Celebrating Our First Class – Vol 5

Our First Class of Eunoians have shone tremendously in the college's beginning years. To learn more about their outstanding holistic and academic achievements, we asked our pioneering students to share their thoughts on their experience and wise words of encouragement to their juniors. Eunoians are defined not just by their academic achievements, but who they are as people and the impact they leave on the world. 

PHOTOS BY MR YEO CHANG LONG

Le Quang Anh (17-U3) is a passionate learner, whose excellence in Mathematics and other subjects was an inspiration to his peers. His avid interest in Mathematics was evident in the long list of competitions he took part in and most notably in the Commendation Award at the Singapore International Mathematics Competition, Silver Award at the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad, attaining the Honour Roll certificate at the American Mathematics Competition and clinching 3rd place wit his team at the Shanghai TI Cup 2017. His curiosity in Economics and the sciences could be seen in his involvement in EColumnist, a student-driven writing programme, and his participation in the Young Defence Scientists Programme in 2017. The research he completed gave him the opportunity to present at two further conferences.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR RESULTS AND WHAT HELPED YOU ACHIEVE THEM?

I feel very satisfied and happy with the results I received. It was not only the fruit of my labour, but also that of my teacher, my parents, my friends and the staff at EJC. For me personally it could not have been achieved without consistent self-revision, of paying rapt attention during every lecture and tutorial, and asking for help from teachers and friends whenever I was in doubt, especially for my weaker subjects. I feel thankful for being put through the continuous process of school tests and exams which keep me working and retaining information, effectively dividing and conquering that scary monster called the A-Level exams. My parents and the EJC staff were my source of moral support, who were willing to listen and help.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

I could not imagine having been as happy being anywhere else but Eunoia for my JC years. To be very honest, there was somewhat an uncertainty when I applied for EJC as my very first choice during JAE, but the two years here has dispelled all of that. The journey has been a rewarding process of building something new, of exploring and of growing together as a community, thanks to the many friends who backed me up along the way, and the teachers and staff who were willing to listen to our stories and give their encouragements and guidance. The culture of showing care and empowering student voice was indispensable in this journey. There is probably no JC in Singapore where a CG can have a fish in their homeroom as a class pet!

AS A EUNOIAN FROM OUR FIRST CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR JUNIORS?

I really would want them to know that there is help all around them to assist them in this journey. "Do not be shy to find help or provide help" would be my first advice. In times of crisis (e.g. nearing the exams), talking to a teacher or a good friend really helped to keep on going. My second advice would be to be consistent in their academic work. "Pay attention in lectures, and if necessary, drink lots of water to stay awake" is my second advice. Although the second part of the advice may be different from person to person (some chemistry students may argue that drinking water reduces concentration!), trying to follow and understand the content in lectures would save us a lot of time at home completing the tutorial, and very often, the teachers share tips and experience that do not come from the notes. Lastly, for the JC1s especially, "Be not afraid to try out new things and pursue your passions!" because exploration and building new things is something we all can do.

Chelsea Lin (17-U5) was on the Dean's List (Academic) in 2017, Dean's List (Character & Service) in 2017 and 2018 and received the MOE Edusave Character Award in 2017. As Class Chairperson in 2018 and Economics representative, she fostered camaraderie in the class, encouraged them at critical points in the academic calendar and made it a point to connect with all her classmates. She served a Scores Manager and Section Leader in the Chinese Orchestra, playing an important role in their successful concerts at library@esplanade and the Esplanade Recital Studio. On top of managing her multiple commitments with discipline and dedication, Chelsea's passion for service led her to volunteer at the Sports Hub Community Play Day, Santa Run for Wishes, the Methodist Children and Youth Centre Community Services Society and St Luke's Eldercare Centre.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

I am filled with a lot of gratefulness that all the effort I put in has brought me to where I am today. Even though I am pleased with my results, there are things and people that I will cherish deeper in comparison, when I look back at my two years in EJ.

When I failed most of my Further Maths common tests, Dr Chen would write on my script: “I know you have what it takes to do even better” — and as I go through my test papers before my As, I am reminded that past failures are not determinants of how well I can do or how far I can go in life.

In particular, the two closest teachers to me, Mr Low and Mr Chew also constantly affirmed every little effort I put in and believed I would eventually realise my dreams of becoming a teacher — even when my grades and struggles made it difficult to believe in myself. I am immensely thankful to my classmates who made being class chairperson a breeze.

AS A EUNOIAN FROM OUR FIRST CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR JUNIORS?

You are less alone than you think you are in this rough journey. If you have the desire to learn and do well, your teachers will never ever leave you and would want to see you succeed more than you yourself would. Trust yourself, and trust the teachers to bring you to where you would want to see yourself at.

Julian Poon (17-U5) is know amongst peers and teachers for his ferocious appetite for knowledge and his love for sharing what he has learned with all. His dedication naturally placed him on the Dean's List (Academic) in both years and the Commendation Award for Further Mathematics. His passion for learning saw him take on H3 Mathematics and participate in the Singapore Physics Olympiad and the Singapore Mathematics Olympiad; the effort he put in paid off in Silver medals for both olympiads in both years. Furthermore, he was instrumental in his team's Bronze medals at the Singapore Young Physicists Tournament in 2017 and 2018. An active member of the Computing & Robotics Club, he represented the college in the DSTA Cyber Defenders Discovery Camp in 2017 and clinched Bronze with his team. Julian is also passionate about serving the community, volunteering at Fostering Affection Towards Elderly (FATE) where he helped organise events for Lions Befrienders in 2017 and 2018.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR RESULTS AND WHAT HELPED YOU ACHIEVE THEM?

I feel satisfied with my results. However, I know that results do not define my abilities and so regardless of them, I will continue to develop myself.

An interest in learning and time management is what enabled me to achieve these results. You would probably not like many subjects that you are taking in JC. However, every subject can be interesting if you go deep enough. During JC1 when I had relatively more time, I asked questions that challenged my understanding even if I did not really enjoy the subject. Such questions can be interesting to pursue even if you do not get the full answer, as they would deepen your knowledge and skill for the subject matter. With regards to time management, small pockets of time such as time waiting for the bus are useful to do something productive. I scheduled my rest time to keep my rest time in check. Also, paying attention and making full use of lecture time really decreases your load after school.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

My two years in EJC were hectic yet enjoyable. The teachers are hardworking and caring. In EJ, I have met the most wonderful teachers in my life, and they played a big part in shaping who I am today. I won’t name all of them because there are too many! I am touched by their concern for the students. They answer questions posed by students late in the night, and work way over time! I am inspired by their approaches to life and teaching. Their guidance helped me gain a direction in life and to pursue academic excellence.

Jackson Tiong (17-U4) and Liu Muchen (17-U3) were integral pioneering members of the Computing & Robotics Club. Both designed and taught programming to fellow club members, and participated in various coding competitions together, including Cross Capture the Flag, Codeathon, WhiteHacks@SG. Their passion added much to college culture: Muchen wrote a voting application for his junior cohort's cardboard challenge and an application that allocated concurrent sessions to his peers based on their preference, while Jackson conducted engaging lessons on Python, Cryptography and Arduino for his peers at various college events. In addition, Jackson and Muchen represented the college in their areas of passion. Muchen clinched a Bronze award at the Singapore Chemistry Olympiad and was part of a team that took part in the Singapore Statistics Poster Competition. Jackson received the Bronze Award on two iterations of the Singapore Young Physicist Tournament in 2017 and 2018.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN EUNOIA AND WHAT MADE IT MEANINGFUL?

Jackson: My 2 years in Eunoia has been filled with much uncertainty but was ultimately a fulfilling one. Being part of Computing and Robotics club exco team, I had the opportunity to help lay out the groundwork for the new CCA. Without the foresight and guidance of seniors, we had to rely on our own judgement to decide what was best for the CCA, making our work especially stressful. Nevertheless, I was fortunate to be part of an extremely motivated exco team who work tirelessly together and stuck with one another through thick and thin. Seeing the CCA flourishing and being safely passed down to the next batch at the end of my exco term really gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

The 2 years in Eunoia also gave me much room to pursue my passion in Physics and had thus been extremely intellectually satisfying. Through participation in physics competitions such as the Singapore Young Physicists Tournament and Singapore Physics Olympiad, I had the chance to delve deep into challenging concepts and problems that opened me up to a wealth of knowledge. My teachers around me were very supportive of my endeavours, which provided me with great motivation to continue with my pursuit amidst the hectic JC life.

Muchen: My two years in Eunoia have been a roller coaster of emotions. I was a complete stranger to everyone and not willing to mingle with people other than the people I was familiar with in secondary school. But I slowly got to know my classmates and opened up. I found that I actually wanted to come to school and talk to my newfound friends. So… Anh and Cedric made the journey meaningful for me. Although the second year was more hectic as everyone rushed to study, it was still a blast with all my friends. Teachers such as Mr David Hoe and Dr Chen Weiqiang made it more meaningful as I get to understand some concepts on a deeper level, displacing the habit of route learning that everyone thought studying was going to be. This made studying more insightful as everything became connected and I was able to generate a bigger picture of everything around me. So, I am really grateful for all these people that made the fast-paced and challenging life in JC worthwhile.

AS A EUNOIAN FROM OUR FIRST CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR JUNIORS?

Jackson: If possible, learn to appreciate the beauty of the subjects you are learning in school. Resilience may enable you to pull through the intense A-Level syllabus but a genuine appreciation of what you are learning makes the process a relatively painless and enjoyable one.

Muchen: To all my juniors, treasure the moments you have with your peers as you support each other through the last years of formal education. Just enjoy the journey you have while studying to make it a more meaningful one. Help your peers around you and never be shy to make new friends and get support from the people around you- your friends, teachers, and family. You have great teachers here to guide you through JC, you just have to reach out to them. Jiayou for your As, and never lose hope as the finish line is right around the corner. All the best!