Could you introduce yourself? Your major, interests, anything you’d like to share?

Hi, my name is Ljuben and I’m from Skopje, North Macedonia. I’m currently a senior, expected to graduate in December 2026. I am majoring in Economics, minoring in Data Science and Analytics, and Sustainability and Environmental Management. I really want to help out my community. I like to volunteer a lot. I like to tutor and teach. I really enjoy traveling, and I really love watching TV shows.

Do you want to share a little bit about your experience at Penn and the clubs or roles you’ve been involved in?

I am primarily involved with Weingarten, where I have tutored since the Fall of 24. I have also been engaged as a teaching assistant, where I TA’d a course for Physics, Physics 1100, Foundations of Data Science.

I’m part of Alpha Phi Omega, which is a national service fraternity where I do a lot of community service and have formed some of my closest friends. I am also part of the Assembly of International Students and the OCF Orthodox Christian Fellowship, where we go to church together and have a lot of fun.

Which courses are you tutoring right now? Do you have any study tips?

I’m tutoring Math 1400 in drop-ins, but I also tutor direct schedule for some of the other courses like Econ 200, 2100, so a lot of different courses. In terms of tips, I would say starting early is one of the important tips. Identifying what the material is and how you can essentially conquer the material, like what concepts the professors are looking to test, is something really important. Creating study groups is also a great way to study with friends. Coming to tutoring also helps. Going to office hours is something that I personally found really helpful. And most importantly, especially for math, practice problems are probably one of the best ways to prepare.

Do you have any experiences you’d like to share about tutoring?

What I really love about the tutoring experience is having the chance to get closer to the students. It’s really good when you start having students who show up regularly, and you can form that connection and understand their learning patterns. Seeing the way that students progress throughout the semester is really rewarding. It’s also a great way to get acquainted with other tutors. Everyone is so excited and welcoming on the team. It’s a really good environment to be in.

Any advice for new tutors?

Understanding what the student is looking to do, how they’re approaching the problems, and what their studying strategy is, just to deep dive into what the problem or issue is. I would say the Socratic method is really nice, where you prompt them with specific questions to get them to uncover topics themselves.

Also, having fun, connecting with the students on a personal level, and creating a collaborative environment where you’re tackling the problems together is a good tip that I have.

Do you have any career plans you’d like to share?

I’m interested in going into consulting afterwards. I have an internship for next summer in economic consulting, where I’m going to be working in Boston for the Analysis Group. I just got that a few days ago, so I’m super excited about that.

Do you have any advice for the first-year students?

Using all the resources that Penn has to offer is really helpful, whether that is professional resources like Weingarten, student clubs, or college houses. Having a strong connection with your advisor is also really nice. And asking for help – professors and TAs are humans at the end. Being vocal about problems and seeking help from friends, resources, professors, or TAs is very helpful.