I think grades don’t really decide your life but they will make your path to success easier.

– ZN

We just had chicken rice the day I received my perfect score at the PSLE says ZZN, a first-year student at Raffles Girls School. Though her parents wanted to bring her for dinner at a fancy restaurant to celebrate her hard-won and well-deserved success, all ZN wanted was a quiet meal at home with her family who are very important to her.

Indeed, her love for her parents was a pivotal factor for her feat at the PSLE 2021, which was the first time students here were graded on the new Achievement Level (AL) system.

ZN stood out from the beginning for a number of reasons. For one thing, she made the call to The Brain Dojo on her own when she had just finished Primary 5. From the outset, the young student was very clear about her goals and what she had to do to achieve them. “I want an AL1 for English,” she declared. Every Saturday, she made the trip on her own from some distance away for class and she never missed a single session. Her quiet determination and unwavering self-belief were palpable. When witnessing such poise and focus, it is difficult to remember, ZN was only eleven turning twelve.

We want to celebrate and learn from her successful endeavour and were very happy when she agreed to an interview on her experience in preparing for the exams. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation. Care has been taken to preserve the substance of what she said and to the extent possible, her answers have been preserved in their original form.

TBD: Thank you for attending this interview! How was your first day in school?

ZN: It was quite good. There were students from higher levels who showed us around and played games with us to break the ice. They were all quite friendly!

TBD: Do you feel intimidated by the other girls?

ZN: I think, not really. One of the reasons is that I don’t really know them that much and I don’t know how they perform so I don’t really feel the pressure. The other reason is that I worked hard to get into this school like all of them. I think we are all about the same and we will work hard together.

TBD: Have you thought about which CCA you wish to join?

ZN: I think, debate. I watched a programme where law students were training through debate. When one of them won, it felt like I was winning and I really like debate.

TBD: Yes, you think calmly and clearly and debate or law for that matter might be a great fit for you.

TBD: How does it feel to get a total score of 4?

ZN: When I received the score, I was very excited but it didn’t last for very long. I was happy throughout but the excitement didn’t really last for very long. To me it’s just a result and the overall improvement I managed to achieve was more important.

TBD: What role do your parents play in your studies? Some parents give their kids a timetable, homework, targets and are very present throughout the process. They may get upset when performance drops.

ZN: My parents don’t really interfere a lot with my studies. Of course, they would help me get the help I need and all that but I study on my own. It works for me because if people pressure me, I find I can’t really think straight. My parents don’t really pressure me although they do hope I’ll get good results. This way, I feel more comfortable and I can study better. I am not sure this approach may work for everyone but it is suitable for me. (To be sure, ZN has demonstrated ability to be very calm and logical under pressure for example during our Crisis Communications roleplay session.)

TBD: I’m sure your parents would still be very nice to you even if you did not get a total of 4. Is that correct?

ZN: Yes, if I did not get 4, they would not be upset but if I got more than 9 points, then maybe, they might have been upset.

TBD: Yes, so they would have been happy with a 9.

ZN: They hoped I would do as well as possible but if I did not do as well as they had hoped, they would have just accepted it.

TBD: So, since there is no pressure, how did you decide on 4 as a target? Nobody was saying, this is what I want from you.

ZN: I think my parents work very hard to provide things for me. Although they don’t really pressure me, I still think I should repay them. So, I always hope I can get a good job and repay them. [She gets visibly emotional here.]

TBD: Your main motivation for pushing yourself is to take care of your parents.

ZN: Yes, and also, I want to be able to enjoy my job and enjoy my life.

TBD: You feel like with good grades, you will have a wider range of options and you can choose a job instead of having to do a job because of your grades.

ZN: I think grades don’t really decide your life but they will make your path to success easier.

TBD: So, nobody gave you the target of 4. Did you get the target because you had students you were competing with; a role model or were you just competing with yourself?

ZN: I think, a bit of both. My aim was to get a perfect score. Sometimes when I see my classmates performing better than me, I would feel a bit worried but I would still congratulate them. I wouldn’t envy them or be jealous of them. I think they have done a great job and I don’t think to myself I need to be better than them. My (personal) aim is to be very good and so sometimes I ask myself why I didn’t do as well as before. I want to keep getting better and not be like a rollercoaster going up and down.

TBD: Am I right to say you have always been a person who sets very high standards for yourself?

ZN: I think so.

TBD: So, when you fall short of your own standards, what is your response or feeling? Are you the sort of person who would criticise yourself or would you tell yourself, I didn’t do well this time but I would definitely do better next time?

ZN: I would still criticise myself. I would think of why I did not get the mark that I wanted so that I can work harder.

TBD: So, you are very harsh on yourself, are you?

ZN: I think I am quite.

TBD: So, each time you don’t do as well as you hoped, you would scold yourself.

ZN: I don’t think I would scold myself but I would feel like I did something wrong.

TBD: So, you will feel guilty, or a bit disappointed.

ZN: (Nods in agreement)

TBD: In those times, when you are feeling down, do your parents comfort you?

ZN: They do look out for me. I think when it comes to studies, comforting wouldn’t really work for me. I need to see for myself that I’m doing better before I feel better.

TBD: There was a period you were trying to improve and there were those who performed better than you. Did you feel frustrated during those times because it was taking some time?

ZN: I think I was not frustrated. I know I need to go up slowly. I know I can’t just shoot up.

TBD: Which is what you did by the way (shoot up).

ZN: Oh ok. (laughs)

TBD: So, you are patient with yourself.

ZN: Sometimes I am not but in English I am.

TBD: Is that because in the other subjects you were already strong?

ZN: I was just very determined to improve.

TBD: Was there any time you doubted yourself?

ZN: No, I don’t think so. When people questioned me, all I could think about was I want to prove them wrong.

TBD: Do you get motivated by the thought of getting praised, recognised for your achievements or maybe being able to have something that you want as a reward, maybe a PS4? Or is knowing that you have what it takes to hit your own targets rewarding enough for you?

ZN: When I got my results, we just had chicken rice at home. My parents wanted to bring me to a fancy restaurant but I just wanted to stay at home and enjoy the meal with them.

TBD: How do you reward yourself?

ZN: The feeling of success is rewarding for me so that I know it will be easier to achieve my goals.

Well, you need to have your own goals and your own targets and work hard for yourself and not because someone else tells you to. That is the only way you will be able to keep going when it gets hard or when you are struggling to improve.

TBD: Did you find that you had any free time last year?

ZN: Actually, a lot.

TBD: You know, PSLE students can have heavy work schedules and they may feel stressed. Being able to enjoy free time is important. What did you do in your free time to relax?

ZN: I finished all the books at home and I didn’t have time to go to the library to return books. So, what I did was listen to speeches and debates online.

TBD: In primary 6?

ZN: Yes, the other time I watched an interesting speech by a university professor on morality; what’s the right thing to do. The participants were asked if they would pull a lever to save someone when a train was about to run over them.

TBD: To relax, you watched such speeches and debates.

ZN: Yes, because this is not a must and I am interested in this area. So, since I had nothing to do, I would watch these. I think it is quite relaxing.

TBD: Do you play computer games?

ZN: Sometimes, I would download games but after a while I would get bored of them and not continue.

TBD: Ok, many students would want to know how to hit their targets. What were your study habits like?

ZN: Every day, after school, I would come back home and have lunch. I would finish my homework first. That is important because then I know there is nothing I need to get done. This would take between 1-2 hours. After that I take a break. Then I do my own revision for 2-3 hours. During the weekends, I don’t really revise. I rest.

TBD: How did you revise at home?

ZN: I prefer to do past year papers compared to assessment books. I find that past year papers are very useful because you can learn from them. You see new types of questions and you will be able to prepare for them.

TBD: How many papers a day?

ZN: Sometimes 1, sometimes 2. I think for English, I did 3 papers every week.

TBD: What were some challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

ZN: The uncertainty was difficult at times. I wanted to know if I would be able to hit my targets. I looked at your feedback and thought about it. I applied it during my own revision to correct my mistakes.

TBD: How did you prepare for compositions? Did you for example, decide to write a composition on your own at home?

ZN: Sometimes, I did try compositions on my own at home. I have a model composition book. It is quite simple and I didn’t really use it. You told us that we have to show something unique about the theme and that was very useful.

TBD: Were the feedback letters you received useful?

ZN: Yes, they were useful.

ZN: During the exams, I had time to read again after I finished writing. I was quite relaxed.

TBD: How did you find the small group set-up here?

ZN: It was very nice. The teacher gets to focus on the students’ weakness and strength and can design classes suitable for them. Well, it worked for me!

TBD: Finally, ZN, what advice would you give to students sitting for PSLE this year?

ZN: I don’t really have advice because it may not apply to everyone.

TBD: Yes. Even so, if I were a student, I would want to learn from you.

ZN: Well, you need to have your own goals and your own targets and work hard for yourself and not because someone else tells you to. That is the only way you will be able to keep going when it gets hard or when you are struggling to improve.

TBD: Thank you so much ZN. It was awesome talking to you!

ZN’s progress was not always in one direction like she hoped it would be. At one point in the interview, she mentions she hopes her performance is not like a rollercoaster ride. Yet, in her Prelims, she scored 27 or so out of 40 for her composition. This was after comfortably clearing 30 for most of the year after attending classes here. If this was shocking to her, she did not show it during classes. Her parents were naturally concerned for her. Her father’s view was inspiring. He said in effect, that when things don’t go according to plan or when she has a setback, she did not really know how to turn herself around. He thought this setback was actually good for her to train her mind.

Unsurprisingly, ZN did turn things round and made her parents and everyone who has worked with her very proud.

ZN, here’s to more success and chicken rice in the years to come!

The Brain Dojo