Tejal
University of Cambridge
Chemical Engineering
3rd Year
DBS
25About Me
My name is Tejal Paliya, and I am currently pursuing an MEng in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge. Alongside my academic pursuits, I have developed a strong passion for education and have accumulated extensive experience in tutoring and mentoring students across various age groups. Over the past few years, I have provided private tutoring in STEM subjects, assisting students in enhancing their understanding and academic performance. Additionally, I have guided prospective university applicants through mock interviews and exam preparation, helping them navigate the competitive admissions process. My role as an Engineering and AI mentor on a summer programme involved supervising students aged 13–15, supporting them with their projects, and ensuring they had a positive and enriching learning experience.
My teaching style
In my tutoring practice, I prioritise creating an engaging and supportive environment tailored to each student’s unique learning style. I believe in the power of scaffolding, breaking down complex concepts into manageable steps and gradually reducing support as the student gains confidence and competence. This method ensures that students build a solid foundation before progressing to more challenging material.
I like to go through the subject topics in the same order as the specification the student is studying at school. The following will be my methodology:
>Going through each topic allowing students to make notes and ask questions.
>Working through some past paper questions related to that topic.
>Once a topic is covered I will set an online test to make the student feel confident about exams.
>Test results will be recorded and compared to following tests for assessing progress.
I offer a flexible and interactive approach and I am open to suggestions from the students and their parents to cater to the student’s learning style. I am also happy to provide additional guidance for:
>School assignments and homework.
>Courseworks.
>Revision before exams.
My past experience
I have 4 years of private tutoring experience along with an additional 6 years of informal tutoring experience by helping my younger sister and cousins.
My Proudest Achievements
A personal achievement I am extremely proud of is completing my A Levels in a year and scoring 4 A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics. This allowed me to take a year off before University and not be a year behind. I was able to do this by scheduling my revision timetable meticulously and working extremely hard to finish the content before school started. I focused on doing many past paper questions to improve my knowledge.
Another achievement that is not quite my own feat but had a small contribution to it is that I motivated a student from my school to consider applying to Cambridge. I was the first student in many years to get into Cambridge from my state school in Derby and hearing about my story inspired her to consider applying herself. She got in touch with me and we scheduled some mock interviews to help her practice. I also showed her around Cambridge. She received an offer this year and will begin her course from October 2025.
I teach
- STEP
- IELTS
- ENGAA
- ESAT
- ACT
- SAT
- SAT (US College Admissions)
- Verbal Reasoning
- 11+
- 13+
- 13+ Tutors
- 16+
- A-Level Re-take Tutor
- Common Entrance
- GCSE Re-take Tutor
- Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Electronics
- Environmental Science
- Astronomy
- Biochemistry
- Physical Chemistry
- Quantitative Methods
My Results and Achievements
- Offer from University of Cambridge
- Offer from Imperial College London
- Offer from UCL
- Offer from University of Manchester
- Offer from University of Edingburgh
- Helped 3 students receive Cambridge offers