Varsity Tutors is ready and willing to help you find a quality private genetics tutor who can help with your educational needs. Genetics tutoring can give you a unique opportunity to work alongside an expert in the subject. Tutors are able to give you the focus and attention that can help you to expand your knowledge and sharpen your skills. Perhaps you've been searching for "genetics tutors near me." If so, you probably already know just what sort of difference that working with a great tutor can make. Maybe it's time to go beyond the search for a "Genetics tutor near me," and actually take the plunge. Read on to see if working with a skilled genetics tutor sounds right for you.
What is Genetics?
Put simply, genetics is the study of heredity. Heredity is the biological process of a parent passing down certain genes to their children or offspring. All children inherit genes from both of their biological parents. These genes express a variety of different traits. Some traits may be physical, such as hair, eye, and skin color, while others are not. There has been a lot of information lately about the study of a person's genes in order to determine the likelihood of certain diseases that are passed down from one generation to another. The study of genetics has become very important over the years, with implications that can have a worldwide impact.
Studying an advanced subject like genetics means that you are likely to come across some very challenging material. The academic rigor involved may be the reason that you have been searching for "genetics tutoring near me." You will appreciate the time and effort that a skilled tutor can put in with you, making sure that you have a thorough knowledge of the content covered in your course as well as the skills necessary to feel confident in your academic abilities.
Some of the courses that you might encounter include:
Typical Genetics Degree Courses
- Genetics Orientation
- Principles of Genetics
- Genetics Lab
- Genetics, Agriculture, and Biotechnology
- Bioinformatics
- Microbial Genetics
- Molecular Genetics
- Evolutionary Genetics
- Analytical Genetics
- Social Topics in Genetics
- Genetics Research
Genetics tutoring can give you the chance to go over the material that you learn in your courses in a more detailed way. You and your genetics tutor can go deeper into the material so that you can build a more thorough understanding of the core concepts. A course such as evolutionary genetics could require a large amount of outside reading and study in order to fully understand it. Genetics tutors can help you prioritize the content that is the most important so that you can learn core principles and feel better about your coursework in general.
Some of the topics that are found in the study of genetics include:
Genetics Topics (non-comprehensive)
- Mitosis and Meiosis
- DNA structure
- Gene regulation
- Oogenesis
- Chromosome structure
- Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
- Cytogenetic techniques
- Chromosome abnormalities
- Genetic heterogeneity
- Mendelian inheritance
- Mitochondrial inheritance
- Single gene disorders
- Metabolic disease
- Multifactorial inheritance
- Non-invasive prenatal screening
- Acquired abnormalities
- Heterozygote screening
- Ethical issues of genetic counseling
- Molecular genetic techniques
One of the great things about Genetics tutoring is the chance to get to work in such close proximity to an expert in the subject. A skilled tutor can get to know your unique learning style and offer a customized learning experience. By getting to know how you learn best, a genetics tutor can make adjustments to their content or change their mode of delivery so that it best suits your learning needs. They can help you spot weaknesses and work with you to make corrections that might improve your confidence. If you need to work on challenging topics like mitochondrial inheritance or single-gene disorders, it can be very beneficial to have someone working with you who can explain such issues in terms that you can understand.
Genetics and Testing
If you're preparing for a genetics test, whether for a class or for a standardized or credentialing test, your genetics tutor can assist you. First, they can help you review the content that will be covered by the exam. Some subjects you might benefit from brushing up include chromosome and gene structure and functions, cytogenetics, single-gene inheritance, the interaction between genes and the environment, and genetic counseling, to name just a few.
In addition to that kind of prep, your tutor can also help you understand the test and how to take it to your best advantage. You can review the structure of the test, including the sections that are on it, what kinds and how many questions are in each section, the time limits for each section, and the schedule and process on test day. A great benefit of becoming familiar with the entire test and process is that it could potentially alleviate a great deal of test-day anxiety. Much testing anxiety comes from a fear of the unknown, so learning as much as you can about the test can be beneficial.
Standardized exams require you to know more than just the material. You have to know how to answer the questions the way they're written. Your private genetics instructor may give you certain sections of practice tests in order to observe how you answer questions so they can provide guidance on how to improve your test-taking strategies.
Time management is important because you have to be able to complete all the questions on the exam within strict time limits. If you're not able to finish practice sections in time, there could be a number of causes. You might be pondering the questions too long, or overthinking them. You might be working out complete equations when just the few first steps could make the answer obvious. There are any number of other reasons your pace could suffer. Your tutor can observe where your issues are coming from and provide solutions that are geared towards both your strengths and the particular test you'll be taking.
You can also learn more about how questions are worded on the test, which can be confusing. It can be very helpful to keep in mind certain word cues, like "not" or "except," as you read questions, because missing a word like that could lead you to provide the opposite of the correct answer. Each test has its own "voice," or way that questions are worded, and getting used to the quirks so you can feel confident you understand what each question is asking is a goal for you and your instructor to strive towards together.
These are just a few examples of the many ways your genetics tutor can help you with test preparation. Following are a few of the standardized exams you may take that have genetics components that your private instructor can help you prepare for:
- AP Biology – AP classes give high school students the opportunity to take a college-level course in the safety of a high school environment. Successful completion of the end-of-course exam could help students potentially earn college credits, saving money and time once they get to college. Genetics topics covered include the process and function of meiosis, genetic diversity, Mendel's laws and probability, and non-Mendelian inheritance.
- CLEP Biology – College students coming from previous years of school or from working in their field can take CLEP exams to test out of certain classes, saving time and money in pursuit of their degree. Genetics subjects tested include convergence, extinction, balanced polymorphism, genetic drift, and genetic engineering.
- GRE Subject Test Biology – The GRE is a standardized exam taken by students or professionals who are applying to graduate programs. The Biology Subject Test includes genetics material such as genetics and molecular biology, viruses, chromatin and chromosomal structure, genomic organization and maintenance, and the regulation of gene expression.
The Importance of Genetics
Genetics is an ever-evolving field that continues to grow in importance. The study of genetics has resulted in many advances in medicine that have helped to increase the lifespans of humans. More than just the study of human populations, genetics covers a myriad of other organisms as well, including in many cases much of the food that we eat. With a population predicted to be just shy of 9 billion by the year 2050, concerns have arisen in the ability for the world to produce enough food. Through the study of genetics, many scientists are working to produce foods that are more resistant to drought and other potential threats, ensuring that a large-scale famine does not put large portions of the world under threat.
Some of the jobs that the study of genetics can lead to include:
Careers in Genetics
- Healthcare scientist in genomics
- Genetic counselor
- Pharmacologist
- Research scientist
- Healthcare scientist in immunology
- Epidemiologist
- Geneticist
- Science writer
- Physician associate
- Scientific laboratory technician
Why Study With a Genetics Tutor?
The obvious benefit of genetics tutoring is the proximity to a highly knowledgeable expert that you can work with. When you ask a question of your tutor, you can expect a thoughtful and thorough answer. What's more, you also don't have to worry about judgment, as tutors strive to build an environment that is conducive to learning. No question is too small or too complicated. Your tutor can give you the focused attention that you need.
When you sign up for "Genetics tutoring near me," you can expect to get feedback on your progress. Together with your genetics tutor, you can set learning goals and put a plan in place that can actually help you work towards them. All throughout the process, your tutor can provide feedback and constructive criticism that can help you make corrections.
Genetics tutoring sessions are also highly flexible. It's hard enough to fit everything into a day as it is. When you sign up for tutoring, you can speak to your tutor about holding sessions at times that are better-suited to your schedule.
Tying it All Together
Genetics is a challenging subject that requires commitment and diligence. If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating subject with the possibility of making a world-wide impact, working with a skilled genetics tutor might be a good idea. It can build your knowledge and give you the confidence that you need to work toward your full academic potential. Reach out to Varsity Tutors through phone or email today to speak with an academic advisor who is eager to answer your questions and discuss how working with a tutor could be the right move for you. With a talented private tutor, you can take control of your educational and career future.