Showing posts with label tuition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tuition. Show all posts

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Dapat kerja

Now this is a post that I write just so that there is something in each month (now September)

I just got a job last week. A nursing student needed a private tutor for Anatomy and Physiology. I've been searching for jobs on Careers Online since mid-July (2 months ago), hoping for a job to occupy me this semester. Talking with the carpark attendants also enlightened me on job opportunities; for a moment I was considering work as a waiter in a hotel (5 star). Well, what was available was not a waitering position, but a kitchen hand. I figured that a more interactive job like a waiter would be more valuable in my CV, so I put off the kitchen hand for a while. In my institute's intro pack, it was suggested that tutoring is another potential form of work that is value-adding. I mentioned it to a friend, and he said it's also good financially because it is cash-in-hand. And then this job appeared on the web. I emailed the person, thinking that I was too late. But I wasn't, so I got the job. Thank God!

It's been a big turn-around since the last couple of months. Just read at my posts and you'll see the financial struggles that burdened me. But I wasn't like a stranded vagabond in a far away land with nothing to eat and wear, because God's provision (especially food) still flowed during that time. I just can't thank God enough!

It actually was a strange feeling when I got my first pay (in cash!). Satisfying...fulfilling...almost triumphant. For a moment my motive was kicked to the side - off from the main target which is to help someone so that this person can help others.

But that's for the next post.

Monday, 22 October 2007

Organic Chemistry

I keep typing it several times as "organix"...


Here's a view of the white board after Chemistry tuition class:

Alkanes, Alkenes, Alcohols, Carboxylic Acids,
and Esters (SPM level)

A closer look

And here's a digital version of IB/Form 6/A-Level Organic reaction pathways (Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, animated):

Saturday, 29 September 2007

Month-end approaching

A review of what the month has been...


Well, actually I'm quite exhausted right now; we just had a church bazaar today (which happened to be at the end of a rather tiring week for me). I'm definitely in need of some extra sleep.

Now on to the agenda: what have I been doing this month? Back in primary school, I remember writing down Scientist, Doctor and Teacher in the "ambition" space of my report document. It seems that I'm getting all three, except for the doctor part (the closest thing is an unconditional offer from the School of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, received by e-mail about 10 days ago). This month, I've taught 25 tuition class sessions in a variety of locations, and at various levels: Form 1, Form 3, Form 4, Form 5 and Upper 6. I'd describe the work satisfaction level as "all right up to a year", because staying on and on and on for a single subject at a single level - well, at least to me - eventually exhausts my interest fuel. Or maybe it's just me being impatient to wait for all my students to "hit the ceiling" in those subjects. I myself didn't hit any ceiling back then. Which means that it's quite a challenging undertaking.

On the Scientist part, I'd relate that to me self-studying my two STPM subjects: Mathematics T and Further Mathematics T (me, the scholar of Maths). Now a few questions repeatedly arise here. Why Math? Because I like it? "I'm born for this!"? 'Coz I'll be leaving it? Why STPM Math? Reputedly hard international exam? Self-satisfaction? Academic craze? Filling extra time?

I don't have official mark schemes for those questions, but those surely are some ideas which compel me to take this up as my academic hurdle for now. Exam is coming in roughly 8 weeks' time. And just a short word on these two brain "dishes", Math T is quite easily understandable (I just need to learn a few extra problem-solving techniques which I didn't learn in IB Math HL). Further Math T is harder. I mean, it really is hard (I think I've got the feel of what it's like to not know anything about what's coming out in the exam, 2 months before it comes!).

And in the last few nights, I'm always tired... This is bad. I don't like it. Perhaps I need some timing restructuring. And not just the usual lie-down-on-the-floor-whenever-my-head-feels-heavy treatment.

That's all for now. Will be back soon.