Study Hut is the best place to work for so many reasons. I could go on and on forever about my passion for tutoring and how much I love our big fridge, but what I really want to talk about is the murder mystery party we recently threw. We each were assigned a character and I was naturally Baroness. We all got packets telling us who we were, how to act, and who we hated. Naturally, I hated everyone. I had a great time dressing in a mink coat and talking in an accent that was meant to be British but sounded Chinese. We transformed our little study hut into a full on speak easy with dim lights and fancy shmancy drinks. Here at Study Hut, we all love each other very dearly, which in my opinion gets a little old. I was nice to be able to finally express my true feelings which are that I can’t wait to kill Roxanne, I hate Rob’s guts, and that Kady (my daughter) is suuuuper annoying. Despite my efforts to kill Roxanne, I somehow ended up dying from an ice pick…never thought that would be how I would go. Our manager Sam did an amazing job planning the party (as usual), and really brought the group together (to kill each other). It was nice to finally meet some of the people from the Redondo Study Hut. The manager from Hut 2 even ended up playing my husband! His character was professor Nutella, which couldn’t be more suiting for me (Nutella=heaven). Despite myself (The one and only Baroness) wanting to kill every person that I work with, by the end of the night I found myself feeling even closer to my co-workers than I did before. It’s just one more reason why Study Hut is the best place I have ever worked.

Valentines Day spirit is in the air at Manhattan Beach Study Hut! We are THE place to be V-day. For one, we have the best manager ever who made us all cookies with our names on them. We also each get a list of V-day topics to talk about with our kids. We ask questions like “who is your celebrity crush?” and “what is your favorite kind of chocolate?” to keep the kids engaged and not as bummed about doing homework on a holiday. The drawer full of candy also adds to the valentines spirit. …although this is year around. For me, everyday at the Study hut is like Valentines Day because I love the people I work with and care deeply about all of the kids I tutor. Also, we have a lot of baked goods here all of the time so it adds to the mood.
Our goal is to turn studying, something that is usually somewhat painful, into something fun and exciting. All of our tutors our able to accomplish this because we all have a passion for learning and for helping others. I think that this is exemplified on a day like today where love and compassion are in the air. All of us tutors try and stay connected and get together outside of work to keep a united spirit. In a couple of weeks we are going to have a girls night, and we just got done with doing a really fun murder mystery party. Having close relationships at work is important because it allows us to work as a team when tutoring. When I’m not sure of a science question, it’s nice to feel comfortable turning to Roxy and asking her help on a question. So while the cookies and candy definitely create a great Valentines mood, it’s the love and compassion that our tutors have that really make Study hut a Valentines Day everyday.

Finals are the most stressful and overwhelming time of each semester. It was hard enough studying for each test the last couple of months, but how are you supposed to study for a test in every class covering everything you have learned! It’s a tall task, but it is manageable with the right tools and preparation. The tutors at the Study Hut are ready to arm you with the weapons necessary to conquer the dreaded week.

Probably the most important key to studying for finals is budgeting time. You have to have realistic expectations for each class and weigh the pros and cons of time spent studying for each class. If I have a C+ in math and need to nail my final to get a B, I’ll put more time into that class than in English which comes easy to me and I have a solid A. Once you decide how important each final is, now you have to make sure you set time aside for each, and work both diligently, and effectively.

A second key to studying for finals is simply knowing WHAT to study. Believe it or not, finals are usually far easier than the individual chapter tests. This is because on the final, the teacher is going to test the big concepts from each section, not the nitty gritty details like those tested in a chapter test. With the help of your Study Hut tutor, you can go through your old tests and assignments and realistically pick and choose what you must dedicate more time to studying.

So remember: Don’t panic, stay organized, take your tutors advice, and study diligently. Good things will come. Best of luck to you all.