Information about Mike - Ringwood North tutor

Personal Description:

Hi there! My name is Mike . I graduated high school back in 2021, and I'm now going into my third year of studies at Monash University, doing Commerce and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics.

What do you see yourself doing after high school? Do you feel prepared for year 12, let along the years after? I don't mean to scare you, but life can be a hard task to handle with all its unpredictable moments; I mean you may have already had a taste of this in your time so far in high school. I know I have, but no one was there for me to discuss these topics with.

I understand the importance of having a good support system in your life, both academically and personally. I also understand what good support looks like, and how it can be very different depending on the person. Whilst we can't control what will happen to our futures, we can equip ourselves with tools that can help us better approach such events, where things do not go our way.

Thankfully, after high school I had many mentors and tutors, that gave me a different perspective on things. They helped me better reflect upon who I was. It became a space where I could bounce ideas off of. They gave me opportunities for me to grow, and shone a light for me when I felt lost.

Therefore, I don't just wish to support you academically, I wish to support you in your personal life where I can.

So whilst I will tell you about my ATAR and study scores down below, like me, you are more than just a silly number. I unfortunately realised that too late, and became too caught up in the system of putting so much effort with no greater direction beyond my first year of university.

Nevertheless, I wish for you get the most out of your ATAR with the intention of achieving your greater personal goals. Your success is defined by you, but I wish for you to think about your future too, because I know it can be bright one. Where you'll go, is only the result of you noticing opportunities and taking them full on. Not an ATAR.

2021 Graduated, ATAR: 97.75 (raw scores)
ENGLISH - 41
ECONOMICS - 46
MME - 36

Don't let uncertainty dictate your future. Let's explore your options together, unlock your potential, and find the path that excites you. Please reach out via messages, email or call, I’d love to help where I can!

Tuition Experience:

I’ve worked privately as a tutor for a year now, teaching EAL at a VCE level one-to-one via Zoom. That being said, it wasn’t actually my first choice coming into the business. Originally, I had intended to tutor ENG at a VCE level. Fortunately, I was able to work as a student mentor at my old high school for around two years, helping students with ENG and ECO at a VCE level.

Through this, I was also able to build strong rapport with my students at the time and even provide advice about university life and life after high school. To my surprise, they had so many questions that weren’t academically-related, but university-related. This is when I realised, if they had such questions, how many other high school students would have such questions?

Thus, I also experience mentoring students. Plus, I’ve also been on the receiving end myself. I’ve had many mentors of my own after high school, which I will always say have been invaluable experience and knowledge. What they have given me, I wish to also pass it down where I can.

Tutoring Approach:

To me, my number one concern are my students. I like to understand what their goals are, both academically and personally. What exactly do they wish to accomplish by the end of our time together? From there, we can better figure out our next steps. Since everyone’s goals and expectations are different, I encourage as much transparency as possible between my students and I. I want to know what makes them engaged, what about our sessions don’t feel so efficient, what are they already confident in and what areas are they not. This ensures that each lesson is tailored most adequately to my students’ needs and current circumstances.

I try not to push my ideas on to them, but help them build their existing ideas. So typically I prefer getting my students to present some kind of work, and I take my time reviewing it and providing feedback. I always try to be conscious about not drastically changing the greater picture of their piece of work, but instead see if it can be built up further.

My teaching philosophy is that there is no one definition of success. Success is different to each student. I simply wish to teach my students how to grow and learn beyond just high school, because the future can be a very dauntingly uncertain place when you are young.

Therefore, I don’t want to be just a tutor, I wish to be a mentor in my student’s life. I understand the struggles as a young person in today’s social climate, both academically and personally. I have been there myself, but after having had many mentors that have guided the way for me, I realised anyone can benefit from a mentor. So, I wish to give back where I can. You don’t have to do this alone.

The most important goal for me as a tutor/mentor is for my students to be more confident and conscious people, capable of thinking critically for themselves. So, I am but a person that can provide them with the tools to navigate their own future.