Dorm storage space is one thing that many incoming freshman overestimate. Depending on the size of your wardrobe, it might be a good idea to consider leaving everything but the necessities at home. Besides, you might find you don’t need as many clothes as you think–most college laundry facilities are easy and inexpensive. Many colleges even offer free use of washers and dryers. It’s a good idea to do some research before you start school to see whether or not you need to stock up on quarters. Some colleges even have high-tech laundry services that will text you once your clothes are ready. Be sure to do a little research into your college’s laundry facilities before you pack for college.
2. Every College Has Different Rules on What You Can Bring
It is essential that you check the list of approved and prohibited items from your college before you move in. Rules vary from school to school, and you may want to hold off on buying that mini-fridge/microwave combo until you make sure you can have them in your dorm. Even things you might not think about, such as power strips or halogen lamps, might be prohibited by your university.
3. You Might Not Like Your First Roommate (And That’s Not the End of the World)
For your first semester of college, odds are you’ll have a randomly picked roommate. And while it’s completely possible that you will be the best of friends, it’s also possible that you might not get along. This can be uncomfortable, but remember that with classes, clubs, and other campus events, you probably won’t be in your room very much anyway. By the time the semester is over, you’ll most likely have found a friend to room with for the next term.
4. First Semester Classes Might Not Be That Great (But They’ll Get Better)
For your first semester, you’re probably taking a first-year seminar, some gen-ed classes, and perhaps a big lecture hall 101 type course. Some of the big, mostly first-year classes aren’t the most engaging, and first-year students are frequently taught by graduate students rather than the college’s professors. If your classes aren’t what you had hoped for, keep in mind that you will soon be in smaller, more specialized classes. Once you pick your major, you can start with the major-specific classes as well. Even if you’re undecided, you’ll have a wide range of classes to choose from, with everything from upper-level science courses to creative fine art studios. Just remember to register as soon as you can before the classes fill up!
5. Know Where You Can Get Good Food
Food is an important part of the campus experience. Most colleges have multiple dining options, and it’s a good idea to try them all your first semester. If you want to know the best place to eat, or if you need vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free options, you can always check the college’s website, or just ask your fellow students. Don’t forget to try outside the college, too–college towns almost always have good, cheap food.
6. You Might Not Be Able To Bring a Car (And You Probably Won’t Need One)
Whether or not you can have a car on campus your first semester depends entirely on the college. Some colleges allow them freshman year, some won’t allow them until sophomore year, and some won’t allow them at all. You’ll want to check with your school before you end up with a parking ticket. The good news is that if you’re not allowed to bring a car, you probably don’t need one. Many schools offer public transportation, such as a shuttle or taxi, or a bicycle rental service. If all else fails, most campuses are designed to provide everything a student needs within walking distance.
7. The IT Help Desk Is a Wonderful Place
Some of the most helpful people on a college campus can be found behind the IT Help Desk. Whether you need help connecting to the internet, getting set up with any professor’s assignment drop box, figuring out how to find and connect to a printer, or recovering a lost document, the IT Help Desk is an excellent resource. It is also a good spot to go if your roommate accidentally spills coffee on your laptop. There’s no guarantee the IT folks can fix everything, but it’s a great place to start.
8. There Are Tons of Things to Do (And It’s Pretty Easy to Find Them)
The last thing anyone should be worried about is being bored on campus. Almost every college has a host of student clubs and organizations, frequent campus events, and other activities. They’re not hard to find, either. Colleges usually have a list of registered student organizations, and there are often fliers and posters all around campus for things to do and clubs to join. Some clubs even have their own social media sites, which could help you not only learn about the clubs, but also contact current members.
9. Plan Out Your Academic Career Early (But Don’t Be Afraid to Change It)
In order to make sure you have all the credits you need to graduate on time, it’s a good idea to plan out your courses early. Don’t forget to plan for general education requirements and classes you need for your major. But keep in mind that your plan won’t be written in stone. Most students change their majors at least once during their college careers. So, while it’s a good idea to have a plan for your academic career, keep in mind that you’ll probably end up changing it.
10. You Can Get Good Grades and Have Fun
A common fear when starting college is that there will be time for either studying or having fun, but not both. The truth is that with good time management, it is possible to get good grades in all your classes and still have time to be in clubs and go have fun. If you manage your schedule well, you may even get a decent amount of sleep, too.
This week we are featuring three photos from our different offices in our photo blog. Here are some fun updates for this week!
We hope the students that have off are enjoying their Ski-Week. Let us know what you have been doing over the Ski Week and we will post stories on our blog for others to read about.
If you would like to schedule appointment, you can call the Manhattan Beach Location at (310)546-2408, Redondo Beach Location at (310)540-5888 or the El Segundo location at (310) 648-8526.
We have bananas growing at our El Segundo office!!
In our Manhattan office – Ben received an A on his Calculus test! Kuddos to his tutor Josh for helping him out!
Student of the day was Grace!
If there is something interesting that you read about on our blog, you can let us know on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/studyhut
We love getting your feedback on our Facebook page!
Our wednesday mornings have been going great so far this year at Manhattan Beach Middle School. We want to welcome tutor Tommy to our Wednesday morning tutoring sessions. Ashley has to go student teaching now so we have recruited Tommy to help us out!
We have had a great turnout these past two weeks and have been getting a lot of good press from the school!
The last two times we have been at the Middle School we had 20-30 students show up both times which is better than the turnout from last year.
We are in a new room this year on the 2nd floor and have a lot of space for the students.
We have three tutors that attend the Wednesday morning tutoring to help the students out in any subject that they need.
We have two teacher aids that sit with us in the classroom to help out and facilitate the morning.
The students love coming to eat doughnuts since we bring doughnuts in the morning to get the students pumped up and excited to come to Wednesday morning tutoring.
We will be there every Wednesday at 8am to help students during late start and we hope to see a lot of students there!
If more students start to show up we may extend into another classroom to make sure that we have enough room for all the students!
Many of the students there on Wednesday worked on math and Social Studies.
Only a few of the students who come into the Wednesday morning at students at the Study Hut, so we have enjoyed meeting new students and hoping that they will come to the Study Hut as well!
So far we’ve had a great turn out and MBMS has been great to work with and have worked with us during every step.
Let us know if you have any questions or you can call our Manhattan office at (310)546-2408 with any questions or inquiries that you have!
Tomorrow our new group courses in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach start again!!! Our group courses take place on the nights of Tues/Thurs from 7-9pm.
The cap for the SAT classes are 10 students and P.J. and Martin are the teachers for the SAT course.
The January group course help the students prepare for the March SAT exam.
P.J. will be the teacher for this SAT Group Course which will help students prepare for the May SAT test. We are only offering one group course on Tues/Thurs!!
We will have one week off for Spring Break so please keep that in mind. If you would like to sign up for our group course in Manhattan Beach please contact our MB office manager Kristen … kristen@studyhut.com or call the Manhattan Beach Study Hut: (310)546-2408. For the Redondo Beach Study Hut please call Justin at (310)540-5888.
We have many tips that we share with our students on how to succeed on the SAT – and today our 1st tip comes from Andrew, one of our SAT tutors.
1st Tip: “Lookout for extreme answer choices in the Critical Reading section! If the answer choice contains strong words like ‘never, always, must, impossible, cannot, only, all, none, etc,’ then it is likely incorrect.”
Lastly, if you don’t want to be in the SAT Group Course, we also offer 3 different SAT Packages: 40 hour, 32 hour, and 24 hour (prices range depending on package you pick). We also do private one-on-one SAT tutoring. We have wonderful SAT tutors including but not limited too: Rhiannon, Jeff, Josh, Andrew, Victor, Brian and many others! One-on-one private tutoring costs $100 plus a $65 materials fee.
It’s that time of the year again… that cliche statement.. “the most wonderful time of the year”… Ok, not really… but it is FINALS SEASON.
This month will be one of the busiest weeks for our offices!! PV takes finals this week, followed by Torrance and Manhattan Beach and then Redondo Beach!
We are in communication with RUEF about doing preparation for finals week so e-mail the principal with your support!
This weekend we will be going to both West (Friday 3 to 6pm) and West (Saturday 9am to 12noon) for free Finals Tutoring.
We hope our 7th grade students are having fun at science camp this week.
We were at Peninsula High and at Palos Verdes High for about 5 hours! This past weekend the Study Hut went to both Peninsula High and Palos Verdes High to work with their AVID programs. We had about 10 tutors that volunteered to help out and tutor in all different subjects.
The Study Hut will be open on Monday January 20st – Martin Luther King Jr Day – since schools have off that day.
Please contact the correct branch to schedule appointments with us. Redondo Beach (310)540-5888, Manhattan Beach (310)546-2408, El Segundo, and Newport Beach.
All our students have worked very hard this semester and we are anxious to know how everyone does on finals!
Once finals are over the students in Manhattan can start to prepare for Ski Week the 2nd week of February!
The parents and students know that we like to keep learning lively and fun at the Study Hut. We think this keeps the tutoring experience positive, and improves student-tutor relationships and communication. So, of course, the Study Hut is going to have an awesome Halloween party this year! We’re celebrating the festive occasion at our non-profit location in Lomita, and we’ll be spreading ghoulish fever throughout the day. We should have lots of candy, decorations, and games. Throughout the month, we’ve been decorating our locations with lights, streamers, skulls, and various other spooky Halloween items. For the party, our tutors are dressing up in pairs as Nickelodeon characters from the 1990s. We’ll have a judging of the best costume and prizes will be given to the best pair of characters. Tutors are already working on finalizing their costumes this week, and from the ideas I’ve heard being tossed around, there should be some excellent costumes and a fierce competition. We’ll be sure to post pictures of the winners and inspire others to express their creativity next year! Happy Halloween!!
We have started tutoring at Manhattan Beach Middle School again on Wednesday mornings at 8am during late start!
We have had a great turnout these past two weeks and have been getting a lot of good press from the school!
The last two times we have been at the Middle School we had 20-30 students show up both times which is better than the turnout from last year.
We are in a new room this year on the 2nd floor and have a lot of space for the students.
We have three tutors that attend the Wednesday morning tutoring to help the students out in any subject that they need.
We have two teacher aids that sit with us in the classroom to help out and facilitate the morning.
The students love coming to eat doughnuts since we bring doughnuts in the morning to get the students pumped up and excited to come to Wednesday morning tutoring.
We will be there every Wednesday at 8am to help students during late start and we hope to see a lot of students there!
If more students start to show up we may extend into another classroom to make sure that we have enough room for all the students!
Many of the students there on Wednesday worked on math and Social Studies.
Only a few of the students who come into the Wednesday morning at students at the Study Hut, so we have enjoyed meeting new students and hoping that they will come to the Study Hut as well!
So far we’ve had a great turn out and MBMS has been great to work with and have worked with us during every step.
Let us know if you have any questions or you can call our Manhattan office at (310)546-2408 with any questions or inquiries that you have!
In the venerated tradition of famed facial hair, there are but a few men who have risen to much-deserved prominence. The robust mustache of Inigo Montoya reminds us of heroism and valiance, the substantial ‘stache of Ron Burgundy tantalizes our senses, the impressive facial hair of Abraham Lincoln inspires our national pride, and the bushy beard of Zach Galifianakis compels laughter. Each of these men carries with him a badge of honor, sanctified by each follicle upon his face. Cultivation of a fine beard is a precise and delicate art: to be great, a beard must be tended to, cared for, trimmed, combed, and above all, respected. For the adoration that we bestow upon that facial hair, we receive reward twofold, making the relationship between man, beard, and society one of the most sacred.
There is none so contemptible as a man who carelessly allows his beard to sprout from his chin, taking no pains to keep discipline or structure. Although a refined beard can be an inspired entity, one without the necessary care is like a sickness that spreads uncontrollably. The Study Hut’s own Justin Lettin is one such foul plague of a man, his beard springing wildly as if directly cursing the social order. His facial hair exists, it would seem, as a symbol of disregard for the men who have given us respectable beards and important mustaches, a means by which he expresses distasteful nihilism. Perhaps if he offered his beard some degree of devotion, he might be able to clip and trim it to responsibility. However, any opportunity for respectability has long been squandered like so many disposable razors.
Tufts of brown wool blanket the lower half of his face, spreading onto what little bare flesh exists like some exotic skin disease. Each day, new stubble emerges around the edges of the beard, inexorably corrupting whatever is in its path. It evokes images of the nefarious Shoe Bomber more readily than ones of revered men. Not only does Mr. Lettin do nothing to stop the growth of said beard; he actually encourages it, often stroking the unruly tendrils and cooing their praise. Justin Lettin’s beard degrades those of great men and simultaneously threatens the security we rely upon. In a word, his beard is un-American.
El Segundo Office: (310) 648-8526 – Office Manager Adam – Adam@studyhut.com
The High Schools around the area have been holding registration and students have been preparing for their new classes/schedule for the Fall.
We have had many students here at the Study Hut gearing up for the new year and getting some refresher courses before the school year begins.
For students going to Mira Costa High School, school starts on the 28th of August.. one week and counting. For students attending Redondo Union High School and schools in Palos Verdes, they start school on Tuesday August 27th.
Here are the Study Hut we are closed Monday September 2nd for Labor Day and Wednesday September 5th for Yom Kippur.
On another note, we are also getting back into SAT and ACT training. The first exam of the year takes place in October which many students are signed up for.
We have diagnostic tests every other week on Saturdays at 8am for SAT/ACT/HSPT/ISEE. We had one on Saturday August 17th and the next one we have is on Saturday August 31st.
We have had many students in here for consultations with our co-owner Rob going over scores and getting prepared for their prep.
All our diagnostic tests are free as well as our consultations with Rob.
Past events and/or events coming up:
Our staff went to Parris Middle School for the week to help with registration Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8-12noon.
We helped hand out schedules, assign lockers, and distribute agendas
– We have 15 tutors going to training for AVID on Monday. It is for the AVID programs at Palos Verdes and Peninsula High Schools – teaming up so the whole mountain is on the same page
Today we say goodbye to one of our assistant managers, Rita. Rita has worked here for years between here time in college and getting her masters – both at University of California San Diego (UCSD).
Rita received her masters in Pacific International Affairs – Economic Development and Nonprofit Management | Latin America.
Rita is born and raised in Manhattan Beach and has been through the MBUSD system. Rita attended UCSD for both her undergrad and graduate programs.
Interesting facts about Rita:
– Rita studied abroad/lived in Paris for 6 months.
– She loves Yoga and baking
– Her dream job is to travel around the world.
Rita’s memorable experiences here at the Study Hut:
– The Christmas Party, our Game Nights, and dressing up for Halloween.
Rita will be going to Hawaii this week before she moves to San Francisco to begin her new life and job.
We will miss you! Don’t be a stranger here at the Study Hut!
