Lily Graham

Hi, I'm Lily, an MPhys Physics with Particle Physics student at the University of Sheffield. I tutor A-level Maths, Physics, and Maths and Science at GCSE. I achieved A*A*AA at A level in Physics, Maths, Chemistry, and AS Further Maths. At school, I received 5 grade 9s across the three sciences, Maths, and Geography, and grade 8s in English Language and Literature, and German. I also achieved Distinction* in both Performing Arts and Music, so you're with someone who knows how to get results.

I spent a lot of time in Year 13 helping my friends work through both A-level past papers and Oxbridge admissions tests as extra practice. I always found this a great way to develop my own understanding of a subject and a good way to get a challenging concept under my belt. I think the best way to learn is to understand the mechanisms behind the maths and science we study. By understanding why and how a method works, you will be able to remember the method and put it into practice much more easily.

Outside of my Uni and work life, I enjoy venturing out into the peaks we have near Sheffield, spending time with my cats whenever I visit my parents at home (but anything fluffy works really), and playing around with my electronics tools, alongside a new interest in 3D printing and design.


How I Teach:

The best way to learn an advanced topic is to really dig in to the workings behind it.

For GCSE students, this means learning the fundamentals of why a physical phenomenon occurs (such as why a catalyst works in a reaction, or why it took so long to discover neutrons) and/or the derivations and workings of the equations we use to describe and calculate the properties of a system (why completing the square can tell us so much about a quadratic, or why Ohm's Law describes electrical conductors). Understanding these concepts can cement the original concept deep in the memory, making exams so much easier.

For A-Level and admissions students, this means really digging deep into the conceptual stuff. It's crucial to get familiar with the mechanisms behind the phenomena you study, as the understanding of those is what the A-Level examiners are looking for to give full marks. I will work with you to deepen understanding in a way that often can't be taught in schools due to different abilities and class sizes, beginning to analyse aspects of your subject in a way you might at first year degree level, so you can write your answers in confidence when it comes to your exams. The key to A-Levels (especially the hard STEM subjects) is being confident in your ability to understand the things you are doing. When you understand why you apply certain procedures and the underlying principles behind them, doing it in an exam setting is so much easier.