Online Tutor Michal

I came to UK from Poland four years ago having won a scholarship to study in Dulwich College in London. I did my A-levels (Chemistry, Maths, Physics, AS Further Maths) in one year and moved on to study Chemistry at Jesus College, Oxford.

I came to teaching while still in Poland - I spent a few weeks preparing my classmates for the next edition of Polish National Chemistry Olympiad. While in London, I tutored science subjects to state school kids during the weekends as well as taught elderly people how to use the computer as part of my community service scheme.

But it was only at Oxford when I properly started my tutoring adventure. I registered at MyTutorWeb.co.uk (now mytutor.co.uk) in September 2015 to deliver my first tutorial in January 2016. Since then I gave almost 200 tutorials for A - level, IB, Undergraduate and Master's level Chemistry courses with an average review of 4.9/5.0.

I'm also a Chemistry tutor at one of the best Polish educational consultancies - the IvyPoland Foundation. The aim of the organisation is to help students get into Ivy League and Oxbridge universities.

I'm holding a laureate title of 58th Polish National Chemistry Olympiad and got a gold medal in UK Chemistry Olympiad. I have achieved 1st Class in my 1st, 2nd and 3rd Year examinations.

Does it mean I'm a good tutor? The answer is no. Great results do not guarantee a great teacher. I met professors whose CV's are so rich in prizes/achievements they could fill ten lifetimes. They were not always great teachers.

What makes me a good tutor? I am trying to be a teacher I wish I had when I was in the high school. Rather than taking the "learn by heart and accept it" approach, I try to make my students think carefully about the problem and draw conclusions. There is no point in just memorising stuff - just because you know something, doesn't mean you understand it. My lessons have a strong focus on understanding - not always the case in science subjects education.

I will ask you a lot of questions on the topic you want to learn. By this way of "informal chat" (almost like a tutorial in Oxford!) you will develop a good understanding of the problem. I will supplement this with a creative use of diagrams and graphs. This is why I don't like (and never go to) lectures - they just involve sitting, listening and taking notes. The point is to get YOU involved - otherwise, what are you paying for? At the end of the lesson, you should be able to explain the topic to me in your words.

Not only you have to understand Chemistry, but also you have to gain an important skill of attempting the exam questions. Or more importantly, a skill of "how to make an examiner happy". I will make sure you are well equipped with chemical knowledge and also that you are following the mark scheme - only this way you can get these full marks. We will do lots of past paper questions and master so called "exam technique" - at the end, it's your subject grade that gets you into your dream uni.

I believe that you can gain a lot from my tutoring. Chemistry is a lot of working out "why this works but that doesn't" and I really appreciate it when preparing for my lessons. I will try to make you work smart, not hard. Of course, you will have to put a substantial effort yourself if you want to succeed - but no one said it's gonna be easy! To conclude, I am sure you will learn a lot and that you will enjoy it. And I am absolutely certain you'll get these A*'s!