Hey everyone! When I was thinking about what I could write about for this post I wanted to make it something I really felt was valuable and worth sharing – then it hit me. The most valuable trick/hack/strategy I’ve gained from tutoring at first ed -> THE TIME MACHINE.
I first learned about the time machine when I was actually a student at First Ed and Harry was taking me for a HSC Maths Program session (the image is a screenshot of the zoom when he explained it to me -> I’ve kept it ever since haha). He introduced me to a concept that I’ve never forgotten about and taught to every one of my students since!
So, the idea is; if you could send a piece of paper back to your former self before you took the exam, what would you write on it to help you get full marks? Before every past paper you attempt, you read through your time machine and after every past paper you mark, you add new hints/reminders to it. Rather than copying down the answers, the emphasis is on making your hints generalisable for any similar questions but specific enough to give relevant detail. For example; when integrating an equation with no bounds, don’t forget to add +C
Over the course of your studies, your time machine sits in the cover sleeve of your binder or slipped in the back of your exercise book and grows into a master cheat sheet of all the silly mistakes and weaknesses that you have solved and won’t make again!
As I mentioned, I think this is the most valuable thing I’ve ever taught or been taught at tutoring and it is now a staple of my sessions (ask any of my former students haha!). Glad to share this with other tutors and students and hope it helps – I know it works!
Simon Naglost
