Tom A.
Los Angeles, CA
Calc., Physics, EE (analog, digital design), micro-controller tutoring
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Electrical EngineerUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Master'sUniversity of Southern Califonria (USC)
OtherAbout Tom
I am an Electrical Engineer with work experience at Hughes Aircraft, Boeing (Anaheim), Raytheon, and Freescale Semiconductor (Tempe, AZ). I was working full-time at Freescale Semiconductor (now NXP) in Tempe, and enjoyed tutoring high school and college students, mostly near Tempe and Mesa AZ, but willing to drive further if needed. I'm now back
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4 hours notice requiredTravel Radius
Travels within 40 miles of Los Angeles, CA 90045Tom offers online lessons
Tom is approved to conduct lessons through Wyzant Online. Wyzant Online allows students and tutors to work remotely via video, audio, and collaborative whiteboard tools. For more information about how online tutoring works, check out Wyzant Online.
If you’re interested in online lessons, message Tom to get started.
"Fabulous - patient, knowledgeable, responsive, kind."
- Colleen, Chevy Chase, MD on 7/16/17Tom has truly been an answer to a prayer. My high-school-aged daughter enrolled in a 3-week college Intro to Engineering course, and immediately discovered that she was in over her head. Tom came to her rescue, helping her with the coding, physics, and CAD. He even made a trip out – on his own time – to purchase an Arduino starter kit so that he could test the code. His calm demeanor has really helped my daughter calm down, and I love hearing her say “Now I get it!” after meeting with him. Plus, he’s been very supportive and flexible about the compressed schedule for this class, making himself available as much as she needs him. Thank you Tom!!!
"Great tutor who is patient, professional and knowledgeable"
- Nick, Los Angeles, CA on 4/19/17Tom is currently helping me with Embedded Systems and C programming. Great tutor, who really takes time to explain things in a way that makes it easy to understand as well as working with me to reach project/learning goals. Highly recommend.
"Patient anf understanding"
- Jeffrey, Manhattan Beach, CA on 4/3/17Tom came over promptly and was patient and great at explaining concepts to me that I hadn't encountered in 15 years. I have scheduled him to come and help me with a more comprehensive physics review.
"Very nice and knowledgeable"
- Alon, Van Nuys, CA on 2/2/17Very welcoming and nice with very good at explaining. Very nice with explaining the math you don't know and effecient at explaining it. Was on time and very easy to message/ call
"Very helpful to my son"
- Alison, El Segundo, CA on 1/22/17Tom worked with my son and helped him understand the pre-calculus problems that he was not understanding. He really made a difference for my son. I highly recommend him. He is patient and very knowledgeable.
"Tom is great! Patient, good listener, kind."
- Samantha, Los Angeles, CA on 1/11/17I was very distraught about the material coming into the session, and Tom very patiently (yet quickly!) was able to calm me down. He then helped me through the homework problems calmly and clearly, explaining any concepts that the teacher skimmed over in class -- just what I needed. He also helped me come up with a solid plan long-term. Thanks, Tom!
"Excellent in all regards"
- Jordan, Los Angeles, CA on 12/22/16Tom is a very thoughtful and interested tutor. His ability to present different methods of approach to problems helps clarify misunderstandings and he is very patient with students.
"Extremely knowledgeable"
- Caroline, Santa Monica, CA on 12/9/16My son is struggling with Algebra 2 and Tom has come to the rescue, His help and guidance in simplifying what seemed to be unfathomable is helping with immediate effect.
"Knowledgeable and patient tutor."
- David, Los Angeles, CA on 11/7/16I had trouble solving Thevanin and Norton problems for circuit analysis. Tom clearly explained how to solve for what was being asked, step by step. I highly recommend him as a tutor.
"Very effective and knowledgeable tutor!"
- Alyssa, Tempe, AZ on 11/1/16Tom helped me very much with a review of algebra for my pre-calculus class! He was very kind and patient. He also was able to schedule an appointment with me within a day! I highly recommend him. He gave me just the boost I needed to be confident again in a math course.
"Incredibly helpful!"
- Ana, Cherry Hill, NJ on 10/13/16Tom was very helpful when it came to studying and understand electromagnetics. A subject which is often difficult to find help in. He has in depth understanding of Signals and Systems and is a MATLAB guru, who is willing to explain functions in detail. If you need help with these subjects I would strongly recommend working with him!
"Very helpful, great tutor"
- Precious, Brooklyn, NY on 10/11/16Tom has been helping with me with a very difficult electrical engineering class. He goes above and beyond in helping me with my homeworks and test preparation. He always makes sure I understand concepts before moving on to a different concept.
"Very patient"
- Eric, Tallahassee, FL on 8/3/16Thanks for the help. Great tutor. He is very helpful and I will recommend that you try him.
"He was patient and knowledgeable."
- Howard, Santa Monica, CA on 5/25/16He taught me some of the core concepts important to thinking through matlab programming. This was helpful to get started on my project.
"Incredibly helpful"
- Andrew, Durham, NC on 3/28/16I desperately needed help in an engineering class I was taking in which we had to build a variety of logic circuits and use them to implement operations. I had asked a lot of other tutors if they were able to help and none were. Tom was a pleasure to work with and helped me learn more than I ever would have if I had to wait in office hours to ask my questions. With his help, I was able to understand how to construct the basic circuits and had no problem completing the assignment. Throughout, Tom made himself very accessible, patiently answered all of my questions, and even checked in with me after the fact to ask how I was coming along on the assignment. I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs help in a computer science or electrical engineering course.
"Tom - helpful with Pre-calculus."
- T.J., Phoenix, AZ on 12/12/15Tom helped my 11th grader w pre-calculus, and prepared very well for the meeting. My son gained a greater understanding of parabolas, hyperbolas, and ellipses.
Thank you, Tom.
"A good and patient tutor"
- Steve, Las Vegas, NV on 10/24/15A good and patient tutor, dedicated to accomplishing the task in helping the student learn the lesson. My daughter came away with more confidence immediately after her exam following the tutoring sessions.
"Patient and thorough"
- Ricardo, Gilbert, AZ on 1/30/15I learn best by struggling on my own for a while until the sticking points are clear. Tom has been great about this as the help I need doesn't lend itself to the typical (quick) tutoring because of the technical software involved (Matlab/Simulink) and the complexity of my design needs. I am making the progress as I expected and look forward to tackling other parts of my projects (logic design, layout, etc.) with Tom because that is something I have very little experience in, but is another of Tom's strengths. Highly recommended!
"Impressive Tutor!!"
- Mark, Glendale, AZ on 12/11/14Tom is one of the best tutors I have ever worked with. After going to an ASU campus tutor for my software development class, I was very frustrated. The tutor was really not very interested in tutoring. I tried to find another tutor through an alternative tutoring company, and was told there was none for software development.
Then I found Tom. He was able to work with me to schedule a time to meet on campus. Tom structured the lesson around my needs and what I needed help with. He helped me understand the problems that I missed on a previous exam, and helped me through some practice programs. There was one in particular that was very difficult, and Tom did not have time to solve during our time together. He graciously looked at the problem on his own time, and e-mailed me the solution so I could study from it. Tom is a great tutor who cares about students and helping to enhance their skills.
Tom really enjoys tutoring very much and has several areas of math, computer software/hardware, and engineering that he is very capable in tutoring. Thanks Tom, you really helped me!
"Very pleasant to work with!"
- Maria, Huntington Beach, CA on 9/25/13I had very nice meetings and phone discussions with Tom. He completely understands what I need help with (MATLAB, flow charts, general understanding of algorithms and logic) and customizes his approach to ensure my understanding.
"Great tutor, very dedicated!"
- Emily, Northridge, CA on 9/11/13Tom is an excellent tutor! He is very knowledgeable and patient when going over steps of problems. He goes out of his way to further clarify material outside of tutoring hours and reviews the material extensively before meeting. He is very reliable when it comes to meeting up and is strongly dedicated to making sure the student succeeds. He is also very nice and easy to talk to!
"Great tutor"
- Abdul, Orange, CA on 5/14/13Mr. Tom is a great tutor. Very patient and very helpful. I really like to work with him and I will always work with him. Thank you Mr. Tom.
Approved subjects are in bold.
Approved subjects
In most cases, tutors gain approval in a subject by passing a proficiency exam. For some subject areas, like music and art, tutors submit written requests to demonstrate their proficiency to potential students. If a tutor is interested but not yet approved in a subject, the subject will appear in non-bold font. Tutors need to be approved in a subject prior to beginning lessons.
ACT Math
As a graduate electrical engineer, ACT math has been the cornerstone of much of my college course work and professional work. I enjoy keeping my skills sharp, and continue to work problems in engineering that make use of ACT math for analyzing circuits, performing computer simulations, and tutoring students in math and science courses. As a radar and satellite systems engineer, ACT math is key to understanding basic principles of each subject. I continue to complete, with distinction, courses on the internet, such as DSP, that require a high comfort level with many key ACT math concepts.
Algebra 1
As a graduate electrical engineer, algebra has been the cornerstone of much of my college coursework and professional work. I enjoy keeping my skills sharp, and continue to work problems in engineering that make use of algebra for analyzing circuits, performing computer simulations, and tutoring students in math and science courses. As a radar and satellite systems engineer, algebra is key to understanding basic principles of each subject. I continue to complete, with distinction, courses on the coursera website, such as DSP, that require a high comfort level with many key algebraic concepts.
Tom
Algebra 2
As a graduate electrical engineer, algebra 2 has been the cornerstone of much of my college course work and professional work. I enjoy keeping my skills sharp, and continue to work problems in engineering that make use of algebra 2 for analyzing circuits, performing computer simulations, and tutoring students in math and science courses. As a radar and satellite systems engineer, algebra 2 is key to understanding basic principles of each subject. I continue to complete, with distinction, courses on the internet, such as DSP, that require a high comfort level with many key algebraic 2 concepts. Also, now having done more than 100+ tutoring sessions, I've assisted students by showing algebraic solutions to them in real-time, so my algebra 2 skills having definitely gotten a boost.
Calculus
I have three degrees in electrical engineering, two from the University of Wisconsin (Madison), and one from USC. Calculus is a foundational subject for electrical engineering, and I enjoyed taking calculus courses, receiving A's in all my courses. I work in communications and radar, which involves a lot of analysis, using many principles from calculus.
Computer Programming
After several decades working as an electrical engineer, I am proficient in a number of computer programming languages, including C, C++, C#, Python, and Matlab, including Matlab/simulink. I have used the majority of these languages to simulate and solve problems in digital signal processing and communications. I have also completed an interactive programming class, with distinction, at Rice University. I also design 3D mobile games using "Unity". I have Matlab, C++, C#, and Python on my laptop, and enjoy tutoring and guiding software programmers who reach roadblocks in their software training. My tutoring style is to start from simple problems, to increasing complexity. I emphasize using structured design methods of defining data types, function interfaces, and test cases that provide adequate test coverage and rapid debugging.
Differential Equations
I took calculus and differential equations courses at the University of Wisconsin, since they were required as part of the electrical engineering curriculum. Later on, my courses in circuits, electromagnetics, and engineering mechanics extended my application of differential equation theory. I learned how to solve differential equations both in the time domain, as well as the laplace transform domain.
Electrical Engineering
I have three degrees in Electrical Engineering. I have a BSEE and MSEE from the University of Wisconsin (main campus in Madison), and the Engineers Degree (30 credits beyond MSEE). I took courses in dsp, circuits, electromagnetics, and solid state. I taught labs during my master's work in circuits and communications. I also do DIY projects with the Arduino microcontroller.
Geometry
I really enjoyed geometry when I first took it in AP high school math. I know how to complete proofs of congruency and similarity of triangles, as an example.
I know how to construct problems that use Archimedean geometry, as well as more modern problems. I can construct problems that are easy to visualize, and make the subject matter come to life.
Linear Algebra
In my electrical engineering studies, I have taken courses in both control theory and digital signal processing. Both courses relied heavily on Linear Algebra that made use of this area in performing matrix and vector computation. I also learned how to apply these concepts in physical applications such as adaptive array modeling for both sonar and radar problems.
Mathematica
I have been a mathematica user for more than 15 years. I've used it primarily to back up analysis that I've done as a EE using other tools such as matlab or mathcad. The user interface takes some getting used, and I can put together a list of problems and references that should help the student get up to speed. Mathematica is a great tool, that's worth the extra effort it takes to learn.
I've used it to solve problems in linear algebra, as well as electromagnetics.
MATLAB
As a systems engineer with three degrees in EE, MATLAB has been a valuable tool in my career. Since I have a legal copy on my personal laptop, I continue to use it today. I have more than ten years of work experience using it to analyze radar signal processing and satellite communications problems at the old Hughes Aircraft, as well as my work at Boeing helping simulate the patriot missile seeker, both environments using company versions on desktop environments. I am familiar with several of the add-on toolboxes, including dsp and controls.
Physics
As an electrical engineering major, I had to take a series of four 1-semester physics courses at the University of Wisconsin, known for their Physics Dept. I also took courses in solid state, and Master's level quantum mechanics in the Physics department. My later 2 modern physics courses included both Newtonian mechanics, as well as quantum mechanics, with emphasis on the theory behind the basic particle physics experiments in the early 20th century. I received an 'A' letter grade in these courses. I enjoy designing problems that make it easy for the student to visualize the key physics principles they are attempting to learn.
Prealgebra
As a graduate electrical engineer, prealgebra has been the cornerstone of much of my college course work and professional work. I enjoy keeping my skills sharp, and continue to work problems in engineering that make use of prealgebra for analyzing circuits, performing computer simulations, and tutoring students in math and science courses. As a radar and satellite systems engineer, prealgebra is key to understanding basic principles of each subject. I continue to complete, with distinction, courses on the internet, such as DSP, that require a high comfort level with many key prealgebra concepts.
Precalculus
I have three degrees in electrical engineering, two from the University of Wisconsin (Madison), and one from USC. Pre-calculus is a foundational subject for electrical engineering, and I enjoyed taking pre-calculus courses, receiving A's in all my courses. I work in communications and radar, which involves a lot of analysis, using many principles from pre-calculus and calculus.
Probability
As an electrical engineer analyzing performance of both airborne radars and satellite payloads, I have modeled radar detection and communication error rates assuming the presence of receiver noise. This work relied heavily on my course work in gaussian random variables. I have also quantified failure rates for electrical units by knowing how to combine failure rates for individual components within the unit.
Trigonometry
My electrical engineering courses and work throughout my career has relied heavily on my fluency in trig functions and their use in circuit theory and electromagnetics.
Other Los Angeles, CA Tutors
Tom A.
Los Angeles, CA
Calc., Physics, EE (analog, digital design), micro-controller tutoring