How I Overcame My Struggles With Math and Physics

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Have you ever been in a math or physics class and been completely lost? The teacher keeps writing equations on the board and you have no idea what they mean or how to apply them. I’ve been in the exact same boat. I know this might be hard to believe considering that I have a master’s degree in physics and I've taught and tutored students in classes like electricity & magnetism and vector calculus, but it’s true. I was always a math wiz growing up, but when I took AP Calculus in high school I found the material quite difficult. I actually had to drop down to a regular calculus class to prevent a failing grade for the marking period. 

 

I had a similar case happen when I took a freshman physics class in college. I found physics very nonintuitive at first and struggled with the class just like I had with calculus. I ended up getting a 33 on my first exam (with the class average being a 50) and had once again failed to do well in a STEM class. However, unlike my previous failure with AP Calculus I decided to buckle down and spend the time to really learn the material. I ended up raising my grade in the class by two letter grades and did well above the class average with a final grade of a B+. 

 

I then conquered my lack of knowledge in calculus when I had a professor in college that not only taught the material exceptionally well, but also prepared you for every possible problem that you could encounter. I made sure I scheduled him for every math class I could and was able to do well in each of his classes with only a few hours of studying for his exams. This was in contrast to the 15 to 20 hours of studying needed to do well on my exams for my freshman physics class. This professor really inspired me to succeed and I now had the confidence I needed to excel in any math or physics class I took. 

 

Despite my difficulties in the beginning of my academic career I went on to earn a master’s degree in physics as well as bachelor’s degrees in physics and civil engineering with a minor in math. The point of my story is that with hard work and an effective teacher you can be successful in any math or physics class no matter how much you're struggling. Whether you want to become an engineer or scientist or just pass a required class, success is always possible.

 

I’m now a full-time tutor and have the privilege of being that effective teacher that helps struggling students. Just like my math professor I stress problem solving skills so that my students can tackle whatever comes their way. I’ve had great success with my students because I know how they are feeling. They become frustrated when they don’t understand how to do a problem and think about giving up. I can help them overcome their frustration so that they can feel confident and achieve their academic goals. They will not only feel confident in the class they are currently taking, but also be capable of doing well in any future math or physics classes. I know that anyone can succeed in math and physics and I’m here to help you do just that!