Essay 3: Reading fiction is a waste of time. What are your views?

Hey guys,

I know I said that I will be staying away for the time being but I just couldn't. Here's another piece I wrote.

FYI I welcome criticism of my writing. How else would I improve? So please do leave comments below if you have anything to say at all.

I really like this piece I wrote so I hope you like it too.

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The dragon hissed as it crept towards the tower in which the princess was trapped. ‘Boom!’ the thunder clapped just moments after lightning lit up the entire night sky, turning night into day momentarily. The princess was in a perilous situation. She could be caught by the dragon anytime now. ‘Clang! Clang! Thud!’ the dragon fell to the ground, with a bright red substance oozing out of its mouth. It took one last look at the world it once dominated before dozing off into an eternal nap. Prince Charming was here to save the day, once again.

This is a typical plot in a fairy tale, many of which captured the hearts of many budding readers, sowing the seeds of interest within them. There are so many different genres available in any bookstore, from supernatural to biographies, from fiction to non-fiction to self-help books. Every book exists for a purpose, and I am a strong believer that none of these genres can ever be considered a waste of time.

First of all, fiction books are what children first get acquainted with when they start learning to read. Barney and friends, Little Miss Sunshine and Mr Greedy were just some of my many best friends who took me on so many adventures, teaching me new words along the way. Many fiction books are targeted at young children, for these fairy tales paint a beautiful world for these children to play in, for them to grow in, for them to learn in. Try getting a 4-year-old to read the biography of say, a famous football star. You would have an easier time getting the child to sleep! There are books suitable for people for all ages, and there is no use trying to rush the process. I attempted to read Animal Farm when I was 10, and I am not joking when I say the book managed to put me to sleep. One of the main reasons why we use fiction books to welcome young children into the world where words are weaved together into interesting plots that are able to sustain a child’s interest and are, at the same time, of suitable length for a child with a short attention span. Hence, how can we say that reading fiction books are a fool’s errand when they are the ones who deserve credit for building these impressionable children’s interest in reading. Without these fiction books as their foundation, I dare say that no one would ever be interested to read non-fiction.

Even as we grow older, fiction books are also an important aspect of our lives. Even now, when I am 16, I still keep the book I read when I was 6. Not only that, I do take them out to re-read them when I am sick and tired of looking at facts and figures in my uninspiring textbooks. Fiction books, both fairy tales and young adult novels, transport me to another world, where shape-shifters exist, where witches go to school with werewolves, where a fairy and a vampire could be roommates. I befriended Kylie Galen and Della Tsung from Shadow Falls and they brought me on adventures I never would have thought even existed, experienced emotions I thought were long forgotten, and tilted my world, making me see things from a perspective I never had considered before. Sometimes, reading fiction books helps to clear my mind and sort out my thoughts. Reading a genre I have been reading since I was in diapers calms me when I am scared, soothes me when I am sad and acts as my constant in life when I am confused and lost. Even as I grow up and experience new things, it comforts me to know that I can always return to my fiction books to help myself forget about the bad times, even if it is just for a little while. This is why fiction will always be deemed as an significant portion of my life.

I cannot deny the other school of thought, however. As we grow up, the role fiction plays diminishes. The importance of fiction pales in comparison to non-fiction, especially when one is preparing for major examinations. Fiction is like your parents, taking care of all your needs when you are young, checking in just to make sure you are not doing anything you will regret every once in a while as you grow older and are supposed to be more sensible. But non-fiction is just like a super strict teacher. She may be boring, she may be your most hated person, she may be so saturated with information you don’t even know where to start, but you know that with her help, you will be able to become a more holistically developed adult. Similarly, non-fiction feeds you with all the information you need to tackle your examinations and more. They feed you with examples of famous people doing what they are good at from all around the world, different perspectives of social issues, even statistics that you can use in expository essays like this one (if you remember any, that is). Reading fiction as a teen nourishes the child in you, reminding you of what you were like as a child (and these are beautiful memories I would never trade for anything in the world), but non-fiction opens your mind to many other perspectives, and digs deeper as you dive in deeper into the sea of knowledge. Reading ‘Bite of the Mango’ opened my eyes to the suffering of those trapped in wars. Reading ‘Little Prisoners’ made me appreciate the safe and secure environment I live in, when so many others are battling ghosts from their pasts, left behind by those they held closest to their hearts. I thought dealing with betrayal from my best friends were bad, but I never thought of those dealing with betrayals from their families. My struggles seem petty in light of theirs, and I am able to deal with my own ghosts so much better. Non-fiction, is the key to opening up your doorway to adulthood. The point being, I do not deny the importance of reading non-fiction as well. They are just as important, if not more important especially for students.

As a summary, I would argue with you day and night if you try to impose the idea of reading fiction being a waste of time on me, but I would do the same if you try suggesting that non-fiction is completely irrelevant to our lives. I feel that as with everything else that we do, balance is key. We need inputs from both fiction and non-fiction in order to have a holistic output. Let’s not lose our childhood innocence in a box world where we wake up in a box to get into a box to get to the box where we work in a box by typing into a box screen before going back home in a box and switching on the box before we pass out in our box ready for the next box day.

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So that's it! Of course, this is edited by my tutor so yeah... if you're reading this, THANK YOU!

As mentioned, I welcome criticism so please go ahead and smash my writing if you see a reason to. :))

Till the next one~

I Thought I Found A Friend- Chapter 5

Heyz!

I felt really terrible for not updating this story so here's another chapter. I hope you like it!

JUST A SCHOOLMATE?

And since then, I meet up with him every other day for two hours to help him with his studies.

We also exchanged numbers so he could send me questions any time he did his revision. My parents realised that I started spending more tine on my phone than usual, and started to probe about the person I was messaging all the time, whether it was a boy, whether we were dating, etc...

I told them flat out that he was just a schoolmate I was helping, not even a friend who I talk to for leisure.

But slowly, out conversation turned into a daily routine. It got to the point where it felt weird not to talk to him, even if it was just about math.

We started talking about everything, our ambitions, our hobbies, our families, our friends, our problems with regards to social life, basically anything and everything.

As I unraveled the background of this boy, I got more and more determined to help him get promoted to the Express Stream, so that he could, one day, live comfortably doing something he enjoys.

When I met up with him on alternate days to coach him in his studies, I found myself staring quietly at the boy whose hair fell over his eye when he sat down to practice math. The boy who would only ask for help after trying various methods, even the frowned upon in secondary school primary-school-method: guess and check. The boy who finally got the help he needed to excel.

I found myself falling for him...

Essay 2: Teens These Days Are Less Able to Handle Stress Compared to Their Parents' Generation. Discuss.

Yo guys!

O Levels are starting soon so this will really be the last post you see until the end of O levels.

This has to be one of the hottest topics reacently, so here's my take on this. This really is another essay I wrote a while back though. Hope you like it!

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Adolescents today have a reputation of being more fragile, less resilient and more overwhelmed than their parents when growing up. Statistics have shown that anxiety and depression in high school kids have been on the rise since 2012, and that is not a good sign. It does seem that teens nowadays are less able to handle stress compared to their parents.

One reason that I feel that could lead to this is that teens these days are indeed facing a lot more stress compared to their parents, at least in academic terms. Back in my parents’ days, they actually had free time to do non-school related things once school ended. My mother shared that back in her time as a secondary school student, she went home after school, and had time to work part time in order to help support her family, whilst my dad, as one of the youngest in the family, had the luxury of going out to catch spiders or play football after school. These days, we are not only swamped with homework, but also co-curricular activities (which could take up 2 or 3 days per week, 3 hours each time), tuition classes as well as certain enrichment classes like learning to play the piano or guitar. Not only that, we are also expected to excel in all these areas, show exemplary conduct at all times, hand in all homework on time, and show outstanding leadership skills when participating in co-curricular activities. These expectations and commitments will definitely take a toll on a 15-year-old, and from first-hand experience, it is not an easy task juggling school and family, especially when a leadership role comes into play. Hence, the statistics I have mentioned earlier may not necessarily show that teens are less able to handle stress, but that they are indeed facing more stress than their parents.

Another major reason could be that in the world we live in now, technology is everywhere. Literally everywhere. With this comes a cauldron of stimulus that we cannot get away from. As Jane Whitlock, director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery said, “If you wanted to create an environment to churn out really angsty people, we’ve done it,”. Being a teenager today is a draining full-time job that includes doing schoolwork, managing a social-media identity, and fretting about career, climate change, sexism, racism-you name it. Every fight or slight is documented online for hours or days after the incident. In fact, as a girl by the name of Faith-Ann Bishop mentioned, “We’re the first generation that cannot escape our problems at all,” says Faith-Ann. “We’re all like little volcanoes. We’re getting this constant pressure, from our phones, from our relationships, from the way things are today.” It’s exhausting for us. Growing up, we saw an era of economic and national insecurity. We have never known a time when terrorism and school shooting weren’t the norm. we grew up watching our parents weather a severe recession and perhaps most importantly, we hit puberty at a time when technology and social media took over and transformed society. Unlike our parents who could escape from problems in school when they were at home or vice versa, we cannot. We are constantly connected to everyone, no matter where we are, thanks (or no thanks) to technology. Thus, just maybe, it is not exactly fair to label teens as being less able to handle stress compared to their parents, we do face a lot more, at a higher intensity.

On the other hand, teens these days are a lot more fortunate than their parents. We grew up without the terror, hardships, and trauma of war, we grew up in a time when we did not have to worry about where our next meal would come from. In comparison, what we go through pales in comparison to our parents. Having gone through a period of poverty and hardship, they know what it is like to have to constantly worry about monetary issues, or rather the lack of it, and the safety of their friends and family. In times of war, every goodbye could be your last. Could you imagine bidding farewell to your family every morning, and your friends every evening, not knowing if it would be your last? I cannot. Though teens these days face plenty of stress from their studies, our parents faced stress coming from life itself, and our stress pales in comparison.

As mentioned above, I do not agree that teens these days are less able to handle stress compared to their parents, we just face a lot more stress from our studies and from our constant connection to the rest of the world, though I do agree that our parents’ generation faced plenty of stress to. It’s just that these two generations of people face different sets of stress, and it is not fair to either party to compare them this way.

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So that's it.

All the best for all your examinations and I'll see yall after Os!!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

~jessykeejiayi><

My Last Year In Moonlight Castle High School: Chapter 4

Yo peeps!

My prelims are finally over, so I'm gonna spend the day blogging and posting new content for yall.

Enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 4: Moonlight Castle High School
Tuesday, 1st October 1998

Today, school had just started. For the rest of September, we had holiday camp outside the grounds of Moonlight Castle. That meant that we had it in the Woods, but only the high school pupils got to go because elementary students were not old enough, and the academy students were busy with exams.

We had to familiarise ourselves with the surroundings as we were going to have an adventure camp there again for our Herbalogy project. I'll tell you more about that later. Now, I'll tell you more about Moonlight Castle High School and why I love staying there.

In the late 17th century, four wizards built Moonlight Castle School. But once they finished it, they had a feeling there was something lacking. So, the first wizard charmed a unicorn and ordered it to protect the school. The second wizard slayed a dragon for its special scales to make the outer part of the school building tougher. The third wizard flew a griffin high into the sky and ordered it to keep a look out for intruders. The fourth wizard worked together with the first wizard and caught a serpent to protect the grounds of the school and hence, the house names. In elementary school, you would be sorted into the different houses by answering some questions about ourselves. Then, we would be placed into our respective houses.

Moonlight Castle High School is the 2nd block which was right in the middle of Moonlight Castle. We have a large commercial town square in the middle that staged duelling. At the front lawn, we have our own gardens to tend to. I am growing Night Roses. Night Roses are roses that bloom int he night. They will sparkle in the morning with fresh dew and give off a sweet scent which calms a person's nerves naturally. They will close at 12pm sharp.

I love studying at Moonlight Castle High School as we can deocorate our own rooms (in elementary school we couldn't; and in the academy, we'd be too busy). Plus, only four girls stay in one dormitory compared to the six in one dormitory in elementary school, so it is more spacious.

Anyways, good night! I need to wake up early for school tomorrow. Professor Chingleton said that the new student is starting school tomorrow as he recovered from a cold only today and I'm assigned as his (it's a he) buddy! Extra work! Nooo!
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I hope you guys liked this. Have a great week!

And all the best to those whose exams are coming, especially those taking their N levels. You guys can do it!

Till the next post, guys!!

My Last Year At Moonlight Castle High School: Chapter 3

Hey guys,

Here's Chapter 3 to end your weekend with:))
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Chapter 3: Day 2 On The Train
Sunday, 15th September 1998

Judy reported for duty again this morning. This time, we had toast and milk for breakfast. In the evening, we would reach Moonlight Castle Schools. I was super excited to see my friends again. Rumour had it that a new pupil would be joining us. Weird. Why join at the last year of high school?

Just then, there was a knocking on our cabin door, "Special delivery for the birthday girl!"

"Cynthia!" I exclaimed as I opened the door and gave my best friend a bear hug.

My birthday was last week so Cynthia had given me a present.

"Open it, quick!" Cynthia shrieked as she jumped onto the bunker.

I ripped open the wrapping paper and opened the box. There sat the cutest kitten you could have ever imagined.

"OMG! Thanks a million Cynthia," I gushed, "Its sooo cute!"

"No problem," Cynthia said as she closed the cabin door.

I saw Shiloh eyeing the kitten in a corner, so I asked her to name it. We finally came out with a name: Cerulean. We named him that because he had sky blue eyes and snow white fur.

After that, we changed into our robes and prepared to get off the train as we would be reaching our destination on about half an hour. We had reached school at around dinner time. Our principle, Professor Chingleton, addressed us and welcomed us back. Then, we sang the school song:

Moonlight Castle School

We love you

You comfort us

When we're bored

You help us in out thoughts

But we'll always remember

You're just a friendly old school

After that, we started dinner. It consisted of every student's favourite foods. From pasta to ice cream to jelly beans to truffles; it was heaven. At 10 p.m. we went back to our dormitories to bathe, change and then sleep.

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So that's chapter 3 for yall. Chapter 4 is a little more on the history of the school so I hope you guys are looking forward to that:))

Have a great week ahead!

I Don't Know Anymore

When I was a child, I dreamt of life as a teacher. Inspired by kindergarten teachers who first opened my eyes to the world around me, I aimed to be like them, and to inspire more children. Even up till primary school, my cousin and I would pretend to be teachers, taking blank pieces of paper and pretending to prepare and mark worksheets for our students. We had little whiteboards back then, and we would make up names for ourselves, and pretend to teach, mimicking our own teachers. A session like this could last until our parents forced us to go home.

This dream stayed with me for a really long time, and now, I am seriously considering it.

But dreams change, or rather, they accumulate.

When I was 13, I helped my mom organised a birthday party, and I realised how much I enjoyed that.I realised that I enjoy helping people plan the party of their dreams. I amused myself by imagining all sorts of events I could help plan, and I fell in love with the idea.

But in the past, all those were just dreams, things that I could only have fantasies about. My main concern back then was to study hard and achieve the best results I can, before making my choice.

That was then.

Now, reality strikes. I am almost at the point where I can finally make my decision. But it really isn't as great as it seems.

You see, as a Secondary 4 student, you get to think about where you want to go after O Levels. Do you want to pursue your A Levels? Or your diploma.

The point is, whatever decision you make, it is pretty much a one way-ticket, one with no returns.

And suddenly, so many voices come in.

Family dinners become an event you look forward to, but dread at the same time, because you are pushed to think about something you are super confused about.

ECG talks become so much more personal.

Advises you hear seem to point you in the right direction, but the path remains a blur.

I'm sure that I'm not the only person facing this now, but whatever the case, the most important thing now is to do well for your Os, and give yourself choices, instead of letting your course choose you.

I may be feeling confused but I always believe that it helps to talk to someone. If you feel that you can talk to me, feel free to comment below, or DM me at justagalstudies on Instagram.

Hang in there guys!💪💪💪

My Last Year in Moonlight Castle High School: Chapter 2

Hey Guys,

I did it.

I rushed out Chapter 2.

Enjoy!:))

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Chapter 2: Day 1 On The Train

Saturday, 14th September 1998

I was woken up by the sound of the food-cart lady's voice, "Wake up, everybody! Wake up! It's breakfast time. Come and buy some snacks."

I quickly jumped out of my bed at full speed, grabbed my money bag and opened the cabin's door. I bought a whole pack of Neville Trotter's Walkable Jelly Beans (don't worry, they are edible), some chocolate truffles with sparkling dust and whistle sweets.

"Wake up, sleepy head. Kate has already bought our breakfast!" Shiloh was awake and trying to wake Judy up.

I joined in and soon, we were sitting around the tiny table in our cabin devouring the scrumptious spread laid before us.

"All prefects please report for duty now. I repeat. All prefects please report for duty now," Professor Amareus announced.

Judy, as she was a head prefect, quickly gobbled down the last bits of her food and changed into her witch's robe (Me and Shiloh only need to do that tomorrow).

"Are you in a hurry to see Mr George Washington again?" I asked Judy slyly.

Judy turned a deep crimson, "Shut up. What Gorge and I do is none of your business."

George was Judy's head prefect partner and also her boyfriend.

"You confessed! Finally!" Shiloh shouted before both of us started rolling on the floor, laughing like hyenas.

"I'll get you next time," Judy hissed at us before slamming the cabin door shut. Shiloh and I just continued laughing.

For the rest of the day, we looked out of the window, enjoying the scenery and playing wizard chess (the chess pieces can move around by themselves if you commanded them to).

When Judy came back, she brought back a paper bag and a smile slid across her face.

"Wow, did George propose that fast?" I asked her.

Shiloh was trying very hard to stifle her giggles.

" No, but I bought these for you," Judy suddenly opened the paper bag and threw out what looked like live mice at us.

"Ahhh!" Shiloh screamed as she was paranoid about mice.

I calmly walked over to the 'mouse', picked it up by its tail and threw it into the bin. When Shiloh realised it was fake, she took a pillow and aimed it at Judy.

"Pillow fight!" I yelled before joining in. To make a long ending short, we slept at around 12 a.m.

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Till the next chapter:))

My Last Year In Moonlight Castle High School: Synopsis + Prologue + Chapter 1

Hey Guys,

Here I have an original short (not my original short). The writer who has very kindly 'submitted' this has requested to remain anonymous, but since this truly a great story, especially if you consider the age at which it was written (the writer was 11 when the story was written), I had to publish this. The writer has revealed that the inspiration for this book came from Harry Potter, but since I read the story before I found out, I don't think that the story has the trace of any influence from JK Rowling. But then again, since I didn't read Harry Potter (yes, I didn't read any of the books. In fact, I didn't even watch the movie), I can't exactly say for sure.

Anyway, just go ahead and read the story. It's really good.

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Synopsis

It is Kate Rose Hemmington's last year in Moonlight Castle High School, but many adventures still await her. FInd out what happens when she meets a werewolf while in the woods, in 'My Last Year in Moonlight Castle High School- The Diary of Kate Rose Hemmington'

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Prologue

The bright rays of the radiant morning sun sifted through the blinds of Kate Rose Hemmington's bedroom. It was morning again, and the start of a new term in Moonlight Castle High School. And it would also be her last.

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Chapter 1: We're Off!

Friday, 13th of September 1998

"Hurry up Kate! We're going to be late!" called my older sister, Judy.

Oh man. Back to school again. I was now in my last year in Moonlight Castle High School for Developing Wizards and Witches. My older sister, Judy, was in Moonlight Castle Academy for Young Wizards and Witches. My younger sister, Shiloh, was in Moonlight Castle Elementary School for Beginners.

I quickly put on a pair of casual jeans and a pink floral blouse. I slipped on my knapsack of toiletries with my witch robe inside and dragged my huge trunk of wizard things down the stairs into the hall. The smell of freshly cooked waffles and maple syrup wafted through my nose as I walked into our mansion's kitchen. Dad was trying to tickle my younger sister, Shiloh, without using his hands. Yup. That's right. Our family has been wizards from the 18th century. All pure-bloods are always in Unicorn-Charmer house. Pure-bloods were wizards who were children of a wizard and a witch. A few wizards or witches were born from parents that were a wizard and a muggle, so some very rude pure-bloods called the mud-bloods. Racists.

There were four different houses in Moonlight Castle School.Unicorn-Charmer, Dragon-Slayer, Gryffin-Flyer and Serpent-Catcher. Each and every person will be sorted into a different house. Unicorn-Charmers were mostly loyal and brave. They had a soft spot for magical creatures and were best at charms, potions and transfiguration and flying on a broomstick. Dragon-slayers were very daring and brave. They were good in transfiguration, duelling and flying using a broomstick. Gryffin-flyers had hearts of pure gold but were a bit too timid to show their true colours. They were almost always the nerd in class, doing awkward things like hugging the teacher or chanting out spells a bit too loud. They were good in growing and re-planting, potions, history... you name it! Serpent-Catchers were the craftiest. They were best at transfiguration, history and duelling.

"Darlings. Have all of you gotten ready for school? You know Mommy is always worried about you. I daydream and always see your faces smiling at me while you are at school. I can feel the pain..." she would ramble on and on.

"Yeah Mom. We know. You can feel the pain whenever we are hurt," Judy, Shiloh and I recited out loud.

"You too, Honey. Remember..." Mom was about to ramble on again.

"That you must take care of yourself and come back to your wife in one piece," my Dad finished Mom's sentence and we all burst out laughing.

It was natural for Mom to do that because my Dad worked as an explorer to find out more about some mythical creatures. We quickly gobbled down our waffles and Dad helped us put our humongous trunks into our family's Rolls Royce. "Wait dears," Mom called out from the front door, "Tell your teachers all the excursions or whatever are already prepaid and signed. And here are your money bags. Shiloh, remember to hand your money bag straight to your house-professor, Professor Sandiford, once you reach school," she said as she handed one knapsack to each of us, filled to the brim with gold galleons, silver quarters and bronze pennies.

Our family was rich since my great-grandfather had found a cave filled with treasure. But that's another story. Anyway, we jumped into the car and waved goodbye to our teary-eyed Mom. Half an hour later, we boarded the train and this time, waved goodbye to a teary-eyed Dad.

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So that's it for this post. I rushed this out so I apologise for any typos. I promise to digitalise the story as soon as possible and post it as soon as I finish, alright. The writer "submitted" a hard copy story to me, so... yeah...

Till the next time:))

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey guys,

I know, I'm sorry that I disappeared for so long.

The thing is, my prelims and major exams are coming in less than 100 days (OMG!!!) and I'm super unprepared, so I really won't be posting anything here for the time being, but check back here on the 17th of November. I will post something by 12 pm. This, I promise.

Meanwhile, do check out my Instagram, justagalstudies.

I will be posting there as and when I have the time, but it will definitely be more frequent than what I'm doing here, for the time being.

In the meantime,

JIAYOUS!! many of our exams are coming up soon enough :((

~jessykeejiayi><

Song Of The Day- 演员

Hey Guys!!

*Aish... I forgot to post this yesterday, but this was meant for yst*

It's kinda a special day today.

It's Megan's birthday!!

Happy Meganisium Day!

For those of you who don't know Megs is my tablemate in school. She is pretty damn awesome, although she only has too states (you know what I'm talking about><). Thanks for making Sec 4 so much more bearable:)) Everything else I want to say you already know:))

Btw, the other point of this post, say yall can see from the title, is to recommend a song I am obsessed about recently. For today, it's 演员.

Basically, the whole reason for publishing this today is:

1. It really is a really good song
2. I got to know this song through this girl, who is none other than... MEGAN

But seriously, it really is that good.

I'll attach both the lyrics and the MV here, so do check it out, you won't regret it, promise.

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Lyrics:

简单点 说话的方式简单点
递进的情绪请省略
你又不是个演员
别设计那些情节

没意见 我只想看看你怎么圆
你难过的太表面 像没天赋的演员
观众一眼能看见

该配合你演出的我 演视而不见
在逼一个最爱你的人 即兴表演
什么时候我们开始 收起了底线
顺应时代的改变 看那些拙劣的表演

可你曾经那么爱我 干嘛演出细节
我该变成什么样子 才能延缓厌倦
原来当爱放下防备后的这些那些
才是考验

没意见 你想怎样我都随便
你演技也有限 又不用说感言
分开就平淡些

该配合你演出的我 演视而不见
别逼一个最爱你的人 即兴表演
什么时候我们开始 没有了底线
顺着别人的谎言 被动就不显得可怜

可你曾经那么爱我 干嘛演出细节
我该变成什么样子 才能配合出演
原来当爱放下防备后的这些那些
都有个期限

其实台下的观众就我一个
其实我也看出你有点不舍
场景也习惯我们来回拉扯
还计较著什么

其实说分不开的也不见得
其实感情最怕的就是拖着
越演到重场戏越哭不出了
是否还值得

该配合你演出的我 尽力在表演
像情感节目里的嘉宾 任人挑选
如果还能看出我有爱你的那面
请剪掉那些情节 让我看上去体面
可你曾经那么爱我 干嘛演出细节
不在意的样子是我最后的表演
是因为爱你我才选择表演 这种成全

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MV:

The first one is the original (I think) and the second one is a remix. Do check it out and I'll see you guys next time:))

I Thought I Found A Friend- Chapter 4

Hey guys,

Super sorry for the lack of updates. My exams are coming but here's a chapter today. To be honest, I have written up to Chapter 12 to date, but I'm not going to release them that quickly for 2 main reasons:

1. I may want to change the plot slightly, depending on how the back chapters play on.
2. I really don't have much time to write now a days, so I'm hoping to release them slowly to buy some time.

But I promise that there will be at least one chapter per month, ok??

THE DEAL

At the bell, I packed up my things at record speed and rushed out of school. I must have been the first person to be out of school that day, but I made a detour to a pharmacy and asked for painkillers. As I reached the void deck, I saw Evan with his headphones on. He was staring intently at the screen, tapping both his hands and his one good leg. He must be choreographing the dance steps for their performance on National Day. It was barely 3 months away. No one could doubt his passion for dance, just like how no one would doubt my passion for photography. I slapped his bag softly to make my presence known.

"Hey, you're late. Didn't anyone teach you that that's is a bad habit?"

"Sorry. I went to get you some painkillers. These were life-saving pills for my friends when they fractured their arms."

For some odd reason, an awkward silence followed.

"Hey, thank you..." he began, shyly. And damn if it wasn't one of those voices that made girls fall for him left right and center.

I shook my head, indicating that it didn't matter.

"Why did you ask to see me today?" Curiosity filled his voice.

"Where do you live?"

"Why? Do you wanna stalk me?" Humour laced his voice, but I was impatient for the answer.

"Urgh, no way in a million years, just tell me where."

"Umm, (insert location)"

"Then there is a direct bus to school. The ride is barely fifteen minutes long."

"Yeah but with my leg, it'll take forever to get on."

"I'll help you. I come to school early every day anyway"

"You serious?"

"Yep, and take your timetable out, will you?"

"What? Why..."

"Hurry up and just do it"

"Okay..."

"Seems like we only have Maths in similarity"

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me how different we are in academics terms." He replied dryly.

"What? No! That's not what I meant. I mean to say... meet me here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I can help you with Math. I believe that you can pass all your subjects, and make it into a good course in Polytechnic or wherever you want to go after graduation."

"But why? Why me?"

"I'll see you at the bus stop at 6.30am, and here at 3pm, Wednesday." And I left.
---

Hope you guys enjoyed that.

Let me know how you want the story to continue and I'll see if I can weave it in:))

Till the next time:))

I Thought I Found A Friend- Chapter 3

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...

It all began when we were in Secondary 3. I was a Student Councillor and he was the typical student. He was the Captain of the school Competitive Dance team, and I was the President of the Drama Club. I was in the Express Stream, and he, the Normal (Academic) Stream. If not for that incident, our paths would probably never cross even though we were in the same school...

I was doing my usual duty at the school gates and had to make sure to note down the names of those who were late to school. To be honest, I was surprised to see him in the queue of late comers that day. I had heard that although his didn't get good results, he worked hard, sometimes even harder than those in the Express Stream. He was also very passionate about Dance, something I didn't expect, coming from a scrawny boy. In our school, late comings are the equivalent of throwing away whatever leadership role you held, no matter how well you performed.

Since my partner was on a toilet break, and I had dealt with all the other 'offenders', I took a moment to probe further into his reason for being late.

"What is your name? Class?"

"Evan Cheng. 3I"

"Why are you late for school today?"

"Well, I fractured my leg and was already moving very slowly. And then I came across this road sign. It said 'SLOW', so I moved even slower. In fact, I was overtaken by an eighty-year-old lady, not to mention two snails. You can imagine how bruised my ego got."

I raised my eyebrow.

"Ok, not funny. To be honest, I fractured my leg and had to take a longer time to walk to school. I just badly estimated the extra time I had to take. I probably won't even come to school tomorrow. It's such a hassle. My results are terrible already, another missing week won't make it better, so why not just stay at home."

"Excuses! I'll let you off today, but meet me at the void deck nearest to our school after school today, I'll help you think of a solution. Now go to class."

Between periods, when teachers were late for class, I quickly took out any homework I had and tried to complete it. Maggie, noticed my odd behaviour when I rejected her request to eat recess with her to complete my homework, so she tried to dig deeper.

"Why are you rushing all your homework? Is there a good TV show on tonight? Or are your parents bringing you out to 'show off' again?"

"I have something on after school today. But nope Mags, it's none of those reasons." I replied before waving her away.

Study Guide 101

Hey Guys!

It may be almost the end of February, but it is not too late if you want to start studying, even for your Os. I promise.

Although it may seem like a tall task, we all can do it.

A large part of studying (for me at least), is to write my own notes. So today will be all about how to write notes:))

HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN STUDY NOTES 101

Step 1: Gather your resources.

I typically use:

• Mildliners
• Blue pen
• Pink pen
• Red pen
• Black pen
• Green pen
• A ruler
• Pencil
• Textbook & other notes
• A notebook (I'm using a grid notebook)

But seriously though, any pen you like to use it completely fine. But find a notebook you really like. It doesn't really matter theoretically, but it helps with the motivation.

Other than that, I find music really helpful, but of my entire song collection of over hundreds of songs, not all of them are actually helpful music, so take some time to create your playlist. I do this on my laptop even though the phone works as well. For studying purposes, I have 37 songs I love that I put on repeat. Here they are:

The other thing is that I find that having water by your side it super useful as well.

Step 2: Flip through the chapter and take note of the main points.

For me, I tend to highlight the things I feel are important as I go along.

Most importantly, take extra note of the headings. These are usually the key points.

Step 3: Start writing proper.

I like my notes to be structured, so this is what I usually do:

1. Write the name of the chapter at the top of the page. (I like to doodle a little beside, just to make the notes look pretty.)
2. Write the key points, meaning the subheadings.
3. Decorate your notes a little, but never be overly concerned about the aesthetics. The content is WAY more important.
4. Now, write down the subheading and put in the content. Don't worry if you need diagrams, in fact diagrams are even more helpful sometimes.
5. I usually put my formulas in a red box, and other things I need to memorise in a box of another colour, depending on the colour theme for the chapter.

Step 4: Summarise.

Now that you are done with the notes, summarise everything. I usually don't write out this part, but i photocopy and cut out parts of the textbook, like the Key Ideas part and the Mindmap provided.

Step 5: PRACTISE, PRACTICE AND PRACTICE.

It is not enough to write notes if you want to ace your exams. You need to practice questions. I would recommend:

• Ten-Year-Series (fondly known as the TYS)
• other more renown assessment books [Let me know in the comments section below if yall want recommendations] 

Alright guys, that's it for today. All the best and share with me some of your own study tips below:))

Nitezzz

Essay 1: Are Teens Today Overprotected? + 怪我

Hey guys!!

I'm super sorry for the lack of posts lately. School has been an absolute nightmare. So many things are going on at the same time. Still, I would like to take some time to share this essay with all of you. I wrote this for a school assignment, and is actually based on an O'level 2013 question. Of course, although this is an original piece of writing, this version is edited by my super awesome English senpai, Ms Jessie Ng. Hope you guys will like this:))

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‘Ah girl, listen to mummy. It is better to be safe than sorry.’ Does this sound familiar to you? How many of us have, in fact, heard this line come out from our parents’ mouths in our schooling years? I have heard this one time too many, yet I strongly believe that parents do not always know best. It is with the same conviction that I say that many parents today are overprotective, and youths, overprotected.

First of all, I feel that many parents today are more highly educated than those from about 20 to 30 years ago. Hence, there is a higher tendency for parents to think that they know the education system better than anyone else, or more specifically, the child. There is a higher tendency for parents to think that they have more experience than the child. There is a higher tendency for parents to think that they know everything, just because they are more educated than their children. But this is not the case. The truth is, there have been many changes made to the education system since our parents’ times. The truth is, education in the 21^st century is very different from that in the 1980s or 1990s. The truth is, many parents cannot accept this fact. In a nutshell, this is why many parents are overprotective of their children—because they think they know everything.

Youths may be overprotected simply due to the fact that society today is very competitive. Most people have an academic degree, so how can we find a job without one ourselves? This need for a degree pushes parents to drive education towards only results, despite the teachers’ push for a dynamic and holistic education. This phenomenon is obvious in the following actions: parents driving their children to school, parents arranging enrichment classes for their children, even parents carrying their children’s bags for them. The rationale? Parents do not want their child to be tired and then as a result, not be able to absorb what the teachers are teaching them. But what does this do to a child? My own primary school life was exactly like this, and this stayed on until I was in Secondary Two. What happened to me, you may ask. Well, my life turned out to consist only of studying and nothing else. I did not manage to form meaningful friendships with my primary school classmates, and eventually I started to push everyone away. Spending recess with a book was all I ever knew, and I never experienced what the social butterflies did. It was not until I entered secondary school that things started to change, but that is another story for another day. The main point is, a parent’s overprotectiveness can lead to a child’s isolation, and is this a sign of young people being overprotected? Yes it is. Why? Simply because they do not get to live their own lives. A lot of times, children with a similar story to mine are simply living out their parents’ dreams instead of their own.

Another sign of overprotectiveness on the parents’ side is when a child is unable to maintain his own life. I am not trying to say that children should live alone, but freedom should still be given to the child where basic life skills like washing up or sweeping are concerned. Youths need to be able to experience and find out the most effective way for them to do things. Yes, we may make mistakes, but can parents say that they were good at folding clothes from the very start? We are always saying that mistakes can be made in our homework, so why does this not apply to other aspects of life? Our parents cannot always be the ones who take care of daily tasks for us. As youths, one day we will grow up and form our own families. If we only learn how to do day-to-day tasks then, will it be too late? Overprotecting the child may not always be the best way to prepare the child for the future.

On the other hand, I can see why many parents end up being overprotective. How can I not, when my own parents tell me this at least three times a day? Parents overprotect due to the fear of their children wasting time going on the path of failure. They do not want to see us making the same mistakes as them but what they fail to remember is that we all have our own lives to lead. We have our own paths to take. We have our own mistakes to make. While their actions are those of love for us, these actions may in fact handicap our self-sufficiency. To share experience is one thing, but to dictate life choice is another.

Thus in conclusion, young people these days are too protected and this is not a good sign. Changes have to be made, and it has to start from every parent.

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Alright! That's it. I really hope that you guys liked it and if I have any more essays worthy of your reading, I'll definitely share.

On a sidenote, HAVE YALL LISTENED TO THIS SONG!! IT IS TOTALLY BAE MATERIAL!! I have been listening to it since Valentine's Day, non stop...

I'll put the MV here

Have a great 2 weeks people, March holidays are coming soon! Jia yous!!!!

~jessykeejiayi

I Thought I Found A Friend- Chapter 2

THE NEW SCHOOL

Here we are. My new school.

Yes, I'll admit that it is not the best school. But neither am I the best student.

Still (insert name of school) IS one of the better schools in the area. 

I was told by my parents that the expected the best from me. Because they give me the best.

Mother was a typical oldest child from a low-income family. She never did complete her primary school education as she had to work to support her younger siblings. By sheer stroke of luck and fate, she found a job in my grandfather's factory, and got to know my father from there.

Father was the typical prince of the family. He studied in prestigious schools through out his educational life, from (insert name of primary school) to (insert name of university)

It was pure love and fate that brought them from the factory to the church,with wedding bells ringing along the way.

Still, Father's family couldn't accept their dreams of Father marrying another rich and educated girl crashing down, and guess where that brought them. Fights and arguments became a norm in the family after Father announced the engagement. And it got to a point where Father left the house, the company and the family.

For some reason, Mother stayed and continued to work as a clerk in the factory.

So for the first 3 years in (insert name of primary school), I was one of the model students in school. I was in Express stream. I handed my homework in, always on time. I passed all my tests with flying colors.

For 3 years, my best friends, Ching Lim and Angela, and I were the Top 3 in school and all our friends were in the Express Stream as well. In Secondary 3, Anglela was our class chairperson.

For 3 years, we were the hot favourites in school. All the teachers wanted us to be emcees for school events, public performances, anything and everything.

But things are bound to change...

Fate and Destiny

Fate.

Untouchable, but felt by all.

Cannot be seen, but it is still everywhere.

Fate and destiny are amazing. They govern who comes into your life, who hurts you to teach you something about life, who comes to protect and fight for you, and who nurses your wounds and comfort you in times of sadness.

I have experienced it, and I believe that all of you have or will.

It is an amazing feeling.

The 12-year-old me didn't believe in friendship, but she came into my life at my 13-year-old year, and completely changed me.

She is the reason I am still functioning, and didn't collapse when I am at my weakest.

She makes my NC experience complete.

She is my happy pill, and you really cannot help but cheer up around her.

She may be hard to understand at first, but she is worth it.

She inspires me to push on even when I feel like giving up.

She deals with more drama than me, maybe at a more acute level, but deals with it so much better.

She stands up for me.

If you happen to chance upon this post,  I just want to say, THANK YOU. There's no way I could have survived NC without you. I am super grateful for your appearance in my life, and everything else that I want to say, you would received every now and then.

I thank my lucky stars that arranged your appearance, and most of all, our fate and destiny.

THANK YOU.

I Thought I Found A Friend- Chapter 1

GETTING TO KNOW AMELIA

Dear Diary,

215.

4Cs and 1B.

Looking back, all my life, I have just been studying. Do I have a large group of friends I can call up when I'm feeling down or to fangirl together? Do I have a social life?

No.

All day and all night, I study. On top of an endless pile of homework, I still have to make time for revision

Is this the life that I want? I want to be able to go out with my friends and have fun. I want to be able to text someone all day. I want to have a relationship with a friend so close that i can send so many messages to them yet not have to worry about looking like a clingy little kid who needs attention all the time.

I sometimes even want a relationship. A guy who would treat me well. :)

All i ever had was my studies; my academic achievements.

And now, even that is no longer existent. It went up in smoke when my PSLE results came out. I should have at least gotten a 250. Why was it that I did so badly in comparison?

I will never forget the disappointed look on Dad and Mom's faces when they heard about my results. I am an only child, my parents' pride and joy. They spent so much money on my tuition fees, all in hope that I can do well, go to a reputable secondary school, then junior collage and finally enter a good university. only then will I be able to find a job that pays well and has reasonable welfare. I would be the cream of the crop.

And now i let them down. :(

What's gonna happen now?

I don't know. I'm confused. I'm scared.

Oh diary, help me, please.

Amelia

I Thought I Found A Friend- Synopsis

SYNOPSIS

The studious girl who ace all her subject.

The notorious 'bad boy' who works harder than anyone knows of.

And the developemnt of a teenage romance.

Will they survive the sterotypes of society?

Or will reality breakup this pair?

A typical love story..., with a not so typical ending...

Guys, this is my very first story, so I'm going to take my time posting, alright?

I mean I will always post a couple of chapters late so I know that I won't write myself into a corner. If I do, at least then I will be able to change and edit before you guys get to read. I'm sorry in advance if the updates take a super long time, but I promise I will try my best to give you the best of my abilities. Meanwhile, let your imagination flow and you can let me know how you want the story to go and I'll see if I can fit it in, alright?

Till the next chapter:))

Faith, Trust and Acceptance- The Basis of Friendship

Sometimes doubt seems to fill my mind 

And I can't leave the past behind 

Got to take things one at a time 

Just believe and it will be fine

So many things have happened these couple of weeks.

So many friendships fell apart in front of my eyes.

So many options to take, so many choices made.

But today, I want to talk about FAITH, the one thing that should govern your choices.

Now, according to Oxford's Dictionary, 

and I totally agree.

Even between friends, faith is one of the most important things that friendship is built on.

So what happens when a friendship runs out of faith, trust and acceptance?

But how do you define friendship in the first place?

To me, to be a friend, you have to be there when I need you, and similarly, allow me to be there when you need me too.

But first, we need to communicate. How else would we know what is going on in the other's life? Communication doesn't have to be about the deepest things in life, being all philosophical all day. We should feel comfortable around each other, and be able to double text without feeling like: 'OMG! I double texted! Will he/she think that I am annoying?'

Shouldn't we be able to just tell each other about our day? Be it awesome or horrible, or even if its just average. This is even more so when we have feelings to express, be it a classmate who pissed you off, or an annoying teacher who you don't really like.

Then if you are uncomfortable around me, then what's the point of even being friends? What's the point of even being acquaintances?

What's the point of me even being in your life?

I might as well just disappear from your life. I could even save myself some dignity and find the correct person who will support me all the way, just like how he/she will allow me to support them.

Just look at point number 1, how can I have complete trust when you push me away?

Oh and by the way, not wanting to disturb your friend is definitely not a valid to neglect the friendship.

If happen to read this, and you know who you are, I'm sorry for putting this online, but I promise your identity will still be confidential.

Got to take things one at a time 

Just believe and it will be fine

So to all those out there who are facing some sort of trouble, sit down with a trustworthy friend and just let it all out. After the conversation, just make sure that you have a solution and as I tell my friends, even if your tactic is to pull the disappearing act and avoid the situation altogether, just fake it till you make it.

Till the next time, HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!!! :)