How I picked my secondary school after PSLE results

There's more to choosing a secondary school than just meeting the cut-off point, says this 13-year-old.

- Nathan Foong

The PSLE results will be out in a few days, and I'm sure many 12-year-olds and their parents are starting to get nervous. I know how this feels, because my parents and I were in this exact situation this time last year.

I was definitely anxious about whether I did well or not, but the top thing on my mind then was: Which school would I go to next?

When I raised my concerns with my parents, the one thing they said that set my mind at ease was this: They would always be there to support me, and what really mattered was that I enjoyed the process.

As we jumped into discussing the options, I found these four considerations helpful.

THE BEST FIT
The first thing I considered was this: What was I good at? What did I do in my free time?

I really like coding and building things, and I found that when I did something I enjoyed in school, I learnt better too. Some of my best learning experiences were when my teachers made us design and create projects to solve various real-life problems related to the curriculum.

This consideration went hand-in-hand with the next: My academic ability.

My parents and I felt that we should find a school that suited me.