Nicholas Cooney

I'm a mathematician currently based in Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Formerly, I was a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn, Germany. Before Bonn I held research positions at Université Clermont Auvergne in France and at Lancaster University and, before that, did a doctorate in maths at Oxford. I offer tuition in maths up to and including university level and in physics up to GCSE/National 5 level.

I have over 15 years of experience tutoring maths at National 1-5, Higher and Advanced Higher level, GCSE, AS and A-level, and at undergraduate and master's university level. I have similarly extensive experience in physics tuition at National 5 and GCSE level. I've also been a teaching assistant and college tutor for several undergraduate maths courses, across a number of topics in algebra, analysis, and topology, and at all levels, at Oxford. In addition to this teaching experience, I have also assisted in giving undergraduate admissions interviews in maths at Oriel College, Oxford, and so would be able to help students wishing to apply to Oxford in the nature and content of undergraduate maths interviews.

My approach in tutoring is oriented around the student: their expectations, background knowledge and way of thinking; and what they see as most important to focus on, be it a particular part of maths or physics, or a certain type of problem. While it is useful and necessary for students to be familiar with certain recipes and templates for solving different types of problems, ideally the aim is to give them a deeper understanding of the ideas behind the material they learn and the problems they are set. This provides a much firmer basis for an appreciation of both maths and physics and greater problem-solving ability.

My wish to tutor in general, in both maths and physics, is informed by a long-standing love of and engagement with maths and the exact sciences. I derive a lot of joy from sharing this with others in their goal of gaining a better and deeper understanding. The moment a tutee achieves clarity at a previously confusing idea or technique is the most edifying aspect of this work for me.