Quality Tuitions

Scoring A+ in SMU

2010-06-04T20:08:00.003+08:00

Watching this video recently got me laughing because it reminded me of the exchange program I spent there. The video is one year old I know, so ya, I'm a bit slow.

But perhaps this can be a guidebook for incoming 2010 freshmen!

Letting Go

2010-01-31T01:34:00.003+08:00

Heavenly Father, Eternal King;

thank you for ending Mom's suffering

She fought so hard, as she held your hand

forgive our anger, at your peaceful plan;

A faithful disciple that has won the war;

whom we loved so much, but you loved her more

Caring mother, loving wife;

Her memories will spark new hope for life

I promise to be better with each new day;

and follow your footsteps in God's way

Into your hands, and to where art thou

Father I commit dear mommy now

Written and composed by my brother Gabriel Low on 29 January 2010
Dedicated to our mother Priscilla Ong who passed away peacefully on 27 January 2010

Read and Grow Rich

2010-01-23T01:38:00.004+08:00

One day two boys were out walking in the woods when they looked up to see a huge grizzly bear charging in their direction.

The boys took off running as fast as they could. Suddenly, one of the boys stopped, pulled his tennis shoes out of his backpack, and started lacing them up as fast as he could.

"What are you doing!!!" screamed his friend. "Those tennis shoes won't help you outrun a bear!"

"I don't need to outrun the bear," the other boy shouted as he sprinted away in his tennis shoes. "I only need to outrun you!"

This was one of the many interesting stories author Burke Hedges shared in his book Read and Grow Rich. The charging grizzly is analogous to the increasing competition in this information age, and the tennis shoes are the "slight edge" that reading gives you. A small but crucial advantage that spells the difference between survival and disaster. The boy with tennis shoes will not only survive in the information age, he will thrive because he has prepared himself for the challenges ahead. The boy without the tennis shoes will become a victim of the hard-charging information age.

I happened to pick up this book at the library on Wed and it only took me one day to finish reading it. What's more, I read majority of it on my commute to and from school. With an adjusted title from Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, Read and Grow Rich is about how the power of reading can enrich a person's life in more than one area.

It is a short, easy to read book that I would recommend to those of you who haven't read in ages. And if you can't get your hands on the book, at least spend 15 minutes of reading a day.

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read - Mark Twain.

Keeping in touch with old friends

2010-01-18T13:37:00.008+08:00

The friendships you make in primary and secondary school are the ones that usually last the longest. Partly its because you spend the most amount of time in primary and secondary school (10 years combined) as comapred to poly, JC or army. The fact that the friendships were formed during your formative years makes it even special.

I had a recent opportunity of attending a secondary school (Maris Stella) gathering in Senki Japanese Restaurant at Killiney Rd. The total turnout of 20 people is considered remarkable. Everything was organised and coordinated online. The wonders of facebook and social media.

When I first received the facebook invite for the event, I was a little apprehensive about attending. But I made up my mind to attend it anyway. I don't like sitting on the fence and clicking "Maybe attending". I believe that attending such events is a personal choice. Either you want to or you don't. Even if you change your mind halfway, nobody is gonna persecute you. I find it surprising that up till 24 hours before the event, there were still pansies out there with the status "Maybe attending"

Just being there to be able to meet and catch up with former school mates is fantastic. Eating, chatting, laughing at old times and sharing in all the juicy gossips, latest and passe. Former teachers who turned up as well made the event more special. Having not seen each other for up till 8 years, we stayed till way past closing time.

Another reason to attend secondary school gatherings is the delicious food. And it didn't disappoint. At this restaurant, it's $33++ for an a-la-carte buffet.

Whatever stage of life you are in now, treasure the friendships that you have, as well as those you are gonna make. We will never know how important our friends are.

2009: The year in review

2009-12-31T22:56:00.004+08:00

Before the midnight mayhem strikes, here's wishing everyone a happy new year. As we enter into a new decade in just over a half hour's time, I'd like to give a quick review of the business in the year 2009.

Unlike last year, we operated solely as a tuition agency during this 2009. Matching students and tutors has its conveniences and also its challenges, for example, finding a literature tutor to teach in Boon Lay. Also, as many tutors can attest, we are one of the few tuition agencies in Singapore who personally interview our tutors individually before commencing tuition assignments. This ensures that the quality of tutors we assign is not compromised and this is a standard we are proud of achieving.

Our mission is to be the leading provider of quality education by fulfilling the tutoring needs of every student. We hope to increase the size of our team in 2010 so that we can reach a broader audience. Thus 2010 will see us developing and building on the hard works of 2009 as we work toward our vision of achieving quality education for all.

Cheers.

Disney animated movies

2009-12-29T19:27:00.000+08:00

The classics that many of us grew up watching. An ode to Disney animated movies. Uncalled for I know, but take it with a pinch of salt.

♫ Nobody oughta be, all alone on Christmas ♫

2009-12-25T02:38:00.003+08:00

Here's wishing every one a happy and blessed Christmas. Treasure every moment with family and loved ones.

All Alone on Christmas, Darlene Love

The cold wind is blowin' and the streets are getting dark
I'm writing you a letter and I don't know where to start
The bells will be ringing Saint John the Divine
I get a little lonely every year around this time

The music plays all night in Little Italy
The lights will be going up on old Rockefella's tree
People window shopping on Fifth Avenue
All I want for Christmas is you

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

Things are different since you've been here last
Childhood dreaming is a thing of the past
Maybe you can bring us some hope this year
Visions of sugar plums have disappeared

Do you remember sleigh riding in the snow
And dancing all night to "Baby, Please Come Home"
Today's celebration is bittersweet
There's mothers and children in the street

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

I'm all grown up but I'm the same you'll see
I'm writing this letter 'cause I still believe
Dear Santa I've been good this year
Can't you stay a little while with me right here

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

Season's greetings to every one. Party hard. Play hard. But drink responsibly.

2009-12-20T21:06:00.002+08:00

Somebody Should Have Taught Him

I went to a birthday party
but I remember what you said.
You told me not to drink at all,
so I had a Sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
the way you said I would,
that I didn't chose to drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.
I knew I made a healthy choice and
your advice to me was right
as the party finally ended
and the kids drove out of sight.
I got into my own car,
sure to get home in one piece,
never knowing what was coming,
something I expected least.
Now I'm lying on the pavement.
I can hear the policeman say,
"The kid that caused this wreck was drunk."
His voice seems far away.
My own blood is all around me,
as I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
"This girl is going to die."
I'm sure the guy had no idea,
while he was flying high,
because he chose to drink and drive
that I would have to die.
So why do people do it,
knowing that it ruins lives?
But now the pain is cutting me
like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell my sister not to be afraid,
Tell Daddy to be brave,
and when I go to heaven to
put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.
Someone should have taught him
that it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his mom and dad had,
I'd still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter,
I'm getting really scared.
These are my final moments,
and I'm so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me, Mom,
as I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say
I love you and good-bye.

Retold by Jane Watkins

Winners don't quit. Quitters don't win.

2009-12-12T02:33:00.000+08:00

As a tribute to athletes participating in the SEA games this December, we salute the perseverance and determination of people who never gave up.

1. Michael Jordan did not make it to his high school basketball team, but he practiced for 3 hours every day until he became the world's best basketball player.

2. Albert Einstein had childhood speech impediment, and he failed his university entrance exam into the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule or ETH). He passed the math and science sections of the entrance exam, but failed the rest (history, languages, geography, etc.)

3. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which metastasized to his brain and his lungs in 1996, not only did he battle caner, he recovered to win the Tour de France a record-breaking 7 consecutive years from 1999 to 2005.

4. Terry Fox lost his right leg to osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that attacks the knee. Yet, he still found strength to run the Marathon of Hope (cross-Canada run), at a pace of 42km a day. He never completed it because his cancer had spread to his lungs. But after 143 days of running, he had covered 5,373km. His courage and determination helped raise $24.17 million for cancer research - thus achieving his goal of raising one dollar for every single Canadian for cancer research.

5. Thomas Edison was labelled as "stupid" and "unteachable" by his school teacher in his early childhood and his parents had to pull him out of school. He also spent his teenage years working and being fired from various jobs. Despite these setbacks, Edison became one of the greatest inventors of all time, and obtained 1,093 patents throughout his career.

6. As a young man, Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star Newspaper because he was thought to have lacked creativity. He then created his own company called Laugh-O-Gram Films which nearly went broke. Classic films like Mickey Mouse, The Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio were even rejected. But 16 years of persuading Pamela Travers to turn her novel Mary Poppins into a film paid off and finally gave Disney his big break.

English as it is broken

2009-11-21T00:23:00.002+08:00

A classic comedy! As they say, old is gold. Mind your language is hilarious.

Most of the episodes can be found on google videos.

5 indications that your tutor is lousy

2009-11-13T11:56:00.011+08:00

1. He's just your problem-solver

It is important that he must be able to solve problems you encounter in the course of your schoolwork. But if he's just a miracle man who solves all your questions, you are missing out on the teaching aspect of the subject. Educating someone on a subject goes beyond solving his/her homework.

2. He asks you to use algebra to solve primary school maths problems

If he can't solve primary school maths problems using models (much less teach you to do it), he's just not good enough and you shouldn't be paying him.

3. You find yourself doing practice questions for the whole lesson duration

He probably came unprepared.

4. You hate the subject even more

A good tutor should be making the subject less hard than it seems.

5. He doesn't know the curriculum

Enough said.

Possible final exam questions for A Level

2009-11-09T14:45:00.004+08:00

Instructions: Read each question carefully. Answer all questions.
Time limit: 2 hours. Begin immediately.

Physics
Explain the nature of matter. Include in your answer an evaluation of the impact of the development of mathematics on science.

Chemistry
You must identify a poison sample which you will find at your lab table. All necessary equipment has been provided. There are two beakers at your desk, one of which holds the antidote. If the wrong substance is used, it causes instant death. You may begin as soon as the professor injects you with a sample of the poison. (We feel this will give you an incentive to find the correct answer.)

Biology
Create life. Estimate the differences in subsequent human culture if this form of life had developed 500 million years earlier, with special attention to its probable effect on the English Parliamentary System circa 1750. Prove your thesis.

Art
Given one eight-count box of crayons and three sheets of notebook paper, recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Skin tones should be true to life.

Mathematics
Derive the Euler-Cauchy equations using only a straightedge and compass. Discuss in detail the role these equations had on mathematical analysis in Europe during the 1800s.

Music
Write a piano concerto. Orchestrate and perform it with flute and drum. You will find a piano under your seat.

General Knowledge
Describe in detail. Be objective and specific.

and for those in university...

Medicine
You have been provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze, and a bottle of scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until you work has been inspected. You have fifteen minutes.

Economics
Develop a realistic plan for refinancing the national debt. Trace the possible effects of your plan in the following areas: Cubism, the Donatist Controversy and the Wave Theory of Light. Outline a method for preventing these effects. Criticize this method from all possible points of view. Point out the deficiencies in your point of view, as demonstrated in your answer to the last question.

Engineering
The disassembled parts of a high-powered rifle have been placed on your desk. You will also find an instruction manual, printed in Swahili. In 10 minutes, a hungry bengal tiger will be admitted to the room. Take whatever action you feel necessary. Be prepared to justify your decision

History
Describe the history of the Papacy from its origins to the present day, concentrating especially, but not exclusively, on its Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Be brief, concise and specific.

Physchology
Based on your knowledge of their works, evaluate the emotional stability, degree of adjustment, and repressed frustrations of each of the following: Alexander of Aphrodisis, Rameses II, Hammuarabi. Support your evaluation with quotations from each man's work, making appropriate references. It is not necessary to translate.

Political Science
There is a red telephone on the desk beside you. Start World War III. Report at length on its socio-political effects if any.

Religion
Perform a miracle. Creativity will be judged.

Reference:
http://www.ahajokes.com/impossible.html

A note for students studying in public places

2009-11-02T00:31:00.003+08:00

It was 6pm on a Saturday evening and I was in a McDonalds at Raffles City. The weather was pouring and the place was crowded. A group of 4 women, having just purchased their food, were stranded in the middle of the restaurant with trays-in-hand, but no available table. The women obviously weren't Singaporean and they looked like they were tourists visiting Singapore.

A McDonalds staff member immediately came to their assistance. He approached a group of 2 students who had their notes and textbooks sprawled over a four-seater table and told them to leave (politely of course). The students eventually did but I wondered if the women would develop an image of Singaporean students as being not-so-considerate.

The first thing that came to my mind was: what a bunch of airheads. Dinner-time. Saturday evening. McDonalds in City Hall. Studying whilst occupying seats meant to accommodate twice the number of people. You'll never get away with that.

However, I suddenly remembered a blog entry that I wrote in September (10 places to study other than at home) and it killed me to realize, that by listing fast-food restaurants as one of the alternate places to study, I was, to a tiny extent, actually propagating such inconsiderate behavior. Damn! And all I wanted to do was provide a list of alternative places to study for students who don't have a conducive home environment.

Lesson learnt: if you are one of those students who like to study in such places, be sure to exercise some discretion. While it is important to study hard for exams, it is also equally important to exercise basic social graces.

And if I were to add another suggestion, paying for membership to use the community center study rooms will actually be cheaper than buying multiple drinks in fast-food restaurants over the long haul.

Answers to the suitcase problem

2009-10-23T23:50:00.005+08:00

If you are on a boat and toss a suitcase overboard, will the water level rise or fall?

Normally, we wouldn't be interested in the rise or fall of the water level in a body of water large enough to permit boating. In fact, tossing a suitcase out of a boat is not going to change the water level perceptibly. The question is whether it changes the level in principle.

We can try and imagine the problem. Anytime you throw weight out of a floating boat, the boat gets lighter and rises. However, that's not what this question asks. It asks whether the water level rises or falls.

If the suitcase were to be magically removed or evaporated into thin air, the answer becomes more straightforward because the boat would simply be lighter and float higher. This makes the water level decrease.

However in this question, the suitcase is tossed out of the boat, and into the water. This begs us to question further. What if the suitcase sinks? What if the suitcase floats? Will the answer be the same for both cases?

In the case of the suitcase sinking, pretend you throw a heavy suitcase overboard, having first secured it to the boat with fishing line. The boat briefly rises, then the line draws taut as the suitcase sinks as far as the line permits. This makes the boat dragged down by the weight of the suitcase. The displacement of the boat plus suitcase is identical to what it was originally. If you snip the fishing line, the suitcase will sink to the bottom while the boat's hull rises upward. This decreases the volume displaced and hence lowers the water level.

In the case of the suitcase floating, we would be more interested in the weight displaced. In school, we learnt about Archimedes principle, which states that the upthrust acting on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. If I have a 5kg beach ball floating in a bathtub, the beach ball displaces 5kg of water. Similarly, if I have five 1kg beach balls floating in the same body of water, the total weight of water displaced is still 5kg. This means that the volume displaced is also the same. Hence, if the suitcase floats the water level will remain the same.

Conclusion: tossing a suitcase off a boat makes no difference in water level if the suitcase floats. If the suitcase sinks, the water level falls.

Trivia: Rise or fall?

2009-10-15T22:50:00.000+08:00

Here's our trivia for the month of October.

If you are on a boat and toss a suitcase overboard, will the water level rise or fall?

Getting started is always the hardest

2009-10-07T16:55:00.004+08:00

The hardest part of studying for exams is getting started itself. Once you get started and develope a rythm, studying becomes less painful.

It is one of the laws of the universe. Newton's first law tells us that things in motion tend to stay in motion, and things at rest tend to remain at rest.

The more we procrastinate and avoid doing the unpleasant stuff, we are actually setting ourselves up for failure. But once we get through the starting phase and make studying habitual, it doesn't become so hard to study.

Just like riding a bike, starting a business, swimming, or training for a marathon, the hardest part is actually getting started itself.

Children's Day

2009-10-01T01:01:00.004+08:00

I miss my primary school days when life was simple and plain fun. I miss all the recess times when we would run to the school field to play football during that short 30 min break. Who cares if our white school shoes got caked in mud. Mum would wash it for us anyway. I miss the happiness that erupted whenever the fire-drill bell rang. It means 20 mins of official goofing off! I miss the chit-chat with friends on the school-bus ride home. The school bus was also a place where students waged their pocket money on the buying and trading of dragon ball cards. I miss the days when school ended at 1. This would be followed by an afternoon nap in the comfort of home. I miss all the excursions during after-exam periods. The post-examination period when teachers were busy marking scripts was the best time to go to school.

Here's wishing all children a happy children's day! Enjoy your childhood years and don't be in such a hurry to grow up so fast. Study hard and play hard.

For the P6 students, all the best in the upcoming PSLE exams!

Curve of Forgetting

2009-09-20T16:58:00.004+08:00

For many school-going students, it's the time of the year again when exams are just around the corner. Orchard Road gets less crowded while McDonalds observes increases in beverage sales!

We try and review one whole year's worth of academic workload in the hope that we can recall them and apply them cometh the hour.

Hopefully, while it's not too late, I'd like to share with you a little something called the Curve of Forgetting.

The Curve of Forgetting describes how we retain or get rid of information that we take in. It's based on a one-hour lecture.

Day 1
At the beginning of the lecture, you go in knowing nothing, or 0%, (where the curve starts at the baseline). At the end of the lecture you know 100% of what you know, however well you know it (where the curve rises to its highest point).

Day 2
If you have done nothing with the information you learned in that lecture, didn't think about it again, read it again, etc. you will have lost 50%-80% of what you learned. Our brains are constantly recording information on a temporary basis: scraps of conversation heard on the sidewalk, what the person in front of you is wearing. Because the information isn't necessary, and it doesn't come up again, our brains dump it all off, along with what was learned in the lecture that you actually do want to hold on to!

Day 7 onwards
By Day 7, we remember even less, and by Day 30, we retain about 2%-3% of the original hour! This nicely coincides with midterm exams, and may account for feeling as if you've never seen this before in your life when you're studying for exams - you may need to actually re-learn it from scratch.

Changing the shape of the curve
You can change the shape of the curve! When you are exposed to the same information repeatedly, it takes less and less time to "activate" the information in your long term memory and it becomes easier for you to retrieve the information when you need it.

Here's the formula and the case for making time to review material: Within 24 hours of getting the information - spend 10 minutes reviewing and you will raise the curve almost to 100% again. A week later (Day 7), it only takes 5 minutes to "reactivate" the same material, and again raise the curve. By Day 30, your brain will only need 2-4 minutes to give you the feedback, "Yes, I know that..."

Often students feel they can't possibly make time for a review session every day in their schedules - they have trouble keeping up as it is. However, this review is an excellent investment of time. If you don't review, you will need to spend 40-50 minutes re-learning each hour of material later - do you have that kind of time? Cramming rarely stores information in your long term memory sucessfully, which makes it harder to access the material for assignments during the term and exam preparation.

Depending on the course load, the general recommendation is to spend half an hour or so every weekday, and 1.5 to 2 hours every weekend in review activity. Perhaps you only have time to review 4 or 5 days of the week, and the curve stays at about the mid range. That's OK, it's a lot better than the 2%-3% you would have retained if you hadn't reviewed at all.

Reference: http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/study/curve.html

10 places to study other than at home

2009-09-11T17:44:00.007+08:00

1. You friend's home
If it's conducive, why not? It helps to study in a group too.

2. School (duh!)
Places like the school library, canteen, designated study areas, corridor benches...etc are more peaceful than other places listed here. The downside is that some students may live far away. (But hey, who says you have to be studying in your own school)

3. Community Clubs
Common benches or study rooms http://www.centralsingapore.org.sg/site/voices/voices6/page10.shtml

4. Starbucks

As what Howard Behar said, they're in the people-business serving coffee, not the coffee-business serving people.

5. Changi Airport

Remember to bring a jacket though.

6. Fastfood restaurants
Good news is that some of them are 24 hours. Bad news is that they tend to be a little noisy.

7. Void decks
Some of the newer flats in Toa Payoh for example have even roof gardens and sky gardens. No air-con though.

8. National Library Building

Study room at level 5

9. Parks

Can be quite quiet but you're subjected to the elements of the weather.

10. Just don't study
Ha ha! Kidding!

Must teachers be good students?

2009-09-03T22:38:00.008+08:00

Must good teachers have been good students? Can a teacher who was always an A student understand a student who has never gotten better than a C?

Studies have shown that there is little relationship between course grades and teaching performance.

Not every good student goes on to become a good teacher because as a teacher, knowledge alone is not enough. While being knowledgeable allows one to achieve good grades in school, teaching requires a further aspect of actually imparting that knowledge.

Two different teachers may be able to solve the same maths problem. But the difference is not whether which teacher can solve the question faster, but which teacher can deliver the solution with clarity, while ensuring that his/her students understand the relevant content.

However, achieving a certain level of knowledge proficiency is still without a doubt, an essential pre-requisite for all teachers.

But being sufficiently articulate, and able to communicate effectively are more important tools for effective teaching.

Happy Teachers' Day

2009-09-01T14:37:00.005+08:00

To all the teachers/tutors who made a difference in our lives at one point or another, thank you for being our continuous source of wisdom and knowledge! Have a Happy Teachers' Day.

Teachers' Day - the moment of truth

2009-08-26T00:52:00.000+08:00

This Tuesday is Teachers' Day and it a special day for all teachers and tutors.

I also think of it as a day of truth. As a teacher/tutor, you can always tell if you are doing a good job on teachers' day.

Having tutored students for a couple of years, the most memorable Teachers' Day I've personally experienced was in 2007. Then, I was a volunteer teacher in Singapore Prisons and taught O Level mathematics to a class of 11 inmates every Saturday. Not only was it an eye-opening experience, but also an interesting one because it was a tuition experience outside of the ordinary. Many of the inmates in my class were in their 30s (10 years older than I was) and one inmate was 43 years old. Despite their age (some of them hadn't touched a textbook for 10 years), they were all very keen to learn - something I wished my conventional tuition students could replicate. On Teachers' Day, I received a beautifully-drawn Teachers' Day card and a letter, written and signed by all 11 of them. Here are some pictures. The artistic talent of some of the inmates sometimes astounds you.

The six months that I spent teaching there was a very fulfilling experience.

Unless you've been a teacher/tutor before, no words can describe the appreciation and the sense of fulfillment you get when your students remember you on teachers' day.

You savour the moment as you tell yourself "that's what makes it all worth it".

I'm not blowing my own trumpet. But I believe that if your students care enough to remember you on teachers' day, it definitely means something.

Conversely, if your students ignored any form of your existence on teachers' day, it is also something worth reflecting upon.

Just Me

2009-08-17T13:59:00.002+08:00

Just Me

From the time I was little, I knew I was great
‘cause the people would tell me, “you’ll make it – just wait.”
But they never did tell me how great I would be
If I ever played someone who was greater than me.

When I’m in the back yard, I’m king with the ball.
To swish all those baskets is no sweat at all.
But all of a sudden there’s a man in my face
Who doesn’t seem to realize that I’m king of this place.

So the pressure gets to me; I rush with the ball.
My passes to teammates could go through the wall.
My jumpers not falling, my dribbles not sure.
My hand is not steady, my eye is not pure.

The fault is my teammates – they don’t understand.
The fault is my coaches – what a terrible plan.
The fault is the call by that blind referee.
But the fault is not mine; I’m the greatest, you see.

Then finally it hit me when I started to see
That the face in the mirror looked exactly like me.
It wasn’t my teammates who were dropping the ball,
And it wasn’t my coach shooting bricks at the wall.

That face in the mirror that was always so great
Had some room for improvement instead of just hate.
So I stopped blaming others and I started to grow.
My play got much better and it started to show.

And all of my teammates didn’t seem quite so bad.
I learned to depend on the good friends I had.
Now I like myself better since I started to see
That I was lousy being great – I’m much better being me.

Author: Tom Krause

Multiple Choice Questions. Easier or harder?

2009-08-13T13:21:00.005+08:00

Which paper is easier? Multiple choice or open-ended?

Many students are less likely to study as hard if they know that a test is multiple choice.

One's ability to provide a correct answer is significantly increased when given a choice. In an exam of 100 MCQs, any candidate without prior knowledge on the tested subject can answer "C" for every question and would still score 25 marks give or take. This is assuming that the answers are equally distributed.

But multiple choice tests can be made to be very difficult as well. Sometimes, they can be harder than open-ended questions. In open-ended questions, candidates can demonstrate their reasoning for a chosen answer. So even if their answer is not coherent with the examiner's, they can be given marks for the understanding of the subject matter they have demonstrated.

The allocation of marks is also different for multiple choice and open-ended tests. For multiple choice tests, every question, difficult or easy, is worth the same mark. This is not the same for open-ended tests, where difficult questions are usually allocated more marks. Therefore, if you spend twenty minutes in a test solving an 8-mark question, you'll get the full 8 marks if you answer it correctly in an open-ended test. If the same question were to come out in a multiple choice test, you'll only score 1 mark, identical in value to any other easy question.

Now suppose you made a careless mistake in your working and it gives you an erroneous final answer. In the MCQ test, you will get zero marks, for the simple reason that the answer is wrong. In the open-ended test however, you might still get 6 marks or 5 marks for demonstrating understanding of the subject matter.

My conclusion is that multiple choice tests can sometimes look deceivingly easy and sometimes it can be mentally tiring trying to decipher the correct answer.

Answers to number of pupils question

2009-08-08T20:59:00.002+08:00

Why tutoring P6 maths is harder than sec 1

2009-08-01T21:19:00.004+08:00

Mr Tan gave sweets to every pupil in his class. If he gave each pupil 11 sweets, he would have 7 sweets left. If he gave 6 sweets to each pupil, he would have 192 sweets left. How many pupils were there in Mr Tan's class? (Stay tuned for answers)

If this question came out in a sec 1 paper, then most tutors will have no problem teaching their students how to solve it. Let x be the total number of pupils in Mr Tan's class. Form a simple algebraic equation. And solve for x.

However, the question becomes a little trickier if it came out in a P6 exam. This is because primary school students are not taught the basics of algebraic manipulation. Sure, they can add, subtract, multiply and divide simple algebra, but that's about it. They do not learn, for example, how to assign a variable, form an algebraic equation and finally, manipulate the equation to solve for the unknown.

How then can primary school students solve such a question? The answer (as inefficient as it may seem), by drawing models or trial & error. And this is where inexperienced tutors can stumble. They can solve it in 2 minutes by using algebra. But when it comes to drawing models and trial & error, coming up with a solution and being articulate enough for the student to understand is another problem in itself. As a tutor, you curse your luck and you wonder how come our education system is so rigid.

Some tutors then make the mistake of teaching their students algebraic manipulation, and instructing them to use that method for future questions. School teachers will then feedback to students (or worse still, parents) that the tutor's methods are inappropriate. That doesn't do a lot of good for your reputation if you're the tutor.

I've tutored P6 maths for several years and when I encounter such problems, I teach them two ways to solve the problem. The first method is ALWAYS by models or trial & error. And this is the method that they must know. The second optional method would be via algebraic manipulation.

At the end of the day, I feel that there is no shortcut. If they must learn how to solve questions by models or trial & error, then it is your job as a tutor to teach them. It is part of the whole learning process. Students need to know both the hard way and the easy way to solve certain questions so as to aid in their appreciation of future topics.

Answer to July trivia: To spin or not to spin?

2009-07-21T10:44:00.007+08:00

Because the bullets were loaded consecutively, you will also have four consecutive blank chambers. Since your friend is still alive, her chamber must have been one of those four. In the diagram on the left, that will be A, B, C or D.

A revolver works in such a way that it will rotate to the next chamber every time you squeeze the trigger.

Hence, out of the 4 possible empty chambers, 3 of them will gurantee you safety if you squeeze again without spinning. You then have a 75% chance of surviving.

If you spin again however, your chances of survival are 4 out of 6 which is 66%.

Squeezing the trigger without spinning therefore leaves you with a higher chance of survival.

Here is the link to the question in case some of you forgot.

July Trivia: To spin or not to spin?

2009-07-16T23:43:00.004+08:00

You are playing a game of russian roullette with a friend. (Do not try this at home)

Two bullets are loaded in consecutive chambers in a six-chamber revolver.

Your friend spins the drum, holds the gun to her head and squeezes the trigger...

"Click". She's alive.

She hands you the gun. It's your turn.

You have two choices: re-spin the drum and squeeze the trigger; or squeeze the trigger without re-spinning.

Which action leaves you with a higher chance of surviving?

6 Must-do's for tutors every first lesson

2009-07-08T17:54:00.011+08:00

It is something that every tutor has went through before. The first lesson with a new student. Whilst experienced tutors may find the first lesson easy, it can be a nightmare for first-time tutors who have never tutored before. As a greenhorn, you feel so much pressure because this is the first ever impression you're gonna make. And then there's the inevitable question of "what am I gonna do for the entire duration of the lesson?". Whether you've been a tutor for 10 weeks or 10 years, we have all felt the anxiety of delivering our first lesson before. Hence, for this week, I would like to share my 6 absolute must-do's every time I teach a new student for the first time.

1. Introduce yourself

At the risk of stating the obvious, introducing yourself is an important first-step in any tutor-student relationship (didn't I mention it's your first impression). It sets the tone and it allows the student to know who YOU are. Most students are usually apprehensive on the first lesson and I usually break the ice by telling them, that throughout the course of this tutoring journey, they can ask me absolutely anything related to maths (or whichever subject you are tutoring them). Simply presenting yourself as a source of reassurance can facilitate the future flow of important communication.

2. Request to see the student's most recent exam paper

On the first lesson, nothing is more important than estabilshing the current standard of the student. What are his/her strengths and weaknesses? Which area does he/she need more help on? Taking a look at the student's most recent exam paper provides answers to these questions.

3. Check the textbook the student uses

Two schools may teach the same subject using different textbooks. Know which one your student is using. This allows you to take a look at the course content and give you an overview of what you'll need to teach him/her. Be aware, that the chronological order in which the topics are taught may not be the same as they appear in the textbook.

4. Check all the assessment books the student currently has (or does not have)

This will eliminate the unpleasant scenario when you buy an assessment book only to discover that your student already has it. You need to give the student practice questions and this will more often than not come from assessment books. I used to tutor maths at the P6 level and there is one assessment book that I absolutely swear by.

The book is filled with hundreds of questions per topic which are catered to varying levels of difficulty. I always insist that each of my students use it, and I would buy it for them if they do not have it. By checking the range of assessment books the student currently owns, you can decide if they are sufficient for practice, or if you need to buy more (remember to get the parents to reimburse you).

5. Check which topic he/she is currently learning

I always arrange my lesson plans to go in tandem with what the school is teaching. If time allows, I will even teach one chapter in advance so that by the time the school teaches them, it is not something that they are unfamiliar with.

6. Ask the student if he finds any topic exceptionally difficult

This helps in better identifying a student's weakness. You can then cater more time teaching that topic and doing more practices.

Your Backpack for Life

2009-06-27T00:47:00.005+08:00

On 2 June 2009, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, gave a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Pre-University Seminar 2009.

In his speech, entitled Your Backpack for Life, Dr Ng addressed the group of pre-university students and explained his hope for them, that after 12 years in the education system, they would take with them the four essential C's to face life's challenges.

The first C is Confidence. It is what gives you the drive to achieve your goals and must not be confused with ability. The following is an extract of his speech.

"Recently, I had a chat with Charles, one of the brothers of the famous local Charles and Keith brand that sells shoes and accessories. His story illustrated the difference and the link between confidence and ability. Charles told me that he was not academically gifted. In fact, he openly proclaimed that he did not do well for his O levels and went no further. From young, he helped out in his parents’ shop selling shoes. Charles did not have academic ability, but he did have confidence to push for ideas and believed that if he worked hard and was not afraid to try, he would succeed. His parents’ shop was one of those small shops you usually see in your typical HDB neighbourhood. But Charles believed he could build a global brand. Today, Charles and Keith have 215 shops in 23 countries worldwide with a turnover of about $98 million in 2008. Did Charles have ability? Of course, he did and that’s why he succeeded. But, and this is the essential difference, he did not allow others nor the system to define his abilities or limit what he could achieve. Charles could have succumbed to conventional definition. He could have dreamt small or adopted a defeatist attitude, but he did not. How often have you been limited by what others or you yourself think you are capable of?"

The link to Dr Ng's speech can be found here http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2009/06/02/speech-by-dr-ng-eng-hen-at-the-25.php and in it, Dr Ng elaborates on the other C's, and the rest of his speech. Although it's a speech for a pre-university seminar, much of its content is relevant to every one regardless what stage of your life you are in. It is not a long speech and it provides for good reflection.

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch

2009-06-18T20:28:00.005+08:00

Some of you may have heard of him, and some of you may not. I first came to know about this inspiring true-life story when a professor in school told us to watch the video as homework, and write a simple reflection on it.

Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. In Aug 2007, after a long-fought battle with pancreatic cancer, doctors told him that he only had 3 to 6 months to live. Rather than feel morose and dwell in self-pity, he decided to live each day to the fullest. He delivered a final lecture in Carnegie Mellon University on September 18 2007 entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. His last lecture has become a popular YouTube video with more than 9 million viewers. He even co-authored a book called The Last Lecture and it became a New York Times Bestseller.

The video is 76 minutes long but you won't regret watching every second of it. It is truly inspiring and definitely one of the must-watch YouTube videos that every one should see.

The Oyster

2009-06-12T01:27:00.006+08:00

A meaningful poem that teaches us about overcoming life's obstacles and making the most of every experience we encounter.

The Oyster

There once was an oyster whose story I tell,

Who found that some sand had got into his shell.

It was only a grain but it gave him great pain,

For oysters have feelings although they're so plain.

Now, did he berate the harsh workings of fate

That had brought him to such a deplorable state?

Did he curse at the government, cry for election,

And claim that the sea should have given him protection?

No--He said to himself as he lay on a shell,

Since I cannot remove it, I shall try to improve it.

Now the years have rolled around,

as the years always do,

And he came to his ultimate destiny--stew.

And the small grain of sand that had bothered him so

Was a beautiful pearl all richly aglow.

Now the tale has a moral;

For isn't it grand what an oyster can do

With a morsel of sand.

What couldn't we do

If we'd only begin

With some of the things

That get under our skin.

Author: Unknown

June Trivia: Answers to the Monty Hall problem

2009-06-07T23:21:00.006+08:00

The Monty Hall problem

"Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car, the others, goats. You pick a door, say #1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say #3, which has a goat. He says to you: 'Do you want to pick door #2?' Is it to your advantage to switch your choice of doors?"

In response to the Monty Hall problem, Marilyn vos Savant replied, that it would always be in the best interest of the contestant to switch doors as this would yield a 2/3 chance of success whereas not changing doors would only yield a 1/3 chance of success.

This answer triggered responses from thousands of readers, nearly all arguing that both doors stand an equal chance of success. A follow-up article reaffirming her anwer intensified the debate and some even questioned the integrity of her intelligence. However, careful analysis of vos Savant's answer actually shows that her answer is indeed accurate, as many math teachers will testify because it has now become a textbook example for all math topics on probability.

As seen in the diagram, 2 out of 3 times, the contestant will win a car if he/she switches doors. This is based on the assumption of course that the host always reveals a door showing a goat.

"Two Boys" problem

"Say that a woman and a man (who are unrelated) each has two children. We know that at least one of the woman's children is a boy and that the man's oldest child is a boy. Can you explain why the chances that the woman has two boys do not equal the chances that the man has two boys?"

As for the "Two Boys" problem, vos Savant said that the odds of the woman having 2 boys were 1 out of 3 while that of the man was 1 out of 2. Once again, readers argued that the probability should be 1 out of 2 in both cases. And once again, readers were proven wrong. Here's why,

To prove her point, vos Savant started a survey, calling on women readers (with exactly two children and at least one boy) and male readers (with exactly two children - the elder a boy) to tell her the sex of both children. With almost eighteen thousand responses, the results showed 35.9% (a little over 1 in 3) with two boys.

Available Assignment: Sec 3 English Literature

2009-06-05T22:09:00.003+08:00

Subject: Sec 3 English Literature

Area: near Jurong Point (Boon Lay MRT station)

Day: Every Saturday

Budget: $40/hr

Interested tutors please call/sms 96717745/96302516 or send an emailt to qualitytuitions@gmail.com

June Trivia: The Monty Hall Problem

2009-06-05T17:21:00.003+08:00

In this month's June trivia, we feature the famous Monty Hall problem

"Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car, the others, goats. You pick a door, say #1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say #3, which has a goat. He says to you: 'Do you want to pick door #2?' Is it to your advantage to switch your choice of doors?"

This problem was used in many books and movies so some of you may have seen it before. It was featured in Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (very good book) and the movie 21.

This question was posed to Marilyn vos Savant (person with the highest IQ in the world) in her September 1990 column "Ask Marilyn", and her answer was a source of major controversy.

Similar to the Monty Hall problem, the "Two Boys" problem also generated great debate in her column

"Say that a woman and a man (who are unrelated) each has two children. We know that at least one of the woman's children is a boy and that the man's oldest child is a boy. Can you explain why the chances that the woman has two boys do not equal the chances that the man has two boys?"

Our deepest fear...

2009-05-29T00:09:00.004+08:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson

One of the most inspirational poems. This quote was also used in the movie Coach Carter. The film, which is based on a true story, is about a high school basketball coach who benched his undefeated team in 1999 because of poor academic results. It is one of my favourite movies. The main soundtrack of the movie is the hit song "Hope" by Twista (featuring Faith Evans). 5 stars. If you haven't watched the movie before or heard the soundtrack (what have you been doing!), I'd highly recommend it

Here is the trailer for the movie

A new tutor. How long should parents wait to see results?

2009-05-23T17:18:00.004+08:00

You have just engaged a new tutor for your child, and you think that the worst of your worries are over. Then the results of the next immediate exam comes back to you and you see little improvement. You start to wonder if the tuition is even helping. Then you find yourself asking, should I give them more time, or should I take swift action and engage another tutor (after all the second academic semester is only 16 weeks)?

This is a debate that many parents find themselves contemplating, when examination results do not meet expectations. At the end of the day, you want to make the decision that is best for your child's academic future. On one hand, you might decide that the tuition has proven to be ineffective, and you should immediately find another tutor while you still have time. On the other hand, you might think, realistically, that success cannot be simply bought overnight, and that your child and the tutor should be given more time.

It becomes a gamble. What if I let the tuition continue and the results do not materialise? Wouldn't it be too late then to find a new tutor? If I change my child's tutor now, how can I be sure that my child's grades will improve under the new tutor? And if it does improve, how long will that take?

Before you make any decision, here are some questions to consider:

Does the problem lie with my child or the tutor? Who should shoulder the blame for the lack of subject competency? If a child doesn't put in the effort to learn from his mistakes and improve himself, then it would not make a difference even if you employ the best tutor.

Does my child have a slower rate of learning? Are my expectations realistic given the short period of time? Sometimes, students take time to adopt to the methods of a new tutor.

When I was in Secondary 3, I got a D7 for my Physics mid-year exam and decided to get tutoring in the subject. But even after one semester of group tuition, by a retired Physics teacher I should add, I still couldn't pass the final exam (not for the lack of trying!). It wasn't until Sec 4 that my grades gradually improved and I eventually got an A2 for the O Levels.

Here are two of my recommendations. Firstly, talk to your child. After all, they interact more with the tutor than you do. Ask them if they are benefiting from the current tutor. I once told my mum that my tutor was teaching me things that I already know. By the end of the month, the tutor was gone.

Finally, don't expect overnight results. Some students just need time to grasp a better understanding of a subject. Tutors also need time to find the most efficient method in working with different students.

What finger length says about you

2009-05-15T23:30:00.002+08:00

Here's what your finger length can say about you:

A new study finds that boys with ring fingers longer than their index fingers run faster. This phenomenon was explained by exposure to testosterone in the womb, during pregnancy.

Men (and only men) with longer ring fingers were also more likely to be physically aggressive.

Kids with longer ring fingers are likely to have higher SAT maths scores than literacy or verbal scores while children with longer index fingers are better in reading and writing, or verbal, rather than maths tests.

People with longer ring fingers (than index fingers) are also at a higher risk of osteoarthritis.

Other research can also show a link between behaviour and personality traits and the shape of a hand.

Such findings reinforce certain beliefs that large parts of our personalities and traits are formed when we are in the womb.

Read the full articles here:

http://www.livescience.com/health/090312-finger-length-speed.html

http://www.livescience.com/health/050203_finger_length.html

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:21:00.001+08:00

Here's wishing all mothers a Happy Mother's Day.

10 things to do after exams

2009-05-09T13:27:00.002+08:00

1. Sleep-in!

Sleepless nights are over! Catch up on all the lost sleep!

2. Go to the cinemas

Catch up on all the movies you've missed! For all you trekkies, the latest movie is not bad! Also, look out for upcoming blockbusters like Terminator Salvation (release date 28 May 09) and Transformers 2 (24 Jun 09)

3. Buy a drink and spend 6 hours in Starbucks reading a book

My favourite drink is their Hazelnut Hot Chocolate and I recommend everyone to try it. At last we can flip open a book that is not a textbook!

4. Exercise

Play your favourite sport. Shed some of the extra weight you put on while studying in McDonalds.

5. Go for a holiday

As long as it's not cooking classes in France! Be careful not to brag about it on your blog though, times are bad.

6. Get a part-time job

Ya, this sounds like a wet blanket, but you can't possibly play 24/7. Some extra cash can come in handy. It's not gonna be easy though. Like I said before, times are bad.

7. Watch the Champions League Final

At last you can stay up at 2.30am to watch a football match! This year's final in Rome is on 28 May 09 (Singapore time). The UEFA cup final follows 2 days later.

8. Catch up with friends

Meet up for lunch with old friends whom you haven't seen in a long time.

9. Cook or bake something

At least now you have time to experiment various recipes.

10. Go shopping!

The Great Singapore Sale from 28 May 09 to 26 Jul 09. 'Nuff said!

Some exam tips

2009-05-02T22:32:00.004+08:00

Some tips during your exam

1. Browse through the whole paper first before writing

Don't be too eager to "jump-in" and start writing.

2. Don't spend too much time on a particular question

This is especially true for MCQs where each difficult question is worth the same as each easy one. If you have difficulty recalling, move on to the easier questions first and come back again later. A good gauge of how much time to spend on a question is to check the proportion of its worth.

3. For essays/compositions, first 10 minutes are important

Choose the best essay question that you are confident in doing. You don't want to change your mind and do another question halfway into the exam. You'll also need the time for planning an essay outline.

4. Always keep track of time

Monitor your own progress and also, make sure you leave time at the end to check your work.

Transparency

2009-04-25T00:54:00.002+08:00

In the headlines recently, Venerable Shi Ming Yi, together with one of his associates is being tried for the misappropriation of funds linked to Ren Ci hospital. This is news that one can easily read in the press.

However, what struck me most of all about this yet unconcluded saga is the apparent harmlessness which started it all. By which I mean in the actions of the Venerable. In loaning a sum of money to an associate through improper channels, he is now being tried for actions amounting to the deception of a charitable organisation. Should the prosecutors have their way, a seemingly benevolent man's name will be looked upon with some disdain always, in the view of the public.

I guess, the point I am trying to make, is that irrespective of our positions or responsibilities, and on whatever levels that we perform our activities and actions, we always need to be transparent and clear in our actions, so that should a time of accountability arise, we can always substantiate the intentions of our actions.

This need not only be subject to the purview of our financial accounts, but also in our words spoken and written and in our dealings with people we meet in everyday life. This is because we live in a society, and no man is an island; like it or not, no matter how isolated we are, we need to be accountable to the people around us.

When a time of judgement arises, and our actions are put on trial, we can hold our heads high, with no chance of being deemed wrong or judged incorrectly.

$15 million funding for Singapore youth sports development

2009-04-19T02:20:00.003+08:00

It is good to hear that youth sports development in Singapore will be given a $15 million funding. A good one-third of this amount will be used to develope 70 of our country's elite athletes preparing for next year's Youth Olympics Games. The remainder will be used to boost some of Singapore's long-term talent development frameworks.

It is very encouraging to see that we are taking the long-term approach and investing in our own youth. As a Singaporean, I am glad to see that the $15 million in funding will be used in boosting local sports at the grassroots level, instead of scouting for foreign talent. Perhaps we can look forward to a day when an Olympic gold medal can be won by a Singaporean born and bred.

That being said, don't expect Singapore's international sporting success to be an overnight affair. Building a successful system of youth development programmes, frameworks and culture will certainly take time, effort and a lot more money.

Here's a link to the Straits Times article on 13 April 09 http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_362992.html

The importance of Add Maths

2009-04-10T14:43:00.000+08:00

In today's entry, I would like to emphasize the importance of Add Maths. If you are in your streaming year (sec 2) and considering whether to take up Add Maths, this post is for you. If you are a current Add Maths student, hopefully this post will serve as an impetus for you to do well in the subject. Personally, I feel that Add Maths is a very important subject and here are some reasons why:

1. Add Maths is a definite must if you wanna go into science stream. As long as you intend to take mathematics at the A Level, it is important to have prior knowledge on the subject. E Maths alone is not enough.

2. Add Maths gives you the foundation for many post secondary courses. Even if you go to polytechnic, many of the diploma courses will require you to have at least a decent foundation in mathematics. Most engineering courses and even business courses will require that of you.

3. Even if you don't take it now, somehow, it'll come back to haunt you. For e.g. when I was doing my first three months in JC, students who took maths but had no prior Add Maths background had to come back to school every Saturday for extra lessons. In a sense, there's no escaping it, unless your future academic pursuits are totally non-maths related.

Dr Allan Ooi's suicide note

2009-04-04T23:25:00.004+08:00

Many people must have heard about the suicide case of Capt (Dr) Allan Ooi. It is very sad that a bright and promising young man would choose to end his life at the age of 27 because of his unhappiness. Here is an excerpt of his last email before he died. The issues raised here are believed by many to be the main reasons of his suicide.

"My job was terrible - no joy, no satisfaction, 10-14 hours a day of nothing. A prison. One of my own forging, perhaps, by signing a contract with the SAF at the age of 18. Youth was not an excuse, yes, but I refused to accept being deceived into believing things about the nature of my employment that were simply untrue. 12 years of bonded service became potentially 15 or 16, became unbreakable, became stifling to the point of utter hopelessness. How can a bond be unbreakable? How can it be extended at will by an administration, simply by passing a paper? And how can the people subject to this bond not even question it, but instead sit in silent resentment and ultimate dissatisfaction? I was angry, so angry, which stemmed ultimately from a sense of waste and imprisionment so profound that I had no choice but to leave it entirely. To the people within this system, please change it to better benefit yourselves and future generations, instead of creating a self-perpetuating cycle of at best, painful obligation, and at worst, utter dispair.

That was certainly the main cause of my severing of ties. However, it is not the only one.

I can happily say that I have led a full life, despite it ending at the age of 27. I have many friends, some true friends among whom I value very highly (if you are reading this, you know who you are). Thank you for your love, trust and friendship. Especially those who sought to contact me after I left, long after even, you are truly special people"

It is not very difficult to read the full copy of the email, you can just google it. For me, I first came to know about it through a hardcopy that was circulating around during accounting class. So it's kinda spreading like wildfire.

I would like to end off with a note of advice for those of you out there who are enlisting soon and for those of you contemplating a career in the military. In addition to your normal national service training, you will definitely be exposed to at least a dozen recruitment talks on joining the military service. The compensation and benefits may look attractive, but make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before signing that contract. It's not always all about the money. I'm not saying that taking up a career in the military is bad. But what I'm saying is that you should be 100% certain that the chosen career path is definitely something that you want to do.

Celebrate Earth Hour

2009-03-27T23:09:00.005+08:00

Earth Hour 2009 will be observed tomorrow in Singapore from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. Everybody is encouraged to turn off your lights just for one hour, and you can encourage your friends to do so as well. Even companies like Starbucks (my second home!) will be switching off a section of their lights in their cafes.

Earth Hour 2009 aims to reach more than 1 billion people in more than 1000 cities around the world, inviting communities, business and governments to switch off lights for 1 hour and send a powerful global message that we need to take action on climate change. So if you're reading this, it doesn't matter what country you are from, invite your friends and family to participate!

Here's the link to the Earth Hour homepage: http://www.earthhour.org/home/

There's also a blog on Earth Hour Singapore as well: http://earthhoursingapore.blogspot.com/

Choosing a university course

2009-03-20T22:22:00.005+08:00

Here is my two-cents worth of advice for those of you who are still undecided in your choice of university courses.

1. Know what the available courses are and find out every thing you can about the courses that interest you. Check the university websites and read up their prospectuses. Attend the university open houses. Find out what their curriculum are like. Talk to friends or relatives and ask them to share their experiences.

2. If you have a career path in mind that you want to pursue, pick a course that can facilitate the achievement of your career aspirations. With that said, don't choose a career just because it "pays well". I always believe that you should put your interests first before money. Do something that you are passionate about.

3. One of my career counsellors told me in a seminar "you don't know what you don't know". Very few people actually know for certain, the exact career path they want to embark when they are 18 years old. I'll have to admit that that's what happened to me. There may be things in life that you might like, but you just don't know about it yet. Furthermore, your interests may change. You may change. The career that you once so passionately wanted to pursue may not seem so desirable after all. If you want to pursue highly specialised courses like medicine, veterinary sciences or architecture, make sure you are clear on what you want.

4. Don't choose engineering for the sake of choosing engineering! I know of friends who choose a particular course just because that is where most of their friends are going. They don't end up in engineering very long. Also, don't just apply for any random course for the sake of "going through the motion" and getting a certificate (I know this is Singapore). Choose a course that you like, and not one where you think you can sail through and graduate. 4 years of university education is a substantial amount of time (and money) to be wasted on something you find out you do not like.

5. Lastly, one professor of mine gave the class these profound words "university is supposed to liberate your thinking, not limit your opportunities". Don't be afraid to follow your heart and go with your passion. If your considering a degree in the arts, humanities or social sciences, go for it. The job that you choose to do does not have to be related to what you studied.

Enjoy your March holidays

2009-03-14T01:21:00.004+08:00

Today is the first day of the one-week March holidays and I would like to encourage many of our primary school, secondary school and A level friends out there to enjoy the week and make the most out of it. A one-week holiday is a really short break and before you know it, you'll be back in school again (not counting the fact that some of you go back for holiday lessons!). So make sure you spend your week fruitfully.

For our A level friends in JC and MI, you can be forewarned that the one-week breaks in university are nothing like the one-week breaks you currently enjoy. Just ask friends/family from NUS, NTU or SMU and they can attest to that. If anything, recent happenings in NTU can also give you an indication of the stress levels in uni. Ok it sounds like I'm scaring you guys, it's actually not that bad! But anyway, make the best out of your one-week holiday too.

Meet up with friends, spend time with your family or go catch a movie. I highly recommend Slumdog Millionaire, while the cinemas are still screening it. So far it is one of the best movies I've watched in 2009.

And of course, while you're out enjoying yourself, don't neglect your studies. I'm sure holiday homework has been lined up for some of you. You can't possibly be out playing 9 days in a row after all.

A second suicide case in NTU

2009-03-08T03:06:00.003+08:00

There has been a second case of suicide in NTU, just 5 days after the first stabbing incident. The deceased is a 24 year old Chinese national who is a member of staff. Coincidentally, he graduated from the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He was believed to have hung himself at the balcony of his on-campus apartment.

He graduated with Second Class Upper Honours in July last year. Although he found a job immediately upon graduation, he was laid off after two months. It was only on March 2 when he joined NTU as an infocomm project officer at the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

The atmosphere in school has seemed to be one of gloom lately.

Here's the full story http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/413708/1/.html

University recess week

2009-03-06T20:34:00.003+08:00

Just to provide a flavour of the hectic academic schedule of university students, I spent 80% of my time going back to school during the one-week recess break last week. Out of the 5 weekdays, I went back to school on 3 of them for project meetings. And on Friday, I had to go for a visit to the Singapore Aviation Academy for a full day of tours and seminars as part of a course requirement.

Also, this doesn't include the time spent doing homework, completing assignments and catching up on respective syllabus.

At least I had one day free. Some of my friends came back to school every day. Some still have ECA committments.

NTU stabbing incident

2009-03-03T01:01:00.003+08:00

I was a little shocked when I heard about the NTU stabbing incident. I was surprised that such a violent act could have occurred in a university. Furthermore, it happened in my university, which I felt was too close for comfort.

For those of you who haven't heard, a final year electrical engineering student from NTU had stabbed his FYP professor, before slitting his wrist and jumping off five-stories from the engineering block. The professor received medical treatement and is in stable condition. However, it was sad that the life of one fellow student would come to such a tragic end.

As a current undergraduate, academic life can be sometimes stressful, especially so in the final year, and it is important that we learn how to manage the stress that comes our way. The student was considered by his professor to be above-average but he had difficulty obtaining a pass grade. I feel sad for him and his family, that after four years of university life, things should turn out this way.

The matter is still being investigated and I would expect more details to be released in the days to come. You can watch the news broadcast and read the full story on channelnewsasia at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/412478/1/.html

For today, our prayers and condolences go out to all those involved and affected.

STABBING CUM SUICIDE AT NTU

2009-03-02T23:33:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone... It has indeed been awhile since my last post. However, I guess it takes an event such as that which happened in school today to bring out our innermost reflections and thoughts from where we have kept them internalized and safe.
From an anonymous source, I first learnt of this incident at 11:30am. I recall my first thought being: This is not different from the high school/university shootings in the United States. Thank god for Singapore’s strict gun control laws in this respect—but we’ll talk about this another day. The fact is, given the deluded motivations of the perpetrators, whether in Columbine or the University of Virginia or in NTU, it remains that these were ordinary students, who took to arms to express themselves and who ultimately paid the price with the taking of their own lives. IT IS FORTUNATE THOUGH that all the student in Singapore had to use was a kitchen knife.
What I did consider was what could possibly motivate a final-year electrical engineering student in the midst of his Final Year Project, to engage in an all-or-nothing attack on his project supervisor. I am a in my 3rd year reading Aerospace engineering, and given the commonality of Final-year-project structures, I understand that the student must have been in the final stages of his project or might have submitted his draft to his prof. My guess is that the student was deeply traumatized and upset because his prof could have admonished him on his project or that his project was performed incorrectly or not in prof’s favor, and given that this is near the end of the project date already, he did not want to receive an unsatisfactory grade, or that he knew that such a grade would pull down his GPA or result in him not being able to graduate.
At this point in time though, it is too early to pass judgment as to the motivations/causes/triggers behind the attack in NTU this morning until more clues/information is available.
In any crisis, we shore up what we can and for now, what’s important is the unfortunate prof who was the victim. I do hope that the Prof is recovering well.

Mind your language!

2009-02-23T23:54:00.002+08:00

This is one of my favourtie sitcoms! I started watching it on Okto and after watching one episode, I downloaded the entire first season. The show is about an English teacher, Mr Jeremy Brown, giving english classes to a group of foreign students. The show may not seem entirely politically correct because it was first screened in 1977, where most of the characters were portrayed as foreign stereotypes. For me, the funniest character in the show is Ali Nadim, the Pakistani!

Barry Evans was the actor who played Mr Brown and he was fantastic. Unfortunately he died in 1997 at the age of 53.

This February: Spotlight on teaching profession

2009-02-15T15:40:00.004+08:00

The news in recent weeks has put the career of the teaching profession under the spotlight. Just a look at some of the headlines and you'll know what I mean.

This article was published on Wed 11 Feb 09 and it commented about one of MOE's recruitment advertisements. The advertisement reaches out to potential candidates to apply for MOE's teaching scholarships. Clad in dark jackets and boots, the people in the ad are actually education professionals and they include a teacher, a principal, an HOD, a level head, a senior manager and a project manager from MOE HQ. And I thought they were models! They list the name of their respective schools too!

Some concerned readers felt that the ad "over-glamorised" the profession and it raises doubts about the motives and aptitudes of applicants.

Coincidentally, another MOE recruitment ad was printed on the exact same newspaper, and it was on the previous page!

Unlike the previous ad, this one, I feel, targetted the mid-career professionals because it featured a lawyer, a PR executive and an economist.

It seems like the advertisements are trying to make the teaching profession more "cool!".

I still prefer the tv advertisement. I think that's the best. I can't remember much of it but it's the one with different individuals saying things like:

"He's the reason why I..."

"Thank you Mr (something)..."

"Mrs (something)..."

I still like that advertisement. It is a good advertisement because the display of honesty and sincerity touches the heart.

The print advertisements above on the other hand, are very much similar to the army ones! Like a lemon - looks good on the outside, until you actually try it!

So maybe the days of grey-haired teachers with thick black-framed spectacles (once synonymous with our aging population) are over. We are moving to the era of a younger breed of teachers who, outside of conventional teaching methods, communicate with students via sms, facebook, MSN and friendster.

That's when I saw the above article in today's Sunday Times. The article talked about a new age we are in, where students and teachers can communicate outside of conventional mediums. It highlighted cases of inappropriate text messages sent by students to teachers, and in one case even sexual relationships between a 15 year old student and former teacher. It raised issues like what should be the extent of teacher-student communication? What is appropriate and acceptable behaviour?

I guess this is a shout-out to all you private tutors out there! More so because tutoring is mostly on a one-to-one basis. I also don't see how it's possible to not-give your contact number! My advice: don't put yourself in a position where your professional values are compromised, you are after all an educator more than a friend.

Scrapping of exams

2009-02-14T00:30:00.004+08:00

It was recently revealed that the scrapping of exams for Pri 1 and Pri 2 students was put forward as a recommendation by MOE's PERI committee.

As much as how some parents may feel opposed to the idea of multiple mini-assessments, I am in the opinion that the move is a good initiative to promote a more holistic approach to the education of our little ones.

I believe that learning should be fun, more so for children at the ages of 7 and 8. Why should they be rushed to be put under the pressures of semestral examinations? They are already gonna be doing yearly examinations for more than ten years of their educational life, consecutively if I might add. As the years progress, there will be more than enough opportunities to assess their learning. So why rush them so early? Will they be less smart?

I admit that Singapore is a very result-oriented society, but there should be more to life than exam skills. Without the stresses of semestral exams, there is so much more that students can learn and so much more that teachers can teach. It's good that greater emphasis has been placed on the development of lifeskills and values.

CNY Musings.

2009-02-09T01:59:00.004+08:00

Happy CNY to one and all (it's still CNY, albeit the last day) I hope that amidst the gloom and uncertainty of this economic recession that we have managed to find some bit of festive cheer this year.

For students, I hope that a sufficient quantity of hongbaos have come your way. We've already come to the end of the 5th week of the academic year (the 1st week for JC1 students) and by this time, you should already be settled comfortably into your classes and have a sense of familiarity about your curriculum. If you are having difficulties with your subjects, the first person you should ask is your subject teacher. However, if you feel that he/she does not have enough time or is unable to provide comprehensible instruction, only then should you take the next step and consider tuition. However, if your parents have already made tuition arrangements for you, then consider yourself lucky that you have another channel of instruction to learn from.

For parents, if your are considering tuition for your children, you should keep in mind that tuitions are meant as a compliment to lessons taught in schools and not as a replacement for them. Also, tuitions should not add to, but rather reduce the stress on a student by making him/her feel more comfortable and confident about his/her subjects. That said, having more tuition does not necessarily guarantee the academic success of a student. I have seen students who have performed dismally in spite of having 1 tutor per subject. Rather, it is the motivation of the student to take charge of his/her learning, that is the best driver for academic success.
This is a factor that I notice is not understood by some academics. One may be brilliant in his studies, but may fall short when it comes to passing his knowledge on to others. If a tutor is needed, parents should not just simply look for one with the best qualifications, but rather, one who can motivate and push his/her students to their potential. This is the essence of motivation in tuitions, and the topic will be discussed in my next posting.

School Sports get prime-time spot on TV

2009-01-27T12:46:00.003+08:00

It was published in newspapers that a new weekly prime-time magazine show featuring highlights from the 2009 National School Sports Championships will air on Channel 5 from March 4 to May. It will be shown every wed at 7.30pm and the 13 episode programme will provide coverage of all 26 sports in the 'A', 'B' and 'C' divisions.

As someone who's always interested in sports, news like that just makes me wanna go back to secondary school again! Such an initiative will certainly be a great boost to sports in Singapore, especially at the youth level. Think about it:

Athletes and coaches, now knowing that their performances will be watched by viewers nationwide, will be more inclined to train harder and perform to the best of their ability
Schools will give more support to their athletes e.g. engage better coaches, provide better training facilities or increased funding, to help them do well. Because the athletes are representatives of the school, performing well in their respective sports will reflect favourably on the school.
The increased level of awareness can bring a sense of unity amongst students when students of the same school support their fellow schoolmates on. Athletes also would not want to let their friends and family down.
The media coverage provides better scouting opportunities for coaches and representatives from the various national sports associations to identify young talent.
Student athletes will learn to carry themselves in a manner that exemplifies good sportsmanship and professionalism.

These are just some of the many benefits that I can name. It is a very good initiative taken, especially considering the Youth Olympic Games that our country will be hosting next year (in NTU!). If the programme is successful in raising the level of interest in youth sports, it may attract yet more and more youths to pursue an interest in sports.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-26T14:28:00.002+08:00

Here's wishing one and all a Happy Lunar New Year! May the year of the ox bring you happiness and prosperity especially in this period of economic downturn.

French culinery and lesser mortals!

2009-01-22T21:54:00.006+08:00

So much has been in the news lately, but none more controversial than Perm Sec Tan Yong Soon's $46,500 cooking course in Paris. His article has sparked a major uproar in Singapore's blogging community and, more recently, MP Charles Chong's remark about "lesser mortals" being envious added fuel to an existing fire!

I chanced upon the website of The Wayang Party Club of Singapore at wayangparty.com in which MP Chong's remark happened to be one of its top posts. The website has an impressively high readership in the blogging community. As of 10 minutes ago, the blog registered 520, 888 hits (I wish our blog had such high figures-for the right reason though!). In one of it's polls, 2235 netizens (88%) felt that Perm Sec Tan's article was insensitive because he didn't spare a thought for the feelings of others.

Some of the comments left by users are fierce! I wouldn't wanna be any of them right now! (Ok I wouldn't mind enjoying french cuisine in Paris :) but I wouldn't wanna be any of them right NOW!)

I feel that although there is nothing wrong with Perm Sec Tan Yong Soon going on a family holiday, after all it is his own prerogative to spend his money as he so chooses, I thought that some of the information he shared about himself was unnecessary, and he could have shown more tactfulness in his article, given the vast readership of the Straits Times and the current economic situation many of its readers are going through.

Feel free to read the postings. I have inluded a link at the blog title above.

Ministry of Finance Inter-School Budget Debate

2009-01-19T01:14:00.002+08:00

Feel free to check out the Ministry of Finance Inter-School Budget Debate where students from 32 teams gather to role-play as ministers, environmentalists and business federations to simulate mock budget debates. You can watch the video streaming on RAZOR TV at the Straits Times Interactive website. Alternatively you can just click on the link above (entry title) and it'll take you there.

I watched the first 25 minutes of one debate on Short-Term Business Assistance vs Long-Term Business Assistance. I'm quite impressed by some of these secondary school students, not just in being able to keep abreast of current affairs, but going one step further as to effectively argue for and against each other's valued opinions.

When I was in secondary school, all I was interested in was playing football and counting down the days to the school holidays! I barely kept up with current affairs, much less participate in Budget-debates!

JC or Poly? Release of O Level results

2009-01-12T19:04:00.005+08:00

The 2008 GCE O Level results have been released today, and if you happen to be one of those who sat for the exam, I hope that you are happy with your results.

In case you are still undecided on whether to choose the JC or poly route, here are some pointers that might help you make up your mind.

JC: Advanced curriculum

You will take fewer subjects than in secondary school, but that's only because the syllabus for each subject will be more in-depth. Some subjects will seem familiar (but harder!) e.g. physics, maths, geography, english (which takes on a new name called General Paper). Some subjects will be entirely new e.g. economics, biology (if you've never taken it in sec sch)

Poly: Totally different curriculum

Depending on the type of diploma you pursue, most probably, the subjects (they are called modules now) you will be taking are totally new. The modules will definitely be related to your diploma so it can be anything from accounting (if you're in business) to thermodynamics (if you pursue engineering). With such a wide variety of courses, chances are, you will probably find a course that you like, or at least something that interests you. Be prepared for a lot of project works.

JC: Secondary life all over again

It's like an advanced secondary school. Needless to say you still have to wear school uniform, wake-up early every morning and go to school five days a week. You sing the national anthem every morning. The change of classes will be signalled by a school bell (or some variation of a school bell e.g. 5 seconds of melodious music) and if you misbehave (or tuck out your shirt, or dye hair, or skip classes...) you deal with this person called a discipline master.

Poly: Life as a tertiary student

In poly, you are treated as a tertiary student and this means that you are given a lot more independence. You can wear (almost!) anything you like to school or style your hair or hair colour (almost!) anyway you like. Depending on your timetable, you may or may not have to wake up early and come for class. You decide when's the best time to eat your recess. Your education lies a lot in your hands. You are treated as an adult now. Oh and of course, you will pay adult fare for bus and train rides!

JC: The more direct route to university

Someone once told me "If you go into JC, you MUST make it into the university". That's what the JC route exists for, it is an almost mandatory path to the university. If you harbour hopes of studying in the university, then the JC route is a more direct route that gets you there. Majority of JC students usually have no problem qualifying for studies in the local universities. The same however (and unfortunately), cannot be said for the polytechnic graduates. What's more, A-level students usually have a wide variety of options in choosing to study their various degrees.

Poly: Top 5%-10% to qualify for university

As a diploma holder, entry into the local universities will require you to graduate as the top 5% or 10% in your cohort. For the case of my brother Gabriel, he was born in the year of the dragon, and application for university entrance is very competitive. He's still looking for a place in the local universities. Sometimes (depending on what you studied in poly) your choice of degree programs can be limited. For some disciplines like engineering, you will be allowed to gain entry into the 2nd year of study, and if you calculate correctly, this allows you to graduate at the same time with your peers who took the JC route.

Not forgetting: Centralised Institutions

There is a third option which I omitted to comment on and that is the centralised institutions i.e. Millenia Institute. These are institutions who offer 3-year A Level courses. It exists for students who want to take the A Levels but may not have qualified to enter a Junior College. You learn all the A Level syllabus in a span of 3 years. Other than the duration, it operates much the same as a Junior College.

In conclusion

I cannot give a right or wrong answer as to which route is the best route. I know of some friends who went to JC and transferred to poly after one year because they could not handle the academic rigor. I also know of friends whose O Level results qualified them for the best junior colleges, but they chose the polytechnic route instead. You have to decide what is best for yourself. Imagine yourself 5 years or 10 years down the road. What do you aspire to be? What career do you want to pursue? Go and visit the JC and Polytechnic open houses (if they're not over yet). Check out the respective curriculums. Talk to friends or relatives who have been through it before. Remember that it is your short-term decisions that lead you to achieve your long-term ambitions.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/401821/1/.html

Home tuition or tuition centre?

2009-01-06T10:03:00.006+08:00

We begin a new academic year and for some students, it means taking on tuition for new subjects. For others, it may even mean taking tuition for the same subject, but switching tutors.

Whether you're a student or a parent, if you haven't already planned for your tutoring needs for 2009, you might find yourself asking, what kind of tuition should I get for my child (or myself)? Is it better to enrol in a tuition centre or engage a home tutor?

I do not have a concrete answer to that question because I feel that it depends on a number of factors and also individual circumstances. I have elaborated my thoughts on these determining factors in the hope that you yourself can form your own opinions, and decide which type of tuition is the best for your child (or yourself).

Price

One of the most obvious differences between tuition centres and home tuition. The hourly rate for home tuition can be double that of fees charged by tuition centres.

Quality

The quality of teaching. This is probably the most important difference. Are private home tutors necessarily superior in teaching quality when compared to teachers in tuition centres? Don't forget that some private home tutors are just tertiary students looking to earn some pocket money whereas teachers in tuition centres are more often current or ex-school teachers.

However, that doesn't mean that the former are incapable of doing an equally good job in tutoring. I know of some non-NIE-trained tutors who are very responsible and dedicated in tutoring their students-and their students do go on to score well in examinations. There are tutors who just enjoy helping students and are happy to share their experiences in the hope of seeing them do well. One-to-one tutoring is different from classroom-teaching. To journey with a student and give him/her sound academic guidance doesn't require one to enrol in NIE.

Convenience

We all know that when it comes to convenience, home tuition gives you the best option. You can have your tuition wherever you like, whenever you like and however frequent you like. Sometimes, you even have the flexibility of postponing or cancelling lessons to suit your schedule. It is usually for these reasons that home tuition is more expensive than fees charged in tuition centres. With the busy schedules that students have nowadays, the convenience of private tuition may seem to be the more preferred choice.

However, there are some questions that you need to ask yourself. Is the higher cost of engaging a home tutor attributed only to the added convenience? Are you paying your private tutor more because you really believe that your child will do better under him/her than in a tuition centre? Or is the extra cost just used to buy added convenience? One of the main objectives of tuition is to improve in the learning and understanding of a particular subject. Compromising the quality of the lessons may defeat the purpose of having tuition in the first place.

Individual pace of learning

The pace of learning of a student is a major determining factor in choosing between private tuition and a tuition centre. For students that learn at a slower pace than their peers, or students that have short attention spans, engaging a home tutor allows them the benefit of learning at a pace which they can feel comfortable.

The power of word-of-mouth

Often, the best tutors and teachers are usually known through word-of-mouth. These are the tutors recommended by your friends, your friends' friends and other parents of older children who have studied under them before. Such reputable tutors often charge higher rates, or they may even require you to have the tuition venue at a place of their choice.

Some of the more popular classes in various tuition centres operate by word-of-mouth too. When I was in secondary school, I enrolled in add maths tuition in Mavis Tutorial Centre. The centre had two add maths classes taught by two different teachers. Yet, the participation for one class was more overwhelming than the other because the teacher for that class was reputed to be better.

Seasons Greetings

2008-12-31T12:01:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone!!

Its a little surreal to imagine that in the blink of an eye..a year has come..and that it will be gone in a little less than 12 hours.

In this year, some of us faced the mountains that were our exams, competitions, work, new beginnings, hardships and new experiences. I can only hope that as we look back, that we can appreciate the lessons that these experiences have taught us.

Like a speeding train, another year is about to dawn upon us. In this year, we can only look forward to(and not bemoan) more of such experiences that life throws at us. The alternative would be somber and saddening, and as I always tell my friends, since we have only 1 life to live, we might as well choose to be happy about it.(and all the variety that comes along) .

I wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and a fantastic new year ahead filled with optimism and hope and opportunities for you and your loved ones.

Lester Lee

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T15:38:00.001+08:00

Here's wishing one and all a merry christmas! Stay sober and drive safely!

Cheers!

2008: The Year in Review

2008-12-22T19:01:00.005+08:00

Much of 2008 was spent working with Elvin on the website. It was a busy time for some of us. Lester spent one semester studying in Ireland on an exchange programme. Adeline did her internship in the later part of the year.

We organised two classes during the year. The first of which was the P6 maths tuition class. When the first lesson began in January, there were only two students! However, the number of students gradually grew. We had a third student in Feb, and by Mar, we had a total of nine students! I wish I could say that everything was smooth-sailing, but it was not. As the months passed, some of the students discontinued the tuition for a number of reasons.

One such student was called Benjamin. He was a bright student and I always felt that he really didn't need tuition for maths at all. He had however, some difficulty in the topic of Rate & Speed. When I worked with the class on that topic, I could see that he was a fast learner and he improved a lot. Soon, I could see that he had no problems handling that topic, and he left shortly after that! I wasn't sad to see him go though, because I knew that he really didn't need tuition at all, and he could make better use of his time on his own.

There was another student called Raudha, who left because her mum had found a private tutor for her. It's fine with me too because different students learn differently.

Then there were students like Grace, Natalie and Mitchell, who (I believe) left because their parents weren't seeing any improvements in their maths. It is for these students that I spend many sleepless nights wondering, what could I have done better for them? I hope they did well in their PSLE.

I eventually ended the tuition class with six students. The pictures below, were taken on the last lesson, just before they sat for their maths exam.

I was delighted to learn that Ken (extreme left in the group shot) and Alysia (second girl from the right) scored A stars for maths. And Jie Ting (extreme right) and Jaron (wearing black) scored A's. I am very happy for them and I hope that they continue to do well as they embark on secondary school life.

We also organised a second class for sec 4 additional maths in June. Unfortunately, the response for the class wasn't good and, to save on rent, we ended up changing the venue of the class to a private residence instead.

Although we are operating as a tuition agency, ultimately, we aim to establish Quality Tuitions as a tuition centre as well. The experiences gained in organising the two classes this year have proved to be valuable in providing for future classes.

Beginning tuition in December. A headstart? Or too early?

2008-12-19T23:55:00.008+08:00

Nowadays, I observe that more and more parents want their children to begin tuition in December. When I was still giving one-to-one tuition in 2006 and 2007, many parents asked if I could start tutoring their children in December before school starts.

Many people like to ask: are parents robbing their children of valuable play time? Is it totally necessary to begin tuition in a month when children should be happily playing and enjoying themselves? Shouldn't the kids deserve to have fun (or at least deserve a break) after one academic year of studying?

When I was in primary school. I always loved the holidays because it meant freedom from the academic stress of school work.

Is there really a need to begin tuition in December? For me, I feel that it depends on how weak a student is in a subject and the student's pace of learning.

The students I tutored during the Dec holidays were weak in various subjects. Yet, they always go on to show improvement in the subsequent academic year. Introducing the coming year's syllabus in advance also increases their confidence in the subject when they go back to school.

When I was in secondary school, there were some subjects in which I started tuition in December and one of them was for O Level physics, just before beginning sec 4. It was a group tuition and I would go for lessons with three other classmates, once a week for one hour. We chose to start our tuition in December because we did not fare very well in the sec 3 exams. My friends scored in the range of 50 plus. I failed with a 40 plus score and had to resit the exam-during the holidays.

Our teacher, Mr Foo, shortened the lessons from one and a half hours to one hour because he didn't want to make the lessons too intensive. During these weekly lessons, he would do two things. Firstly, he would revise with us the sec 3 curriculum, so that we can consolidate our learning and revisit the topics that we were weak at. Secondly, he also began teaching the first few topics of the sec 4 syllabus so that we can go back to school in January, with a decent idea of what is to come. The headstart we received was invaluable because when school started, we found ourselves able to understand what the teacher was teaching, and also, much of what was taught had a look of familiarity. Our grades gradually improved and we all scored A's for our O Level.

I scored A's for all the subjects in which my tuition commenced in December (A Maths was the other subjects). However, there's no conclusive correlation to link the scoring of good grades with commencing tuition in December, because I also scored A's for other subjects in which I didn't even have tuition.

Therefore, in summary, I feel that tuition during the holidays should only be arranged if it is absolutely necessary-if a student is particularly weak in a subject. For students who have no problems coping with their academic workload, a stress-free holiday period should be just reward.

Somethings about me!

2008-12-15T01:48:00.005+08:00

Heyz this is Lester here. Just thought I'd post a lil' bit about myself and what I can offer to my classes at Quality Ttuitions.

I am a 23 year old undergraduate who is fortunate enough to be studying a subject that has always facinated and intrigued me--AIRCRAFT--i.e. Aerospace Engineering. To me, life is all about chasing your dreams and having fun in the process!! I study when I need to..but play even harder when it's time!! To this end..I am an avid wakeboarder and an outdoor enthusiast who simply can't get enough of the sun, sand, sea..(you bet it's holiday time now=)

but enough of my musings..on the more serious aspect of tuitions, next year will be my 6th year of conducting tuitions. I first started giving tuitions(A Level Math) on a one-to-one basis immediately after JC as a means to supplement my NS allowance and to save up money for University. As a practicing engineering student especially, I always mention that Physics and Mathematics are my bread and butter, and I especially love teaching mathematics as I find it is one of the easier subjects for me to motivate and drive my students to excel in.

At Quality Tuitions, I now conduct the Additional Mathematics Classes and from the positive feedback and marked improvements from the students of my first batch(who took their O Levels this year), I am looking forward to receiving good news(VERY) come end January when the O Level results are released and guiding another batch of students towards an A1s in Add. Math.

Competition amongst tuition centres

2008-12-12T22:10:00.004+08:00

We're almost midway into December. It is a time when parents and students contemplate academic plans for the coming year, and tuition centres are advertising aggressively for their 2009 classes. Already, I have received flyers at my door from several tuition centres. Some of them boast teachers from top schools like Raffles Girls or Catholic High. The banners have been popping up around my neighbourhood as well. Each advertising for tuition classes.

On Wednesday, I noticed that 2 flyers have been pasted in the lift lobby of my flat. The kind of flyers that have little phone numbers at the bottom you can peel off. When I came back from lunch one hour later, one of the flyers has been ripped off. And I doubt it's because of over-enthusiastic response! At least they have one left, I thought to myself. (Just in case you are wondering, no, I didn't do it!)

Today morning, I exited the lift, and the remaining flyer was gone too (again, I didn't do it!). I was initially inclined to think that it was removed by the cleaners from town council. But when I looked up and saw another outdated notice still intact, I highly doubted that the tuition advertisements were removed by the cleaners!

There are at least 5 tuition centres in the immediate vicinity of my block. So yup...tis the season when competition is high!

Benefits of private tuition

2008-12-08T13:06:00.003+08:00

Is private tuition always the answer? Maybe yes, maybe no. But in a country where more than 90% of students have tuition in one form or another, you can't deny that there has to be some benefits when it comes to private tutoring.

During my primary and secondary school years, I had my experiences as a student of private tuition. In university, my involvement in private tuition changes because now, I'm the tutor.

Hence, I have had my fair share of experiences, both as a student and as a tutor. And from these experiences, I'd like to share with you some of the benefits of private tutoring:

1. Comfortable pace of learning

With private tutoring, a student can learn at his/her own pace. Different students learn at different rates. In school, some teachers work with a class size of 30 (or more), and this makes individualized attention difficult. The problem is compounded when teachers are constrained by time, to follow a lesson plan closely. With private tutoring, weaker students can be afforded with adequate time to learn a subject.

2. Confidence

One of the important factors of achieving good grades is confidence. Confidence is acquired through constant practice. For students less independent, that can be developed with the guidance of a tutor. With private tuition, important academic concepts can be reinforced. This strengthens learning and helps instill confidence in students. One of the best tutors I had was Mr Foo, a retired physics teacher who kindly volunteered to tutor myself and three sec 4 classmates privately. His method of teaching gave us so much confidence in the subject and the four of us went on to score As.

3. Having your questions answered

Sometimes a student is afraid of asking questions in class. They do not want to embarrass themselves because they fear that people might think of their questions as unintelligent. Sometimes they just feel bad for disrupting the lesson. When I had a private tutor, I always clarrified my doubts. I wasn't even afraid of asking questions I thought were stupid.

4. Help in schoolwork

A private tutor can help you with your school work. As a student, I always asked my tutor for help on homework questions which I have difficulty solving. And as a tutor, I always encourage my students to ask me any homework questions that they may encounter difficulty solving. Students however, should not over-rely on their tutor to solve every single problem.

About Me

2008-12-04T23:03:00.003+08:00

My name is Benedict and I started Quality Tuitions in June 2007. Within a few months, I had two new members, Lester and Adeline, who joined the team. Although we are a tuition agency, we also conducted a weekly P6 mathematics tuition class this year.

I put forward the idea of extending our web presence into the blogosphere because I wanted to create a more direct channel of communication with our customers.

Whether you're a student in the middle of secondary school life, a parent concerned for your child's studies or a tutor looking for assignments, I'll try my best to ensure that the content of most blog entries is something that you can relate to. Occasionally, I will blog about current/controversial events or my own personal experience.

Currently, I am 23 years old, and I'm an undergraduate in NTU. I like playing football, watching movies and I enjoy reading.

If you have any comments or just wanna say hi, you can email me directly at benedict@qualitytuitions.com.sg

Why we started this blog

2008-11-30T14:53:00.006+08:00

Back in May this year, Lester, Adeline and I were in the planning process of starting this tuition agency (we actually still are!). We were discussing the who, what, why and how's of getting the tuition agency up and running. When I proposed the idea of incorporating a blog in our website, they looked at me like I was crazy. And in the same way that I explained to them, here are the reasons why I feel incorporating a blog with our existing website is a good idea.

A website is not enough

We want to connect with our audience. We don't just want to operate behind the wall of an official website. It is just too stagnant. We want to interact with customers (parents, students and tutors alike) and blogging is the way to go. It is easier to constantly update fresh content on a blog than on a website. Furthermore, a blog can sometimes provide you with raw, unfiltered peronal opinions that official websites do not.

Another source of opinion

We may not be educational experts or PHD holders, but in our experiences as students and part-time tutors, we hope that our published thoughts and entries may serve as an extra voice of opinion to students, tutors and parents alike.

A notice board for assignments

As content can be easily updated, a blog can serve as a useful tool for listing currently available assignments. Tutors in search of assignments can have at their disposal, a view of all latest available assignments. I know that we don't have, at the moment, any assignments listed yet! But believe me, they will come.

In summary, this blog was created for the interest of students, tutors and parents alike. We hope that with the content we bring, it should allow for useful, or at least enjoyable reading.

On finding the perfect secondary school

2008-11-29T16:20:00.003+08:00

It's the time of the year again, when PSLE results are out, and parents and children get involved in choosing a secondary school for the next 4 or 5 years of academic life.

I came across this article "There is no perfect school for a child" published on The Electric New Paper, Singapore, on 24 Nov where columnist Santokh Singh offers some advice on factors worth considering, in choosing your first-choice secondary school.

Results

No doubt the first factor that comes to your mind. The child and school must be intellectually compatible.

Personalities

Nothing concrete to describe this but the closest I can go is going with your feelings. How does it feel like stepping into the school compound? What is the ambience? Talk to the teachers and principal. Check out the canteen.

Background information

Santokh Singh described this factor as "the 'relatives' who tell you things that the 'prospective in-law' may not". For me, I came from a JC with a reputation youngsters described as "the JC with the highest pregnancy rate!" Yet every time I step into a taxi, many taxi uncles describe it as "hao xue xiao! (Very good school)".

CCAs

What is 4 years of secondary life without CCA. Does the school provide the CCAs which the student enjoys?

Distance

Where I'm studying right now, the train ride to school every day is a "journey to the west!". Even after alighting at boon lay, students from my school have to take a certain 179, to go west some more! So it's as west as it can be. Anymore west and we'd be in the SAF live firing area. Take it from me that, long distance travelling is tiring. Especially when the stop that you board your bus/train only allows for standing room.