PrepNow Tutor - Sam F.
“I love helping students appreciate all of the cool and interesting aspects of our beautiful universe through physics,” says particle astrophysicist Sam. He graduated with honors from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s in physics. He also served as chapter president of Sigma Pi Sigma, the only American physics and astronomy honor society. Sam earned his master’s in physics from North Carolina State University where he is currently a doctoral candidate.
Throughout his college career Sam has worked as a tutor, a teaching assistant, and a research assistant. Sam’s research focuses on subatomic particles called neutrinos in astrophysical settings such as supernovae and black holes. While working toward his PhD, Sam has served as a physics instructor at multiple universities and he taught physics at high schools. He has taught a variety of physics topics at all levels—everything from physical sciences to thermodynamics and astronomy to classical and quantum mechanics. Sam is also an experienced mathematics tutor. He’s taught linear algebra and every iteration of calculus. His students all report improved understanding and test scores.
As a passionate scientist, Sam loves helping people connect with and get excited about science. With his students, he is particularly focused on “instilling an appreciation and passion for physics and math.” Sam appreciates the beauty and awe of physics and he wants to share that vision. “Every student is unique, but every student can learn physics and I love helping them achieve that,” Sam explains.
Sam’s teaching style is based heavily in the Socratic method, where he asks leading questions to help students arrive at the answer themselves, rather than simply giving answers. The Socratic method is particularly effective at “developing understanding of the concepts in physics and math.” The reasons for this are extensive. Doing so “encourages students to think about the problem rather than guess.” It also helps students develop the ability to think about how to approach problems. Students are also forced to question their own answers, which builds confidence in their skills. Ultimately, “students who come to an understanding themselves retain information much better than if it is simply told to them.”
Even as a high school student, Sam was a high achiever in the sciences. He earned over a dozen Science Olympiad medals including several at the state level. Sam was also a member of both the marching band and the jazz band. He was involved in student government and has taken that focus through his university studies. Sam currently is a member of the graduate student physics association, the graduate student workers union, and various other university committees.
When he isn’t studying, Sam is an avid tabletop and board gamer! He enjoys painting miniatures for tabletop games, 3D printing, building Lego, and playing trading card games. Sam relaxes and focuses with meditation. He is also a martial artist who studied in the tradition of Bruce Lee for 13 years!
