John O'Neill

About Me

"The reason I tutor is because I love it!"

I have always enjoyed the learning process. As a tutor, I can share and facilitate that process with my students. My years of experience working with students of all ages (5-65) and levels (Pre-K to Grad School and beyond) have endowed me with a broad set of teaching skills and approaches. Creating a relaxed and comfortable learning environment is paramount to reducing stress and anxiety; and building motivation and confidence (especially in Math) is one of my primary goals. Oftentimes, gaining strong motivation and confidence in a subject is half the battle! Without a doubt, interest in a subject also helps, so it is a chief aim of mine to inspire interest in the topics I teach and relate them directly to the student's own interests, personal life, or academic/career goals. Part of my personalized tutoring style, in unison with the Adam Wes method, is to break down complicated concepts in a way that is clear and digestible and tailored to the student's individual learning style. I like to take subjects out of the textbook and into the real world (sadly, a feat many educators fail to do!), so that in addition to learning what a student must learn, s/he also understands why it is important to learn it. This approach toward learning, along with the study skills and test-taking strategies I encourage, typically increases both appreciation for and success in a subject and has benefitted many of my students over the years. Overall, tutoring is a truly rewarding experience for me and my students. If you feel that you are struggling in a subject, worried about failing, unable to focus, or bad at taking tests (SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT), then check us out! We just might be able to help you out!

Aside from tutoring, I love swimming, cycling, running, and racing triathlons. Sailing, climbing rocks, and playing basketball and ping pong are also favorite pastimes of mine. While I am an active member of the art and fashion communities of New York City, I also enjoy reading and coffee, maintain curioisities about history and dinosaurs, and relish a good game of chess. At home, I like cookin' Southern-style. My musical taste includes hip hop, jazz, and blues. My favorite color is green; I love olives, pickles, and ginger (but not together!); and I use Crest toothpaste. One day, I hope to be a doctor. =]

Testimonials

"John is very good with our 13-year old, teaching both math AND Latin! We feel lucky to have found him."
Miho Common, 12/12/2010

"I was matched with John during my abbreviated summer session about a week before my Calculus III final. He is the reason that I was not only able to pass, but to greatly exceed my own expectations. I most likely would have wound up with a C, but with John's help, I did extremely well on my final and was rewarded with a B+!! His in depth knowledge of the material was critical in helping me understand the main points. He was able to break down concepts with great ease and explain them in a clear and concise manner. I owe my success to him. Thanks John!!"
Brian Dalton, 10/05/2010

"John was an amazing tutor! He was able to get me from failing Organic Chemistry to passing my final and my class in just a few sessions! He is very knowledgeable in all sciences especially organic chemistry. He was able to bring a very complicated subject matter down to a basic understandable concept. I had tried getting help from TA's and group tutoring sessions and was still failing and thought I would never understand or pass O-Chem. After one session with John I knew I was not a lost cause anymore and that it was possible for me to understand and pass O-chem. "
Amanda Kenny, 5/28/2010

College Info

Univsersity of California, Santa Barbara
Major 1: Physics
Major 2: Classical Lang and Lit (Latin & Greek)
Minor: History of Art and Architecture
Degree Earned: B.S. and B.A.
Graduation Date: 6/15/2008

Grad School Info

Columbia University
City: New York
State: NY
Subject Studied: Biomedical Engineering
Degree Earned: M.S.
Graduation Date: 12/20/2010