Previously, I was never one who would be motivated for English. I did not know how to study for it, how to prepare for it, and most importantly, how to score for it. I had the common misconception that English cannot be studied, and that scoring for English needed luck and flair.
Now, after lessons with Mr. Russell first in school, and then later at TTT (after he left MOE), I realised that it is actually possible to score well if we develop the correct techniques and strategies needed to answer the questions. I changed my entire approach when answering questions, and had been consistently changing my mindset to achieve a better attitude and outlook towards the subject. TTT has given me the adequate practices needed through consistent, targeted and effective drill worksheets, allowing me to identify my strengths and weaknesses easily. TTT has helped me to see the various possible methods or solutions to tackling a problem, and has allowed me to develop the appropriate thinking process to analyse and tackle the comprehension questions effectively. And thanks to the guidance of Mr. Russell, I have consistently maintained the top position in my class, as well as a top 3 position in the cohort in Secondary 2, 3 and 4. This is coming from someone who had been scoring C6s previously. I will also always remember how my classmates and I felt so much joy when we emerged and maintained our position as the top class for English in Secondary 2, with an MSG of 2.2 (average A2), far ahead of the other classes which had an average MSG of 3.6 (average B4). Even though he left our school, his ability to produce results and dominate student rankings in Unity remained the same, with TTT students claiming the top few spots in four out of five express classes in school. I also found out that nearly all of the students who obtained a distinction for the secondary 4 prelims also came from TTT. In my class, the top 3 students, myself included, all studied at TTT. Mr. Russell is definitely someone who can produce quality results!
Mr Russell is a very fun yet impressively effective teacher who is extremely passionate in helping us master our command of the language. For example, he often cracks jokes to make us smile while simultaneously teaching us the syllabus in a comprehensive yet efficient manner. His notes are extremely thorough and meticulously-written, and they have been especially helpful in helping us study for our English exams and to master the appropriate skills, which are not taught in schools. A salient example would be his essay notes. They have been particularly helpful for my revision for O Levels as it helps me to gain more clarity of what a model essay should contain, and how I can work towards achieving a distinction for my own essay.
As someone who had never seen the value of tuition, and never believed in the effectiveness of external classes, TTT is truly a centre I will never regret joining. I learnt how to analyse the requirements of this subject differently, and to approach any kind of situation in various ways. Thank you Mr Russell for putting in so much work consistently, and for never losing your faith in us. You have truly motivated us to do better and to set higher expectations and goals for ourselves. I would strongly recommend everyone to join TTT as it is one of the best decisions I have made so far. I believe TTT is the best choice as all the types of approaches, skills, techniques and strategies are thoroughly covered and evaluated critically to provide the best for their students so that they are able to achieve a good score for their O Levels!