Research biologist who tutored at UNC Chapel Hill, specializing in homework help and study plans

I'm Cas, and I'm a recent honors graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, where I spent over a year working as a peer tutor for my fellow Biology majors. I specialize in marine biology, ecology, environmental sciences, and zoology. Through UNC's peer tutoring program, I achieved a CRLA Level 1 certification in tutoring. I've done marine biology research for the past 4 years, so I'm familiar with lab work and real-world applications of abstract concepts. I specialize in homework help, review sessions, test preparation and strategies, and creating study plans. I'm primarily equipped to help college and high school students, and am comfortable working with homeschooled students. My prior experience centers around helping students understand difficult concepts or example problems from class, rather than simply giving the answers. Outside of academia, my interests include creative writing, SCUBA diving, and hiking. I'm currently preparing to start a PhD in Marine Biology.

My teaching style is more of a conversation than a lecture. I prefer working one-on-one with students to help figure out exactly where and why they're struggling, and how to fix it. I think every student knows more than they believe they do, and my job is helping them realize that and feel confident in their answers going forward. I work by simplifying challenging subjects through asking simpler questions that guide the student through the concept at hand. I help my students succeed by continually asking questions and providing feedback as a student works through a problem, so they know what they're doing well at and how to fix problem areas. I'm also trained in making study plans that will help my students achieve success. As a peer tutor, I often worked with students to identify which of their study habits could use improvement, and how to go about improving them. I also outlined concrete, actionable study plans for their subject going forward.