Varuna
Certified Tutor
Hello! A little about myself - I am from Tulsa, OK and came to Boston for college. I studied Biomedical Engineering at both Boston University during undergrad and Tufts University for my masters. After much thought, I deviated from a medical school track to pursue a career in the medical device industry. My love for math and science started around middle school, and I was strongly influenced by my teachers. Through tutoring, I hope to be a similar influence. I really enjoy working with students of all ages (elementary to grads!) In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, hiking, and volunteering at the Animal Rescue League in Boston.
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Undergraduate Degree: Boston University - Bachelors, Biomedical Engineering
Graduate Degree: Tufts University - Masters, Biomedical Engineering
- ACT Math: 32
- SAT Math: 730
- SAT Writing: 710
Cooking, listening to music, volunteering with shelter dogs, hiking
- 10th Grade
- 10th Grade Math
- 10th Grade Reading
- 10th Grade Writing
- 11th Grade
- 11th Grade Math
- 11th Grade Reading
- 11th Grade Writing
- 12th Grade
- 12th Grade Math
- 12th Grade Reading
- 12th Grade Writing
- 1st Grade
- 1st Grade Math
- 1st Grade Reading
- 1st Grade Writing
- 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Math
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Writing
- 3rd Grade
- 3rd Grade Math
- 3rd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Science
- 3rd Grade Writing
- 4th Grade
- 4th Grade Math
- 4th Grade Reading
- 4th Grade Science
- 4th Grade Writing
- 5th Grade
- 5th Grade Math
- 5th Grade Reading
- 5th Grade Science
- 5th Grade Writing
- 6th Grade
- 6th Grade Math
- 6th Grade Reading
- 6th Grade Science
- 6th Grade Writing
- 7th Grade
- 7th Grade Math
- 7th Grade Reading
- 7th Grade Science
- 7th Grade Writing
- 8th Grade
- 8th Grade Math
- 8th Grade Reading
- 8th Grade Science
- 8th Grade Writing
- 9th Grade
- 9th Grade Math
- 9th Grade Reading
- 9th Grade Writing
- ACT Math
- Adult Literacy
- Advanced Placement Prep
- Algebra
- Algebra 2
- Algebra 3/4
- Anatomy
- Anatomy & Physiology
- AP
- Arithmetic
- Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biotechnology
- Calculus
- College Algebra
- College Biology
- College English
- Elementary Algebra
- Elementary Math
- Elementary School
- Elementary School Math
- Elementary School Reading
- Elementary School Science
- Elementary School Writing
- Engineering
- English
- Graduate Test Prep
- High School
- High School Biology
- High School Chemistry
- High School English
- High School Writing
- Homework Support
- Intermediate Algebra
- Laboratory
- Math
- MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Microbiology
- Middle School
- Middle School Math
- Middle School Reading
- Middle School Science
- Middle School Writing
- Newtonian Mechanics
- Other
- Phonics
- Physical Science
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- SAT Math
- SAT Mathematics
- Science
- Statistics
- Study Skills
- Study Skills and Organization
- Summer
- Technical Writing
- Test Prep
- Thermochemistry
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I'd like to get to know students first before jumping into tutoring. I am always curious to see how he/she would answer problems on his/her own as this helps me gauge his/her comfort level with different topics.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
Students become independent learners when they are provided the right tools. This includes knowing the right questions to ask himself/herself before drawing a conclusion.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Drawing a connection between a student's interests and what he/she is learning can fuel motivation.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Difficult skills and concepts can be better understood by going back to the basics.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I personally struggled with reading comprehension and it helped to make what I was reading more relatable. Once I understood what was happening in simpler terms, relating it to what I was actually reading was a lot easier.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Explaining the practical applications of what students are learning can help them become motivated and hopefully excited about overcoming their struggles with specific subjects.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would have students teach me what they learned!
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Having students succeed with simpler problems can definitely be a confidence boost. From there, I would provide increasingly difficult problems.