Singapore is considered to have one of the best learning programs in the world as it is education system focuses on improving how students can be assessed and bolster how higher education would match their student’s potential.
In a 2015 report made by the OECD, it is shown that one out of four Singapore students age 15 and up show a high level of education development, especially for math and science. Students getting A-level tuition also show resilience and competitiveness not seen in other students.
However, with the level of education Singapore has for its science and math courses, A-level students would have to compete with their fellow students to get the few admission slots in schools around the country.
In order to get an extra edge against their fellow students, A-level tuition is always paired with a special chemistry tuition or math tuition by parents for their kids. Some would even recruit a personal tutor offering chemistry tuition to help students prepare for their exams or studies.
As a student, here are 4 ways on how you can prepare for your A-Level Chemistry:
Making Use of the Spacing Effect
When studying a lecture or a book, students tend to highlight the important text on the page so it is easier to study. However, there is a tendency they may highlight the entire text, especially if it has new information. While the technique is ok to use for studying, it does become counterproductive if one cannot pinpoint which is the important information that must be studied.
A good way to you retain information is by learning the “Spacing Effect”. Under this technique, you would study new information for the day and then rest the brain for one to two days from the information before reviewing the same information again.
The brain cannot immediately make associations for all the information it receives in one go. If you give the brain time to process the information after 24-hours, it would be able to retain the information if the same information is read again.
If it is applied in studying new chemistry model, you can read the information on the first day then review it again the next day until you can recall it automatically.
Relate What You Are Reading to What You Already Know
If we are fond of one subject, we are able to relate the information we read with what we already know or studied. If Chemistry is something you really want to pursue and improve on, be open to discovering new concepts and apply what you read.
If you cannot understand a certain concept, like chemical bonding, use a visualization software or videos showing the concept in motion then study it with your tutor or on your own.
You can also use available structural models that can be bought in bookstores, or make one on your own, to help you understand it better. Having a visual image of a concept can help you understand it better and not just focus on the facts written in the book.
Make Technology Your Best Friend
Since its inception, the internet has been a treasure trove of information and a great means to connect with other people online. Ask your professor or your tutor regarding online platforms you can check out in your spare time to learn more about the subject and even ask others online about the topics they discuss for their A-levels.
You may be able to learn other approaches by using the internet to ask questions to other students you meet online and even join online classes using a different teaching method to learn more about the subject.
Aside from being able to ask around the internet through social media and take part in online learning classes, the internet is also filled with pre-recorded videos you can use to understand your homework and learn information not discussed in school. It can also help you learn concepts your tutor do not know very well since you can just search for videos about it online.
Effective Note Taking
Some students may find note-taking very difficult to do because they are often uncertain as to which facts should be recalled or what they should write about. Sometimes, students would just copy the information from their textbooks or copy other notes.
Note-taking actually helps determine if one is able to recall the information that was just taught or read.
When trying to learn how to do proper note taking for Chemistry, you can use the Cornell Note-taking method. Using this method, you will divide your notes into columns and then revise the information in a way you can recall the notes during tests.
For chemistry, divide your note paper into three sections: cue column, note-taking column, and summary. The cue column would entail the concise summary of the fact or idea being discussed. The note-taking column covers the lectures and the summary focuses on the summary of the entire lecture or its purpose.
When you are trying to learn the Cornell note taking system, you can also apply other tricks to make your notes more efficient. You can write up your questions based on the notes you wrote in the note-taking column and put it on the cue column then answer the same question in the summary when you have understood the question and the concept. As another trick, you can review the notes with your tutor at the end of the week to help you retain the information discussed.
Seek coaching from Professional Chemistry tutors
Studying complex subjects such as chemistry can be quite challenging for students if they do not know where to begin or what to focus on. If you really cannot get a topic right or your study habits need to be looked into, ask your parents to help you get the aid of tutors specializing in Chemistry to help you prepare.
A tutor will be able to customize your learning strategy based on your needs and make it easier for you to understand complex theories and models in a way that is easily remembered.
These tutors are here to help you out because even they know learning chemistry is no piece of cake.
We have plenty of articles to help you prep your best for exams here:
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