maria

Hi! I’m Maria, and I’m currently in my second year of History and Politics at the University of Oxford.

I’m originally from Germany, but have spent several years at French, Spanish and British schools. After passing the French National Diploma with top grades, I achieved 5 A*s at A-Level. As I am fluent in French, Spanish and German I am used to helping students with these languages. I think sitting in on lessons in languages I spoke already has given me a unique understanding of how to structure an exam focused approach to teaching around each student’s individual needs.

While still at school, I helped my peers with homework and participated in mentoring schemes to consolidate their knowledge ahead of exams. I also have experience offering formal tutoring one on one, which I’ve found to be enormously beneficial for students at every level. Since coming to Oxford, I have given application and personal statement advice to Oxbridge applicants from my sixth form, which has increased acceptance rates.

Overall, my experience has taught me the effectiveness of a learning style which gently immerses the student into a subject, particularly for modern languages, rather than simply going over model answers and past papers (though this is still an essential part of the consolidation process.) Students perform much better once they form a personal familiarity with a subject, as it gives them the confidence and enthusiasm to apply their knowledge to the fullest. After all, learning should be fun, and I can find an interesting aspect to any French grammar rule or obscure English parliamentary crisis!