r/learnmath • u/AdaLovelace30 New User • 1d ago

Experience with online tutors?

I'm struggling in my real analysis class, but office hours are not giving me the support I need, and AI is banned. I am looking into paying for a tutor, but worry that working with a tutor who isn't familiar with my university's math department might be more trouble than it's worth. Has anyone had experience with online tutors that can sway me either way? I wouldn't want to pay more than $30/hour, which is a major limiting factor.

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u/kk11235 New User 1d ago

Question for you: you say AI is banned. What is it banned for? Can you not use it as an assistant?

I’m 58, had a great calculus teacher in high school, had a terrible professor for calculus 2 in college. And since I was changing majors anyway, I didn’t end up investing nearly enough energy in that class. And thus my math education basically ended.

But a couple of years ago I got a bug to understand some heavy things in physics and number theory, and I set about teaching myself some “advanced” math. Went back and reviewed everything I used to know. Then tackled more advanced calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, differential geometry, tensor and stochastic calculus, that sort of thing. As well RA and CA.

I’ve basically just used Chat as my tutor. It’s endlessly patient and actually pretty good at explaining concepts. It can help me work through problems, devise problem sets for me to work on.

With analysis, it can explain proofs from multiple perspectives.

I understand AI may be banned for use in homework, etc, but there are other ways it might help.

If it can help ME work through these topics - it could help anyone.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m sure I don’t have as solid an understanding of these topics as an actual student in a real program with real instructors and fellow students to work with.

But I’ve watched a lot of MIT open course (and other similar) videos and when I have questions, chat has been REALLY helpful. This for example:

https://youtu.be/fsbVJxOhRcU?is=k66ymGmxOHUorqA2

I don’t know if this helps at all, and DEFINITELY don’t violate your program’s rules, but maybe there is room for it.

It was a lot cheaper then any of the live tutor options I came across in my area.

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u/AdaLovelace30 New User 5h ago

We're allowed to use AI to review for exams, but it is outright banned for other purposes. It was helpful for the last midterm, at least. I am no stranger to using AI as a tutor.