About
An MIT doctorate with seven years of full-time college teaching experience, Mandy turned down six figure jobs because she wanted to create an educational program that treated students as individuals instead of numbers. Mandy keeps a small clientelle because she believes that building relationships is more important than earning a quick buck.
GuLabs offers tutoring and lessons in advanced subjects not typically available in traditional tutoring platforms. In addition, pricing affordable because we do not have a middle man.
Mandy graduated with a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Cornell University in 2005 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011. She fell in love with helping others as a tutor in college. Since then, she has accrued ten years of teaching and advising at the high school and college levels. Having served in service roles that support traditionally underrepresented students in STEM, she is dedicated to helping each student feel empowered, passionate and confident. She also cares about making a difference for students who feel anxious about exams.
Each person learns and works differently, so it is about finding how best to serve you. Oftentimes, we can simplify problems by relating them to analogies in everyday life, or divide them into smaller bites. Other times, it is about locating unknowns and using our resources such as textbooks and online knowledge. Sometimes it’s just about practice. I look forward to meeting and serving you!
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I am a strong proponent of active learning. When encountering a Physics or Engineering problem, I will first give the student a chance to talk about their ideas and existing work. Then, we will tackle the problem together.
Drawing parallels to real-life problems often helps conceptual challenges. Furthermore, we will identify mathematical equations and reference materials. Finally, I aim to help learners develop critical thinking and problem-solving by doing a "sanity check" to judge whether our answer is reasonable.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Cornell University in 2005
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011
Two roles as Assistant Professor at liberal arts colleges.
More than ten years' experience as a tutor.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Online and in-person hourly rate is 45 USD/hour.
Returning customers and customers who purchase more than 10 hours at a time receive discounts. Please contact me for details.
How did you get started teaching?
Teaching and Learning Center, Cornell University
What types of students have you worked with?
Juniors and Seniors in high school, college students of all levels, adult and professional learners.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I enjoy learning about successes of past students. Recently oen of my students raised their grade to an 'A', and two more got into a premier college!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Hiring a local teacher in your area is beneficial in many ways: it allows the possibility of in-person lessons, it guarantees somebody who understand the local educational system, and you can feel good about a teacher who keeps most of what you pay them.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What kind of learner are you? Do you prefer visual materials, or verbal explanations? Do you learn by doing (kinesthetic) or prefer reading theoretical explanations?
What are your learning goals? Some students have target grades, while others want to improve their confidence while taking exams. Others would like career advice and help with resume writing.