PrepNow Tutor - Ravi K.
Boasting twenty years as a student and researcher in science, Ravi has adopted a philosophy that positions inquiry and discovery above all. "To me, knowledge and understanding—whether of the world around us or of myself—are the ultimate goals. As Socrates said, 'An unexamined life is not worth living,'" he shares. Ravi's quest for knowledge led him to earn four degrees: a BTech in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology; an MS in environmental engineering from the University of Cincinnati; an MS in geosciences from the University of Kentucky; and, lastly, a PhD in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Taiwan University for over four years, an experience he immensely enjoyed both in terms of the friendly people and colorful culture. He has also worked as an environmental engineer, focusing on designing steel buildings.
Ravi has been tutoring both in-person and online for almost three years and has helped over fifty students in physics (including mechanics, electrodynamics, circuits, thermodynamics, and geophysics), calculus, differential equations, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and earth science. "Based on my own struggles learning complex concepts in math and physics, I find it immensely satisfying to help a student see a new way of looking at the physical and natural world around us," explains Ravi. He finds it so rewarding to see his students make connections between different disciplines. He is proud to share that his students have seen significant grade improvements; furthermore, several students have returned to work with him for successive semesters.
As a teacher, Ravi wants to nurture his students' curiosity and promote the practice of life-long learning. "From my own experience with learning," he says, "I have come to value the profound role that critical thinking—based on intuition and quantitative reasoning—plays in understanding complex phenomena." He firmly believes in the Socratic method of teaching: asking questions customized to each student's interests and abilities to help them efficiently approach and solve a given problem.
Ravi garnered many awards during his schooling, including a Gugenberg Fellowship and Pirtle Fellowship at Caltech as well as the Commonwealth Research Award at the University of Kentucky.
In his free time, Ravi enjoys road biking, backpacking, swimming, and hiking in nature.
