44 Tutoring Solutions

Typically I like to take time to understand what the students goals are and where they are struggling the most. I like to cater my teaching to the students ideal learning style to make each session as effective and enjoyable as possible. I like to outline some goals, for some this might include going through a syllabus for a class while for others it might be more general concept based goals. After outlining our goals I then like to communicate my strategy for how I think we can most efficiently arrive at our goals. The first couple of sessions will include revisiting this process and discussing what is working and if any adjustments need to be made. My goal is to eventually not be needed by a student and to provide the tools necessary for future challenges. 

I have a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles and am currently begining my pursuit of a PhD in a similar field. I am currently a Quality Control Microbiologist for a start-up biotechnology company working in the cancer therapeutics field. I have been tutoring since 2014 (a year prior to my graduation from UCLA). I have also been tutored through difficult subjects and have had the opportunity to observe different teaching strategies as a result.

I like to adjust my pricing based on the goals of the individual student as well as prep time required on my end.  For special projects where I would like to spend extra time preparing for a session to make our time the most effective pricing might be higher. I price myself by the hour. I will communicate all pricing upfront and will include the goals and expectations along side the cost. I have also held group sessions (2-5 students) for a discounted per student price!

I actually started teaching by leading study groups while in college! My friends said that I was really good at explaining the difficult questions in clear solvable ways. Based on my friends suggestions I started tutoring as a hobby because I found the process stimulating.

I have worked with the Lions share of students! I have worked with students who want nothing to do with Science and those who were pursuing degrees in the field of science and everything in-between. Most of my students are at the very least internally motivated to be better versions of themselves (i.e. they want to be better at subject x and want me to be there to help them improve). Seeing that this is something I do for the enjoyment, students who do not want to learn or get better don't benefit as much from my services because my excitement falls on deaf ears. Even then, I have had students that have come to learn and love Science because of the time we spent learning together and those students have been some of the most rewarding experiences I've had tutoring yet!

Look into how the teacher does their job! If their goal isn't to provide you with the necessary tools to perform on your own then they might not have your interests at heart. Look for passionate teachers who love what they do because that energy is contagious and will make each session fun even though the subject might be intimidating.

The most important question to ask is why are you looking for a teacher. Is it because you want an easy grade bump or because you want to invest in yourself and develop skills and concepts that you might not be as strong in? If forcing yourself to study can save you a tutoring fee and bump your grade a private tutor might not be the best option. I would suggest to those people trying to form study groups with your classmates to that end (it worked for me at least!). Next would be what subjects do you find difficulty in or would like to see yourself make improvements in? Bring those answers to our first meeting so we can develop a personalized goal and achievement plan.