Secondary 4 Chinese small-group tuition for Bedok students should help writers decide what a composition is about, organise an authentic narrative and correct an individual weakness instead of copying decorative model essays.
A long essay is not automatically a strong one. The student needs purposeful events, appropriate expression, task coverage and the ability to edit their own work without a tutor supplying every sentence.
This parent’s guide includes a complete original composition-planning case, an email example, the 2026-to-2027 examination transition, and the real advantages and trade-offs of three-student tutorials.
At a glance: the parent decision
Small-group Chinese tuition means a learning arrangement with a few students, not an automatic grade advantage. The educational reasons to consider it are opportunities to respond aloud, individual writing corrections, meaningful peer comparison and a shorter cycle between mistake and repair. The costs are additional money, travel, homework and the risk that three learners are poorly matched.
For families in Bedok, this guide’s distinctive focus is composition relevance and deliberate redrafting. Before choosing any class, establish the student’s actual Chinese syllabus level and examination year. Gather one independent example of the difficulty, ask how the tutor would correct it and set a date to review whether the student can now solve a new problem without prompting.
Bedok: the difference between a long composition and a convincing one
Secondary 4 Chinese writing can be exhausting when a learner believes that more characters, elaborate idioms and dramatic emotions automatically produce higher marks. Length may meet a syllabus requirement yet conceal weak relevance, disconnected episodes and characters who never make meaningful decisions. A careful tuition session teaches the student to choose what the story is about before choosing beautiful sentences.
For a Bedok family, an instructive trial lesson is one in which the tutor asks the child to justify a plan. Why is this the main event? Which detail reveals the character’s choice? What will change by the end? If a tutor only supplies an ornate first paragraph and asks the student to copy it, the parent has not seen much evidence of personalised teaching. The value of three-learner tutorials is that students can compare plans and explain which one better answers a prompt.
Location convenience is useful if it lets a child attend rested and still practise independently. However, an article about Bedok Chinese tuition does not confirm a current Bedok lesson, venue or available teacher. Confirm the actual programme and subject level before making a commitment.
Original composition case: a promise that becomes difficult to keep
Suppose the writing prompt asks for an experience that taught the importance of keeping a promise. A predictable weak story may begin with several paragraphs about waking up, eating breakfast, going to school and meeting friends. The important incident appears late, leaving little space for cause, consequence or reflection. The student may have written many correct sentences yet given the theme little attention.
Plan a more purposeful narrative. A student agrees to help a classmate rehearse a presentation but receives a last-minute invitation to an enjoyable outing. The promise creates responsibility; the new invitation introduces temptation. The turning point occurs when the classmate sends a message explaining how nervous they feel about the presentation. The protagonist must choose between convenience and commitment.
The student’s first outline can have five sentences: promise, temptation, consequence, decision and change. Every paragraph should serve one of those movements. The opening could be, “星期五放学后,我答应陪志豪练习第二天的演讲。他看起来很紧张,反复提醒我不要迟到。” This establishes the obligation quickly. It does not require a page about the weather.
The next complication might be, “回到家时,我收到朋友的邀请,说他们晚上要去看一场期待已久的表演。我盯着手机,心里开始犹豫。” A weak version would spend many lines explaining how wonderful the show is without connecting it to the promise. The student should show why the two options conflict: choosing the performance means abandoning a classmate who is relying on the promise.
A convincing turning point requires action. The narrator might draft a message cancelling the rehearsal, notice a previous encouraging text from the nervous classmate, then decide to keep the appointment. The lesson is credible when the character pays a small cost or makes a thoughtful choice. If nothing is difficult, the conclusion “我明白了承诺的重要性” has less force.
The ending can show an enduring behaviour rather than only announce a moral. For example, after the rehearsal the protagonist learns to check the calendar before making future promises. A thoughtful final line might be, “那天以后,我开始在答应别人之前认真考虑自己的安排,因为承诺不是一句方便说出口的话。” This line connects the experience to a changed habit. It is an original teaching example, not a ready-made composition to submit as one’s own.
How a tutor should mark the story
The tutor can use a compact feedback map: relevance to the prompt, logical sequence, strength of the turning point, suitable details, Chinese expression and clarity of ending. A learner with an engaging storyline but poor sentence transitions needs a different repair from one whose language is smooth but whose main event is irrelevant. Do not mark both simply as “needs more practice”.
Suppose a student writes, “我很难过,很伤心,很痛苦,也很失望,” repeating related emotions. The tutor might ask what the character does that shows uncertainty or regret. A short concrete action—staring at an unfinished message, rereading a classmate’s request, putting a ticket aside—can be more meaningful than an accumulation of adjectives. Students can discuss why the detail matters and then rewrite independently.
Another student writes a completely predictable conclusion. Instead of demanding a rare idiom, the tutor can ask how the character’s behaviour will be different on Monday. The revision may then demonstrate understanding. In this way, small-group teaching improves a decision in the story rather than decorating a sentence.
A third student creates a vivid conflict but resolves it unrealistically. The tutor should ask whether events follow from what came before. If a student misses a rehearsal because of an emergency, the story should distinguish an unavoidable event from careless disregard. Logical coherence matters even in creative writing. The reader needs to believe that the theme arises from the choices made.
From planning to timed writing
A common problem is spending too long on the introduction and rushing the last paragraphs. Teach an initial short planning routine: underline the theme, identify the central conflict, decide the turning point, choose two purposeful details and reserve time for checking. The exact time allocation should be adapted to the student’s real examination and school practice; there is no universal stopwatch formula for every G-level.
Let the student attempt one paragraph independently. Stop and ask what that paragraph is doing. Is it showing an action, building the problem, revealing a decision or explaining its consequence? If the student cannot answer, the paragraph may be decorative. After the draft, remove sentences that do no work. Shorter and clearer writing is not a retreat from ambition; it is better control of the task.
The tutor can offer two alternative openings for comparison, but then ask each student to create their own third version. Otherwise the lesson teaches preference for the tutor’s prose rather than the student’s ability to write. The long-term aim is transfer: a child should plan a different theme such as honesty, perseverance or consideration for others without copying the earlier story.
Practical email: clarity before display
In the 2026 O-Level Chinese syllabus 1160, practical writing and composition belong to the writing paper. For an email response, the student must attend to purpose, recipient and required points. Those requirements are not interchangeable with a narrative or argumentative essay. A learner may have excellent descriptive vocabulary but still fail to answer an invitation properly.
Imagine a fictional email asking a student to help organise a school reading activity. The sender asks whether the student is available, what activity would attract younger readers, and how to encourage participation. Before writing, identify all three requests. A weak reply might describe a favourite book at length while ignoring availability and the organiser’s practical question.
A stronger response begins by acknowledging the invitation, gives a realistic availability answer, proposes a brief activity and explains how the activity might help the younger readers. For example, “谢谢你邀请我帮忙筹备阅读活动。我星期五下午可以参加准备工作。我建议安排故事接龙,让小朋友轮流说出故事的下一段。这样,他们不只是听故事,也能发挥想象力。” The details answer the proposed task instead of showing off unrelated vocabulary.
The message should also fit the relationship. Writing to a classmate differs from writing to a teacher or organiser. The tutor can have students compare two openings and discuss tone, courtesy and clarity. The comparison is educational when learners explain the choice rather than memorise a single formal salutation to use everywhere.
Why redrafting is often more valuable than producing a fresh essay
If a learner writes five full compositions each week but never uses corrections, the workload may be large while the learning remains shallow. Choose one meaningful error and have the student produce a revision. For example, a weak narrative may not show why the character changes their mind; redrafting the turning point can reveal whether the student understands that narrative function. A weak email may omit a required proposal; adding the point teaches task coverage.
Keep the original and revised versions together. Ask the student to explain the change in plain language: “I moved this sentence because it belongs to the consequence, not the problem”; or “I replaced this vague phrase with a concrete example”. A student who can describe the purpose of an edit is beginning to control writing. The next step is to apply that decision to a new prompt.
In a group of three, each child can receive a different edit challenge. The tutor should not demand identical rewrites if the problems are different. Peers may suggest alternatives, but only the writer can decide whether the new sentence serves the task. This protects student ownership and avoids polished group-produced essays being mistaken for individual skill.
A Bedok writing review over six weeks
Week one: collect an unedited story plan and a short email. Name the most frequent problem. Week two: practise theme and task analysis. Week three: revise one turning point or paragraph of explanation. Week four: practise accurate Chinese expressions in context. Week five: introduce a timed independent task with a short plan. Week six: compare a fresh composition and email with the starting samples.
Track the student on relevance, organisation, evidence or detail, tone and independent language choice. Do not claim that a six-week writing programme predicts a national examination grade. A learner who starts tasks without paralysis, stays on topic and can explain edits may be building the foundations for stronger performance even before school marks move.
If the learner remains dependent on elaborate model paragraphs, reduce the scaffolding and return to short original plans. If they can plan but cannot express the ideas, focus on sentence construction and precise vocabulary. The tutor’s educational judgment should determine the next exercise, not an inflexible workbook sequence.
Is a three-learner class right for a weak writer?
It may be, if the tutor has enough time to read individual work and explain concrete changes. It may not be, if one learner needs intensive foundational writing support while the others are advanced, or if the group spends most of its lesson copying models. Ask to see a realistic marked example, the amount of individual feedback, and whether the tutor requires an unaided second attempt.
Bedok families should balance this teaching fit against travel, fatigue and other responsibilities. A nearby class that teaches the wrong skill offers little value, while a well-designed lesson that leaves no time for rest can also be counterproductive. A sensible programme should support a pupil’s wider school experience rather than dominate it.
Check the official examination rules, not an old tuition advertisement
Singapore students will not all sit one uniform Chinese-language paper. A student finishing Secondary 4 in 2026 follows the applicable 2026 national examination route. In the 2026 GCE O-Level Chinese Language syllabus 1160, the weighting was 30% writing, 35% language application and reading comprehension, 25% oral and 10% listening comprehension. SEAB states that the writing examination lasts two hours, the practical email task requires more than 150 Chinese characters, and the composition more than 300. Those are particular specifications of the 2026 O-Level syllabus, not universal rules for every level or later cohort.
Beginning with the first Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate examination in 2027, the national certificate combines the former N(T), N(A) and O-Level examination routes. Students take subjects at G1, G2 or G3, according to their actual subject registration. SEAB lists G1 Chinese Language K120, G2 Chinese Language K220 and G3 Chinese Language K320 among its 2027 syllabuses; G3 Higher Chinese K355 is a separate subject with distinct requirements. Do not purchase G3 practice papers for a G1 or G2 learner without a deliberate and justified reason, and do not treat Higher Chinese as simply ordinary Chinese with longer exercises.
The examination timetable also matters. SEAB says the written Mother Tongue Language examinations from 2027 are scheduled in September, with one written sitting across G1, G2, G3 and G3 Higher Mother Tongue. That differs from the two O-Level Mother Tongue written sittings used in 2026 and before. Oral and listening assessments take place before written examinations; follow the exact year’s official timetable and the school’s notices rather than copying a revision calendar from another cohort.
As of November 2026, families preparing for 2027 should use the published 2027 SEC syllabus, not assume that the familiar 2026 O-Level code or component directions govern every new paper. The general strategies in this article support language learning, while the official syllabus determines the examinable tasks, materials, assessment formats and scoring. A sensible tutor asks for the student’s school and examination-year information before prescribing a practice programme.
For official verification, use SEAB’s SEC overview, the 2027 G1 syllabus list, 2027 G2 syllabus list, and 2027 G3 syllabus list. Families comparing older examinations can consult the 2026 O-Level Chinese 1160 syllabus. Check for published amendments and school instructions before acting.
What a genuine three-learner Chinese tutorial should accomplish
The phrase small groups tuition is useful only when it describes the teaching experience, not merely a number printed on a website. A group of three is small enough for a tutor to inspect each learner’s writing and listen to each learner explain an answer within the lesson. It is also large enough for structured comparison: one learner might spot a missing inference, another might suggest better evidence, and a third might challenge whether a phrase really fits the context. All three should still complete their own final answers.
A good tutorial identifies the educational bottleneck. A learner who recognises many characters but cannot summarise a passage needs a different response from one who has ideas but cannot retrieve words while speaking. Someone who writes long, elaborate paragraphs but misses an email’s required points should practise task analysis and relevance, not merely more sophisticated vocabulary. A student who performs adequately without time pressure but collapses under timed conditions needs routines for choosing, sequencing and checking work.
When the tutor takes the first exercise as a diagnostic, three distinct pathways can appear in a single session. One student may need the meaning of a connector clarified, a second may need their answer shortened to match a question, and a third may need to explain why a sentence supports an inference. The common topic lets students hear alternatives. The individual feedback makes the time educationally valuable.
Smaller groups also increase the chance of participation; they do not guarantee participation. A tutor must stop one confident speaker from taking all the turns, create safe opportunities for shy students to attempt answers, and make sure everyone receives feedback. The measure is not whether the tutor spoke impressively. It is whether each learner attempted something difficult, understood at least one correction and could perform a fresh task without the tutor finishing the sentence.
Parents should distinguish an explanation from a correction. An explanation shows a method or idea. A correction identifies what was wrong in the learner’s original attempt and how to repair it. Both matter. A lesson that offers only elegant model answers may feel impressive while leaving no evidence of changed ability. A lesson that circles errors without explaining them is equally unsatisfactory.
How diagnosis leads to a proportionate teaching plan
Collect four pieces of work before committing to a long programme: a piece of writing, a short unseen reading-comprehension answer, an oral explanation and a listening task. The samples need not be large or high-stakes; they should be authentic enough to reveal the student’s thinking. Compare them with school comments where available. Ask the child what they understood, where they became uncertain and whether they could repair the mistake when shown the question again.
Sort each mistake by cause rather than label every error “careless”. Possible causes include missing vocabulary, misreading the question, weak sentence construction, no evidence for an inference, incomplete task coverage, poor idea organisation, difficulty retrieving language quickly and rushing at the end. An error may have more than one cause. The tutor should identify the most consequential one and explain why that target comes first.
For example, suppose a student gives a correct general opinion during an oral task but cannot extend it when asked “为什么?” A useful intervention may teach the learner to provide a reason and one concrete scenario. If the next unfamiliar question also produces a supported answer, the skill is beginning to transfer. Memorising ten paragraphs on predicted oral topics would not demonstrate the same improvement.
A parent should expect the diagnosis to change as the student learns. When a beginner can finally answer the question directly, the next step might be precision, nuance or faster independent retrieval. When an advanced student begins making fewer content errors, the next step might be responding to complex counterarguments or writing under realistic time limits. Effective tuition does not keep the student on the same worksheets because a fixed package says it must.
What a well-designed 90-minute lesson can look like
Here is an illustrative lesson structure, not a promise of an identical timetable for every Chinese class. The first ten minutes involve short retrieval: previously corrected vocabulary, an explanation of last week’s mistake or an unprompted answer. Fifteen minutes then examine one current school question or a representative error from homework. The tutor chooses a manageable target, such as identifying a reading inference or improving relevance in practical writing.
The next twenty minutes teach the relevant method. For example, the tutor might distinguish describing an event from explaining its cause, or show how an email’s tone changes with its recipient. Students compare two answers and explain which better meets the question. This stage should involve asking and thinking, not simply watching the tutor deliver a polished answer.
The following twenty minutes give each learner an individual task at an appropriate difficulty. The tutor checks responses and offers targeted feedback. A student who is struggling receives a short prompt and then tries again; a confident student is challenged with a new situation rather than made to wait. Fifteen further minutes allow learners to discuss selected answers, practise correcting them and articulate the reason for a change. The final ten minutes are for independent retrieval and a realistic home-practice assignment.
A writing-intensive week may redistribute the minutes so that students can draft and redraft. A listening-focused week may use two short audio passages with evidence checks. The point is not that the numbers are magic. It is that every segment should have a job and that time should be reserved to test whether the student can actually use what was taught.
At the end of a month, the tutor should be able to show a sample written before instruction, the correction, and a new piece produced independently. The parent can then distinguish improvement from assistance. A notebook full of exercises without a clear error pattern is a record of activity, not a convincing progress report.
Benefits of a three-person tutorial and the conditions behind them
First, more frequent individual turns can reveal mistakes that a quieter student might conceal in a larger class. This benefit appears only when the tutor creates a fair participation routine. Second, fast feedback can stop a flawed method from becoming a habit; this depends on the tutor understanding the actual subject and syllabus. Third, students can learn from contrasting answers and explanations; this works when peer discussion remains respectful and the tutor checks that nobody simply copies another child.
Fourth, a carefully matched group can encourage steady practice. Seeing a peer attempt a difficult answer may make a hesitant learner more willing to try. Fifth, the tutor can record repeated errors and adapt teaching faster because there are fewer students to observe. Sixth, parents can receive clearer feedback on the learner’s writing, speaking, reading and listening rather than a generic promise that the child has “covered” examination content.
None of these benefits is guaranteed by class size alone. There is limited value in paying for three seats if one learner dominates, the group mixes incompatible examination levels without differentiation, or work is set and marked generically. There is also no sound basis for promising a particular A1 or other grade from tuition attendance. Better teaching can improve the conditions for learning, but a student’s outcome depends on attendance, prior knowledge, home practice, school assessment and many other factors.
Consequences and limits that deserve equal attention
A tuition decision has costs beyond fees. Consider travel time, fatigue after school, CCA commitments, additional homework, reduced reading for pleasure and the effect on sleep. A lesson may be short, yet the total journey, waiting and preparation make the evening longer. A family should compare the educational benefit with the practical cost to the learner’s full week.
A student may also feel inferior if paired with peers working at a very different level. Another may become dependent on heavily corrected model answers and lose the ability to start a task alone. A third may do many extra worksheets while still misunderstanding why an answer is incomplete. When these things happen, the solution is not automatically more practice. Revisit the teaching method, the group match and the nature of the feedback.
The alternative to tuition is not necessarily doing nothing. School consultation, a focused home routine, reading appropriate Chinese articles, practice using official or school-approved material, occasional individual coaching, and a smaller number of carefully corrected tasks can all be useful. A highly independent learner may not need weekly paid classes. A learner with significant foundational difficulties may initially need one-to-one help before a group is suitable.
Good tuition should make itself less necessary over time. As independence improves, prompts should be withdrawn. Parents should not judge success solely by how dependent the child becomes on a particular tutor or tuition centre. A student who can plan, attempt, check and correct new questions independently is gaining capability that lasts beyond one examination.
Comparing tuition formats without slogans
A three-learner tutorial offers a potential combination of close feedback and interaction. A one-to-one lesson offers full attention and may be particularly suitable when the learner’s difficulty is urgent or highly individual, although it removes live peer comparisons. A larger class can provide structure and may be affordable, but individual oral and written corrections may be less frequent. Structured self-study can be efficient for students with good comprehension and self-correction habits, but weaker learners may repeat misconceptions without noticing.
No fair comparison uses price per lesson alone. Families should count how much of the lesson creates actionable feedback, whether tasks fit the relevant syllabus, whether the student is actually speaking or writing, and whether the programme changes when the original weakness has improved. The cheapest option may be wasteful if little learning occurs; the most expensive option may be unnecessary when school support already works.
Before registering, ask to see a sample marked answer with an explanation of what was learned. Ask how the tutor plans for mixed ability, what happens when a student cannot answer, and how progress is checked without assistance. Ask about the full fee, material costs, make-up policy, notice period and homework commitment. These questions expose operational quality more reliably than a photograph of an attractive classroom.
How families can evaluate progress fairly
Set a baseline rather than guess. Record a short response for each skill under conditions the child can realistically repeat. For writing, keep the original task and the draft before correction. For reading, retain the question, text and answer. For speaking, keep brief notes about the response’s relevance and supporting reasons; record audio only with appropriate consent. For listening, note whether the student understood the sequence of events and final meaning, not simply how many questions were guessed correctly.
Choose two measures that connect to the diagnosed problem. For a weak writer, they might be covering all email requirements and using an appropriate register. For a reader, they might be locating evidence and making a supported inference. For an oral learner, they might be answering the exact question and giving one useful explanation without a scripted prompt. Repeat the measures on new material of similar difficulty, not the exact same memorised worksheet.
Improvement may come in stages. The student first understands the explanation when shown a model, then succeeds with a prompt, then performs independently on a familiar question, and finally transfers the method to an unfamiliar one. The last stage is the strongest evidence. Parents should ask whether the child can teach back the method in plain language or Chinese and identify the sort of question it solves.
If progress does not appear, ask a diagnostic question rather than blame the child for insufficient effort. Was the original problem described accurately? Are tasks too easy or too difficult? Does the student actually receive corrections? Is the practice schedule sustainable? Would a different format or school-led support be more appropriate? A credible tutor should be willing to revisit the plan.
A four-week school-and-home support cycle
In week one, gather school information and a baseline. Identify one priority rather than create a list of twenty goals. Have the student complete a short independent task and explain what felt difficult. Choose a practical routine that fits the family, perhaps reading a short article on two days, practising a paragraph on one day and reviewing an error log on another.
In week two, teach and practise the missing method. The tutor or parent should use one or two clear examples and let the learner try a related question independently. Give specific feedback: “you cited the event but did not explain its cause” is more actionable than “write better.” In week three, change the context. A skill that only appears with the original teacher’s prompts has not yet transferred. Practise using the method without the model in front of the student.
In week four, review a fresh short task and ask for the student’s reflection. Which problem can they now solve? Which mistake still appears? What amount of practice can they sustain? Decide whether to continue, change, reduce or stop the tuition. A review appointment can prevent a family from continuing a poor fit simply because a package has become routine.
Questions parents often ask
Is three the ideal number for every Secondary 4 student?
No. Three is a useful design choice only if the tutor can give everyone participation, correction and a suitable level of work. One-to-one support, a larger class or self-study may work better depending on the learner’s needs.
Do small groups guarantee a higher grade?
No. A tutor can explain a teaching plan and provide learning evidence but cannot responsibly guarantee a particular national examination score or grade. The correct evaluation is whether the student can perform comparable tasks independently.
Does an estate-specific page confirm a Chinese tuition centre operates in that estate?
No. A local parent guide describes decisions relevant to families in an area; it is not a booking calendar or a promise of a current tutor, venue or available seat. Verify the provider’s actual subject offering and location.
Is G3 Chinese equivalent to Higher Chinese?
No. G3 Chinese Language K320 and G3 Higher Chinese K355 are separate 2027 SEC subjects. Teaching and practice must match the student’s actual subject, and school placement requirements take precedence.
Can a learner switch Chinese subject level?
Subject-level arrangements under Full Subject-Based Banding depend on school processes and eligibility. Do not assume tuition can change a school subject placement or guarantee a different national examination registration. Ask the school directly.
Should the child memorise model essays or oral speeches?
Examples can demonstrate language and structure, but wholesale memorisation can fail when the question changes. A learner should understand why an answer works and adapt the method to new topics with their own ideas.
Is it too late to start preparing in Secondary 4?
A targeted plan may still address a specific recurring weakness, but the time available and examination schedule matter. Start by identifying the most consequential error and choosing realistic practice rather than demanding an impossible overhaul.
Is more homework automatically better?
No. Practice helps when it is appropriate, corrected and transferred. Excessive homework can reduce sleep and increase avoidance without repairing the original misunderstanding.
What if the student is shy during oral lessons?
The tutor should use supportive turn-taking, initial low-pressure prompts and fair participation. Some students need an individual bridge or another environment before joining a group. Anxiety is not solved by embarrassment.
Should every pupil attend paid Chinese tuition?
No. Effective school instruction and a sustainable independent routine may suffice. Tuition is an optional intervention when a particular difficulty needs additional diagnosis or practice.
How the eduKate approach should be judged
This site has long used tightly structured, definition-first subject guides with a clear first-paragraph answer, a visible lesson mechanism, specific practice examples and a parent’s decision path. Those editorial features can make an article easier to understand and navigate. They are not evidence, by themselves, that Google ranks a page well. Search visibility depends on many external signals; parents should judge the usefulness and accuracy of the explanation rather than any marketing claim about rankings.
The Clementi Secondary 1 Mathematics small-group reference describes a different subject, a specific educational transition and an example of 3-pax tutorials. It is a structural editorial reference, not evidence that the mathematics tutor teaches Chinese, and it should remain unchanged. The same transparency is required here: confirm current Chinese tuition offerings rather than inferring them from an educational article.
Parents can continue reading How G3 Chinese Language Works, How G2 Chinese Language Works, The SEAB Syllabus: 2027 SEC Chinese G1 G2 G3 and The Gold Standard of Secondary 4 Chinese Tuition. The eduKate parent consultation page is a way to ask about suitable current assistance without assuming that any particular class is available.
Bedok further reading
This page complements What Happens in Secondary 4 Bedok Chinese Tuition and the Tampines listening and oral guide. It focuses specifically on a reader’s decision about three-learner tuition and the mechanisms of writing improvement, rather than treating all tuition formats as equally useful for every student.
