If pushed to describe the biggest change I have seen at the Study Hut from A year ago to today, I think I could some it up in one word: Organization. There is a fancy new scheduling system and absolutely no confusion when a student comes in; the managers know exactly where the students are going and when they are going to be here. Of course I may not be in the inner circle, but it certainly seems there are no mishaps or surprises, at least on the staff side of The Hut.
Of course this wouldn’t be any sort of claim if the Study Hut had many less students than it did before, but this couldn’t be farther from the case. The Hut is BOOMING right now, with more students and Tutors than ever before, and the space to accommodate all of them. I’ve tutored kids from Palos Verdes High, Peninsula High, West Torrance High, and know a few students from my alma mater, Chadwick High School. All in all there has been incredible expansion, and all without making any compromises and concessions, but rather with an impressive
The Study Hut is more streamlined than ever. The hitches that face many young enterprises are all but forgotten, with near seamless scheduling and communication between tutors, supervisors, students, and parents alike. Students are learning and excelling academically more than ever with one-on-one tutors who are more than qualified, with many, if not most, of my peers in graduate programs and experts in more than one field of study. To top it all off, the fun, energetic, friendly core of Study Hut that I grew to love a year ago is itself booming. The tutors love their students and the students their tutors. People are learning, and having fun doing it. Rather than pressure students with the threat of grades or financial success, students here focus on their academics because they are working with tutors whose opinions the students genuinely care about. I feel very grateful and proud to once again be associated with the Study Hut name!
Finals are around the corner and to best aide in tackling these challenges is to know your test taking strategies and to be well prepared. Make sure you study the material, get help if you need it (a Study Hut Tutor can save you from stress!), and follow these steps to approaching your exams.
Know how to approach essay questions. Carefully read each essay prompt and start with the easiest one. This will help build your confidence and get you to start relating your ideas to the topic. Once you have a starting point, brainstorm keywords and topic sentences. Next formulate a plan or rough outline and start writing. Use complete and clear sentences, and make sure you follow the standard essay format by introducing your topic, present supporting ideas with facts and examples, and summarize the main points.
Improve your math score. When studying math in Homework sets or performing on test make sure you are clear, complete, and thorough. Always write down the equation you need for the problem before you start the problem. Always label your vertices, axis, variables, and answers clearly. When studying for the final go back through the chapters in the book and study the examples at the beginning of each chapter taking notes on key points. Always draw a picture or diagram when you can and always show all of your work when writing the solution to a problem.
Always check your answers. Even if you know the answer is correct double check. All it takes is a incorrect sign on the front of a number to be the factor between an A and a B on a test. You may have read the question wrong or made a careless mistake.
Go over all returned tests. If teachers are courteous enough to return your previously graded tests they can be a great opportunity to acknowledge and correct your previous mistakes. Go over the questions you missed, write down the correct answer, and study related material. You never know if you’ll see the same question again on a midterm or final exam.
Here at Study Hut Tutoring in Manhattan Beach, we’re more than just good tutors: we pride ourselves on being good human beings! After all, the same qualities that make a good teacher–passion, care, dedication, responsibility–also make a good person. That’s why I thought it was perfectly fitting that Study Hut participated in and had a team at last Saturday’s Relay for Life event in Manhattan Beach.
It was truly impressive to see my coworkers stay late and long after work in order to plan out team activities, and even more admirable to see them put in all the extra hours needed to fundraise for the American Cancer Society. After a long day of leading SAT prep, correcting Chemistry and Trig problems, and editing students’ essays, a box of whole grain crackers and a jar of natural peanut butter practically beg you to their side; however, my fellow tutors met up at 10 PM to figure out how we could raise money for such a worthy cause, and then took their usual day off to put on a car wash at Mira Costa High School. I was so proud of them for working to make a difference!
Because here at Study Hut, we are well-versed in the science of cancer: we pride ourselves on knowing and teaching biology, AP Chemistry, psychology, and anatomy. But we cannot know or explain the actual experience of having cancer. Instead, we can come together to support our community, whether in Manhattan Beach, the greater Southbay, or the nation as a whole, of cancer survivors and help fund research that will ease or prevent future suffering. I’m glad Study Hut got the chance to prove that it doesn’t just have the best tutors–it has the best people!
Pay less for college, regardless of how much money you make!!! Is that ridiculous or what? That’s what we thought when we first met ALL IN EDUCATION and they showed us financial resources that we never knew even existed for families, especially not for middle and upper class families!
In short, in talking with the founder of this organization, Kyle Shelley, he explained to me the program that is changing the way families do college, while reducing the cost of college, for any family, by tens of thousands of dollars. How do they do it? Well, below is the bulleted list, but that’s why I’m touching base with you. We’ve always strived to produce the best results for our students and provide the most value for our families. In that same spirit, once your student/s get into a great college, wouldn’t it be brilliant if you could pay a fraction of the cost? We think so! And we think you’ll agree.
We’ve asked ALL IN EDUCATION to provide an event for our families on May 25th, at the Belamar Hotel in Manhattan Beach. Is it worth your time? Go to www.facebook.com/ALLINEDUCATION where, in less than 3 minutes, you can complete the College Savings Calculator and see just how worth your time it will be.
A few ways ALL IN EDUCATION is reducing the cost of college:
* free college credits
* tuition reimbursement
* local scholarships
* in-state tuition for out-of-state students
* credit recapture (for transfer students)
As a parent, you know that your child is a complex individual, full of surprises. You know their dreams and aspirations, their fears and dislikes, what influences and what motivates them. You know that though they may grow bored at school, frustrated with teachers or affected by their peers, that if someone could find the key to tap into your child’s potential they would shine as brightly as they do in your eyes. It is this uniqueness that we try to cultivate. There are a few special ingredients that make Study Hut such a sweet place to learn and one of them is that we recognize each student’s individuality. Tutors are paired students that allow us to foster genuine connections and have a real positive influence. That’s why we enjoy being tutors. While many of our tutors can teach multiple subjects, Study Hut takes the time to place students according to their personality and ambitions. Seeing our students strive for the same goals we’ve have strived for inspires us and we pass this inspiration onto our students.
A real understanding of who your child is also helps us tutor more effectively. Biology becomes a basketball team, physics becomes skate boarding and statistics becomes the probability the Lakers will win the championship (100%, of course!) Students are no longer just another face in a sea of students but part of the Study Hut family. Every child learns differently, and relates differently. Parents know this for their children; tutors should know this for their students. We don’t just teach a child, we teach your child.
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.
Mark your calendars! Study Hut Tutoring and West Torrance High School will once again be partnering to offer FREE tutoring to all students prior to Final exams. The sessions will be coordinated again by West High Librarian Ms. Mary Lou Cordaro, and with the blessing of Principal Egan.
Finals prep tutoring will be provided in small group format based on the subject area of need. Translation: If your student is struggling in geometry class, he or she will be asked to work in an area with other students whom are similarly struggling with geometry, and with a tutor who is very knowledgeable and strong with geometry.
Both Finals preparation sessions will be held in the school library, and students MUST sign up in advance at the library with Ms. Cordaro. Space is extremely limited, and spots will be offered on a first come, first served basis. We had over 100 students each day during first semester Finals in January. The dates and times of the Finals prep sessions are as follows:
Friday, June 10th: 3-5 p.m.
Saturday, June 11th: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
For those of you who are not familiar with Study Hut Tutoring, we are a team of young, local tutors, fresh out of college. We have offices in Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo, and we have served families and students throughout the South Bay for over five years.
It is our pleasure to announce that SAT training at Study Hut Tutoring will begin a new chapter this weekend. Our partnership with Beach Cities Volleyball has blossomed into a positive, synergistic relationship, and now students from all across the South Bay are able to benefit.
This weekend, Study Hut Redondo Beach will be hosting a free diagnostic test for all high school students affiliated with Beach Cities Volleyball. The results will be entered and analyzed, and beginning the following weekend, we will begin the actual training at the Rolling Hills Prep gym. This is a perfect environment for several reasons: the space is large and comfortable; the space is already familiar to players and family members of players in the program; and, the technology, equipment, and office furniture necessary for group instruction is already in place.
The SAT group course will run 14 weeks, and students will learn various strategies for domination the Critical Reading, Math, and Writing sections of the SAT. We will emphasize organization, time management, and strategies that help students improve their scores specifically, rather than just teaching zoomed out strategies that are supposed to be effective for the masses.
The group course with Beach Cities Volleyball is very similar to the course offered seasonally at all three Study Hut locations, so please feel free to call any of our branches, or email us at info@studyhut.com.
If any of you saw a five foot by five foot square with the familiar “Hut” logo on it on the sidewalks of Redondo Beach, it’s because Study Hut was a sponsor at the Chalk It Up! fundraiser this past Saturday! Chalk It Up! is a non-profit organization that raises funds for public school art programs. Since most California schools don’t have the capital to host programs in the arts—including music, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and more—Chalk It Up! takes it upon themselves to do so. The recent fundraiser involved bands from two school, vendors galore, and a generally awesome energy and passion for the arts. It featured some absolutely phenomenal student art, as well as the works of local artists. Our very own Study Hut tutors—Justin, MJ, and Rob—provided the artistic talent that went into decorating our square.
Study Hut recognizes the arts as a fundamental component of a complete education. While at the fundraiser, our tutors spoke with students and parents from the Redondo school district about how the one-on-one tutoring at Study Hut can benefit all fields of study. Make sure to stop by to check out what Study Hut has to offer!
