While it is undeniable that the academic accreditation of a tutor is important, the interest and pedagogy of the tutor is equally crucial to ensure that the student gets the most out of the tutoring. Hence, I have adopted a Student-Centered Approach in the planning and execution of my lessons.

Having gone through a tumultuous journey in the education system, I realised that it is also important to guide my students in their future beyond their current academic hurdles. As such, I am using my website as a platform to inform my students of their choices after their GCE ‘A’ level examinations. This is due to my firm belief that while good results open doors, good advice will illuminate their paths as they make their first step into the society. This is incredibly important in view of the increasingly competitive environment in the local universities and job market. Such additional measures testify to my unswerving commitment in ensuring the success of my students.

Aside from all these, what differentiates me from most other tutors with equally impressive academic records, is my personal academic endeavours. Having gone through from the bottom to the top rungs of the academic ladder allows me to empathise with the struggles of many students. Such empathy will definitely translate into patience and dedication to my students as I hope that my personal story would inspire them to trudge on and achieve the best that they can be.

Tackling subjects

such as H2 Maths or H2 Physics would be one of the greatest challenges students face in their two years of junior college education. The numerous formulae to memorize and technical applications are just some of the adversity that they experience. At some point of time, their frustration might drive them to conceive the thought of giving up, or worse, regretting the path that they have chosen. The dreadful idea of having to wake up everyday to a clueless future adds monotony and dullness to their lives.

In this video, Steve Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple and Pixar Animation Studios, speaks about 3 inspirational stories in his life, the first being Connecting the Dots. He reveals that after 6 months in college, he saw no value in staying on because he had no idea what he wanted to do in life. He eventually dropped out of college and dropped in on a single course that he took interest in-Calligraphy. At that time he never hoped that this course would grant him any practical application in life. Nevertheless, he stayed on and ten years later he used this skill to design the Apple Mac, which is equipped with wonderful typography.

Similarly, junior college students taking difficult subjects such as maths, whether they like it or not, should learn to believe that the dots will somehow connect in their future. They need to trust that the knowledge and skills acquired will eventually play a significant role in their lives.

Striving to be the best is a quintessential quality most college students have. However, vying to be the top of the class at the expense of friendship can cause one to lose everything, including his or her grades. In a bid to create a different future for his company, Apple, Steve Jobs had a falling out with his colleague and was fired. Despite his initial loss, he pressed on and started a company named NeXT and another named Pixar. “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith,” Jobs quoted. At some point of time in college life, students may face similar losses in their studies and relations with others. This loss can be prevented if they are able to keep the passion of excelling alive and simultaneously maintaining close ties with their peers and teachers. On the other hand, the loss may also be a good thing as it allows students to realize that life is never smooth-sailing and in order to succeed, they ought to be perseverant and cherish what they have.

Failing a test or an examination evokes a horrible feeling for many college students. The favorite word among JC students to complement this feeling is ‘Die’. Indeed it is natural to feel dreadful when one is not doing up to expectations. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose,” mentioned Jobs, who was on the verge of death when he suffered from pancreatic cancer in mid-2004.

As the final and most crucial examination nears, students should seek a change if they are still faring badly in school. By modifying their study methods and seeking tuition class to improve on their concepts, they can truly move on with their live with little regret.

Steve Jobs’s thought-provoking speech will leave a deep impression on anyone watching it. JC students should take a moment to listen to his speech because it will make them realize that in retrospect, college life is indeed worthwhile.

Whether it is in school or attending tuition classes, all students want to excel academically. With extra-curricular activities and tuition on top of heavy school workload, students in Singapore are finding their schedules becoming increasingly hectic as they ascend the academic ladder. The little time on hand means having to forego long meals during school breaks and rushing off to another lesson or to the library to join others in hardcore revising. Some students may just grab a snack or even skip their meals to study! The commitment to attaining good grades is essential, but not to the extent of jeopardizing one’s health. In fact, eating well is paramount to getting the energy needed to boost brain power…as well as grades! If you are one of the students who can only afford a short meal break or snack time, read this article to get an insight of five foods that can help improve your mental ability to tackle subjects such as H2 Maths and H2 Physics.

One possible snack that can improve your brain’s ability to do mathematics and is readily available at your school canteen is none other than a chocolate bar! All types of chocolates, whether dark, plain or milk, contain a special chemical called flavanol, which increases blood flow to the brain. Flavanol can also be found in fruits and vegetables, but if you are craving for that cocoa rush, why not opt for chocolate? The sweet snack is proven to be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks such as solving mind-boggling mathematical problems, as discovered by researchers from the Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. The study involved 30 volunteers who were asked to count backwards in groups of three from a random number between 800 and 999 generated by a computer. The findings show that they could do the calculations more quickly and more accurately after they had been given a hot cocoa drink. This suggests that students who binge on chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit in solving mentally-challenging tasks. In addition, it has been discovered that chocolate can also reduce tireness or fatigue while doing mathematical calculations.

Going nuts over a mathematics question because you can’t remember the formula? Fear not, as there is a group of food that can prevent poor memory – nuts! Nuts are a great source of vitamin E, which according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, suggests might help to prevent poor memory. Nuts also contain a high amount of protein that is essential for brain cells to develop properly. Fretting over tomorrow’s mathematics test or physics tutorial because you have not prepared adequately for it? Whether you realise it or not, your stress level gets higher as you learn new, elusive topics. In order to grasp the concepts, you may tend to convert into a night owl and binge on caffeinated products like coffee and coke. However, this is not beneficial to health in the long run and only adds to your stress level. If you wish to stay up for an hour or so to revise, w\hy not opt for green tea instead of coffee? Green tea contains caffeine that can keep you awake, but at the same time reduce the negative effects of stress because it contains antioxidants as well.

Are you the kind of student who cannot concentrate in class and gets easily distracted during tuition? Well, you could have a short attention span and decreased alertness in school because you do not consume enough iron. Iron can be derived from whole grain foods such as cereal and bread. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates that contain more fibre and nutrients that can fuel your brain for extended hours so that you can pay more attention during lessons.

If you want to increase information retention in your brain, try blueberries. These puny but ‘berry good’ fruits are known to be high in antioxidant content and can increase learning capacity, according to studies by Tufts University in the United States. Spanish researchers at the University of Barcelona also discovered that the beneficial compounds in the purple fruits, including several types of anthocyanins, can accumulate in areas of the brain that are important for learning and memory.

There are many other foods that can boost your brain power. It all depends on the choice you make. So the next time you go for a snack, remember to select the right foods to make you and your brain happy enough to shine in school.