Sunday mornings are very tiring for me – 2 hrs of Sec 4 IP Math followed by 1.5 hrs of Sec 4 Pure Physics tutoring. The topics we are doing now are Trigonometry, Differentiation and DC Circuits.
Apparently, some schools are slower than others. Sec 4 students should now already be doing Differentiation and DC Circuits, but some are still at graphs of trigonometrical functions and electrostatics or even sound!
Every year, my tuition students who are weak in Math come from two ‘very good’ schools in the west. I shall not name the schools but I think the lower sec Math teachers in these schools need to get closer supervision from their superiors. This is what I have been trying to tell parents – ‘good’ schools do not necessarily have good teachers. Some of these schools attain good results because their students are academically good in the first place, not because they have outstanding teachers. If you enter a ‘good’ school, chances are, the teachers there think you are already very smart, so they teach fast and make you do a lot of ‘independent’ learning, and justifying these actions using the ‘Teach Less Learn More’ philosophy.
Last but not least, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: SEC 2 MATH IS VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY THE ALGEBRA PART.
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.
Class tests, common tests and CA1 …
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.
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.
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.
Not all Integrated Programme (IP) students make it …
I’m sure many of you have read the Straits Times article (22 Dec 2011) which stated that about 5% of every cohort of IP students fail to get into local universities. In fact, around 5% of IP students leave the programme before graduation. Thus if you are an IP student, please don’t take your studies lightly. You still have to work hard and study smartly like everyone else.
The full article is here: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_747635.html
Good luck!
Best Regards,
Ilyasa, M.Ed., PGDE, B.Sc., full-time tutor of Math & Physics (h/p: 97860411)
A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics and (H2/H1) Mathematics for more than 6 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
For our latest timetable, click here =>
Related pages:
(2) JC Math Tuition
How to remember important stuff? Read this …
I found the following in a certain college handbook. I’ve read something like it before and I believe it’s based on some research work:
You remember approximately 10% of what you read, 2o% of what you hear, 30% of what you see, 50% of what you see and hear together, 70% of what you say, and 90% of what you do.
That’s why I insist that my students DO a lot of high-quality work because that IS the best way to prepare for exams. I also like to ask students to summarize or re-phrase their understanding of a concept and SAY it out. People who teach others are also continually reinforcing their knowledge, thus it is a good idea to share your knowledge with friends. 🙂
Please double-check your exam timetable!
My student arrived 28 mins late for his H2 Econs exam because he thought the paper was in the afternoon. But he told me he did not panic and calmly completed the paper within the allotted time, a result of being well-prepared. (Btw, I’m not his Econs tutor; I only tutor him in H2 Math and H2 Physics.)
The moral of the story?
(1) Always double-check your exam schedule.
(2) Be well-prepared for exams, even over-prepared if necessary.
(3) Try not to panic in any situation; control your breathing.