I started tutoring mathematics and physics during college at Melbourne University, where I majored in mathematics and statistics. I moved to the USA from Australia to study a Masters of statistics at Harvard, and I now work in computer science education at Google.

Tutoring subjects:

• All elementary, middle, and high school mathematics
• Linear algebra
• Calculus
• Probability and statistics
• Real analysis
• Discrete math and combinatorics
• Middle and high school physics
  

Ages I’ve worked with:

• Middle school
• High school
• College
  

My tutoring style:

I like to let a student find their own answers and conclusions. Rather than telling or instructing a student, I prefer to ask questions that hopefully guide them in the right direction. I avoid rote learning, instead trying to instill an understanding of the mechanisms behind the formula.

I don’t believe anyone is inherently talented or not at anything. A student excels at something when they enjoy it. Above all, I aim to allow a student to have fun during a tutoring session, as this can change their entire perception. Once a topic is fun, a student is more likely to pay attention, and learning comes more naturally.

Success story:

I was asked by a mother to help with her daughter’s IB Math class. The student was doing ok (about middle of the class), but she and her mother wanted to ensure she got a 7 (out of 7) for this class, as it was one of her strongest subjects.

When I first looked at her past tests, I noticed that she understood the concepts quite well, but made what we called “silly mistakes”, that is, errors in simple calculations or rounding after getting the logic of the question correct. After asking, I found that she was not in the practice of checking her answers after finishing the test. I explained that any extra time in a test should be used to check answers.

We practiced going over questions a second time, specific mistakes to look for, and sometimes even doing the question again without looking at the first answer, or in a different way, to make sure the final answer makes sense. This improved her test results very quickly, and she was soon getting 7s in most of her tests.

To help her excel even further, I started to introduce almost-university-level concepts into the questions that I asked. This helped advance her further and concretize the standard curriculum. She became one of the best students in her class, with 7s on all tests and the final exam.‍

Hobbies and interests:

• I love playing violin, I’ve played since I was 4.
• I try to ride my bike every day, for fun, for commuting, for groceries, for anything.
• I watch too much cricket, especially Indian Premier League and when India plays test matches.
• I like to read fiction (I have a soft spot for Agatha Christie) and write poems.