Vincent

Hello, this is Vincent who focuses on tutoring A-Level/GCSE Mathematics and Chemistry. Graduated from the University of Durham, I achieved 4A/Bs in my A Levels, with an A in Maths and Further Maths. Previously, I mainly tutored Mathematics for students on a voluntary 1 on 1 basis. Currently, I am working full-time at the Bank of East Asia as a professional credit analyst.

The reason I tutor alongside my job is because I want to share my keen interest in Mathematics, and enjoy helping others achieve their academic goals. I thoroughly enjoyed Mathematics and Chemistry when I was studying at a UK private boarding school (ranked top 70 in the country). As a result, I want to get involved with the subject again as my full-time job does not give me an opportunity to do so. Hence, all my lessons are personalised to the student at hand to trigger their interest, while keeping them motivated to improve their ability.

Being admitted to study Accounting & Finance from a top UK university (Durham), I can also help with university admissions for those who wish to study accounting or finance at a higher level. During my time at Durham, I studied related statistical/mathematical modules which helped with my teaching as well.

__-Full Credentials__-
- Focused Maths and Chemistry tutor at GCSE/A-Level, with voluntary experience teaching Maths to high school students
- University of Durham Graduate (Accounting & Finance)
- Achieved 4A/Bs at GCE A-Level
- Studied at a top 70 UK independent boarding school and a top boys school in Hong Kong (St. Paul`s College)
- Working at Bank of East Asia full time as Credit Analyst (UK)

Availability: My availability are mostly on weekends and weekday nights as I work full-time. Please do contact me so we can work it out and discuss more on logistics!

Willing to travel: 20 miles

Experience: As mentioned in an earlier section, I used to tutor Mathematics to high school students on a 1 to 1 voluntary basis. From this experience, not only did I help them understand the topic clearly, but it also improved my capabilities to set questions to students according to their level of ability. Most of them found my session very helpful and satisfying for their needs. I also came to understand the importance of preparing the lesson in advance given this experience, and I intend to put at least 2 hours of preparation in my lessons such that students gain the most from it.

When I was younger, I was tutored on a 1 on 1 basis and in a small group. Both environments have its pros and cons. Hence, I developed my own teaching approach, drawing from my previous experience as a student. 1 on 1 teaching can be tailored to the student`s needs, but often lack brilliant resources. To complement my personalised approach towards students, I cherry pick great resources for my lessons online, and from a network of tutors in my social circle.

__-Approach to Tutoring__-
My tutoring approach first aims to understand the level of the student`s ability by focusing on topics he/she has problems with. Afterwards, I ensure their understanding by verifying concepts they have learnt with them. Finally, I also assess them with past paper questions and to build up their exam technique periodically, such that they can demonstrate their learnings in an exam.

There are also obvious differences when I am teaching Mathematics compared to Chemistry. For Mathematics, it is important to understand the fundamental steps in solving problems for each topic. In this way, even when the questions get much harder, using original principles will make the problem much easier to solve. I also tend to put a bigger focus on exam-style questions as students tend to do well once they have had enough practice.

For Chemistry, understanding the concept can be more important compared to exam practice. This is because it is very difficult to approach questions correctly, if the concept is flawed in the student`s mind. As a result, I tend to use a lot of diagrams in order to explain Chemistry (e.g. electrons in the outer shield of an atom); and then approach exam-styled questions with the student after they have solid knowledge of the concepts.