Inquiries about IB Chemistry seem to increase by the day.
In some ways, having more lessons is less tiring. Time passes before I notice how tired I am.
When I'm only moderately busy, there are gaps in which to feel tired, and that somehow feels worse.
It's application season for DP2 again. Students must be incredibly busy. This is why so much needs to be done in DP1.
Yonsei and Seoul National University too? I’ll be waiting for good news!
Haha, I’ll let you know.
Okay! Are you doing well?
It has been a long time, teacher! Have you been well?
Any good news?
I’m starting medicine at Cambridge next March.
Oh! That’s incredible. Did you apply to medical schools in Korea?
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This student got into Gachon University Pharmacy! Congratulations! They lived in Dubai and were so strong academically that they hardly needed separate lessons.
Hello, teacher! How have you been? It has been such a long time. My child got into the university he wanted, so I wanted to thank you. You worked so hard with him. I wonder whether COVID has settled down where you are. I pray that you stay healthy and that good things come your way. Thank you!
Hello! Whenever I receive a message like this, I am so grateful. It makes teaching feel worthwhile. To be honest, I originally started this work to earn money, but these messages are a priceless gift to me. Thank you!
Thank you so much as well. Please take good care of yourself!
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Messages like this always make me happy. I hadn't actually asked where they were going to university.
That isn't what matters most to me anymore, so receiving a message like this is a joy.
They are both doing well, based on what I have seen so far. They will also begin to realize that even if they studied something in grades 2–3, they need to go through it again. Neither seems to be lacking in the basics, so I think we can keep progressing. There is quite a lot of homework, though. We have limited time, so they need to keep up with it. Both are doing well.
I’m relieved to hear that both did well! Thank you for the feedback. After today’s lesson, my child was happy that he understood things more clearly. He said the class was fun. He is serious about AP, so I believe he will do the homework diligently. We’ll keep an eye on it at home as well. Thank you for your help!
Thank you!
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Thank you for sending such a lovely message, haha.
This student had consistently received B+ grades, then got an A+ after three weeks of lessons. This time, several students who had been struggling improved after studying with me, which has been very rewarding.
Wow, I’m so happy! I was worried about you and the other student. My goodness!
[Happy sticker]
I think I did quite well compared with the rest of my class.
You two had me worried. Oh! [Moved to tears]
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The school above held a comprehensive exam. I was quite worried, so I'm relieved they said it went better than expected.
My child is doing well in all the subjects needed for the intended major, but chemistry is a serious problem. The scores are around 3–4.
Oh… Yes, we can work on that. Has your child had private chemistry lessons?
Chemistry is holding everything back. Please help.
Or has your child been studying independently?
My child took an intensive course in Korea during the holidays, then wanted to study with a Vietnamese teacher. We tried that, but a year has gone by with no improvement.
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This IB Chemistry student had been getting 3s and 4s, and I prepared them for the exam every day for a week.
They did well in other subjects and struggled only with Chemistry, so they clearly had the ability to study.
Teacher! Thank you for teaching my child so well over the past week. On this exam, my child got 9 out of 10 questions right on Paper 1 and earned a 7. Paper 2 was a 4, making the overall score a 5. My child will tell you more later, but I wanted to thank you first. I really appreciate the extra lessons last week and your thoughtful teaching, even though you were busy.
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The result was a 7 on the multiple-choice section and a 4 on the written section, giving a 5 overall. A week was short, so it was a little disappointing to stop at 5, but they were delighted to have received their first 7 on a section. There is much more time before the next exam, so I think they can do better.
What students are most afraid of in this exam is IB Chemistry Paper 3. They don't know how to approach it.
But the amount of material is relatively small, so once you tackle it, progress can be quick. The topics often connect with other subjects, so students taking Physics or Biology can sometimes overcome the difficulty quickly. As always, though, you need to study the underlying principles.
Understanding those principles does take considerable work. To shorten that process, I think a tutor is particularly useful for Chemistry.
Once you have a reasonable grasp of the principles, strengthen your skills with past papers and you should be able to handle most questions, haha.
Oh, a video featuring me has been uploaded, so I'm sharing it.
https://youtu.be/fDqQiSra1mc
https://youtu.be/fDqQiSra1mc ↗They filmed me, haha. You can get a glimpse of me here.