My name is Nicole and I’m currently in my 3rd year majoring in Microbiology and Immunology! This year I had the opportunity to be a Peer Tutor for Biology 201 and it was such an incredible experience! In my free time, I also volunteer for the AMS Peer Support and am currently training for my first marathon!
What do you most enjoy about being a peer tutor?
I think the most rewarding part about being a Peer Tutor was seeing the students really come to grasp a concept after you’ve tried to explain it in an alternate way! The experience has also expanded my ability to take on multiple different perspectives and appreciate the diverse different learning styles that exist in the university setting.
What has being a peer tutor brought to your undergraduate experience?
Being a Peer Tutor has undeniably elevated my undergraduate experience as I’ve developed an appreciation for being able to explain, rather than just learn. It provided an outlet where rather than trying to simply take in loads of information in my courses, I was able to test out my qualifications on explaining different subjects. Additionally, it has vastly improved my problem solving skills as every set of office hours introduces a new challenge of helping a student overcome a problem!
What is a fun fact about you that people may not know?
A fun fact about me that not many people know is that I hiked the Grouse Grind 50x last summer! It was tiring, but also was so rewarding!
What is an upcoming project you’re excited to work on?
Something that I am super excited for in the upcoming months is the opportunity to work at an Immunological Cancer Research Lab in Ottawa. Having had the opportunity to study Immunology these past two years, I am fascinated by the underlying mechanisms of tumour resistance and the possibility of manipulating immune cells to create oncolytic viruses!
What has been an interesting outcome of your peer tutoring experience?
Something surprising that came out of the Peer Tutor experience was how comfortable I became working alongside the other Peer Tutors! Being able to resonate on different working experiences as well as assist each other in current classes was such an amazing experience, and I highly recommend this role to anyone who is thinking of applying!