Hello! My name is Alexander but I go by Xander and I am a recent graduate from the University of Rochester starting a doctoral program in physical chemistry this fall. I graduated with an ACS certified BS in chemistry during which time I engaged with research, led workshops, tutored with the Undergraduate Chemistry Society, and completed a thesis in spectroscopy. My education and my experience with teaching assistants and workshop leaders has taught me the value of someone dedicated to a...
Hello! My name is Alexander but I go by Xander and I am a recent graduate from the University of Rochester starting a doctoral program in physical chemistry this fall. I graduated with an ACS certified BS in chemistry during which time I engaged with research, led workshops, tutored with the Undergraduate Chemistry Society, and completed a thesis in spectroscopy. My education and my experience with teaching assistants and workshop leaders has taught me the value of someone dedicated to a student's understanding in any subject. Since high school, I have worked on and off as algebra math tutor for middle and highschoolers, in one on one and group settings. During college, I worked as a workshop leader for undergraduate physical chemistry, teaching a group of students extremely difficult concepts and the associated math, and volunteered as a tutor for general chemistry with my university's undergraduate chemistry society.
For me, the best approach to learning is methodical and stepwise. My goal for myself in my courses has always been to understand each step to a problem thoroughly, from the rationale behind what was being done, why one manipulation could be done and another couldn’t, and how to check any answer. As a tutor, I aim to provide all my students with this same understanding. Any given problem will be broken down into its most basic steps, each step will be explained as thoroughly as possible, and any answer will be checked by available methods. My hope is for students to be able to explain every part of their work and prove to themselves that they have made the correct decision in solving a problem. Beyond a student's hard skills, I love to be able to answer a student’s curiosity questions in science as this is where I can foster a student's love of the subject alongside their ability. Curiosity is ultimately the best driving force behind the pursuit of a subject, in my opinion. Engaging with, encouraging, and building that curiosity will ensure any student remains motivated for that subject.
