By Becky Lo

With her help, 95 per cent of her students score As - in maths and science.

And every top student in her tuition groups is rewarded with a ride in her "cool" two-door Renault convertible.

Ms Laura Oh, 26, is a Nanyang Technological University materials engineering graduate turned full-time tutor.

A private tutor for the past 10 years, she now takes home a "substantial five-figure salary" each month.

She believes her popularity derives from selling more than knowledge.

"It's a whole package - friendship, values and customised assessment material," she said.

Ms Oh has about 80 students under her charge: 15 come for one-on-one sessions and the rest for group tuition.

She is so popular that there is a queue of 31 students waiting to join her classes.

One parent, she recalled, even rang her every two days to check if there were any vacancies for her son.

Ms Oh, who is single, is also a shrewd businesswoman. She has 10 full-time tutors working for her.

Very often, students attend lessons at her Loyang condominium unit. Otherwise, she goes to students' homes.

While she said tuition "is now a necessity because everyone is so competitive", she feels a good tutor helps a student shorten the learning process so as to hit "his peak".

Ever energetic, she has also written a series of children's stories revolving around the adventures of her and her dog, titled Laura And Chester.

The stories involve maths and science concepts, told in a fun way.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 15 June 2008.