Would you like to improve your results? I am a university tutor that can help you reach your full potential academically and, increase your confidence.
Having a university degree is now seen as an expectation in most jobs however getting a degree is not a simple matter of clicking your fingers and making a wish. University can be daunting and difficult but a lot of students do not fully understand why it is so difficult or where they are going wrong. In academia lecturers and universities expect students to know this information without ever actually teaching it. For example; have you ever been told how to plan, structure and write an academic assignment? Have you ever been taught how to read and write in academic language? Do you remember being taught how to utilise the internet to find the right kind of information or even, what the right kind of information is? Students are effectively learning a whole new language as well as learning the content of their course...but in order to make the most of this knowledge, the content and 'new language' need to be used together, not separately.
As a specialist tutor I aim to help students understand the importance of these new skills and how to improve them to reach their full potential. Through a variety of techniques, I help students to become confident in themselves and learn how to seamlessly combine their academic abilities with the content of their courses. As a university lecturer and previous student, I have an in-depth knowledge of what students and lecturers need to understand in order to get the most out of their university experience and beyond and hope to use this in order to support as many students as possible.
Completed a BSc in psychology, MSc in psychology and PGCert in higher education teaching and learning.
Over 15 years working with people with mental health difficulties, neurodivergence and multiple diagnosis.
More than 5 years as a university lecturer
Over 5 years experience as a specialist mentor
Experience creating new modules and assessments
Supported the creation of a new degree
MBPsS British Psychological Society
Member of International Society of Anthrozoology (ISAZ)
Member of Scoiety of companion animal society (SCAS)
Areas of specialism
Students
Students with neurodivergence
Students with mental health difficulties
Students with multiple diagnosis
Students with low confidence
Topics
Study skills
Animal behaviour
Animal assisted interventions
Psychology
Basic statistics
Basic animal biology
Things I can help with
Key skills
Critical thinking
Independent thinking
Group work
Presentations
Create a strong presentation
Presentations and anxiety
Tips for presenting
Basics of formatting
APA formatting
Technology shortcuts and tips
How to create a proofreading checklist
How do I tailor my proofreading to my needs?
What are the key issues I need to look for?
How to use technology to help you proofread
What do I have to take notes about?
How can I improve my notetaking?
Preparing my notes for revision
What technique is best for me?
How can I improve my revision?
What do I need to revise?
How can I make my revision work for me?
How do I revise when my mind goes blank in exams?
What do I need to read?...what can I ignore!
How can I improve my reading?
Why does academic information sound/read so differently to normal writing?
Why do I need to engage in academic reading?
Descriptive vs inferential statistics
Parametric and non-parametric
Mean, median and mode
Standard deviation and Bell-shaped curve
P values – the cake method
Correlation
T-tests
What is an academic resource?
How do I know what kind of resource I am reading?
What is the difference between a textbook, journal article and website?
How old can my resource be?
How do I know if my resource is academic or not?
How can I find useful resources?
How do I narrow my search?
How do I broaden my search?
Why we reference
How to reference
What to reference
Different types of referencing
APA referencing style
What is the difference between a citation and referencing?
What does a good reference look like?
Organisation methods for the unorganised
Organisation ‘health check’
Organisation for the non-believers
Time keeping and organisation
What is an Abstract
How to write an introduction
What is a research question, objective, and aim?
What are the different methodologies?
What is the difference between a discussion vs results section?
How do I do a literature review?
What is meant by a 'Meta-analysis'?
What is a systematic review and why do people use it?
Academic writing vs informal writing
Turning 1st and 2nd person writing into 3rd person
What is emotional writing? – the ‘super commentator technique’
How to understand the scientific writing style
How to plan an assignment – structuring and flow
Introduction – the basics
Conclusion – the basics
Paragraph re-cap
Lab-report – the basics
Essay – the basics
Reflective writing – the basics
Integrating more research
Who do I ask when I need help?
How do I know when to approach my lecturers?
What are the expected standards when communicating via email?
How do I use my assignment briefs to get the best grades?
How can I use the module information to help make my 'academic life' easier?
There are many different ways I can help, not least of which, is by building your confidence. Often students know how to do things but lack the confidence in themselves so convince themselves that they are wrong. Lets work together to find the best way for me to help you.
To be honest, as a student...I hated statistics and did not understand them. I am not the typical stats tutor because I know what it is like to feel like you are trying to learn a new language, a new alphabet and a new ...EVERYTHING! I look at statistics in a different way to most of your lecturers and actually know how to make it all make sense.
Yes, tutoring certainly can be boring but that is not something that I have ever had students complain about. I am quirky and full of energy, not to mention, I am a huge lover of silliness, laughter and making learning fun. One of my techniques calls for you to read out your assignment like it is a superhero movie (Trust me, it works), so don't worry about getting bored....we can solve that problem.
I have provided a list of skills and services that I most commonly find students need help with. If there is something else you are struggling with, please feel free to get in contact.
I have worked with a lot of neuro divergent students so this is not an issue. Remember, your neuro divergence is your super power and means you see things differently to other people...it is my job to help you utilise and harness this different way of thinking in order to reach your full potential.
I like to work smart, figure out how each person works best and explain the reasons behind some of the (apparently ridiculous) academic rules. I hated hearing "you don't need to understand it, that is just the way it is" and always needed to understand the reason 'why'. I find by understanding why you are doing, you can start to understand when and how to do that thing....referencing, standard deviation or academic research...none of these things make sense until they are explained. I was not naturally the smartest person in my class and I thought differently to most of my fellow classmates, but this also meant that I needed to find alternative methods and techniques to learn information. By the end of each of my degrees, my fellow students were using my techniques because they made sense out of concepts that had otherwise been nonsensicle and ridiculous. I work smart and quickly and above all else, I do not believe that everyone should be aiming for a 1st class degree. Instead, I believe we should be aiming for the best degree we are able to get at the time. A pass is miraculous to many students, to others, a 1st class is the only option. Either way, I find that once you understand and enjoy what you are doing, you will get to that goal sooner than you realised.