Posted in A-Level, H2 Math

A-LEVEL | JC | MATH

Bukit Batok Tuition Schedule:

JC2 H2 Math:      Friday | 8.00 pm – 9.30 pm | Code: J2H2M1 

JC1 H2 Math:      Monday |7.45 pm-9.15 pm| Code: J1H2M2

JC1 H1 Math:  Saturday |12.30 pm – 2.00 pm| Code: J1H1M1

 


FAQ (MUST READ BEFORE CONTACTING TUTOR):

Q: Do you have your own notes and tutorials?
A: Yes we do, we have packaged notes and tutorials for every topic, with questions of incremental difficulty from basic mastery to challenging questions. We always lecture the topic before letting students start to do questions. Lectures include example questions to show students the thought process and basic procedure behind the math question, as well as reminding them of the pre-requisite math concepts which they are required to recall from their secondary school days.

Q: What is your class size?
A: Class size is limited at 5 maximum. However, if I need to concentrate more on the current students, I will further restrict the class size.

Q: Some schools have different syllabuses for math, how do you plan to address this issue?
A: For JC1, we split the classes into separate learning groups based on syllabus. For e.g. the schools which start with Vectors will be placed together in the same class, and the schools which start with APGP will be placed together in the same class. For JC2, the topics are very similar between schools, starting usually with complex numbers, and moving on to statistics eventually. There is very little need to separate JC2 students by school into separate classes. Please inform me of your JC before I allocate you a class.

Q: Students have different speeds, how do you plan to address this in your class when one student is a lot faster than another?
A: Besides our own packaged lecture notes and tutorials, we also have on hand many TYS questions and past year school questions. Fast students are expected to complete supplementary exercises of increased difficulty while their peers catch up on the regular class work. That way, all students benefit from the class. This is an issue parents usually bring up, especially when it comes to IP students vs JAE students in the same JC. Rest assured that there is this system in place to keep all students engaged and learning at their maximum capacity.

Q: If a student wishes to consult on their schoolwork, can they do so during class? If a student is very behind on schoolwork, can they attempt those tutorial questions in class?
A: Schoolwork is immediate and takes priority. As long as it is the same topic as what I am going through in class, students can share their doubts and we can learn together as a class. This may come as a shock to most parents, but more often than not, students are unable finish their schoolwork for JC, especially during exam period where they are given large revision packages. My packaged lectures and tutorials are a guideline for the class, and I do not blindly adhere to them, there is some flexibility where I allow students to catch up on their schoolwork in class as long as it is of the same topic. Our class sizes are small, and by design, very ideal for consultation.

Q: It has been some time since secondary school, and a student has forgotten certain concepts such as quadratic factorization, and partial fractions. Will you cover it in class?
A: Yes I will. JC Math content is built on top of knowledge and techniques mastered in secondary school, students need constant reminders on old concepts which come out very often in certain types of past year questions. Being able to link secondary school knowledge and use it subconsciously in your JC Math is part of the requirements you need to clear in order to do well.

Q: Will you cover older topics during exam time?
A: Absolutely. There are some topics in JC Math that students consistently forget, those topics are graphing techniques, graphing transformations, functions, Maclaurin series and volume of revolution in integration. During exam time as well as during the June holiday period, there will be refreshers on these commonly forgotten topics.

Q: School papers VS Ten Year Series, it is known that schools set papers of a certain standard which is above that of the A-level. How do you plan to address this?
A: Basic practice usually starts with common past year A-level questions which are common and easier to score. That way, the students are primed with a good foundation for the A-levels. To excel in school questions, is to attempt questions from your own JC, or a JC with similar difficulty in papers/similar syllabus. Trend spotting in both school exams as well as A-level is something that I provide as a tutor. The strategy is that we attempt school papers when sitting for your school exams, and we attempt TYS questions when you are taking your As, or when I need to go through some basic concepts. That way, students can score well both during school time as well as during their A-level exam.

Q: Student is struggling very badly, what do you recommend?
A: If you are struggling and its the holiday period, arrange to come for a holiday program and work hard to catch up as you have time on your side. During the normal academic year, if you are struggling at the early part of the year, it is still not too late to join for regular class and catch up. If you are struggling at the later part of the year, arrange to come for multiple sessions or arrange for a one to one lesson. JC math, be it H1/H2, is very deep and not to be trifled with. You will not do well by simply putting in a basic amount of effort. To expect good or even passable grades when you start revising last minute is delusional, unless you commit to sacrificing and working hard.

Q: Student has several after school commitments and unable to commit to regular class, what do you recommend?

A: I recommend better time management and to get back to me only when you are able to do so. To be brutally honest, if you are struggling in your studies, I hardly think you have the luxury to be prioritizing other things instead of your own studies.

Q: We prefer online classes as we live further away, can you walk us through what a typical online class will be like?

A: For online class, we use Zoom or Google Meet as a platform. A link to the online classroom will be sent to either you or your child’s Whatsapp account a few minutes before the start of the class. Materials used for the class will be sent to you in a PDF or word format by email at least a day before the class itself. Parents are welcome to come down physically and collect printed materials if they wish. Online class has the same class size limit as physical class, capped at 4-5pax. Once attendance is taken and the tutor is sure that all students are accounted for, the class begins just like any regular class. Lesson materials are projected onto the screen in the online classroom, and there is a whiteboard function which the tutors will use to write down their steps and to discuss more complex questions with diagrams. We use a stylus pad for online whiteboard so the handwriting will be neat and fast, just like in our physical lessons. For complex questions, workings are required to be submitted to the tutor via Whatsapp using CamScanner, and they will be marked and returned. For students who are more shy in nature, they may choose to private message the tutor to address their concerns during class. The experience will be the same as a physical class but in the comfort of your home.

For enquiries,

CALL 6569 4897 OR SMS/WHATSAPP TO 88765498

 

Our teaching schedule is 2pm-9pm on weekdays and 9am-6pm on weekends. Do drop a message if you wish to enquire about classes during our teaching time, and I will get back to you as soon as I have a break in between class.

 

 


 

Our location is just a 3-min walk from either the Bukit Batok MRT station or the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange. Buses that stop along the roads surrounding our location are numbers 157, 178, 66, 506, 173, 174, 176, 187, 985. Buses services which terminate at Bukit Batok Bus Interchange are 61, 77, 106, 173, 177, 189, 852, 941, 945, 947.

TUITION FEES

Fee for JC1/JC2 is $360 per month of 4 lessons.

Costs of a one-off trial class is $120. Trial class timings will be arranged based on my discretion and assessment of your child’s needs. Subsequently, should you decide to sign up, the remainder of the monthly fee will be charged, i.e. you sign up for JC1 in Jan, trial is $120, if after the trial you continue, pay the balance of $360-$120=$240.

CONTACT US!

BUKIT BATOK BRANCH:

@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).

CALL 65694897 OR SMS 88765498.

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TUITION CLASSES:

jcbutton          secbutton

ipbutton

_______________________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES:

hwsupervbutton                   intensivebutton

headststart-1                   private-candidates

______________________________________________________________

By EX-MOE TEACHERS & EXPERIENCED TUTORS

@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).

CALL 65694897 OR SMS 88765498

Posted in A-Level, H2 Math, Headstart Classes, Integrated Programme (IP)

Year 5 (2015) H2 Math Enrichment Programme for current Year 4 IP students

Early this year (9 Feb), I started the JC H2 Math Learn Ahead programme for post-O Level students so that they could get an early introduction to JC Math, which is much harder than A. Math. It was quite successful, and a number of these students are doing relatively well in h2 math in their JCs, and many are still with us, to maintain their edge over their peers (I had a similar programme for H2 Physics).

Very recently, thanks to the parent of a Year 4 Integrated Programme student, I realized that quite a number of Y4 IP students are quite ‘academically free’ right now, as they have finished their “end-of-year” exams. So why not attend a H2 Math headstart programme? Actually, Y4 IP students have already learnt some JC1 H2 Math, so we can make this programme easy-going yet value-added, and call it “enrichment” instead. To me, anything good is worth trying, so I think I’ll start this H2 Math enrichment programme this Sep. The details are as follows:

Programme: Year 5 (2015) H2 Math Enrichment Programme for current Year 4 IP students.

Topics: Sequences & Series

Dates:  13/9, 20/9, 27/9, 4/10, 11/10, 18/10, 25/10 (7 sessions for 7 sub-topics)

Time:  11:00 am – 12.30 pm

Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central. (It is just a 3-min walk from either the Bukit Batok MRT station or the Bukit Batok bus interchange. Buses that stop along the road in front of Blk 627 are numbers 157, 178, 66, 506, 173, 174, 176, 187, 941, 947, 985)

Total Fee: $350

Max. no. of students:  8

Synopsis: Students will be introduced to the following topics: (1) Binomial Series, (2) Arithmetic Progressions, (3) Geometric Progressions, (4) Summation of Series, (5) Method of Difference, (6) Mathematical Induction, (7) Recursive Formulas

Tutor: Mr Ilyasa (ex-teacher, M.Ed, PGDE, B.Sc).

A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level & IB Physics and Mathematics for more than 6 years, as well as ‘O’ Level & IP Physics, Additional Math, E. Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds both a Master of Education degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from the National University of Singapore.

To register, sms <Student Name><Y5MathEnrich> to 97860411.

For any queries, you may talk directly to Mr Ilyasa at 97860411.

Posted in A-Level, A. Math, JC Math (H2/H1), JC Physics, Pure Physics, Sec Math

Short-term ad hoc Math or Physics tuition during June Holidays 2014.

By all means, go for your holidays, even short ones (I’m going on 10, 11 and 12 June). However, if you had done badly in your SA1 or mid-year exams, do not let the June hols pass without reviewing your first semester work. For things will only get harder in the second semester, and some topics or concepts learnt in the first semester need to be used to understand some topics later in the year.

If you are too busy to attend weekly tuition, you might want to take the opportunity this June to consult a qualified and experienced tutor, for just a few hours and for a few difficult topics. Since it is the school holidays, the lessons can be in the mornings or early afternoons.

If you need solid tutoring in Pri, Sec or JC Math, or Sec or JC Physics, don’t hesitate to contact me at 97860411 and I’ll work out an arrangement for you. You may opt for individual tuition or in small groups of 2 to 4 students from the same class or school. Fees vary depending on the level and number of students.

If you have any queries, you may also call or sms to 97860411, or send an email to principal@singaporelearner.com.

If you are serious about improving your Math or Physics, hope to hear from you soon.

Rgds,

Ilyasa

Posted in A-Level, H2 Physics, Track Record

Yay, my jc1 h2 physics student scored 35/40 for his first test

Getting 35/40 for a physics test at sec 4 level is already very good, but getting this score for a h2 physics test is really an achievement. He said the test was easy, yet some of his classmates failed the test, on measurement and kinematics. These two topics may sound very familiar to those who have done O-level physics, but if you are an a-level physics student you would know that these two topics are much harder than their o-level counterparts. But his success doesn’t come as a big surprise to me, as he started his jc1 physics tuition on 9 Feb this year, soon after getting his jc posting. But why so early?

I guess he and his dad (who came to speak to me) understood that the content for jc subjects is very heavy and rigorous, and doing well in jc is all about preparation and consistency. The a-level cert is a passport to a university education, and thus getting good a-level grades is very important, much more important than getting good grades at the PSLE. Yet, if you’ve been in the tuition industry long enough, you’d have noticed that parents and students are more concerned about performance at the PSLE than at other levels.

Tuition for any examination for most kids has never been necessary. But if the examination that you’d be taking is just one step away from a university education and for some reason you are not confident of making it on your own, then I think it makes sense to get help early.

Rgds,

Ilyasa

Posted in JC Biology

JC2 H2 Biology tuition is every Saturday, 3.15pm – 5.00 pm

JC2 H2 Biology:      Every Saturday, 3.15 pm – 5.00 pm; Code: J2B1.

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The Tutor:

Mr Lee K.S.: A First Class Honours B.Sc. graduate from the University of Melbourne, Mr Lee is an NIE-trained teacher who has taught Biology and Science in a top secondary school for five years, and is also very familiar with the A-Level Biology syllabus. He will be focusing on Biology and Chemistry in Singapore Learner. A scholar and an ex-researcher, Mr Lee also holds a Master of Science degree in Medical Neurosciences from Germany’s Humboldt University.

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Administrative Matters:

Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central. (Our location is just a 3-min walk from either the Bukit Batok MRT station or the Bukit Batok bus interchange. Buses that stop along the road in front of Blk 627 are numbers 157, 178, 66, 506, 173, 174, 176, 187, 941, 947, 985)

Max Class Size: 6

TO REGISTER, SMS <FULL STUDENT NAME>, <CODE> TO 97860411.

For enquiries, kindly call or sms to 9786 0411 .

Posted in H2 Chemistry

JC1 Chemistry tuition is every Sunday, 12.30 pm – 2.15 pm

JC1 Chemistry:      Every Sunday, 12.30 pm – 2.15 pm;  Code: J1C1.

 

Administrative Matters:

Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central. (Our location is just a 3-min walk from either the Bukit Batok MRT station or the Bukit Batok bus interchange. Buses that stop along the road in front of Blk 627 are numbers 157, 178, 66, 506, 173, 174, 176, 187, 941, 947, 985)

Max Class Size: 6

TO REGISTER, SMS <FULL STUDENT NAME>, <CODE> TO 97860411.

For enquiries, kindly call or sms to 9786 0411.

Posted in A-Level, Junior College

Some news about jc postings and cut-off points 2014

I’m happy that most of my ex-S4s have obtained places in the courses they want. One even got a scholarship to do a poly course, upon my advice, instead of going to a JC. Of those who opt to go to JCs, most are in either PJC, AJC, JJC, ACJC, NJC, AJC, YJC or HCI.

From them and some JC teachers, it seems that the Science stream cut-off point (COP) for some JCs is as follows:

PJC: 14, AJC: 8, JJC: 14/15/16 (nobody seems to be sure), ACJC: 5 (really?), NJC: 5 or 6, HCI: should still be 3, YJC: 18.

PJC and JJC are always trying to outrank each other, and I believe this time PJC emerges the winner. The problem about PJC is I think it’s name. “Pioneer” is not associated with anything prestigious in Spore. I think if it had been named Sheares Junior College or even Bukit Panjang JC it would stand a better chance of tightening its COP.

Similarly, I think ACJC, CJC, SAJC and AJC are popular choices partly because of their fanciful names. Imagine ACJC is renamed Dover JC or AJC is renamed AMK JC; I think they will lose a lot of potential applicants. So even if every JC is a good JC, not every JC has a good name.

Please remember that even if you have been posted to a less popular JC, you still stand a good chance to get four or three H2 grade As at the A-levels. So quickly settle down and start studying for your Promo exams. Yes, I’m serious; you may ignore my advice at your own risk.

Rgds,

Ilyasa

LATEST:  I think PJC has outranked JJC this year, because I have a new J1 tutee who scored 14 points but could not get into PJC and instead was given JJC. Also heard from a new J1 tutee that quite a number of her schoolmates in AJC are appealing to enter NYJC. This may mean that in terms of COP, NYJC has outranked AJC again.

 

Posted in A-Level, H2 Math, H2 Physics

Our JC1 H2 MATH and PHYSICS Learn Ahead tuition classes will commence on Sun, 9 Feb.

JC1 H2 Math: Every Sunday, 2.00pm – 3.45 pm; Code: J1M3.

JC1 H2 Physics:  Every Sunday, 4.00pm – 5.45pm; Code J1P1.

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Administrative Matters:

Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central. It is just a 3-min walk from the Bukit Batok MRT station as well as the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange.

Max Class Size: 8

Monthly fee for each JC subject or slot is $240, inclusive of materials fee. Discounts apply for multiple subjects or slots.

TO REGISTER, SMS <FULL STUDENT NAME>, <CODE> TO 97860411.

For enquiries, kindly call or sms to 9786 0411.

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Why Learn Ahead?

As you know (you can find out from your seniors), JC Math and Physics are much tougher than their O-level counterparts. Not only are their contents deeper and scope wider, the JC lecturers and class tutors also teach at a very fast pace. From our years of tutoring experience, students who learn ahead are able to cope with their school work and eventually perform better at the A-levels than those who don’t have a headstart.

If you obtained anything less than an A1 at the O-level in Math and/or Physics, we strongly encourage you to join our Learn Ahead Programme as it means your foundation in these subjects are still weak. If you wait till you fail your first common test, it might be too late for you to catch up. Imagine trying to relearn past concepts when new concepts are being introduced to you at a fast pace.

Posted in A-Level, Educational Advice

Which subject combination to choose in JC?

SCIENCE PRACTICAL TRAINING

H2 PHYSICS PRACTICAL

H2 CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL

H2 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL

 


This is another important question and how you decide may affect your career.

My informed opinion is as follows:

(a) If you are passionate about or highly interested in something, say, History, then include it as one of your H2 subjects.

(b) Include Economics as one of your subjects, whether at H1 or H2 level. It will give you a macro and micro view of the financial workings of society. Economics is also a first-year module in almost all professional courses in universities. However, it is not easy to score in Econs because like GP, it is a subject meant for mature minds and students who can express themselves clearly and logically in essays.

(c) Include Math as one of your subjects, whether at H1 or H2 level. It trains you to be precise and accurate while thinking logically. A pass or a good grade in Math is also included in the admission criteria of many courses in universities.

(d) If you are still unsure, then take the following combination if you meet the minimum criteria and your JC provides it: H2: Physics, Chemistry, Math; H1: Econs. It is the most versatile combination, allowing you to enter any course in the local universities, including Medicine, Law, Engineering and Accountancy. If you don’t intend to be an Engineer, then drop Physics and make Econs your H2 subject.

(e) If you want a Singapore government scholarship, remember to take all four subjects at H2 level. To get a scholarship, you have to be consistent in your work and performance.

(f) If you intent to study Medicine overseas, it may be necessary to do Biology as some universities still insist on it.

(g) Before you select a combination, it is important that you know what course you wish to do at the university that you want. Visit the website of the university, read the course prospectus and identify the minimum criteria for admission. Refer to my “Uni Links” to check out the subject requirements for the different universities. For SUTD, they do not have specific course pre-requisites, but students are encouraged to have a Mathematics and a Science subject at the H2 or equivalent level.

(h) If you intent to do undergrad studies in the US, you also need to prepare for and do well in the SAT test.

(i) If you intend to do Medicine or Law in Singapore, please immerse
yourself in medicine or law-related volunteer work during your holidays and be sincere about service. Entry into Medicine and Law requires passing an interview. You need to have knowledge beyond your A-Level subjects to convince the interviewers that you are a worthy candidate.

Students who are unaware of many of the above points often end up in a university doing a course they do not want. Good luck.

Rgds,

Ilyasa


A-LEVEL H2 PRACTICALS


 

 

TUITION CLASSES:

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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.

 

Posted in A-Level, Educational Advice, Personal, Schools

Between JC and Poly …

Should a O-Level grad choose to go to a JC or a Polytechnic?

Since many students and parents ask me this question every year, here is my opinion on the matter.

The answer is: It depends on several factors:

(a) Your method of learning;

(b) How sure you are about what you want to do as a career;

(c) Your strength in English and Mother Tongue;

(d) Which university you want to go to;

(e) Your level of self-discipline.

Let’s examine each one in detail:

(a) Your method of learning:

In general, if you learn more by reading, go to JC. If you learn more through hands-on activities and projects, go to Poly. If you learn well via both methods equally, go to part (b).

(b) How sure you are about what you want to do as a career:

In general, if you are undecided, go to JC. If you know what you want, go to
the Poly offering your course. For example, if you are sure you want to be a
physiotherapist, go to Nanyang Poly.

(c) Your strength in English and Mother Tongue:

In JC, you must take General Paper and Mother Tongue. If you are weak in English especially, you will suffer terribly in JC. In general, if you are not confident of vastly improving your English in a short time, go to Poly. Of course the Poly also expects you to write English well, but not at the level GP demands.

(d) Which university you want to go to:

If you insist on going to NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD or SUSS, please go to JC and work hard. If you go to Poly, you have to work extra hard to be the top 5 or 10% of your cohort or course, then you can be admitted to a local public university. However, SIT is a university that takes in lots of Poly grads. More than 70% of JC students make it to the local universities every year, so the chances of getting into the local universities are higher through JC than through Poly. If you go to Poly and don’t do well enough, be prepared to go to an overseas university (which is not a bad idea; don’t worry, money can be borrowed).

(e) Your level of self-discipline:

In JC, you are more supervised. Poly environment is like that of a university; you have to be more independent and responsible. I have ex-students from both sides regretting their choice, because they didn’t think about this issue.

There’s one more route that people often overlook: doing a three-year pre-university course at the Millenia Institute (MI). Bear in mind that only MI offers Management of Business and Principles of Accounting as A-level courses.

Lastly, please bear in mind that the above are just guidelines. Central to all forms of academic success is pure hard work and a thinking disposition.

I wish all O-Level graduates great success in their future endeavours.

Best Rgds,

Ilyasa

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TUITION CLASSES:

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ipbutton                    pributton

_______________________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES:

hwsupervbutton                   intensivebutton

alevelprepbutton                   olevelprepbutton

______________________________________________________________

By EX-MOE TEACHERS & EXPERIENCED TUTORS

@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).

CALL 65694897 OR SMS 98530744 OR 97860411.

 

 

 

 

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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.