FAQ

Students must understand that there is a big gap between 'O' (Secondary) Level Chemistry and 'A' Level Chemistry. At the secondary level, most students can still do very well with rote learning. However, at the Advanced or A Level, the bar is raised higher as it prepares students for university entrance. Hence, it requires students not just to understand the concepts but to be able apply to different situations with ease and confidence.

MY CHEM CAFE® is especially brewed for all JC1 and JC2 students who are in situations such as: Not faring well in school assessments, i.e. CAs and block tests despite putting in long hours. Determined to build a strong foundation in Chemistry as a springboard for Chemistry related courses in university such as Medicine or Chemical Engineering. Desire to equip oneself to A.C.E. Chemistry in Promos and 'A' Level At MY CHEM CAFE®, core concepts and detailed explanations sometimes not taught in schools due to time constraint would be covered. Mr Wong understands the demands of H2 Chemistry and ensures that key concepts for each topic would be introduced first before getting down to details as providing too many facts at the start may be overwhelming and confusing for students. With Mr Wong's guidance, students would be able to tackle challenging questions with more confidence and speed as they know exactly the key concepts to apply. This is made possible through a wide range of carefully selected questions from each topic from past years preliminary examinations and 'A' Levels. With ample exposure and practice, students would no longer feel the stress of not being able to handle unfamiliar question (which makes the difference in getting that 'A' grade!) At MY CHEM CAFE®, we embrace GOLF (Go On Learning Forever) and believe that the learning of Chemistry should be a holistic experience, not just for examinations. In addition, we provide a participative and supportive learning environment where students are encouraged to ask questions any time during lesson so as to clear any doubts or misconceptions so that time is well spent for each lesson.

Lectures are just but one of the tools used in teaching methods. Mr Wong fully understands that each student is unique and this method of teaching would only appeal best to students who are auditory learners. Being a firm believer of Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence, Mr Wong employs a variety of teaching techniques in each lesson to engage students of different learning styles. In addition, with Mr Wong's vast experience and passion in science research and development, Chemistry comes alive at each lesson as he relates concepts learnt to real-life applications. In a typical JC, notes for the various topics are usually prepared by a few teachers. In this way, students may not see the connections across topics. At MY CHEM CAFE®, concise notes capturing the essence of each topic are all prepared by Mr Wong. Besides quality notes, students are given practice questions of varying levels of difficulty according to Blooms Taxonomy. Such scaffolding of students learning helps build up mastery and confidence in each topic, putting them in good stead to handle the demands of the GCE 'A' Level Examinations.

The tuition fee is $440 for 4 lessons payable on the first lesson of every month ($550 for a 5-week month) for both JC1 and 2. For new students, the tuition fee will be pro-rated according to the start date. For example, if a student joins in the middle of the month with 2 more lessons remaining, the tuition fee will be $220. Fee payment can only be made in cash/PayNow (preferred)/bank transfer. Material fee of $40 is payable during the 1st lesson. The tuition fee is kept low to enable students from less well-off families to also benefit from the tuition.

Students should understand that they have less than 2 years to prepare for their 'A' Levels. Most schools start their JC 1 school term in the middle to late February each year. Students who have just entered JC1 from their secondary schools are usually in their honeymoon mood, enjoying the vibrant and exciting JC life. Many are still unaware of the big gap between 'O' and 'A' Level Chemistry. Most students would get a wake-up call after the first major assessment, i.e. Block Test, after the June break. According to past experiences, many JC1 students do not do well in the Block Test. The common reasons are: inability to understand increasingly complicated concepts in Chemistry, problems in connecting concepts learned and huge obstacles faced in applying these concepts. Such situations can be rectified if they seek help early. Tuition provides an avenue for students to reinforce concepts learnt in school and opportunities to clear any misconception at the first instance. Having tuition at the start of JC1 would pave a solid foundation for their end of year promotional examinations and most importantly, prepare them well for the 'A' Levels.

It is commonly perceived that it is best to have one-to-one tuition as this gives personal attention to the student. However, such a belief has totally overlooked the invaluable benefits that group tuition can offer. In a group tuition setting, students pay a much more affordable fee as the cost of engaging a tutor is being shared with the rest. Moreover, students would also be given well prepared notes, exercises, practice test and examination papers. Most importantly, group tuition provides a supportive environment where students learn from the questions posed by their peers, correcting their misconceptions and reaffirming what they know. Finding a quality and affordable tutor for one-to-one tuition is also a challenging task. Tuition fees can be rather exorbitant for a tutor with relevant teaching experience. Cost would be a major concern where a student has one or more tuition sessions per week. Furthermore, the pace of learning can be easily disrupted should the student/tutor rearrange or cancel lesson. In view of all the reasons cited, group tuition is the way to go as it offers students a more enriching and fruitful experience.

Yes. Students who wish to enrol for a paid trial lesson is allowed to do so. In the event that the student wishes to continue, the trial lesson will be considered their first lesson and fees for the remaining lessons for that month would be collected. Please do note that trial lesson does not apply during revision period, i.e. Promo/Prelim/'O'/'A'/IB Levels revision classes.