Ngo & Sons (Truong's) vs. PEAK vs. Uplift (2 Viewers)

[illuminateclub]

I'm considering to go tutoring for:

- Advanced English
- 3U Maths
- Biology
- Chemistry

Where would be the best place for each subject?

If you want, suggest other tutoring colleges better than the ones I mentioned (must be around Liverpool, Cabramatta, Canley Heights, Canley Vale, Fairfield, etc.)

 

[darkk_blu]

I've been to Ngo and Sons, Peak and Focus College. Peak is really good for science while Ngo and Sons and Focus are great for Math. I see Focus College is more fast paced and the teacher is really sturdy but really knows his stuff, he teaches all classes and compiles past paper questions for each topic and goes through harder ones in class. On the other hand, Ngo and Sons have multiple teachers teaching multiple classes, they basically have all theory laid out and make their own questions. Right now I go Focus College for Math and Peak for sciences so I can't say much for Ngo and Sons but their both really great tutors. Haven't heard of Uplift though

 

[illuminateclub]

I've been to Ngo and Sons, Peak and Focus College. Peak is really good for science while Ngo and Sons and Focus are great for Math. I see Focus College is more fast paced and the teacher is really sturdy but really knows his stuff, he teaches all classes and compiles past paper questions for each topic and goes through harder ones in class. On the other hand, Ngo and Sons have multiple teachers teaching multiple classes, they basically have all theory laid out and make their own questions. Right now I go Focus College for Math and Peak for sciences so I can't say much for Ngo and Sons but their both really great tutors. Haven't heard of Uplift though

Ah okay, thanks for replying!

How long did you go to Ngo and Sons before moving to Focus College? When and why did you move?

What are the fees like for Focus College?

I saw on the website there was a Maths Extension 2 class for Year 11, can anyone join it?

Do they cover 2U Maths + Extension 1 in the Extension 1 class or do you have to take separate classes? This goes for Extension 2 as well

What sciences do you go to PEAK for and what are the fees like? How do they teach?

Sorry for all the questions omg, I've never gone to tutoring so I literally have no idea what it's like or which tutors are good and everything eek

 

[darkk_blu]

Ah okay, thanks for replying!

How long did you go to Ngo and Sons before moving to Focus College? When and why did you move?

What are the fees like for Focus College?

I saw on the website there was a Maths Extension 2 class for Year 11, can anyone join it?

Do they cover 2U Maths + Extension 1 in the Extension 1 class or do you have to take separate classes? This goes for Extension 2 as well

What sciences do you go to PEAK for and what are the fees like? How do they teach?

Sorry for all the questions omg, I've never gone to tutoring so I literally have no idea what it's like or which tutors are good and everything eek

In Focus College, they have separate classes for 2U students and 3U students, you learn both 2U and 3U content in the 3U class. As for 4U I decided against going tutor because I wanted to test myself, you would attend a 3U class and have a 4U class at another time. As for fees, its an hourly rate and paid in terms (12 weeks) which is in the low $400s but they have early bird payment terms which gives you a 10% discount if you pay on time and knocks it down to the high end of the $300s. I was in Ngo and Sons in my junior high school years but dropped out because it was a bit far away and homework was repetitive.

I do both Physics and Chemistry at school but I found Physics to be my weaker subject so I took it up at Peak, the fees are $300 (or was it $350)(same for chem, not sure if they teach bio) and I find it very productive. Each teacher has different sets of powerpoints where the dotpoints differ slightly. They have module tests at the end of each module and also have catchup classes if you started late.

You should almost always go tutor for math if you can't take initiative to do past papers (almost no one does this by themselves in year 11) and should go science tutor if you feel like you really should because most science teachers are at competent enough to teach you everything at least once so science tutor is mainly going ahead of school and revision. Either way, tutors mainly get you ahead of school, do revision and "force" you into having at least an hour of productivity when sitting in their class.

 

[illuminateclub]

In Focus College, they have separate classes for 2U students and 3U students, you learn both 2U and 3U content in the 3U class. As for 4U I decided against going tutor because I wanted to test myself, you would attend a 3U class and have a 4U class at another time. As for fees, its an hourly rate and paid in terms (12 weeks) which is in the low $400s but they have early bird payment terms which gives you a 10% discount if you pay on time and knocks it down to the high end of the $300s. I was in Ngo and Sons in my junior high school years but dropped out because it was a bit far away and homework was repetitive.

I do both Physics and Chemistry at school but I found Physics to be my weaker subject so I took it up at Peak, the fees are $300 (or was it $350)(same for chem, not sure if they teach bio) and I find it very productive. Each teacher has different sets of powerpoints where the dotpoints differ slightly. They have module tests at the end of each module and also have catchup classes if you started late.

You should almost always go tutor for math if you can't take initiative to do past papers (almost no one does this by themselves in year 11) and should go science tutor if you feel like you really should because most science teachers are at competent enough to teach you everything at least once so science tutor is mainly going ahead of school and revision. Either way, tutors mainly get you ahead of school, do revision and "force" you into having at least an hour of productivity when sitting in their class.

Hmm I'm torn between Ngo and Sons and Focus College, they both seem really good so I'm probably gonna pick whichever option is cheaper - although Ngo and Sons doesn't offer a 4U Year 11 class which isn't a big deal because I don't know if it's necessary. anyway. On the Focus College website apparently there's an entrance test? How did you prepare for it?

You know I'm actually not struggling that much so far - besides the Year 10 to 11 leap which is normal - in the 4 subjects I want tutoring for, but my school is really disadvantaged and our ranking literally dropped by almost 300 this year (we were average but now we're much below average fml). That's why I think I need to go tutoring because I'm worried I'm not learning enough at school to get the ATAR that I want. I don't know if it's doable for me to go to tutoring for 4 subjects because I already have a job + play for a soccer team and plus it's $$$$, but I'm afraid if I don't, I'm not going to get a good enough ATAR. Do you have any advice on this? Is it necessary for me to go to tutoring for 4 subjects?

Also, have you been to tutoring for English before? I see that Ngo and Sons, PEAK and Uplift (also Focus College) all offer English classes but I'm not sure which is best.

 

[fluffchuck]

I was a student at Ngo & Sons (I stayed with them from year 10 until the end of my HSC). I can say that Ngo & Sons is extremely good for Mathematics. They have excellent tutors that explain concepts in certain ways such that they are very easy to understand & memorise. Before I was a student at Ngo & Sons, I would rarely ever surpass 80% for Maths at school (this was year 7,8 and 9 Maths). However, after attending Ngo & Sons, I noticed a drastic improvement in my marks. My maths marks soon increased tremendously (which resulted in me achieving 99 for 3U and 98 for 4U). This was due to the way that the tutors explained mathematical concepts. They also provide excellent homework booklets, which focus heavily on quality over quantity. This means that you won't do that much homework at all, yet your understanding of Mathematics will be outstanding.

I hope this helps Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions!

 

[fluffchuck]

Hmm I'm torn between Ngo and Sons and Focus College, they both seem really good so I'm probably gonna pick whichever option is cheaper - although Ngo and Sons doesn't offer a 4U Year 11 class which isn't a big deal because I don't know if it's necessary. anyway. On the Focus College website apparently there's an entrance test? How did you prepare for it?

You know I'm actually not struggling that much so far - besides the Year 10 to 11 leap which is normal - in the 4 subjects I want tutoring for, but my school is really disadvantaged and our ranking literally dropped by almost 300 this year (we were average but now we're much below average fml). That's why I think I need to go tutoring because I'm worried I'm not learning enough at school to get the ATAR that I want. I don't know if it's doable for me to go to tutoring for 4 subjects because I already have a job + play for a soccer team and plus it's $$$$, but I'm afraid if I don't, I'm not going to get a good enough ATAR. Do you have any advice on this? Is it necessary for me to go to tutoring for 4 subjects?

Also, have you been to tutoring for English before? I see that Ngo and Sons, PEAK and Uplift (also Focus College) all offer English classes but I'm not sure which is best.

Ngo & Sons does offer 4U Year 11 classes. They run 2 4U Year 11 classes at Fairfield.

I've been to Ngo & Sons for English tutoring. The English tutoring really helped me. I was expecting a band 4 for English in year 11, but managed to get a high band 5 with their help, which was beyond my expectations.

 

[illuminateclub]

Ngo & Sons does offer 4U Year 11 classes. They run 2 4U Year 11 classes at Fairfield.

I've been to Ngo & Sons for English tutoring. The English tutoring really helped me. I was expecting a band 4 for English in year 11, but managed to get a high band 5 with their help, which was beyond my expectations.

Oh really? Do they choose who gets to be in that class or can you just join if you want to?

Wow, your English mark was really good (looking at your signature)! What did they teach you and do you think they'll be just as good as teaching Advanced?

 

[illuminateclub]

I was a student at Ngo & Sons (I stayed with them from year 10 until the end of my HSC). I can say that Ngo & Sons is extremely good for Mathematics. They have excellent tutors that explain concepts in certain ways such that they are very easy to understand & memorise. Before I was a student at Ngo & Sons, I would rarely ever surpass 80% for Maths at school (this was year 7,8 and 9 Maths). However, after attending Ngo & Sons, I noticed a drastic improvement in my marks. My maths marks soon increased tremendously (which resulted in me achieving 99 for 3U and 98 for 4U). This was due to the way that the tutors explained mathematical concepts. They also provide excellent homework booklets, which focus heavily on quality over quantity. This means that you won't do that much homework at all, yet your understanding of Mathematics will be outstanding.

I hope this helps Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions!

Ngo and Sons sounds very suitable for me, thank you so much for your help! Can I just say again how good all of your HSC marks are like WOW, I'm hoping my marks and ATAR will resemble yours in 2019 - fingers crossed!

Will PM you if I have any more questions

 

[fluffchuck]

Oh really? Do they choose who gets to be in that class or can you just join if you want to?

Wow, your English mark was really good (looking at your signature)! What did they teach you and do you think they'll be just as good as teaching Advanced?

I'm pretty certain that you can join if you want to, you should call them up or text them to confirm.

They teach you all of discovery, module A, module B and module C.

In discovery, they firstly deconstruct the rubric for you. Then they teach you how to approach unseen text questions. They also make you answer several exam-style unseen text questions at the end of the lesson. Following this, you would hand in your answers, and you will receive your marks & feedback the week after. The feedback is quite harsh, which allows for you to improve a lot. After learning unseen text, you will be taught how to structure your discovery essay and creative writing. They give quite a lot of resources (which includes exemplar responses from past students), which will guide you in creating your essays and creative writing.

In module A, module B and module C, they will deconstruct the rubric for you (again). They also provide powerpoints and handouts (involves exemplar responses from past students) which demonstrate how you should be writing/structuring your essays in each module. Similar to discovery, you will have to write up some responses in relation to what you have learnt that lesson, and you will receive feedback in the following week.

I'm pretty sure that they will be just as good as teaching Advanced. You should be fine

 

[illuminateclub]

I'm pretty certain that you can join if you want to, you should call them up or text them to confirm.

They teach you all of discovery, module A, module B and module C.

In discovery, they firstly deconstruct the rubric for you. Then they teach you how to approach unseen text questions. They also make you answer several exam-style unseen text questions at the end of the lesson. Following this, you would hand in your answers, and you will receive your marks & feedback the week after. The feedback is quite harsh, which allows for you to improve a lot. After learning unseen text, you will be taught how to structure your discovery essay and creative writing. They give quite a lot of resources (which includes exemplar responses from past students), which will guide you in creating your essays and creative writing.

In module A, module B and module C, they will deconstruct the rubric for you (again). They also provide powerpoints and handouts (involves exemplar responses from past students) which demonstrate how you should be writing/structuring your essays in each module. Similar to discovery, you will have to write up some responses in relation to what you have learnt that lesson, and you will receive feedback in the following week.

I'm pretty sure that they will be just as good as teaching Advanced. You should be fine

Thank you so much! The English syllabus has changed this year (which you’re probably aware of) so hopefully they have adapted their way of teaching to it.

 

[darkk_blu]

If you still want to know about the tests in Focus, its to put you in "ranked" classes because one of the classes is 3U with 4U students and they go through content more quickly, you can also switch between classes if you can't come one day but every class goes through the same content in the same week just with either more or less examples and at different paces. They have one 4U class and their Year 11 4U starts next term (I think). btw I did the test without practice (didn't know about it) and its a 2U test and he judges you primarily on your speed so he can put you in a class that matches your writing and thinking speed. The teacher at Focus played a more active role in teaching compared to Ngo and Sons mainly because he goes through every example and asks students to give answers, he also goes through harder past paper questions near the end of each topic (I've seen him sweat after teaching a class with the aircon on before). Ngo and sons write theory on the board expecting you to copy it down along with a few examples then put up a few practice questions but I got a little annoyed at the fact that half the teachers need you to put down your pen with they are going through examples and I wouldn't be able to finish copying down everything (my writing was really slow back then) but other than that, teachers are pretty nice when talking to you. Both Ngo and Sons and Focus have asian teachers for math (if that meant anything to you).

 

[andrew12678]

Would also vouch for Ngo & Sons, I joined in Year 8 and never looked back

 

[illuminateclub]

Would also vouch for Ngo & Sons, I joined in Year 8 and never looked back

For which subjects?

 

[illuminateclub]

If you still want to know about the tests in Focus, its to put you in "ranked" classes because one of the classes is 3U with 4U students and they go through content more quickly, you can also switch between classes if you can't come one day but every class goes through the same content in the same week just with either more or less examples and at different paces. They have one 4U class and their Year 11 4U starts next term (I think). btw I did the test without practice (didn't know about it) and its a 2U test and he judges you primarily on your speed so he can put you in a class that matches your writing and thinking speed. The teacher at Focus played a more active role in teaching compared to Ngo and Sons mainly because he goes through every example and asks students to give answers, he also goes through harder past paper questions near the end of each topic (I've seen him sweat after teaching a class with the aircon on before). Ngo and sons write theory on the board expecting you to copy it down along with a few examples then put up a few practice questions but I got a little annoyed at the fact that half the teachers need you to put down your pen with they are going through examples and I wouldn't be able to finish copying down everything (my writing was really slow back then) but other than that, teachers are pretty nice when talking to you. Both Ngo and Sons and Focus have asian teachers for math (if that meant anything to you).

Think I'm leaning towards Ngo and Sons for Maths, but I'll keep Focus College in mind. Thanks for all your much appreciated help

 

[andrew12678]

For which subjects?

3U/4U Maths

 

[tklawl]

Ngo and Sons is amazing for maths. I went from being absolute shite in maths to state ranking (with much help from Dr Truong, himself). If you ever manage to get him as a teacher, I guarantee you'll improve by a lot.

 

[illuminateclub]

Update: I have had a rocky start at Ngo and Sons, but I hope it gets better soon.

Not sure where to go for English :/

 

[kector]

Update: I have had a rocky start at Ngo and Sons, but I hope it gets better soon.

Not sure where to go for English :/

Had a rocky start at Follege College too, Needa catch up what was taught and if not, might get expelled lol. I've never got tutored before in a long time, just did what my school taught me and now strugglin'. Need an English tutor too