If you’re a Literature student in this day and age, well done!
Literature teaches us to recognize beauty in language and to understand the patterns behind the words.
It allows us to be genuinely and authentically moved, and helps us to understand ourselves and our world better as human beings.
It’s an essential part of a well-rounded education in our increasingly banal world.
But having said that it’s not easy to do well in the subject in school either. Even if you do your work, read your notes, come to class, and read the texts.
You can be diligent — maybe even passionate — and that still isn’t going to save you.
Because there are certain key concepts and ideas in Literature (the subject) that generally aren’t taught explicitly in school.
(Teachers often take them for granted and assume you know them already.)
But until you understand those principles, your essays will keep on coming back with “C” grades and comments like “No” and “Really??” and “ANSWER THE QUESTION”. There will be squiggly lines drawn under your phrases and random words circled here and there and you will have no clue what any of it even means.
That’s where I come in.
I’m the person who can get you from where you are now to where you dream you could be.
I can get you to excellence and “A” grades.
I graduated from university with a First Class Honours degree in English Literature. Received the medal for being the top student in my cohort. Multiple Dean’s-List honours. Backup valedictorian. That sort of thing.
In other words, I know exactly what it takes to be a brilliant student at English Literature.
And I’m also a qualified teacher with a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. I taught in the school system for five years and have been tutoring since 2005.
My students have gotten 7s at the IBDP and “A”s in the A-Levels. And I know it is possible to work miracles in the space of only a few months.
Now it’s your turn.
All you need is dedication, discipline, and a willingness to learn.
Over the years I’ve devised unique techniques for mastering English Literature that most students (and teachers) simply don’t know, and I’d be happy to pass them on to you.
I want you to be a GREAT student, not just a good one.
And so you’ll learn:
- What makes Literature different from almost any other humanities subject, and why studying for it requires a completely different approach. I’ll show you what it is and teach you how to optimize your study time based on this principle.
- The structural principles that make a Lit essay completely different from a History or GP essay. Once you understand this your essays will almost magically get better.
- How to remember all the necessary quotes from a text painlessly, in context, while only spending a few minutes on memorization each day. This is how I got through university, and this trick alone will probably make you better than almost every other student you know.
- My definition of what “insightful analysis” really means in the context of Literature at school, and how you can achieve it every time. (I bet even your teachers in school can’t give you a clear explanation of this. Go ahead. Try asking them.)
- How to deliberately use visual cues when analysing unseen passages and poems to free up the mental space to give yourself more brainpower. Mental ability does matter, and I’ll show you how to get more of it.
- How to calm yourself down in seconds when faced with a difficult exam paper, leaving you ready to perform at your best. Panic is not your friend. Here’s how to banish it.
- How to boost your essay writing speed dramatically in just a few hours. (Warning: tough training ahead…)
- How to manipulate sentence structure to give your writing the kind of fluency and elegance you need to come out on top.
You’ll get all that as well as the basics: structure, rhythm, rhyme, characterization, irony; how to analyse poetry, prose, and drama; the different approaches required for unseen texts and open-book ones; and all the information you need to do well with the texts you’re studying.
So if you’d like to really, REALLY boost your skills at English Literature, drop me a message and we’ll see how I can best help you. Flexible timings and ad hoc sessions available.
Unlike most other tutors, I don’t believe in locking you into a fixed weekly commitment. You can book only as many sessions as you need, when you need them.
So leave your name and phone number in the boxes below, and I’ll respond as soon as I can.
Let’s sum it up with a metaphor…
You want to find your way up a mountain, a mountain called English Literature. You don’t know the best way to do it, but you know you want to get higher up that mountain than you are now.
You can try to make it on your own, and hope your random attempts lead you somewhere. Or you can hire a guide who’s actually been to the peak and knows the best way there. Someone who can ensure that your climb is efficient, effective, productive, and enjoyable.
I’m that guide.
So if you’re keen, leave a message below, and we’ll see how best to make a difference in your journey.
Keep up the good work,
