By Lim Pei Zhen Meryl (25S05A), Lu Renyi (26S06C), Peer Helper
Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.
“What can the incoming batch of JC 1s expect? Could you share more advice on Orientation, social life, how to pick CCAs, study life, leadership roles and their processes? How can I maintain friendships if we end up in different classes in JC?”
Anxious Arginold
Dear Anxious Arginold,
Sounds like you are incredibly curious about what JC life is like and are already anticipating some of the major milestones in Y5.
Trust us, we were experiencing the same emotions one year ago too. From worrying about our subject combination to if we’d even get into a CCA, we’ve been there, done that.
But not to worry, you lucky chap have found this article! We’ll answer every major pre-JC question (other than academics) you’ll have about JC life in RI, with links to relevant articles too! Welcome to #jctok with more answers and less dancing.
Let us break it down for you:
1. What is the Orientation experience like?
Orientation is as fun as you make it out to be. As long as you keep a positive attitude, you’ll be sure to have fun.
Don’t know how to talk to girls/guys? No need to fear — Orientation is a great place to start your co-ed journey in RI!
More than that, it’s a great opportunity to make your first friends in JC, so do go with an open mind!
Orientation usually lasts 3-4 days, with a different theme each year. Each incoming J1 will be sorted into 1 of the 5 houses — Buckle-Buckley, Bayley-Waddle, Morrison-Richardson, Moor-Tarbet, Hadley-Hullett, and an Orientation Group (OG) led by Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs). And if you’re lucky, you’ll get to be one of the cool kids in OG groups with names such as HHarry Styles, or BWoompa Loompa!
And the best part: (though some might disagree) every OGLing will have to learn the batch dance, which is usually a pair dance involving 1 male and 1 female! You can also look forward to games, learning school and house cheers, grabbing a meal with your Ori mates, and more games!
Who knows, adrenaline from the games might not be the only reason your heart starts pounding…
2. What is study and social life like in JC?
The infamous JC triangle.
You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it. We’ve all seen it.
No matter how exaggerated your young innocent Y4 self might’ve thought, unfortunately, it is true. You can only pick 1 — studies, sleep, or your social life — at the expense of the other 2. Never doubt the wisdom passed on for generations of those who came before you.
But it’s okay. We roll. As have decades of RI seniors before you.
The truth is that you don’t have to only pick 1 throughout your two years here. There are definitely periods where you have to focus on studies significantly more (cough cough…Promo season) and limit spending time on social activities (or even sleep).
And the vice versa is true for other periods as well. This is the cruel part of JC that teaches you the fact that everything comes with sacrifices – unless you are Superman.
While J1 may be considered a “honeymoon” period where you learn to adapt to JC life and the increased workload, it does still take a significant amount of time to adjust to all the lectures and tutorials.
Even learning to navigate around RI’s maze-like campus takes time, and depending on your navigation skills, you might take months to familiarise yourself with the campus. But it’s alright. Like a baby taking his/her first steps, all that matters is that you’ve started and are moving forward (even if it’s just a tiny step)!
As you ease into the JC life, you will soon start to realise that you are part of so many social circles, too many even. Your classmates, your CCA mates, your secondary school friends, your housemates, your OG mates… you get the idea.
How do I have time for all these groups of people in my life? The answer is simply, you don’t.
Sounds rather pessimistic, doesn’t it?
Well, your time is limited and you have to spend a bulk of it on academics, CCA work or even CE01 (or better known as VIA) projects. The rest of the precious time left should be dedicated to the most important people in your life.
What we are trying to say is that it is okay to say no to invites to social events. Nobody can force you to attend these events but you. It is totally normal to get FOMO sometimes, but only when you spend time with the people closest to you will you find the most meaning out of it.
Whilst social events are a very important part of JC life, there are so many more activities for you to do out there that can equally enrich your life.
You should also definitely consider focusing on your academics now and then too. Don’t forget that everyone is still gearing towards the A levels at the end of the day.
So here’s our advice – invest in a planner. Be it digital or physical, as long as you have something to visualise your plans and to-dos, you’ll more effectively be able to juggle all your commitments and prevent yourself from catastrophizing. This way, you can keep an eye on your snowballing lectures while blocking out enough time for yourself.
Can’t seem to commit to your schedules? Why not share your plans with a friend — now you can hold each other accountable or joke about how hectic your lives are together!
Remember, you’re not in this alone. If you ever find yourself unable to manage or needing advice on how to better plan your time, you can always book an appointment with the RGC, don’t wait before it’s too late!
3. How do I pick CCAs?
With around 70 CCAs, how does one choose?
Don’t know where to start? Head down to the Raffles Press site and read the CCA Previews available for your year!
From there, you can start looking through the various CCAs’ Instagram pages to find out more about the CCA culture or commitments.
However, the best way to find out more about CCAs is by talking to members of the CCA. And the best way to do that is by going to Open House! Visit as many CCA booths as possible, and talk to the seniors yourself to find out which CCA is best for you — especially after considering your planned academics and commitments.
And if you missed it, seek out seniors you can talk to about the CCAs you’re interested in!
The final step is CCA trials — the only thing standing between you and your desired choice of CCA for the rest of your JC life.
Be warned though, fighting for CCA trial slots is like fighting for Taylor Swift concert tickets — popular CCAs’ trial slots can be gone within a minute. The battle for CCA trial slots is a rite of passage for Rafflesians every year, and even if you aren’t able to pick the one you want, you can always email the teacher in-charge to appeal for an extra slot.
Another advice we have is to not pick “filler CCAs”. Go for the trial because you’re interested in the CCA and because you can see yourself being part of the community — not because you want to max out all your CCA trial slots!
So, go into CCA trials with an open mind and a positive attitude! Relax, the seniors don’t bite (we hope), and our best advice is to keep calm, smile, and answer every question slowly, no matter how dumb you think you may sound. An answer is always better than no answer – the seniors and teachers will definitely appreciate that you tried!
Just treat the trials as another day and whatever will be, will be.
4. What do I need to know about leadership roles and processes?
As the great Uncle Ben once told Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Wouldn’t that leadership role look great on your portfolio? And wouldn’t your shiny leadership position be a great flex to your friends and family? You could finally become The Cousin all your relatives compare their children to!
WRONG. If you want a leadership position solely based on the aforementioned reasons, it simply isn’t sustainable.
When your workload starts snowballing and your incomplete lectures and tutorials start piling up, you might find yourself asking ‘Why did I do this to myself?’
Leadership in RI is a 1.5 year journey, and you can’t just give up when you want to. Not only will you shortchange yourself, but also your team.
When they said you’re leading to serve, they really weren’t kidding. Often, you’ll find yourself dedicating extra time and effort — sacrificing academic time, weekends, or even sleep to complete the work.
Nevertheless, it is still a wonderful experience.
Ask any leader in school and they’ll agree that taking up this role was one of their most meaningful parts of JC life. Not only has it given us greater appreciation for our CCAs, but also many meaningful life lessons.
Our point is, don’t do it for the portfolio, do it for yourself and your cause. Do it because you truly want to make a difference and have the passion to do so.
Moreover, it’s better to have tried and lost, than to never have tried at all (at least you’ll have proper closure and not be plagued with what ifs for the rest of your life).
And even if you didn’t get your desired role, it’s not the end! After all, you still have roughly 60 more years ahead of you (excluding non-natural factors).
As for the process of getting a leadership role, it varies across different CCAs and CE01s, etc. In general, the process usually includes an interview with the EXCO and teachers. But no need to fret now, you can cross the bridge when you get there.
What about Class Leader and Council roles?
Class Leader (CL) elections usually take place within the first few weeks of school, and while each class’ process may differ due to different numbers of nominees, it usually involves a speech and class voting (unless you’re the sole nominee). Do note that you cannot be a CCAL and CL at the same time!
The Council nomination process also starts within the first few weeks of school, with self-nominations starting in early February. From running to become a member to running for leadership positions in Council, campaigns last from early April all the way to early May! This also means that you’ll spend lots of time in Semester 1 preparing your speeches, campaign materials, proposals, etc. so do keep that in mind before applying! Do also note that you cannot be a Council member and CL at the same time.
5. How can I maintain friendships if my friends and I end up in different classes in JC?
JC life is truly about finding the balance between forming new social circles and preserving your current ones. As your friends and you find yourselves in different classes or CCAs, opportunities for interactions would inevitably decrease.
Of course, friends drifting apart is completely normal: it’s part and parcel of life. You may even find yourself losing contact with your “bestie” or “day one-er” from Secondary school, where your once-every-hour conversations gradually dwindle to the occasional “wassup?” (and that’s being optimistic).
While it is perfectly valid to feel sad about it, know that everyone has their own commitments to juggle, and it’s also normal for your friends to form their own separate social circles, where they’re likely to be closer due to higher frequency of contact.
Is your group chat so dry you can practically see the tumbleweeds rolling? There will often be times where you’ll feel awkward to text them, thinking they probably have better things to do or aren’t as close as y’all used to be.
But our advice?
Go for it — it’s time to let go of your pride and send that TikTok that you’ve been thinking of sending for the past hour. Send that message initiating a meet-up that’s been in your drafts for weeks — it’s really not as embarrassing as you make it out to be.
By taking that first step to initiate that conversation, you’re showing that you still care about them, and would like to remain friends.
Even if you get ghosted, take it with an open mind. Don’t sweat over it, you have much more pressing matters to worry about (ahem… Promos). Needless to say, the converse applies. Just as much as you fear being ghosted in group chats, try not to ghost your friends too. Believe us, if you make ghosting a habit, it’ll just be a disservice to yourself. No man is an island and isolationism is not the way to go. (You also can’t just ignore your PW groupmates’ messages forever.)
There are still plenty of other ways for you to remain in contact with your friends! What matters is you making the effort to reach out.
During school hours, you can find common break timings between you and your friends. You can share a meal together with your friends, or even just find them in their classrooms to say “Hi”.
Honestly speaking, the best way to maintain friendships is just to actively seek out opportunities to interact with them consistently.
Don’t be disappointed when the hangouts seem to never make it out of the groupchat. Everyone is going to get busier as the months fly by. However, as long as you make the effort to initiate these hangouts, you are already showing that you still care and treasure these friendships—and trust us, that’s what matters.
Conclusion
Other key experiences include CE01s and WEPs. But know that there’s no real need to join one if you’re already overcommitted.
You should also read this article on Uniform Guidelines to ensure you are sufficiently prepared for the school year.
Take J1 easy, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone goes at their own pace, and J1 is the best time to make great memories before the grind in J2 starts.
In conclusion, the most important thing is to not compare yourself with others, and while you should focus on your academics (don’t only start mugging 2 weeks before Promos!), you need to also find time for yourself and make the most of the 2 years in RI.
It’s up to you to decide your balance of the JC triangle, so don’t regret spending too much time only studying/partying/sleeping!
We wish you all the best for J1!
Sincerely,
Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset
If you need anyone to talk to about any issues you might be facing, do drop by My Rest Space near Marymount gate and talk to one of our peer helpers! We’re open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 3 – 5 p.m., and Wednesday 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
If you would like to meet a peer helper on a regular basis, do email us a request at rafflesinstitutionphp@gmail.com or fill in our request form at our website: https://rafflesinstitution5.wixsite.com/rafflespeerhelpers