A Form Six Walkthrough

Before I get back on my 3-part series on distraction, I thought a slight digression for both juniors who just registered for Lower Six today morning and for fellow seniors who want to relive what it felt like last year would be fitting.

So here you have it: A General Guide to Form Six Life, told through the eyes of a sixer.The important titles are mentioned in bold italic.

First day /week experiences: To both juniors and seniors alike, how was today? Did you feel a sense of familiarity as you stepped in the school that which you are about to register (perhaps it was even actually your old school) or feel wow-ed by the new school that you needed to go to, trying to get a sense of the school culture there? How were the teachers (and any seniors dealing with the registration)? Anyway, I'd congratulate you for successfully navigating thorough your first day :)

I'm glad that I did somewhat record my first day experience in F6 in a thread that I started in Recom last year. Full excerpt from there:

Pre-U course/U course: Form 6
Science or Arts foundation?: Science switching to arts
Name of college/university/school(if you want privacy on the school name, just state the city): Puchong

I was pretty nervous today when coming back to my school to register for form 6. Knowing that many of my friends opted for private studies I was like "oh gosh, I'm gonna be here alone" but felt very surprised when I met around 6 of my former schoolmates also there to register. I felt so relieved when I saw them

First we were required to register, the teachers checked our documents and we paid some miscellaneous fees. Then, there was a official 'majlis perasmian' with speeches and etc. Then we gathered in the closed hall of our school to play some icebreakers organized by the seniors (aka Upper Sixers). They, well, did a good job in helping all of us, who came from different schools, mix around more and get to know each other better. Well it's only day 1, there's a lot to come in the next week.

I'm given 2 weeks to decide if I want to change stream(my teacher told me not to rush it)...the seniors were pretty helpful and kind...if I'll be leaving, I think I'll miss them and the new friends that I'll be making in the next month... I've got to miss tomorrow's activities for my 3rd try for the on the road driving test...well that's all from me.

What's your story?

You are welcome to read the first day experiences of some other form sixers in this thread.

Generally, you most likely are going to experience these few things in your first week:

• A welcome speech of some sort by your teachers
• Talks about the streams and subjects offered in your school
• Activities organized by your seniors which include team-building games, activities, and a generous amount of ragging (yup, expect seniors to ask you to do favors for them, but know that it's all in good fun and they are just trying to get to know you better :))
• Your teachers will also brief you on choosing your choice of stream and subjects at the end of orientation, and procedures involved if you want to change stream and/or school. Normally to do that you'd have to wait, though.

Movement: In the first few months of lower six, (these trends actually carries on until the early months of upper six) expect a lot of in/out movement in your school, given the following reasons:

Coming in later

• In May, they are still undecided whether to do form 6...or not.
• Coming back after National Service (especially 2nd batch)
• Those who decided to switch to Form 6 after finding college/uni life unsuitable yet for them
• (Predominantly in Arts) Science students who switch stream due to interests/future career considerations/simply think Science is too hard to cope
• Students who switch schools due to subject consideration, etc.

Leaving

• Students waiting on offers who actually got them later
• After the first few weeks/months,decided form six is too challenging
• Students who change stream/school
• Have previous experiences with work, and find work a more interesting option than studying
• Decided to go for private diplomas/foundations, etc

Anyway, the general trend that I have noticed is that by the middle of your next year, the initial enrollment in form six will shrink , sometimes to almost half (or even less) its initial size. The upside of that is that the remaining ones will get real close with each other in the 18 months of sweet and sour that they need to endure together. Ask any senior...

About changing streams: A counseling session is a standard procedure for anyone who's changing stream so that whoever who wants to do sure does it for reasons that are strong and that they are less likely to regret. I was given some inventories to fill up, then the counselor had a chat with us about the results. I passed (meaning that the test results showed that I was more suited in arts than science)and so my change is now waiting approval from JPN (I think) along with a letter of recommendation from the counselor. After a week of waiting, I officially was switched over to arts in another nearby school. 

A note of advice for those who are considering changing stream: only do so if you are sure that you intend to pursue majors related in the other stream/know that the current stream is not in your area of interest. Otherwise, stay in Science, as there's more options for you after STPM in that way, especially if for the most part you're still undecided. Science students can still take up Arts courses in uni anyway...

Now, about your studies. Be warned beforehand that form six is not easy to score (I repeat, NOT EASY) but where there's a will, there's a way, and many hardworking sixers manage to do well in the end when they put their hearts into it. Here you'd need to ask yourself: Am I determined and disciplined enough to go all out in my studies? If your answer is yes, good for you; if you can't answer the question, do keep in mind that form six is a good time to train up these two skills. Put your SPM results behind -- there's nothing that you can do about them now, but look towards the future and give your best effort in STPM. Trust me, you won't regret it when the reward is reaped on results day and you just opened the door towards a better future.

Some practical things on your studies:

• Textbooks cost around RM25-40 (for new textbooks), but you can get them at cheaper rates if your school orders in bulk or you buy directly from the seniors. 
• On the type of textbooks, you are free to compare which books are more complete for you, but keep in mind that certain teachers only teach from one book so when you buy a different brand you may be a bit lost...not to worry though, most mainstream brands (Longman, Oxford-Fajar etc) have the complete syllabus.
• Teachers are incredibly valuable as a study resource. Most Form Six teachers are more qualified than those in forms one to five in terms of experience, so don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want and they'll most likely be more than glad to guide you. As the Malay saying goes, 'Malu bertanya, sesat jalan' (I still need work on that aspect, I have to admit...)
• If you don't do well in your first exam, don't fret! It's normal as many sixers are not used to the syllabus yet in the first semester, regardless of stream. Learn from your mistakes and try harder the next round :)

If you're reading this far, you'd probably sense that I have a lot to tell, so let me introduce you to another key aspect of lower six life: extra-curricular activities! As generally the Form Six community in many schools tend to be smaller than the other forms, the chances of you holding important posts in societies and school activities is higher.

Common activities that sixers join/create:

• Student Council : Most schools have this body that represents the entire form six community in a school. Most of the time SC members are elected, either through teachers, voting or campaigning (they did that in my school...we had to give a convincing speech on why other students should vote for us. I'm still surprised that I was elected as the secretary, on my birthday some-more...best birthday present ever) and sometimes, you help out in the affairs of the lower forms when required. Right now we have to organize Teacher's Day celebrations..
• Research Club: A compulsory element in form six now is the research presentation, which we need to present in the third semester of upper six (2 months from now). Generally, you will either work individually or as a team to conduct research about any topic of your choice and present your findings in oral and written form, for example "Smoking among the Form Four Students in SMK ..." It's almost like a mini-thesis of sorts. For more information on research, ask your teachers. The Research Club also is normally in charge of organizing school trips among sixers.
• A sport of choice
• Other clubs and activities
• In some schools, posts of prefects/librarians are also open to sixers. In my school, all SC members are helping the prefects...and I'm a librarian too. Talk about busy!

A year ago when I was in lower six, I asked this question on this exact topic, and the responses that I've got were overwhelming. But I've also got to say that running around school getting errands done thanks to the posts that you hold in school a year later has matured me in more ways than one, for example I emceed for the first time in my entire life in the Monday Morning assembly! Co-cu, however, is tiring and you need to be wise enough to divide your time between them and studies, with studies being given more weight as they are, after all, what you came in to form six for. By the end of August, the seniors will gracefully retire and pass the baton to the juniors, so all the best in doing the tasks at hand yeah...

As an extra dose of encouragement, if you're still wondering if you'd made the right choice in choosing form six, *here's* some food for thought. <---This blog post literally changed the perceptions of this ex-form six hater on it.

Okay, I need to hit the books now because I have my mid-year exams, starting this Friday. To the juniors, enjoy yourselves, because form six is a once in a lifetime affair. :)

Image taken from here.