Melissa: Irving tutor

Certified Tutor

I am currently a student in my third year, and my major is Materials Science and Engineering. I have a serious passion for math and science.

However, I know that most people with these subjects from my experiences helping my classmates. I believe the biggest obstacle people have with these subjects is the fact that math and science often relies on abstract ideas that are seen as purely logical. My top strategy is to put the abstract back into reality. To make far out there mathematical theory something that you can visualize and relate to. I often use metaphors and analogies to explain the math and concepts behind problems.

The reason I started doing this was for my own learning. I am much more of a visual and creative thinker than most engineering students. My own passion for these subjects is easily translated into passion for teaching them since I know what it's like to struggle with it.

Outside of STEM, I also have extensive interest in English. I took the most amount of English courses I could in high school, and so I have way too much experience writing those standard 5 paragraph essays. In college, I learned how to take those basic rhetorical skills and apply them in ways that were new and less standardized. I genuinely enjoy editing papers because I love seeing someone get their arguments across in ways they thought they couldn't.

Finally, outside of academics, my interests are mostly in food. I cook and bake a whole lot, constantly experimenting with recipes. After all, it's still science. And I'm a frequent visitor to my local library. Reading and writing make my mostly mundane days so much more interesting.