Aleksandra

I am about to conclude a PhD in English at the University of Cambridge, where I have for the past almost four years also provided instruction and dissertation supervision to undergraduate students, as well as assessed applicant entrance examinations. I now continue to research and teach across Cambridge and privately.

I specialised in English at the University of Cambridge, where I undertook both a PhD and an MPhil ('with Distinction'). Prior, I obtained a broader background across comparative literatures, linguistics, languages, and related histories and philosophies (which I continue to draw on in my current research and teaching), completing a BA Hons at Utrecht University ('summa cum laude', upon conversion equivalent to 'Double Class I with Distinction') and concluding my earlier school education in Ljubljana, Slovenia (with results equivalent to '6A*s' at A-Level and '14A*s' at GCSE/IGCSE level), after having lived across a number of European regions. Throughout, I have been funded through a selection of competitive academic scholarships (including awards from the Cambridge Trust, Le Bas Fund, Utrecht Fund, and numerous others).

I consequently teach English literature, linguistics and language (up to MA level, including also BA, IB, A-Level, GCSE/IGCSE, and comparable educational stages) as well as related humanities subjects (generally up to BA level), including additional and comparative literatures, linguistics and languages, philosophy, history, and philosophy and history of art. At the same time, I also offer help with applications (including to schools, universities and scholarships) and examination and interview preparation (including Oxbridge, Russell Group, League of European Research Universities, Ivy League, and other institutions, many of which I have been offered places and/or scholarships at).

Tutoring Experience

For the past couple of years (2020–), I have provided instruction and dissertation supervision to students at the University of Cambridge (including at the Faculty of English, at which I am based, and the Faculty of Mediaeval and Modern Languages, which my research extends into). At the same time, and earlier (2018–), I have also offered tuition through a number of online platforms, agencies and educational initiatives (such as The Sutton Trust and The Friends of Youth). As a result, I have extensive experience teaching up to university level (up to MA level within my areas of specialism, which include English literature and language of the period 1830–Present, along with critical history, theory and analysis), as well as a particular ability to not only teach within a specific subject (or for written and/or oral examinations within it), but to impart extensive, transferable academic skills such as reading comprehension, synthesis, argumentation, writing, editing, presentation, and approaching extended pieces of coursework and independent research (such as EPQs, EEs, IAs, BA dissertations and MA/MLitt/MPhil dissertations — all across numerous disciplines within the arts and humanities, with essential academic skills being, after all, highly transferable).

At the same time, I have assessed applicant entrance examinations at Cambridge (including as part of the CELAT and CMLAT), and offered aid with developing the skills and experience necessary for competitive degree applications, scholarship applications, and eventual entrance examinations and interviews, both privately and through a number of educational initiatives (including several Oxbridge access and support schemes for disadvantaged youth). I was fortunate to have had the entirety of my studies (including PhD, MPhil, BA Hons, and numerous exchanges and internships) funded through several competitive academic scholarships (including full and/or parallel partial awards from The Cambridge Trust, Le Bas Fund, Utrecht Fund, Zois Fund, Soroptimist International and numerous others, without whose aid I would not have been able to pursue my studies at all), so have an especially good understanding of what it takes to be offered places and funding at world-ranked research and teaching institutions — and have been enthusiastic to help others achieve the same results I did. In this, I have also had experience working with students with particular challenges (as I myself had had) due to their socioeconomic circumstances, disruptions in education, disabilities, or other difficulties (and therefore also plenty of experience ensuring and navigating accessible resources!).

Of the students I have taught, all have met or exceeded their desired results, and subsequently gotten offers of places and, in a number of cases, also scholarships at their desired institutions. These have included Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Utrecht, Leiden, Heidelberg, Harvard, Yale, and many, many others across diverse academic traditions.

Tutoring Approach

I am keenly aware of students' different personal and educational backgrounds and learning profiles, and ultimately aim to structure my lessons around each individual (with particular experience also with students from non-native, low-income, first-generation and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as students with conditions including ADHD, CFS/ME, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and assorted language-production and -processing difficulties). Therefore, if a student is able to provide previous and/or current syllabi; express particular interests; and/or articulate particular difficulties (whether due to a lack of experience, confidence, or a learning profile that has traditionally been marginalised by schools and universities), this can be especially useful for me to know — and ensure that I have, from the beginning, a couple of pieces of the puzzle (with many, many more yet to come) in order to tailor my tutoring to them.

I am especially capable of imparting extensive, transferrable academic skills — such as are critical to both thoroughly engaging with a subject and effectively demonstrating that knowledge and understanding in written and oral contexts (whether as part of examinations or extended pieces of coursework). This includes the ability to critically read, analyse and synthesise texts; construct and develop arguments from them; and present these in writing and speech.

All this can be cultivated through guided practice — most of us learn by observing and attempting to emulate until we've gotten it right, and this is much easier done with the aid of someone with more experience there to demonstrate, encourage and guide. My sessions tend to be particularly interactive — drawing much from the Cambridge supervision system I am used to working within, and adapting it to different students' aims, needs and contexts — and, as such, function less like sequences of explanation, question and answer than as guided discussions as part of which students who have been introduced to new materials and approaches also have the opportunity to actively explore their own ideas, entrench and consolidate content, and generate original avenues of inquiry and investigation. My sessions can also be arranged so as to involve lots of opportunities for a student to (should they be so interested) take home extensive reading, writing and other prompts. These can be used to help them produce, after each appointment, work that will build on it and that we can discuss and finesse over the course of our next appointment, thereby providing them with plentiful, detailed, and easily understandable and applicable feedback on their independent reading and writing which they can gradually integrate into their efforts.

At the same time, my sessions place emphasis on lessons being engaging to the student — most of us learn most effectively when we are excited at the prospect of where a subject, topic, question or hypothesis might take us, and so developing curiosity, interest and eventually confidence is absolutely critical. It is often also easier accomplished with the aid of someone there to see us along and, drawing on their own experience of the field, offer particular areas and approaches we might find especially appealing and helpful (as is often one of the most rewarding roles of a tutor!).

Tutoring Arrangements

I am generally available for appointments both in person and online — at locations within Cambridge and surroundings (the latter provided compensation for travel time and expenses) as well as through platforms such as Skype (and alternative open-source platforms preferred by the student). I am adaptable (able to accommodate teaching from early mornings until late evenings on a number of days across the weekdays and weekends) — and also open to inquiries from those who require a more flexible approach (including work with sudden and imminent deadlines, late-night availabilities, and other unconventional circumstances).

After we have established an appointment or schedule thereof, I usually accept bookings through digital confirmation of payment (possible through a number of secure payment methods, including direct bank transfer through Stripe, PayPal and other platforms), however, as I know scheduling can be a complicated and occasionally unpredictable affair, I am able to accommodate all cancellations made no later than 48 hours in advance of a lesson with a 100% refund, as well as all cancellations made no later than 24 hours in advance of a lesson with a 50% refund of tuition fees (in cases where travel fees are also applicable and travel has already been arranged, travel fees will unfortunately usually not be refundable).