Fun Facts

Its a necessary stereotype for a math major to be a bit of a geek. I don't really play video games much but I enjoy watching competitive e-gaming. To break away from the stereotypical "Math Geek", I absolutely love dancing. I dance swing, bachata, salsa, and basically anything I can learn. I am always looking to learn new styles.

About Me

Hi, my name is Tomas Smith. I have been studying mathematics for four years at SUNY New Paltz and I will earn my bachelor's degree on May 18th. My area of study is financial mathematics and actuarial science. I believe this background will be of particular interest in the tech savvy new generation as I can directly relate how math ranging from basic algebra to calculus are used in financial markets.

I have been tutoring mathematics for over two years through SUNY New Paltz's tutoring center as well as privately on my own time. This is something which I enjoy and I am considered professional in my field as a CRLA certified tutor. I am rarely late, polite, and most of all patient with a good sense of humor. My students have mostly been college students, this is why I did not opt to tutor math at the elementary or middle school level. It is something which I am willing to do but I do not wish to misrepresent my experience.

I find a lot of students stress out over memorization and in general, even very bright students have trouble with math because of bad approaches. The first step is to make sure fundamentals are not lacking. Many times I had calculus students who really needed to sharpen their precalculus, or precalculus students who really had not overcome struggles with algebra. I find it important to go back and take the time to go over these fundamentals because otherwise its like trying to run a race with a sprained ankle. Secondly, I make sure to stress the importance of solving problems. Only students who do not solve many problems need to memorize formulas. Students who solve problems often will understand the concepts without having to memorize much at all. It becomes like riding a bike.