Originally written by Sarah Tarney for The Hub in March 2021.
Hopkins senior Ben Straus shares homework help and study tips through TikTok videos and a Discord server.
Ben Straus joined TikTok for the same reason most of the platform’s one billion users joined: It’s a way to be entertained, follow popular influencers, and maybe pick up a few life hacks. Eventually, though, Straus began creating his own fun videos, and soon, the fourth-year Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering student decided to use his expertise to help middle school, high school, and college students around the world learn more about engineering.
“I realized that, in high school, I had very little knowledge of what engineering actually was,” said the Los Angeles native. “In college, I’ve learned about the field, picked up many tricks, and made many study guides that students might find helpful.”
Courtesy of Ben Straus
In late January, he knew he had struck on an idea that resonated with an audience after an initial short video announcing his first live session had been viewed more than 100,000 times and his account had gained more than 3,000 followers—all in fewer than 24 hours.
Read more about Ben on The Hub.
