How can i revise chemistry in just 2 steps?

School holiday is here. It means that the chance of doing a proper revision has finally arrived!

So, how should your child start revising for Chemistry?

Step 1: "Curate" a strong set of notes

I read an article on the latest trend about #studygram and was amazed. Is this the trendy way to study nowadays?

Article link -> www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/welcome-to-my-studygram

In my opinion, writing and decorating such beautiful notes as a study method is not sustainable at all. The focus is just so wrong. So much effort is used to decorate the notes and not "curating" the information that makes a difference to your results.

For my students, I always encourage them to use notes provided by their schools (if they pass my Quality Check) so that they will use the exact keywords expected from their teachers. You'll be surprised that different school teachers have different sets of keywords.

For some schools, the teachers provide notes which are either too brief or too elaborated. In worst cases, the teacher just asked the students to refer to their textbooks! (Yes, and that teacher is currently still a HOD of Science in the East.)

My job is to help my students "curate" a strong set of notes. I will provide my notes which will complement the notes provided by the school. All my notes are customised for my students depending on their needs. Together, we will analyse notes provided by the school and add in information (from my notes, ten-year series, exam questions, school worksheets) which are crucial for getting distinction. At the same time, I will also highlight the parts which are not important at all to minimise effort for studying.

Why do you need a good set of notes? Strong notes are the core of a good study regime. A good set of notes does not mean just a set of stapled notes per topic. It includes notes written on A4 exercise books too. All these should be "curated" from the start of the year, starting from the first topic.

What type of materials does your child use for revision? Start "curating" now before it's too late!

Step 2: Do practice questions frequently (Make it a routine)

I'm a firm believer of the Spaced Review Concept. It's impossible to retain information if we do not review them. Many students may not believe this at first, thinking that it's just common sense.

This is actually proven scientifically.

From the Forgetting Curve Theory, forgetting happens most rapidly right after learning occurs and slows as time passes. The more we review it, the longer we can remember it.

http://thinkedu.net/blog/the-forgetting-curve-interleaving-vs-blocking/

Where can I find practice questions for Chemistry revision?

• Topical Ten-Year Series (For Sec 3 and 4)
• Yearly Ten-Year Series (For Sec 4 only)
• Tuition worksheets
• Tuition test papers

Please, please, please DO NOT trust the answers from Ten-Year Series Publishers. There are lots and lots of mistakes especially for the structured questions. Not minor ones, but those that will cause misconceptions. The way the answers are structured is very different from what we expect in school. There's no way a student can learn how to answer properly by looking at the answers provided. Many students and parents think that the answers provided are from the examination board. NO! That's not true. The examination board only provides the questions and NOT the answers.

I discourage students from wasting their money buying assessment books. Many assessment books are published by random authors who are not NIE-trained. The questions are very different from what teachers set during exams. Do not study using notes from assessment books. You will never be sure where the source is from.

For my students, my first priority is for them to do my worksheets and test papers, followed by the ten-year series. I will mark the ten-year series using the guidelines from the marker's report and provide immediate feedback for your child. The more feedback you get the more you’ll improve! Is your child's ten-year series still in pristine condition?

If your child dedicates at least 2 hours a week to do the above 2 steps during my lesson, he will retain much more due to constant exposure to my quality notes, practice questions and answers.

Contact me if you're looking for extra help with your child's revision.

Contact me