Aleksandra

I am a PhD candidate 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. Privately, I offer individually tailored tuition, as well as aid with critical, analytical, and writing skills.

As my work is cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural, I can offer individually tailored lessons within a number of subjects in the arts and humanities (up to MA level within my areas of specialism, which are in modern and contemporary English literature, language and culture, and up to BA level otherwise), along with aid with critical reading, analysis, and writing skills (up to MA level). Prior to my PhD, I completed an MPhil in English also at Cambridge and a BA Hons in comparative European literatures, linguistics and languages at Utrecht University, with internships at the Universities of Sheffield and Heidelberg. Ever since, in addition to literary and linguistic studies, I have regularly also crossed into art, philosophy, history, politics, and related areas, including as part of editorial roles at The Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics, and Art, Edinburgh University Press and Amsterdam University Press.

Apart from subject- and skills-based instruction, I can also offer help with applications (including to university, school and scholarship programmes) and examination and interview preparation (including for Oxbridge, RG, Ivy League, LERU, and other competitive institutions). In addition to having had experience participating in the assessment of entrance examinations and interviews at Cambridge, I have also had the entirety of my own studies fully funded through a number of competitive academic awards (including studentships awarded by the Cambridge Trust, Le Bas Fund, and others).

Tutoring Experience

I have extensive experience tutoring students both through university and earlier school stages (at levels including MPhil/MLitt/MA, BA, IB, EB, A-Level, GCSE, and more). Over the course of the past four years, I have provided instruction and dissertation supervision to a number of (first- through to final-year) undergraduate students reading for degrees in English and in Comparative Studies at the University of Cambridge (including through specialist modules within the modern and contemporary periods, as well as more general modules imparting foundational academic, critical and analytical skills). I have also provided assessment and moderation of applicant entrance examinations and interviews at Cambridge (including for the purposes of the institution's C/ELAT and C/MLAT). At the same time, I have tutored independent adult learners, postgraduate, undergraduate, secondary and middle school students through a combination of Continued Education Courses, Summer Schools, Access and Support Initiatives (including through the Cambridge Language Centre, Friends of Youth, Sutton Trust, and others), and private tutoring platforms like this one.

I tutor most frequently within literary and linguistic studies (up to MA level within my areas of specialism, which include English language, linguistics, literature and culture of the modern and contemporary periods, and up to BA level otherwise, also assisting with Russian and other cultures I've attended to thoughout my studies). At the same time, as a result of both my own broader background and the broad applicability of academic skills across the arts and humanities, I regularly also offer aid within a number of adjacent disciplines (which I have been educated or employed within), such as political and social studies, philosophy, history, and art (all up to BA level).

I have particular experience imparting and improving students' critical, analytical, reading and writing skills, all of which can be transferred across subjects and be of aid with extended pieces of coursework, assignments and examinations alike. I assist very regularly (at and outside of Cambridge) with a wide variety of academic, critical or creative pieces of coursework and research (including the occasional PhD dissertation, as well as an assortment of academic manuscripts, editorial and publishing briefs, MPhil/MLitt/MA dissertations, BA Hons/BA dissertations, papers and assignments, A-Level EPQs, IB EEs, NEAs, and more).

Tutoring Approach

I am aware of students' different personal and educational backgrounds and learning profiles, and ultimately aim to structure my lessons around each individual. Therefore, if a student is able to provide previous or current syllabi, express particular interests, 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. From there, I aim to structure my lessons so that they are not only individually tailored, but also especially interactive (drawing much from the Cambridge supervision system I am used to working within) so as to allow the student to actively attain, develop and entrench knowledge, understanding, and transferable academic skills.

I am especially capable of improving students' critical and analytical capabilities, and ensuring they can effectively read, analyse, research and write about texts in the arts and humanities, from literature and language to political and social studies. I would suggest that this is easiest accomplished, in most cases, through carefully guided practice — by, on the one hand, leading the student through how to approach texts (both in session and, if desired, in materials designed for the student to take away after the session and keep referring to while applying their skills in future) and, on the other hand, regularly providing them with detailed annotations on their independent pieces of work, which can then also be discussed further, explained, and calibrated in session (as well as through successive drafts, edits and annotations of the same assignment, or of additional, increasingly complex assignments).

I am available for appointments online and in person in Cambridge (depending on location). I can work very flexible hours around my schedule (from early mornings until late evenings on a number of days throughout the weekdays and weekends), and am also open to inquiries from those who require a more unconventional approach (whether last-minute appointments, late-night availabilities, or other unconventional circumstances often arising from abrupt and imminent deadlines). I accept bookings upon confirmation of payment (which ought to be completed within no more than 24 hours after a time and a place for the appointment have been agreed upon in order for the booking to be held and, in the case of last-minute appointments, always also in advance of the appointment). I can accommodate all cancellations made with sufficient notice with up to a full refund of tuition fees (that is, with a full refund when cancellations are made no later than 48 hours in advance of a lesson, and with a halved refund when cancellations are made no later than 24 hours in advance of a lesson).