SOS Liao , Sibei Jia Lat , NO Tuning back already

Gakido SG

Hey brothers and sisters here, i need ur serious advise as i'm deep shit now.

I was previously from the NT Stream , and for ur info what u learn in NT is crap. To cut it short , i decided to take Private NA (N) level to move on to either Private O or hopefully Higher nitec with 5 passes. (Higher nitec cheaper of course.)

I borrowed around 5k from my dad to enroll in a private school for Private N, but they only offer 4 subjects , Eng , E-Math , Combined Science , POA. So the Shit hit me was went i found out to go higher nitec i need a pass of 5 subjects. So i just apply 2 more subject which was (Combined Humanities , A-Maths.)

The reality struck me was when i bought the (ten years series) for combined humanities, i flip through the answer sheet. HOLY F**** , i seriously mean HOLY f****! Feels like i'm being crucify like jesus christ... holy moly. Freaking Wall of text answers , how am i suppose to self study this 2 subjects!?

The reason i took the extra 2 subjects is hopefully i can pass any 1 , which sums up a total of 5 subjects to higher nitec. I realised it was almost close to impossible to self study this 2 subjects without any help and also new to the subjects.

I decided to borrow probably a few thousand more from my parents for to hopefully pass 5 and move on in life , it's too late now , turning back is not an option now, so much money already invested, make it or break it.

So my question is, should i get tuition for both subjects or focus on 1? But if i fail that 1 i am doom , i need 5 passes. I'm so disoriented now , totally lost what should i do ??? What is the difference between part-time tutor and full-time tutor or school teacher? Which one can help me to pass ? I need to keep the budget low of course , i'm already in debt. Any advise will be helpful , thank you people.

Gakido SG

Any kind soul can save me from this dire situation , i sumpa will repay ur kindness.

DragonMaster SG

Hey brothers and sisters here, i need ur serious advise as i'm deep shit now.

For Combined Humanities, get the textbook for Social Studies and your Elective subject from Popular, read through the textbooks and practise on the TYS. It is usually less common for people to get tuition for this subject but if you really need help then go for tuition.

As for A Maths, are you good in maths? A Maths is suitable for students who are interested in Maths and are more mathematically inclined. A Maths is useful if you want to study engineering or business courses in the future. A Maths at O Levels is also a prerequisite for H2 Maths in JC. If you don't think you can cope with A Maths, maybe just take Elementary Maths. Maths is all about understanding the concepts and lots of practice.

Also don't force yourself to take more subjects if you don't think you can cope with it. Sometimes it's better to get distinctions in 5 subjects rather than take more subjects and get mediocre grades. If the additional subjects are relevant to your future studies or if you think you are up to the challenge of handling more subjects, then give it a try

Most people prefer full-time tutors or current/former MOE school teachers and they usually cost more but what matters most is their experience and qualifications and whether their teaching style is suitable for you. A well-qualified and experienced part-time tutor could be just as good as a full-time tutor or school teacher. If you engage a private tutor, ask to see their qualifications on the first lesson to ensure that they are the real deal. Generally, a tutor who has a degree in a relevant field would be suitable to teach you. For example, Mathematics can generally be taught by tutors with degrees in Engineering, Maths or Statistics. Scroll down to bottom of http://www.moe.edu.sg/careers/teach/applying/degree/ to get an idea of the relevant degrees. If the tutor has a relevant degree and also pedagogical qualifications such as Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers or NIE's Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), that's even better.

Most good private tutors charge high fees for 1-to-1 tuition. For more economically viable options, go for group tuition or the ITE GE Programme (which is subsidised by the government) - https://www.ite.edu.sg/wps/portal/pts.se.gep (you must be at least 16)

Gakido SG

Hey thanks for ur input , regarding the web u paste cmi liao la , now may already.

I understand the fact that is impossible to self study and tuition is a ''must'' , and also i totally have no idea the format on the combined humanities. I scan through the textbook alrdy but went i see the (TYS) the answers comes in freaking wall of text, and i totally cannot write such essays.

I though of maybe i just get school tutor for A-Maths sua, at least maths got formula but school tutor freaking expensive , highest rate of all, but abit stupid leh get school teacher to teach N level A-Maths.

I really dunno leh i plan to go higher nitec sua with 5 passes , if i take private O next year means another 10k SGD burn ,and if i fail that means jump building alrdy. I need to get back to government school , private is too expensive liao.

I dont care what distinctions la , give me just pass 5 can i happy alrdy. The other 4 subjects private school got teach so at least i not scare , but i short of the one more dam suay so many obstacle.

Gakido SG

u recommand me which type of tutor shuld i get leh, and should i drop the idea for combined humanities, i count already if school teacher for next 5 months until N lvl , thats about 2.5k++ for just one of the two subjects . IF fail means 2.5k Burn to nothing , FYI i alrdy paid seab for the 6 subjects. In order to cut my loss i need to choose the one with the higher chance of passing, which is A-Maths or Combined Humanities.

After looking at the (TYS) answer sheet for combined humanities , i abit disappointed leh becoz really awhole piece of crap. Imagine people go school still can fail , how is it possible if i try to study myself or even with tuition , the chances of passing is super low. Agree?

DragonMaster SG

Hey thanks for ur input , regarding the web u paste cmi liao la , now may already.

It is not stupid or shameful to get a school teacher to teach N level A-Maths. If you really need help and can afford it, hire one to help you. If you have Maths questions, you can post them in this forum too as a new topic. There are a few Maths tutors here in this forum and others who can help you.

Not all private O Level courses cost 10k. There is one which only costs about 3k and a few are less than 10k. But secondary school fees are still cheaper. I suggest that you do well for your N Level first and then try to get into a secondary school if they want to take you in. If it's not possible, then decide on either Higher Nitec or private O Levels based on costs and your N Level results.

As long as there's a will there's a way. You need to have faith in yourself. People in Prison School studied O Levels in 9 months and some managed to get 5 A1s. Some even managed to do well in A Levels. Here are some inspirations:

http://www.tnp.sg/content/drug-offender-scores-5-a1s-be-top-o-level-student-prison-school

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20080210-48914.html

http://news.asiaone.com/news/edvantage/inmate-32-tops-levels-jail

And also this guy who was from N(T) and went to Express stream then to JC and Uni:

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/how-david-hoe-fought-his-way-university-20140413

Gakido SG

http://www.tnp.sg/content/drug-offender-scores-5-a1s-be-top-o-level-student-prison-school

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20080210-48914.html

http://news.asiaone.com/news/edvantage/inmate-32-tops-levels-jail

And also this guy who was from N(T) and went to Express stream then to JC and Uni:

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/how-david-hoe-fought-his-way-university-20140413

Bro the N(T) guy is (expection case) and also I know a guy that went to prison before pass his O lvl and went on to poly. But u must not deny the fact that, there are voluntary teachers teaching them. Have u think before can someone or anyone really pass without any coaching? Maybe u see one , once in a blue moon.

I even have the idea to commit a crime and land myself in prison for 2 years , so that I can receive free education for N and O lvl, totally free of charge. However it is the most foolish attempt ever so I'm not into this.

I'm just not sure is it worth it to tuition A-maths or combined humanities , I will have to come to a conlusion soon , but in the mean time I ask around first. Thanks~

DragonMaster SG

I'm just not sure is it worth it to tuition A-maths or combined humanities , I will have to come to a conlusion soon , but in the mean time I ask around first. Thanks~

The N(T) guy is an exception rather than the norm yes, but there are also Lateral Transfers in schools for top N(T) students to proceed to N(A) stream. For example, top Sec 1 N(T) students could transfer to Sec 2 N(A), Sec 2 N(T) could transfer to Sec 2 N(A), Sec 3 N(T) could transfer to Sec 3 N(A). The general criteria is to get 70% or higher in the average for all subjects and deemed to be able to cope with N(A) course. Schools may also laterally transfer Secondary 4 Normal (Technical) students to Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) if they have obtained grade A for EL and Mathematics and grade B or better for one other subject at the Normal (Technical) Level.

If you did well for your N(T) exams, you could have been one of these Lateral Transfers too.

Also there's another guy who was from N(T) like you. He's not from prison school. He self-studied and he got 4A,1B,1C in O Levels .. http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/other-academic-concerns-69/quit-n-t-stream-study-o-levels-4390376.html

As for the prison school, I acknowledge that there are teachers to guide them but I think the inmates must also be motivated and hardworking in order to succeed. In addition, the inmates need to go through a tough prison regime other than studying. They also can't have Chemistry lessons due to the chemicals involved in practical lessons (which is why they only take Science - Physics/Biology) and have no Internet access too. I read about this in an article.You have more freedom and more time to study as compared to them. You have Internet access and you can take Chemistry lessons. Make the best of what you have and treasure it.....

Don't even think about committing a crime to land yourself in prison school. Firstly, in job application forms, they would ask you whether you have a criminal record and whether you have been charged in a court of law. Secondly, your friends and family would be sad if you go to prison. Thirdly, the prison school doesn't take in every inmate who applies and you might not get the course you want.

As I previously mentioned, it is less common for people to get tuition for Combined Humanities. It is usually a subject which people self-study. And Combined Humanities has two components - Social Studies and History/Geog/Lit elective. You might have to find a tutor who can teach both or one to teach Social Studies and another one to teach the Elective subject. When I was in sec school, I had two different teachers teaching me Combined Humanities in school. One taught me Social Studies and the other taught me History Elective. In my humble opinion, unless you want to study Humanities subjects in the future, A Maths is more useful. It will be a good grounding for business and engineering courses and some other courses as well. For diploma holders who are enrolling in universities, some universities require a good grade in A Maths or a pass in A Maths for certain courses. If I were you, I would go for A Maths if I have to choose one out of the two.

Gakido SG

If you did well for your N(T) exams, you could have been one of these Lateral Transfers too.

Once again thanks for the sophisticating words of advise. My last question is , for the cost of a school teacher , is equal to 2 full-time tutor. Which type of tutor would u recommand? Becoz if the cost is same, for every 2 hr the school teacher can teach me , the full-time tutor can teach for probably 3hr30mins.

I just want to get the best out all it becoz money is hard to earn u know. Haha

UltimaOnline SG

DragonMaster is a current MOE teacher? Giving tuition on the side? O levels or A levels? Subjects?

DragonMaster SG

I just want to get the best out all it becoz money is hard to earn u know. Haha

Since you already spent 5k on private school, you might want to go for the cheaper option. It's up to you...just make sure whatever tutor you hire has the right qualifications and experience.

There are some experienced tutors in this forum such as UltimaOnline (Chemistry), Chemguide7 (Chemistry), wee_ws (Math) and eagle (Physics/Math). But most of them only teach O Level or A Level subjects. You might want to check with them whether they offer N Level tuition.

DragonMaster SG

DragonMaster is a current MOE teacher? Giving tuition on the side? O levels or A levels? Subjects?

Nope, I am not a teacher. I just enjoy dishing out advice and helping people during my free time