Hi! I’m Dr. Matthew — a PhD-trained physicist and computer scientist with 15+ years of teaching and tutoring experience.
I specialize in helping students who feel frustrated, behind, or “not good at math” rebuild confidence and succeed in subjects like Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, and Python.
Over the years, I’ve helped struggling students raise grades, prepare for exams, and finally understand material that once felt impossible. One of my favorite successes was helping an...
Loading...
From an F to an A in a month... Fantastic and Knowledgeable Tutor
The first time I took Calc 1, I failed every single exam in the course, finishing the class with a 35%. Despite being an ISU EE major with a passion for electronics design, I've struggled in all areas of math for my entire life. Paying attention to and retaining knowledge from lectures is next to impossible for me, and I would struggle with basic multiplication, algebra, and working with fractions. I attended TA office hours every week during my first time taking calculus, meeting with groups and simply not understanding anything. After failing Calculus, I tried improving my study habits for my second time taking it, but after I failed the first exam in the class, I reached out to Matthew. I started with 1 hour meetings twice per week, but eventually shifted to 2 hour meetings 3 times each week. Meetings started out at a slow pace, with Matthew patiently helping me through basic algebra aspects of calculus, and reminding me of the rules of the road. I stopped attending my lectures within the first week meeting with Matthew, as they were now useless to me. Halfway through the month, I was starting to understand calculus. I would work through the problems myself, and he would stop me if I went off the rails, checking my work as I went. Occasionally when encountering a new type of problem, neither myself nor Matthew was able to figure out the solution, so we'd need to consult outside resources on the internet or WolframAlpha. We typically completed practice quizzes and homework problems during lessons. 30 days later, I took my second exam. No calculator, no notes, just what I had learned from my month of tri-weekly lessons with Matthew. I knew how to complete all but one problem. Iowa State heavily curves calculus exams-- the class average score for this exam was 44%, and I scored a 68%. After the curve, my exam grade ended up being a 92% (A). I even found errors with the grading on my exam when I received it, and I was able to get them corrected and increase my score even further. I'm continuing to meet with Matthew right now for the next unit, preparing for the third midterm exam and the final. I'd highly recommend him as a tutor, especially if you need someone who is patient, knowledgeable, and understanding. Calculus, which I once dreaded, is now an enjoyable subject for me!
Alex, 21 lessons with Matthew
