Sarah Chang
Sarah is an accomplished tutor who aims to encourage a compassionate, optimistic and thought-provoking learning environment that inspires students to reach their full potential. As she draws upon her own all-rounder academic and musical achievements in school and university when teaching, Sarah understands the importance and difficulty of balancing school work on top of extra-curricular activities. She is dedicated to supporting, understanding and adapting to the individual learning needs and capabilities of each of her students.
Sarah graduated from Abbotsleigh with an ATAR of 99.85, placing overall 1st in the school for Mathematics and Music. She also placed outright 1st in NSW for both Music 2 and Music Ext. After completing a Bachelor of Medical Sciences undergraduate degree, Sarah has commenced a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine at The University of Melbourne.
Results and qualifications
- ATAR: 99.85
- State Ranks: 1st in NSW for Music 2, 1st in NSW for Music Ext.
- Prize for Music 2, 5 Sisters Prize for Music Performance, Honours Prize for Academic Achievement, UNSW Prize for Mathematics in Year 12
- Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Medical Science, Griffith University
- Postgraduate Degree: Doctor of Medicine, The University of Melbourne
- HSC Subject: Mathematics (100/100, 1st at Abbotsleigh), Mathematics Ext. 1 (49/50 in,1st at Abbotsleigh), Mathematics Ext. 2 (46/50,2nd at Abbotsleigh), Chemistry (93/100, 4th at Abbotsleigh)
- HSC Premier’s Award for All-Round Excellence (2018)
- HSC Encore Selection for Music Performance (2019 Opera House Performance)
- HSC Encore Nomination for Music Composition (2018)
Approach to tutoring
As an experienced tutor, Sarah understands that it is most important to build rapport with students and encourage a passion for learning in order to achieve long-term and sustainable academic success. To do this, Sarah aims to create a learning environment where each student feels empowered to discuss, ask questions and immerse themselves in whatever is being taught.
Sarah believes that it is important to understand the individual needs and learning capabilities of students when teaching. She is aware that each student may learn at a different pace, or in a different style to others, or will find different topics easier or harder to grasp. Sarah’s style of teaching is flexible and is aimed at catering to each students’ unique style of learning.
When tutoring Mathematics in particular, Sarah emphasises that in many cases, the process of figuring out a gruelling question may be more important than the solution itself. In her teaching, she stresses the importance of attention to detail and highlights how consistently successful results are achieved through diligent hard work.
Biography
Sarah grew up in Sydney and attended Abbotsleigh from Kindergarten to Year 12. During this time, Sarah was awarded the Academic Honours Prize consistently from Year 7 to 12 and ranked first in several subjects. In her final year, Sarah was awarded the Five Sisters Prize for Music Performance, Prize for Music 2 in Year 12, and the UNSW Prize for Mathematics in Year 12. In the 2018 HSC, Sarah received the Premier’s Award for All-Round Excellence. Additionally, she came first in the state in two subjects, Music 2 and Music Extension, and was invited to perform at the Sydney Opera House in early 2019.
Aside from her academic achievements in school and external competitions, Sarah dedicates her time to the music. Over the years she has competed in national and international violin competitions and was awarded scholarships to study in the Rising Stars Program at the University of Sydney. Sarah was recently awarded the Gold Coast Artistic Development Grant for Violin Performance in 2019. Sarah was accepted into the Bachelor of Medical Science/Doctor of Medicine at Griffith University on the Gold Coast in 2019.
When not tutoring, Sarah enjoys performing on the violin and competing in music competitions. She is also an enthusiastic tennis fan and is waiting for the day she can watch one of the Big Three (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) in real life at the Australian Open. Sarah enjoys reading in her downtime and would love to travel, hike or go on road trips more often.