I fondly remember my school days when I curiously fumbled with test tubes and colorful chemicals during a school-based practical assessment.
It was fun. But I didn’t really know what I was doing.
Chemistry is interesting and meaningful, but it’s no walk in the park. The sheer amount of memorization and rigorous application of theory required to do well in it makes Chem one of the more difficult science subjects. (Seriously, it’s no joke!)
To make things worse, students only come across Chemistry as a full-fledged subject in secondary 3, in preparation for their O-levels. Before that, it’s mostly all easy peasy.
Luckily, there are quite a few options available to help your child improve their Chemistry.
In this post, I’m going to give you the ultimate guide about Chemistry tuition in Singapore – from why it is necessary, to the different options available for your child.
Signs that Your Child Needs Chemistry Tuition
Before you enroll your child for a Chemistry tuition Singapore program, there are few things you must have noticed in your child. These characteristics should help you make a thoughtful decision.
Slipping Chemistry grades – First, you may notice that your child’s performance in Chemistry is waning; it is lower than the rest of the other subjects. This is one of the alarms that your child needs a tutor to walk him or her through Chemistry.
Procrastination -.You must have noticed that your child often puts off his or her Chemistry assignments. And while this can be expected at times, consistent postponement of Chemistry assignments is a sign that your child needs Chemistry tuition.
Lack of confidence – It may be natural to have little doubt in yourself when you are learning a new concept, but it may mean another thing when your child’s confidence is down the drain and that is a sign that your child needs Chemistry tuition.
Learning disabilities – This may be unfortunate and you sometimes may not be in a position to change this status from your child. Fortunately you can secure a special needs Chemistry tuition program for your child with disabilities such as visual processing problem, ADHD, dyslexia.
Chemistry Tuition in Singapore
Below are the Chemistry tuition options you can opt for:
Chemistry Tuition Centres – This type of tuition is a little different from private tuition because Chemistry is taught in a classroom.
Private Chemistry tuition – Private tuition is usually a one-on-one home-based tuition which takes place at your home. Private tuition rates are usually determined by the market.
You will need either of these Chemistry tuition options depending on your child’s needs. Later in this post, I will go in-depth to give you insights on how you can make the right options.
Chemistry Tuition Centres (Group Chemistry Tuition)
In a chemistry tuition centre, students are taken through Chemistry tuition in a group. Tuition Centres will be appropriate for your child if she doesn’t have problems learning in a group setting, or commuting to and from Chemistry tuition Centres.
How to Choose a Chemistry Tuition Centre
There are a ton of ways you can choose the best Chemistry tuition Centre for your child. For example, you can ask for recommendations on forums, find a suitable chemistry tuition centre through our popular tuition centre directory, or check the reviews on Chemistry tuition centre websites.
Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Chemistry Tuition Centre
The culture
Choose a Chemistry tuition centre with a positive and unique culture. The students should have the freedom to learn, interact, and socialize with their fellow peers. To know the culture of Chemistry tuition centre, you can read up reviews, inquire by word of mouth, personally visit the tuition centre to have a one-on-one discussion.
Teaching materials
Teaching materials should be your top priority when choosing a Chemistry tuition centre. Confirm if all learning materials are professional and up to the standards of MOE Singapore.
Ensure that the learning tools are up to date to meet the current standards of learning. Again, you can visit the tuition centre yourself and request to review some of their materials.
If you cannot ascertain these by yourself, inquire from the relevant authorities at the tuition so that they can give you more details.
Physical environment
If you desire to see your child have a better learning experience, you should make sure you consider a perfect physical environment that is ideal for studying.
The Chemistry tuition centre you choose should be modern learning facilities such as modern and spacious classrooms, adequate lighting, a serene environment free from noise pollution, among others.
Finally, you’d want to consider classrooms that are well-arranged to enable students to have an interactive class through discussions.
Testimonials / reviews from past clients
Two-thirds of customers or clients check reviews before making a purchasing decision. Therefore, doing a simple Google search of a tuition Centre’s reviews will help you get some critical information which can help you decide on whether or not they are a perfect match.
At the end of the day, you want to know whether or not they can make a difference to your child’s Chemistry woes before committing time and money, and risking your child’s academic success. That is why you absolutely need to check the reviews of the Chemistry tuition centre before engaging them.
Top Chemistry Tuition A-Level and O-Level Options
1. Achievers Dream
Achievers Dream is an A-Level Chemistry tuition Centre in Singapore offering both A-Level and O-Level Chemistry tuition.
Your child will also get access to the following resources if you choose Achievers Dream:
- Visual summary notes
- A structured curriculum
- Workbooks
- Chemistry laboratory that’s equipped
Address – 9 Jln Bingka, Singapore 588905
Contact – +65 9696 4881
Level taught – Lower Chemistry, A-Level Chemistry, Pure/IP Chemistry
2. Ace Brainery
This Chemistry tuition Centre does not have rote learning formula, but instead has the betterment of understanding as their core objective, which would be better considering your child’s Chemistry woes.
Address – The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Road, #B1-26/29, Singapore 058416
Contact – 6635 8635
Level taught – O-Levels Chemistry, H2 and H1 A-Levels Chemistry, IGCSE Chemistry, International Baccalaureate Chemistry (HL and SL)
3. Mr Khemistry
Mr Khemistry classes are meant to prepare students for Singapore-Cambridge A-Level H2 JC Chemistry exams. Your child will be walked through various Chemistry concepts by Mr Eric, who is one of the best Chemistry tutors in Singapore. Mr Eric Kua has 14 years of experience and he’s a Diploma graduate from NIE, plus he has completed the Harvard University Teaching Course.
Address – Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, 170 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #02-63, Singapore
Contact – 9853 7960
Level taught – JC1, JC2
4. Chemistry Guru
Chemistry Guru tuition Centre has been around for the past 9 years and has helped a ton of students to earn distinctions. This Chemistry tuition Centre offers students with the best JC and IP Chemistry tuition across Singapore. All the Chemistry tuition classes are attended to by Mr. Maverick Puah, a top Chemistry tutor in Singapore.
Address – Blk 112 Bishan Street 12 #01-20 S570112
Contact – 9858 8060
Level taught – JC, A-Level, H2 Chemistry
Chemistry Private / Home Tuition
Private Chemistry tuition is another option for your child. In Singapore, many parents have opted for private Chemistry tuition because Chemistry home tutors have the right teaching techniques, which they can incorporate into your child’s weak areas.
The best of all is that your child can get the best out of the Chemistry tutor because the Chemistry tutor will give him or her undivided attention. That said, let’s look at why Chemistry home tuition is better.
Reasons to use Chemistry Home Tuition
1. Engagement
One of the big differentiations between a classroom setup and home tuition is personal engagement.
Of course, engagement can vary from one subject to another, but even if the class sizes isn’t big, a ton of students will find it hard to cope up.
Many students want personal engagement, in which they can ask questions and get answers without fear. And that’s what Chemistry home tuition will provide to your child.
2. Personalization
Parents are probably choosing private Chemistry home tuition because private tuition can personalize learning to to match your child.
Your child can get more personalized attention because the Chemistry tutor knows and understands his or her areas of weakness.
This will even make it easier for the Chemistry tutor to adopt a teaching criteria that will suit the needs of your child.
3. Catch Up
Another reason why your child may be suited for Chemistry home tuition is that it gets your child up to speed.
There are a ton of reasons why your student could fall behind other students – changing schools in between, missing concepts due to absenteeism resulting from unavoidable circumstances, among others.
This can be sought by a Chemistry home tutor who will know how to restructure your child’s tuition timetable to suit his or her needs.
Engaging a Tuition Agency for Chemistry
Tuition agencies are ‘middlemen’ between tutors and parents or students looking for tutors. That said, their main role is to link students or parents with qualified tutors.
And because tuition agencies offer free assistance to parents or students looking for tutors, they have become more popular than before.
Things You Should Keep in Mind Before Choosing a Chemistry Tuition Agency
1. Responsiveness
You will have different experiences when you reach out to different Chemistry agencies. It’s therefore wise to choose a Chemistry tuition agency that are responsive. Give them a call or send them an email. Responding promptly will mean they value their customers.
2. Number of tutors
Choosing from a large number of tutors increases your chances of getting the best Chemistry tutor for your child. That said, choose a Chemistry tuition agency that has a large number of tutors from their database to help you find the best tutor match for your child.
Established Chemistry tuition agencies have stayed in the industry for long, which puts them in a better position to have a larger database of Chemistry tutors. Plus, they have experience handling tutors so they can quickly give you the best recommendation.
How Chemistry Tuition Agencies Work
- Submit your request, clearly defining your specification and the level of Chemistry tuition you need
- The agency you contacted should recommend the most relevant tutor within 24 hours
- You can then call the tutor or schedule a meeting to interview the tutor
- Based on your interview, you can hire the tutor
- The Chemistry tutor begins his or her work depending on the agreed terms
The Top Chemistry Home Tuition Agency
Smile Tutor Home Tuition Agency
SmileTutor is one of the leading home tuition agencies in Singapore and provides the best chemistry tuition teachers if you’re looking for 1-1 help. SmileTutor links up parents, students and tutors with the help of their coordinators and their comprehensive database of Chemistry tutors.
They don’t charge you a penny to help your child find the best Chemistry tutor. With that said, SmileTutor is an intermediary that will not endorse specific tutors. Their recommendation criteria is based on the specifications you are looking for against the database they have.
Contact: 6266 4475
Opening Hours: Mon to Sun 9am-8pm
Address: 21 Bukit Batok Crescent #22-76, Singapore 658065
Website: https://smiletutor.sg/chemistry-tuition/
Cost: $0
What makes a good chemistry tuition teacher
1. Teaching style
If your child has a specific method of learning, you need to find a tutor that matches his or her learning method. Different Chemistry tutor have different teaching approaches and it’s better to interview a Chemistry tutor to know his or her teaching style.
2. Experience level
Experience level matters a lot. If you are keen, you will realize that the most experienced tutors are the most expensive. Experienced tutors tend to have mastered their art and your child can get the best out of them. Additionally, they know the most common weak areas of students.
Chemistry Super Tutors for Secondary and JC
Super Tutors is a term that was brought by Strait Times to refer to refer to tutors with a yearly income of more than S$1 million. These tutors are popular because of their unique and specialized teaching styles. Chemistry super tutors have their own tuition Centres where they work with other experienced tutors.
Mr. Eric Kua
Mr Kua is a secondary and JC Chemistry tutor with 14 years of experience. He was the first cohort of the University Scholars Programme after graduating from NUS. He’s also a Diploma graduate from NIE, plus he has completed the Harvard University Teaching Course.
Contact: 98537960
Opening Hours: Mon to Sun
Address: Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, 170 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #02-63, Singapore
Website: https://mrkhemistry.com/
Unfortunately, super tutors come at a high price tag. Also, they are known for conducting classes in large groups (as it’s more profitable that way). You should also call them up to confirm if they are the actual teachers as some are known to use their renowned names as branding but hire teachers to teach on their behalf.
If you wish to find other super-but-not-so-famous tutors (superb but not as well known and expensive), you can enquire through SmileTutor. Some of their chemistry tutors have over 95% track records and are sure to teach your child well. The hotline is +65 6266 4475.
Chemistry in JC – Hard Truths
Chemistry is commonly taken in O-levels, followed by A-levels. I’m writing this special section for A-level Chemistry, because it’s notorious for being insanely difficult. So much so that it deserves special mention in this article!
If you just graduated from O-levels (and maybe even scored a distinction) and are considering taking H2 Chemistry in JC, please read ahead to know what’s in store for you before making your decision.
1. Content will be covered and tested in seven months
O-Level results are released at the end of January every year. JC1 students should start their lectures in February.
During the lecture period (from February to September), students will go deeper into the topics they did in secondary school.
The lecture period runs from February to September, after which examinations begin, which means that students only have seven months to prepare for the exams.
2. High demand from H1 project work
Most of your child’s time will be eaten up by H1 project work. Project work is an examinable discipline and only ends up at the end of JC1.
H1 project work involves both independent research, as well as group discussions. During the year, your child will spend two days during the week to meet his or her fellow group mates.
Some students are fond of spending so much time on individual tasks, hence limiting the time they should have spent on H1 or H2 subjects.
3. High chances of retaining JC1 if performance is not pleasing
Before your child joins junior college life, the June holidays will soon be knocking.
During these holidays, your child will be occupied with CCA training, as well as student leadership camps.
But these are no exemption. Students should revise their work and prepare for the Mid-Year Exams, which begins in July.
That is why you need to reschedule your child’s learning activities so that he or she can spend more time with a certified Chemistry tutor for revision.
4. Be prepared to stay awake
You may underestimate the power of staying awake during the lectures, but the reality is that those who hardly stay awake miss a lot during lectures.
While this should never be the case, such incidences are bound to happen. The best you can do once it happens is to recover the time lost.
This can be done by registering for Chemistry tuition classes. Your child can recap what he or she missed in class.
Reasons to Take Up H1/H2/H3 Chemistry
Okay, after reading the section above, you may be hesitant about studying chemistry in JC after all. We don’t mean to scare you, but it’s really not easy. However, with the right help, many students have proven that they can overcome it and still score distinctions.
With that said, chemistry is a useful subject to study in many practical ways. Here are some reasons why you should consider taking up H1, H2, or H3 chemistry,
Reason #1: Chemistry is a prerequisite for professional courses
There are lucrative professional undergraduate courses your child won’t be able to pursue without H2 Chemistry.
These professional courses include Medicine, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Dentistry, among others.
If you want your child to pursue computer science or something in healthcare, the best decision is to take H2 Chemistry and H2 Mathematics.
Reason #2: Chemistry is the core of science
H2 Chemistry is an application subject that incorporates a set of rules. These rules will steer your child to professionalism.
Unlike Chemistry tuition O-Level, where students pass examinations through cramming, H2 Chemistry requires your child to be a logical and methodological thinker.
In reality, professionals such as Dentists, Engineers, Doctors have gone through H2 Chemistry, and that’s why they can utilize the set of rules from H2 Chemistry.
Bonus Section: Hacks to excel in H2 Chemistry
Before we end off this lengthy article, here are some bonus tips on how to excel in JC Chemistry.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Most students grind their teeth when they hear about practicing what they have learned.
But the reality is that your child needs to find the time and consolidate what he or she has learned.
This will not only sharpen your child’s skills but also help him or her recap some of the Chemistry concepts learned.
Understand succinctly
Like I mentioned before, Chemistry is a nightmare to many students, and the reason is that the topics within it are related.
This means that two or more topics can be examined in one question. That said, your child must have a robust understanding of all the topics.
Most expert tutors recommend that your child should start going through the Ten-Year Series questions as soon as the lectures are complete.
Love it don’t hate it
Even though a ton of students perceive Chemistry as hard and technical, Chemistry is an exciting discipline with lots of real-life applications.
Don’t give your child the room to hate Chemistry just because he or she has consistently drawn a blank. He or she must keep his or her nose to the grindstone to turn up trumps.
Let your child put in the 10,000 hours, ask for assistance from the Chemistry tutors you have hired, and you’ll soon see the difference.
Double-Bonus Section: Chemistry Tuition Hacks
If you’re planning to engage chemistry tuition or have already engaged a chemistry tutor, here’s some extra bonus tips for you!
Start strong
Starting strong is critical if you want to succeed in your Chemistry O-Level or A-Level tuition. Every topic you learn at the beginning builds on what is to be learned in the coming weeks.
It is therefore, crucial that you engage a chemistry tutor as early as possible. The longer you wait, the more dire the situation.
Be honest
If your child is serious about passing Chemistry, you need to be honest with yourself – know your abilities and limits.
By knowing how much time your child can spare to read, or what time best suits your child’s schedule, your child can complete his or her activities without burning out.
Ask questions
Chemistry is a subject that requires deep understanding of its concepts as well as how to apply them. Asking questions during your chemistry tuition helps a great deal in accelerating the learning process.
That is why I prefer 1-1 Chemistry Tuition over group tuition options. In an intimate setting, students are less shy and have more time to ask questions.
Shying away from asking questions will create a snowball effect in your child, which can affect his mentality towards Chemistry. After all, Chemistry tuition is paid, and every coin should count. Therefore, ask burning questions early. Don’t keep your questions to yourself. In other words, don’t leave anything unturned.
Wrap Up
There you have it. You can now weigh your options and decide if Chemistry tuition is necessary for your child.
You have the Chemistry tuition options you can enroll your child into. The ball is now in your court. Act now before it’s too late – today!
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