Boston University- How to Survive Bad Teachers | Quantum Prep

Boston University- How to Survive Bad Teachers

Last Updated on December 20, 2019
Solomon Berman

“My classroom teachers were a mixed bag ranging from completely useless to somewhat helpful in learning the subject matter. I do struggle to focus but that is not the problem…”

Sobering words from our Quantum Prep Student of the Month when asked about some of his classroom experiences.

About Our Student: A 2014 Boston University College of Engineering student.

Service Received: Calculus I Tutoring, Calculus II Tutoring and Physics Tutoring.

About Boston University: Established in 1839, Boston University is a private research university serving nearly 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 140 countries. With 10,000 faculty and staff, 16 schools and colleges, and 250 fields of study it is considered on of the premier universities in the nation.

So how competitive is Boston University?

BU is an extremely competitive environment. For most students academics by far comes before any other activity. I would say students spend about and average of 25 hours per week on homework alone in the College of Engineering. I personally spend 5-6 days a week and 4-5 hours per day on homework or projects, studying or preparing for exams.

I am in XXXX Fraternity and I am on the XXXX Team, although these two can take a lot of time I always push them both aside for school because at the end of the day I am here to learn.

Ok, sounds like you’ve got your priorities straight, so why did you feel you needed a tutor?

My classroom teachers were a mixed bag ranging from completely useless to somewhat helpful in learning the subject matter.

I do struggle to focus but that is not the problem, I spent too much time trying to understand and learn every single example rather than truly understanding the general concepts and being able to apply them to a multitude of different examples.

What specifically were you hoping to accomplish using a tutor?

My goals for test prep and tutoring were to not only be taught difficult material in Calculus, Physics, and other engineering classes but my main goal was to learn how to learn and how to teach myself material in the most efficient way possible. My parents had the same goal for me. My field of study is Biomedical Engineering and I hope to one day work in a hospital as an engineer working to improve patient care.

I’m sure you looked at a lot of options, why did you choose Quantum Prep?

I selected Quantum Prep because my tutor had gone through these same courses himself.

So, now that you’ve worked with Quantum Prep, what would you say about the “before” you?

Before Quantum my study habits were horrific and I spent more time studying less efficiently than I do now. I would say, I used to study most days for most of the day and was not getting results anywhere near where I wanted.

And how about the “after” you?

Quantum Prep has made a huge difference, my study habits are not even comparable to what they used to be, I study less, ace all my quizzes and homework, and I have improved considerably at taking tests although that is still the biggest work in progress.

So did your tutor live up to your expectations?

My tutor is literally second-to-none at teaching. He is hilarious, knowledgeable, and really knows how to motivate me to get my work done and done at a higher level than I ever used to expect from myself.

He is extremely patient and has taught me that learning is not something that comes easy or quickly, it is a process and improving your grades dramatically does not come without an all-out effort and an extreme perseverance when you don’t get the results you wanted right away.

He can spend an hour and a half with you on one problem then make you realize through his methods of teaching you, that you actually just learned the concepts from an entire chapter.


About Student of the Month Series

The Student of the Month series was created as a venue for Boston-area students to share their tutoring and test prep experiences in their own words. Students candidly discuss the fears, challenges and triumphs related to both their learning institutions and their educational aspirations.

We, of course, omit any personally identifying information in order to protect our student’s right to privacy.

If you are a former or current Quantum Prep student and would like to tell your story, request a Student Interview today.


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