Problem 1: It’s very hard to score A for H2 BIO
Did you know? The cut off for medicine (NUS/NTU), dentistry and pharmacy is AAA/A corresponding to 85 rankpoints and above.
Those who take H2 BIO either love it or they are planning to get into Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy or even Traditional Chinese Medicine. Unfortunately, these are some of the hardest university courses to gain admission. In addition, since they qualify graduates into specialized professions which have small cohorts as well as stringent admission criteria. Join my H2 BIO tuition to increase your chances of doing better.
Problem 2: Excessive information in H2 BIO
Did you know? You only need less than three quarters of what your school bio teachers teach for A levels. Especially for some schools that severely over-teach, even less than half?!
In addition, a number of school teachers skip the most difficult topics or concepts and tell their students to self-study instead. Come assessment time, everything is included as well as questions least expected comes out leading to consistently poor performance. I focus on cutting down the materials to what you need so as to help you complete subject revisions in time for the final exams in my H2 BIO tuition. Also, I help you to develop application skills so that you can finally achieve subject mastery.
Problem 3: H2 BIO new syllabus 2021
Did you know? Most school resources including answers to exam questions are however not current to the new syllabus still!?
The syllabus was overhauled back in 2016 and examined for the first time in 2017 and updated once afterwards. It is drastically different in exam format and content in contrast. Therefore, students can no longer fully depend on the 10 year series. Some school teachers hope to get away by recycling as much material as possible whilst others are waiting for other colleagues to come up with new materials so that they can ‘copy and paste’. So you end up with sub-par preparation for one of the most important exam of your life to date.
To support my observation, the screenshot is an example from an IP school prelims with their teacher’s answers. The cell theory is new to the syllabus but the answer does not make a single reference to it?! However, I don’t fault the teachers because of the situations beyond their control.
I look at every topic as well as compare the old and new syllabus. And thus, I am able to tell you exactly what is different. I have also removed all old syllabus questions off my collection of 10 year series question bank, so that you can benefit from the most relevant and up-to-date materials. In addition, I have also updated all my answers to old questions according to the new syllabus. Join my H2 BIO tuition in order to gain access.
Problem 4: Realizing too late you need help
Did you know? I reject any new student wanting to join my regular H2 BIO tuition classes 4 months before A level exams.
I am in the business of helping my students achieve subject mastery. But many don’t understand that a strong foundation requires time to build up. Biologically speaking, this is because the brain reinforces learning during sleep. As such, the priming of the brain for difficult exams like A levels needs TIME!
Therefore I stop accepting H2 BIO tuition students once the class fills up. Furthermore, this usually occurs a long way before the exams. This means I use time to my students advantage getting them well prepared prior to the exams.
Why Join my H2 BIO TUITION
You are definitely not alone in my class. We work together to help you survive this arduous journey. Its not uncommon to see some tutors brag about their past but ignore the present, I don’t believe in that. Some tutors provide guarantees and then charge exorbitant fees. This is unethical and I will definitely have none of that.
Others provide statistics for number of A’s their students achieve. I don’t count on that because in my previous experience, not all students respond. So the A rate is ARTIFICIALLY INFLATED.
Nobody audits these claims and nobody is accountable for it either. But the 1 thing I guarantee is that when the BYANG tribe gets 100% A’s I will sponsor their trip to Japan (air ticket and accommodations). And we are working hard towards this goal. Will you be part of the BYANG.tribe?
Why it changes my students’ lives: BIO hacking & exam strategies
2016 Olympian and gold medalist Joseph Schooling has a team behind his success. Someone looks after his diet and supplements. Another focus on the psychological strength. Yet another picks the best racing suit and equipment. Then there are the land training that complements the water training. Yet another expert analyses stroke mechanism. So why is it that students who want to do well only think about studying harder? Excelling in exams is not only about content mastery.
In my H2 BIO tuition classes, students pick up skills of how to achieve peak biological performance during stressful exam periods. They learn about exam diets, psychological boosters, sleep and memory techniques. Most importantly, we break down the rules of the game and apply strategies to maximize gaining of marks. In addition, you also get a BYANG.tribe special exam checklist to reduce error rates.
A bit more about Benjamin Yang
I come from a humble family of 4. 3 now as Dad passed away in 2013 due to congestive heart failure. I inherited from him the constitution of the ox. Because like him, I am very driven and will not give up nor take no for an answer no matter what. Whilst education is an important tool to help one step out of poverty into prosperity, I strongly believe that success requires more than just that degree scroll.
At the same time, I want to see the world, soak up ideas, culture and the wisdom with it.
And so I tore up the letter of offer from NUS and accepted Bristol University in UK instead. Even though my parents are unable to support me financially.
A month before I was set to depart for my studies, I have exhausted all avenues to fund my studies. Thankfully a miraculous turn of events allow my dreams to come into fruition (hear the rest when you join my class).
Its in Bristol that I found my 2 loves. In class I am at the edge of my seat as my professors weave wonderful tales from the laboratory about strange diseases, their origins as well as causes (I have a double major in pathology and microbiology).
As much as I am in love with biology, I also find myself knocking at the doors of a career in education. For the first time, I am in touch with the feeling of excitement in class, something I never experienced before. And so I vowed to bring that brand of education back to Singapore. I returned from Bristol in 2004. And here I am today, still loving what I do trying to make a difference, 1 student at a time.
Highlighting one of my past students
Nicholas Chan is the FIRST ITE/NYP nursing graduate to gain admissions into the NUS medicine program in 2019. He attends my H2 BIO tuition back in 2017.
During that period, he enrolled for A levels as a private candidate. And this is in addition to a full time diploma program in nursing that he is completing at the same time.
It is definitely challenging for him for 2 reasons.
Firstly, that year, the new H2 BIO syllabus is being examined for the first time. And being outside of the JC system he can only rely on my materials having not stepped into JC for a single day.
Second, the A level load is heavy on its own and he chose to do 2 parallel programs simultaneously.
He never let up during my classes no matter how much work I assign after each session. Of note, he even tries to squeeze in facts from my Anki flashcards cards in-between his daily routine as he rushed from the hospital to NYP to my classes and beyond.
This is very importantly and likely a strong indicator to the admissions team that he can take the academic rigors of medical school.
Furthermore, this also likely left an impression after receiving the application. In addition, I have to submit an appraisal for his application. I spent hours writing the best one I can because he is that impressive and he deserves the effort I put in.
But the journey to medical school actually started a year before that.
After getting his results, Nicholas stayed in touch and was asking me for advice in university applications.
The strategy crafted was for him to get a firm offer to a university program first. And he did! Successfully gain admissions to NTU biological science program.
Now that he gains a bargaining chip, he can then enter the interview in a power position although I reminded him not to be too pompous about it.
Even then, the interview was quite confrontational perhaps as the school is trying to ascertain how he handles the stress.
After the entrance test, he successfully ace all the obstacles to finally gain the precious admissions offer.
I still remember the phone call I received from him at 11pm that night and hearing his excitement over the life-changing offer.
This reminds me that I am continuing to make a difference to my students lives during and after their classes with me.
And I hope to help future students achieve their big dreams. To show them that they have the ability.
Here’s a little conversation with Nicholas previously about how he manages his time.
BYANG How did you manage to complete a full time diploma and A levels?! As a matter of fact you did not enroll into a JC for a single day!
Nicholas Honestly, it was TOUGH! I started by stress-testing myself in my diploma course in the first semester. The idea was to finish all my diploma coursework many weeks ahead of schedule. This creates pockets of time for me to work on the material in A levels. So if poly exams start in Week 10, ideally I’d have everything in memory by Week 2 and only start reviewing again from Week 8 onwards.
There are times where I fall out of schedule. And I only get to review for my diploma course exams in the final 2 days before each paper.
To make matters worse, the nursing course is especially time-consuming. This is because for the bulk of our term breaks we go on clinical attachments. Furthermore, the only A level materials I had were passed down from my friends who had taken it several years before.
Nevertheless, after successfully completing my first semester with good grades using the system, I put all my effort into prepping the A level exams.
I am fortunate enough to meet other JC students in your H2 BIO tuition. They are friendly and even willing to share their notes with me.
I use your Anki cards to help memorize concepts as well as having my notes wherever I go. Even squeezing revision in public transport as I travel between school, tuition, clinical attachment and home.
Furthermore, I also set aside time time for exercise and rest following your guidelines. This is so that I am at my biological peak. Which allows me to be more productive during my study sessions.
However, being out of the JC loop is plenty demoralizing. Because it feels like my JC friends are always light-years ahead.
Nonetheless, I just told myself that whether or not I was in a JC was beside the point.
Since we are all going to be sitting for the same paper. And most of us will have similar jitters and feelings of self-doubt going in.
I remind myself that I have the materials, and I am making time to work through most of them.
Since I may not be as able to tackle the trickier questions as my JC counterparts, I focus on making up the difference by excelling at the “giveaway” questions and minimizing mistakes the way you taught me.
BYANG I feel exhaustion creeping in just reading your arduous journey! So the Golden question for you. If you are to make the decision again to pursue A levels will you still do it? Why?
Nicholas Absolutely!
I feel that doing the A levels bring a rigor to my life. It somehow makes me feel closer to some day being part of the scientific community.
Fascination sets in with almost everything I learn. Having to remember certain words and answer phrases definitely lose some of the excitement. However, not by much thankfully.
I have the luck of getting the most inspirational tutors for H2 Bio, Chem and Maths. The lessons gives me a sense of “something more” than just A levels.
It’s the kind of feeling that keeps me awake at night.
Everything about studying for the A levels just makes me feel like I MUST get to university.
I want to see bacteria moving with a microscope some day. I want to synthesize my own aspirin some day, and so on.
That semi-obsessive fascination has its costs. But even then I have no regrets. Because I know I never let up on trying to keep everything together.
I don’t know if my very normal A level grades eventually help me gain an offer into the course in NTU, but I’d like to believe it helps.
Still, I can’t care less about how horrible they are relative to what I had originally set out for at this point!
BYANG I only wish your A level compatriots and juniors think the same way and have the same drive! Sorry for tooting my own horn because you were my student. But how important do you think H2 BIO tuition was to you preparing for A levels as private candidate?
Nicholas I think your H2 BIO tuition is definitely essential to helping me prepare for the A’s as a private candidate.
From the beginning, I realize that it is impossible to absorb everything in the same 2-year time frame on my own even with the best JC notes.
Because of how intense some parts of the A’s syllabus are, I found that it really wasn’t enough to just have the notes.
From the get-go there are a lot of uncertainty but there is just no one to clarify them with.
Most friends already are in uni or work. While they help me where they can, I can’t expect them to answer my questions or check my work.
Not at the way a full-time tutor can.
Furthermore, I think having a group setting in your H2 BIO tuition makes so much difference because as it keeps me in the loop with the JC crowd.
I don’t want to lose track with my JC counterparts having more preparation as their teachers note tips and tricks for the subject.
This is particularly important in my year because of the change in syllabus, but in my opinion it applies just as well to any year you take the A’s.
Lastly, I’d say having a tutor for certain subjects really helped me save time as well as be efficient in my preparations.
BYANG Finally, tell me more about why you chose to do A levels
Nicholas With my nursing credentials, I know this will be a long shot without the A levels getting into university.
I only have 3 subjects at O levels and didn’t do particularly well in ITE. So I have to do a lot more than just my nursing diploma comparing to other traditional candidates in order to stand a chance.
Camelia Lim Qi En (RI 2017, accepted into Medicine in 2019)
I wouldn’t exactly call this place a H2 BIO tuition center. Not only does Mr Yang teach us Biology concepts and question answering techniques, he also cares a lot for students. And even talks to us about the importance of resting and relaxing when we are tired.
The kind of relationship he shares with his students really cannot be found anywhere else. The Biology lessons are engaging and fun and they truly remind me about the reasons why I decided to choose biology in JC. It has been an enriching and fun experience acquiring more in-depth biology knowledge from Mr Yang’s classes.
Other dedicated JC tutors
CHEMISTRY, Mr Eric Khua (https://mrkhemistry.com/)
ECONOMICS, Mrs Michelle Tan (https://www.eeekonomics.com/)
MATHEMATICS, Mr William Wu (https://mathtuition88.com/)