Yes, now is the ‘panic’ period for most students. At Singapore Learner, we are preparing students for whatever academic tests they are facing – class tests, common tests and CA1. Even my own children are facing a series of tests.
If you are struggling to pass any subject, I suggest you get help early. Late tuition, like late medical treatment, is likely to have poor results. If you get help too late, you’d probably be put under ‘intensive care’, even then, only if the tutor has available free slots for you.
Some parents tell me that by getting tuition for their children later in the year, they can save some money. This is not entirely true, because some tutors actually increase their fees when exams are near, and students who have almost a whole year’s amount of catching up to do may end up needing to attend tuition lessons twice or thrice a week.
Some subjects, like Math and Physics, perhaps even Chemistry, need a lot of foundation training, so a few weeks of tuition just before the exams is not going to be very effective.
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By EX-MOE TEACHERS & EXPERIENCED TUTORS
@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).
CALL 65694897 OR SMS 98530744 OR 97860411.
JC 2 H2/H1 Math Reflections …
I was teaching the Normal Distribution last night, including using it to approximate the Binomial Distribution. As usual, students have difficulties with the following:
(a) knowing the difference between Var (X1 + X2 + X3) and Var (3X), and knowing WHEN the question refers to which;
(b) doing continuity correction for P(X> k) or P(X < k) when X is a discrete variable and there is a need to approximate its distribution to Normal.
I suggest students read their H2 Math textbook carefully and thoroughly, if their own JC notes are inadequate. As you know, in Math, mistakes done at the START of the working will most likely cost you ALL the marks even if your answer is one page long. : )
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By EX-MOE TEACHERS & EXPERIENCED TUTORS
@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).
CALL 65694897 OR SMS 98530744 OR 97860411.
The Importance of Sec 2 English, Math and Science …
I wonder if Sec 2 students realize how impt their studies are. Streaming to Sec 3 is done based on your performance in English, Math and Science in Sec 2. It determines whether you will be allowed to do Additional Math and the Pure Sciences at the O-levels, which in turn will affect the kinds of academic subjects that you can take at the A-levels, which ultimately will have an impact on the course that you can choose to do at the university.
Essentially, how you perform in school in Sec 2 will affect your career choices some day. Unfortunately, many Sec 2 students are not mature enough to understand this, and end up regretting later. Of course, EVERY academic year is important, but some years may impact your life more than others. It is not necessary to stay alert and study all the time, but students need to know when to work and when to play.
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For our latest timetable, click here => 
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By EX-MOE TEACHERS & EXPERIENCED TUTORS
@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).
CALL 65694897 OR SMS 98530744 OR 97860411.
A. Math Chap 2 – Quadratic Functions & Equations
I was teaching this topic in sch the other day and as expected, students encountered quite a number of problems with this topic. Many of my tuition students over the years also reported the same problems in handling issues related to Quadratic Functions.
Some of these problems are:
(1) not understanding that alpha and beta by themselves also satisfy the quadratic eqn because they are the roots of the equation! So it’s not just abt finding the sum and product of roots;
(2) not knowing the condition for the discriminant (b^2 – 4ac) when the question involves the phrase “for which the function is never positive or never negative”;
(3) not being sure whether one is required to solve an inequality involving the discriminant or the function itself;
(4) not knowing how to complete the square to determine the maximum or minimum value of a quadratic function (even those who can do it do not understand why it works!);
(5) not recognising that “real and distinct roots”, “real and equal roots”, and “no real roots” have other names that express the same meaning.
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JC 1 General Paper Reflections …
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
Last night we covered the following items:
For Paper 1: (a) Selection of essay qn based on personal strength and preparation; (b) sample essay outlines.
For Paper 2: (a) Intro to AQ and short exercise; (b) Vocab explanation, how to derive answer from passage, how to find relevant points frm passage for your answer.
I had a chat with a parent and I understood her concerns abt her son in relation to GP. Yes, GP is a demanding subject. You need to have good (i) qn analysis skills, (ii) brainstorming skills, (iii) essay writing skills (intro, body, conclusion), (iv) demonstration of maturity, (v) use of language including grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure and style, (vi) inference skills, (vii) summary skills and other skills such as synthesis and evaluation.
The correct word to use …
What is the correct English word to use to describe individual tuition, one-on-one or one-to-one? Let me tell you what the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary say about it:
one-on-one: (1) A US adverb used in sports to mean that each player from one team is matched to a single player from the other team. (2) A US adjective to describe an activity in which one person is teaching or giving information to another person.
one-to-one: An adjective to describe an activity in which one person is teaching or giving information to another person.
Did you know that …
that you DON’T have to pass GP in order to be admitted to NUS? However, a low score in GP will affect your total academic score for the purpose of admission. The following is taken from their website:
New Singapore-Cambridge ‘A’ Level Curriculum (H1/H2/H3 Subjects)
Applicants (regardless of nationality) presenting the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Levels (H1/H2/H3 curriculum) are required to meet the following minimum academic requirements:
- Pass in at least two subjects at H2 Level and offer either General Paper (GP) or Knowledge & Inquiry (KI) in the same sitting.
- Meet the Mother Tongue Language (MTL) requirement for admission by having one of the following:
- minimum of D7 for the higher MTL paper taken at the ‘O’ Level examination.
- minimum of ‘S’ grade for the H1 MTL paper or General Studies in Chinese.
- minimum of ‘S’ grade for the H2 MTLL paper taken at the ‘A’ Level examination.
- pass in the MTL ‘B’ Syllabus paper at the ‘A’ Level examination.
- If you have been exempted from MTL, the MOE-approved subject-in-lieu will be considered as your MTL subject.
If you have done poorly at the O-Levels, …
it’s time to forget the past and move on. Remember that you cannot change the past but you can influence the future. Here’s a recent meaningful quote from American Idol finalist Danny Gokey:
“No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
: )
From N-Level directly to Poly ….
Are you aware that starting this year, N-Level students who perform very well can go directly to a Polytechnic without having to do the O-levels? This also means that N-Level students who did badly in 2011 can opt to re-take their N-Levels this year and still stand a chance to be admitted to a Polytechnic in 2013.
The following is taken from the MOE website:
“Students who have performed very well in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE N-level examinations (expected to be among the top 10% of the Secondary 4 N(A) cohort)2 will have a new option of completing a one-year Foundation Programme (FP) at the polytechnics, instead of taking their O-Levels in Secondary 5. The FP will offer a practice-oriented curriculum taught by polytechnic faculty, using applied teaching methods. This will better prepare polytechnic-bound N(A) students for entry into relevant diploma courses.
For the first phase beginning in 2013, polytechnics will offer a total of about 1,000 FP places that would articulate into a range of diploma courses. Students will gain admission into specific diploma courses upon entry to the FP and continue on to these diplomas if they complete their FPs satisfactorily. The FP could be expanded over time to cover more diploma programmes and offer more places.”
To read the full article, click on http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2010/09/more-pathways-secondary-schools.php
Good luck.
Rgds,
Related articles:
(1) Should N-Level grads opt for the direct poly route?
(2) The Big Jump – from N-Level to O-Level.
I think the O-Level results will be released on ….
Well, some say on the 9th of January, which is a Monday. Personally, I think it will be on the 11th or 12th. I may be completely wrong of course. But what you do with the results is more important. The soon-to-be O-Level graduates right now need to do some serious thinking, and even soul-searching, about what they want to do as a career, what they are good at, and what they are passionate about. It is a scary yet exciting part of life.
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Singapore Learner provides Group Tuition, Individual Tuition, Intensive Revision, Enrichment Workshops, Headstart Classes, Holiday Classes and Crash Courses at the Primary, Secondary and Junior College levels in the areas of Math, Pure Physics, Pure Chemistry, Science, Economics, and General Paper for the Singapore A-Levels, O-Levels and PSLE.