What The Student Takers Feel About These Results and What Tips They Want to Share

By: Lu Yan Xin (JC 1 Logic) and Kannan (JC 1 Teamwork)

Examinations are important in measuring and assessing students’ academic abilities and progress. The ability to finish one’s examinations with flying colours is indeed a valuable and great achievement. May it be in school or real life, we, as students, have to face certain tests and we have to remember that ‘success is always marked with dignity and honour.’

After months of stressful preparation and revisions, hard work, and determination, the previous batches of Secondary 4 (where we belong) and Junior College 2 students have finally received their IGCSE and A-Level results. 

Here are what some of us have to say about our experiences.

FROM THE FORMER SECONDARY 4 STUDENTS:

“I got amazing results surprisingly, I am proud of myself, I didn’t know that I could do that.” -Natalia, JC 1 Teamwork

“Not bad but not that good…we tried our best and we were proud of ourselves.”-Ingrit, JC 1 Logic

“I have never felt so much stress in my life while preparing for these exams. I felt like I worked so hard but my results were not what I was expecting.” -Mandy, JC 1 Teamwork

“It  was extremely stressful, but it changed me for the better.” -Azarine, JC 1 Logic

“It was hard but not impossible.” – Eugenia, JC 1 Logic

“I was expecting more but…I’m fine with my results. Yeah I’m fine with it.” –Dustin, JC 1 Logic 

“I didn’t know what I was expecting but I did good…I think.” -Kannan, JC 1 Teamwork

“I cried and had a mental breakdown, I started doubting my own abilities. It might have seemed impossibly hard and tiring at first but after the tests, it’s like a breath of relief after a long lasting month of sweat and tears.” -Isaura,  JC 1 Teamwork

Speaking from our own experiences, admittedly, IGCSE was stressful. We did not know whether or not it would be POE (Portfolio of Evidence) or onsite exams until the day before the exams. However, we believed that we all studied really hard and did our best, so we were all proud of what we have achieved. 

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Our former Junior College 2 seniors have also received their A-level results, and these were the results which might determine which universities they would go to. Here are some of their thoughts about their A-Level journey:

“It has been an emotional roller coaster for me. From the many subjects that we have been learning and reviewing up to the final exams, it was a lot of pressure. I can say that the A-Level tests were quite more difficult compared with the AS-Level tests, although I got better results in the A-levels compared to the other tests I have taken.” -Ethan, Former JC 2

“During JC-1, I thought that the AS and the A-Levels would be really deadly but then during the first few weeks of JC 2, I studied everyday after school and took lessons outside school. Prelims wasn’t so bad, and so was the actual exams.” -Claire, Former JC 2 

“There were many uncertainties with how we were graded this year… but I believe that the consistency of the examiners and the way of marking can be improved.” -Shannen, Class Valedictorian, Batch 2022

“A-Level felt very uncertain at the beginning since we had no advanced  information whether it would be PoE (Portfolio of Evidence) or the offline route. As a result, we had way more exams than the previous years as we had to prepare evidence for the PoE. I started to practice every past year paper from 2016 up to 2021 for all my A-Level subjects and it paid off as most of those I studied came out.  Unfortunately many of us were quite shocked to see our actual results, lower compared with our predicted grades from teachers. We then applied for an appeal hoping that we could get our marks up to where we expect them when they are reviewed.” -Clarence, Former JC2

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The term ‘Examination’ is a dreaded one among the majority of students. We all fear examinations. When exams are overhead, we panic and this panic results in stress. We all need a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, during our tough and stressful times. With the correct guidance, one is able to achieve his/her target with distinction. 

Here are some study tips shared by our 2021-2022 Cambridge exam takers on how they were able to cope up with the exam stress: 

SOME STUDY TIPS:

“Take down important notes. Use sources on the internet, don’t just rely on school books.” -Ingrit JC 1 Logic

“Start from Term 1. Do not wait until Term 3 or 4. I suggest you revise all the chapters from Sec 3 as you are still learning new topics in Terms 1 and 2. Then once you’ve revised all your materials just keep doing past year papers. It helps if you study with your friends as well. Also if you don’t understand, search up the topic on YouTube.” -Yanxin JC 1 Logic

“I love to read novels and play sports. I used these hobbies of mine as a motivation to finish my work quickly and utilise my free time in training and reading. This helped my mind to stay active and alert, and I was able to focus better. Playing a musical instrument or listening to soft music can also help in relaxing the brain.” -Kannan, JC 1 T-eamwork

“It was challenging but with proper and good preparation, you can achieve your desired grades. It was also hard because we spent two academic years online…The preparation process was actually tough, especially that the topics were getting harder but just focus and motivate yourself to do better and not give up. If you do not understand the topic, always ask your teachers because they will help you. If you are afraid to ask your teachers, you can ask your friends and make a buddy system because it will benefit you so much. Lastly, do not compare yourself with others” – Bjorn, Former JC 2  

“The A-Level was really challenging. It took quite some time for me to learn the chapters because there were a lot of them.  It was quite hard but I gave it my all. It was something that is achievable. Once you study and understand the questions, you will have a great chance to pass. Good luck on your A-Levels.” -Matthew, Former JC 2

“In the A-Levels, you need to study more, do not expect to be spoon fed by the teachers. You need to learn some concepts by yourself because the decision [on whether to take it seriously or not] is on you. You need to prepare all the things you need to study, do not cram and always manage your time well. Always believe in yourself and don’t forget to always pray so that you can get a good or better score.” -Joshua, Former JC2

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The Bina Bangsa School Bandung community is extremely proud of what our former Secondary 4 and Junior College 2 students have achieved. We will continue to support you in achieving your dreams. 

To the current JC1 students, the journey has just begun for all of us. Keep going and growing even stronger, WE CAN DO THIS!

To the next IGCSE and A-Level exam takers, remember this: ‘NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES!’