Having a rabbit as pet : The Do’s and don’t’s

by Ayeen Jafery.

First and foremost, in my opinion, rabbits are the cutest creatures alive. It is quite peaceful to have them as they are very quiet and gentle. Having a rabbit can be a handful but once you know the basic way to care for them, it can be a whole lot of fun. 

Rabbits have a list of breeds and they can be found in different parts of the world. Breeds such as the Alaska from Germany, American White from the United States, Blanc de Hotot from France, we’ve got Britannia Petite from England and lots more! Having owned a rabbit myself for almost four years, I know the experience firsthand.  Based on that experience, let me explain the do’s and don’t’s on how to take care of a rabbit.

The do’s :

à Pat them every single day. Rabbits love to be patted on the head and their whole body. However, at certain times, they do not like to be patted. When this happen, we should just let them wander on their own.

à Rabbits love vegetables, especially carrots! When giving them vegetables, carrots, for instance, you should not cut them, leave it as it as and if you put your rabbit in a cage, just hang the carrot on the cage bars. The same goes for other vegetables, preferably broccoli or any other local veggies from the super market. You should give different varieties of veggies to see what they like.

à Preferably, give vegetables during the night and during day time, you should give them pellets available at the local pet store.

à  Give them lots of hays. Hays could be found at most local pet stores so its easy to find. These hays are one of the important diet of rabbits. Rabbits need to chew all the time for the health of their digestive  systems. Fresh hay will pick up their interest on munching as well!

à  Give rabbits lots of water because rabbits need to hydrate themselves all the time.

à Let the rabbits out of their cage a few hours a day. Rabbits love to exercise and stretch. So for those who put their rabbit in a cage, always make time to let them out for a couple of hours at least.

à Cut their nails once in a while, although you might need an advice from the vet first on how to cut them. Rabbits’ nails are prone to bleeding if you cut through their veins so you should always avoid the red lines and cut the white part only. If this occur, the best way to stop the bleeding is to put their hand in a lump of flour.

à Give rabbits things to chew. They love to munch on hard things, this is to exercise their teeth. If they don’t have anything to munch on, their teeth will be itchy and it is uncomfortabl  to them. Having a pellet will definitely help them but you should also give them hay ( also available at the local store ).

à Clean their cage everyday, discard the poos and make the cage clean and tidy.

The don’t's :

à Don’t pull the rabbit by the ear! ( It hurts them and they seriously do not like it ) .  If they need to be carried around, hold them close to your body and lift them from their bottom and their front feet.

à Don’t give rabbits a bath. They don’t bath and they don’t need to, they can clean their body all by themselves. Also, having a bath is uncomfortable to them and they don’t like cold water.

à Don’t leave them in their cage for too long, they will become fat and inactive. Their lack of activities will lower down their physical being and leads to all different sorts of ailments.

à Don’t carry rabbits too high. Rabbits are afraid of heights and sometimes don’t like to be carried around.

As mentioned above, having a rabbit/rabbits can be quite handful but they are a quiet and vulnerable creatures.  Although they don’t make any sound they do have feelings and very well aware of their surroundings.  They are also so cute and cuddly and its been so joyful to have rabbits around the house.  

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Personal Statements

by Caroline Tan.

Time flies and before we know it, it is our turn, the upper six students of PTEK to write our own personal statements! Before everything else, I would like to ask, what is the most common country that Bruneians tend to want to go to in order to further their studies after graduating from sixth-form? I can assure you that out of 10 people, more than half would answer “UK”.  Good! Now if you have always wanted to go to UK to further your studies, you most probably have heard of UCAS. It’s a website which students make use of to find suitable universities in the United Kingdom! Here, take a look: ucas.ac.uk 

Ok now, back to writing our personal statements. What is a personal statement, you ask? The UCAS personal statement is a 47 line (or 4000 character) piece of writing that allows you to tell the universities and colleges you are applying and to why they should offer you a place on the course. In order to do this successfully, you need to convey your passion and enthusiasm for the subject to the admission tutors, as well as demonstrate your suitability to the course. I suggest you have to have a pretty good idea of what course you want to study before continuing much further with your personal statement. Generally, personal statements are quite specific, so if you decide to change the course you are applying for you would need to rewrite your personal statement. 

Don’t know what you want to be in the future? Don’t know what course to go for? It’s time my dear, to do some research and set your mind already! Actually, having a right goal in mind and being determined in what you want to be in the future helps to motivate you to study. Personally, it is the only thing that is pushing me forward, really. Take a look: http://www.studential.com/applying/choosingadegree After you have chosen a degree, all you need to do is, “sell yourself”. You should know by now that it’s really up to a university whether to accept you or not. The slots for international students are very limited and so they will judge you from how well you construct your personal statements and how well you are! Just a bit of a story, in my math class, my teacher told me to look into your own refection in the mirror, and ask yourself : ‘Who is it that person in the refection?’ And whatever comes to your mind after that, write it all down with honesty. Then, link your qualities with what you should be accepted as, into your choice of university. 

Don’t be too afraid to write and ‘sell yourself’ totally! It’s a personal statement. It is supposed to be about you. It’s about you and only you. My advice is to not to just study, but also join some clubs. Perhaps play some sports and music and tell your choice of university that you are not only good academically, but also physically and mentally! It always helps to get a part time job during school holidays too, universities would be grateful to know that besides having to study, you still have time to go to work and gain some experience. One thing that you should never do is make up stories and lie about yourself in your personal statements. Some degrees like medicine, require you to go for an interview and from there, your true colours will reveal. So do not put your future at risk. Personal statements are like trust-based systems. Once it’s broken, you’re never trustworthy anymore. We all are still students, so none of us are experts in this. I have requested one of the teachers in the career section to give a talk in the multipurpose hall on how to write personal statements. He reassured me that there would be, and not to worry. 

For more information , visit : http://www.studential.com/guide/write_personal_statement.htm

Revised by Joanne Lim.

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March!

By Lim Shirley.

Holidays are around the corner and that’s what we, as students are definitely looking forward to. Have you ever got the feeling that when it’s school season, you would always be hoping that holidays will come super-fast so that you can have your sleep, so that you can hang out with friends and give yourself a break from all school stress? But when it comes to the holiday season, you would always be hoping that school would start soon? Well, I think most of us have had that feeling before. When we’re in school/college, there’s homework, assignments given to us almost every day and we are expected to pass it up the following day.

Exams usually end when holidays are about to start so we’re probably glad about that. When holidays are about to end, some of us will go like “YES!” because they probably had nothing to do during the holidays so going to school seems to be a good way to enjoy your teenage life. I think we enjoy going to school  because we have friends to talk to, not that we actually 'enjoy' school and the never-ending assignments.  Usually before the holidays, teachers/lecturers would give their students a present and that present would be HOMEWORK! They sure love us, don’t they? During the holidays, we eat, sleep, watch TV, play games on our computer/laptop/play station and this cycle goes on until the very last day of our holidays and BAM! before you know it, school starts just like that and we have done nothing about the homework we were given for the holiday period. We would all will be thinking “Why does holiday seem to pass by so fast?” and the next thing you know, it's exam season where most of us struggle to study at the very last minute.

Exams aren’t really our best friend. Speaking of exams, there are times where we studied so hard but the outcome is just huge disappointment whereas for others who didn't seem to study that much, get excellent grades. That sometimes frustrates us, doesn't it? Well, like they say study SMART not study HARD. When you receive your exam timetable, start studying little by little instead of cramping everything a day before the exam. That’s a habit most of us seem to have. So drop that habit and start revising early and trust me, when your results come out, you will not regret even one bit of it. Those people who have As’ or A* definitely didn’t just start studying at the very last minute. Well, there are people who study last minute and get good grades. I guess they are the exceptions. Probably they listened well in class when their teachers are teaching or maybe they are just people who learn fast. All of us have different methods when it comes to studying. An example would be how a person can study better when he/she listens to music while studying or walking around while studying. We all need to find out which method fits us best to ensure that we get the best results. So all the best and good luck to those who have exams coming up!

Revised by Joanne Lim.

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Stress?

by Chok Siong Wee & Hedwig Mui Soon Wee

Stressed? This article is for YOU! 

“Sorry, but you’re not qualified to be in this committee” 

“Why can’t you be as good as him” 

“I am going to take away your social life if you don’t start getting more than just a petty ‘D’ in your tests”

Now before you start banging your head against the wall, try to think this thoroughly. You may currently be on the verge of breaking down due to stress and soon to start a battle you’ll never win against a wall. Totally.Not.Worth.It. 

Stress. We've all been there. I know it, he felt it, she hates it and we've all been through it. It’s practically unavoidable! However, we all have a choice to take it or break it and after this article, you ARE going to break it. How? By managing your stress. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun- plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on. 

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Write down: 

•  What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure). 
•  How you felt, both physically and emotionally. 
•  How you acted in response. 
•  What you did to make yourself feel better. 

Not all stress can be avoided and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. 

• Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress. 
• Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely. 
• Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.  
• Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.  
• Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts”. Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely. Last but not least! RELAX! Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.  
• Set aside relaxation time  –  Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.  
• Connect with others  – Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.  
• Do something you enjoy every day  –  Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike. 
• Keep your sense of humor  –  This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

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Fitting in PTEK

by Fatin Ghazali.

Fitting in has always been something that most of us struggled with throughout High School, even in our daily lives. Some of us changed ourselves just to blend in with the cliques, our schoolmates, even the background. We even changed ourselves into something that we don't even like just so that we won't be left out in group projects or eat alone during lunch.

In PTEK, to fit in, you just have to be yourself. You don't have the need to change who you are to get friends. Friends will come to you when you are who you are. You don't have to pretend to be someone else. Everyday, you have different classes, different classmates, different friends in CCA, you meet so many different people sharing the same interests with you. You get to meet variety of students with different views, varieties of interest and of different characters. You learn from your friends, everyday, there's always something new. Everyone is different. Everyone is unique. You don't have to try so hard to fit in. In PTEK, we're all a family. A colourful family.

Or instead of blendìng into the background so much, why don't you stand out? Take the center stage! Take the spotlight! Embrace your difference.

In PTEK, What's important is that you be who you are and people will love you for that. This is not highschool anymore, Mean Girls don't run the school. Thìs is college and here, PTEK family powers the engine. Remember, just be yourself- because you're AWESOME that way.

Photo by Feeqah Nordin.

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Essay Writing

by Naj.

Do you ever ask yourself how is it that you don’t get more than C minus grades while other students get straight A’s? Why are some students always writing the best essays while others are always trying harder and harder for nothing? Are they just talented writers? Or is there such thing as an “essay recipe” that they know of and you don’t? Well, the answer is somewhere in between. 

The sad truth is that some people are more skilled for writing tasks –and, if you have read up to here, we may assume that’s not your case-. But you can’t trust your writing skills only, since you can always learn new things and improve at writing with lots of practice.

So, don’t freak out. You can also write a great essay. Maybe not the best of the class, but truly your best essay. Do not expect them to be magical, but with these tips, you may write much better.

It is important to understand one thing about writing an essay an English essay question has no single ‘correct’ answer, unlike a maths or science question that requires you to used formulas and equations. What am I trying to say? Well, in an English essay there is no one ‘answer’ and nothing to ‘prove’. All there can be – and this is what your answer wants – is an informed, explained and well-supported argument for your viewpoint. It requires you to argue your case!

Still not getting it? Look at it this way: in a daily life case, someone asks you a general question. You have so many possibilities, opinions and viewpoint and what comes with it are the various reasons as to why you come to that conclusion. With your points, you are convincing them that your opinion(s) or answer(s) is/are right. They won’t be able to rebuke – after all your answers are correct. However, it goes without saying that if your answer(s) doesn’t connect with that is being asked, it’s clear that they won’t get what you are talking about. Nothing frustrates anybody more when you don’t answer their questions at all.

Wait! Didn’t I say that an essay doesn’t have one ‘answer’? Answering the question and just simply answering are two different things. For example, you were asked whether Global Warming actually bring benefit to some areas; you write what Global Warming is, how it happened and why it happened it the first place. True, you are answering about Global Warming but is that all the question is asking of you? Nope. It is asking whether or not it can bring benefit to some areas. This is just you simply answering. Answering the question means giving your opinion focused solely on the question whereas just giving a generalization on what Global Warming is.

Get it now? Argumentation applies on how to write your essay, except on papers and the person who’s asking is on the other half of the planet.

There are other much more basic things to look up on if you’re looking for a way to improve your essay: organization (after all, how are you going to convince someone if what you are trying to say is jumbled, unclear, confusing and spontaneous?), facts display, proper quoting, the required word count and, of course, good grammar and spelling. But the essay style is also important. For example, vary your sentence extension: the best written essays alternate between long sentences and short sentences, and that makes them easier to read. Improving your essay style also means using plenty of synonyms to avoid annoying repetitions. You may also consider very carefully the choice of the essay register: keep in mind there should be a formal distance between you and the potential reader. So you may write the best essay by turning phrases like “I guess” by others a bit more formal, such as “Based on my experience”.

Always remember that writing an essay is an activity that involves a lot of techniques used for getting the reader’s full attention, from the essay’s title to the very last word. The best essays are always easily readable, since they apply to the reader’s interests and motivate their curiosity by displaying little bits of information at the time. Good essays combine facts and examples, and show the writer’s own thoughts as well as an opposite point of view some readers may have. Even if the only reader is going to be your teacher when correcting it.

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Tips To Wake Up And Get Out Of Bed Fast

By Yap Chun Wee.

Always late for school? Can’t seem to make it there on time? Had enough of taking late slips all the time? Well, it’s probably due to the fact that you couldn’t get out of bed. It’s always tough to drag yourself out of bed, so here are some tips to help you wake up alert and get you out of bed quickly: 

Access your health

Your drowsiness in the morning might be health-related. A better diet and some exercise should might the problem. If you still feel the same, then I suggest you seek a doctor for professional help. 

Coffee on your bedside table

For most imbibers, caffeinated drinks have a stimulant effect leading to enhanced alertness and wakefulness, among others. Leaving some coffee (use a thermal flask) or any other caffeinated drink beside your table might be a good way to get yourself out of bed. 

Place your alarm clock strategically

Try putting your alarm clock where it is loud enough to wake you up yet far enough to force you to get up and walk over to shut it off. This should help you get out of bed. 

Don’t take in caffeine the night before 

It takes a while for caffeine to get out of your system. So, don’t drink anything caffeinated the night before or else you’d be having a hard time sleeping which leads to lack of sleep which then leads to drowsiness or grogginess in the morning. 

Smelling salts

For centuries, smelling salts have been reviving people, but you don’t have to smell something distasteful. Put a bottle of a pleasant-smelling essential oil like orange, grapefruit, or mint next to your bed to sniff in order to shake yourself out of a groggy state. 

Train yourself 

Instead of forcing yourself to wake up all the time, train yourself to react to your alarm clock instantly by practicing the motions of waking up. While in a darkened room, practice jumping out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off. Do this repeatedly twice a day for about 10 times until it feels automatic. It would seem silly if someone walks in on you doing it but it helps. 

Extra info: It is imperative for students who drive themselves to school need to get a sufficient amount of sleep each night. It is dangerous to drive while you’re still feeling drowsy.

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Ways To Prevent From Falling Sick

By Joanne Lim.

It seems to me that a lot of people are getting either the cough or the cold these days and there are many ways you can prevent that. The first and most important step to take is to make sure that you take really good care of yourself and make sure you are in a healthy state. 

Here are ways on how you can avoid and overcome the sickness:-

• Wash your hands regularly - You get sick for one reason and one reason only: germs. Bacteria and Viruses make you ill by finding ways into your body through physical contact. Since most of your contact with the world happens through your hands, washing them can stop germs from making the leap from contaminated surfaces to inside your body. Bacteria especially grow and proliferate very easily, so simply touching a lot of different things can spread them all over the stuff you work with daily. Hand washing is especially important when you move from one environment to the other, after visiting the restroom and before eating or preparing food.  
• Refrain from touching your face - Even if your hands are relatively clean, chances are that some germs will find a way to survive there but these parasites will only compromise your health if they can get into your body. The easiest place to transmit illness is through mucous membranes such as your eyes, mouth and nose. Keep your hands away from your face (and food) and make it difficult for germs to find you. 
• Avoid people who are ill - Germs are everywhere, but they are particularly concentrated in people who are sick. Keep far away from these people and try to disinfect the things that they use. 
• Don't eat group food - Avoid large party dips that involve dipping directly into the bowl rather than scooping with a clean spoon onto individual plates. Also, avoid from sharing food with other people as the germs may spread from them to you.
• Get enough sleep - If you feel that you might be falling ill, you should get a good rest and have enough sleep. Getting enough sleep strengthens your immune system and thus, protect your body form the germs.
• Hydrate - When your body is fighting an illness, your immune system is working overtime. Make sure it has everything it needs to function at its best, including plenty of water
• Skip a workout - If you feel like you might be getting sick but aren't sure, don't go to the gym. Your body needs all its extra resources to fend off whatever virus or bacteria you've been exposed to, so save all the energy you've got.
• Eat well - You may be disinclined to eat if you aren't feeling well, but be sure that whatever you do manage to get down is nutritious and healthy. It's not a good idea to eat foods that induce inflammation when your body is already weakened.
• Take your vitamins - Take some multi-vitamins, or some vitamin C and vitamin D as most of us are lacking of it.

Make sure to follow these steps to keep yourself at the best of health. 

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How To Avoid Falling Asleep In Class

By Joanne Lim. 

Students tend to fall asleep in classes. It doesn't matter whether the lesson is interesting or boring, whether the classroom is cold or hot or whether the teacher is looking or not, students still end up dozing off halfway through the lesson. Even if you go into a class with your energy at its highest, you can come out of a class feeling sleepy and drowsy. 

The thing is that: 1) You're sleep deprived even though you think you had gotten enough sleep 2) You get a long nights sleep but not a good nights sleep 3) You include a lot of unhealthy food in your daily diet 4) You spend a lot of time on the computer, playing video games and watching television. Doing so would make your eyes feel more tired. 

There are many ways you can avoid falling asleep in classes. One of them is to get at least 8 hours of sleep a day. Ways that would help you get to sleep better are: 1) Exercise regularly, but finish up at least three hours before you plan to hit the sack 2) Don't use caffeine close to your bedtime 3) Avoid eating before you go to bed 4) Keep a regular bedtime schedule, even on weekends 5) Read, listen to music, take a bath or do any other relaxing activity that gets your mind off the day's stresses and excitements.

Another way of staying awake in class is to keep yourself in a healthy state. Stay both mentally and physically active. Do morning exercise and take a shower in the morning before you go off for school. Have proper eating hours. Include healthy food in your daily diet such as yogurt, melons and eggs and also add a bit of sugary items for breakfast such as buttered toast, sugar cereal, apples, fruit juices and so on. Take some coffee or if you prefer, green tea, which is healthier, before you start off with your first class. A glass of cold water would do too. Also, if you can, pop a candy or two in your mouth. 

Other ways to avoid falling asleep in classes is to get yourself busy in class, have a good sitting posture and try to have more interest in the lesson. Sitting in front does a bit of help too as you have your teacher concentrating more on you. Learn to take down notes when your teacher is explaining. Play around with your pen but focus on the lesson. Doddle on your notes when you're reading them. Look around your classroom and find things to count, to keep your mind occupied. Also, sitting up straight helps too as it provides more oxygen flow throughout your body and brain which helps keep you awake. Look up on things about your lessons. Have more interest in them. 

I have to admit that I, myself tend to fall asleep in class regularly as most of my classes have air-conditioning and I sit where it blows right at my eyes. This makes my eyes really dry and thus, make me sleepy. If the same thing goes to you, try informing your teacher about it and have he/she adjust it so it would not be a problem in staying awake! 

Hope this helps! 

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Safety On The Road

by Ayeen Jafery

Let's talk about safety on the roads, after all there are more than a few PTEK students who are driving to school and thus, expose themselves to all kind of dangers while driving. Although majority of us are still sent by our fathers, mothers and other family members to school, I still think that it's about time that we look into what safety on road is all about.

Everyone knows there are a lot of accidents in Brunei. We hear and read about it all the time. By recent statistics, there were about 2,000 accidents in one year. By my calculations, that is about five accidents per day! This shows just how poor safety awareness are in Brunei, and that observing road safety is not taken very seriously. Some drivers do not even bother to wear the safety belt. They drive at high speed without paying attention to the speed limits and they also do not follow the road rules and regulations. Another thing is that most drivers still do not know how to use the roundabout although information and guidance have been made available.

This article is to promote safety awareness on the road and this awareness should be practiced at this college. One of the basic safety rules is never forget to wear the safety belt at all times when in the car, regardless of whether you are the driver or the passenger. It's there in the car for a reason! By wearing the safety belt, there's a higher chance that you can stay safe when there is a car accident. Just think of the consequences, not only is your life at risk, your car is as well! Your car might get wrecked badly and you'd have to pull out a couple of hundreds or even thousands of dollars to pay for repairs and the damage may be so serious that your car can't even be repaired.   

Apart from wearing the safety belt, it is also important to follow other safety rules. Practices such as controlling your speed and avoiding tailgating the cars in front of you are also very crucial while driving. Most importantly, do not use your mobile phone while on the wheel i.e texting, facebook-ing, whatsapp-ing, receiving/making a phone call or tweeting. If it is that important, please do pull over to the side of the road and turn on the double signal.

For students who have just had their license, it is important for you not to be disturbed by your friends (if you bring them along) while driving. This goes out to the parents as well, keep your eyes on the road and don't mind the children or at least check up on them on few seconds intervals via the rearview mirror. Do not lose your concentration and stay alert at all times. Last but not least, I would like to advise all students to convey this message to all your family members in order to reduce the number of road accidents in Brunei.

 So everyone, you know it, I know it, lets all do it!

Revised by Joanne Lim

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Time Management

by Jeeah H.

How many of these sites do you recognise? More importantly how many of these tabs are open? This is just a select few sample of the many sites you may frequently visit. If you spend 5 minutes on each site represented that would equal a total of 185 minutes which is more than 3 hours! I'm pretty sure you do not spend just five minutes on each site, so that probably makes a whole day wasted online scanning through mindless sites. Okay, so these sites aren't exactly mindless but do be wary that there are other things in life worth more to do like a regular revision especially for us students. What are some K-POP sites that you go on a lot? Reduce your amount of time on them and increase your time studying. It is important to balance your time by studying first as the internet can then be the 'reward'. 

This goes out not only to K-POP fans, but all youths in general. Whether it'd be gaming, gossiping, watching television, or any idle activity, don't waste (notice I used the word 'waste' to emphasize my point that you are not spending your time wisely) too much time doing so. An hour or so a day of it is enough, replace the deducted time with more reading and studying. Prepare for exams and tests, or even for the next lesson (you'd be amazed how happy teachers can be to know that you've researched on the next lesson beforehand).

So, close this tab -- heck, close this whole window -- and open your books and notes. Start scanning and browsing through, highlighting, summarizing, or whatever the hell works for you to study.

Wishing you all the best. Don't have any words of motivation to offer, but if it helps, you may read this article: "K-POP isn't the reason why I'm not suceeding in my studies: Distractions and Study Habits"

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"K-POP isn't the reason why I'm not succeeding in my studies." Distractions and study habits.

By Jeeah H.

I've always considered myself as a straight 'A' student and in turn, prided in my good grades. No, seriously. 

Woots! Results for my Psychology EOY exam last year 

So, why have I decided to write this? Have my grades been not up to par lately? I suppose. But I don’t blame K-POP.  So why write this and title it hence? Many people, or particularly only K-POP fans, would find the title confronting and would not read this, ignore it and be in denial. Lots of students claim that before they discovered the magical world that is K-POP, they were brilliant students who never had to fear showing their moms their report cards. Thus, blaming their demise in grades and good study habits on K-POP. Parents and teachers will try and utilize K-POP as an excuse for your deteriorating academic performances as well.

Here are my thoughts on this: K-POP may have been a catalyst but I firmly believe that it is NOT the sole problem.

The problem is insufficient time management and the fear of failing. 

1. Everybody is afraid of failing whether it’d be an exam, competition, interview or audition. Hence, youths such as me, myself and other fangirls/boys feed upon K-POP as a distraction preventing us to confront that Sociology paper on Monday or the inter-class History quiz. People are afraid of trying their best and still failing rather so they choose to try half heartedly and fail and then blame on the fact that they didn't try. 

How to overcome this:

• Set A Goal: It’s impossible to start when you don’t know where you end. Imagine composing a story, you tend to be able to create endings automatically in your head but just can’t seem to make a beginning, right? However, knowing the end to your story drives you to think of what to make of the content and introductory paragraphs. So once you’ve set your goals, you’ll be more driven to work your ass to achieve it even if it means failing and having to rise from a million excruciating falls.

2. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ” - Taken from the movie Coach Carter (2005)

Having read that, time management seems to also be a crucial challenge for many people. You are in control of how much K-POP media you consume. No one is forcing you to watch a whole 16 episode drama in one night. No one is going to hunt you down because you haven’t seen MBLAQ’s latest MV. I like to think of K-POP as sleep. The more K-POP media you consume, the harder it is to reduce; just like when you sleep longer and wake up late on weekends, it’s difficult to sleep early on that very night and wake up early on Monday morning. 

You can overcome this by:

•  Setting time limits on the computer/laptop when you’re consuming K-POP media. For example, two hours of reading and only an hour spent on allkpop, dailykpopnews and Tumblr altogether, for every minute spent more, five extra minutes are added to study-time.
•  Prioritising! Complete your homework and revise. Once finished, only then K-POP can be used as a reward or stress-reliever, whatever the form may be... Tumblr, Youtube, Dailymotion. You will definitely feel much better and not guilty about putting off work!
• Think positively! Repeating this point because I feel the need to. Don’t be afraid to fail. You think that if we’re afraid to fail, we’ll try harder? Reverse psychology? Heck, no! In reality, it doesn’t work that way. Start tasks as early as possible, do less homework over more nights rather than a lot of homework in one night. Bit by bit. I’m sure no teachers out there are cruel enough to make due dates in the next twenty-four hours after the assignment is given. Or maybe not. I hope not. So, just do everything in baby steps. (Example) Start on your Literature paper tonight, Biology tomorrow, French and Economics the day after. This way you can have more time for your rewards! More work done, more rewards, more K-POP, less time wasted.
• ‘Realists do not fear the results of their study’. If you know you didn’t study enough the week before a test and then panic and stress out, you’re not going to be expecting spectacular results. Believe me. I’ve been in that position. Put in as much effort to get the results that you want. Make sure the amount of effort adds up to what your goal is!
• Set deadlines and finish these projects by the set deadline.

K-POP is not your life. It is an interest. You have far more important things in life such as your studies, friends, family, work, dreams and goals. Balancing your time with studies and interests would result in guilt-free K-POP spazzing over a newly released MV and grades that you are proud of.  

Simply balance your time equally with your studies and what you enjoy. You don’t have to give up your interests completely, but you have to know your limits. Have some self-control and self-respect.


Good luck! 

Additional: To enlighten you all, below are some images of idols who have graduated with honours. These people would have an even more difficult time managing their time as not only do they have school but they have their careers as well which demands for them to be working full-time every time. So get inspired and hit the books.

SHINee's Choi Minho

SNSD's Seohyun

U-Kiss's Dongho

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Want A Stress Reliever? Listen to Michael and Justin.

By Joanne Lim.

Even though it has just been the beginning of the year, students are already being pressured from the pile of homework and assignments they're receiving. So here is a tip i got from a few research over the internet. It is proven that by listening to soothing music or any type of music that you prefer, it helps release the tension and stress you have. 

Well, as for me, I listen to covers by Michael Henry & Justin Robinett. They both have amazing vocals and talents in playing musical instruments. They're two guys who met in University and became roommates for two years. It all started when Justin was messing around with his recording instruments one day when Michael became interested and started asking how it all worked. Justin then asked whether Michael would like to record something just for fun - Michael sheepishly obliged. On a whim, they decided to upload the video on YouTube to show their friends. Fortunately, they forgot about everyone else who could see it. The rest is history. The unending and bolsterous support of those who enjoy them some Michael Henry & Justin Robinett have allowed them to keep doing what they love to do.  

Above is a picture of Michael Henry (blue) and Justin Robinett (red) playing the piano

So here are some of the covers of theirs that i love listening to, to relieve some stress. Hope you enjoy! 

If I Die Young - The Band Perry

E.T/ Waiting For The End - Katy Perry/Linkin Park

Grenade - Bruno Mars

Never Gonna Leave This  Bed - Maroon 5

You can also visit them at their website at http://mhjrmusic.com 

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Coping with Chemistry

Chemistry can be a pretty difficult subject for most students to cope up with. So what's the best way to actually understand a whole lot more? Well, I think that seeing your lecturer is actually the best way but there of course other ways like for example, making your own notes? You are able to understand your own notes rather than to rely on the notes that your lecturers actually give you and if you are unsure of what you are doing, please do see your lecturer, let them look through it because who knows, someone might also find your notes useful.

Another way is to practice your past year papers. Why is that? Well, isn't it obvious? The questions that usually come out has already came out during the past exams. Need help? See your lecturer. Here's a helpful link to download your A Level past year paper: Click here.

As recommended by the Chemistry lecturers in Pusat Tingkatan Enam Katok, you can download your notes here.

Find these tips useful? Need some more? E-mail us at pulseptek@live.com

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