2019 Volume II: Survival 101

d’ hour

Survival 101:

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Editorials Hey Dunmanians!

With the recent Senior High Mid Year exams and the numerous weighted assessments in Junior High, coupled with the myriad of commitments many of us have, such as CCA and VIA commitments, there is no doubt that life as a Dunmanian is not easy. We often feel pressed for time and overwhelmed by our various commitments.

However, fret not! Our writers have come up with a plethora of articles on various topics, ranging from being productive, to choosing subject combinations, to the best study spots in and near the school, to help you navigate through your life in Dunman High.

We at Publications would like to thank our teachers, Mdm Hong Lan and Ms Kheng, for lending crucial guidance and support throughout the course of writing and publishing this magazine. As for our fellow Dunmanians, we hope that you will enjoy this issue of D’hour and that you will feel more prepared to tackle the hectic life in Dunman High! Do find our online version of the magazine on Issuu if you are interested in reading more of our magazines.

- Rachel Lee

德明学子： 大家好！ 这一期，出版社为同学们带来了生存101，一期为德明学生独创的杂志！杂志 收录了德明求学攻略。我们采访了信息通讯社的主席陈瑞阳同学，请他分享了一 些宝贵的经验，为你们提供借鉴。与此同时，本期的杂志也撰写了一些学习和抗 压的小技巧以及关于校园胜地的介绍。 希望这一期的杂志，不但能让同学们对德明有更深入的了解，也能帮助同学们， 让你们能更好地兼顾学业和校园生活。在此，我们也衷心地感谢出版社的负责老 师们——Mdm Hong Lan 洪澜老师 和 Ms Kheng Hwee Teng ，有你们的鼎力相 助，杂志才得以顺利出版！ 希望同学们会喜欢我们为你们精心准备的这一期杂志！ -致坤

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Contents Directory

The Mugging Catalogue: A Short Guide on Where to Study

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校园胜地

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Opinions What Am I Looking At, How Do I Get There?

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德明人成长历险记

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Choosing a Subject Combination

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Dun Man, That’s Not Cool

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Tips Time to Toh: A Dumanian’ s Wellness Guide

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DHS Toolkit: A Few Life Hacks for DHS Students

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减压小妙招 - 即使压力山大也要笑 着活下去

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Ghosting the Goss

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THE MUGGING

CATALOGUE LIBRARY

Open all day every day, with food available to keep us going! Just remember to bring some tissues to clean the tables, and your own cup to save plastic!

WRITTEN BY AVIGAIL CHAN AND CANDACE TAN

Open from 8am-6pm Perfect for people who need peace and quiet to study. There are many tables, solo study spots on the first floor, and even discussion rooms for those who want to study in groups. Just make sure to keep the area neat and keep quiet!

CANTEEN

KALLANG WAVE MALL

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A SHORT GUIDE ON WHERE TO STUDY

There are many cafes and even a library nearby, providing different environments suited to cater to your various preferred studying environments. Just an MRT station away from school, it is really convenient for you and your friends to soak up a different atmosphere while getting your stuff done. (Eg. Starbucks, Tea Tree Cafe etc.)

N

Outside of the busy lunch hours, this fast food joint is actually rather empty and conducive to study at! With a vast array of food choices and seating, this location might turn out to be the fast way to an ‘A’!

MCDONALD’S

GOOD NEWS CAFE

Open from 8am-5pm Located outside the library, it provides an outdoor alternative to cater to your study needs. Enjoy sweet treats like the chocolate croissant and ice cream from the cafe to replenish your energy after working hard!

Found here

BENCHES and that’s just part of one floor!

They’re everywhere, so you can definitely find one which suits your studying needs.

QUICK TIPS TO MAKE YOUR STUDYING MORE PRODUCTIVE!

1. Put away your phone! You can use productiv- 4. Take regular breaks! You can use the Pomoity apps like Forest or Tide to prevent you from doro technique, proven to improve productivity. using it while still listening to music.

It typically consists of four cycles of 25 minutes of work with a 5-minute break in between, 2. Have a drink with you to keep hydrated espefollowed by a longer 15-minute break after 4 cially in hot weather. cycles are completed.

3. If you do listen to music, listen to it on a low 5. Know how you learn: it ensures that you volume. We recommend classical music or lofi don’t waste time studying and not absorbing because they make good background music. information efficiently.

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校园胜地

文/ 应昀倩 , 潘天缘

学习胜地指南

图书馆 推荐指数：5 学习环境：5 图书馆承载着德明的历史与文 化，还收藏众多书籍，是最适 合学习的地方。馆内十分安 静，让人容易静下心来学习， 不易被打扰，提高了学习效 率。在烈日炎炎的夏天，图书 馆里的空调更是提供了舒适的 学习环境。馆内馆内设置了大 量桌椅，还有玻璃讨论室，不 论是小组讨论还是自习，图书 馆都是理想的地点。

教室 推荐指数：4 学习环境：4

小贴士： 可以向管理员借电脑或预定讨 论室，也可以使用充电插头。 小贴士： 考前更可以去二楼问管理员要 放学后不知去哪，不如留在教 学习时把前排灯关掉可以节约 室学习吧！这是属于你班级的 用电。 往年的卷子复印练习哟！ 私人空间，相对来说不会有外 人打扰，可以安心学习，累的 美中不足： 美中不足： 图书馆位置有限，馆内不可发 时候也可以和小伙伴们聊天， 教室六点就被锁了，学习时间 出噪音，讨论的时候需要格外 是一个既可以严肃又可以放松 有限，而且有时教室需要用于 的地方。 小声。 课外活动。

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许多人在食堂学习是因为可以 与朋友一起讨论作业，不需要 刻意压低嗓音，而且在学习时 也可以买些零食来缓解压力， 降低了学习的紧张感。然而， 在食堂学习，让人更容易被外 界噪音打扰，导致无法专心， 所以并不适用于所有人。 小贴士： 食堂中间的几排桌子通常比较 干净，在非高峰时期学习比较

安静，食堂晚上 10点才关哟！ 美中不足： 天气炎热，环境 嘈杂。

食堂 推荐指数：4 学习环境：3

休闲胜地指南

球场／操场 推荐指数：5 休闲环境：5

学习压力太大？想要做点什么 事情活动活动？学校篮球场、 操场就是放松的首选！叫上几 个朋友一起玩不仅更加解压， 还能加深感情。在运动方面发 展自己的兴趣爱好也是不错的 哦！ 小贴士： 可以找体育老师借球、飞盘等 体育用品，但要记得归还哦。

如果不想在炎日下锻炼， 可以考虑去有空调的健身 房哦！

美中不足： 运动后流很多汗，不建议放学 之前去玩哦。

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不想学习，不想运动，但想放 松自己，不如就去食堂／cafe坐坐吧！与朋友一起聊天吃 饭，谈谈有共鸣的话题，一定 可以让你开怀大笑，在这个时 候来一杯可口的冷饮、香喷喷 的食物或者浇满芝士的面包可 以加长交谈时间哦！

食堂／cafe 推荐指数：4 休闲环境：4

小贴士： 这个时候就不要拿着手机啦， 坐在你对面的人还没有你的手 机好看吗？ 美中不足： 环境嘈杂。

需要一个美丽的背景自拍？想 要与德明最有名的老师同框？ 孔夫子在正心园等着你!正心园 环境优美，绿草茵茵，作为踏 进校园就映入眼帘的标志性建 筑，在安静的下午享受大自然 的爱抚，岂不心旷神怡？ 小贴士： 考试前可要记得去膜拜一下孔 夫子呀！

正心园 推荐指数：4 休闲环境：3

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美中不足： 可能遭受烈日的暴晒和突如其 来的暴雨。

What Am I Looking At,

and

CCAs help us hone traits like empathy, learning to understand someone else’s feelings and point of view and gaining the courage to face our own fears (perhaps speaking in front of a large crowd), as well as leadership by leading your peers and juniors when you are also ‘experimenting’ and learning along the way! Ultimately, it is our CCAs that throw us into environments completely out of our comfort zone - because hardship and discomfort are where growth takes place. We all have our different fears, concerns and qualities; and it is in our CCAs where we work with different people in different scenarios do we truly gain an insight into who we are and how we have grown.

How Do I Get There?

Difficulties and challenges, which are part and parcel of every part of our lives, are no stranger to us in our CCA journey. These said difficulties range from lagging behind the standards of other CCA mates and burning out as competition or performance seasons draw near to having to balance many CCA sessions and schoolwork the list goes on. However, with the prevalence of challenges, what becomes more important is our ability to overcome them. After speaking with students, it seems that the most common way in which Dunmanians push through difficulties is by leaning on their fellow friends, which is a testament to the strong sense of camaraderie among Dunmanians. Many also reflect on their motivations for joining their CCAs - all the while looking forward to the promise of tough times passing eventually. Looking back, if everything was smooth sailing, we would not be who we are today and there would certainly be much fewer stories to tell and fewer memories to share.

By Boh Duang Fu, Clara Chua

We fill up our Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) choices with a click of a mouse on an online form... and before we know it, we find ourselves in a completely new environment. Whether it is choosing our CCA back in Junior High or moving on to a new CCA in Senior High, CCAs play a massive role in our lives here in Dunman High, but the journey isn’t always smooth. Yet, it is usually the hardest parts of our CCAs that become our most memorable memories, making us feel that the journey was worthwhile.

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Most Dunmanians are on the same page when they share about the takeaways they have from their CCAs. Of these takeaways which they carry into their day-to-day lives, two key ones are time management and resilience. With much on our plates oftentimes, many of us have (or are in the process of) better organisation of our time in order to juggle all our respective responsibilities; and this translates into time management when it comes to our personal lives, as well as balance between work and play. However, knowing how to manage your time is not enough. Many Dunmanians agree that learning how to deal with challenges that arise in their CCA journeys has in turn allowed them to better deal with setbacks, and not give up in the face of struggles with their academics in particular. CCAs remind us that it is the courage to continue that counts and that one should be proud of one’s own growth instead of comparing oneself with others.

Without CCA, life in Dunman High would definitely be less colourful and a lot more mundane. For the majority of us, the bulk of our memories formed over the past few years aren’t found in the hours within the four walls of the classroom, but on the field, stage, court, and wherever else we have spent our CCA. It is the intangible memories and experiences that are incredibly unique that make our CCA play such an integral role in our Dunman High life.

So what are we looking at? A chance to discover, explore, and grow. How did we get here? Perhaps by sheer chance or careful consideration; but both are equally great opportunities to create memories that will last a lifetime.

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德明人成长历险记

文/ 丘旺妮， 陈辰

论坛 说到“堂正君子，社稷栋梁”，每位德明学生 都能脱口而出——这是我校愿景！然而一个成 功的德明人不是一天就能炼成的，成为社稷栋 梁的道路没有捷径，我们必须精益求精，用学 校提供的各种宝贵机会多锻炼。除了至关重要 的学习，各种课外活动，还有如学生会、科研 研究、各类比赛、义工活动等都是练就君子和 栋梁的绝佳机会。今天，我们杂志采访两位同 学，请他们分享一些亲身经历，为其他同学传 授宝贵经验。

...

19Y3I 陈瑞阳 信息通讯社 主席 采访对象 1

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聊 天室 1 采访者

请说说信息通讯社主席的职责以及作为主席的感想。 瑞阳

我当上学生领袖其实是走出了自己的舒适区，突然间担起了很多 责任，不仅要领导这个社团还要培养自己的学弟学妹。作为一个 学生领袖，你必须学会用人之道，需要和他人交流、学会通过协 商达成共识，并且在适当的时候鼓励团员。说到感想，我想作为 一个主席应该平均地分配任务，毕竟领导层是一个团体，而不是 一枝独秀的舞台，能够人尽其才的领导人才是好领导人。一人揽 下所有重担是不现实的，所以要学会带上团员，一同完成任务。

采访者

听说你率领德明的信息通讯社成员，以义工的身份参加FOSSASIA论坛。请简单叙述一下你的经历和感想。 瑞阳

我中一就开始在这个论坛做义工，所以主办方的人员大多都认识 我。也正是因为他们对我信任，我才有机会带领德明学生来论坛 做义工。虽然我只是个搬着相机到处跑的摄影师，不过任务并 不轻松，当人手不足的时候，我们也必须披甲上阵，但不管怎么 样，你应该认真完成每一项任务。做义工不是为了完成学校规定 的时限，或者是为了做义工而去做义工，亦或是因为同伴的压力 而去。只有当你真诚的想要提供帮助，这样才有意义。实际上， 我一直建议我的学弟学妹们要遵从自己的兴趣去参加FOS-SASIA 的活动。如果只是为了完成学校任务，或纯粹为了好玩，那就违 背了我们做义工的初衷。

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德明人成长历险记 采访者

最后，给那些考虑成为或已经成为学生领袖的学弟学妹们一些建 议吧。 瑞阳

就像我之前说的，当学生领袖不会是一帆风顺的。在低谷的时候 要学会依靠自己的同伴，该示弱时就示弱。说到底，你是一个 人，不是三头六臂的神。同时，你也应该不断进步，身为学生 领袖，不代表你身处社团“食物链”的顶端，学弟学妹也有很多 值得你学习的闪光点。对正在考虑成为学生领袖的同学，我想 说——做自己吧！分配给你的职位可能是你不喜欢的，但还是应 该试一试：老师和学长学姐们选择你是因为他们看到了你的优 点、信任你、支持你！最后，我也想告诉在职的学生领袖们，培 养一个后继领袖，让他/她继续完成社团发展。在任时的事情做 了一半便让它不了了之是不负责任的表现，社团需要大家的接力 才能持续发展。

... 聊天室 2 采访者

课业这么繁忙，为什么你还想参加 Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes (YFC)？ 心语

我在初中部的时候，很少有机会可以自 己计划一个慈善活动，而YFC可以让我 有这个机会实现愿望。我和朋友们之前 就有一直关注参加这个活动，看到学长 们为慈善所做的举动令人感动，使我也 想付出一份心力帮助他人。

5C12 黄心语 YFC 团员 心语 采访对象 2

采访者

为什么会选择这个机构？ 心语

我们选择的慈善机构是愿望成真基金。 这个基金主要是为身患绝症或无法医治 的小孩子完成他们的愿望（例如：生日 派对）同时给予一些比较贫困的家庭金 钱上的支持，让他们和亲属在最后的时 光共同创造美好的回忆。

...

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德明人成长历险记 聊天室 2 采访者

在这个活动中有没有特别感动的事发生？ 心语

当然有。当我们在街头摆摊的时候，我发现其实有很多新加坡人 都非常有爱心，他们看到我们的时候，都会停下来听我们解释， 并愿意捐款或购买我们的物品。令我印象深刻的是有一位带着孩 子的妇女，她听了我们对机构的介绍后决定捐款，但那是她身上 没有零钱只有大钞。她答应我们，会在换了小钞之后再回来捐 款，之后她真的特地回来。这些举动令我感到温暖，社会上有爱 心的人还是有很多的。

除此之外我们还受到了花旗银行(CITIBANK)的关注。花旗银行 的工作人员对我们设计的杯子特别感兴趣，他们打算办一场工作 坊，邀请我们教他们制作一些手工艺品。之后，他们会把做出来 的摆件送给愿望成真基金的孩子们。这个工作坊能让我们多了一 次学习的机会，并增加了公众对一些慈善机构的认识，也能让更 多人了解慈善活动背后的意义。 我觉得新加坡人表面上看起来冷漠，但他们其实有一颗善良的 心，只要你愿意踏出第一步他们一定会给予回应！ 采访者

在这个活动中你得到了什么启发？ 心语

从零开始策划一份活动是非常困难的任务，很多时候我都有放弃 的冲动，但是一想到我们的筹款可以帮助许多人，我就又有动力 继续下去。无论多么疲惫，我都不会忘记，参加这份活的初衷是 为了帮助更多的人。希望我们的努力不会付之东流，希望更多的 人能感受到我们的善意和爱心。

... 论坛 身为德明人，应该珍惜每一个让我们成长的机会，并 找出适合自己的领域，在擅长的领域中活出一片属于 自己的天地，争当品学兼优的好学生！

...

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CHOOSING A SUBJECT COMBINATION

By Ernest Tay

Semester Two has begun. And for the Year Two and Year Four students, that means new subject combinations, new classes and new friends in 6 months time.

Getting through the End-of-Year examinations may be one of the hardest things you have to do in your life. However, choosing a subject combination may be comparatively just as difficult.

It is tough enough in Year Two -- being unsure of which subjects you are better at and which subjects interest you, with 17 odd combinations to

choose from. Then you get to Year Four. Remember how overwhelmed you felt two years before? You would feel even worse now—faced with almost four times the number of permutations.

The decision seems impossible to make. So you procrastinate until it is too late. You fill in the form on the day of the deadline, and click submit at 2359. Your top three choices were the first that appeared in the drop-down bars; everything else is left to fate.

triple science + geography

i’d rather study real life than fiction

i live now, fiction and history are irrelevant

triple science + literature

i’d rather study people than the earth

phy, chem, geography, literature

i find the earth fascinating i like studying humans and plants = no i prefer numbers to words

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Rather than procrastinating and eventually leaving things to fate, let those of us who have gone through the process, help you make a more informed decision! Trace the path that you relate to the most*:

bio, chem, geography, literature

bio, chem, history, literature triple science + history

But if you do not even believe in the fortune cookies given out during Chinese New Year, why would you trust fate to make the most informed decision for you?

= yes

phy, chem, history, literature

Although the flow chart is more for Year Twos, the decision making process for the Senior High subjects is quite similar! But what if it is the subject combination stereotypes bothering you? Do you really want to become that “typical” science or arts stream student (whatever that means)?

Are the stereotypes even true?

movie or your celebrity crush who appeared in the latest season of your drama series did! It was believing that there was a career in the Arts scene awaiting for them that got them to where they are now in the first place! stereotype 2

Arts students have an easier time Let us begin with the stereotypes because they have fewer things to study for than Science students. of Arts students. stereotype 1 Arts students are limiting their Whilst Arts students may not be memorising mathematical forfuture career prospects. mulas or chemical equations, that does not mean that they have an easier time studying! Just think There are different jobs made about the number of texts Literafor different people with differ- ture students examined, and how ent interests. Yes, an Arts student familiar they have to be with each may not be able to get a job in text to score well, not to mention a laboratory doing research work the large number of hours spent all day, but that does not mean improving skills such as writing. that there are no career options There’s certainly a lot of hard for them. Journalism, Law, Mass work and effort that take place Communications, Graphic De- behind the scenes. sign, the options are endless. Do remember that there is no need to Now, we hope that this has helped conform to societal ‘norms’ and to debunk any misconceptions of get a more science-y job, because the students of the Arts stream. that’s not what the scriptwriter of Similarly, our society also has their stereotypes on Science stuyour favourite superhero dents.

stereotype 1 All Science stream students are extremely smart, and understand everything at the first attempt.

Ask any science student, and they will be the first to admit that they have been completely LOST in many lectures before. It is normal to not be able to understand certain concepts immediately, and that should not make you feel inadequate. Everyone learns at their own pace. As long as you put in consistent effort and hard work, you will understand these concepts eventually. stereotype 2 All Science students want to/ should become a doctor or an engineer in the future.

Not every science student wants to work in one of the above mentioned fields. One should not feel pressured to pursue something in the medical or engineering sector. There are hundreds of other career options that one can explore, and it’s okay to take your schooling years to figure out what exactly you want to pursue in life.

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s Dun Man, that’not Cool

By Ho Yu Ning, Ainsley Woo

Recently, I got a call from my Civics Tutor about my more than depressing Mid Year Exam results. Coupled with the threat of being unable to promote AND having to finish a certain article by today, needless to say, I was down in the dumps. I was discouraged. I was dispirited.

Well, you get the idea.

I was in a lift with a mother and her child when I ended the call. Unfortunately, I ended the call with a barely audible mutter of the phrase “@#$% me”.

For that brief moment, it felt like the world had stopped. The lift no longer felt like it was ascending. The mother stared at me, a horrified look plastered on her face. The child, well, being a child, he spat those words back out.

@#$% Damn. My heart slowed to a crawl. The mother shot daggers at me and turned to her child, “ You shouldn’t say that word!” The fierceness of her tone was as like a heat wave, palpable in every sense of the word.

“But why mummy?”

“Because that’s a bad word Nahziz, and good boys don’t say bad words.”

The mood in the elevator-uhhh-elevated.

But that got me thinking.

Why were there bad words?

It all begins with the definition. We qualify “vulgar” as any term that is common, overrated, coarse, or unrefined.

From the fifteenth to seventeenth century, “vulgar” simply described the common language or vernacular of a country. From the mid-seventeenth century onward, it began to take on a pejorative aspect: “having a common and offensively mean character, lacking in refinement”.

In the Victorian age, vulgarity broadly described many sorts of activity, such as wearing ostentatious clothing, and other similarly unnoticeable aspects of behavior.

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The effort to avoid vulgar phrasing could leave characters at a loss for words. In George Meredith’s Beauchamp’s Career, an heiress does not wish to make the commonplace statement that she is “engaged”, not “betrothed”, “affianced”, or “plighted”. Though such words are not vulgarity in the crude sense, they nonetheless could stigmatize the user as a member of a socially inferior class.

So, what did we do? We tagged all the “rude” words we know (and love to say) today as “vulgar” and did our utmost best to discourage the masses from using them.

Similarly, in Dunman, there are many things that are frowned upon.

Humans are social animals, and surely, there are some behaviours that annoy Dunmanians more than they should.

Here are some things you should avoid doing, if you wish to lead a happy life in Dunman High without earning a few glares from other Dunmanians 1. For starters, don’t spoil movies. Especially not Marvel films, because you KNOW some people built their entire childhood around the MCU and it’s not fair for them to hear about N^&* F!@y and M#r$a H!@# being %^&*!@# from Spiderman Far From Home from you.

2. Secondly, don’t cut the queue at canteen stalls, especially if you have plans to bring along at least 5 friends with you. Our break duration is already short enough; no one has time to wait for their turn after 40 orders from someone who didn’t even queue in the first place.

3. Thirdly, don’t leave your bag lying around unattended in places that are obviously not the shelves outside of Popular Bookstore. The school compound is quite possibly already facing the problem of overcrowding -- no one can find a seat anywhere especially during peak hours. So, for the love of God, please just take your bags with you and leave the benches to what they’re meant for.

The lift door opened and a very relieved Dunmanian stepped out, glad that a certain woman had not yet unleashed her wrath on his very person.

Later, when I would be pleading my last brain cell to give me an essay idea, I would have a moment of epiphany. And when I opened a Google Document and began typing, I began like this : Recently, I got a call from my Civics Tutor about my more than depressing Mid Year Exam results...

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TIME TO TOH: A Dunmanian’s Wellness Guide

By Cadance Tan & Charlieze Tan

Feeling swamped by work? Feel like you haven’t done anything aside from school in a while? Always falling asleep in class because you stayed up the whole night before? Well, you may be experiencing symptoms of burnout, which, over time, can severely impact your quality of life.

Some common symptoms of burnout include: • • • • • • • • •

Feeling physically or mentally exhausted Lacking motivation Unusual frustration or irritability Forgetfulness or loss of focus Slipping performance Withdrawal from social life Turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress Finding that you are always working, even during mealtimes or breaks Recurrent health issues (e.g. headaches, muscle aches, digestive issues)

If you’re worried that you could be on track to burnout (or already kneedeep in it), don’t fret! Here are some easy steps you can take to better the situation in your daily life!

Self-care is key to having a more wholesome and fulfilling life, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first glance. Beyond the occasional home-spa session, self-care revolves around cultivating healthy habits for both mind and body on a daily basis to improve your overall quality of life.

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Here are our recommendations to head your life in a better direction: Hydrate: Basic, but you’d be surprised at how much water we actually need! The actual recommended amount is about 2 litres, and more often than not, we should be drinking more to make up for the water lost during our activities. Drinking more can help clear your skin, make you more energised, and even help you excrete better!

Enrich: Make your daily life a little more rich by engaging in the real world more!

Disconnect yourself from your phone and media once in a while, and pick up a book. Learn a new hobby so you have something to de-stress daily, even if it’s something small and easy.

Activity: Get physical! We know...exercise is tiring at first, but in the long run, it can help you feel better. Exercise is good for both your physical health and mental health -not only does it release endorphins and make you feel good, it can make you more energised and burn off those midnight snacks you consumed when studying in the wee hours of the morning. Even if you can’t squeeze in a good workout on a day-to-day basis, just get up and stretch a little once in a while. You’ll return feeling refreshed and revitalised, ready to get back to the daily grind!

Diet: Eat your fair share of fruits and veggies! Sure, you can still eat junk food, but it’s important to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your meals to boost your immune system and prevent yourself from falling sick.

On a macro level, you can avoid burnout by creating a rich and regular life outside school that you can fall back on. Disconnect yourself purposefully to allow yourself breaks from work and time to prioritise relaxation. Take time to talk to family and friends, and spend quality time together.

You must know yourself well, to sense when you are beginning to burn out and prevent it from getting worse, and to not overcommit when you already struggle to juggle your current activities.

Get enough sleep, and organise the area around you. Only then, can you brave school life healthily!

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Dhs Toolkit:

A few life hacks for dhs students

By Basil Lee and choy Kheng Yan

We all know that school life can get a little busy and tiring, so here are some tips and tricks to help you survive the school year!

#1 Playing lecture videos at x1.5 or x2 speed/ Search up CrashCourse videos for brief recaps

Though the ideal situation is to study consistently throughout the year, sometimes we’re just too caught up with other things to be revising every day, so this hack helps to cut down on the time spent on revision. Most lectures are conducted based on the notes given, so listening to lectures at x2 speed can help to reduce time spent on reading the notes. Additionally, you will be able to catch any extra tips and tricks you missed out during the actual lecture.

CrashCourse is a YouTube account dedicated to creating short 15-minute videos, most applicable of which are the Chemistry and Biology series. This can help you cut down on the time spent. However, do note that the content covered in these videos may not be fully aligned to our local syllabus.

However, do remember that on top of pure revision, you have to practice to learn how to apply your knowledge and understanding to various questions relating to the topic.

#2 Take Strong Mints To Prevent Yourself From Sleeping in Class

We’ve all been there. The guilt and shame when dozing off in the classroom, and the sheepish march to the toilet to splash our faces with more water. Don’t want to continue in this vicious cycle, and yet you just can’t stay awake? Mints might just be the answer. Mints act as powerful stimulants which help keep one awake. The scent of peppermint has been proven to enhance overall motivation and alertness, in addition to several other health benefits such as aiding indigestion. When attending your next lesson/lecture, keep a pack of mints close by and the next time you feel drowsy, it can work wonders.

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#3 Using phone apps to increase productivity

We can’t help but fall prey to the lure of the smartphone. Often housing more than 100 applications, this digital marvel tempts us to take a “short” respite from our revision. More often than not, we find ourselves utterly engrossed in our screens, sometimes for hours on end. This wreaks havoc on our study plans.

Luckily for you, there are now phone applications designed specifically for you to use your phone less (ironic, right?). Apps like these include Forest and SelfControl which help to block off certain popular websites or cut off usage of the phone and its notifications completely, save for incoming phone calls. What’s more, the apps provide greater incentive for minimal phone usage, rewarding the user in a point based system. Forest, in particular, even allows users with enough of these points to eventually trade in and plant a tree in real life! This leads to increased productivity AND you get to help save the environment. So next time you pick up that smartphone, give these apps a try.

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#4 Instead of reading the newspaper for articles and opinions, try searching for talks/ videos made by other Singaporeans.

Social media platforms such as Reddit, Instagram and YouTube are potential places to gain insight into various perspectives of a certain issue. However, you should take note that what people post on these platforms may not be an accurate representation of the event. We advise you to do a quick background check on the event from reliable sources, such as The Straits Times, before going on other platforms to read up on other perspectives.

the News pAPER

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#5 Play pink noise/ other gentle background music to concentrate in a noisy environment

Studies have shown that listening to music while studying can help to improve productivity. It’s not only relaxing, but it can also help you focus and drown out other noises too. Given how distracting mainstream pop music can be, we have found out that pink noise is a more soothing version of static white noise, which can help to cancel out other surrounding noise. Acoustic or instrumental covers are also good calming alternatives to pop music. Streaming platforms like Spotify do have playlists dedicated for instrumental covers, and even study playlists filled with soothing nature sounds nature. So explore the different types of music and see what works for you!

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- 减压小妙招 即使压力山大也要笑着活下去 文/ 曹译萱 ，黎津沙

“这年头，当个学生简直是太难了！” “每天全靠一口仙气吊着！” “我又长痘痘了！”

越到高年级，就越发现自 己宝贵的时间被各种各样繁琐 的事情所占用。很多同学每天 过着早出晚归的生活，沉重的 课业负担和课外活动经常让身 体感到吃不消，再加上熬夜学 习、写作业，第二天早上能坚 持从床上爬起来已经是个奇迹 了。

瞌睡来临时眼皮打架，醒 来的时候发现自己什么都没听 进去，还得花多余的时间补功 课，效率也就越来越低了。更 有甚者，造成了恶性循环 —— 每天都过着压力山大的生活， 越来越不快乐。

同学们一定都希望压力能 够得到缓解，但有些人可能不 压力，困意和劳累会在极 知道该从何做起。那么，两位 大程度上缩短我们专注的时 小编就为各位带来六个减压小 间，导致我们经常在上课的时 妙招，相信对各位同学们会有 候无法高效率吸收知识。 很大的帮助！

1.压力大？吃点东西呀！ 上课打瞌睡，听不下去怎 么办？能快速赶走睡意的，当 然是食欲了！你可以选择在包 里带一些甜味、酸味糖果，在 每天的第一节课之前含一颗， 补充一些糖分，刺激味觉，帮 助自己提起精神。带薄荷味的 糖果提神效果最佳，极力推 荐！课间休息的时候可以去食 堂找卖水的Uncle买一杯碳酸 水。因为碳酸水能通过气泡的 刺激，让迟钝的思维活跃起

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的好友聊天也能有效的缓解压 力。不过，不是所有的社交都 能让人放松，你需要选择你社 交的对象。 建议放松时，找自己最信任、 熟悉的伙伴们，和他们待在一 起。有时你们不必一直聊天， 即使呆在一个空间里也会有放 松和安抚的效果。如果你们想 要聊天，注意不要谈论考试、 作业等会让你紧张的内容。

来，使学习事半功倍。但记住 4.劳逸结合 不可贪杯，也不能带到教室里 人不是机器，不可能无时 去喝啊！ 无刻地都在学习，大家总会 有“超负荷”的时候。这时若 2.运动疗法 还是选择坚持下去，恐怕就会 面临边际效用递减，事倍功半 研究显示，每周进行2-3 的结果了。那学习时该如何缓 次的有氧运动能使我们精力 解疲劳，提高效率呢？ 充沛。因为当人们在运动的时 候，身体会释放另人愉悦的化 第一步就是站起身，外出 学物质 —— 多巴胺。它能舒 晒晒太阳、远眺，或是随手涂 缓心情，愉悦大脑，显著减轻 鸦，观察课桌上的物品等等。 我们的压力。当压力压得你喘 这样可以刺激自身的视觉，调 不过气的时候，不妨去健身房 动感官，转移注意力。其次， 撒汗或者去学校操场上尽情运 你可以根据自己的喜好，准备 动吧，让眼泪和烦恼变成汗 一组“元气满满”的歌单，边 水，通通排出体外。 听边放松，调节心情。学习的 时候也可以准备一组舒缓的 纯音乐，当作背景音乐，让学 3. 远离电子产品 习的过程不再枯燥。再者，你 可以在感到疲惫时，按压合谷 你是否手机时刻不离身？ 穴（虎口，在大拇指与食指之 你是否因没有查看社交媒体而 间），慢慢转动头部，做做肩 感到焦虑？你是否意识到玩手 部、腰部运动，放松全身的肌 机是自己拖延症的罪魁祸首？ 肉。只有当身体得到了放松， 沉浸在网络和社交媒体上浪 心情才会得到缓和，继续准备 费的不仅仅是你的时间，还有 下一轮的奋斗！ 你的精力。这个来临的周五晚 上，当月亮和星星爬上夜空的 时候，关掉手机，洗一个热水 5.社交 澡，再饮上一杯牛奶，拉上窗 压力大？心情不好？和你 帘，睡一个好觉。第二天，你 将迎来一个精力充沛的早晨。 的朋友说说话吧！和关系亲密

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6. 专业帮助 你是否已经尝试过以上所有 方法，但仍长时间感到持续性 焦虑，难过，力不从心或精疲 力尽。不要担心，你还有最后 一个法宝 —— 向专业人士咨 询。你可以向我校的免费心 理咨询师（Ms Wendy Lau) 寻求帮助。她的办公室位于3 楼，你可以提前进行预约，或 直接敲门进去。当然，你也可 以求助更加专业的心理医生， 解决你的压力和困扰。

“我压力好大啊”—— 这 是初院的同学们最常说的一句 话。其实在这个快节奏的时 代，人们不论是在工作、学习 还是生活上，都面临着各种各 样的压力。而如何在压力中维 持好的身体和心理状态，与压 力共处，才是至关重要的。只 有通过不断学习，了解我们的 内心，才可能驾驭我们的情绪 和压力。

Ghosting the Goss

By Chua Jia Wen Emma Lim

“S

ome people will find any reason to hate. Don’t waste your time. Lighten up! It takes so much less energy to smile than to hate. Enjoy life.” - Ariana Grande

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o one is perfect. And nowhere is this reality expressed more candidly, more brutally, than through the spreading of gossip. Thus, certain less desirable aspects of the human psyche can manifest themselves as the sly whisper, text messages exchanged between gleeful parties, and even delivered directly to one’s inbox under the condition of anonymity on the part of the sender (as one of the writers of this article has experienced First-Hand!). Regardless of form, what is universal about the spreading of such malicious content is the devastating effect it has on the victim. It could be a celebrity, an acquaintance, or perhaps even you.

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here have been an increasing number of cases involving cyberbullying in recent years. In fact, according to a Channel NewsAsia article, 3 in 4 youngsters have been bullied online. “Bullies, if they’ve experienced abuse before … compensate for the feelings of disempowerment that they (felt).

They would then inflict harm on others in a way that allows them to feel that thrill their bullies had felt.” Professor Lim Sun Sun added.

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hat, then, is to be done in the face of such a bleak situation? Wallowing in your plight might seem tempting — and it would be normal to want to do so — and whilst you should definitely grant yourself some time to wrap your mind around the sheer malignity of mankind (if need be), here are some alternatives you could consider!

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1. Ignore the hate Why validate the very person out to get you? Rather than granting them your time and energy, direct your attention to more valuable, wholesome pursuits! 2. Reply to the person spreading the hate (POLITELY) Be the bigger person! Try to get them to understand the toll that their rumours are taking on you, and discourage them from spreading even more lies.

3. Vent about any negative feelings you might have about the situation Sharing your feelings with others might seem tough, even embarrassing; but it’s a surefire way to offload the stress this situation is inflicting upon you! Try talking to a close friend, a parent or even a teacher you trust, especially if things start to become unbearable.

4. Turn the negative into positive Take the hate and turn it into constructive criticism. Find the bright side in each comment, and always remember that most hate is generated from jealousy. As many of such rumour-spreading platforms are anonymous (i.e. Sarahah, Tellonym, etc.) it is impossible to identify the gossipmonger. However, do consider that this could be their own way of expressing and relieving their insecurities.

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ast but absolutely not least, remember to maintain a healthy self-image throughout the whole debacle!

You are just as worthy a person as you were before any rumours started swirling. Take strength in your own identity and stay true to yourself always!

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Our Designers LING YING XUAN CANDACE TAN CHEN WEI LING CHEN CHEN SEAH YI LIN MIRA LU WEN KAI LING EMMA LIM RENEE LEE TOH WEN QI XU CHENXIAO

Proudly brought to you by: Dunman High School Publications (Senior High) 德明政府中学出版社 （高中部） With special thanks to Ms Kheng Hwee Teng & Mdm Hong Lan

All copyright of images used belong to their respective owners

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