The holiday season is upon us, but that is no reason to neglect your SAT studies. The January 26 test isn’t that far away, and the March test will be here before you know it. Staying sharp over winter break isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but here at the Study Hut, we have a slogan: “Come on, Man!” Sure, vegging out in front of your TV re-watching The OC: Season 4 for the third time seems like a good idea, but this time of year provides you with ample time to continue your prep work without having to worry about classes, sports, and other obligations – besides, Season 4 is lame anyway (Spoiler Alert: Marissa dies).
To help you all remain on task, I’d like to share a method that I personally have found extremely effective: The Pomodoro Technique. Designed eons ago in the early 90s as a way to utilize the power of concentrated energy and frequent, short breaks, Pomodoro remains one of the most popular productivity techniques. The premise is simple; make use of all of your brain’s energy in 25-minute spurts, and then take a 5-minute break. Do this three more times and then reward yourself with a 25-minute break. It’s as simple as it sounds, but almost 100 times as effective.
So keep chugging along hut-sketeers (Nailed it!), and let us know how the Pomodoro helps you out. See the chart below for upcoming SAT dates and deadlines to register. Don’t wait until the last minute!
SAT Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline
Jan 26 Dec 28 Jan 11
Mar 9 Feb 8 Feb 22
May 4 Apr 5 Apr 19
Jun 1 May 2 May 17
Biology can be a complex subject to grasp. Difficult terminology and concepts, typical of chemistry and physics, partnered with vast and often times redundant biophysical processes make General Biology, AP Biology and SAT Biology a hotbed of tutoring activity. Relating specific concepts within daily notes to the seemingly endless volumes of information in Bio texts is paramount to success in the classroom and on standardized tests.
Developing teaching and testing strategies that work is our passion. Our tutors formulate a step by step approach to address problem areas within the subject matter. Our tutors focus on relating in-class information to everyday case studies and experiences to help students identify with the subject matter. We feel that resolving conceptual errors and becoming versed in basic biological processes is the first step to success in Biology. Using advanced placement tests, practice SAT’s and in-house report cards, we are able to assess, in real-time, the progress our students are making.
During our one-on-one sessions, we provide a tailored experience that partners with the pupils own personal study strategy. We provide a wide range of study materials: Texts, workbooks, flashcards, SAT Prep, SAT Tests and online materials are all resources we utilize in order to help students gain a better understanding of the subject matter. Students are also paired with extremely capable and knowledgeable tutors who are familiar and have a background in subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. We do our very best to deliver the most advantageous tutoring session for each individual student. Working with a tutor is much like working with a personal trainer: we are here to make your “work out time” more efficient so your results are better and come faster. We are not here to do their work for them, but to help them make the most of what little time they have!
One of the biggest decisions senior’s face in the waning stages of High School, is the decision of where to go to college. Some kids have dream schools, schools they have had their heart set sense the moment the concept of college was introduced. However, most kids do not really know what school they really want to go. We make lists of what schools have fun and eventful sports programs, offer the major we think we want to achieve, and look at where our friends are applying. The best advice I can give to a soon-to-be and undecided college students is to think outside the “box.” Take advantage of these 4-5 years of college and go someplace new. Look at schools in places you never though you would ever go. Life outside your hometown is different. There are many many new and different experiences that you will never experience at home. Some you may hate, and others you may love.
I went to school to a far far away place in Northern California at Davis. Even though Davis is in California, anyone who has been knows that Northern California is not the same as Southern California. Looking back I am very great full to have logged a few years up there. I love LA, and Davis is far from the coastal cities I grew up in. But I learned a lot from time I spent there. Many of the things I did for fun were things I never heard of back home. The people and food were new and different too.
So, leave home for college. Go see and live in a place totally new from what you have known growing up. When thinking of potential colleges, look at a map. Look at places you have never been but want to go to. There is a whole lot to be learned while in college outside of the classroom.
Most colleges are looking for particular students with particular sets of skills, but not all them. It is important to research what your top choices are looking for. Stanford is looking for different types of students than is Berkeley, for example. Many universities are eager to accept students that fit within a narrow range of strengths and weaknesses which means that often times, they want to see your strengths articulated into the major that you’ll be studying. If you are quite strong in a particular area, you will be showing your potential university that you are committed to that strength and show a particular passion in that field of study. At the end of the day, universities want to see dedication, diligence, and passion based on your strengths in high school. Choosing a major upon applying to a university is just one more way to “brand” yourself as a unique student with a real drive for the subject matter.
However, some statistics show that around 80% of college students change their majors, and on average, a college student will change their major THREE TIMES during the course of their college education. While this may be “normal” it is one of the main reasons college is taking students closer to five years to graduate. When we get to college each major has specific classes that we need to take, so if we have been studying Psychology for two years and switch to Marine Biology, we are going to have to take a whole new set of classes, rendering the majority of the classes we took for Psychology useless. While we may have enjoyed the classes we took, we are now two years behind in our Marine Biology coursework. So in order to get the most for our time and ourselves it is most efficient to pick something we will love to do and stick with it.
If you are not so lucky as to know what you want to study right when you get accepted, there are important strategies that can help us use our time efficiently and not waste priceless time on taking unnecessary classes. Many undecided students tend to study Psychology and Business, both very popular choices with a large range of opportunities in the future but they may not be what we really want to do. Here is one strategy that will work well:
There are two main types of classes in college, General Education and Major Specific classes. General Education classes are usually entry level and have few or no prerequisite classes (classes you need to take before you can take your major class). While Major Specific classes usually build on themselves so they take more investment time wise. If we do end up going into a major we are unsure about, it is best use of our time to take mostly General Education classes, and perhaps one major class our first semester. This way we get our General Education classes (the classes we have to take no matter what) out of the way while still getting a little taste of how we like the major.
If we pay close attention to the classes, we may find there are some major classes that overlap with General Education, these would be best to start your Freshman year with because they give us a taste of the major while also chipping away at the General Education classes we have to take anyway.
But again the number one thing you should consider before you choose your major is “What do I LOVE to do” because in the end that is what will make you happiest, and when you are happiest you will perform your best. Good Luck future of America!
As the holidays quickly approach us, so do the wonderful bounties of winter breaks. While we at Study Hut would love to keep you students buried in books (not really), we can appreciate that, whether you’ll be travelling or not, you may want to enjoy your well-deserved breaks. After all, you’ve been hitting the books for months! We’d love to hear that our students are spending their vacations preemptively studying for future schoolwork, but we can’t say it’s a realistic possibility.
With that in mind, we’re here to offer some tips for keeping those wonderful minds sharp, so you can jump right back into the swing of things when you’re back.
1. Organization – Keep the work you’re supposed to do over the break and the work you will be doing upon returning (tests, etc.) in mind while you vacation. Don’t stress and obsess, but keep these tasks organized. If you keep a planner, you can lay out all of these obligations on paper and you won’t have to think about them constantly.
2. Moderation – As much as we love stuffing our faces with stuffing and other holiday grub, we want to encourage our students to not fall too deep into the bliss of the holiday season. How will you keep your grades up if you eat yourself into a coma? As with everything, enjoy the time off, but don’t let your school mentality slip completely away. It’s important to be able to transition back. Hit the floor running!
3. Have Fun – We know some of our students, being academic all-stars, will have trouble letting go over the break. If you have work to do while on break, take a specific day or two to get it done. This way, you’ll be able to celebrate the important holiday festivities with the ones you love, without having to excuse yourself to study.
As we, ourselves, prepare to enjoy the holiday season, we too much keep our heads in the game. We’ll be eating enough to inspire crippling dietary guilt, but we’re fully prepared to jump back into the swing of things. So whenever you find yourself back at the Hut, we’ll be ready! And don’t forget we are open over break. This is an excellent time to gear up for finals that are just around the corner!
Senioritis (n): a disease, primarily afflicting students that are about to graduate, that causes them to feel like they no longer need to do their work because “We’re almost outta here! Woo!”
Senioritis is an epidemic that sweeps the nation every spring. High School seniors, looking forward to the summer and, beyond that, college, are particularly susceptible to the senioritis bug. Once infected, students become lazy, and often fail to turn in their work. Many feel that, because they have already been admitted to the college of their choice, they no longer have anything to fear from High School. Their quality of work slips and, along with it, so do their grades. But these students are not, in fact, immune to bad grades. Unbeknownst to many of the afflicted, colleges do in fact pay attention to spring semester grades. Known side-effects of senioritis include reduction or loss of scholarships, getting dropped from the admissions list of their college of choice (this does happen), and even failure to graduate. The outlook for sufferers of senioritis is often grim.
Don’t let senioritis get you too! There are many ways to shield yourself from the adverse effects of the disease, but the most effective preventative measure is to stay motivated! Remember that your grades still matter right up until the last day of school! We all know that school can be tough, and boring, and that the promise of summer is already glowing brightly. But that doesn’t mean that it’s time to take a break.
To look at it another way, senior year is actually the most concentrated year of your career! Due to graduation practice, yearbook signing days, AP Testing, CAHSEE tests, Senior Ditch Day, Capstone Project, and cramming in some final volunteering hours, the amount of time you actually have to study and earn points in your senior year are limited. Therefore, every moment counts, so buckle-down, suite-up, strap-in, and finish up your final year on a good note!
The four weeks between Thanksgiving and the winter holiday break can be the toughest lap of the academic race for many students. Everyone loves to buckle down and cram for the “last lap” before Finals in January, but this “second-to-last lap” in December is brutal. With tons of distractions, from family coming into town, holiday shopping, and making sure to enjoy the holiday spirit, it comes as no surprise that many students have a tough time focusing on their tests and assignments.
But this is not the time to be distracted. In fact, this is the most crucial season of all. These four weeks are a perfect time for teachers to play catch up. Oftentimes, teachers will try to cram in two full chapters or units during this brief period, and the effects on students’ grades can be tremendously impactful. Some students will be distracted and choose to focus time and energy on interests other than school. These students will pay the price come January, and many grades will be far too low going into the break to be brought up. Other students will realize the incredible opportunity in front of them. They will buckle down, hit the books, and earn excellent grades on the tests, quizzes, and assignments offered.
For math classes, including geometry, algebra, trigonometry, and calculus, the methods and concepts discussed this month will probably be the toughest content you will see on your first semester Final Exam. Keep this in mind, even if you are feeling overwhelmed by the material. If you can master these tough concepts now by studying in advance and working with your tutor, your holiday break will be significantly less stressful, and your Finals preparation in January will be a much easier process. This holds true for other classes too, including history, Spanish, English, biology, chemistry, physics, and even your elective classes.
The days have gotten shorter, the air has gotten colder, and the department stores over at Del Amo are starting to bust out their most maddening Christmas mixtapes. You all know what that means: the winter season is almost upon us and our first semester is wrapping up. And along with promises of presents, great food, and the company of loved ones, the holiday season brings with it a much needed break from school. However, it isn’t time to start relaxing just yet. In addition to the fact that most of you will be spending all your time applying to college or studying for final exams anyway, your classes are still very much in session. It is very important to utilize this time and stay on top of your studies. We both know that it’s tempting to start throttling back on your work already, but ‘ain’t nobody got time for that.’ You’ve got to finish strong. At the risk of sounding like somebody’s grandpa, “you’ve got to keep your nose to the grindstone”. No one still living today has any idea where that phrase comes from, but we all (sort of) know what it means. The hard work isn’t officially over until the last bell lets you out on the last day before break (whenever that may be). The consequences of slacking off now may not seem grave, but every little bit of effort counts. Right now, your teachers are scrambling to fit in everything they haven’t taught you for whatever reason. The final part of the semester is always the most hectic. To me, it calls to mind the time when my Physics teacher tried to teach us all of nuclear physics during the half-day period on the day before break. Talk about needing a major study session! Don’t be asleep at the wheel when this (inevitably) happens to you! Keep working, and finish strong. Remember, the friendly tutors at the Study Hut are always here to help your prepare for your final exams.
Ask any high school student, or their parents, what they consider the most important things to work on when applying for college and most of the time the answer is GPA and SAT scores. While your high school GPA and SAT scores are extremely important factors in getting into college, in many cases, there exists a 3rd factor; a factor can get you into your reach schools or get you rejected from target schools. That important 3rd factor is your extracurricular activities. It should be stated that different school systems weigh extracurriculars different than others. For example, UC’s put a lot of weight into an applicant’s extracurricular activities, while the Cal-State Schools (SDSU, Cal Poly, long beach, etc) essentially do not. Although if you intend on going to a Cal-State, you should still invest time into extracurricular activities in case you change your mind about your college destination.
I cannot emphasize how important these application builders are, as they act as a double edged sword: having many activities significantly helps you, while a lack of them significantly hurts you. Colleges want to accept unique well-rounded students. They prefer not to fill their student bodies with mundane cookie cutter students. They want their student body to be diverse and full of students that have experienced more of the world than exists outside the schoolroom. Extracurriculars demonstrate this to colleges. They show leadership skills, your personality, and other qualities not measured with test scores and grade averages. They can take a student with less than average grades, and transform him/her into an interesting and accomplished applicant. As I stated earlier, the reverse is true. Just as a lot of strong extracurricular activities can say a lot of about you, so can a lack of them. Having no strong extracurricular activities makes you appear dull, boring, and uninspired; especially when you consider the fact that many of the other applicants you are competing with have them.
The best part about extracurricular activities is that they are abundant and easy to get involved with. They range from holding positions in clubs and other organizations, to volunteer work, to sports outside of school, to community events, and in many cases to your own hobbies. Do you feel particularly strong about an issue, subject, or cause? Chances are there is an organization you can get involved with that addresses it. When preparing for college apps don’t get too obsessed with your GPA and test scores that you neglect the 3rd piece of the application pie: extracurricular activities.
With all of the questions surrounding the college application process, the Common Application is designed to alleviate confusion and help streamline the application process. With all of the follow up concerns we field at Study Hut about the Common App, it is clear that there is still plenty of confusion regarding how this process works.
The Common Application membership association is a non-profit organization that allows first-year and transfer students to apply to over 500 colleges and universities using one simple application. For nearly 35 years this organization has supported countless students in applying to a variety of schools including private, public, bi-coastal, Midwestern, and even international.
Applications are available in both online and print versions to member institutions that promote student access to education through using a well-rounded evaluation and selection process. With the help of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) students have been provided with reliable services that promote success in the college application process.
In more simple English, certain colleges and universities accept the common application in place of an application specifically to that particular school. This is advantageous to students; it allows students to fill out the common application, including the essay and short answer questions, and then select which schools to apply to. Any student or parent who has ever been through the arduous college application process knows how tedious it can be to fill out application information over and over and over. With the Common Application, students can apply to any participating school by simply clicking on that school and selecting it for application. Obviously, there is a cost for this, as there will be will all college applications, but it is no more costly than any other application. With the Common App, students can focus on making sure that their essays and responses are perfect, and then move on to focus on the bigger, more important question: what college do I want to attend?
