Are TJCians nerds?

• watchdog

  22 Sep 00, 18:29

  there are many nerds in tj. The definition of nerd is extreme exertions of mugging, leaving minimal or aboslutely no space for much social life or enjoyment. You might ask then, why else do we enter a top JC to compete in the A-levels? Well I'll answer that you're young only once and so enjoy your teen years as best as you can balance it. Taking that into light, tjcians generally study way over the mark, than what would be sufficient enough to do well.
• Revelations

  13 Nov 00, 04:33

  Originally posted by watchdog:

  there are many nerds in tj. The definition of nerd is extreme exertions of mugging, leaving minimal or aboslutely no space for much social life or enjoyment.

  Quite a sketchy definition of nerd I agree. But you sure TJ people dunt have social life nor enjoyment??? Sure you heard it from a TJcian??
  
  

  Originally posted by watchdog:

  You might ask then, why else do we enter a top JC to compete in the A-levels? Well I'll answer that you're young only once and so enjoy your teen years as best as you can balance it.

  So all the top JCs should be nerd schools, why TJ??? And what makes you so sure the students in TJ can't do that balancing act well?? People who enter TJC are definitely of a certain calibre, and most are able to balance both work and play. You are young only once, does that mean you should disrupt that balance and concentrate on just play??
  
  

  Originally posted by watchdog:

  Taking that into light, tjcians generally study way over the mark, than what would be sufficient enough to do well.

  You mean there is a gauge to measure what is sufficient and what is not??? Your A levels results is something to be gambled with such an arbitrary gauge??? Anyway, for your info, during my time, the Euro Cup was on. Didnt have time to study until like few weeks before my papers. Still emerged okay, quite satisfied with my results. What's this about studying too hard.
  
  Verdict: Over-generalisation, invalid assumptions, lack of concrete backup facts.
  
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  Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn. - Gore Vidal
• watchdog

  14 Nov 00, 00:55

  I'm currently a student in tjc, finishing my A's. I can tell you right now, I wasn't really over the moon when I saw the persona when I first entered. I'm not downplaying tjcians, I'm not a hate person. But I believe I'm one in a position to make the observations noted.
  
  No you've got it wrong. I'm telling you now that tjcians don't really balance things out, I compare that with the average JC student ie one from SAJC, AJC, ACJC. BTW, many rjcians and hcjcians you'll find are extremely outgoing, hardly needing to work, yet scoring like anything, so your personal inference to the top 5 being nerdy schools is in turn, generalisation.
  
  I've asked myself how many ex-tjcians come out to be outstanding individuals (like the quality of calibre / no. of such people) compared to njc, rjc, hcjc and vjc? Did you?
  
  Thus my assumptions/sentiments stand, as they're agreed upon by a significant no. of the current student population. I suppose I apologise somewhat for bringing your alma mater, and soon mine too, to such a level for critique. However, after experiencing life in tj, sensing the atmosphere, comparisons with other JCs, observing the behavioural patterns/moods/attitudes of the stereotyped tjcian, I thus arrived at my conclusion. Not concrete enough?
  
  My cup is half full, yours is half empty. I see you also made invalid assumptions and over-generalisations about my relation/knowledge to tjc.
  
  _____________________________________________
  Style is nothing even if you give a damn, without substance.
• Revelations

  23 Nov 00, 08:36

  Hahaha, didn't expect a reply so soon. Well done. I do apologise for jumping off straight away and embarrassing myself with my invalid assumptions.
  
  But a question I might wish to add. Are you sure you are speaking for the whole of the TJ population. Or are you simply speaking from the point of view of a selected group of people.
  
  

  I compare that with the average JC student ie one from SAJC, AJC, ACJC.

  And what would be the validity of such comparisons??? Ever since I left TJC, the only time TJC dipped in ranking to below the top 3 was in 1997 (the batch after mine). I'm not belittling any other colleges, but shouldn't TJC be compared to the likes of the top 5 JCs, as has always been the case???
  
  

  BTW, many rjcians and hcjcians you'll find are extremely outgoing, hardly needing to work, yet scoring like anything, so your personal inference to the top 5 being nerdy schools is in turn, generalisation.
  

  I do not wish to be seen defending my college too violently. But I wish to point out that this is yet another case of generalisation. There is never such a thing as hardly needing to work and scoring top grades. You reap the fruits from the seeds you plow. Good grades are not simply gifted to you. I know lots of scholars from different colleges, and I can assure you, they earn their good results.
  
  

  I've asked myself how many ex-tjcians come out to be outstanding individuals (like the quality of calibre / no. of such people) compared to njc, rjc, hcjc and vjc? Did you?

  I can tell you, lots. Just because you don't get president scholars popping out from TJC all that often doesn't mean that TJC is not a hub for outstanding individuals. Many excel in their individual fields, quite a few I know are doing very well in top management consultancy firms, dot com enterprises, etc. Please do not tell me your definition of "outstanding" has been myopically defined.
  
  

  Thus my assumptions/sentiments stand, as they're agreed upon by a significant no. of the current student population.

  If it has been agreed by a significant number of the current student population, and they themselves do not practice this "nerd" culture, how may I ask did you get the idea that all TJCians study way over the mark??? Did you gather your information from a specific small pool of sample and make your assumptions based on that??? If that is so, then I cannot defute your argument. I cannot deny the fact that a small group of students are more focused on their school work than the others. But I must also add that TJC does not grab the title of Most Value Added School for so many years running for nothing.
  
  Anyway, hope you excel in your A Levels and keep the sound reputation of TJC's high callibre intact. All the best for you, and as you embark into a new chapter in your life, be in your national service or university, do look back and wonder, does TJC really not leave you any good memories???
  
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  Style is something unachieveable to many and envied by most, even those with substance.
• watchdog

  24 Nov 00, 02:55

  Are you sure you are speaking for the whole of the TJ population. Or are you simply speaking from the point of view of a selected group of people.
  
  My opinions, though ideally personal, carry weightage over much of the population. There is however, a digress in sentiment in terms of conscientiousness and actual acceptance of such unattractive views. Again, to stipulate the degree of a characteristic, a relative comparision has to be made. Relative to other JCs, I also find TJ 'nerdy' due to its lack of performance in many other areas outside academics, even among the top 5. Our college does not fare well in sport except for volleyball, sailing, and never in more popular sports (soccer, rugby, basketball, athletics). Debating is another major weakness of TJC. Oh, the school does get prizes for Weiqi competitions, intellectual-games competitions, and LEO club; which doesn't quite reflect my idea of a school of extroverts. The only ones may be the rock-climbers.
  
  ...I wish to point out that this is yet another case of generalisation. There is never such a thing as hardly needing to work and scoring top grades. You reap the fruits from the seeds you plow. Good grades are not simply gifted to you. I know lots of scholars from different colleges, and I can assure you, they earn their good results.
  
  I'm not really talking about rewards. It was merely to point out first, that others in top JCs are known to be more outgoing. And second, a nerd need not reap fruits. You may spend all your life studying, without good academic results. Again, it is the relative comparision of input-output ratio in academic studies. A nerd does not mean one does well, only that an enormous portion of one's life is devoted to study, leaving little room (again in relative comparision) for other aspects of life.
  
  You may find my views on ex-TJcians presentimental. Perhaps it is because my secondary school OBA is literally star-studded with politicians, professors/academic persona, reknowned lawyers, doctors, bankers, and businessmen. Still, I expected a similiar turnout of TJ's alumni.
  
  How about I use my experience of the environment and attitudes of tjcians, which lean heavily heavily heavily on academics. In many cases, I do observe the sentiments uttered by fellow students in hallways, and sometimes I even ask (those I know well). Often, one doesn't have to judge a horse just by looking directly at its mouth. And I don't remember asserting that a significant number of students do not practise, or fit my views of 'nerdity'.
  
  But the sustained value-added achievement is perhaps, where the bulk of TJC's recognition lies. Hence the 'nerd' exclusivity does reap rewards but it is beside the point.
  
  Ending off on a better note, though TJC may not leave good memories, at least I can definitely believe that I gained a decent education and saw just how competitive some people can be!
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  Style is no less attainable than substance. The former entices materialism, the latter encompasses intellect.
  
  [This message has been edited by watchdog (edited 24 November 2000).]
• himeyaalan

  21 Apr 01, 13:02

  Tjcians
  I am honor to know how compettive u are in terms of mind concept, work hard cos the future depends simply on yourself :-)
• howie

  15 Jun 01, 22:05

  No lah, we r not nerds, just tat many of us dun really like TJ loh. However, when we go outside, we will play hard still.
• sleepyboi

  13 Aug 01, 22:40

  oh, yeah yeah i agree ..to what everyone said, but being 'nerd' is very subjective leh. oh howie are u yr 1 this yr?