Alexander

I attended University of Cambridge for my undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences in the Department of Zoology, as well as for my Master's degree in Computational Biology in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. I carried out the research for my Master's thesis at the Department of Earth Sciences at University of Oxford. Now I am undertaking a PhD in Maths at Newcastle and Durham Universities. From a young age I have always been interested in and excelled at maths and science, achieving all A*s at GCSE and A-levels (Maths, Further Maths, Biology and Chemistry) and achieving gold in various national challenges and olympiads, and I hope to share my knowledge and inspire younger students through tutoring.

Aside from subject-specific tuition, I also offer a pre-university course in "Palaeontology and Phylogenetics", targeted at A-Level Biology students that have an interest in fossils, evolution and the tree of life. The aim of the course is to introduce the student to various extinct animal groups and where they fit in the evolutionary tree, thus allowing them to become familiar with concepts usually taught at university in an accessible, immersive and unique way. I will discuss the theory underpinning this research, the practical challenges associated with it, as well as some common misconceptions (e.g. that all dinosaurs are extinct). This course is offered at a substantially discounted rate to encourage students at home to pursue their academic interests. Please feel free to get in touch and I'd be happy to discuss and provide further details.

Tutoring Experience

I spent a couple of years working as a private tutor and part-time education consultant providing lessons in Maths and Biology at GCSE and A-Level, and have over 250 hours of experience under my belt. I also have substantial (paid) experience teaching, demonstrating and marking at both Durham and Newcastle universities, receiving commendation from senior members of staff for my teaching style and commitment to student learning. Depending on the student, subject and level, I have taught core content, expanded beyond the syllabus, provided comprehensive notes, created customised questions, set tailored homework, wrote up reports monitoring progress, practiced past exam paper questions, encouraged discussion, built confidence and answered any and all questions.

I have also previously volunteered in an outreach programme where I taught a class of 15-year-olds GCSE level chemistry, for which I created original question sheets, guided them through practical experiments, monitored their progress and answered any questions about specific difficulties they were facing, including their schoolwork. I have informally tutored peers and family members in maths, including my sister who is older than me by three years. More broadly, I have excellent presentation and communication skills that allow me to introduce seemingly complex scientific ideas in a way that is easy to digest, a personable attitude and an ability to balance my work with sports and other extracurricular activities.

Tutoring Approach

I'm very invested in education, having been a Natural Sciences Representative for my college at Cambridge and an Animal Biology Practical Representative for my course, which have allowed me to hear what my peers and younger year groups want in their education, what aspects of their courses are problematic and how to address these issues. My experience as a student in one-on-one supervisions at Cambridge has highlighted the need for tailoring teaching methods to the pupil, as well as for using different and refreshing approaches. My breadth of experience in different departments, from applied mathematics through geology and genetics to philosophy of science, translates to the various ways that one can tackle or think about problems, which can help to engage the student. I am careful to balance what is necessary to know for the qualification being examined with providing new ideas or examples beyond the course to stimulate interest. I build a personal rapport with every tutee to ensure that they are relaxed and comfortable asking questions, and my positive attitude helps my students enjoy our sessions even if they typically dislike the subject at school.