Student Reference

Phil taught me as a third year maths and computer science undergraduate in his B6a Viscous Flow class, which ran over the course of Michaelmas term 2008, followed by revision classes for the same subject later that academic year, in Trinity term 2009. I signed up for Phil's class following a recommendation from a previous pupil of his, and have since recommended him to fellow students myself.

I think I speak on behalf of a lot of the undergraduates at Oxford when I say that it's rare to find a tutor who is truly passionate about teaching. Phil certainly ticked this box and more. Unlike many of my other classes, Phil's were engaging and nobody was allowed to slip through the net, rather everyone came out understanding more than when they went in. In every class Phil would prepare interactive handouts to ensure we had grasped the key concepts in the relevant problem sheet. He sacrificed some of his own time to ensure that none of us left confused or with unanswered questions (even if it meant postponing lunch), and he was one of a mere two tutors I had that was genuinely approachable and as a student, one didn't feel too scared, intimidated or patronised to ask questions.

Having been an undergraduate of joint schools, I had less of a foundation in applied maths than most of my peers and, for this reason and others, I found Viscous Flow particularly challenging. I was tempted to drop the course and opt for an easier alternative when Phil managed to persuade me to keep it on, saying he would offer the extra support if that's what I needed, despite my final piece of work achieving close to the lowest attainable mark.

True to his word, over the course of our final term, Phil ran a series of revision classes on Viscous Flow. Turnout for the classes started small, but by word of mouth effectively tripled in attendance if not more in a matter of weeks. The classes themselves were booked for a two hour slot on a weekly basis for four weeks, but due to excess demand, Phil booked extra classes for longer durations, ensuring his classes fit in around our other courses. I was most impressed with and grateful for the 9 1/2 hours he spent teaching us over two consecutive days towards the end of term, not to mention the hours of preparation that went into those classes, not least because the norm is for tutors to leave the minute a class has ended and stop answering questions as soon as the time quota has been used up.

When I started Viscous Flow, it was without a doubt my most difficult subject and I had effectively written it off as a failed paper. Once I came round to sitting the exam, I felt more confident going into the exam hall for B6a than for most of my other final exams. It was my second highest mark (First class), without which I would not have achieved my overall First class honours degree classification.

In reiterating what I have already said above, Phil is a rare breed of mathematician that delights in seeing his students learn. His teaching methods are varied and effective, including working slowly through difficult examples, allowing us to attempt questions ourselves in front of the class, dividing the course into key topics for us to revise on a weekly basis and setting timed papers to test our understanding. When we asked questions on topics we were unsure of, Phil encouraged us to think for ourselves and would make suggestions or ask questions himself to guide us towards the correct answer rather than just telling us. It will be a great loss for Oxford undergraduates when Phil is no longer a tutor there!

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