I’m looking for N level (sec 4 NA) prelim papers, particularly physics. PM me if you know where to get them as I cant seem to find enough resources for NA students!

Transiting from primary school to secondary 1 can be quite daunting for some children, but it can be made easier if they know what to expect before starting secondary 1. Not sure if most parents know, but secondary 1 and 2 are actually the most important years in your child’s journey to the O levels, as that is when they are taught the foundation of every subject (upper secondary curriculum is more specialised and revision based), so please do not take it lightly. If possible, try to give your child a basic understanding of each subject during the December holidays, so that it will be easier for them to follow in secondary school.


It is also normal for your child to want to explore more about their world and social life as they grow into a teenager, so it will be good to "let go" a little now and then when they want to do things such as going out with friends after school/last exam paper. However, parents should also set firm boundaries for their child so that they will not take things for granted and go overboard, for example, coming home before 6pm.

From my experience as an academic mentor with special interest in students who had been persistently underperforming, or from the normal academic stream, I find that school teachers tend to underestimate the abilities of the students they teach. It does not help that there are indeed a few students in a class who might be disruptive during lessons. I know of a science teacher who told me that she tries to avoid bringing her NA class into the science lab due to the fact that classroom management becomes a real chore. For example, she cited an incident in which 6 test tubes were broken by students by the end of a lab lesson which involved simple instructions such as the stirring of salt crystals into a test tube of water.


In truth, most students in NA are often just unmotivated or discouraged when it comes to studying. Many of them also felt guilty that their PSLE results had landed them in the NA stream, thus entering into a cycle of low self-esteem followed by self-fulfilling prophecy. This observation can also be said for students in other streams such as express. I have encountered many lower secondary students who felt discouraged by the sudden decrease in their grades (especially if they had been getting high marks in primary school), or were overwhelmed by the sudden increase in subjects and workload.

When mentoring such children, emphasis should be placed on helping them to realise that they are not alone, and that their situation is totally manageable. My approach will be to focus on imparting study skills ( in particular the skills needed to master each subject, what to do to prevent \"blank out\" moments in an exam), time management (guiding the child on how to manage his/or everyday time carefully, such as coming up with a proper revision timeline early), and goal setting (offering advice and helping the child realises what motivates him/her and work towards the goals). It is also important for parents to not focus so much about the end results, but rather on their child's progress, for as long as the child is putting in enough effort, good results will become an eventuality. For example, a parent told me recently how happy she was to see her son actually doing self-studying for a subject he dislikes, and he actually improved for that subject during his recent SA1.

Ultimately, the child should be able to realise that true motivation can only come from himself/herself, and that the reason why he/she studies is not for the sake of getting good grades, but an opportunity for him/her to achieve eventual goals.

If any parent has children who are facing similar issues and are interested in helping them further, feel free to contact me. I will be glad to offer insights and help in any way I can.