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I am a licensed physician from Florida who is currently changing careers. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and have extensive tutoring and editing experience. While a student, I became a certified writing tutor through the Critical Writing Department. Since I completed my writ...
Nova Southeastern University
PHD, Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Bachelors, History
University of Pennsylvania
undergraduate

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Kate
I'm available to tutor biology, chemistry, physics, math from Algebra up through AP Calculus, SAT test prep, and French. I've been tutoring students in science and math for 7 years. I also spent 8 months working and studying in France, and have tutored high school and adult students in French. When ...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Masters, Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelors

Certified Tutor
9+ years
Jai
I'm a recent Stanford graduate (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), and have been working at a major Management Consulting firm for a few years now. I personally scored a 2360 (out of 2400) on the SAT and 35 on the ACT and was successful in gaining admission to several top universities. I'...
Stanford University
Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Jeffrey
I am enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering PhD program at Rice University which will begin Fall 2020, and I am hoping to return to academia as a professor after earning my PhD. In the meantime, I am looking to share my passion for gaining knowledge, specifically in STEM, by educating the up and com...
University of Notre Dame
Bachelor of Science
Rice University
Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Rhea
I am a current student at the University of Chicago. I am working towards a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, and I am on the pre-medical track. I am extremely passionate about tutoring, and I have several years of experience tutoring students in my high school's learning center in various...
University of Chicago
Bachelor of Science, Biology, General

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Erika
I am available to tutor middle and high school math, history and test prep. I have tutored math and history in the past and I previously taught a test prep course at a school in Hanoi, Vietnam. I have a lot of experience teaching all the need-to-know tricks to doing great on the SATS/ACTS! When I am...
Harvard University
Master of Public Policy, Public Policy

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Samuel
I am a freshman at Caltech majoring in Applied and Computational Mathematics. My favorite subject to tutor is math because I find it very rewarding to simplify complex topics to aid in understanding. I have lots of tutoring experience. In high school, I ran and taught an SAT prep class and was vice ...
California Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science, Applied Mathematics

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Earnest
I am comfortable with either setting. I'm confident that I can help you (or your student) achieve to the best of their ability, so please don't hesitate to get in touch!
University of Pennsylvania
Masters, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Pennsylvania
Bachelors, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Tiffany
I am available to tutor a broad range of subjects, I am passionate about test preparation, Accountancy, and Algebra.
University of Notre Dame
Bachelor in Business Administration, Accounting
University of Chicago
Juris Doctor, Legal Studies

Certified Tutor
9+ years
Sharon
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago, and I will be starting a graduate program at Columbia in August. I am about to complete a year of service with City Year, an education non-profit that places young adults into under-served schools. As a City Year member, I worked full-time in the classro...
Columbia University in the City of New York
Master of Science, Journalism
University of Chicago
Bachelor in Arts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Physical Organic Chemistry combines abstract theoretical concepts with complex problem-solving, making it challenging for many students. The main difficulties include visualizing reaction mechanisms at the molecular level, understanding how electronic effects influence reactivity, and applying kinetics and thermodynamics to predict organic behavior. Many students struggle with the transition from memorizing reactions to understanding why reactions occur the way they do. Personalized tutoring helps break down these interconnected concepts into manageable pieces, allowing you to build genuine understanding rather than relying on memorization alone.
Visualizing abstract concepts like molecular orbitals, transition states, and electron flow is essential for Physical Organic Chemistry success. A skilled tutor can use multiple approaches—drawing detailed reaction mechanisms step-by-step, explaining orbital theory through analogies, working with molecular models, and showing how computational tools visualize these concepts. Breaking complex mechanisms into individual steps and connecting electron movement to structural changes helps these abstract ideas become concrete. With personalized instruction, you can practice until you can confidently visualize and predict how molecules behave, rather than just memorizing reaction pathways.
Memorizing reactions gives you temporary solutions for exam questions, but understanding mechanisms builds a foundation for predicting unknown reactions and solving novel problems. True understanding means knowing the electronic factors driving reactivity, how substituents affect reaction rates and selectivity, and why certain pathways are favored. When you understand the underlying principles—like resonance stabilization, steric effects, and orbital overlap—you can apply them to reactions you've never seen before. Personalized tutoring emphasizes conceptual understanding by connecting each mechanism to broader principles, so you develop problem-solving skills that extend far beyond what you've memorized.
Physical Organic Chemistry isn't just theoretical—it directly explains how pharmaceuticals are designed, how catalysts work in industry, and how synthetic pathways are optimized for efficiency and safety. Understanding reaction mechanisms helps chemists predict side reactions, design more selective catalysts, and develop greener synthetic routes. By seeing these connections, you'll understand why concepts like activation energy, thermodynamic vs. kinetic control, and substituent effects matter beyond the classroom. A tutor can highlight real-world applications—from drug synthesis to materials science—that show how Physical Organic Chemistry principles solve actual problems, making the subject more engaging and memorable.
Success in Physical Organic Chemistry requires mastering several interconnected skills: drawing accurate mechanisms with proper arrow pushing, predicting reactivity based on electronic effects, applying kinetics and thermodynamics to reaction behavior, and solving multi-step problems. Beyond content knowledge, you'll need strong scientific reasoning—the ability to analyze a problem, identify relevant principles, and construct a logical solution. Personalized tutoring develops both technical skills (drawing mechanisms, balancing equations, unit conversions) and thinking skills (analyzing why a reaction proceeds in a certain direction, predicting unknown outcomes). Regular practice with immediate feedback helps you strengthen these skills systematically rather than struggling through them alone.
Exam preparation in Physical Organic Chemistry requires more than reviewing notes—you need targeted practice with problems that test your conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability. A tutor can identify your specific weak areas, explain challenging concepts in different ways until they click, and provide extensive practice with exam-style problems. You'll learn effective strategies for approaching mechanism problems, predicting reaction outcomes, and working through multi-step synthesis questions under time constraints. Most importantly, personalized instruction ensures you understand why answer choices are right or wrong, so you're prepared for novel questions and variations you haven't explicitly practiced before.
An excellent Physical Organic Chemistry tutor should deeply understand not just reaction mechanisms and theory, but also common student misconceptions and how to address them. They should be able to explain abstract concepts clearly, draw and interpret mechanisms accurately, and connect theory to real applications. Look for someone who emphasizes understanding over memorization, asks probing questions to assess your grasp of concepts, and adapts their teaching style to your learning preferences. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have strong backgrounds in chemistry and proven experience helping students move from confusion to confidence in Physical Organic Chemistry.
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