Academic Support

Academic Support classes exist for the student of (nearly) all ages. High school, university, and graduate students need an outside perspective -- a critical, but always helpful approach -- to better understand their own arguments. 

High school students often find it difficult to know what their teachers want. Or, that they don't know how to get there. The temptation may be to throw the assignment into ChatGPT. But, that's a bad idea. Teachers want their students to think creatively. In these classes, we will work on your assignments and projects. I'll help you to figure out what your teachers expect, why they expect it, and what creative approaches you can take to satisfy those expectations. Your academic success is my goal. 

University and graduate students face similar challenges; though, the stakes and standards are much higher. Scholarship is the product of critical thinking, creative writing, and careful research. Even then, each professor has their own expectations. When you have 4-5 professors every semester, it can seem a major challenge to satisfy each one. We'll work together to find out where those demands come from, why they're important to the work, and how you can satisfy them -- for your town academic growth and for a good grade. 

These classes are also for people who need to get a certain score on the TOEFL or IELTS exam. Those exams can seem overwhelming; and, they are. However, the key to getting a high score is not to study more but rather to find the right strategy for taking the exam. I'll help you figure out what strategy is best for your learning style. We'll work together on the 4 assessment areas of those exams so that you can achieve the highest possible score. 

What will you get from our classes?

• An academic partner: Don reads the course material you provide, engages in debate, and makes recommendations on theory

• A dedicated editor on essays and other scholarly material

• Presentation strategies

• Homework assistance and tutoring for any written assignments

• English-language exam coaching (IETLS / TOEFL)

• Strategies for applying to American universities.

Why take classes with Donald?

• Master's Degree in English Language and Literature

• 15 years of teaching experience at universities, colleges, and local community groups. 

• 15 years of advising high school, undergraduate, and graduate students on admissions, conferences, and thesis/dissertation defence. 

• Fluent (C1 level) Spanish speaker.