Sumaya F.

Hi! My name is Sumaya (but I also go by Maya), and I am a 2nd year mathematics student at Trinity College, Oxford. For my A-Levels I have achieved A*'s in maths and further maths, and an A in physics.

I have been a mathematics tutor for over 5 years, during which I have privately tutored over 10 students long term (6 months - 2.5 years), all of which have achieved their academic targets. As well as regular sessions, I also provide and have provided "intensive courses" (many hours over a short period) to cover specific topics in detail, or focus on exam technique.

Over the last 3 years, I have had a particular interest in supporting students with their maths and further maths A-Levels and preparing students to sit their GCSE maths and further maths exams. I also have experience with preparing students for their Oxbridge interviews and have edited and reviewed personal statements. Additionally, I have run a mathematics interview preparation workshop at Oxford (provided a group mock interview with personalised feedback to students).

I am experienced with teaching larger groups of students (5-15), and teaching content beyond the A-Level specification).

I have completed 2 months of tutor training, safeguarding training, and hold an enhanced DBS check.

I provide tailored and bespoke tuition and match my lessons to each student's learning style, target and current level. I build mathematical intuition and guide students to develop the skills needed to solve more complex problems independently, using Socratic questioning and by introducing new topics through their applications and other real-life examples. This shows how prerequisites can lead to a new idea, so students improve at understanding which new ideas lead on from a topic and at building connections between previous concepts.

By using this method, students are able to confidently tackle the problems required for the very top grades, since these questions test not only the understanding of difficult concepts, but also the ability to apply ideas in new settings.

As a tutor, I have learnt that one of the best ways to solidify your understanding is by communicating your ideas and a new concept using coherent and simple language, and I encourage my students to articulate their thought processes and approaches during my lessons. As well as solidifying their understanding of the topic, mastering this skill prepares students very nicely for interviews for Oxbridge, competitive universities and for later careers, as interviewers are often more interested in understanding the method and approach to a problem - and are less focused on the actual solution.