Commentary	 3 March 2013 3 March 2013
A-Level Results: Ground Sentiments
by Trung Huan Nguyen and Hoang Nhan Nguyen
J3s gathering in the MPH, awaiting the release of results at 2.30 pm.
The Class of 2012 received their A-level results last Friday, 1 March. The atmosphere was tense, even as classmates and old friends reunited on campus.
Led by long-time staff member and Deputy Principal (Special Projects) Mr Leong Yew Wah, the cohort sang the Institution Anthem before receiving their results.
When the students finally received their result slips, tears of disappointment dropped on some faces; inevitably, there was those whose results had fallen short of their expectations, leading to emotional breakdowns. Nonetheless, the majority of the cohort bore triumphant expressions and exchanged genial hugs.
A student, who declined to be named, exclaimed, "I feel so great!", when he received his results. Shawna Wu shared the joy. She felt her batch's results surpassed expectations. "We think that our batch did better than what we expected," said Shawna, "and we are really happy to see that!"
In the Indoor Sports Hall (ISH), a small group of current Year 5 and 6 students gathered to watch the live video feed of the results release. Year 6 student Seah Wei Hing, told us that he felt happy for the J3s. However, he added that he felt a little pressured by how well his seniors had done. Nonetheless, he remarked, "I feel motivated as well."
The eager supporters were joined by parents of the Class of 2012, who were justifiably proud of their students' achievements. Many had taken time off work to offer moral and emotional support to their chatges. One of them was Mr. Lee Cheow Poon whose daughter, Amelia Lee, scored straight As for her A-levels. He told us, "My son graduated from RJ three years ago, and Rafflesians have always done well." Mr. Lee added that the 2012 cohort continued to do RI proud by maintaining the academic excellence tradition of the school.
For many Civics and Subject Tutors, the release of this year's results was no different from their experience in previous years. Economics Tutor Mdm. Tan Geok noted that the 2012 result was a typical norm which has been long established at RI. For General Paper Tutor Mr. Patrick Wong, his current batch of students did well as expected, citing the example of his own CT group. He added, "I'm very glad that they got what they deserved."
Civics Tutors carrying result slips to the MPH prior to the release of results.
Another interesting aspect of this year's A-level results release was the impact of the Raffles Diploma (RD). As the second batch of graduates to receive the RD, the Class of 2012 was divided on the issue. Some appeared sceptical about the role of RD in our education system. Ariel Tee believed that the RD is not widely recognized. "The universities do not usually ask for the RD for the application process," she said, speaking from experience. While former Badminton Captain Tan Keat Kee agreed, he nonetheless commented, "The RD is important and offers an exclusive advantage for our students." He invested his time in pursuing the Character and Leadership Domain of the RD in an effort to achieve all-round excellence.
We also spoke to President of the 31st Student's Council, I-Naishad Kai-Ren. After a short chat about how his National Service life was like, he told us, "I'm just really relieved. I worried a lot before army but once it started, I had no time to worry at all."
While the release of the A-level results is no doubt an important milestone in the school careers of many Rafflesians, it is but one of the first steps in their life journeys. When asked how Rafflesians should plan for their future, Principal Mrs. Lim Lai Cheng concluded her interview with us by characteristically saying, "Students, just follow your passion."
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