Charlotte

I am an undergraduate physicist at Durham University with a passion for particle and quantum physics. I love the way maths and physics provide an insight into the inner workings of the universe and that despite having developed our knowledge significantly during the last 100 years, we only truly understand how little we know! I am also a keen musician; regularly playing the cello in two of the university orchestras and singing with one of the choirs.

Tutoring Experience

I sat my A levels in the summer of 2019 and I continually revise the various specifications to make sure my lessons are up to date. Personally, I found the hardest part of my exams was applying my knowledge to the questions and trying to 'see' inside the marker's head. You can have the entire syllabus memorised but if you don't know what the question is asking, you're still going to fail! For this reason, I place emphasis on exam technique and give my students plenty of opportunities to develop their skills.

I have a track record of boosting my students' grades by up to 4 grades and helping them to become more confident in themselves. Often in stressful periods, such as before mock exams, my students share their worries with me and I reassure them by sharing my experiences with them. I am also happy to discuss their academic futures with them (A level and university choices) and provide impartial advice.

Tutoring Approach

As a STEM specialist, I understand that maths isn't everyone's cup of tea and think the most effective technique to succeed is to practice. Practice questions test your understanding and highlight your weakest areas and often students make significant progress by making small changes to their exam technique or by revising a few concepts.

Before starting our sessions, I will research the specification you are studying and ask what you want to achieve so I can tailor my sessions accordingly. If there is a particular concept you would like help with, I will focus on these areas first before developing your skills more generally. Ultimately, you have complete control over what we study together, but I will suggest topics that I think you would benefit from revising. I am happy to go through homework, classwork and test papers with you and offer advice on how I think you could improve. As exams approach, I can run specific sessions on preparation and exam techniques.

For students who require a challenge, I will go beyond the specification of their course and show them the applications and reasoning behind the topics they are taught. This deeper understanding consolidates knowledge and helps more able students remain motivated.

If you have any questions about how I work, feel free to send me a message and I will do my best to answer!