Monika

Certified Tutor

I am a PhD in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology with Thesis work in Microbiology. I received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Boston College. I never really thought I would get a doctorate in science- I found science to be quite challenging while I was doing my undergraduate studies. Learning how to study efficiently was really important for my success at Boston College and in getting into a PhD program. I hope that I can help my students learn how to learn by taking big complicated theories and applying them to every day examples. I will share the tricks I learned for studying efficiently so that my students can quickly absorb and understand what they need to know to pass an exam, a class, or take a standardized test.

My favorite subjects are Biology and Chemistry (not surprisingly), but I have also tutored Math and Physics successfully to my fellow undergraduates at Boston College as well as high school and middle school students. I found that it is not the content but how you learn it that really is important on test day.

Among the skills I hope to pass along include how to memorize loads of information and mechanisms (this is for those aspiring Biologists out there), how to recognize patterns in Chemistry so that you only have to learn ONE mechanism instead of 100, how to know what equation is the right equation for the problem at hand, how to do a problem from start to finish using logical steps and tapping into the knowledge you already know, how to eliminate wrong answers on tricky multiple choice questions, and how to efficiently study so that you still have time to relax and have a life (very important for success).

Contrary to popular belief, most PhD students do not live in the lab. I like to get out and explore New York, watch Netflix marathons of Dexter and Orange is the New Black, and go out with friends as often as possible. Music is my passion and I try to get out to as many shows as possible in this great city. I even ran a non-commercial radio station back in Boston! Because I learned how to study early, I have time to do what I want instead of locking myself inside a library every time I have an exam. I hope to pass this great skill on to you so you can be successful but also well-rounded and happy with your life.