H2 Mathematics (9740)
H1 Mathematics (8863)

An article from ST Interactive written by Amelia Tan & Corrie Tan

Second school to close

Ministry revokes registration of Stamford Global Learning Centre

A SECOND private school run by a man who peddled fake degrees has been ordered to close.

In a statement yesterday, the Education Ministry (MOE) said it had revoked the registration of Stamford Global Learning Centre, which has about 40 students and is also operated by Benny Yap Chee Mun. etc

(Read more here: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_403809.html)

This is not the first time such news appear in Singapore.

If you flipped through the pages in The Straits Times, you may have noticed private schools advertising their degree courses. Some ads have claimed that students can obtain a degree in LESS than one year!

I just want to inform students that no one can complete a degree course in a year or less!  I have been through the local university and it is to my knowledge that then minimum number of years to complete a (Full-time) degree is 2 years. This minimum period applies to business degree and it is only possible if one holds a diploma in business or relevant diploma, in addtion to the university approval.

Every year, there wiil be some JC students facing difficulties applying for local university as a result of undesirable grades. My advice for these students are:

1) Repeat JC2. Give yourself an additional year to learn and improve your understanding of the subjects and hopefully to improve on your grades. Do know that you can always start your career one or two years later than your peers! There is no shame in doing that!

2) Seek a diploma. For A level holders with less than desirable grades, you may enrol into Polytechnic courses but do check with the school if you are allowed to exempt modules and start your diploma at Year 2.

3) Apply for overseas university. This will be the more expensive option. However, I believe students will need to clear one or two semesters of foundation work before you can commence on your degree course.

If you prefer private institution to further your studies, please check with MOE if these institutions are accredited before applying.

Be wise and extra careful when the opportunity seems too good to be true!

Mathematically Yours.

Mr Teo

From Wednesday Straits Times, 1 July 2009

DBS and POSB cut savings

They join other banks which have trimmed interest rates that now hover near zero

POSB savings and passbook account holders, who previously got 0.25 per cent for the first $50,000, will now get just 0.125 per cent. For those holding a deposit of $10,000, the decrease works out to $12.50 less a year. 

(Read more here:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_397549.html)

The topic on interest rates should interest students taking H2 Mathematics. Under the topic of AP and GP, students may have encountered application problems on interest rates. Let's see how we can apply our knowledge of APGP to the scenario shown above:

Imagine your parents are generous enough to give you $10 000 after the end of your A levels. Being a saver, and I hope most of you are, you decided to leave the entire amount in your POSB savings account (which most Singaporeans have) for safekeeping.

Based on the new interest rate of 0.125 %, and assuming that you decided to deposit $1000 at the start of each new year, your money will grow according to the following, where Tn is the amount at the end of the n year:

which can be obtained by using observation and applying Sum to n terms for a GP.

What does this mean?

At the end of 10 years, you can expect $19 182.14 in your POSB account.

HOWEVER, if you were to put your money in other investment instrument which can yield more than 0.125%, your money at the end of 10 years will be very different!

Take for example, for a 5% interests, at the end of 10 years, your money will grow to

 $27 866.84.

which is more than $8000 difference! Imagine what you can do with the extra $8000! (Students may adjust the figures in the Tn equation to get this value, TRY it yourself!)

From this simple exercise, I merely want to show students the relevance of APGP to our daily lives and also introduce you to the power of compounding interests.

With this said, and with reference to the previous blog on investing at the age of 18, I strongly encourage students to read up books on investments to understand the risks and reward of participating in investments. There are many investment instruments besides your savings account that can provide better growth.

Students can search on Money Market Funds (MMF), Unit trusts, Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), Stocks and bonds which traditionally yield higher interest rates than your savings account. Some of these instruments can yield as high as 20% or more, but students are advised to read up before actual participating. There are also numerous books available in public libraries for starters!

I hope I had bring about a point in this blog. Good luck on those who plans to invest in the future,

Mathematically Yours,

Mr Teo

This is an excerpt from Business Times:

"THE Singapore Exchange (SGX) has lowered the minimum age limit for opening a Central Depository (CDP) account to 18 years, following a move by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) to lower the minimum contractual age. With effect from March 9, those 18 years old and above can apply for a CDP account at SGX customer service counters"

With this new law, young adults can now start to invest in equities (or stocks) in Singapore. I believe this is a right move but precautionary steps must be in place to ensure the well-being of young investors. In brief, one needs a CDP account with SGX before he/she can purchase company stocks listed  locally or overrseas. You may open an account with a local trading firm such as Philips Securities, which I am currently using.

The revamped rule gives an opportunity to local junior college to explore into financial education and expose the students to relevant knowledge and advice, as well as the risks involved. Previously, MOE has introduced sex education into the secondary syllabus and I hope they will also implement  financial education into local syllabus, preferably at junior college and polytechnics levels.

It is advisable to start learning about investments or financial planning at a young age. The current students are more familiar with spending and saving, and I feel that it is about time to teach students about investing. The most powerful formula is neither Newton's Laws of Motion nor any mathematical formulas used in exams, it is instead the formula of compounding interests!

JC teachers and administrators should look into this area.

Mathematically Yours.

Mr Teo

Most of you must have heard about the stabbing incident at NTU on Monday (2 March 2009). The victim, an Associate Professor, is from the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) while the deceased was a Final Year Undergraduate. The incident happened during a routine discussion between the student and the professor.

Most university undergrad must complete a Final Year Project (FYP) or thesis before graduation. I am currently in the final phase of my FYP ( I am from Mechanical Engineering) which is due for submission in early April. FYP is an individual assignment for most Engineering students and it takes one academic year to complete. The weightage for NTU is 10 AUs (or Academic Units) which can drastically affect or improve one's honours classification at the end of the school year. There is usually one FYP supervisor i.e. Professor assigned to each student.

According to newspaper reports, the supervisor for the deceased student did not do as much as he could to help the student, reason being the student was an ASEAN Scholar whom he assumed could complete his FYP diligently. I am in a similar position as the student as my FYP supervisor did not contribute much to my project. He prefers his students to do things our own way with minimal supervision in order to train us for our future career.

As the news unfold, the student was actually struggling with his grades and he was informed about the termination of his scholarship 2 weeks before the incident. This, along with the pressure of the FYP draft deadline, could have result in the student becoming depressed and did what he did.

This perhaps could be a lesson for the new A levels holders enrolling to university, with results expected to be released this Friday (6 march). University education is challenging and stressful at times, so you must be prepared to handle the stress. There are many ways to de-stress, for me, I prefer to fight stress by exercising. For those considering Engineering, bear in mind that the 4 years of education is demanding and challenging but everyone will get through it eventually.

I do hope that the recent event will not deter students from applying to NTU. And good luck everyone!

Lastly, my condolences to the deseased family.

Sincerely Yours.

Mr Teo

I am not too sure what most JCs are up to these days after the Promotional Examinations. Back in 2001, my school's PE department organised a post promo activity that included sports and games. The main reason was to get all CCA groups and their members to organise and promote their core activities e.g volleyball team organised a volleyball tournament. I was a member of the Outdoor Activities Club and we organised outdoor games that attracted not many participants.

Anyway, there are two activities that I hoped most JCs will adopt during this supposedly non-academic period. Firstly, I believe that it will be useful to organise informative talks on the courses available at local universities. The school can arrange for alumni members currently pursuing their degrees in a local University to share a little about the courses they are enrolled in. In addition, the school can also invite various faculty members (e.g. academic managers) to provide detailed description on their courses. This was not available during my time and most of my peers have to wait for the University Open House after the release of the A levels results to get information about the courses available. As an A level tutor, I will sometimes talk to my students about what is available in NTU, and most definitely I will be sharing my advice to my students once they received their results in the coming weeks or months.

The second activity that I hoped will be adopted in most schools is financial education. Most students may not find this relevant as they do not have much financial activity afterall, and usually when the need arises, they will go to their parents for money. In my opinion, it would be great to instill good financial knowledge to students at a young age so that they know the importance of spending within their limits and saving for the future. Financial education covers a broad spectrum and it is not easy to learn everything during the short weeks of post promo, but nonetheless it will be good to introduce useful advice at an early stage. I am especially interested in investing ever since reading the book "Rich dad, Poor Dad". I have come to realised the importance of holding assets and the phrase "let the money work for you". Investing is a long term activity and if one were to start early, he/she will definitely reap the benefits given the power of compounding interests. Students taking H2 mathematics should know the formula since it is a popular question in APGP. I encourage students to read up financial books after the A levels to build up the knowledge before you reach 21 years old. After you become an adult and start to have regular income, the knowledge will guide you how best to make use of your money. From a simple geometric progression formula, one can become a millionaire within your lifespan through proper investing! As such, I strongly encouraged students to get started!

I will definitely push for these ideas if I were a JC teacher and I do hope that teachers out there with similar ideas will adopt them in your respective JCs. Students taking position in the Students Council may also push for these ideas!

Mathematically Yours,

Mr Teo

As you may have already found out, I was a graduate from a local junior college. The A levels format was rather different back then. We had 'A' and 'OA' levels subjects. Students are required to take a minimum of 3 'A' subjects and 2 'OA' subjects. We are not required to take a contrasting subject, but those who did chose Economics. I was a Science student and took Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics, along with General Paper and Chinese Language. In my second year, I was fortunate to take 2 Special papers i.e. Mathematics and Physics.

I must admit that the A levels is a very intensive course and it still is. And I believe the current A levels format is more demanding than the past. With the introduction of Project Work and the contrasting subject, the workload of students have increased. This, in my opinion, will be a very good experience and training for what is to come in University. So if you are currently a Junior College student, do not complain about the workload!

Below is a comparison between Junior College and University education, in my own opinion:

JC: 2 years to complete 6 or 7 subjects

Uni: 14 weeks to complete at least 4 modules. (Note: Engineering students must complete at least 6 modules.)

JC: 2 years to learn a subject, eg Economics

Uni: 14 weeks to learn Economics

JC: Project Work takes at least 6 months to complete. Group work.

Uni: Each Project takes at most 14 weeks. Either group or individual.

JC: One contrasting subject for two years

Uni: At least one electives every semester (one semester = 14 weeks, elective = contrasting subject)

As you can see, the time frame is greatly reduced. But rest assured, unlike the A levels, not every topic that you learn are examinable. With this said, the study technique must also change as one progresses from JC to Uni:

JC: Study Hard

Uni: Study Smart

Students are encouraged to learn the method of Study Smart, and one of the way is to be resourceful. The Internet search engines contain numerous materials which can be very useful to projects, and even examinations. Notes are condensed version of textbooks, so you may want to visit the school library to understand more from reading them. There are many other ways, so do explore them youself.

In my opinion, University teaches one knowledge and enhances one's communication skills. It is also about your ability to learn, as one of my Professors defines it.

Unlike the O levels, where one can obtain a good result even with last minute effort, the A levels will filter out the academically stronger students more effectively. For the incoming batch of JC students, I do hope that you begin your JC education with ambition and drive. Be consistent in your work and keep pace with the lectures. As for the JC 2 students, this is the crucial year. Your performance will affect your chances at securing your preferred course in University, so do study hard for the coming A levels.

Do remember that help is always available, either from passionate and patient teachers or experienced tutors, like myself.

Mathematically Yours,

Mr Teo

OCS or SOC, acronyms associated with our SAF ( ie Singapore Armed Forces). The former stands for Officer Cadet School while the latter stands for Standard Obstacle Course in SAF terms. JC guys will soon be familiar with them and other army related acronyms and slogans. JC gals, on the other hand, will hear these acronyms from your male friends during class gatherings, which you now know what they mean through this introduction.

Wait, I am not publicising for SAF, instead I want to introduce to my version of OCS, which is related to H1 and H2 Mathematics.

Many students have found it difficult to solve those "Hence, or otherwise" problems. These problems are usually worth 2 or 3 marks. But rest assured, you can still do well even if you skipped these problems entirely. If there are 14 questions in a paper, and every question contain a "hence or otherwise" problem worth 2 marks each, you still can gain a respectable 70 marks for your exam!

So how do one attempt these "hence or otherwise" problems? My advice to my students is OCS.

O for Observe

C for Compare

S for Substitute

First, observe the problem (most likely a certain expression) before the "hence or otherwise" part. Next, compare the expressions involved. Lastly, use appropriate substitution to solve the problem.

Not every student can apply the OCS method with ease. So my advice is to practice more, or if you have the solutions to the problem, carry out the OCS method to check how it works.

Mathematically Yours.

Mr Teo

What is their difference?

In my opinion, ability is defined by your exam or test grades. Potential, on the other hand, is your true ability.

The following charts will explain more:

The chart on the left shows the profile of an A student. Notice that his/her ability is very close to his/her potential.

Furthermore, it shows that the student needs little time to reach his potential. Many top JC students have this profile, as they are able to grasp the concepts very fast. But even smart people need to practise to get good grades. In addition, in order to do well, these students must have keen interests in the subject. This way, their ability will always match their potential. These students are highly independent and requires little attention from the teachers. Are you one of them?

On the other hand, some students are weak in a subject based on the grades they achieved in tests and exams.

However, these students may have hidden potential (see below) which requires a dedicated teacher or tutor to unleash.

It takes time and alot of effort to achieve the final potential. But if these students are willing, they will eventually reach their potential before the major examinations.

 School examinations are cruel, especially JC Prelims. They are more challenging and thus they do not provide a true indication of the students' abilities.

You may have heard of many success stories of students getting good grades even though they did poorly for their prelims. The truth is that GCE A Levels examination is fairer and it will assess the true potential of every student!

So if you are worried about your school performance, fret not. You should stop worrying and believe in yourself!

Mathematically Yours.

Mr Teo

Adults chase the 5Cs in life, they are Cash, Career, Country Club, Car and Condominium(some would say Credit card, but anyone can have one these days), as they represent status and success.

Students should also pursue their own 5Cs, which you should be familiar if you have spent time browsing through this website.

The 5 Cs, written mathematically, are:

Concepts

(+) Consistency

(+) Confidence

(+) Composure

(-) Complacency

Below are my explanations of each term:

Concepts - To understand a subject or topic well, you must know the underlying concepts involved. Economics, Chemistry, Physics, Math etc contain many concepts, are you familiar with them, or can you remember them?

Consistency - You have to attend lectures and do your tutorials! Furthermore, you should practise before major test and exams.

Confidence - Show confidence in your work. Lack of confidence would lead to dismal performance.

Composure - Do not panic in examinations. If the questions are tough, take a breather and look at it again. No one does well under stress, so avoid it! When you are stressed, your mind can't think!

Complacency - Do not be complacent over your results. Be humble instead!

Mathematically yours.

Mr Teo