Empathy-driven intuitive math taught by a first class honours engineer with 7y+ of experience. Come embark on this beautiful journey with me!

Find out more about Sofia

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I am above all a lover of truth. Take a moment to reflect on the infinite vastness of the universe, which is mostly empty space, cold and lifeless, dying a slow but inevitable heat death. In the midst of it all, matter and energy conspired in just the right way to defy nothingness and give birth to the exuberant miracle that is what we call life on planet earth. From the creation of organic life from the "primordial soup" to the emergent order of highly complex and multifaceted social systems, the wonder of life and the universe that gave birth to it is endlessly fascinating.
  
  My life changed when I realized that all this complexity has one thing in common - the underlying logic and language that ties it all together, math. Throughout my education in electrical engineering, I was able to see that the study of math brought me closer to the logic of the universe, it gave me the tools to think about reality in a deeper way. I was so enchanted that after I finished my degree I decided to delve deeper into pure math, and here I am!
  
  My interest in private tutoring is a very natural extension of what I feel for math - it is just my way to inspire others to see math with the same curiosity that I do!

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I teach all kinds of math; my favorite things to discuss with students are the justifications for why something is true instead of just taking it at face value. I find that the exploration for justification leads us down very interesting paths that are filled with philosophy and beauty.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  My biggest idol in math is Grant Sanderson, from the channel 3blue1brown in YouTube. I once e-mailed him and he replied, I have that response framed on my wall!

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Passion! Everything else we learn along the way… patience, teaching skills, methodology, good communication etc. You can be forgiven for lacking some of these secondary qualities because they can be developed with effort and dedication, but passion makes or breaks an instructor.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I have many anecdotes of times where I wanted to quit, reached out for help and managed to overcome the hard times with my support network. I would love to discuss these anecdotes face-to-face for maximum impact.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  As an eternal student of math I will always struggle with frustration. There are times that this journey is very difficult - times where nothing clicks, where things seem too complicated and impossible to learn. Everyone goes through this; you, me and probably every instructor you have ever had. There are many times when we are discouraged and want to give up, and in these moments, it is crucial that we have others to lean on and help. A strong support system is important for everyone, whether it is friends, family, professors, private tutors etc. This is why I describe my teaching as empathy-driven math, I know how it feels to struggle and I hope to make the burden easier!

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I love teaching in all forms! I teach math, Brazilian jiu jitsu, sometimes physics, I love to teach anything that I have put a lot of time into. I find that teaching is just a deeper way of thinking and connecting with your passion.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering this interview questions :-P)?

  Because I truly, deeply love math and find it to be one of the most fascinating things in the world. I may not be the perfect instructor, but I will always try my best because I am driven by my passion!