Hi,
I'm Tim.
My Story
You might be wondering why I'm the right tutor for you or your child.
Let me tell you my story, and hopefully you'll know why.
It all began in 2014, when my life turned upside down.
2014 - Helping out friends and family with homework
I had just received a scholarship to study in Singapore. This meant uprooting the nice and comfortable life I had in Jakarta, Indonesia, where I grew up, -- leaving my friends and family behind -- and moving to Singapore. This was a scary and exciting time in my life.
In order to receive this scholarship, I had gone through rounds and rounds of aptitude tests and interviews. From this experience, the scholarship application process is something that I know intimately, and I am confident I can help you get the scholarship of your dreams too.
In Singapore, I realized that resting and relaxing are a part of being productive.
In this picture, I was totally being productive.
People in Indonesia have the tendency to view overseas education as a sign of intelligence (though, honestly it's arguable), and so many of my family and friends asked me to tutor them or their children. That was how I started as a tutor. I mainly tutored elementary school math and English, but I also did physics and other general tutoring. By the end of my time studying in Singapore in 2018, I had turned my part-time tutoring gig into a more professional endeavor.
I enjoy music and performing from time to time in Singapore. This is me playing the cajon for a charity concert. I wasn't just watching the other guys play, I swear.
2018 - Setting up a tuition center
My friends and I returned to Jakarta, Indonesia and established Bright Scholars Tuition Center, a tuition service aimed at helping Indonesian students get scholarships to study in Singapore. I was in charge of the English curriculum, and I taught English composition, comprehension, and interview skills.
Until the end of the Tuition Center in 2019, when I had to continue my studies in Japan, fifty percent of our students successfully received scholarships from the Singaporean government.
A picture of Bright Scholars Tuition Center (I am in the black shirt at the back). Fifty percent of these students eventually received a scholarship!
2019 - Tutoring the expat community in Japan
I then moved to Tokyo, Japan to study international law, focusing on the rights of children. There, I also quickly took on tutoring jobs -- from teaching English to elementary schoolchildren, to IB Mathematics and Physics. Living in Tokyo was vibrant and I thoroughly enjoyed tutoring and interacting with all my students there.
Besides tutoring, I also worked as a soccer coach in Japan. Here's a pic of me with my totally kawaii students. (I'm the big guy on the left)
2020 - Guiding other people with their university application
Soon, some people started contacting me online, asking me about how to study in Japan, especially in English. They were my first clients as an Education Consultant, and I helped them with their university application. I began researching about English programs at other universities besides my own, and as a result, I have extensive knowledge of the Japanese university application process. As a MEXT scholarship recipient, I am also well-informed on the scholarship application procedure.
A hobby I developed in Japan was going to the gym. One time a guy called me 'bro' at the gym so I'm officially a gymbro.
2021 - Headhunted for TOEFL & GRE prep
Then, an acquaintance in China reached out to me, asking me to help them with TOEFL and SAT. Having scored excellently in both tests myself, I agreed and became an online tutor for standardized tests with an agency in Zhengzhou, China. I taught exam taking skills and helped hundreds of students succeed in their tests. I was quickly promoted from a TOEFL and SAT tutor to being in charge of the GRE test. I'm proud to say that my students at the agency consistently scored 330+, which is the 90th percentile.
I think it's cool that what started as helping out friends and family with their schoolwork has turned into a side gig that allows me to teach at all these cool places
From all my experiences, it is clear that my talents lie in helping people succeed in their education. From basic school and homework help, to IB/IGCSE/'O' Level prep, to TOEFL/GRE practice, or even university and scholarship application guidance, I can confidently say: very few people can tutor you better than I can.
Hopefully all this has convinced you that I am the right tutor for you. If you've read this far, thanks! Feel free to contact me using the form below :)
-Tim