About
My skillset is unique to tutors in that I balance academic experience with an understanding of what it means to be a young student; I am a PhD student with an honest love for all things scholarly, and yet it was not so long ago that I was a student in these classes too. At 22 years old, I haven't yet forgotten what it felt like to drag myself to school early in the morning, nor the frustration felt when teachers seem not to understand. As a result, I bring both competence and empathy to my tutoring sessions in a way that I hope not only empowers students to succeed in their classes, but also encourages them to see the beauty in what they are studying.
I have been a tutor for about 6 years, both as a volunteer and a paid worker at tutoring centers. I have won national awards in writing, graduated with a degree in biochemistry and mathematics, and have a pretty encyclopedic brain in general. And yet, I do not consider any of those to be my strongest qualifications: I consider my greatest strength to be the fact that I genuinely love learning, and I hope I can help you see things from my perspective too!
My pedagogical stance is that there are generally two forms of learning: those that encourage rote memorization and process-following, and those that encourage students to truly, critically examine the topics and problems that they face. I believe that encouraging students to think critically, rather than automatically, is nothing short of the key to building a better world and a better future.
In my extensive time in school, I have seen how great of a difference learning to think critically can make. I believe that this quality is the only fruit of education that is applicable regardless of what path in life students take. Therefore, I see tutoring, and specifically tutoring that encourages this way of thinking, to be a critical public service: the more thoughtful people we have out there, the better the world becomes. I see tutoring as a way in which I can, in my own way, help make the future a little brighter.
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Frequently asked questions
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
-Bachelor's degree with honors in biochemistry and mathematics, graduate study in biophysics.
-6 years of tutoring experience in math, english, and chemistry, primarily at the high school and college level.
-National awards in creative writing, advanced college classes in the humanities.
-Excellent scores on the SAT, SAT subject tests, GRE, and the MCAT, generally in the 99th percentile.
-7 years of experience in competitive debate.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Graduate school preparatory tests prep: $40 /hour
College course: $35 /hour
High school class: $30 /hour
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with high school and college students from all backgrounds and all skill levels--I have tutored students struggling to make it through the class as well as aces just trying to brush up before a final. I also have experience working with students who are the first in their family to attend college.
I've also tutored a wide variety of students: from business to biology, or from astrophysics to accounting, I have a sufficiently broad base of knowledge to help you with whatever material you might be struggling with.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
-Do you need help working through exercises and assignments, or do you want explanations and lectures?
-Are you looking to truly understand the material, or do you just want to pass with a good grade? It's important to have our objectives clearly in mind.
-What is preventing me from doing well in this class?