Major School leaving examinations determine the type or 'brand' (to some people, apparently) of institution you will spend your next chapter of your life in. The whole examination and thus your grades on the piece of paper (certificate) will also play a part in shaping your character as people believe that those are the crucial moments when we all start to mature and develop asthetically, physically, mentally, etc, proper. Does it matter if you end up in a school that offers education for the gifted, special streams or many 'S'papers? Does it matter if you end up in a school with NT streams or has more NA than Express streams? Do u, then despise the neighborhood schools, that may be thought by you as so-called 'contaminated', 'contaminated' with cigarette smoke, gang fights, which therefore made u believe that the teachers, students and everybody else are bad? So, you're saying that if you end up in a good school, you will go to the top JCs and thus top Universities? That's overgeneralization and stigmatization on your part, oh-kay? This beautiful picture that you are imagining happens to probably less than 50 % of the cohort, I bet. There's is no such thing as 100% perfection, my dear friend. As cliche as it may sound, the future is in your hands. You will decide the path you walk, the salary you hold, the friends you acquaint with and the life you ultimately lead. If you succumb to peer pressure so easily, I have got nothing better to say. But, stop insulting people from the neighbourhood schools indirectly. What makes you think that if you are from a better school, you will definitely do better than people from the neighbourhood schools? Gosh. Please think before you speak! Oh wells, pardon me...-_-