a person is not interested in the chosen stream, no matter how easy it was, it will still be difficult for that person. - If students are good in both arts and science, how should they choose?
In this case, students are encouraged to do an aptitude test to find out their career goals and come up with an ideal decision. It is important to note that, unlike science stream students, it is harder for art and commerce stream students to cross over to the science department since their science knowledge is limited till Junior Middle 3.
Finally, the webinar came to an end with a group photo session. Many thanks to Madam Lim and the Counseling Department for organizing this fruitful webinar for all Junior Middle 3 students as they learned more about how to choose their streams for the Senior Middle years.
Group photo 1
Group photo 2
Group photo 3