Thursday 26 January 2012

IOI Workshop 2012

This is posted by LJ's mum.

Every Wednesday 6 - 9.30 pm, both Lim Jeck and Lim Min attend the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) Workshop 2012 at the School of Computing (SoC), NUS. About 50 students are attending the workshop - 30 of them are NUS undergraduate students who are taking the 3rd Year SoC elective module (Competitive Programming), the remaining 20 are secondary and JC students who are vying for the final top 4 positions, to represent Singapore in this year's IOI.

Unlike the other International Mathematics and Science Olympiads (IMO, IPhO, IChO and IBO) which will be held in July this year, the IOI 2012 is held from 23 to 30 September, at Lake Garda, Italy.

The IOI selection comprises 10 mini contests (each contest constitutes 1% of the overall score) and 3 selection tests (each constitutes 30% of the overall score). After 2 mini contests in the last 2 weeks, Lim Jeck is currently ranked 3rd and Lim Min is ranked 11th. The current rankings clearly do not give a good indication of the final 4 contestants to be selected for IOI 2012, as they are but based on only 2% of the overall score. The details of the workshop and current rankings can be found here. The trainer, Dr Steven Halim, is very prompt in updating the website - he uploads the results almost immediately after each contest, updates the scores and re-ranks the students by the following day.

In 2011, all 4 IOI representatives were from RI. Up till now, NUS High students have taken part in IMO, IPhO, IChO and IBO, but not IOI. I think NUS High is keeping her hopes up, to send at least one of her students for IOI 2012.

Monday 2 January 2012

Boarding at NUS High

This is posted by LJ's mum.

Lim Jeck started his boarding stay today. The NUS High Boarding programme is compulsory for all Year 5 students. Breakfast and dinner will be provided from Mondays to Fridays, 3 meals are provided on other days. Laundry service is provided. Lim Jeck will be going home on Fridays and then returning to the Boarding School on Sundays. The Boarding fee is $937.50 (after MOE subsidy, for Singapore Citizen/PR) per term, which is about 10 weeks. I find this rather expensive. I heard that the previous batches paid much lesser, last year it was $7xx per term and before that, it was $3xx. But we can't do anything about it, can't possibly opt out of hostel stay :( . The school explained that the fee has always been the same; it is the MOE subsidy that has been cut year after year :((

The hostel's twin-sharing room (Lim Jeck's side is on the right).

Lim Jeck's bed.
Lim Jeck's wardrobe.
Common bathrooms, shared by 4 persons (room on both sides).


Kendrick and Lim Jeck are room mates, good friends as well as classmates in M12506.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Another Busy Year Ahead, in 2012 ...

This is posted by LJ's mum.

2011 was a busy year for the kids. I think 2012 is also going to be as busy.

Lim Min is taking GCE 'A' levels at the end of this year. She is also taking a H3 subject in the first semester (Jan to May) - Numbers and Matrices module offered by NTU. She has the choice to take a H3 Math module by NUS, NTU and MOE but eventually selected the NTU module. According to her, there is a higher chance for her to get Distinction in the NTU module, as too many RI's pro-in-Math people had selected the NUS' Linear Algebra I module, and there is a quota on how many Distinctions and Merits that can be awarded for each H3 subject. The twice weekly 2-hr lectures will be conducted at NJC (1st half of semester) and HCI (2nd half of semester).

Lim Jeck is taking two NUS Math modules - MA1104 Multivariable Calculus and MA2108S Mathematical Analysis I from the NUS Faculty of Science, and Competitive Programming (for selection of IOI participants) from the NUS School of Computing. He also has SIMO National Team Training at NUS Math Dept on Saturday mornings. I think he has to make 8 trips to NUS every week, for the lectures, tutorials and training. Luckily NUS is just 1 bus stop away from NUS High, otherwise I can't imagine how he is going to manage. At NUS High, besides his core modules, he has to attend SIMC (Singapore International Mathematics Challenge) training and Physics Olympiad training.

Lim Li will begin her secondary school life at NUS High. I think she should have no problem doing well for Maths and Science subjects, but I do hope she can cope with the integrated humanities, music/art and languages subjects. Good thing about being in NUS High is, she does not have to take stressful national exams such as GCE 'O' and 'A' levels!

Have a wonderful 2012!