Student’s Testimonials

 “Efficient, concise and clear. Mr. Julian Tan’s explanations of topics always made a great deal of sense, and I went away from lessons feeling like I had a greater understanding of the topic at hand.” 

The handwritten notes and summaries were also excellent for crystallizing the essentials, and again, the explanations for the Chemistry problems we were set were excellent. I also enjoyed that he was able to explain virtually anything at greater depth when questioned, so we were able to comprehend things from first principles instead of having to blindly accept that things were as such without knowing why.

“What was particularly memorable about Mr Tan's classes were how clear and interesting they were. Clear diagrams and a methodical, stepwise explanation helped to make understanding the chemistry concepts an easier task.”

He would highlight the key points and examples, and stress those points repeatedly, helping us identify what was fundamental to understanding the topic. Mr. Tan would also constantly link the new content to previous topics; not only was this a revision of past topics, but it also increased my appreciation for Chemistry. Apart from the syllabus, Mr. Tan would sometimes introduce us to interesting facts and exceptions relevant to the concept we were learning.

Mr Tan's friendly demeanor and his knowledge of Chemistry meant that I never hesitated to clarify my doubts, making my experience with A Levels Chemistry a rather enjoyable one.

It was also partly because of his engaging classes that I decided to take up Pharmaceutical Chemistry - and there I discovered even more intricate and fascinating aspects of Organic Chemistry, something which I am very grateful for.

To his future students: I would say that Mr Tan is one of the most capable Chemistry tutors I've been taught by, and you should definitely not waste the opportunity to increase your understanding and appreciation of Chemistry while under his tutelage.

“Very clear and systematic. He always knew what he was doing and was insistent on making sure every single concept was well-explained and that we all understood it. He was also very patient and encouraging.”

Mr Tan made A Level Chem easy to revise and kept us on or feet with his quizzes administered regularly. He has also inspired me to be as good a teacher as him.

Thank you Mr Tan for making Chem lessons so enjoyable. Admittedly I don’t quite remember a lot of the things you taught but certainly not the concern and care you showed us (: To his future students: Mr Tan is possibly the best Chem tutor one can ever have so work hard at the subject and enjoy the classes you have with him!

“He is very patient and savvy teacher. His pace and style of teaching is easily understandable and stimulating from both the faster and slower students.”

He can easily summarize the underlying principles of topics and deliver them succinctly without losing any of the keywords or essential examination elements. He occasionally delivers nuggets of extra information to maintain interest from his students. One of his best qualities is that he never gives up on his students. He never throws in the towel on his weakest students and neither does he let a fleeting question from his best ones fly by without an answer.

Most notably, he cultivated my interest in Chemistry in Year 5 when I was undecided on what I should focus on. He also spurred me to take H3 Pharmaceutical Chemistry when I was bored of the H2 syllabus.

“Besides the very useful topical summaries and exam tips, Mr Tan's enthusiasm has helped me enjoy Chemistry (when in Secondary school my enthusiasm diminished a little) tremendously.”

Dear Mr Tan, I'd like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your lessons! I hope that more students will be touched by your brilliance! Thank you very very much! (:

“Mr Tan encourages thinking and active participation. He also teaches systematic, thorough and rigorous approaches to questions. He opens students’ eyes to alternatives and makes learning fun and enlightening.
I often came out of his lessons feeling inspired to learn and understand Chemistry more profoundly.”

I loved Mr Tan’s lessons, annotated assignment answers and pop quizzes. They were good study material and kept me on the ball respectively. Mr Tan, with his energetic and enthusiastic affect, also always exhorted us to expect more of ourselves, which put a healthy amount of pressure on me that enhanced my motivation to excel.

To Mr Tan: Thank you for caring about your students beyond their academics, and thank you for consistently thinking about how to reach your students better. I could really sense and appreciate all your hard work and effort.

“Very organised teacher whose classes have a clear structure; ensures that everyone knows the fundamentals and then moves on to the more advanced theories.”

Uses creative ways of explaining difficult concepts – e.g. I still remember the colourful diagrams/chemical equations showing electron movements that you drew on the computer

Very dedicated teacher who goes above and beyond to figure out ways to consolidate and summarise information/explain difficult concepts – e.g. flowchart giving an overview of all the organic chem reactions

Ensures that everything of importance is covered and understood.

“To his future students, you are in the hands of a teacher whose dedication to excellence in academic pursuit is matched by his desire to mentor his students and care for their interests beyond the academics.
I believe that under him you will not only come to have a sound understanding of what you learn but also be encouraged and motivated as a person.”

He is a teacher who makes a great effort to package and deliver his lessons in a way that help you to grasp and understand important concepts well. He makes it a point to step back and repackage the topics taught in the school curriculum in a way that he feels makes learning more effective. When he deems necessary, he even creates his own assessments for us and prepares notes to value add to our learning.

My love for chemistry was driven further by his passion for chemistry and style of teaching. I enjoyed his very conceptual approach to chemistry, which allowed me to focus more on applying principles rather than rote memorizing, therefore allowing me to stretch my understanding beyond the curriculum. He would always be happy to answer questions beyond the curriculum, making academic discussions very engaging. He made it a point to reassure me of my abilities when I faced academic setbacks, helping me to build my confidence and continue to strive to do my very best.

To his future students, you are in the hands of a teacher whose dedication to excellence in academic pursuit is matched by his desire to mentor his students and care for their interests beyond the academics. I believe that under him you will not only come to have a sound understanding of what you learn but also be encouraged and motivated as a person.