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A Level International Exam is in Progress. Ken's Study Journey Hopes you Get Outstanding Results and A*

Frequently Answered Questions

Last Updated: 17 May 2023 17:50 (GMT+8); Most recent updated items are shown in blue.

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Personal 👦

Where are you from🏠?

I am living🏠 in Guangzhou, China🇨🇳, a popular city with developed transportations (underground🚇, BRT🚌, trams🚋) as well as beautiful tourism attractions📸.

My school is in Foshan and my hometown is in Guangxi Province.

What is your Chinese Nationality?

I am Mulao Nationality (仫佬族) which nestles in Guangxi Province (my hometown). Learn More

While I am a student🧑‍🎓 in the city🌉 (e.g. at home🏠 and school🏫), I represent one of our members🙋 of our nation enjoying😊 and showcasing🎪 our local culture🥙 in my hometown🏚️.

While I am travelling✈️, apart from discovering knowledge🔬, I learn about some local cultures🥙, including food🌮, language🌎 and habits.

Me in Shiwei Ancient Town
What is your English🇬🇧 ability?

I passed🎫 Cambridge KET and PET, but I am going to fix my English pronunciation problem📣 for several months.

I also have taken an IELTS exam📝, with a Band 7.0 score. (Listening: 7.5; Reading: 7.0; Writing: 6.0; Speaking: 6.5)

Why is your English grammar or pronunciation📣 usually wrong?

This is because I didn't study well📝 in the past⏳ until 2019⌛️, so I need some time🕰️ to improve my English skills.

Note: This problem is being mitigated✅ since I have the opportunity to practise English💬 at my school and IELTS lessons.

Do you use English🇬🇧 or Chinese🇨🇳 to talk with your schoolmates?

When I talk with my new schoolmates, I will use English🇬🇧 first because it can improve my English communication skills. Then use Chinese🇨🇳 only if they cannot speak English.

Also, my school🏫 uses English to teach knowledge at all.

What devices💻 do you have?
  • 💻 MacBook Pro 2020 (Intel chip; 4 Type-C ports)
  • ⌨️ Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse (use at my home)
  • 🎧 AirPods Pro (first generation)
  • 🏷️ 4 AirTags (on my backpack🎒, pencil case🗃️, water bottle🥤 and luggage🧳)
  • ⌚️ Apple Watch 7
  • 📱 iPhone 13 Pro
  • 📱 iPad Air (5th generation)
Do you take naps🛏️ at noon?

No. I don't take a nap🛏️ at noon. Some international exams📝 take place at 13:00.

What do you usually do in your free time⏳?

I utilise my free time⏳ to study faster than others.

For example, I remember English words with Quizlet📒, read books📖 and articles📑, watch videos and vlogs🎬, listen to English audio🎧, write website articles📝, make YouTube videos🎥, and so on.

For more information, please read this article.

School and Study 📝

What is the name and the website of your school🏫? Where is it?

My school is called: Guangdong Country Garden School (GCGS).

It is in Foshan, Guangdong, China, which is adjacent to Guangzhou.

Do you have accommodation🛏️ at school?

Yes✅. It is essential to live in the school because my school🏫 is quite far away🛣️ from my home🏠.

I will live in school🏫 on weekdays and go back home🏠 at weekend.

What type of accommodation🛏️ do you have?

I live in my school apartment🏢 instead of a dorm.

I can make some decorations🪄 around my apartment bedroom to build my own study environment. Learn More

What is the type of your course🎓?

I am studying Cambridge International AS and A Level🔍. As well as CAIE, we also study Edexcel Further Mathematics🧮 and EPQ🔬.

What subjects do your study📝 in your school?

I am currently studying the following subjects📝:

Compulsory: Further Mathematics (YFM01)🧮, EPQ🔬, PE🏃, IELTS📝.

Optional: Physics (9702)📏, Computer Science (9618)🖥️.

Does your school allow or ban electronic devices📱?

My school bans📵 electronic devices such as smartphones📱 and game consoles🎮. It can prevent students from playing games🎮 all day, and even during the lessons.

However, we may take our laptops💻 and iPad (in our grade) and use them only for searching🔍 information on the Internet, preparing for exams and competitions, and making research projects🔬.

What is your daily study routine⏰ at school campus🏫?

To learn more about my study routine, please see this article.

Why do you invent🪄 study techniques?

In 2019, I was in Grade 8 in my junior high school🏫 where electronic devices💻 were not allowed📵, so I tended to invent some techniques to enhance my scores.

I was unable to find information🔍 on the Internet🌍, so this has led to lack of information📄. I even didn't know that others already have their techniques🛠️.

Website and Services 🌎

What type of your website is?

My website was previously a blog📄 sharing my tutorials🪄, personal routine⏰ and ideas.

Then I have started to share my study tips💡 instead of other types of articles.

Since August 18, 2021 after I have updated my website, it was changed to a website that shares study tips💡.

What are the targeted audiences🧑🏻‍💻 on your website?

My website is targeted for some students, parents and teachers, for example:

  • Students in international🌎 schools.
  • UK Students, studying GCSE and A Level.
  • University or college🏛️ students.
Where🗺️ do the visitors/users on your website come from?

Most visitors on my website and users on Ken's Study Planner come from China🇨🇳 in different provinces and cities, especially Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

There are also visitors/users from other countries with the highest rankings: United Kingdom🇬🇧, Singapore🇸🇬.

In recent years🗓️, I have observed disproportionality problem📊 on the visitors/users count on my website:
The number of visitors and users in China🇨🇳 is far larger than the sum of such number in all other countries🌎.

Note that this data does not❌ contain robots🤖, search engine spiders🔍🕷️ and Internet proxies.

What caused the disproportionality problem⚠️ on the visitors/users count📊?

The number of visitors and users in China🇨🇳 is far larger than the sum of such number in all other countries🌎, even if:

  • My servers were (previously) outside📤 China near📍 my targeted audiences,
  • My website and services' main language is English🇬🇧,
  • There are hundreds of indexed📥 pages on Google and Bing🔍 with high rankings📈,
Did you know?

In 2020, entering senior high school🏫 with IGCSETM grade, one of my classmates found my website on Bing by searching🔍 "Study Tips".

Then, I realised🤔 that this is because (my guesses):

1. The Study Tips💡 industry was well-developed🏭 in other countries far earlier↩️.

This can be dated back↩️ to 2014 when Ali Abdaal (a UK university medical🩺 student) started his website🖥️ and YouTube Channel📹 sharing his study tips.

So, an increasing number of students are starting▶️ their YouTube channels🎞️.

2. These students are already using well made apps📱 (e.g. Notion and Forest🌳) which may also be sponsors💰 on some shared resources🗞️.

However, I estimate🧮 that this problem may be solved✅ once I enter university later on.

This means, in 2019 when electronic devices were not allowed📵 in my school lacking❌ Internet access🌎, I materially (very largely) had the same idea🌟 with Ali Abdaal sharing📤 study tips.

How long⏳ will you keep your website running💨?

I estimated and promise that my website will keep running until at least 2035⏳.

After I graduate from university in approximately 2027 or 2029, I will keep my website running for a few years⏳.

When⏱️ do you write✍️ website articles?

I write and publish new articles on my website if I have free time⌛️. This rule is implemented to let me focus on studying📝.

If you want to receive my latest study tips and articles, please subscribe to my email newsletter📩.

Can I post guest posts✏️ on your website?

No❌. Guest posts are not allowed on my website because I need to keep the originality of my content.

Why you use Emojis😀 on your Content?

By observing other websites, blogs and vlog channels, some emojis😀 sandwiched in the long text can help me understand them easily.

So, from 2023, I will start using emojis on my articles📑 and videos🎥 to help students understand and demystify my content.

Why do you Sandwich🥪 (Insert/Add) Knowledge📚 on your Content?

Since 2019, I have invented🪄 a new study technique: Discover🔍, Apply and Share📤 knowledge in real life.

This was kept confidential📦 between 2019 and 2020, sharing discovered knowledge only on WeChat Moments, private🛡️ to my classmates and friends.

Since 2021, I started sandwiching knowledge on my public content📄, in Green Boxes. I keep this tradition until now.

Where are your servers🗃️ located📍?

My main servers are located in Guangzhou, China🇨🇳 (mainland; CN-CAN), the place where I live📍.

As well as China servers, I also have some cloud servers in Singapore🇸🇬 (SG-SIN) and London, United Kingdom🇬🇧 (GB-LHR) to attract🌟 more visitors.

All my services are available on all servers in both languages (English🇬🇧 and Chinese-Simplified🇨🇳).

Public data (e.g. articles and images) is distributed🔀 among all servers, but private🛡️data is only stored in China Mainland🇨🇳 (CN servers). Note that other servers are used for distributing files and data to nearby🛣️ visitors only and never❌ retain your private data.

You can see which server🗃️ you have been allocated to at the bottom⬇️ of my website (you are now using my GB-LHR-01 server).

Why all personal data📄 is stored in China Mainland?

China🇨🇳 has the strictest Internet and data security laws📄, regulations and industry standards🏭 (e.g. Internet security hierarchical protection) to protect against data breach⚠️.

In recent years, the severity of Data Breach has increased, where hackers use weaknesses in website security, illegally obtaining data and selling them on the Tor🧅 network (dark web).
- summarised from Firefox Monitor (monitor.firefox.com)

For users outside China Mainland: If this policy is against your local📍 privacy/data protection laws and regulations, you can contact me💬 to process your data properly.

Why you have banned Tor🧅 on your website and services?

I banned🚫 users from using my services via Tor since 1 May 2023, because it has:

  • Zero-logging policy;
  • Always incognito mode🕶️ on Tor browsers;
  • Random🔀 IP addresses, which change on every visit;
  • Triple encryption🔒, making it almost impossible to investigate.

It may have these negative impacts:

  • Disrupt⚠️ website statistical data📊;
  • Disrupt⚠️ the IP address locations📍 display;
  • Almost impossible❌ to investigate🔍 in case of misbehaviours.

In other words, Tor is majorly used for illegal🧑‍⚖️ and even criminal⚠️ Internet actvities like Data Breach🔐.

View Notice

Caution

Ken’s Study Journey does not❌ have domain names with the “.onion” suffix (dedicated to Tor).

Does your Website and Services Support IPv6🔗?

Yes✅, you can access and use my website via both IPv4 and IPv6🔗.

I attempted🔬 to enable IPv6 in 2021 as part of EPQ Project, then enabled🎚️ IPv4 and IPv6 Dual Stack on all servers🗃️ in 2022.

Since 2023, I strongly attached the importance🔺 of IPv6 technology on my website.

Did you know?

IPv6 has now been added to Cambridge IGCSETM and A Level Computer Science (0478, 9618) syllabuses.

Why you Strongly Attached Importance🔺 of IPv6?

The main drawback👎 of IPv4, in my opinion👀, is the “Coexistence Effect”🏘️.

For example, some students in a school🏫 with the same public IPv4 address may intentionally attack🗡️ a study resources website to make the school’s IP address banned🚫 and hence prevent🪧 other students from studying.

There are also some other benefits of IPv6. For example, it has enhanced security🔒.

Did you know?

There is an "IPv6" icon beside the website logo on the top⬆️, which turns Green if your network supports✅ IPv6 or Blue otherwise❌.

Where are the costs💷 of your website and servers come from?

My website is non-profit❌ so it does not contain any ads📢 and affiliate links.

The scholarships💰 and revenue from study tips sharing lectures🧑‍🏫 are the main source for my web servers and the ISP bandwidth. That's why I can always keep my services and resources free.

  • Scholarships💰 and Revenue from Study Tips Sharing Lectures🧑‍🏫 (60%, main source)
  • Parent's Subsidy for my Research (30%)
  • Giveaway from Hosting Providers and ISPs (10%)
Can I use AdBlockers🥅 or translation plugins🌎 on your website?

My website is non-profit and free and there aren’t❌ any ads.

So, you are allowed✅ to use AdBlockers on my website, but please note that some features may not be working correctly under some AdBlockers browser extensions.

You can✅ translate the content on my website to your languages using some translation extensions🌎 on your browser.

Can I reblog📑 your articles?

No❌. In order to protect my original work, you cannot copy or reblog my contents without my permission.

Do you use templates🪄 to make your website?

Previously, I had used the WordPress platform with themes (templates) and plugins🔌 to make my website.

Since August 2021, all codes🧑🏻‍💻 on my website were written by myself using HTML, JavaScript, CSS, PHP and MySQL. I also have set up my servers🗃️ on my own. I no longer❌ use WordPress or any other templates.

Do you Collaborate🧑🏻‍💻 with Others while Making your Website?

No❌. All elements on my website🖥️ and products📦, including UI/UX design🏞️, coding⌨️, web servers🗃️ and IPv6🔗, were all made by myself🧑🏻‍💻.

Why you are Tolerant✅ for Terms of Service (ToS) Violations?

I have made this special policy🧑‍⚖️ for students since 2021.

Simply Speaking:

  • My aim is to educate users🎓 rather than penalising or banning them🚫.
  • I will not penalise you if you are trying to correct✅ your errors.

Ken’s Study Journey is a study tips sharing website and platform🏫 which teaches students to not only study productively and diligently📚 and get outstanding results🏅 (e.g. A*, university offers) but also be a better citizen👦 in the community.

When you violate my rules, I will not only tell you exactly which rule(s)📄 and/or law(s) you have violated but also teach you how to correct them✅, leading you to the right direction➡️.

I understand that some students lack language proficiency and so may violate rules without their knowledge.

For example, if your comment💬 on my website has been rejected❌, you can, using the same identity🪪, correct it📝 as many times as you need until it is accepted✅.

If users can be banned🚫 after the first violation, they may lack the confidence😆 to use the services and post content.

Caution

This is only valid✅ on Ken’s Study Journey products (including Ken’s Study Planner).

It is designed for students who may accidentally violate rules without their knowledge❌, but do not intentionally carry out misbehaviours🚫.

I will have zero tolerance🚫 for repeated violations without any corrections after a warning⚠️.

Email Newsletter 📩

What types of content📄 do you usually send on your newsletter?

I usually send my latest articles📑, study tips, latest news, and so on.

You can subscribe to my newsletter📩 so you do not need to frequently check my website.

How to unsubscribe📤 from your newsletter?

You can simply click the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom⬇️ of the email and follow the instructions to unsubscribe📤.

If you have some issues⚠️ and cannot unsubscribe, you can contact me with your subscribed email address and I will remove you from the subscription list.

Ken's Study Planner App 🗓️

How to sign up for an account✉️ and use Ken's Study Planner?

Just open planner.kenstudyjourney.cn🌎 and then click "Sign up" button at the bottom.

You can see the tutorials here.

Does Ken's Study Planner Free💷?

Yes✅, my Study Planner is completely free with all features.

I have made this web-based app in my free time⏳, using my programming knowledge🧑🏻‍💻, to boost my productivity.

It could only be used by myself, but later I decided to share it to other students worldwide🌎.

Why are your Study Resources Always Free🤑?

I have been inventing🪄 my own study techniques🛠️ since 2019.

Previously, these techniques, including Ken's Study Planner app, is only known to and could only be used by myself🧑🏻‍💻.

Then, I decided to share📤 them to other students worldwide without charging any fees.

When will you make Ken’s Study Planner desktop🖥️ and mobile📱 apps?

I will release and publish them on approximately in September 2023 to January 2024⏳, when I will in the university📲 and after I will learn more programming knowledge.

How to delete🗑️ my account?

You can delete your account🗑️ if you no longer🛑 want to use Ken's Study Planner.

Open Study Planner and log in to your account, click "Settings - Delete Account" and follow the instructions.

Audio Articles 🎧

Why do you provide audio articles🎧?

This is because I need to practice my English speaking📣 and pronunciation and enable people who cannot or are not convenient to read the text to 'read'📖 my articles.

Note: Audio articles are available in English🇬🇧 only.

What software do you use to record🎤 your audio articles?

I use Adobe Audition to record🎤 my audio articles.

It has an extra feature✅ that I can cut off✂️ sentences or paragraphs that has been read incorrectly❌ and record them🎤 again. So, I do not need to record the whole audio again and again.

Do you offer audio script📄 for your audio articles?

Yes✅, I also publish a copy of the audio script📄 along the way I publish new articles and its audio.

There will be an 'Audioscripts' button beside the audio player. You can open the PDF file📄 and see what's are recorded in case you cannot understand the audio🎧.

YouTube Channel 🎬

Why you have resumed▶️ your channel?

In the past few years, according to my website statistics📊, most visitors on my website come from China🇨🇳 and Singapore🇸🇬.

Then, I have found🔍 the reason. A major source of other students are having YouTube channels🎥 rather than websites/blogs📄. The videos may be over-produced🎬 and hence over-consumed.

This is my New Channel: @kenstudyjourney

Why you have paused⏸️ your channel for several years?

My channel was available✅ between August 2018 and February 2020.

However, I have paused⏸️ it from July 2020 to November 2022 because of my heavy burden on studying📝.

I didn't study well⚠️ in the past until Grade 9, so I need to work harder💪 to overtake others.

What software🖥️ do you use and make your videos?

I use various software🖥️ to make and edit my videos🎥 based on their ease of use. They all support up to 4K resolution🖥️.

  • KeyNote (for editing animations) 📺
  • iMovie (for combining video elements) 🎬
What resolution🖥️ of videos will you provide?

Like Study To Success, the highest resolution on my videos is 4K🖥️ (3840 x 2160).

You can choose a suitable resolution, from 144p to 4K, depending on your network speed🎛️.

4K (60fps) is supported on my iPhone 13 Pro📱 with its large storage space. It is also supported on all video editing software🛠️ I use.

Will you provide Chinese translations🌎 on your videos?

Not available currently❌, the main purpose of the channel is to attract more visitors/users speaking English.

Also, I don't have much time⌛️ to provide such subtitles.

Will you earn money and profits💰 from your channel?

My website is always non-profit and non-commercial❌, but I may earn money and profits💰 from my channel.

However, they are both non-profit and non-commercial❌ until I go to university.

Where do you find and download background music🎼?

In YouTube audio library*. Here I can find and download copyright-safe background music.