Accepted at Cambridge University to Study Medicine - Biology / Chemistry Tutor - 4A* at A-level - 3 Years Tutoring Experience

Find out more about Ahmed

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and private tutoring?

  After graduating from high school with top A-level scores and having been through the difficult journey to obtain them, I felt a need to give back to my community and help other struggling students who find science a tricky subject to navigate.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  To be very honest, I'm a complete science nerd and always have been. I genuinely have a passion to teach all 3 sciences (maybe chemistry a little bit more) as they're all unique in their own ways yet link to each other beautifully.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  Whenever I think of my favorite teacher at school, my A-level Chemistry teacher - Mr. Parslow - always comes to mind. In my own classes, I often find myself modelling my teaching style after him by breaking down impossible topics into simplified, manageable chunks.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  The biggest quality required to be a good tutor is empathy. As a tutor, we need to be able to view a concept, no matter how easy it may seem to us, through the eyes of a student who may be seeing it for the first time. Additionally, having patience is also an important quality as students need time to familiarise themselves, and it's our job to accommodate them through it.

• Share a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school with us!

  Probably the most accomplished I felt in my academic journey was opening the acceptance email to Cambridge University to study Medicine. All of my hard work had finally paid off, and I truly felt a sense of gratitude and relief at reading the email. I hope that through the work I do with my students, it can ultimately lead them to the same feeling or an even bigger accomplishment!

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or are still facing in your subject?

  For me, the journey of getting through A-level physics was a constant struggle, which was downhill at times. I remember spending more than 12 hours a day studying before my Year 12 mock, only to end up with a C. However, I kept trying different learning strategies until I found the best one, and this ultimately helped to score an A* in my final grade. The lessons I learned were invaluable, and I'm so glad I went through the failure as it helps me to empathise with all students much better, as well as give them better strategies to overcome their failure.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general, an element of the subject, or something completely different?

  Outside of teaching, I love to be a student myself and constantly learn new things. I'm currently completing a language course to better accustom myself to the Arabic language. Additionally, I'm also a full-time medical student. The balance of being the teacher and the student is both humbling as well as empowering, and there are so many interchangeable skills that I've developed due to this.

• What makes you a Superprof?

  My teaching style, in its most fundamental essence, is about securing a thorough and consistent understanding of a subject. My classes include tailored PowerPoints made for each student, which are detailed but don't contain any unnecessary information which would overburden the student. After class, students are required to update their Anki flashcards and complete the homework. The implementation of Anki is what sets my teaching apart as it ensures that students can retain all the valuable bits of information on a long-term basis.