Grades are super interesting, classes should be fun and know what you're good at!
I asked Sarah some questions about her time with us as Tutor. She tutors several students of different levels, and she likes it. For example, she talks about her interest in the subjects she teaches, the flexibility of her classes and how she helps her students progress.
Who are you? What do you do in everyday life? And what do you do at Studied?
My name is Sarah, I am 20 years old and I have been living in Maastricht for over a year now. I study International Business here at Hogeschool Zuyd. At Studied I guide high school and college students with homework help and tutoring. The subjects I do this for most are Economics and Business Economics, but I also teach German, Mathematics A and Accounting.
What subject do you enjoy teaching the most?
I think the most fun subject to teach is business economics and accounting. Both subjects are about the numbers of companies. That may sound boring, but those numbers say a lot about the company and that makes it super interesting! Further, what I like about business economics is that it deals with so many different topics. It's not just about a company's numbers, but also about topics like insurance and taxes that are really useful to you. That provides variety in the lessons!
What do you love about teaching at Studied?
What I like most is working together with the student. You decide together what the goal is and how to work towards it. That way you get a better result in a flexible way. Furthermore, I get a lot of satisfaction from the fact that the students progress. By the way, this flexibility is also very nice for me as a student. I can schedule the lessons together with the student at a time that is convenient for both of us.
What do most students struggle with?
Most students have trouble calculating taxes. This is not easy either, because you have to process a lot of information and know the theory well. In addition, there are also quite a few steps you have to take to arrive at the answer. First calculate the taxable income, then apply the brackets and finally subtract the tax credits. Not easy, but you learn a lot from it and can put it to good use later!
How do you ensure that your students progress?
By looking together at the cause of the problem, making a plan to solve the problem and getting to work. For some students, that means back-to-the-basics, while for others, explanation of specific theory is needed. Working in this way gets the most out of lessons and will help the student progress.
What is your most important tip for students?
The most important tip is knowing where your strengths lie. In fact, you can benefit greatly from knowing what you are good at. It's not just about subjects, but also skills such as planning. Especially when preparing for a test, it is useful to know what you are good at. After all, then it is clear where less time can be spent on, and where more. That way you can plan appropriately, you will be better prepared for your tests and your results will improve.
What is your most important tip for final exams?
Practice Practice Practice Practice...... Although you have had all the material, this may be a while ago again. Practicing the material helps to refresh this again. In addition, practicing old exams also helps with understanding the questions. In fact, many students find the questions on exams more difficult than the questions on normal tests. By practicing old exams, you get used to the way the question is asked. If you do this enough, then on your exam you will only have to think about answering the question, and not also understanding the question.
How important do you feel the click with your students is?
That one is very important, because you work together toward a goal. If the match is not good, it becomes difficult to work together. Both the student and I have to feel good about working together so that the goal can be achieved successfully and enjoyably. After all, it's not just about learning. You have to have fun together too!
Do you find your work compatible with your other pursuits?
It is very flexible work because you plan your own lessons with the student. This makes it very compatible with my student life. I can study during the day, then do some classes and in the evening do fun things and relax. It's really ideal if you're not looking for a job where you always spend whole day parts.
Would you recommend working at Studied? And why?
I would definitely recommend working at Studied! Like I said, it's very flexible in terms of hours and class content. Working with the student is also super fun because you see progress pretty quickly. The best part is when a student scores a good point or when the penny drops. Apart from the lessons, the contact with Bas is really great! He can always be reached for questions, acts quickly and asks for your opinion. That also makes working at Studied a lot of fun.
Taking mentoring from Sarah? Check out www.studied.nl and contact us!