Princeton Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Experienced Chemistry Tutor

Eris V.

I recently earned my Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Princeton University and have approximately four years of experience teaching organic chemistry at Princeton and Penn State. I have supported courses including Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II, Reactivity and Synthesis, and advanced organic chemistry laboratory courses. My teaching experience includes leading recitations and mini-lectures, holding office hours, developing practice problems and review materials, grading exams and laboratory reports, and providing one-on-one support with reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, reactivity, spectroscopy, and multistep synthesis.

Before beginning my teaching appointments, I completed a pedagogy course focused on effective strategies for teaching science. Since then, I have worked closely with faculty to develop lessons, identify common misconceptions, and determine which explanations and problem-solving approaches best help students understand challenging material.

My goal as a tutor is not to help students rely on memorization, but to help them understand the reasoning behind organic chemistry. I focus on recognizing reaction patterns, understanding how structure influences reactivity, drawing mechanisms logically, and applying familiar concepts to new synthesis problems. I tailor each lesson to the student’s course materials, learning style, and specific areas of difficulty, and I can create customized problem sets when additional practice would be helpful.

I find it especially rewarding to see students become more confident, independent problem solvers. Organic chemistry can initially feel overwhelming, but with clear explanations, structured practice, and the right approach, students can develop a much stronger command of the subject.