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School

HSC Tutoring – Tips for Success in Your HSC Trial Exams

At the time of writing this article, we’re in the middle of term 2. Most year 12 students have their HSC trial exams in early term 3, which means while there’s still (almost) an entire term left, it’s about time students begin to prepare specifically for their trial exams.
Learn to use the HSC Standards Packages
For almost all HSC subjects, the Board of Studies has standards packages publicly available for students to read We recommend students look at the standards packages for their subjects – they will give you an idea of the quality required for a band 6 response. Standards packages are particularly useful for humanities subjects like HSC English where your expression and writing style also come into play. Get a feeling of what’s acceptable expression, and details like general paragraph length, the way literary techniques are referenced, how often a text is quoted and the length of quotes etc. Even if technically your knowledge is as good as anyone’s, a poorly structured essay (where you use poor expression, or reference the text in superficial ways or spend too much time on insignificant points etc) will mean the difference between a band 4/5 and a band 6.
Familiarity with the standards packages will also help with subjects like HSC Chemistry, Physics, Biology and the social sciences (Economics, Business Studies etc). In the case of the HSC Sciences, they give you fresh ideas of novel, acceptable ways of structuring your answer. Some questions can be fully answered in terms of a table or as a dot-point list (e.g. identify / outline questions). Also note the details featured in diagrams / graphs – full marks are given to students that remember details such as labelling the axes, or drawing a line / curve of best fit properly (ignoring outliers in appropriate situations) and being able to justify the choices made.
HSC sciences – always refer to the syllabus
HSC sciences like Chemistry, Physics and Biology, are prescriptive by nature. This means the syllabus tells you exactly what you need to know, content wise, and does a great job at that. While studying for these subjects, it’s always a good idea to have the syllabus in front of you, printed or on your computer screen. The dot-points give you a clear picture of what you need to know, and the scope to which you need to know each aspect of the course. For example, if a dot-point requires you to merely identify the qualitative aspects, this means you only need to be able to name the aspects it’s referring to, and qualitative means you won’t be required to do calculations on them.
Another reason is some syllabus dot-points are worded as if they are paraphrased exam questions. This is particularly true for dot-points requiring you to ‘Discuss the impacts on society of…” or “Assess the environmental impact of…”. You very well might get an exam question, worth around 7 marks, that basically asks you to demonstrate your entire understanding of one of those dot-points if they ask you in a general way.
Be careful for internal assessments however, as school teachers are known to set exam questions that are dubious in terms of whether they fit within the scope of the syllabus, so you must also cross reference your own materials with the notes given by your school teacher to make sure all gaps are covered.
HSC Maths – only do exam questions
When it comes to maths, exam questions and textbook questions aren’t the same. The former type are often are structured as a compound question with several subparts. Exam question are often designed with deeper consideration, and incorporates more unique aspects of mathematics (e.g. in Maths Extension 2 question 7 and 8). In contrast, textbook questions can get repetitive and give you a false sense of security. Because textbook questions lack variation in style, once you master the several types of questions it contains and are able to do its exercises, this does not mean you’ve experienced all types of questions an exam can throw at you, particularly if you go to a school that has a talented maths department.
There’s a limitation on the types of questions for each topic an exam can throw at you. If you do Maths Extension 1 and 2, it also takes great effort and skill to design a truly novel and unique maths question at that level. As an industry insider (yes I’m a teacher) I can tell you that many schools simply take exam questions from past papers of other schools. When I did my HSC Maths Extension 2, I actively sought out past trial papers from top private and selective schools for practice before my HSC trials. What I noticed was in one year, say 2002, there would be …

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Higher Education

Tutoring Companies: The Stories Behind the Success

Many of the world’s most successful tutoring companies come from humble beginnings. This article looks at several of these companies and tells the stories behind their success in the tutoring business.
Kumon
Kumon may be the world’s most successful and well-known tutoring company, but it began with a high school math teacher trying to help his son.
Kumon’s story began in 1954 when founder Toru Kumon’s son came home with a poor score on his math test. Toru’s wife suggested that Toru begin helping their son. Toru who was a high school math teacher with 20 years of experience compiled worksheets that would take his son step by step from the easiest arithmetic to complex mathematics. Toru’s son made clear progress in the following year and Toru began allowing other children to use his worksheets – who also achieved impressive results.
The first Kumon Center opened in 1956 and 2 years later the Kumon Institute of Education was officially founded in Osaka, Japan. Through word of mouth the demand for the Kumon Method grew, new centers were opened up across the country and Kumon soon became Japan’s leading private education program. Kumon continued to expand by opening centers in other countries using a franchise model. As of 2009, over 4 million students were studying at more than 26,000 Kumon Centers in 46 countries.
Huntington
Huntington Learning Centers were one of the first tutoring centers for children in the United States and is now one of the largest tutoring companies in the country. Huntington Learning Centers were started by Dr Raymond and Eileen Huntington in 1977 after they saw a desperate need for tutoring centers to help children. Eileen was a high school teacher and noticed a large numbers of students who lacked basic study and reading skills. These students lagged further and further behind their classmates, unable to receive the attention they needed from teachers who were stretched thin because of large class sizes. The Huntingtons were looking for a business opportunity and, concluding that there was a market for supplemental educational services, decided to launch Huntington Learning Centers.
The Huntingtons left good-paying jobs and financed their business by selling everything they owned and relied on personal lines of credit. They scraped together enough money to rent 1,700 square feet of space in an office building and opened their first learning center. In 1978 they opened a second and by 1985 they had a 11 centers in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania.
Huntington grew aggressively through the 1990s using a franchise model to expand and had 178 franchises in 2002 and is now one of the most successful tutoring companies in the United States.
Kaplan
Kaplan is a well-known test prep company based in the United States. The company is currently owned by the Washington Post Company, but its history goes back to 1938 when it was founded by Stanley H. Kaplan. Kaplan got his start by tutoring students for the New York State Regents Exam in the basement of his parent’s Brooklyn home.
Many of his students were from immigrant families eager to pursue higher education. Kaplan began adding more locations and his business continued to grow as American universities began relying more heavily on standardized tests to measure students’ potential. Test-makers claimed the exams were not coach-able, but Kaplan knew people could improve their scores with the right preparation. The company grew significantly in the 1990s by expanding its business and purchasing other test preparation and educational companies. It is now one of the leading test prep countries in America.
Kip McGrath
Kip McGrath is a household name in Australia, but the company was unknown for the most part when it started in the 1970s. The founders of the Company, Kip and Dugnija McGrath, opened their first Kip McGrath Education Centre in 1974 with the founding principle; “any child can learn if they are taught properly”. Over a very short period of time the McGraths opened six centers in the Hunter Valley and ran those centers successfully for ten years before selecting franchising as the method to expand their business.
Today Kip and Dugnija McGrath are still actively involved in the day-to-day running of the company and are members of the Board. They continue to support the franchise network with their extensive experience in both education and business operations. Kip McGrath now has 160 Australian centers that provide assistance in reading, spelling, comprehension, English and math.
Megastudy
Megastudy is a very young company, but is already the leading tutoring company in education-crazed South Korea. In the 1990s, Megastudy founder Son Joo-eun was a success in South Korea’s hyper-competitive business of preparing students for the national college entrance exam. He had an annual income of 720 million won – the equivalent of $573,000 today as a private tutor …

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Education Investment

Student Loans: Tips, Tricks And Helpful Hints You’ll Find Success With

Some people have to get a student loan to get the education they desire. However, dealing with the process is not so easy, especially when you don’t know much about the loans. Luckily, this article has some great advice to get you on the right path to education.

Know what kind of grace periods your loans offer. This is important for avoiding penalties that may result. You can use this time to start saving up for some initial payments, getting you ready to avoid any penalties.

Remain in contact with your lender. Notify them if there are any changes to your address, phone number, or email as often happens during and after college. Do not put off reading mail that arrives from the lender, either. Take any and all actions needed as soon as possible. Neglecting something may cost you a fortune.

When paying off your loans, go about it in a certain way. Make sure you pay the minimum amount due each month. After this, you will want to pay anything additional to the loan with the highest interest. This will minimize the amount of money you spend over time.

Know what the grace period is before you have to start paying for your loans. If you have Stafford loans, you will usually have about 6 months. For Perkins loans, you have nine months. Other types of student loans can vary. This is important to avoid late penalties on loans.

Identify and specifically choose payment options that are suited to your personal circumstances. Many loans offer a decade-long payment term. If this does not fit your needs, you may be able to find other options. For example, you might have to take a while to pay a loan back, but that will make your interest rates go up. Additionally, some loans offer a slightly different payment plan that allows you to pay a certain percent of your income towards your debt. Some balances on student loans are forgiven after a period of 25 years.

Paying off your biggest loans as soon as you can is a sound strategy towards minimizing your overall principal. The less principal you owe overall, the less interest you will end up paying. Try to pay off the loans that are large first. When you pay off one loan, move on to the next. Making your minimum payments on every loan, and the largest you can on your most expensive one, can really help you get rid of student loan debt.

Be sure to fill your student loan application correctly. If you make a mistake, it will take longer to go through. You may not see any money for an entire semester.

Bad credit will mean you need a cosigner on a private loan. You must then make sure to make every single payment. If you do not, you are affecting the credit of the person who went to bat for you.

As stated earlier, lots of folks need student loans to get their degrees. After reading this information, you can make a good choice about finding a loan. Use the advice provided here to simplify the process of getting a student loan.…

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Educational Supplies

College Success Is As Your Fingertips Thanks To This Advice

Are you going back to college? Have you gone to college before? Do you require assistance? No matter what, you can find help here. You are able to get more education at any age. Your dreams really are within reach. This article will help you to prepare for your triumphant return to college. You are worth it.

Make sure that you bring an ample amount of toiletries when you enter college. These are essential as you will use them everyday, and you will quickly run out. Buying in bulk can also save you a lot of money in the long run.

Organize all of the essential materials for college before you begin. Being well prepared will allow you to be as self sufficient as possible. This is especially true when attending a college that is far away.

It is vital that you apply for loan, scholarship and grant money as early as you can. The more time set aside for obtaining college funds, the less you’ll have to borrow. Make sure that all documentation and fees are submitted in the proper time frame.

Be realistic when planning to work while in college. If you are cranky in the mornings, maybe a harder early class is not the best choice. Take a good look at your natural hours and make your schedule based on that.

Join many activities to stay very social in college. When you engage in activities, you’ll hone your interests while having fun. You do need to make sure your grades do not suffer. So don’t overdo it, and leave time for studying.

Locate the admissions office and pay it a visit. You can find out about scholarships that are available. Many colleges have their own scholarships. An admissions officer can help you get all the funds you need to make it through college.

Take time to meet your professors. Make sure you know the location of their offices and how to get in touch with them easily. If you have a good relationship with your professors from the start, they will be more understanding if you must miss a deadline or need other special considerations.

To save time and money, use the college’s bus system. Taking the bus to school is quick, easy and free in most college towns. Besides, you will not have to waste time looking for a parking spot. In addition, you’ll save money on gas and parking permits. It is also a way for you to “go green.”

You are living by yourself and making your own food. You should always eat right and get enough rest. Create a schedule that will allow you time for studying, classes, recreation, as well as taking care of yourself. Neglecting to fuel your body with nutritious foods can take an enormous toll on your sense of well-being, as can unchecked stress levels.

Have you learned anything here? College is attainable. Own it. Regardless of the obstacles, you have the potential to do great things in college. Let nothing come between you and your education. Get involved in the opportunity now. Begin working on your college degree now. Take what you’ve learned here and use it to your advantage.…