Information about Karan - Sunnybank tutor -

(3 reviews)

Personal Description:

I possess a Bachelors in Psychology (Honours), having excelled in my Statistics courses. I have successfully completed Honours and am currently engaged in a Masters of Counselling Psychology at UQ. I have always had a profound interest with all things academia; a passion for learning and teaching. I love understanding new things, playing with ideas, breaking down a complex concept and explaining it in a way that makes my students' faces light up. Seeing a student receive a High Distinction on their psychology or statistics course and knowing that I played a part in their journey is a joy to me.

I understand how daunting and unexpected statistics can be for most students, it was for me when I was a first year psychology student (I never had a great proclivity for mathematics throughout high school). But the reason I averaged a 6.6 GPA across my statistics courses was because I learnt to love it. I don't believe in being "maths-brained" so much as one's effort and persistence defining the difference between success and failure. I want to pass on that love for learning, and that's why I tutor.

Tuition Experience:

Throughout my Bachelors, I have developed a keen proficiency in academic writing, including critically analyzing information, summarizing and expressing information succinctly and proof-reading/editing assignments and theses. I also tutor students in first, second and third year inferential statistics. This includes designing tailor made lesson plans, and making use of diagrams, concept maps and educational material. I have on hand extensive notes on all the core psychology subjects as well as detailed step by step guides for statistics. I have conducted many student-run group tutoring sessions throughout my undergrad, and as such I know the psychology and statistics curriculum inside out. Furthermore I have tutored a number of undergraduate courses in Psychology at Griffith University for 2 years, consistently receiving great reviews from students.

Besides direct tutoring experience, I have volunteered as a dual-diagnosis alcohol and drugs case worker. My key roles involved providing initial assessment, writing up a tailored treatment plan, recording case notes, and most importantly providing cognitive and behavioural psychotherapy. An important therapy often provided is psychoeducation. This is where I educate my clients on the nature of the substance, how it affects the brain and one's subsequent behaviours/cognitions, and how one can begin taking steps to overcome their addiction. I feel the skills of providing psychoeducation are definitely transferable to the tutoring experience and are a testament to my psychological knowledge and skill set.

Tutoring Approach:

My approach to teaching is heavily person-centered. I believe it is important to tailor the lessons around the student as opposed to having my own structure which may not fit everyone. This is because I prefer to get to the crux of the misunderstanding, and work on filling that gap so as to complete the student's conceptual map, giving them that "Aha!" moment. It's important to identify what is known and unknown so as to not waste time yet efficiently managing the student's weak points. This approach has worked wonders and as such I have developed a specialized technique on quickly identifying key areas of focus, ensuring the student has a perfect tutoring experience.

My sessions tend to be student-led, and involves whatever you would like to focus on.

To clarify: The only mathematics I tutor are inferential and correlational statistics. My main focus is any subjects in the field of Psychology, though can provide general assessment help with almost any subject. I can provide help with use of SPSS.