Author: newdawn_admin

Going from secondary school to junior college could be a big leap for some as there will be lectures and tutorials as opposed to purely classroom learning and there is a sudden increase in content for some subjects. Luckily for physics students, the topics are similar with the addition of some new equations and concepts, as well as a few extra chapters. However, the examinations that test on the student’s knowledge application skills and could prove to be difficult for some, and thus they might consider taking up A Level physics tuition. Having been through the curriculum, I hope to offer some useful tips on how to tackle this subject.

1. Draw Your Diagrams

Firstly, draw your diagrams for dynamics and forces questions. This would serve as a good visual aid to illustrate the forces acting on the body and would allow you to easily break the forces down to its components. For connected body questions, it would be advisable to draw one image where you consider all the smaller individual bodies as one large body to study the bulk motion of the larger connected body. Then you could follow up by drawing the smaller individual bodies to study how the smaller bodies interact with each other. Moreover, some tutors would advise that you break down the forces into parallel and perpendicular to the surface for objects on slope as the motion of the body is likely parallel to the slope.

2. Use Units to Recall Formulas

Secondly, use units associated with the quantity given in the question to recall formulas. This helps to reduce the amount of memory work that you have to do. Though equations should come to you like second nature after doing many questions in school and in H2 physics tuition classes, this method could come in handy when you start panicking in the examination hall. Take for example questions on the amount of heat required to raise a body by θ ˚C, given that . Since the units must be the same for all terms in an equation, and the units for energy is joules, we can thus guess the equation for the heat required is Q=mc∆θ

As [unit for Q]=[unit for m][unit for c][unit for ∆θ]=(Kg)(JKg^(-1) K^(-1) )(K)=J. 

Using some guessing and logical deduction, you could figure out what the equations are and reduce the number of equations that you have to memorise. Moreover, it could also be used to check whether the equations you remembered are correct though you should note that it would not check if you have missing terms and fails when there are constants of proportionality which have associated units.

3. Have a Good Grasp of Calculus

Thirdly, try to understand what the various derivatives and integrals of certain quantity means. Renowned physicist Richard Feynman once said that “(calculus) is the language God talks”. If you scrutinize your H2 physics tuition notes and school materials, you would realize that most topics makes use of differentiation and integration. Though you would not be expected to integrate nor differentiate, you have to understand what the results of integrating and differentiating represent. In kinematics alone, displacement, velocity and acceleration time graphs could be linked through calculus, knowing one could allow you to derive the rest given the proper initial conditions. Some questions would ask you how to find certain quantities given a graph and you would need to relate the quantity to the correct aspect of the graph to find the answer. Hence, understanding the concept of calculus is important.

A trick that might work, though not all the time, would be to treat the (d_) as a very small amount of that qty. This is applicable in thermodynamics, if you have forgotten what the area under the pressure-volume graph means, for example. Since W= ∫P dv, and dv treating as a small qty, PV=(F/A)(V)=Fd you would hence know that it is work done. And since the pressure is due to particles in the system colliding with the walls of the container, it must be work done by the system as the force is exerted by the system’s particles.

These are a few tricks that have helped me survive through physics in junior college. However, if you are struggling with the subject, it’d be good to start H2 physics tuition early to build a string foundation. Tutors take time to understand you and uncover the misconceptions that you have so the earlier you start, the more effective it would be for you.

Covid-19 has caused more lessons to be online as tuition centers close down and schools have begun to adopt such measures. Moreover, you can no longer visit Starbucks and study rooms at community centers are closed too. You are forced to study at home but it is filled with distractions and is not a conducive environment to attempt difficult H2 math questions. In view of this, I would like to offer some tips to reduce the amount of distractions as much as possible.

Study on a full stomach and never skip meals

It is common for many to munch on snacks while they study. However, have you noticed that you would begin to re-read lines and have difficulty understanding the material? When you munch on snacks, your focus is divided, thus making it harder to comprehend what your notes are saying. Being full would help you last through the study session without having to spend half your mind on food, ensuring that you are fully focused. Moreover, your brain requires energy to function and thus a sated stomach is necessary for you to properly analyse and tackle difficult questions.

Noise management

Compared to studying at a quiet library, you are exposed to noisy younger siblings or the noise from the television next door etc. These noises could drive you crazy and reread lines multiple time without understanding what it is trying to say. Some might be use to listening to music and could use that to drown out the noise. However, for those who do not have a habit of listening to music would find the rhythm and melody distracting and listening to music could reduce their focus further. If you belong to the latter group, you could try to use ambient noise to drown out other distracting noises.

When it is too hot, you get all sweaty and sticky making yourself uncomfortable. When it is too cold, all you do is tremble. In school, you are able to walk around and find the perfect spot for you to do your H2 math tuition practice questions or tutorials. If you have the luxury of an aircon, adjust it to a comfortable temperature rather than the extremes so that you would not be constantly feel like re-adjusting the temperature. Moreover, you could plan your study routine such that you spend more time studying early in the morning and later in the evening when it is cooler. Ensure that your notes have a weight on them so that they would not fly around the place or make distracting rustling sounds.

Studying with study mates

If you need others around to motivate you, it would difficult to `jio’ other friends to physically study. You could try to skype call them and study together across a screen. This could be beneficial as your peers could enforce discipline onto you to study and allow you to be more focused on your own. Moreover, you could engage in discussions to tackle challenging questions or clarify doubts that you may have. However, too many people in a single session could be distracting and the discussion could skew off from academics. It is advisable to limit the group to 3-4 members and any more than that would turn it into a party.

Stay away from social media

Handphones, emails, YouTube and Instagram are common distractions. When studying a difficult and try subject, it would be especially difficult for you to resist the urge of entertainment and distractions. Having to study without getting distracted is another challenge. You could turn off your phone but you would only turn it on again when you have a compulsion to check your Instagram, so turning off would not be an effective solution. You could try downloading apps such as Forest that limit you from using your phone and penalize you whenever you exit the application to use other applications. The penalty would discourage you from checking your phone and encourage you to better focus on your studies.

Hopefully the Covid-19 situation would pass soon and allow us to return to our natural studying habitat. Our H2 Math tuition classes can resume normally then.

JC1s and the rest of you guys who are taking O levels this year, here’s the hard truth. Junior College is not a place like secondary and primary schools obviously, where you could study just 1 month before the major examinations and you still got your good grades. If I could turn back time, I would have never played so much in my 1st year, because imagine how much time I would have had to get my foundation right if I gave my 100% in the first place. No sugar-coating here, you really reap what you sow. You’ve got to work to get your expected results. And sometimes, hard work alone is not enough. Here are some tips to start your JC1 right.

1. Get your daily/weekly journals

I started making my own bullet journal at the start of JC2 and boy, can I just say that this habit has helped me a lot? I wished I had done that in JC1! I am a fake (lol) artsy person, I can’t do art at all, but aesthetically-pleasing items make me feel more motivated to get work done. So even if you can’t decorate, no worries, there are plenty of pretty planners/ journals out there which can save you lots of time as well! I found this particular study planner in Japan and I fell in love with it! You can get yours in Singapore at Tokyu Hands. Meanwhile, if you are not a hardcopy kinda person, feel free to access online templates! Get your free printable study templates here:

With journals/ planners, I am able to draft out and get a quick overview of how my week is going to be like. Since New Dawn’s lesson schedules are flexible, it makes everything so much easier for me to use the template and slot in ‘H2 JC Math tuition’ and ‘H2 JC Chem tuition’. This way, it is less tedious and tiring for me to keep track of my activities when everything is organised.

2. Have conducive study environments

I’ve got to admit that a lot of my studying sessions with friends ended up unproductive. Yes, friends are great but when they are in big groups, they really are my greatest distractions when I need to do serious work. Hence, I realised that I work best in a small study group or when I am alone. Furthermore, you need to know your company. Are they friends who will gossip with you all day? Or are they friends who influence you to be serious when work needs to be done? This will determine how your study session is going to turn out.

The studying space matters too. Before or after every Math tuition class at New Dawn Learning Studio, I would make myself comfortable in their study space. Not only am I grateful for the cozy study space, but  I am also happy that there are snacks to fill my tummy at their pantry. Hence, find a place which makes you feel like your second home 🙂

3. Strike a “work-life” balance

Last but definitely not the least, have a “work-life balance”. It’s a term commonly used among working adults, but I find it absolutely important for students too. Studies are not the only things life is about. Don’t forget to spend quality time with family and friends, and on yourself pursuing your hobbies, etc. You may be laughing at me right now, like “JC where got time to do all these?” All I am saying is that, study very hard, but hey please take a chill pill. (I probably am using old generation jargon but yes you get my point.) Anyway, whatever you do in your JC1 life, have a fruitful and fulfilling one. All the best<3

When I was young, my parents enrolled me in many enrichment classes – swimming, art, piano, etc. You would have already guessed, they never left academic classes out. In fact, I’ve had 2 math tuitions at the same time in primary school. Before you say that my parents are crazy, let me share with you that I know of multiple friends who had multiple tuitions for the same subject as well. Of course, I am not encouraging you to follow my footsteps, because it is an absolute waste of money and time. This leads me to my next question, is H2 math tuition a necessity in Singapore, or is it merely a waste of time?

I used to be so bent on not having tuition my entire JC life, but I truly felt that I had received all the help I could get. However, paper after paper, I was merely receiving Bs for my H2 Math. During my JC year 2, I decided to attend H2 math tuition in New Dawn has made me finally realise that for a number of students, additional guidance is necessary for JC students. Let me explain to you why.

1. Smaller class—boosts learning

“Oh no, what if my classmates judge my questions?” Has this thought ever crossed your mind? It sure is scary when you are in a class with 20+ classmates. In smaller group tuitions of less than 10 people, you are bound to be less anxious, and hence more confident of speaking up. Besides, the whole tuition session is made up of students from different schools, they would most likely forget about your existence once you guys step out of the tuition centre anyway. Savage, but true. Thus, under a stress-free environment like tuition classes, it is always easier to absorb knowledge and enhance your learning.

2. Customised and focused teaching

I cannot emphasise any further how huge the leap is from O-levels A Math to JC H2 Math. Hence, it is important that you have the right resources to help you cope with this huge step. Lessons conducted in school cater to the vast majority and may not suit your learning style. On the other hand, tutors are able to give their undivided attention to you; and are more aware of your individual weaknesses and strengths. With the intense H2 math syllabus coupled with the tight schedule of the JC curriculum, it is very difficult for a teacher in school to tackle student’s weak topics effectively. Conversely, tutors are able to dedicate more time (and in fact offer 24/7 messaging services for homework help) to clarify doubts which a school teacher may not have enough time to do so in the classroom. Hence, tuition teachers are able to adapt and cater to each and every student needs.

3. The tutor is always your choice

To tell you the truth, not all teachers are liked by all of their students. Hey, don’t be offended by this.  Every one of us has definitely came across a teacher whom we are not comfortable with. However, the bad news is that – we are not able to choose our teachers in school. Having H2 Math tuition  is an advantage for students as we get to learn better with a teacher whom we develop a genuine connection with. After a couple of tuition lessons and you feel that your current tuition teacher is not up to standard? Simply switch to a more suitable tuition centre for you, problem solved! The good news is students have the freewill to choose tutors which cater to their learning needs.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when someone asks you about school? Your grades, your CCA achievements or your friends? I would like to call myself an “active student”—a student who not just focuses on studies but also am highly committed to activities out of lessons.  As someone who struggled to balance my studies and CCA commitments for many years, here are some tips which I wish I knew much earlier.

1. Have a planned schedule at least 1 week in advance.

You have to stop giving yourself excuses and stop laziness! Start cultivating good habits such as time-management and organisation. Use literally ANYTHING under the sun— on-the-go daily planners, little post-it notes attached to your fridge, Google Calendar, etc. With so many activities in CCA and a huge pile of homework coming after you, it’s always the best to track your daily to-do list and make sure everything is done before deadlines. Setting reminders for your planned schedule 1 week in advance helps you to keep track of how your upcoming week is going to be like, thus it will be easier for you to slot in ‘study hours’

Let me give you an example of an optimally-planned weekly schedule:

School ends at around 4pm on average. This leaves me with 9 hours daily on weekdays till 1am (I aim to sleep latest by 1am). Of course I would take into account time for travelling, meals, and a bit of ‘lepak time’. So with 7 hours left, I will allocate about 2.5 hours daily for ‘homework time’, my CCA is twice per week, about 4 hours each session. On weekends I have family outings and personal commitments, so you have to take that into account too! 🙂

So here’s what I have so far:

As you can see, with the most basic outline of how your week will be like, it is easier to allocate time for studies.

Take note that I deliberately left a couple of empty slots for buffer time allocated for social life, fulfilling CCA work outside of school, etc. With a simple guide like this, it made my life so much easier to navigate. I regret not having a study plan until late into J2 year, causing me to struggle with many responsibilities. When tackling H2 subjects such as H2 Math, I highly recommend that you allocate more time for revision as the theories and concepts may be of higher complexity. In conclusion folks, start structuring your revision schedule in advance!

Once you’ve broken it down, it’ll look something like this:

Monday:

Daily schoolwork (2.5h)

Study time (1h) — H2 Math (Review lecture notes)

Study time (1h) — H2 Math (Learn and write down mistakes in notebook)

Study time (2h) — H2 Math (Use topical TYS to practice more questions)

Click here for a comprehensive guide to revising H2 Math.

2. Rank your tasks

Omg, this is truly a life savior. Take a look at the Eisenhower Matrix.

Sort your tasks based on this matrix. Here’s another example for you:

After you’ve finished sorting out all your tasks, proceed with the action plans for each category:

– Do

– Plan

– Delegate

– Eliminate

3. Know your limits

Yes, you may really love your CCA and would give your all to contribute. However, always know your limits and be aware of your health. The last thing you want is to have a consistently unhealthy body till A levels. If you really have too much work on your hand, request for deadline extensions and speak to your teachers/guardians about it. They will be more than willing to lift some of the weight off your shoulders. Seriously, don’t paiseh. The key to ace in both CCA and studies is to have a 100% awesome mental and physical health. Your well-being is the most crucial, my friend.

As we move on to 2020 and a new batch of J1 students enter, many would take up the challenge of tackling H2 math. H2 math may contain more abstract concepts that may be difficult for some to grasp, so it is good to start early and build a strong foundation.

Don’t Miss the Lectures

In junior college, content is taught in a lecture-tutorial type of system in contrast to a classroom setting in secondary school. The bulk of the content vital to establishing a strong foundation is taught during lectures. However, many may choose to skip the lectures thinking that they can always watch the recordings, only to be lazy and never watch them. To maximize the efficiency of the H2 math lecture, my advice would be to read through the lecture notes before the lecture and attempt to solve example questions if possible. This is so that you can have a rough idea as to what is being taught and not “switch off” or feel lost. Moreover, you should underline or highlight the parts that you do not understand in the lecture notes so that you know when to raise questions and what to listen out for during the lecture or during your H2 math tuition. Additionally, you should write notes on the margin to summarize the paragraph or jot down tips that the lecturer offers.

Attempt the Tutorial Questions Beforehand

Attempt all tutorial questions with diligence as soon as possible after the lectures when the content is still fresh. Tutorials are meant to test your understanding so that you would know what to brush up on and what questions to ask during JC Level Math tuition. Moreover, H2 math requires practice as it is an application-based subject and you have to develop the skills of problem-solving. Additionally, tutorials allow you to learn the proper presentation, especially so for hypothesis testing, where some examiners can be very strict on presentation. Furthermore, tutorials would expose you to different methods of solving the same question when your peers present their answers. You could then synthesize the methods to create a more elegant solution or find a method that suits you well and is easy to remember and apply. However, this requires you to attempt the tutorial questions beforehand so that you have a basis of comparison of the answers.

Let Your Graphic Calculator Help You

Familiarize yourself with the graphic calculator. Unlike during the O levels, you now have a new “weapon” that you have paid $120 for, so use it to your fullest extent. There are some questions which do not require you to give the exact answer so do not waste your time in the algebraic manipulations and instead, pump it into the calculator. This is especially useful in finding definite integrals, solving simultaneous equations, finding roots etc. The GC would come in even more useful in statistics where there are already built-in functions to find probabilities in DRV and CRV, the p-value in hypothesis testing and finding other unknowns. It could be used to check your solutions. For example, when it comes to indefinite integrals, you could use the definite integral function and place in random values for the limits to check if the area is the same. I am sure that the GC could be further exploited and H2 math tutors as well as school tutors would probably know this at the back of their hands.

If you have been struggling to understand the concepts no matter how hard you’ve studying your lecture and tutorial materials, you may want to consider taking up A Level Math tuition. Your tutors will also require time to understand you and teach you in a way that you can comprehend. Signing up for tuition classes last minute might not be as effective and hence you should start early. At New Dawn Learning Studio, the H2 math tutors will provide you with notes that are more digestible and questions that could are easier to tackle so that your learning would be more progressive in nature. Moreover, it is taught in a classroom setting that you might be more accustomed to and it would also allow you to easily raise questions unlike in a lecture. Additionally, unlike JC tutors who have other responsibilities to attend to in school, our H2 math tutors may be more focused on teaching.

JC is a short 2-year period and it is good to start early in your preparation. This is especially so for H2 Mathematics which many might find difficult. H2 math tuition might help some to stay afloat and possibly excel in the subject but you should start early to reap the full benefits.

Through my excruciating years of education, I have had a fair share of experiences at many different tuition centres. From these exposures, I have developed an acute sense of what it takes for a tuition centre to be distinguished in the highly competitive Singapore education scene. It is highly important that you engage the correct JC Maths tuition centre as you would want to see results at the end of the day. Hence, from a former H2 Math student to you, I hope that this article will give you some insights into selecting the best tuition centre.

1. Environment matters

Firstly, you need to identify and understand your preferred class size. Personally, I am more receptive to individualized attention from my tutors. Hence, a small-sized group tuition consisting of not more than 20 students would be highly conducive. However, I have noticed that some of my friends prefer a lecture-style programme as they find this institutional-based teaching method more straightforward and time-efficient. Hence, it is of utmost importance to be aware of your learning environment to maximise absorption and focus.

The general environment of the tuition centre is also imperative in influencing your learning curve. The ideal study space has to be specifically engineered to support critical thinking and impactful learning. To improve cognitive functioning, your study environment has to be spacious, clean and well-lit. This work-friendly setting improves productivity and performance for students as it keeps them comfortable, motivated and energized to maximize their study potential.

2. Passionate and caring tutor

I believe that most of us have come across tutors who are unpassionate and lack an altruistic intent for their students’ wellbeing. Well, this is an important factor in determining whether the student develops an intrinsic motivation to do well for the subject. Thankfully, I was able to meet a truly passionate tutor who was responsible, compassionate and professional. Mrs Lim was my JC H2 Math tuition teacher, who uncovered my learning style and adjusted her teaching style to ensure that my learning was relevant and personalized. She often took her personal time out to discuss academic progress and specific topics which required more attention. Similarly, in New Dawn Learning Centre, We have embedded a highly personalized teaching philosophy into our passionate, caring and empathetic tutors.

3. Valuable Notes

During my intense preparation for my A-levels math paper, I came to a rude awakening when I realised that my friend’s tuition centre had prepared notes for him. Here I was, spending countless hours crafting my notes while he was way ahead of me, scouring through his notes intensively. Do not get me wrong, it is still important to make personal notes for heavy topics such as Vectors where a consolidated list of formulas and functions will be extremely beneficial. However, it would not be necessary to prepare notes for every single topic.

New Dawn Tuition Centre understands the difficulties students experience. Hence, the education centre curates a concise yet comprehensive set of notes for all its H2 Math students. Although these are summarized notes, it includes a compendious explanation of every topic, which guides students through a step-by-step solution. These are sometimes not available in school notes which often do not give a coherent response to your questions.

Now that I’ve identified the top 3 factors which I feel are the most crucial to selecting a H2 Math tuition centre, I sincerely hope that you will be able to find the most optimal education centre and I wish you the best of luck for your A levels!