Cambridge University History and Writing Tutor

Nate T.

Hi! I’m Nate. I’m from California and I study at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. In high school, I tutored fellow students one-on-one in history, physics, and math, which is how I learned to become flexible in my approaches to various subjects. In my free time I play basketball, soccer, read and play videogames, but the thing I am most passionate about is the subject I study, history. I hope that, together, we will re-discover what is interesting about the subject while we work towards a deeper understanding.

One thing I have learned in my time tutoring is that the reasons most students struggle in history and related subjects is not due to lack of ability, but a lack of structure. I have found that students who wish to improve in their exams benefit from focusing on historical methods and interpretation, rather than solely memorization. Unfortunately, memorization has been prioritized within students’ historical education, which has robbed students of the most interesting part of history: the story!

I hope to show how placing the content you are expected to learn within a wider narrative structure will not only make it easier to understand, but more enjoyable. Regarding your practical concerns, the good news is that a better understanding of the historical storyline and techniques will actually make memorization easier. We will see how, by viewing the expected content through its themes and the story telling techniques employed, the names and dates you are expected to know will fall into place. Not only that, the dreaded free response questions will become less daunting, as we will practice using these strategies for our own advantage.