Jφss Sticks

Why is this website called Joss Sticks? What the heck is all this Buddha foot thingy? Are you some religious fanatic? I’m confused! My head hurts!

For the benefit of some readers who might not yet be aware, according to Wikipedia, joss sticks are “a type of incense, traditionally most often burned before a Chinese religious image, idol, or shrine.”

There is also a traditional Chinese saying which goes like this:

平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚

Using an online translator, this can be loosely translated as “Never burn joss sticks when all is well, but hug Buddha’s foot when in distress”.

How on earth is this related to students studying for O-Level Mathematics in Singapore is something Miss Loi shall leave you to ponder yourself.

What is a Joss Sticks Session?

Following the Chinese saying in the previous question, one must always burn joss sticks regularly to avoid contracting the terrifying LMBFH Syndrome.

Going beyond the rhetoric, Joss Sticks refers to Miss Loi’s challenging set of exam paper questions and a Joss Sticks Session is then, quite simply, an intensive Maths tuition class conducted by the Venerable Miss Loi.

Do you teach PSLE/Sec One/Sec Two/Sec Three/JC/Uni Maths?

Ah … the mother of all FAQs.

Strictly speaking Miss Loi has taught them all. However, due to time slots & class size constraints, and a severe manpower crisis (i.e. there’s only one Miss Loi), priority shall always be given to students taking their O-Levels in the current year, since they are in the ones in most dire need of Miss Loi’s salvation.

Do you have a schedule of all your classes?

It does vary from time to time but in general,

• Normal group tuition classes are held over the weekends from Friday afternoons to Sundays.
• During school holidays and just before major exams like the O-Levels, intensive Mega Joss Sticks Sessions are usually held daily during the course of the holidays.
• To avoid clashing with the classes, private one-to-one tuition are normally scheduled on weekdays.

For more updates, Miss Loi’s latest class schedule can always be found here. Alternately, you can click on the pretty Class Schedule Link at the top of this website!

What’s the duration of each session? What is covered in one session?

Each session is 2 hours, give and take. Normally one chapter from the syllabus will be covered in a session.

Will I be able to fit in with the rest of the class?

As far as possible, students of similar learning abilities shall be grouped together in a class. Normally Miss Loi will assess and gauge your current standard when you first contact her as well as during your first lesson with her.

Must I attend EVERY session? What if I can’t make it to certain sessions?

Strictly speaking, no. There are students who selectively attend certain sessions based on the topics they are weak in.

If you are unable to come for a session, please inform Miss Loi in advance so that a make-up session can be arranged for you.

What is provided at each joss sticks session?

Apart from Miss Loi’s legendary all-out teaching, text books, 10-year series, worksheets, formula sheets, graph papers and selected killer questions from Miss Loi’s exam papers are all available to make your stay a pleasant one.

As an added bonus, mini-tests and homework are usually thrown in at the end of each session.

What do I need to bring for each joss sticks session?

Apart from yourself (duh), please bring along your calculator, mathematical instrument (e.g. compass), and your personal stationery to jot down important tips and notes.

But most importantly, you must bring along your finished homework from the previous session!

What is this whole Temple thingy?

Typically, the Chinese burn joss sticks in a temple. So naturally Miss Loi needs a Temple for her joss sticks sessions!

Where on Earth is Miss Loi’s Temple?

Ah … the mother-in-law of all FAQs.

Sorry, to prevent the massed ranks of stalkers from pouncing on Miss Loi when she least expects, the exact location of Miss Loi’s Temple shall only be known to her students.

Those with too much time on their hands may wish to check out this post for some clues and sign postings.

What does Miss Loi’s Temple offer to students?

For a tour of the Temple’s modern state-of-the-art facilities, do visit this post and this post.

If you happen to be feeling hungry during the tour, do check out the gastronomical delights on offer at The Temple too!

I’ve just signed up as a user on your website. Why am I only allowed to preview a few papers only?

To access our full range of exam papers for each subject you’ll need to be subscribed to the relevant Packages.

What is included in each subject package that I’m subscribed to?

You will get to access our challenging series of mid-year and preliminary exam papers for that subject, which are structured to closely simulate actual prevailing exam conditions. In addition, you’ll also able to access our comprehensive topical exercises that are designed to strengthen a student’s understanding of particular subject topics.

Please see our Packages for more details.

Are answers provided?

Of course! Miss Loi doesn’t want you to grope around in the dark!

Do you have exam papers for other subjects?

At this point in time, Miss Loi offers Sec One/Two Mathematics and Sec Three/O-Level A/E-Maths as these are her specialties. However do check back as she does not rule out expanding her range of subject offerings in the future!

How long will my package subscription be valid?

To synchronize with the yearly release of exam papers, package subscription validity is for the duration of the prevailing year (i.e. 1 January to 31 December) of your subscription activation. Of course Miss Loi will make special concession (on case-by-case basis) for those signing up late in the year.

How do I subscribe to your packages?

At this point in time, kindly contact Miss Loi directly to subscribe. Your subscription will be activated upon receipt of your payment.

How do I make payment? Do you accept credit card?

At this point in time, we are just a humble startup not yet equipped with the latest and greatest e-commerce and e-payment system. So Miss Loi would be eternally grateful if you could make payment simply via cash or cheque.

Hey I found an error in your exam paper!

If you find an error please contact Miss Loi immediately so that she can make the necessary changes and upload a new version for everyone to download again!

And thanks for reminding Miss Loi that she’s basically human after all

What are my system requirements to view the exam papers?

The main (and normally the only) software thingy you’ll need is Adobe Reader®, which comes preinstalled in many computer systems these days.

You’ll also need a relatively modern web browser to view the exam papers - this could be Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, Opera or whatever. In fact if this website looks fine to you right now, you’d probably be OK!

In our push for web standards and accessibility compliance, we do not favor nor limit you to one particular browser only, and you do NOT need to have javascript or cookies enabled. Notice the absence of the “Best viewed in … ” message?

Last but not least, you’ll need a printer to print your exam papers!

I cannot view any exam papers! When I click on an exam paper icon I see only a blank window!

The exam papers require the latest Acrobat Plugin that comes with Adobe Reader® in order for them to be viewed properly. Please make sure you have downloaded and installed Adobe Reader® in your system.

Secondly, your session might have timed-out (did you left your computer and came back after a period of time?). Simply re-login and things should be fine!

My exam paper looks small when printed out!

Ensure page orientation in your Printer Properties is set to Landscape. You may skip this step if you have the Auto-Rotate and Center option checked (for supported printers).

I’ve forgotten my password!

Don’t worry! Click here and Miss Loi’s trusty Webmaster will send you a new one!

I signed-up at your website but I have not received any password from you!

Please make sure you ‘ve entered a valid email address in the sign-up form. If you’re sure your email is valid, please look in the spam, trash, junk, bulk or the relevant anti-spam folder of your email software to see if our email have been mistakenly filtered there.

Else, please email Miss Loi’s trusty Webmaster.

I have a technical problem that is not described here! / I still can’t view your exam papers dammit!

You’ve guessed it! For all technical-related issues, please email Miss Loi’s trusty Webmaster!

To facilitate the troubleshooting effort, it would be really, really helpful if you could furnish the following information in your email:

• The operating system of your computer (i.e. Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS etc.)
• The web browser you were using and its version (i.e. Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2 etc.)
• Error messages (if any)
• An attached screenshot of the error page, if possible

Last but not least, when all seems lost, sometimes a simple reboot can work wonders!