Undergraduate Student studying Software Engineering at The University of Sydney • Online tutoring for high school level Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and History • 99.95 ATAR, 420 Rank Score, Chancellors

Find out more about Wenya

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I developed an interest in helping other students with their work throughout my years in high school. Having attended an extremely competitive school that ranked all of its students based on academic merit, many of my peers often turned to me for help when they were struggling to keep up with their work as well as under the pressure of success. Being able to help my friends achieve the grades they dreamed of having gave me an inexplicable sense of joy, more joy than when I myself would do well on assessments. Thanks to that, I decided to tutor privately through my school at first before expanding to having students all across the country.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  As a high achiever myself, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the subjects I tutor throughout high school. Personally, I enjoy explaining difficult to understand concepts to my students more than just simply telling them to remember something as I feel that my tutoring has the most impact when I am covering a concept that isn't well understood by the student. The impact caused by understanding inevitably leads to progress within the subject, progress that is not guaranteed through just memorising the mark scheme.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I definitely did have a few role models throughout my years in high school. My previous chemistry teacher as well as my history teacher are a huge reason for my current success and I would be a completely different person without them. The trust my teachers placed in me to succeed even when I had struggled gave me the boost in motivation I needed to hold myself to a higher level. I aspire to become a source of motivation for my students to succeed, and I hope that my students try their best to do well not only for themselves but also for all of their teachers and supporters.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Aside from the obvious qualities like understanding the course content, I think it's crucial that tutors are excellent communicators and are able to break down the age-old fear of asking questions. Students should be able to feel comfortable asking whatever question they have on their minds no matter how silly it may appear to them, and I think it is the tutor's role to set up an environment such that the students are comfortable doing so.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  My most valuable story comes from my exam preparations for AS maths. As someone that was a part of the advanced curriculum for Maths and did AS maths a year ahead, I tried extremely hard to prepare well for the final external exams. Unfortunately, I did not manage my revision well enough and suffered from burnout (yes, burnout - not a lack of revision). I had studied far too much for my mock exams and despite getting an A* for my mocks, I was unable to sustain my efforts and got far less than what I would have liked in my externals (70%). To me this was a situation that I had never faced before - never had I studied too hard and performed poorly because of it, but thanks to having learnt this lesson early, I was able to manage my stress levels throughout future examination series and made it to where I am today.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I definitely faced difficulties in understanding organic chemistry back in year 11. This links back to the answer above - during that time I had definitely overloaded both in terms of number of subjects (7 at the time!), as well as the difficulty of the subjects (AS maths was a substantial jump from IGCSE).

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  While I do enjoy teaching in general, I think the most enjoyable part about teaching for me is being able to be a part of someone's success. Throughout my junior years, I could not understand why some of my teachers - who held PhDs or had highly successful careers - came into the field of teaching, but as a teacher I can finally fully appreciate their reasoning for becoming a teacher. The sense of joy and pride you feel when you hear about your student's success is addictive, and although most teachers might never show it - they are most definitely extremely proud when their students' grades improve. Fostering the next generation and becoming part of their success is what makes teaching my passion.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions)?

  What makes me a superprof? Of course it is the years of experience + excellent communication + proven record of success + insightful comments + exam tips and most importantly my witty humour.
  
  On a more serious note, I think what makes me a superprof is my genuine connection to my students. I am genuinely passionate in helping my students succeed and the close bond I share with my students stands me out as a superprof.