Kirsten Chu
56% in Trials to 91% in HSC
My name is Kirsten Chu, I graduated from Meriden in 2022. I got an ATAR of 98.50 and a 91 in Chemistry and a 92 in Physics. I improved from 56% in my trials to a 91% in the HSC.
My third year 12 physics assignment I received the worst grade I’d ever gotten: 49%. From Year 11, my grades had been dropping each assessment task. Whereas I quite enjoyed learning physics before, I was now dreading walking into each class. As trials were nearing, I was feeling a little hopeless; on 12 units, physics as a prerequisite for the course I wanted, I just needed to get through the course.
Then mum insisted on getting a tutor, and found Mr Bob. I had one or two lessons before trials, and I enjoyed his teaching style. Physics was once again fun, and I step by step I became a bit more confident with physics. I could walk into the hsc with more confidence, and I no longer had that feeling of helplessness that was present in the previous physics exams.
I used to go to popular tutoring centres such as matrix, but I found that the style of teaching wasn’t compatible for me. The work never really challenged me, and it felt like extra textbook questions, that didn’t align with school exams. So, I wasn’t so keen on going back to tutoring. I thought it would be ineffective.
However, Bob was able to guide us with a more personal touch, and could cater to the different levels of student understanding and pacing. The questions in class were challenging – and despite getting better, often I still couldn’t answer them. But after the explanation – I’d always be enlightened. If there were areas I was unconfident with, I could ask him personally, even if it was outside of class time.
The lead up to the HSC was still scary, though, because up until the nights before the chemistry and physics papers, I was still learning. I was glad I could ask Bob any questions I had along the way. And I was motivated to push myself to work harder than I ever had before. I reached up to 16?h per day of studying.
I walked out of the exams with a smile. I’m not sure if that smile was of relief, of reaching a step closer to freedom, or of confidence, but learning from Mr Bob has definitely been effective, and I’d recommend his services to anyone undertaking physics and/or chemistry.
