David M.

Hi there, thanks for checking my profile out! I’m David, and I've just graduated with a First Class MPhys from the University of Exeter.

I got into Physics as a kid, when I came across Michio Kaku’s “Physics of the Impossible”, which looks at the tangibility of some of the things we see in Science Fiction. As I got older, I realised I liked doing the same thing, and the physicist was born!

I’m from a working class background with not the best of schools available to me (to put it diplomatically…) but I was naturally gifted and would regularly be at the top of my class. Whilst this sounds amazing, this lead me to coasting right through to A-levels, never really having that *push* to do more.

I got BBC the first time I sat my A-levels and did not get into Exeter – this was the wake up call I needed. I pulled my act together and got ABB when I re-sat (though I’m adamant it was close to AAB). Hopefully I can give you that wake up call sooner than I had it, so that you don’t have to go through the extra year like I did!

Outside of Physics, I’m a qualified UKCC level 2 coach in Judo and I have trained for 16 years. I’ve got a lot of experience with teaching all sorts of people with all sorts of abilities, so I’m certain I’ll be able to help you!

After my degree, I’m looking to develop my experience as a tutor, as well as branching out to becoming a personal trainer; I like helping others on a one-to-one basis, so I wish to continue that however I can.

My lessons are flexible in structure. I’m conversational in style as that is how I’ve always taught – no matter the subject area! Generally, the lessons begin with some theory on a topic, followed by application of that theory with questions – solving problems is integral in learning the sciences.

However, each student is different! Some enjoy a more lecture-based style where they can take notes, whilst others prefer to lead the session and just ask questions to fill in their knowledge gaps. Finding out each individual student’s preference and working with that is the key to that student excelling to the best of their ability, and I am more than happy to do just that.

I also like to recap the previous lesson at the beginning of the next to try and cement that knowledge, so that it isn’t “in one ear and out the other” – we know what kids are like sometimes!

I don’t set homework per se, but I usually ask students to try and take a look at the notes again, and perhaps to finish off any questions we didn’t quite get done in the lesson.

I don’t set homework for two reasons: if the student is struggling in a topic, setting extra work on that topic can potentially knock confidence – the opposite effect that we want. I also don’t want students to dread their sessions with me! Homework is not fun for most people, and I want the sessions to be fun!