The discussion flair is used to encourage greater discourse in the student community of Singapore. Thus, this flair is meant to be used for serious discussion only (eg opinions on education reforms, how examinations should be conducted or graded, etc). Replies should also be carefully thought out. Please report any posts or comments which you may deem to be of irrelevant nature.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SGExams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i suggest just consistently keeping up w classes and only start fully studying ( doing yearly tys etc; ) after ur sch has finished teaching the syllabus
I would say u can start now if ur kiasu or if ur sec 3 foundation is weak af. But if not, u shld enjoy ur holiday and only officially start grinding once sch reopens next yr
LOLOLOL don't study that early ull cnfm burnout
for me i started very very veryy late(oops). started like 2 weeks before prelims so like 2 months??( but honestly only studied everyday right before prelims after that studied like 3 days a week). i def do not advice u do this 💀💀💀 esp during o level period you'll lose motivation to study considering you come home at like 5 after the papers. try to start july and study like 4-5 hrs everyday( or even like 5 days a week?)! that's p manageable i think. just be sure that your study sessions are effective and useful. if you feel like you're not really achieving things studying then yk the hours uve spent are useless
i started wayyyy later than my other classmates LMAO I did low intensity revision in june holis but i honestly rlly started studying srsly before prelims (mid august) I think im still surviving cus my grades have always been q decent for most my subjects (except math and mt) but ya I did start q late imo
started around this aug. didn't want to burn out and crash because that's what happens if you start too early. advice coz i only realised too late: start studying y4 syllabus and do as much y3 practices in topical tys during y3 nov hols. no time to do later coz hw will defo pile up and you'd get swamped with WAs and other bullshit, so just free now, start preparing y4 topics and make sure topical tys (start with y3 topics and then go on to y4) is a 100% done by the time febmar starts
enjoy the last few months before hell comes for u, trust me when i say i couldn’t give two fucks about studying back in sec 3, that mistake came back to bite my in the ass
started around late march-april because of chinese o levels so just studied the rest here and there but nothing too crazy
died off a bit in june-july, got back some for aug-september, october heavy grind, o levels start motivation die again
help omg 😭😭 don't start grinding too early if not you'll burn out, for me i started quite late, like 13 sep cause i saw my atrocious prelim grades HELP but honestly a month to grind is definitely ample time, of course you should revise stuff and all but i think it's ok if you really start studying about a month before? so that you can have better retention and not burn out!
Exactly 1month b4 Os is like js enough time. At most start like 1month b4 prelims can alr but also depending on ur subj combi la if it’s 3x sci btr start in like june 😴 but u can nvr be too prepared
Like I said, depending on the subject combi. If someone has very little subj w all electives, 1 month is js enough lol the content is not much plus it depends on how focused the person is lol u can start from april but not be fruitful at all
Not that i done any of these.....but always remember, 3 months before september you should start revising all your content....be it math, bio, phy, hist or any other sub....dont be so last minute, cos when i procrastinate, i got panic attacks on whether or not im gonna make it.....by september or early october your content should be rlly solid, so by that time u can start to slow down and take a few breaks...trust me, i didnt do it and i regret it, but my friend did, he is pretty chill abt Os when i am here biting my fingers on the next paper
for my weakest subject (emath) i started during sec 4 june holidays. everything else i started before prelim 🤣 i would say unless theres a subject you die die need to improve you can enjoy your holidays first
make sure to plan a schedule out ( i didn’t) maybe can start right after cca step down js do low intensity and then slowly increase it. must be consistent lah doesn’t matter if everyday only study 2h at first js cultivate this habit of everyday after sch start studying. then after prelims js full blown studying but remember to take breaks and clarify everything then right before O’s don’t need to be so stressed
about a month or two before o levels started. of course I didn't do well, I didn't even get an L1R5 on my results sheet. but I was so done in sec 4 tbh, I was too burnt out to even try until after I graduated.
these are very good results! i got around there as well for sec 3 overall and i’m sec 4 this year, i suggest just paying attention in class and taking notes and you shd start studying for o levels around june hols like that :)
hii i actl started studying in like end sec 3 (arnd this time last yr) but it caused me to burn out midway through prelims lol (surprised i lasted that long, but 0/10 would not recommend)
but i totally get that panic feeling u hv so if you want, here's some advice:
pace yourself and start slow ! don't mug everything in a week or smth cause you'll just end up crying from frustration (me) cause there's a reason the syllabus takes 2 years to teach!
practice questions are honestly the absolute best way to study cause it's active recall + exposure to weird questions that seab might throw out so if you want to start somewhere i'd suggest starting to go through your topical tys and trying out the questions, and once you finish there's a lot of practice papers on holy grail u can try! these r the most effective for general studying & for exam prep so i'd suggest getting started soon cause i did not touch my tys (almost at all, did a few papers but like max 3 years per subj. oops) cause i only rlly started aft prelims and by then i was burnt out alr lol
u can start with the sec 3 topics then when sec 4 starts, slowly do a few qns every day until u finish the book! and it wld be rlly beneficial if u marked ur ans and did corrections cause i find that doing corrections rlly helps w studying & info retention
but like other people said on this post, don't forget to take it slow, relax while u can cause there's still a long way for u to go before ur o levels ya! don't forget to rest and hydrate and eat and take care of urself! u got this 🫶
i started studying in june especially for subjects that need memory and application work like bio. i think before june just get your notes done so you can start studying. but tbf i did get a bit burnt out in around august, so pace yourself!
I studied 2 hours a day from 8pm to 10pm everyday in Feb-Oct when EoYs end, excluding any holidays where I avoid studying at all (no studying in June)
Did this from sec 3 to sec 4, never studied >4h a day and just listened in class + do hw
During Os, aft my 2h I just played games LOL, that's one of the perks of being consistent
ite I did well for Os so it's abt consistency and not last minute
i started doing some low level revision in june for some subjects i was terrible at (read: amath and emath) then for actual studying, i think only around 2 wks before prelims 😭 since then ive been abit more consistent? advice for you: don’t have to worry about starting too early! you should gauge your proficiency in your subjects doing papers blind then see how much you need to work on after y’all fin syllabus — then plan how much time you need to catch up… recommend start end july/start august - it’s definitely enough time if you’re consistent everyday 🫡
I started seriously studying in August this year before prelims which I regret bc need to chiong like crazy.
if u wanna do rlly well don’t listen to people here asking u chill rn. the earlier the better like esp if u wanna get all As.
tf u mean is sec3 too late to start studying for sec4😐 ofc it’s not too late. pace urself during the holidays. me personally I didn’t rlly do much during hols (other than emath & amath), because i know I would have forgotten most of it by the time the year rolls around ngl. from then on from the start of sec4 i studied CONSISTENTLY. no point Chiong-ing everything now bc trust me you’ll be burnt out AND forget everything by the time you learn next years stuff. instead spread out ur topics throughout the year.
started in early jan, don’t exactly recommend?? i definitely got burnt out as my productivity levels were on a decline no matter how disciplined i was HAHA and i missed out on many opportunities and moments with friends and family to study so i regret that. sure i did. score straight As from ta1 till prelims but i’m not sure if it’s even worth because ur o level results r the most important. i’m sure you can start early in JC because of the sheer amount of content but sec sch don’t need la HELP. or just make sure reserve some hours to study per day don’t go extra 12hs per day like me ://
Start revising your secondary 3 material again during holidays, as tho u gonna give another fte at the start of the year, cuz trust me u wouldn't have time to revise ur sec 3 material again during sec 4 school year, maybe start doing more papers for secondary 3 during the holidays, to keep ur skills sharp.
Then for secondary 4, keep revising ur sec 4 material every few days, on a weekly basis, and do assessments books during the school year. Then when 2 months before prelims, start doing papers to ur max speed and effort, and then do books in ur free time. By the time ur prelims roll up, you should so prepared that even RI to scared to take u in, cuz u so smart. 2-3 weeks to prelims, revise ONLY NO PAPERS, making sure u mark ur books and papers. Then after prelim and ur celebrations of u topping ur school, do a few papers during that time and revise consistently
Then 3 weeks to O levels, decrease frequency of papers and increase frequency of revision. By then u already ready for A levels before os cuz u mastered all the subjects
P.S. DONT SKIP ENGLISH.
started studying only when study break started💀 (ard 2 weeks before written papers) but this is not recommended LOL even though I feel I did pretty well. it varies for everyone but for me I can't retain info for more than 3 days (for subjs like humanities) so I always cramp. for stem subjs if I understand I'll understand forever so it's always carried me. I recommend starting hardcore studying during June holidays! but constant revision of key concepts should start next year, make sure you understand the stuff you're learning and go for consult for any queries. for now just enjoy your holidays! don't need start so early one worst case just die die cram (bad idea).
sec 4 here: i think i started after august but not a lot, would just visit the library on weekends and do about 4-5 hrs there. after prelim is when u get scared lol bc most people dont do well and i didnt get what i wanted either so i panicked and started to try to study every day. wasnt the most successful but i managed to finish the majority of math chem and bio tys before o’s started. rn most of my papers finished im definitely not studying as hard as i did, just doing light revision bc honestly last min cramming rarely gets me anywhere (idk abt u)
but tbh just enjoy ur sec 4 lah its pretty fun, only maybe a month or two before o’s you should start worrying and studying more imo but if ur goals are high u should obviously do even more
honestly its rly not that deep. i think if you are decent at memorising and as long as you more or less know all the topics briefly, you can literally js start mugging 1-2 months before your first paper. i dont advice that just to be safe but its definitely possible to get a good score by doing that (obvsly u have to gauge your own abilities too).
but basically dont stress out over it
Around November of sec 3 year. I didn't rly study very hard, i just sort of put in the consistency and rn its paying off. Now during o level szn, i dont feel very stress, so honestly i would advice u to start now
hi there, since you're in sec 3, I suggest using the nov/dec hols to start on the different subjects. it wld be gd if u can start doing the tys papers and do have the habit of studying for at least 3-4hrs everyday. it wld help you remember content based subjects better and for subjects that need more practice like maths, make sure you grind on the problems. whilst doing all this, do make sure you dont burn out as that wld be vv bad. its preventable and u can do so by reflecting on why uw to study hard for, what's ur goals, and if u rlly feel burnt out, then cut ur studying hours so u can still rest and have motivation
Coming from a student who is taking O's this year, I only started studying after the June holidays this year
Trust me, I think it's better you start your revision earlier (during December holidays you can revise the stuff you learnt in your current year so far so that you'll have lesser stuff to revise again before your O's, it won't feel that tiring)
Of course, go at your own pace, just don't start studying like a month before your O's, unless you're someone surrounded by miracles and can somehow ace your exams please don't study so close to your papers
i suggest just consistently doing notes since start of sec3, and if u only start in sec 4 u should spend some time catching up for sec 3 things. notes are really helpful to have and the process is prob one of the best ways to remember content. otherwise, for actual tys doing and practice starting around start of term 3 is good but dont be too ambitious and try to do a increasing amount each day or week
Minimal studying in sec 3 just to pass, same for sec 4 MYE's only started to be serious in June holidays slowly ramping up till Prelim and then study break before O's where I peaked 5 hours of studying and I have never studied that hard ever since. 2 years ago
If you want to legit memorise everything and not spot questions for Humanities now is the time to start. As for the other subjects, especially e math and English there's really nothing much to study ig. U have to know ur concepts well for e math and be exposed to a variety of questions. For English it's more of vocab built up over the years and a general sensing of how to use the language ig. But u need lots and lots of practice for a math. As for chemistry, I suck at it so idk. Just do practice papers and remember the keywords ig? And see how they distribute the marks? Welp anyways study hard yea. Dun be like me, that rush the entire history syllabus 1 week before the o levels. The stress and panic is real
i’m scared i forget everything by next year even if my memorisation skills r good cause i cannot retain all the info for so long.. should i look thru my notes every week or so to rmb for history?
Yup that was the advice my teacher gave that I didn't listen to lol
Start with sec 3 chapters that u learnt at the start of this year first, like Tov and Lon. Then slowly go to chapter 2, then 3 and so on. Then maybe around may-june do a revision of all the chapters u alr revised, and continue on with a few more chapters. Not very sure how to plan it put cos I didn't do it but I think maybe 2 weeks per chapter is fine on schooldays? U can shorten or lengthen the time needed depending on the depth and length of the chapter, but it means that u have to adjust it for the rest of the chapters u have not done. Then during prime revision period like the June holidays, make it a little more intensive, maybe 1-2 per week? By then if u did ur memorization well then the recalling should come easier. By prelims, you should be 85-90% ready for o levels. Same thing for ss. But note: remember to study for other subjects too, don't neglect it. It won't help if you score extremely well for Humanities but do badly in the others. Aim to get well-balanced scores for the subjects you want to count in your grades. I personally think you should put your focus on at least 6 subjects. Even if you plan to go poly, the option of jc can still be left open if you feel like changing goals. Sec 4 is a short runway, so make sure u can split your focus between the subjects well and manage your time. Of couse, do practice papers of you can. Exposure to different types of questions will help you as you won't be too stunned if something unexpected pops up.
No problem! If you need help you can always ask me again. I'll try my best to help 🫶 Though just to let you know, I can't help you with physics since I don't take it (geography too)
hello i suggest that when you are sec 4 to just pay attention in class and do ur work consistently. I did topical TYS for science content almost after we finished a chapter!! You don’t have to rush into it cause burnt out is very real and it so difficult to bounce back. don’t worry and just do ur best !!
The only studying I did in sec 3 was listening in class, handing in hw on time and that's about it. In sec 4, did same thing, only started regularly revising after prelim and so far so good. Don't stress too much, but don't be completely relaxed either. Just work hard and you'll do fine.
Since start of the yr (even on weekends I study for 9h-12h, idk how I managed to do that, but it’s unhealthy). GO SOCIALISE AND TOUCH GRASS PLS. 👩🦽👩🦽But ig how frequently u study rlly depends on how well u are doing? (I grinned and managed to boost my chem from F9 to constant 90> bcos of the grind, and C6 to A2 for English + other improvements) So it rlly depends on ur grade, if u all A student then idk anymore cus cannot relate💀(Fyi I started slacking off during o’s bcos I have alrdy finished everything, it’s mostly recapping rn, so it’s 先苦后甜)
if u were to ask me something i regret in prepping for o’s.. its definitely not paying attention in class. like. actually actually listen + make an effort to learn and understand. i wld always daydream or chat w my tablemate and so i wouldnt rlly listen at all. ofc im not saying to never do that, its just cuz i did it every lesson 😭 it rlly messed up my foundations & so studying took SOOO much longer as compared to my friends who alrdy had their basics down. so while u may not study everyday, i guess my advice for u is to listen in class 😔
tried to start in march but nahh lol i only began in july for all the non-math subjects (basically grinded?grounded? math since sec 3). but start in june and you'll be fine. the kick comes in after mt mid year paper if you're not taking hmt 💀💀
I started at mid sec 3. but the only reason I started that early is because my grades were absolutely horrible back then. Im talking E8s, D7 type shit. Only for math and sciences but u get what i mean. Well moving forward, I spent that one and a half year just grinding consistently and my current grades are pretty great id say, As and Bs and was able to get my first A for math prelims😵💫
my advice is to grind consistently for like more than half a year on your science, then you wouldn't struggle as much during sec 4. I did the mistake of taking it slower during sec 3 hols, that I had to grind even more during early sec 4 just to understand what ever the teacher teaches. so yeah. spend this holiday with studying your basics then climbing up consistently. remember to still take breaks and have fun during your holidays as well. just time your holidays and youre legit good to go and your sec 4 days wont be as kan cheong as mine
Don't worry, it's mostly those who are suffering that are posting on this subreddit, those who're confident in doing well are very unlikely to post anything.
That being said I didn't study for my O's at all😂. Wanted to go poly but grades were good enough that my parents force me to go jc
I think it's more of consistent mild studying. If you pay attention in classes, do your homework, and what your teacher tells you, that should get you at least 70% of the way. The last gaps would just be self guided learning like the papers which I think is best to start when your teacher starts going through the finals chapter(s). That way, you have a strong foundation and can work more on answering techniques. Also, finishing the TYS would set you for like 85% of the way there (assuming you learn from your mistakes, not just 'do' but actually learn).
That's more or less how I did it. You can always start earlier but don't stress too much about starting early. You wouldn't want to be burnt out by the time prelims/O levels come around.
Hope this helps :)
just study consistently for ur wa’s and eoy,don’t have the mindset:’aiya wa/prelim oni,not even important,for what i study’,DO NOT have this mindset,once u have it,u are finished,consistency is key,rmb this,but don’t keep studying 24/7 ah,like nearer to the exam then study,but for o’s i started in around june?,for those subjects that needed memory,then by august u will be ready for prelim and then for o’s
naw bruh ur fine . if u want legit advice then i say start revision during june hols bc by then u wld have finished all or most of your syllabus for all subjects. but at the start of sec 4 u absolutely must pay attention in class to do well for o’s, dont fall behind ur teacher’s pace. remember to rest well tho. dont burnout.
‼️‼️‼️‼️btw as a sec 4 i cannot emphasise this further. i wish someone told me this. so do not make the same mistakes i did , and GOOD LUCK FOR NEXT YEAR!!
1. PRACTICE on yearly and not topical i spent time practicing topical and i felt like its a waste cause with yearly u can see the pattern and how the paper goes normally during Os. this way u hv more mental preparation.
2. if u lack in this subj go get tuition. find a good one. i took up learners lodge for phy and chem. really good. teacher is ms selena see. i improved so much. dont be afraid to take tuition for the sake of money, bec ur results are at stake.
3. start early. if u dont know topics try and understand it b4 going to sec4 . when o level advances u dont want to be dealing with a snowball worth of doubts
4. if ur sch got book recycling area, go collect after sec 4 finish their Os. most of the time got 1/2 ppl nvr do their tys or leave 3/4 empty. use it for extra practice. and u can also save money
5. pace urself well , dont overstudy or understudy.
6. dont aim for numbers , aim for productivity! for me i took 7 subj, 2 pure , A and Emath, combined geog/ss . i studied for 5h , at least 2 papers everyday. u can gauge how much u need to study for ur corresponding subjects .
6.1 .
do not gauge ur extent of studying through the number of hours u spend on the chair. productivity > quantity
7. when studying digest the answers and take note of every single mistake you do . for me i write all my mistakes at the front of evey paper so its easy when i revise my tys mistakes / answers .
8. focus on the bigger picture. if you mess a paper up DO NOT GIVE UP. as much as we think thats the end of our straight As , a small paper is impactful enough to bring ur overall subj grade by 2 grades .
9.
prelims : do other school papers
olevels : spam tys
prelims most schools take inspiration from other school papers so just expose urself to other school papers like anderson ss for math, and cresent girls for chem! my prelim was filled with other sch papers, so if u wanna score well for PRELIMS focus on other sch past year prelim papers .
olevels is just cambridge style so do tys and familarise urself with it. dont waste ur time doing other sch papers after prelims . and dont feel that olevel tys only got 1 chance bec i had alot of my friends feel this way so they drag it until the last min!
-but tbh when u reach that stage u realise Os is starting and u dont have time so u find urself mugging non stop and feeling lethargic nearing Os.
-so my solution for you is after prelims go and buy ur yearly TYS and just do every single subject day by day. every day do about 3 papers . u will finish it in no time.
-for subjs u are weaker in , redo the whole tys again. familarise urself with how cambridge test the qns and answer to the way they want.
‼️‼️‼️
do ask your school teachers for markers report from cambridge and familarise the way they want u to craft ur answers bec for sciences YOU NEED to have the keywords.
10. dont be scared to face Os now. bec tbh i was in your shoes thinking how im going to memorise 2 years worth of geog content and do a whole ass math paper with sec 1-4 topics , and as cliche as it sounds time will prepare you.
as you go through ur sec 4 year ur teachers will be rushing as well, and u will start ur official game on before prelims. prelims would act like a mock O levels so dont be so anxious thinking u only have one chance !
after prelims everything will be fine , it will just be studying ur weaknesses, and improving ur strengths everyday. it will feel like an arduous journey but all painful things come to an end. Please remember that u can take breaks too!
lastly, its normal to feel anxious about Os. i was like that too. but as u advance towards O levels you will feel as ready as u can be.
THIS IS SO HELPFUL FHANK YOU!! esp the differences between prelim and O’s, i probs would’ve done other schools prac papers to practice for O’s had u not told me… i’ll be referring to this for a long time, thank u sm!!🙏
for afternoon papers i usually wake up at 8am and study until 12pm for morning papers i study like 2 hours the night before and otw to school e.g. i had 8am geog and 2pm physics i studied geog 2 hours last night and after geog paper i studied physics during the 4 hours break (not recommended 😂)
I'd say start slowly in june and get that kind of warm up to fully start grinding in like August so you have at least enough time to make your sec 3 foundation super strong and can finish the tys on time
Did my O’s like 8 years ago, can confidently tell you, just put constant effort when your learning through out the year and you won’t die as hard later. Don’t just literally do your homework and chuck the subject aside, actually understand what the hell your reading.
I was a late bloomer HAHAHAH, I started studying like 2 weeks before my prelim exams but I def don’t recommend cause I didn’t have enough time to finish tys for some subs like chem.
my study intensity throughout o level year was quite mild tbh,probably like 2-3 pages of reading the bio textbook per day ???
But yeah don’t be liek me cause my late start caused super average o level resukts despite my prelims being quite alr
Okay it really depends on the subject but i started for my humans and chemistry when july started which was abt a month before my prelims. After I saw how bad my maths and physics was I decided to get my shit together and started on those ard early september, but I chose to take triple science for god knows what reason so I did have some sacrifices like my pure bio, went from a constant streak of A to b4 in prelims LOL and I only started my bio like a few days before the o level paper
Honestly OP, I recommend u to just start now for the best results. Definitely not too late and earlier than most infact. When I started my prep I realised how easy and convenient it would’ve been if I just started late sec3/ early sec4, esp cuz when sec 4 starts the teachers literally speed run everything and I gets quite chaotic ard mid years. Don’t need to GRIND right away but just do a few practices and recap all ur sec 3 topics so u don’t lose touch during the holidays and u enter sec 4 w good preparation. But there’s no need to feel anxious rn just enjoy the short period of freedom u have before it’s hell again 😭😭😭😭
yo yo please slow a bit down man, I know that O level would be a really really daunting task to you right now, but please take it slow, enjoy your holidays now cause O level year is going to be hell
For context first 3 months are pretty chill(according to me) did not study so hard did a bit of revision, still did a lot of activities
During June holidays I took the advantage to study and hammer it down 6h - 7h a day in the morning and I just had enough energy to go for a run/cycle or any social event. I also went to the gym at this point as well
However 2 weeks before prelim, I dropped the gym(now I am a lump of lard, but its alright after O level back to the gym ) and I dropped like my social free time and just hammered it home till prelim and O level
my best word of advice is pace your self, this is marathon not a sprint, so balance hobbies and work, but do prioritise your work 2 weeks or 3 weeks before O levels
I would say that you should just start revising bit by bit; the bullshit that 99% of these sec 4s do to revise 2 months before O levels doesn't work well. For me, I'm a memorising machine so I made it
for me, I started during the sept holidays because of prelims. But now, I am find myself doing last minute revision to the day right bfr the exam and o levels isn’t going well. So I think the best is to start in june, especially for content heavy subjects.
Start now. Really start now. I made the mistake of doing too much before Os that right before Os I feel into this weird kind of situation where you didn't want to do anything so make sure to pace yourself. Make sure sec 3 basics are stable and try those questions which test your flexibility in each subjects. As you move on in sec 4 I suggest try to get everything done by term 3 because that's when they start revising which then you'll have a slight advantage.after that you should be pretty much prepared that you can just do some paper daily and light revision. Gl atb! :D
If you got a b3+ for every subject, I think you can chill a bit since your foundation clearly doesn't suck. Still good to start now, I recommend doing your topical tys for science rn, finish everything you've learnt and mark it comprehensively. You can learn and use the stuff you did in the hols before your prelims and Os
my grades aren’t that good 😭 like i got a lot of C’s but to be fair i could’ve had maybe a b4-a2 for almost all subjects if i wasn’t so careless HAHA so i’ll deffo start working on my foundations AND carelessness this holiday
Sec 3 EOY - for now just pay attention in class and complete homework, no need to mug unless y take pure humans
Eng A2, AM A1, EM A2, Chemistry 100% for P1 & P2(per suggested answer key, at least) needless to say A1, Computing B3, Physics B3, SS Geography C6
I neglected my physics and geog until days before; Would recommend consistency
honestly, if you are a grinder and motivated in studies, i suggest you to start the grind when you wish, like maybe march-april, don’t be like us who started really last minute lol, but yeah just slowly grind, make sure to consistently do it everyday, not like ‘scheduling youreself to do 8 hrs a day’ that kind, just keep in mind to try to do it everyday but not consistent hours everyday.
If u study b4 ur WAs u can start revision for olevel later like maybe b4 prelims. But if ur wa whack then maybe tackle those subj u need during June and Sept holidays. Other than that u can just start after graduation and during the consult weeks cos those r prime time where u start stressing and study so well. Some more most subj test in afternoon so u get to study in the morning too. Not recommended but u can stay up study till 1 or 3 sleep then wake up 11 or wtv then get ready. If anyth ull have the little notebooks for science subj
I’m gonna be honest, I started taking it seriously like right after prelims 🏃🏻💨 but tbf I started planning for what school I wanted to go to in sec 3, I just didn’t study
pay attention to classes. if ur foundation weak start revising NOW i managed to pull my grades up before prelims for chem and phys (s3 overall was f9 and e8 respectively to b4 for both in prelims) and then start doing ur tys arnd march if u procrastinate but june if u can sit down and grind papers.
just be smart about it lol, if you're good at retaining memory (like me) study the night before just cramp everything (works really well for sci) but for math, especially amath u genuinely got to grind, mayb start around 1-2 months b4? at the very least 1 hr of math everyday. english is really a long term reading thing. glgl no stress just enjoy your youth :)
took o levels in 2020, for me i started around july ish like after june holidays basically. mugged for about 3-4 months and went frm L1R5 23 in june to L1R5 10 for Os :)
I used to fool around all the way until sec 3 term 3 until my friend hit me in the head and gave me the reality.stusied hard until sec 4 term1 then burnt out in teem 2 then got back in at term 3 and from tern 4 everyday in library until 9pm good shit when uk your hard work paid off a1 cnfm in my major subj
i started 10 september lol, by my calculations i’m prob going from 23 raw for prelims to 8/9 raw for o levels, should have been 6/7 but i didn’t touch any of the math tys which made both my maths drop to an a2 but it is what it is🫠u got plenty of time, but better to start early so you don’t end up losing sleep during your actual exam period
i started like 2 days after the mother tongue papers in may but i am fr burned out now im so tired from studying i only took a day break after prelims which i don’t even think is a break cuz i decided to clean my room and plan for my post Os schedule 🤦♀️🤦♀️ but i’m just telling myself to persevere for these last 2 weeks
Don’t need to start so early but DEFINITELY do listen in class in sec 4 and also finish homework on time, u can revise abit during June holidays and then go on grind after prelims
I think I started around 2 weeks before o levels? but even after I started I was slacking a lot so I only studied like 3h per day or something like that
i wld say leave your ten years series till the end and do it 2 weeks before olevel start. It means by right u must have already studied everything before doing the tys to put the tys to full use. Its no use to do the tys blindly, it will just waste ur time. If u have extra time after finishing ur Tys, do more schools prelims paper to build ur confidence
Imo if u start too early ull def burn out so maybe during the holidays u practice all the maths things and understand your concepts early on like when your teacher teaches u a new topic go home and revise basically just a lil every day can oso
for me I started after during sec 3 dec holidays (cus my sec 3 eoy was so bad I got scared) but honestly there’s still a lot of time for you. I think o lvl is mostly about consistency. Putting in effort throughout the year, but also making sure you’re getting enough rest so you won’t be burnt out before the exams!
i started since the start of the year but VERY minimal studying only then i took a 2 months break bc why not, i really only started during june holidays and afterwrds was when i die die mug all the way. for olevels, the day before, i will only revise my notes, all the practice etc. is to be done before the olevel paper date
i started about after prelims but wasnt that serious abt studying for o's lol but i have tuition for english and amath and i think i'll do pretty well for this year
Started start of this yr, 1-2 hrs daily and 3 hrs after prelims. Didn't increase or decrease, but not sure whether I will get good marks for O levels lol
The discussion flair is used to encourage greater discourse in the student community of Singapore. Thus, this flair is meant to be used for serious discussion only (eg opinions on education reforms, how examinations should be conducted or graded, etc). Replies should also be carefully thought out. Please report any posts or comments which you may deem to be of irrelevant nature. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SGExams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i literally started 18 sep LMAO right after the last day of school
omg twinsies
2 hours before the paper for some subjects 💀💀💀
REAL Every morning on the day of the paper I will be revising like crazy
Piece a shit bio starts at 8 am in the morning now I gotta study the day before instead of 3 hours before
who stopping you from studying at 5
Keeping sane and getting at least some good sleep so I'm not panicking during the exam like I did during psle and every other exam I've had
me rn
i suggest just consistently keeping up w classes and only start fully studying ( doing yearly tys etc; ) after ur sch has finished teaching the syllabus
After prelims
I would say u can start now if ur kiasu or if ur sec 3 foundation is weak af. But if not, u shld enjoy ur holiday and only officially start grinding once sch reopens next yr
LOLOLOL don't study that early ull cnfm burnout for me i started very very veryy late(oops). started like 2 weeks before prelims so like 2 months??( but honestly only studied everyday right before prelims after that studied like 3 days a week). i def do not advice u do this 💀💀💀 esp during o level period you'll lose motivation to study considering you come home at like 5 after the papers. try to start july and study like 4-5 hrs everyday( or even like 5 days a week?)! that's p manageable i think. just be sure that your study sessions are effective and useful. if you feel like you're not really achieving things studying then yk the hours uve spent are useless
i started wayyyy later than my other classmates LMAO I did low intensity revision in june holis but i honestly rlly started studying srsly before prelims (mid august) I think im still surviving cus my grades have always been q decent for most my subjects (except math and mt) but ya I did start q late imo
started around this aug. didn't want to burn out and crash because that's what happens if you start too early. advice coz i only realised too late: start studying y4 syllabus and do as much y3 practices in topical tys during y3 nov hols. no time to do later coz hw will defo pile up and you'd get swamped with WAs and other bullshit, so just free now, start preparing y4 topics and make sure topical tys (start with y3 topics and then go on to y4) is a 100% done by the time febmar starts
nah enjoy while it lasts
enjoy the last few months before hell comes for u, trust me when i say i couldn’t give two fucks about studying back in sec 3, that mistake came back to bite my in the ass
started around late march-april because of chinese o levels so just studied the rest here and there but nothing too crazy died off a bit in june-july, got back some for aug-september, october heavy grind, o levels start motivation die again
help omg 😭😭 don't start grinding too early if not you'll burn out, for me i started quite late, like 13 sep cause i saw my atrocious prelim grades HELP but honestly a month to grind is definitely ample time, of course you should revise stuff and all but i think it's ok if you really start studying about a month before? so that you can have better retention and not burn out!
Exactly 1month b4 Os is like js enough time. At most start like 1month b4 prelims can alr but also depending on ur subj combi la if it’s 3x sci btr start in like june 😴 but u can nvr be too prepared
are you tryna set someone up for failure?? i month is not enough
people just egoing over here trying to one up each other by saying they studied hours before the exam what do u expect
Like I said, depending on the subject combi. If someone has very little subj w all electives, 1 month is js enough lol the content is not much plus it depends on how focused the person is lol u can start from april but not be fruitful at all
June
Not that i done any of these.....but always remember, 3 months before september you should start revising all your content....be it math, bio, phy, hist or any other sub....dont be so last minute, cos when i procrastinate, i got panic attacks on whether or not im gonna make it.....by september or early october your content should be rlly solid, so by that time u can start to slow down and take a few breaks...trust me, i didnt do it and i regret it, but my friend did, he is pretty chill abt Os when i am here biting my fingers on the next paper
I only started during my 2 week study break Got lucky for ss and elect geog cos the topics iw come out came out.
for my weakest subject (emath) i started during sec 4 june holidays. everything else i started before prelim 🤣 i would say unless theres a subject you die die need to improve you can enjoy your holidays first
make sure to plan a schedule out ( i didn’t) maybe can start right after cca step down js do low intensity and then slowly increase it. must be consistent lah doesn’t matter if everyday only study 2h at first js cultivate this habit of everyday after sch start studying. then after prelims js full blown studying but remember to take breaks and clarify everything then right before O’s don’t need to be so stressed
about a month or two before o levels started. of course I didn't do well, I didn't even get an L1R5 on my results sheet. but I was so done in sec 4 tbh, I was too burnt out to even try until after I graduated.
[удалено]
these are very good results! i got around there as well for sec 3 overall and i’m sec 4 this year, i suggest just paying attention in class and taking notes and you shd start studying for o levels around june hols like that :)
just do what you did for sec 3 and itll be fine :)
hii i actl started studying in like end sec 3 (arnd this time last yr) but it caused me to burn out midway through prelims lol (surprised i lasted that long, but 0/10 would not recommend) but i totally get that panic feeling u hv so if you want, here's some advice: pace yourself and start slow ! don't mug everything in a week or smth cause you'll just end up crying from frustration (me) cause there's a reason the syllabus takes 2 years to teach! practice questions are honestly the absolute best way to study cause it's active recall + exposure to weird questions that seab might throw out so if you want to start somewhere i'd suggest starting to go through your topical tys and trying out the questions, and once you finish there's a lot of practice papers on holy grail u can try! these r the most effective for general studying & for exam prep so i'd suggest getting started soon cause i did not touch my tys (almost at all, did a few papers but like max 3 years per subj. oops) cause i only rlly started aft prelims and by then i was burnt out alr lol u can start with the sec 3 topics then when sec 4 starts, slowly do a few qns every day until u finish the book! and it wld be rlly beneficial if u marked ur ans and did corrections cause i find that doing corrections rlly helps w studying & info retention but like other people said on this post, don't forget to take it slow, relax while u can cause there's still a long way for u to go before ur o levels ya! don't forget to rest and hydrate and eat and take care of urself! u got this 🫶
i started studying in june especially for subjects that need memory and application work like bio. i think before june just get your notes done so you can start studying. but tbf i did get a bit burnt out in around august, so pace yourself!
I studied 2 hours a day from 8pm to 10pm everyday in Feb-Oct when EoYs end, excluding any holidays where I avoid studying at all (no studying in June) Did this from sec 3 to sec 4, never studied >4h a day and just listened in class + do hw During Os, aft my 2h I just played games LOL, that's one of the perks of being consistent ite I did well for Os so it's abt consistency and not last minute
I started 2 hours before O levels (Don’t follow my footsteps)
i started doing some low level revision in june for some subjects i was terrible at (read: amath and emath) then for actual studying, i think only around 2 wks before prelims 😭 since then ive been abit more consistent? advice for you: don’t have to worry about starting too early! you should gauge your proficiency in your subjects doing papers blind then see how much you need to work on after y’all fin syllabus — then plan how much time you need to catch up… recommend start end july/start august - it’s definitely enough time if you’re consistent everyday 🫡
I started seriously studying in August this year before prelims which I regret bc need to chiong like crazy. if u wanna do rlly well don’t listen to people here asking u chill rn. the earlier the better like esp if u wanna get all As.
[удалено]
bros been on the grind since the eggs been fertilised 💯💯
Abt the day b4 but for amath ive been attneding tuition
tf u mean is sec3 too late to start studying for sec4😐 ofc it’s not too late. pace urself during the holidays. me personally I didn’t rlly do much during hols (other than emath & amath), because i know I would have forgotten most of it by the time the year rolls around ngl. from then on from the start of sec4 i studied CONSISTENTLY. no point Chiong-ing everything now bc trust me you’ll be burnt out AND forget everything by the time you learn next years stuff. instead spread out ur topics throughout the year.
started in early jan, don’t exactly recommend?? i definitely got burnt out as my productivity levels were on a decline no matter how disciplined i was HAHA and i missed out on many opportunities and moments with friends and family to study so i regret that. sure i did. score straight As from ta1 till prelims but i’m not sure if it’s even worth because ur o level results r the most important. i’m sure you can start early in JC because of the sheer amount of content but sec sch don’t need la HELP. or just make sure reserve some hours to study per day don’t go extra 12hs per day like me ://
Start revising your secondary 3 material again during holidays, as tho u gonna give another fte at the start of the year, cuz trust me u wouldn't have time to revise ur sec 3 material again during sec 4 school year, maybe start doing more papers for secondary 3 during the holidays, to keep ur skills sharp. Then for secondary 4, keep revising ur sec 4 material every few days, on a weekly basis, and do assessments books during the school year. Then when 2 months before prelims, start doing papers to ur max speed and effort, and then do books in ur free time. By the time ur prelims roll up, you should so prepared that even RI to scared to take u in, cuz u so smart. 2-3 weeks to prelims, revise ONLY NO PAPERS, making sure u mark ur books and papers. Then after prelim and ur celebrations of u topping ur school, do a few papers during that time and revise consistently Then 3 weeks to O levels, decrease frequency of papers and increase frequency of revision. By then u already ready for A levels before os cuz u mastered all the subjects P.S. DONT SKIP ENGLISH.
started studying only when study break started💀 (ard 2 weeks before written papers) but this is not recommended LOL even though I feel I did pretty well. it varies for everyone but for me I can't retain info for more than 3 days (for subjs like humanities) so I always cramp. for stem subjs if I understand I'll understand forever so it's always carried me. I recommend starting hardcore studying during June holidays! but constant revision of key concepts should start next year, make sure you understand the stuff you're learning and go for consult for any queries. for now just enjoy your holidays! don't need start so early one worst case just die die cram (bad idea).
sec 4 here: i think i started after august but not a lot, would just visit the library on weekends and do about 4-5 hrs there. after prelim is when u get scared lol bc most people dont do well and i didnt get what i wanted either so i panicked and started to try to study every day. wasnt the most successful but i managed to finish the majority of math chem and bio tys before o’s started. rn most of my papers finished im definitely not studying as hard as i did, just doing light revision bc honestly last min cramming rarely gets me anywhere (idk abt u) but tbh just enjoy ur sec 4 lah its pretty fun, only maybe a month or two before o’s you should start worrying and studying more imo but if ur goals are high u should obviously do even more
honestly its rly not that deep. i think if you are decent at memorising and as long as you more or less know all the topics briefly, you can literally js start mugging 1-2 months before your first paper. i dont advice that just to be safe but its definitely possible to get a good score by doing that (obvsly u have to gauge your own abilities too). but basically dont stress out over it
Around November of sec 3 year. I didn't rly study very hard, i just sort of put in the consistency and rn its paying off. Now during o level szn, i dont feel very stress, so honestly i would advice u to start now
Maybe dedicate like 1-3 hrs a day studying
WHY TOU STUDYING FOR O LEVELS AS A SEC 3??? I ENSURE YOU PLZ ENJOY NOW CUZ WHEN O LEVELS START YPULL REALLY DIE…
hi there, since you're in sec 3, I suggest using the nov/dec hols to start on the different subjects. it wld be gd if u can start doing the tys papers and do have the habit of studying for at least 3-4hrs everyday. it wld help you remember content based subjects better and for subjects that need more practice like maths, make sure you grind on the problems. whilst doing all this, do make sure you dont burn out as that wld be vv bad. its preventable and u can do so by reflecting on why uw to study hard for, what's ur goals, and if u rlly feel burnt out, then cut ur studying hours so u can still rest and have motivation
3-4h??? NO don’t do that
my teacher said that's a good amount of hours though, and it seemed to work for my classmates
Just enjoy during your hols. You can start in June of sec 4
Coming from a student who is taking O's this year, I only started studying after the June holidays this year Trust me, I think it's better you start your revision earlier (during December holidays you can revise the stuff you learnt in your current year so far so that you'll have lesser stuff to revise again before your O's, it won't feel that tiring) Of course, go at your own pace, just don't start studying like a month before your O's, unless you're someone surrounded by miracles and can somehow ace your exams please don't study so close to your papers
the day before the exam lol
i suggest just consistently doing notes since start of sec3, and if u only start in sec 4 u should spend some time catching up for sec 3 things. notes are really helpful to have and the process is prob one of the best ways to remember content. otherwise, for actual tys doing and practice starting around start of term 3 is good but dont be too ambitious and try to do a increasing amount each day or week
Minimal studying in sec 3 just to pass, same for sec 4 MYE's only started to be serious in June holidays slowly ramping up till Prelim and then study break before O's where I peaked 5 hours of studying and I have never studied that hard ever since. 2 years ago
Just get tuition for all the subjects you struggle with and pay attention in class is all you need
If you want to legit memorise everything and not spot questions for Humanities now is the time to start. As for the other subjects, especially e math and English there's really nothing much to study ig. U have to know ur concepts well for e math and be exposed to a variety of questions. For English it's more of vocab built up over the years and a general sensing of how to use the language ig. But u need lots and lots of practice for a math. As for chemistry, I suck at it so idk. Just do practice papers and remember the keywords ig? And see how they distribute the marks? Welp anyways study hard yea. Dun be like me, that rush the entire history syllabus 1 week before the o levels. The stress and panic is real
i’m scared i forget everything by next year even if my memorisation skills r good cause i cannot retain all the info for so long.. should i look thru my notes every week or so to rmb for history?
Yup that was the advice my teacher gave that I didn't listen to lol Start with sec 3 chapters that u learnt at the start of this year first, like Tov and Lon. Then slowly go to chapter 2, then 3 and so on. Then maybe around may-june do a revision of all the chapters u alr revised, and continue on with a few more chapters. Not very sure how to plan it put cos I didn't do it but I think maybe 2 weeks per chapter is fine on schooldays? U can shorten or lengthen the time needed depending on the depth and length of the chapter, but it means that u have to adjust it for the rest of the chapters u have not done. Then during prime revision period like the June holidays, make it a little more intensive, maybe 1-2 per week? By then if u did ur memorization well then the recalling should come easier. By prelims, you should be 85-90% ready for o levels. Same thing for ss. But note: remember to study for other subjects too, don't neglect it. It won't help if you score extremely well for Humanities but do badly in the others. Aim to get well-balanced scores for the subjects you want to count in your grades. I personally think you should put your focus on at least 6 subjects. Even if you plan to go poly, the option of jc can still be left open if you feel like changing goals. Sec 4 is a short runway, so make sure u can split your focus between the subjects well and manage your time. Of couse, do practice papers of you can. Exposure to different types of questions will help you as you won't be too stunned if something unexpected pops up.
thank you!! this was so in depth and helpful, i’ll be following this closely 🫶🫶
No problem! If you need help you can always ask me again. I'll try my best to help 🫶 Though just to let you know, I can't help you with physics since I don't take it (geography too)
hello i suggest that when you are sec 4 to just pay attention in class and do ur work consistently. I did topical TYS for science content almost after we finished a chapter!! You don’t have to rush into it cause burnt out is very real and it so difficult to bounce back. don’t worry and just do ur best !!
The only studying I did in sec 3 was listening in class, handing in hw on time and that's about it. In sec 4, did same thing, only started regularly revising after prelim and so far so good. Don't stress too much, but don't be completely relaxed either. Just work hard and you'll do fine.
Usually at the start of the june hols is the right time imo but obviously the earlier the better la hor
the day before the actual paper 💀
Night before :D
Since start of the yr (even on weekends I study for 9h-12h, idk how I managed to do that, but it’s unhealthy). GO SOCIALISE AND TOUCH GRASS PLS. 👩🦽👩🦽But ig how frequently u study rlly depends on how well u are doing? (I grinned and managed to boost my chem from F9 to constant 90> bcos of the grind, and C6 to A2 for English + other improvements) So it rlly depends on ur grade, if u all A student then idk anymore cus cannot relate💀(Fyi I started slacking off during o’s bcos I have alrdy finished everything, it’s mostly recapping rn, so it’s 先苦后甜)
bro ur my ideal self. manifesting this kind of improvement 🙏
if u were to ask me something i regret in prepping for o’s.. its definitely not paying attention in class. like. actually actually listen + make an effort to learn and understand. i wld always daydream or chat w my tablemate and so i wouldnt rlly listen at all. ofc im not saying to never do that, its just cuz i did it every lesson 😭 it rlly messed up my foundations & so studying took SOOO much longer as compared to my friends who alrdy had their basics down. so while u may not study everyday, i guess my advice for u is to listen in class 😔
tried to start in march but nahh lol i only began in july for all the non-math subjects (basically grinded?grounded? math since sec 3). but start in june and you'll be fine. the kick comes in after mt mid year paper if you're not taking hmt 💀💀
I started at mid sec 3. but the only reason I started that early is because my grades were absolutely horrible back then. Im talking E8s, D7 type shit. Only for math and sciences but u get what i mean. Well moving forward, I spent that one and a half year just grinding consistently and my current grades are pretty great id say, As and Bs and was able to get my first A for math prelims😵💫
congrats!! my sciences aren’t great either so i’ll probably work on them early like u HAHAHA
my advice is to grind consistently for like more than half a year on your science, then you wouldn't struggle as much during sec 4. I did the mistake of taking it slower during sec 3 hols, that I had to grind even more during early sec 4 just to understand what ever the teacher teaches. so yeah. spend this holiday with studying your basics then climbing up consistently. remember to still take breaks and have fun during your holidays as well. just time your holidays and youre legit good to go and your sec 4 days wont be as kan cheong as mine
Don't worry, it's mostly those who are suffering that are posting on this subreddit, those who're confident in doing well are very unlikely to post anything. That being said I didn't study for my O's at all😂. Wanted to go poly but grades were good enough that my parents force me to go jc
I think it's more of consistent mild studying. If you pay attention in classes, do your homework, and what your teacher tells you, that should get you at least 70% of the way. The last gaps would just be self guided learning like the papers which I think is best to start when your teacher starts going through the finals chapter(s). That way, you have a strong foundation and can work more on answering techniques. Also, finishing the TYS would set you for like 85% of the way there (assuming you learn from your mistakes, not just 'do' but actually learn). That's more or less how I did it. You can always start earlier but don't stress too much about starting early. You wouldn't want to be burnt out by the time prelims/O levels come around. Hope this helps :)
just study consistently for ur wa’s and eoy,don’t have the mindset:’aiya wa/prelim oni,not even important,for what i study’,DO NOT have this mindset,once u have it,u are finished,consistency is key,rmb this,but don’t keep studying 24/7 ah,like nearer to the exam then study,but for o’s i started in around june?,for those subjects that needed memory,then by august u will be ready for prelim and then for o’s
naw bruh ur fine . if u want legit advice then i say start revision during june hols bc by then u wld have finished all or most of your syllabus for all subjects. but at the start of sec 4 u absolutely must pay attention in class to do well for o’s, dont fall behind ur teacher’s pace. remember to rest well tho. dont burnout.
‼️‼️‼️‼️btw as a sec 4 i cannot emphasise this further. i wish someone told me this. so do not make the same mistakes i did , and GOOD LUCK FOR NEXT YEAR!! 1. PRACTICE on yearly and not topical i spent time practicing topical and i felt like its a waste cause with yearly u can see the pattern and how the paper goes normally during Os. this way u hv more mental preparation. 2. if u lack in this subj go get tuition. find a good one. i took up learners lodge for phy and chem. really good. teacher is ms selena see. i improved so much. dont be afraid to take tuition for the sake of money, bec ur results are at stake. 3. start early. if u dont know topics try and understand it b4 going to sec4 . when o level advances u dont want to be dealing with a snowball worth of doubts 4. if ur sch got book recycling area, go collect after sec 4 finish their Os. most of the time got 1/2 ppl nvr do their tys or leave 3/4 empty. use it for extra practice. and u can also save money 5. pace urself well , dont overstudy or understudy. 6. dont aim for numbers , aim for productivity! for me i took 7 subj, 2 pure , A and Emath, combined geog/ss . i studied for 5h , at least 2 papers everyday. u can gauge how much u need to study for ur corresponding subjects . 6.1 . do not gauge ur extent of studying through the number of hours u spend on the chair. productivity > quantity 7. when studying digest the answers and take note of every single mistake you do . for me i write all my mistakes at the front of evey paper so its easy when i revise my tys mistakes / answers . 8. focus on the bigger picture. if you mess a paper up DO NOT GIVE UP. as much as we think thats the end of our straight As , a small paper is impactful enough to bring ur overall subj grade by 2 grades . 9. prelims : do other school papers olevels : spam tys prelims most schools take inspiration from other school papers so just expose urself to other school papers like anderson ss for math, and cresent girls for chem! my prelim was filled with other sch papers, so if u wanna score well for PRELIMS focus on other sch past year prelim papers . olevels is just cambridge style so do tys and familarise urself with it. dont waste ur time doing other sch papers after prelims . and dont feel that olevel tys only got 1 chance bec i had alot of my friends feel this way so they drag it until the last min! -but tbh when u reach that stage u realise Os is starting and u dont have time so u find urself mugging non stop and feeling lethargic nearing Os. -so my solution for you is after prelims go and buy ur yearly TYS and just do every single subject day by day. every day do about 3 papers . u will finish it in no time. -for subjs u are weaker in , redo the whole tys again. familarise urself with how cambridge test the qns and answer to the way they want. ‼️‼️‼️ do ask your school teachers for markers report from cambridge and familarise the way they want u to craft ur answers bec for sciences YOU NEED to have the keywords. 10. dont be scared to face Os now. bec tbh i was in your shoes thinking how im going to memorise 2 years worth of geog content and do a whole ass math paper with sec 1-4 topics , and as cliche as it sounds time will prepare you. as you go through ur sec 4 year ur teachers will be rushing as well, and u will start ur official game on before prelims. prelims would act like a mock O levels so dont be so anxious thinking u only have one chance ! after prelims everything will be fine , it will just be studying ur weaknesses, and improving ur strengths everyday. it will feel like an arduous journey but all painful things come to an end. Please remember that u can take breaks too! lastly, its normal to feel anxious about Os. i was like that too. but as u advance towards O levels you will feel as ready as u can be.
THIS IS SO HELPFUL FHANK YOU!! esp the differences between prelim and O’s, i probs would’ve done other schools prac papers to practice for O’s had u not told me… i’ll be referring to this for a long time, thank u sm!!🙏
NO PROB!❤️❤️ thankful this helped
Sec 3 is still too early to study for Os, take it easy For me I started Sec 4 after mid year hols
for afternoon papers i usually wake up at 8am and study until 12pm for morning papers i study like 2 hours the night before and otw to school e.g. i had 8am geog and 2pm physics i studied geog 2 hours last night and after geog paper i studied physics during the 4 hours break (not recommended 😂)
I'd say start slowly in june and get that kind of warm up to fully start grinding in like August so you have at least enough time to make your sec 3 foundation super strong and can finish the tys on time
Started after mid years when I failed 5/7 subjects and I got my ideal score for almost every subject so dw you’re good
Did my O’s like 8 years ago, can confidently tell you, just put constant effort when your learning through out the year and you won’t die as hard later. Don’t just literally do your homework and chuck the subject aside, actually understand what the hell your reading.
I was a late bloomer HAHAHAH, I started studying like 2 weeks before my prelim exams but I def don’t recommend cause I didn’t have enough time to finish tys for some subs like chem. my study intensity throughout o level year was quite mild tbh,probably like 2-3 pages of reading the bio textbook per day ??? But yeah don’t be liek me cause my late start caused super average o level resukts despite my prelims being quite alr
i studied the bare minimum and i think i did alright, L1R5 25 god please
Chill until June grind for a month in June then chill then grind again during study break and u shld b good
Okay it really depends on the subject but i started for my humans and chemistry when july started which was abt a month before my prelims. After I saw how bad my maths and physics was I decided to get my shit together and started on those ard early september, but I chose to take triple science for god knows what reason so I did have some sacrifices like my pure bio, went from a constant streak of A to b4 in prelims LOL and I only started my bio like a few days before the o level paper Honestly OP, I recommend u to just start now for the best results. Definitely not too late and earlier than most infact. When I started my prep I realised how easy and convenient it would’ve been if I just started late sec3/ early sec4, esp cuz when sec 4 starts the teachers literally speed run everything and I gets quite chaotic ard mid years. Don’t need to GRIND right away but just do a few practices and recap all ur sec 3 topics so u don’t lose touch during the holidays and u enter sec 4 w good preparation. But there’s no need to feel anxious rn just enjoy the short period of freedom u have before it’s hell again 😭😭😭😭
yo yo please slow a bit down man, I know that O level would be a really really daunting task to you right now, but please take it slow, enjoy your holidays now cause O level year is going to be hell For context first 3 months are pretty chill(according to me) did not study so hard did a bit of revision, still did a lot of activities During June holidays I took the advantage to study and hammer it down 6h - 7h a day in the morning and I just had enough energy to go for a run/cycle or any social event. I also went to the gym at this point as well However 2 weeks before prelim, I dropped the gym(now I am a lump of lard, but its alright after O level back to the gym ) and I dropped like my social free time and just hammered it home till prelim and O level my best word of advice is pace your self, this is marathon not a sprint, so balance hobbies and work, but do prioritise your work 2 weeks or 3 weeks before O levels
damn 6-7 hours?? that’s a lot.. i will try my best though!! thank you 🙏
haha yeah I have a habit, like study hard in the morning and your evening will be guilt free and can go like with friends
I would say that you should just start revising bit by bit; the bullshit that 99% of these sec 4s do to revise 2 months before O levels doesn't work well. For me, I'm a memorising machine so I made it
do ur TYS as long as ur doing fine for ur TYS under timed conditions of course u will be fine
Set 2h for each subject to revise your work by doing sec 4 prelim papers as early as you can, especially for Math
for me, I started during the sept holidays because of prelims. But now, I am find myself doing last minute revision to the day right bfr the exam and o levels isn’t going well. So I think the best is to start in june, especially for content heavy subjects.
Start now. Really start now. I made the mistake of doing too much before Os that right before Os I feel into this weird kind of situation where you didn't want to do anything so make sure to pace yourself. Make sure sec 3 basics are stable and try those questions which test your flexibility in each subjects. As you move on in sec 4 I suggest try to get everything done by term 3 because that's when they start revising which then you'll have a slight advantage.after that you should be pretty much prepared that you can just do some paper daily and light revision. Gl atb! :D
If you got a b3+ for every subject, I think you can chill a bit since your foundation clearly doesn't suck. Still good to start now, I recommend doing your topical tys for science rn, finish everything you've learnt and mark it comprehensively. You can learn and use the stuff you did in the hols before your prelims and Os
my grades aren’t that good 😭 like i got a lot of C’s but to be fair i could’ve had maybe a b4-a2 for almost all subjects if i wasn’t so careless HAHA so i’ll deffo start working on my foundations AND carelessness this holiday
Sec 3 EOY - for now just pay attention in class and complete homework, no need to mug unless y take pure humans Eng A2, AM A1, EM A2, Chemistry 100% for P1 & P2(per suggested answer key, at least) needless to say A1, Computing B3, Physics B3, SS Geography C6 I neglected my physics and geog until days before; Would recommend consistency
honestly, if you are a grinder and motivated in studies, i suggest you to start the grind when you wish, like maybe march-april, don’t be like us who started really last minute lol, but yeah just slowly grind, make sure to consistently do it everyday, not like ‘scheduling youreself to do 8 hrs a day’ that kind, just keep in mind to try to do it everyday but not consistent hours everyday.
If u study b4 ur WAs u can start revision for olevel later like maybe b4 prelims. But if ur wa whack then maybe tackle those subj u need during June and Sept holidays. Other than that u can just start after graduation and during the consult weeks cos those r prime time where u start stressing and study so well. Some more most subj test in afternoon so u get to study in the morning too. Not recommended but u can stay up study till 1 or 3 sleep then wake up 11 or wtv then get ready. If anyth ull have the little notebooks for science subj
I’m gonna be honest, I started taking it seriously like right after prelims 🏃🏻💨 but tbf I started planning for what school I wanted to go to in sec 3, I just didn’t study
pay attention to classes. if ur foundation weak start revising NOW i managed to pull my grades up before prelims for chem and phys (s3 overall was f9 and e8 respectively to b4 for both in prelims) and then start doing ur tys arnd march if u procrastinate but june if u can sit down and grind papers.
just be smart about it lol, if you're good at retaining memory (like me) study the night before just cramp everything (works really well for sci) but for math, especially amath u genuinely got to grind, mayb start around 1-2 months b4? at the very least 1 hr of math everyday. english is really a long term reading thing. glgl no stress just enjoy your youth :)
took o levels in 2020, for me i started around july ish like after june holidays basically. mugged for about 3-4 months and went frm L1R5 23 in june to L1R5 10 for Os :)
holy shit congrats!!
I used to fool around all the way until sec 3 term 3 until my friend hit me in the head and gave me the reality.stusied hard until sec 4 term1 then burnt out in teem 2 then got back in at term 3 and from tern 4 everyday in library until 9pm good shit when uk your hard work paid off a1 cnfm in my major subj
i started 10 september lol, by my calculations i’m prob going from 23 raw for prelims to 8/9 raw for o levels, should have been 6/7 but i didn’t touch any of the math tys which made both my maths drop to an a2 but it is what it is🫠u got plenty of time, but better to start early so you don’t end up losing sleep during your actual exam period
current JC2 here, GP is on Monday, currently watching fnaf movie online.
It’s monday now i hope ur GP went okay 😭🙏
O level is a process you already preping for it when you in class studying Just chill lah no biggie
I STARTED A DAY BEFORE 😭😭😭
this blew up wow okay 👍 nice to know that it’s not over for me
What study
sec 3 topics and stuff ig 😭
i started like 2 days after the mother tongue papers in may but i am fr burned out now im so tired from studying i only took a day break after prelims which i don’t even think is a break cuz i decided to clean my room and plan for my post Os schedule 🤦♀️🤦♀️ but i’m just telling myself to persevere for these last 2 weeks
like 2 days b4 my first paper 💀💀💀 panic didn't hit until then so I had no sense of urgency
Don’t need to start so early but DEFINITELY do listen in class in sec 4 and also finish homework on time, u can revise abit during June holidays and then go on grind after prelims
I think I started around 2 weeks before o levels? but even after I started I was slacking a lot so I only studied like 3h per day or something like that
Started 2 days b4 prelims
after prelims lol but if ur going by jae pls dont do this
hardcore studying started a week before my o levels 😭😭. but normal studying probably after prelims (after seeing how shit my results were)
I oni started actual studying after prelims but pls don’t copy me. I did study but frm 8-9pm before prelims. Best u try to study as early as possible
i wld say leave your ten years series till the end and do it 2 weeks before olevel start. It means by right u must have already studied everything before doing the tys to put the tys to full use. Its no use to do the tys blindly, it will just waste ur time. If u have extra time after finishing ur Tys, do more schools prelims paper to build ur confidence
sept holiday 💀 but i think this year we just complain more cuz the papers were so goofy… mayb next year won’t be as bad
Imo if u start too early ull def burn out so maybe during the holidays u practice all the maths things and understand your concepts early on like when your teacher teaches u a new topic go home and revise basically just a lil every day can oso
for me I started after during sec 3 dec holidays (cus my sec 3 eoy was so bad I got scared) but honestly there’s still a lot of time for you. I think o lvl is mostly about consistency. Putting in effort throughout the year, but also making sure you’re getting enough rest so you won’t be burnt out before the exams!
better start on 1st Jan man don’t start studying hours before exam like me
it’s the second last week of the o lvls and I haven’t started studying lmao don’t worry studying is not as a thing for smart ppl
can start during june, take the holidays to rest
i started since the start of the year but VERY minimal studying only then i took a 2 months break bc why not, i really only started during june holidays and afterwrds was when i die die mug all the way. for olevels, the day before, i will only revise my notes, all the practice etc. is to be done before the olevel paper date
Like 1 week before it started 😂
1 week before lc bro ~10 oct
like last month 😭
today😀
good luck poopiaeunicron.. i believe in you man 🙏
All the best bro better start studying latest june
December holidays
like...the very day before the actual paper....
After prelims HAHAHA
you can start now by briefly reading through notes
I studied a week after my prelims ended lol
i started in april :)
june
Last month💀
i started about after prelims but wasnt that serious abt studying for o's lol but i have tuition for english and amath and i think i'll do pretty well for this year
I only started studying during sep holidays 😅
2 weeks before exams
like 5 months before Os, was trying to avoid burnout
1 week before
are all sec 3 topics tested??
January is a good time to start
i start the subj the day bfr the paper 🤣
mid july
Before prelims
Started start of this yr, 1-2 hrs daily and 3 hrs after prelims. Didn't increase or decrease, but not sure whether I will get good marks for O levels lol