July 2009 | SimpleChemConcepts

Monthly Archives: July 2009

Invited as Professional Guest Speaker @ Association of Professional Trainers Singapore (APTSG)

Written on July 22, 2009 by sean in Announcement, Tips for Improvement

Hi reader,

I have received many emails from you asking me to share more about myself, beside the consistent sharing of Chemistry Tips, Phenomenons and Exam Strategies in this blog. Thank you for wanting to know more about me and my personal life besides Chemistry Coaching.

I love sports (Soccer, Basketball, Long Distance Running, etc) and anything on self-development – this includes attending self development workshops/seminars, reading self-developing books and listening to podcasts / CDs.

Few days back, i have mentioned that i have been invited by my alma mater to be a guest speaker at an annual Motivation Forum for GCE ‘O’ Level Graduating students.

At this very point of blogging, i am actually preparing for my 1-hr session at Association of Professional Trainer’s Singapore (www.aptsg.com) on next Thurday. I am glad to be invited as a Professional Guest Speaker in their July monthly sessions, whereby i will share with my Coaching Experience (Trainings, Teachings and Coachings) with a group of dedicated trainers from all walks of life. I am excited about this talk! Wish me the Best! =)

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O Levels Chemistry Exams Revision – How to Revise Quickly & Effectively ?

Written on July 21, 2009 by sean in Chemistry Guidebooks, Exam Strategies, Tips for Improvement

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For Singapore-based O Levels’ students (both Pure Chemistry and Combine Science Chemistry), you will be taking your GCE ‘O’ Levels Chemistry Examinations in approximately 3 months time, for both Paper 1(Multiple Choice Questions, MCQ) & Paper 2 (Written Exam on Chemistry Theory) .

(Picture adapted from David Scarlett)

With your school’s Preliminary Examinations (2 weeks – 1 month time) coming, i understand that most of the O Level students are frantically trying everything to revise through what your school has gone rush through for the past months. Many are feeling lost because for the last months, you have been spending most of your time in Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and Singapore Youth Festivals (SYF) 2009. I am glad you have stepped down on all of these activities. Many have also struggled understanding on the topics of Ammonia & Air / Atmosphere (most school skipped them totally) as well as Organic Chemistry (rushes through to finish syllabus in school). GCE O levels Examinations is just 3 months away! Let’s FOCUS!!!

For the next 3 months, i will be sharing with you on specific tips and strategies on how to Revise for your O Levels Chemistry Exam and Score your As!

Let us see what you need to know =)

The GCE ‘O’ Level Chemistry Examination not only tests the number of chemical facts and definitions you have remembered, but also if you know how to apply the chemistry concepts and solve application problems.

About 20-30% of the marks are given for recall of facts and definitions, the rest are for understanding and applications of chemistry concepts. This is contrary to the many beliefs by parents (and students) that by plain memorising at the eleventh hours, you can score well in Chemistry exams by rote-learning and memorising your way to victory. This is a definite NO-NO!

Following are Skills required to DO WELL in GCE ‘O’ Level Chemistry Exam:

Knowledge of DEFINITIONS, CHEMICAL FORMULAE, UNITS & SYMBOLS
Knowledge of CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS such as Reactivity Series of Metals & Its Applications
Knowledge of FACTS such as Uses of Petroleum Fractions
Knowledge of OBSERVATIONS that occurs in many experiments
Ability to use FLOW-CHARTS to solve questions related to Qualitative Analysis
Ability to SKETCH, PLOT and

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O Levels Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshop 2009 – 1 More Day

Written on July 17, 2009 by sean in Announcement, Chemistry Coaching

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Last year in O Levels Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshop 2008, we had lots of fun and students were taught all the essential concepts on EVERYTHING on O Levels Organic Chemistry.

Those concepts allow them to tackle and answer all the Organic Chemistry related questions in both their Preliminary and GCE O Level Chemistry Examinations. With flow charts, life examples and associations, plus inter-linking chapters; strategies taught to these group of students, they have done well for Organic Chemistry-based questions.

Tomorrow, we will meet a new group of students (not really new though as half of the group has attended our previous workshops in one or another) for our annual Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshop 2009.

If you have just found out about us (either through Referral or Online Search), you still have one last chance to register and join us tomorrow morning at 9am at YMCA Orchard, Singapore.

Instant e-registration by clicking HERE!

I will see you there!

PS: For overseas students and educators, i will share with you more on the happenings during the Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshop within this few days.

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Invited as Guest Speaker @ 2009 Motivation Forum for O Levels Graduating Classes

Written on July 15, 2009 by sean in Announcement, Chemistry Phenomenon, Inspiration, Tips for Improvement

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I am honoured to be invited by my former teacher to be one of the guest speaker at alma mater for 2009 Motivation Forum for O Levels Graduating Classes.

In fact, this will be the 3rd time that i will be going back to share my experiences and thoughts on approaching their important qualifying exams in October, as well as discuss with them the strategies and tips on how to perform well for their subjects, typically Chemistry and Science.

I look forward to meeting you (i know some of you are subscriber of this blog) on 24th July 2009!

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O Levels Chemistry 2008 Exam Question: Organic Chemistry in Paper 1 (MCQs)-Cont’d

Written on July 14, 2009 by sean in Chemistry Notes & Tips

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In the previous blgopost we have discussed on 3 MCQ questions on Organic Chemistry that came out in 2008 GCE O Levels Chemistry Exams. Let’s continue with the rest of the MCQ questions that are related to Organic Chemistry.

Question 1: under sub-topic “Carboxylic Acids”

The reaction between a carboxylic acid, CxHyCO2H, and an alcohol, CnH2n+1OH, produces an ester.

How many hydrogen atoms does one molecule of the ester contain?

A. y + 2n
B. y + 2n + 1
C. y + 2n + 2
D. y + 2n + 3

PS: Tricky question that ALL Pure Chemistry students must know how to answer

Question 2: under sub-topic “Carboxylic Acids”

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O Levels Chemistry 2008 Exam Question: Organic Chemistry in Paper 1 (MCQs)

Written on July 12, 2009 by sean in Chemistry Notes & Tips

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Hi Students (and parents),

Thank you for all your email enquries on our annual Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshops 2009 for O Level students.

As mentioned that in 2008 GCE O Levels Chemistry Exams, Organic Chemistry plays a large part of the questions that came out in Paper 1 (Multiple Choice Questions) and 2 (Written).

Today i am going to share with you some of the multiple choice questions that came out. I will help you by directing you to the “sub-topics” of Organic Chemistry that the question is based on:

Question 1: Under sub-topic ” Fuels”

In how many of the following can paraffin (kerosene) be used as the energy source?

Aircraft, Air Conditioning Units, Cars, Domestic Cooking, Heavy Lorries, Power Stations

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

Question 2: under sub-topic “Alkanes”

Which statements are true of alkanes?

1. Their general formulae is CnH2n

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Secrets: Why you need to master Organic Chemistry in GCE O Levels?

Written on July 11, 2009 by sean in Announcement, Chemistry Coaching, Exam Strategies, Tips for Improvement

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Hi students,

As mentioned in my previous blogpost, Organic Chemistry is of extreme importance in GCE ‘O’ Levels Chemistry Exams, due to 2 main reasons (based on my analysis of Past Years Exam Papers):

High weightage about 18 – 25 marks (15 – 21%) of your written O Level Chemistry Exams
In Year 2008 O Level Chem Exams, the last Question (Either/Or Question worth 10marks) in Paper 2 are both Organic Chemistry. This means there is no way you can escape Organic Chemistry

Need MORE reasons (that i observed last 3-4 years) why you need to MASTER Organic Chemistry????

1) Organic Chemistry is an independent component that you can master on its own, regardless of how you have fared for other previous chapters

2) Organic Chemistry is in fact VERY EASY - all the 5 chapters/topics in Organic Chemistry are inter-linked and once you master 1 topic, you will be able to master the other topics, with ease once you have the correct methodology

3) Contrary to many students believed that Organic Chemistry needs lots of memorisation, Organic Chemistry DOES NOT need lots of memory work. You just need to associate it to our everyday life and be clear of how each topics are interlinked with each other – and you will score well for it!

4) Majority ALL schools in Singapore (Both GCE O Levels and IGCSE/IB) rushed through Organic Chemistry chapters in June / July in order to finish the syllabus and welcome the School Prelims Exams. Many of the teachers only glanced through it with their students (“surface learning”) in order to finish the syllabus. There are even 1-2 schools (my students are in these schools) that actually asked them to READ ON THEIR OWN!!!! Gosh! You can’t learn Organic Chemistry just by reading textbook? cos concepts are required.

If you are of these students that aim to do well for your GCE ‘O’ Levels Chemistry Exams, i urge you to master Organic Chemistry. Spend time mastering it, please.

If you are facing the following problems in mastering Organic Chemistry, do check out the Early Bird Registration (by 15th July 2009) for our annual O Levels Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshop 2009