MUGGERS OF THE UNIVERSE

They made the news for their outstanding ability to study, or in teen parlance: Mug From leafing through stacks of notes to pacing to-and-fro while memorising choice phrases or the fail-proof chemistry formula they were adamant to get it right. And get it right they did: While their peers called them names like chow mugger and nerd they got the last laugh when they raked in nine A1s each in the recent O-level examinations. Only 25 students out of 38,593 students who sat for the O levels managed to clinch such outstanding results.

Said Ru Mohan, 17: In the end, I think we all deserve the results that we scored because we really studied our butts off for the exams.

Meet the study warriors : The Memoriser, Cai Sang; The Driller, Ru Mohan; The Integrator, Audrey Han; and The Pacer, Shao Shiyu.

ALTER EGO: Cai Sang, 18, a student at Raffles Junior College.

FROM: Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province in central-western China.

ABILITY: Rapid absorption of words, phrases, formulae and so on. HOW SHE GOT HER POWERS:

The only daughter of a teacher and a civil servant flunked her first English test because she could not understand the questions.

That launched her into hyper-drive, memorising 10 pages from the Collins English dictionary a day. In half a year, she had memorised the whole dictionary from cover to cover.

SUCCESSES: From barely a Primary 4 foundation in the English language two years ago, she now speaks with effortless fluency, with only a tinge of an accent. She clinched an A1 for English at the recent O levels.

SHE SAYS: It was difficult to keep going. At times I wanted to give up, especially when I got a constant C throughout Sec 3. One piece of advice I would give to anyone is to persevere.

ALTER EGO: Ru Mohan, 17, a student at Raffles Junior College.

FROM: Shaanxi, a largely undeveloped province far from the big cities in China.

HOW HE GOT HIS POWERS: The only child of a university lecturer and middle-school teacher was determined to grasp the English language.

He listens to the BBC on the radio ardently, reads magazines like this one (IN), Time and Newsweek regularly, and cuts out articles from The Straits Times. He drills words and phrases into his head by testing them out with friends or using them in essays.

SUCCESSES: From having once described a person as having a neckless behaviour, instead of reckless, in an essay, he now speaks more fluently than the average teenager. He uses words like rudimentary, amicable and humiliating in his everyday speech.

HE SAYS: I read at least three hours each day. I also forced my friends to speak to me in English even though at first I did not understand half of what they were saying.

ALTER EGO: Audrey Han Yan Yi, 16, is currently a student at Victoria Junior College.

FROM: Singapore

HOW SHE GOT HER POWERS: The middle child of a secretary and civil servant did badly for her mid-term exams in Sec 3. This spurred her to find a way to eat, sleep and breathe her school curriculum. The integrator integrates her studies into her daily activities.

AN EXAMPLE: When she sees someone eat fatty foods, she repeats the biology chapter on lipids to herself in her head. Her two sisters have yet to manifest their powers.

SUCCESSES: Before she discovered her powers, she had difficulty remembering details for more than two weeks. After constantly linking her studies to daily life, she managed to etch formulae into long-term memory.

SHE SAYS: There was a period of time where I felt tortured. But studying for the O levels was invaluable. It taught me perseverance and determination.

ALTER EGO: Shao Shiyu, 17, is currently a student at Raffles Junior College, and an ex-student of Tanjong Katong Girls’ School.

FROM: Hunan, a province in central China.

HOW SHE GOT HER POWERS: The only child of a professor and an accountant used to study in a small room. But she could not keep her attention on her books for more than half an hour for each session. She soon started pacing around her house while memorising her notes. This helped her keep the juices coursing through her brain, while calming her down at the same time.

SUCCESSES: Cooped up in a small room, she could concentrate only for 30 minutes at a go before. But after she started pacing, her batteries were recharged and she could keep going for hours on end.

SHE SAYS: I need a change of surroundings. It helps me to study better. That’s just me. Different people have different methods. You have to find yours.

TEAMWORK SCORES BIG TOO

Studying solo is one way to get top grades. But students at Yishun Town Secondary School found another approach - teamwork and communication.

Their results from the recent O levels said it all: The school had a two-fold jump in six-pointers over the previous year.

Yishun Town Secondary principal Tan Yee Kan said: Teamwork between teachers and students is the key. That means long hours of group coaching, home visits and counselling to pinpoint a method that will work for each individual”, said Mrs Rahmat Saion, 45, the school’s level coordinator.

She said the aim was to help students understand their strengths and capitalise on them. Mrs Rahmat has taught at the school for 20 years, and said: After each exam, the student’s performance is evaluated and new targets are set. In addition, she currently counsels 50 students, gives motivational talks during assembly and sets targets for students to reach.

It is tough, students admit, but they are grateful for the help. Raden Rikmoko Gatot, 17, scored 18 for L1R5 at the O levels, and now intends to study aeronautical engineering at Singapore Polytechnic. That was a coup, considering he was nearly retained in Sec 3 because he passed only two subjects, then scored 33 at the preliminary examinations. He said: I was too stuck on my guitar and my soccer ball. Teamwork involved lessons lasting late into the day after his abysmal prelim results, along with counselling on time management. The teachers really helped me concentrate, he said, now relieved. I’m glad it’s over, but happy I did well.