Study Hut Tutoring, led by Sam Prins and Whitney Griffin, gave a sudsy high five to participating students, parents and members of the community this past Friday during the Study Hut’s first ever Fundraising Car Wash for Relay for Life. Study Hut has a team this year aptly dubbed “I’m Too Sexy for My Hut.” The team has been putting together impromptu philanthropic events in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The Study Hut team is proud to donate to the American Cancer Society because we all know someone that has been affected by cancer. What a better way than to throw a car wash the week of: “People were really fired up and stoked…one lady tipped us 20 bucks and that really gave us a lot of energy to go out and wash more cars on a sunny day to raise money for Study Hut Tutoring’s Relay for Life team.” Exclaimed as jazzed up and freshly misted Study Hut friend of the family Natalie “the blond” (From far away, the mist from the water bouncing off the hood of the car created almost a Golden shower with her blonde hair)  “How can you not love Tutoring at Study Hut, raising money for Study Hut’s Relay for life Team, and having a great day in the Sun?!” Each tutor was more fired up than the next as each of the tutor team members meticulously scrubbed a quarter panel. “The Team effort at Study Hut is sensational today…you can easily tell that the tutors like working here when they are coming to pitch in on their day off.” The tutors at Study Hut are working diligently on and off the dance floor, arriving early and staying late, because it’s clear that not only is that a motto at the Manhattan Beach Study Hut, but a lifestyle. When asked about this cool style of dominating at work, John Lopatto, future opthomolgist, declared, “Well when the kids need it, and you can tell when they’ve got it [understanding of material/concept], it’s easier to feel like you’re on fire [figuratively speaking] in the next part of my day, no matter what it is that I have planned in my planner.” John is obviously “on fire” as his students have steadily improved and are tracking towards meeting their goals. When Sam Prins was questioned by Rob regarding the Car Wash, Sam quickly retorted, “Rob, I’ve got this… They don’t call me the Party Secretary for Nuthin’” Best quote ever by the way. Study Hut is carrying this positive energy right into the tournament a.k.a. the school week and the first week of May. Congratulations and Thank You to all the tutors who participated in the Study Hut Tutoring Relay for Life Fundraiser Car Wash. Thank you for using compostable and environmentally approved degradable car soaps. Pretty sure my car has never looked better.

From 3rd graders to high schoolers to college students, there seems to be a major misconception about what it truly means to “study for a test.” The common definition seems to be “that thing you do the night BEFORE you actually take a test.” And you know what? Sometimes that works. If you’re studying spelling words, or memorizing a list, studying close to the test is definitely beneficial. But let’s face it, high schoolers and collegiates: you’re not studying for spelling tests any more. The subjects you’re working on are harder, and the ideas you’re learning are more complex. The material has changed, so the way you’re studying for it has to change too.
Here at the Study Hut, we try to find out tests dates as soon as is humanly possible. Most tests require AT LEAST a week of prep time to be truly prepared (especially if you’re in an AP or Honors class). Some tests require more, some less. Of course, as the class goes on, you’ll discover how much time you need to prepare. But that amount of time is NEVER one evening. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you can’t guarantee a good grade off one night of studying.
My most successful students are the ones that make a plan, and follow through with it. For example, I recently had a student who had a Social Studies chapter test coming up. He wasn’t doing particularly well on tests, so we set up a plan. We set aside a certain amount of time each night so that he’d be studying only one section at a time. That way, the night before the test, HE HAD ALREADY STUDIED THE WHOLE CHAPTER! All he had to do that night was review the concepts he was having trouble with and strengthen his understanding. No cramming, no headaches. And he did markedly better on his test! He broke the work down into manageable bits over the course of a week, instead of stuffing everything into his head the night before. And it made all the difference.

Growing up I always had an interest in the sciences. The idea of crazy science experiments
and watching the Magic School Bus definitely played a major role in sparking my interests in the
sciences. The classes and labs I took in high school lead me to choose Biology as my major in
college. The labs especially sparked my interest. They allowed for a hands on experience and
which I feel gave me a better understanding of the material. One lab in particular in physics
class involved launching rockets on the football field and using their trajectory to try and
estimate the distance traveled. I feel that I am a visual learner and the science labs helped me
grasp the material much better than just reading the text or going to lecture. When I finally got
to college the labs got even cooler. The best was making a neon solution in my organic
chemistry lab and watching the fluorescence when the lights were turned off. Because I
majored in Biology, I feel very comfortable tutoring students in science and math at Study Hut. I
try to relate to the students when they complain about how boring the class is, or how they will
never use this stuff again, but stress they most likely will so its important they master the topics
now. Study Hut also provides a great resource for students going to college. We have tutors
here who just recently graduated from college so they can provide insight into what to expect,
and what direction student should try to focus on academically. I remember my freshmen
orientation, and it was kind of pointless. There wasn’t enough time to connect with the
orientation leaders and its a lot harder to approach a much older college professor who you’ve
never met before.