FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
what makes msl different?
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WHAT MAKES MSL DIFFERENT?
Our teaching process is specifically designed to speed up student learning, having been refined over 15 years of operation. This is the secret to our success.
Our students learn in 1 year what would usually take them over 2 years to learn elsewhere.
We've cut out the ineffective, unhelpful, time-wasting tasks that other programs incorporate. Instead, we focus on the essential skills and topics students need to know for their school assessments.
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WHAT MAKES MSL DIFFERENT?
How we speed up learning (Part 1)
- Every lesson, your child will work on at least 2 core skills assessed in the HSC.
- For English-based courses, your child will submit up to 3 pieces of writing every lesson for personalised, detailed feedback.
- For Maths, your child will have access to a wide range of learning resources and practice material.
- Our tutors put in a lot of time and effort outside of lessons to go through students’ work, leave detailed comments and prepare for class.
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WHAT MAKES MSL DIFFERENT?
How we speed up learning (Part 2)
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- We issue weekly homework tasks & a completion report, which includes regular feedback from your child’s tutor.
- We provide a Student Report every term so you can track your child’s overall progress and current abilities.
- In addition to your child’s personal tutor, our Head Tutor will also oversee your child’s progress.
ONLINE OR IN-PERSON LESSONS?
One-to-one or group lessons?
How do I find the right tutor?
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ONLINE OR IN-PERSON LESSONS?
Many parents experience the frustration of trying multiple tuition centres when their children have failed to make meaningful progress. Many parents also aren't sure what to look for when seeking a good tutor.
Most of our enquiries focus on lesson cost, setting and format. However, in reality, we have seen students who have been let down by all kinds of tuition. Therefore, we encourage parents not to focus solely on these factors.
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ONLINE OR IN-PERSON LESSONS?
Teacher quality matters more
Focus on finding the best tutor instead by following these steps:
1. Ask for a trial lesson
2. Look for tutors who can speed up learning
3. Recognise that being knowledgeable isn't enough
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ONLINE OR IN-PERSON LESSONS?
1. Ask for a trial lesson.
All tutors look good on paper - many have achieved 99.95 ATARs and claim to produce top results in their students. We believe that the only way to really find out if a tutor is right for you is to try a lesson with him or her.
If a tutor is 'the one', you will be surprised at how much you can learn after only 1 or 2 lessons.
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ONLINE OR IN-PERSON LESSONS?
2. Good tutors can speed up your learning.
If a lesson is half the cost but takes a student twice as long to learn, is it a good investment?
No! In the end, progress will be too slow and the student will be behind in their learning. It is far better to learn fast with a good quality tutor who has the right experience and know-how to speed up your learning.
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ONLINE OR IN-PERSON LESSONS?
3. Being knowledgeable isn't enough.
The right tutor will be more than capable of helping students in any setting (e.g. one-on-one, online, etc). We want parents to instead focus on the special techniques the tutor uses to help students learn faster and understand things better. Good tutors are not only those who are very knowledgeable, but those who can also clearly convey such knowledge to their students.
This is the difference between a high-achiever and a tutor.
do you offer any discounts OR SPECIAL RATES?
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
We completely understand that the added cost of tutoring can be concerning to some, especially those who are looking for their first tutor. Unfortunately, we currently aren't in a position to offer discounted rates or price-match for several reasons:
1. Extensive support and feedback
2. Faster learning
3. Better resources
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
1. Extensive support and feedback
We provide an extensive level of support and personal feedback to all of our students every week, and we believe that this is one of the factors that differentiates us from other education providers. Nevertheless, in order to maintain this level of support, there is a significant amount of time and work involved on our end behind the scenes, outside of scheduled lesson times.
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
2. Faster learning
Our training programs are also specifically designed to teach students what they need to know as fast as possible. We've cut out the ineffective, unhelpful, time-wasting tasks that many cheaper programs incorporate. Instead, we focus on the essential skills and topics students need to know for their school assessments.
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
2. Faster learning
In our experience, Year 12 students and those who have fallen behind in their studies really appreciate the value of paying more to learn in 1 year what would usually take them over 2 years to learn with a cheaper program. Better yet, we find that one term with us is enough for students to see how much progress they can make with our training.
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
3. Better resources & teaching experience
Private tutors are usually first/second-year university students with little teaching material prepared and/or teaching experience. On the other hand, our established training programs have been running for over 10 years and have a proven track record of success. They are designed in accordance with the school syllabus to ensure students are learning the essential skills and topics they need to know for their school assessments.
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
3. Better resources & teaching experience
They also come with a variety of learning resources for students to practise on and refine their skills.
We have a wealth of teaching experience behind us so we know what works and what doesn’t.
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DO YOU OFFER ANY DISCOUNTS OR SPECIAL RATES?
For these reasons, we are not currently in a position to offer discounted rates or price-match.
Instead, if cost is what is stopping you from giving us a go, we encourage you to start with one subject first and see how your child progresses over the term before adding on further subjects.
what happens if my child can't attend a lesson?
Do you do casual, ad-hoc lessons?
Can I sign up for half a term? One lesson every two weeks?
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What happens if MY CHILD can't attend a lesson?
1. Full commitment
To make sure students make meaningful progress in their learning after their initial trial lesson, we ask that they commit to at least one 2-hour lesson each week for one full term (per subject) instead of just attending casual lessons, such as when it is close to exams. Without consistent input from both the tutor and students week after week, we find that students simply can't retain what they have been taught or apply it to more complex questions.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD CAN'T ATTEND A LESSON?
1. Full commitment
There is no shortcut to success.
Without consistent practice and hard work, progress is slow.
From our experience, it can take a lot longer than parents expect for students to make a turn-around.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD CAN'T ATTEND A LESSON?
2. Absences
That being said, we understand that there are times when students will not be able to attend their scheduled lessons.
We do not offer make-up lessons or refunds as this can lead to students or tutors failing to attend consistently. It would also be extremely difficult for our tutors to reschedule dozens of students every week.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD CAN'T ATTEND A LESSON?
2. Absences
Instead, we've designed our training programs such that, when students are absent, they are still able to catch up on what they've missed in their own time before the next lesson.
Since our lessons always build on previous learning, our students will never be at a complete loss as to how to catch up at home.
how do i know if/when my child needs tutoring?
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HOW DO I KNOW IF/WHEN MY CHILD NEEDS TUTORING?
In reality, a great proportion of students have fallen behind and struggle to comprehend the basics. Additionally, many students have already developed a poor learning attitude before they've reached Year 12. Worse still, these problems usually only become obvious when it is too late.
The uncomfortable truth is that these students often run out of time as they constantly try to catch up.
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HOW DO I KNOW IF/WHEN MY CHILD NEEDS TUTORING?
We need a serious rethink on the way students learn, especially outside of school, as it can make a huge difference to their overall performance.
Rather than waiting for cracks to show, we encourage students to follow high achievers in proactively seeking extra training outside of school to bring out the best in them and help them stay on a level-playing field with their peers.
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HOW DO I KNOW IF/WHEN MY CHILD NEEDS TUTORING?
When students fall behind, parents often underestimate the efforts required to engineer a turnaround for students and time is often not on their side. A better strategy is to simply do what high achievers do in every field – Use additional training as a means to speed up learning and boost performance. Control your own destiny.
Parents should also closely monitor their children's progress and check whether they can truly understand everything they have been taught in or outside school.
Also see 'I hate seeing my child stressed. What can I do?'
WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO KEEP UP?
How fast can my child improve?
How 'intensive' are the training programs?
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WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO KEEP UP?
It is important to understand that MSL doesn’t condone complacency nor the relentless pursuit of perfection. Instead, we work with students to push their limits and bring out the best in them.
Our personalised approach to student learning, where lessons are capped at 2 students, and our close monitoring of students' progress make our programs highly effective for students at any ability level.
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WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO KEEP UP?
Our programs are designed so that students who are willing to work hard to improve fast will see meaningful progress every lesson. In other words, those who show consistent effort are encouraged to learn more and progress faster.
On the other hand, if students feel overwhelmed with their workload between school, tutoring and extracurricular activities, we will work closely with them (and parents) to make sure they are able to learn at their own pace. Our students don't have to worry about falling behind other students or the tutor’s teaching schedule.
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WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO KEEP UP?
That being said, there is no shortcut to success. All parents are understandably keen to see immediate results in their children. However, we find that many students have become unmotivated and complacent, a problem usually deep-rooted in a lack of training in their early years. Without consistent practice and hard work, progress is slow.
We all wish that there was a 'switch' for these students to become hard-working instantly but from our experience, it can take a lot longer than expected for students to make a turn-around. Having the best coach is only the beginning. The rest depends on you.
MY CHILD IS UNMOTIVATED. WHAT CAN I DO?
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MY CHILD IS UNMOTIVATED AND ALWAYS
LEAVES WORK UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE
This is a very common issue and we firmly believe that parents play the most significant role in these circumstances! In these cases, we work closely with parents to make sure students' habits at home are closely monitored and regulated.
It is critical that we have parental support and involvement as we cannot see what students are doing with their time at home and how they are managing their workload.
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MY CHILD IS UNMOTIVATED AND ALWAYS
LEAVES WORK UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE
Although it may be uncomfortable at first for parents to enforce rules and strictly monitor students' homework, this is one of the most effective ways to change behaviour in the long-term. In our experience, it is incredibly difficult to motivate students to want to change their habits after years of complacency. External pressure, although uncomfortable for both parents and students, is often crucial in the initial stages.
Without parental support, the unfortunate reality is that even the best coach or training will be defeated if a student’s heart is not in it.
I HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED. WHAT CAN I DO?
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i HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED.
First, it is crucial to understand why your child is under stress. Talk to your child often about the causes of their stress and their performance at school.
There are 2 main causes of stress:
- Stress from falling behind
- Stress from taking work seriously
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i HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED. WHAT CAN I DO?
1. Stress from falling behind
Sometimes, stress is an indicator that a child is falling behind in his/her studies and needs urgent support. As parents, it is extremely important to keep an eye out and intervene early if children fall behind. Both parents and students need to take action quickly.
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I HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED. WHAT CAN I DO?
1. Stress from falling behind
If you are becoming concerned that your child is falling behind, get their ability level assessed urgently so you can be ready to provide further support if required. Better yet, rather than waiting for cracks to show, we encourage parents and students to follow high achievers in proactively seeking extra training outside of school to bring out the best in them and help them stay on a level-playing field with their peers.
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I HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED. WHAT CAN I DO?
2. Stress from taking work seriously
Alternatively, stress may be a positive sign that a child understands the importance of schooling and exams, and is taking their work seriously. They may also feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they have and be unsure of how to manage it. If this is the cause of your child’s stress, sometimes the smartest thing you can do for them is nothing at all! Let them be exposed to challenges early on so that they can learn, adapt and improve faster.
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I HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED. WHAT CAN I DO?
2. Stress from taking work seriously
It is understandable that parents often try to shield children from challenges and the pressure of exams in their early years. However, this often leads them to become complacent and unmotivated, and eventually fall behind their peers. By then, the stress parents are trying to protect their children from simply multiplies, making it even harder for them to cope as they get older and face more difficult challenges.
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I HATE SEEING MY CHILD STRESSED. WHAT CAN I DO?
2. Stress from taking work seriously
Nevertheless, continue to closely monitor your child and be ready to intervene if the stress becomes overwhelming or your child starts to fall behind in their studies.
Also see 'How do I know if/when my child needs tutoring?
WE MAKE IT POSSIBLE.
YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Intensive Training Programs
No shortcuts. No limits.
Train hard. Learn fast.
Challenge the impossible.
Our mission is to bring out the best in all our students by giving them the right training and speeding up their learning, irrespective of their initial capabilities. Anything is possible and we want them to know how to make it happen.
