Patrick N.

• Cambridge, history
• Cambridge

Hello everyone. My name is Patrick Nutton and I am a second year historian at the University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam College. I have worked with a number of intelligent students who deserve a top university place, and whose schools just didn't have the staff to facilitate proper personal statement advice and interview preparation. Last year, both of the girls I worked with got Oxbridge offers. Personally, I went from subpar GCSEs to a place at Cambridge. I take pride in this work: it is about improving your outlook and skills, not interview "secrets".   I am currently looking for students looking to apply to university over the academic year 2018 - 19.

            The tutorials will be based around what you need. Below I have outlined my philosophy on different areas which I hope we can build on together.     PERSONAL STATEMENTS:     Personal statements are the backbone of any university application. They should reflect your interest in the subject, and why it is both individualised and extensive. This should be reflected in detailed case studies that go beyond the classroom and that demonstrate your capacity as an independent student. Conveniently, by writing a personal statement in this manner you also provide very clear "hooks" for an interview to make preparation more focused: if you've dedicated a paragraph to something, it's very likely that you're going to get asked on it.  I will work with you to identify areas that you want to write about, to debate your ideas with you for those topics, and provide reading for that topic that will guide you towards a top-level piece of work. In producing this, you will be able to write a personal statement that presents you as a committed student with an individual interest in the subject, who uses that passion to conduct deep research. Exactly what universities are looking for.     INTERVIEW PREPARATION:     There are no "secrets" to university interviews. There are no premade questions, no easy answers, and no perfect technique. These are the inventions of salesmen trying to con you out of up to £50 an hour. What exists is your capacity to respond to tough, personalised questions in a nerve-wracking environment.   There are a lot of factors that will help you with this experience: extensive reading, your argumentative ability, coherence, brevity, passion and nerves of steel.  Each of these areas are not innate: they are learned. If you need reading, I can recommend some and we can discuss it. If you need someone to argue with, I'm a debating teacher. If you need help choosing your words, we can do exercises intended to shape how you see language.   Your nerves will strengthen with practice, and there's no easy way around that.     The best way to hear about what I can do for you is to get in touch! All sessions are personalised around what you need.

            I have taught at a range of levels. Conventionally, I have helped students with both GCSE and A-Levels, specialising in the subjects of History, Politics, English Literature and Economics. However, I am proudest of the work I have done at the margins of this: helping underprivileged lads get into secondary schools with bursaries their parents could only dream of, and helping students who deserve university places get them. As mentioned earlier, both students I worked with last year got Oxbridge offers.     Beyond this, I have ran a series of debating clubs at the Junior, Senior and now University level. My teams have competed at the national level, with one team winning a national competition in the Houses of Parliament. This year, I have overseen both the Fitzwilliam College Debating Society team, and been invited to judge debating events at Stamford Endowed Schools, Lincolnshire. I take pride in teaching people to argue like professionals, both in person and paper. This will help you with your A Levels, your Personal Statement, and especially your interview.

            I am a keen debater myself. This year, I won the Brewster Debating Competition here at the University of Cambridge. Beyond debating, I stay sharp on a number of sports: badminton, tennis and squash. I have also taken part in organising Freshers' Week here at the university: I know how scary the whole process of university can be for some people! In this manner, I would also be more than happy to answer any questions you have about university life and study.