Getting started with AP exams requires a free practice test>. Diagnostic testing is an essential first step to any training program. After the student takes a diagnostic AP exam to get a baseline score, we will meet with you and your son or daughter to go over the results. This meeting will lift the veil on where you stand now, what needs to be done to get where you want to be, and set a road map for how we can get you there. We will break down the entire test with an accurate score report, complete with statistical analysis of your best and worst sections.
Before we can attack this monster of a test, we will want to make sure everyone is on the same page. At this free consultation we will address your fears and expectations leading up to the real test. Once you understand what the test entails we can develop a study plan designed just for you, focusing on boosting your strengths and reinforcing your weaknesses.
We will then set up a recurring time with one of our expert tutors. Being with the same tutor every time maximizes efficiency and ensures your best results. Our tutors are not only masters of that subject, but also know the test backwards and forwards, so you are sure to get the very best instruction.
We also recognize that the life of a high school student is already packed with activities. Study Hut does all one-on-one training for AP tests, and is open seven days a week until 10pm. We are flexible, and will match you with a schedule that works for you!
To begin the process of getting started with AP exams, just fill out the contact form below. Your information will be sent to the branch nearest you, then the manager will call to set up a time that works best for you!
The first step in your AP test prep process is to take a Free Diagnostic Test>. Practice AP tests are offered every week at Study Hut for your convenience. After taking the test, we encourage all of our students to come in for a Free Consultation in order to discuss current strengths and weaknesses. Once properly assessed, we pair each student with a specialized tutor in the given content area as well as create a personalized curriculum tailored to each students’ needs.
Once the curriculum is designed, you will work with you tutor on AP Test Prep. We start by first brushing up on key concepts before diving into one-on-one focused sessions of areas of that need improvement. Because all of our tutors have great experience and familiarity with the structure and commonly tested content, we devote crucial time to teaching test taking strategies.
For best results, we recap lessons and we move through practice questions. If needed, we support the lessons with take-home work. Throughout the tutoring process, we frequently administer practice DBQs, FRQs, and Multiple Choice sections. All homework is reviewed during the next lesson to make sure the lesson sinks in. Once you can demonstrate mastery, we move onto the next concept.
Next we track your progress through regular full-length practice tests. These also ensure that you will have experience in executing the strategies and content proficiency that you will develop during your tutoring sessions. We hold them here in our office twice a month on Saturday mornings. Taking them in a simulated testing environment like that ensures an accurate timing schedule, and the added stressor or not taking it in the comfort of your own home. Our primary goal is to make sure that you go into your AP test with the confidence, knowledge, and experience to achieve the high score you deserve.
AP or Advanced Placement classes are a great option for students who want to take a challenging class that can reward them with college credit! What is an AP class? An AP class is a class offered high schools that is taught at the college level. It all leads up to a national test in May. Every student enrolled in each AP class takes the test on the same day across the United States. There is an assigned test date and time for each subject. For most subjects, there is a multiple choice section as well as free response questions that are essays. For the foreign language APs, there is also a speaking portion of the test.
The APs are a great option for students that think they can handle the work because some schools will accept passing AP scores for college credit. The AP is graded from 1 to 5, where 3 through 5 are passing grades. However, some colleges only accept scores of 4 or 5 to earn credit.
The work for an AP class is comparable or sometimes a tad bit more challenging than an Honors course. There is a lot of content to learn, and students need to know the content like the back of their hand. The course is also taught at an accelerated pace because the final test is in May, rather than in June like regular school courses. However, if you can keep up and put in the hard work, it looks great for colleges, and may get you some credit in the end!
Study Hut Tutoring and our entire team are ecstatic to announce that the Study Hut Foundation has officially opened its first office. For those of you unfamiliar with the Study Hut Foundation, it is the non-profit arm of Study Hut. Our mission is simple: to provide additional educational opportunities to underprivileged students.
We signed the lease on Friday, and we will begin getting the office ready for studying and tutoring by January 1st. This process will include everything from buying tables and chairs, to sharpening pencils and filling the candy bins….hehe….The office is located in Lomita (very close to Harbor City as well) and is located on Narbonne Avenue, right across from the public library. We will be serving students from many neighboring cities, but the convenience factor is definitely there for Narbonne High School students, so we will be working closely with counselors, teachers, and administrators. We are seeking students who need the help most, and also those who are most eager to use the assistance in a positive way.
The first goal of the Study Hut Foundation is to bring some of the same college preparatory services that we provide our current Study Hut students to less fortunate students in the local area. This will benefit the entire community, and will provide additional opportunity to local students who show the potential and desire to achieve. We will provide scholarships for subject tutoring in math (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, precalc, etc.), science (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.), English, writing, reading comprehension, history (European history and U.S. history), government, economics, psychology, Spanish, French, and more. Additionally, we will offer SAT prep, ACT prep, and other test prep services, all free of cost.
Our team will consist of current tutors, as well as volunteers from local high schools and universities. We will specialize by subject, and we aim to provide the best service possible at the best possible price (free)!
For those of you interested, we will be adding a page for the Study Hut Foundation to our website shortly, and there will also be opportunities for donations and support in the near future. Stay tuned!
Time for our team to take off the party hats and roll up their sleeves. The Foundation is here!
Summer school classes are short in duration, but very intense, and Advanced Placement (AP) summer classes are even more intense. The school day tends to be four hours long. This may seem long to students, but trying to cram a year’s worth of materials in is a big challenge for teachers. Therefore, much of the work must be done outside of class.
AP history classes are the most common summer courses that high school students take. These classes require students to do a lot of reading, a lot of writing, and a lot of studying. Teachers typically do a chapter a day. The student then goes home, reads the chapter, and does the work that goes along with it. This work can be defining key terms and people, making timelines, conceptual questions, or essays. Essay writing is the most time consuming and difficult part of these history courses. They allow the teacher to make sure the student understands a wide range of material. Also, the student must demonstrate good writing skills and critical thinking. It can become difficult to come up with new ideas and examples when writing essays every week.
Getting anything lower than a B in an AP class doesn’t look good to college admissions officers. Putting in so much effort into a college class and then performing badly is a waste. The tutors at Study Hut can help students with their AP summer school work. We have tutors that specialize in essay writing. They can edit and revise rough drafts or help students from the very start. They help guide the student through their brainstorming and outlining process, to their rough draft, and then the final draft. Don’t let your summer AP class go to waste! Let us help you!
As AP Season approaches, it’s normal to get a little apprehensive. However, keep in mind that AP Exams in no way define you as a person nor are they the ultimate deciding factor when it comes to college admissions. Sure, a good score can boost your app, but it’s not going to make or break an acceptance. With that in mind, there a couple things you can do to help prepare for the exam:
First, don’t procrastinate. It’s really easy to let AP test prep slip down the ranks on your To-Do list, but doing a little prep everyday is better than spending the weekend before your test cramming a year’s worth of information into your brain. If you haven’t already started, start gathering up the prep materials that your teacher has given you so far and organize them by topic. Pick a topic and give yourself at least an hour or so everyday and start reviewing the material.
Second, don’t do the same type of prep everyday. Change it up. For example, instead of reading through your notes or summaries first, you may want to look at the questions on an old AP exam and see what you remember and what you don’t. That way you can focus on weaker topics and review the stronger ones later. If you need/want more material for your studies, check out the College Board website (may have old exams posted) or go to the library and flip through a couple test prep books (Barrons, Five Steps to a 5, etc.). Study groups are also a great way to motivate both yourself and others!
Lastly, know that you’re not alone in this! The Study Hut is here to help you! The tutors have all been through the AP exam process multiple times and have taken a wide array of subjects. Not only are they familiar with the material and exam structure, but they also know how you feel and what you’re going through and are always here for that extra moral support!
As we all know, the begining of May marks the start of AP tests. While this can be a very stressful time for many students, proper preperation can make the testing period a breeze. Although two months may seem like a long time, it is important to begining reviewing as early posssible as these test cover such a wide range of knowledge and are designed to make sure students have a college level understanding of the subject matter.
Many teachers offer review sessions in the weeks leading up to the AP tests. These are often a great place to get started and organized on your studies, however you will need to dedicate some time each week to study on your own. Here at the Study Hut we offer one-on-one tutoring in a wide variety of AP subject tests. Whether you are taking AP math and science course or english and history, we will be sure to have a subject expert to help you. Many of our tutors took AP courses at local high schools, such as Redondo Union High School and Palos Verdes High Shool.
When taking AP tests, it is important to have good understanding of the structure and timelimits for each test. It is very important to pace yourself during the test, to ensure you have enough time to attempt each question. Be sure you read the directions throuroughly and understand what the question is asking before attempting to answer it. Another important part of test preperation is to make sure you are well rested and have healthy balanced meal before the test. Being well rested has been proven to increase brain activity. This is another reason why it is important to begin studying as soon as possible, so that you dont have to pull all-nighters test week.
So be sure to see your Study Hut tutor soon and good luck to all the students taking AP tests this May.
Upon entering high school, many students fail to realize the value of AP and honors classes and the impact they can have on their future college careers. For those who do see the benefit, AP English is a popular choice, as it seems far less intimidating than AP Physics or an advanced placement foreign language. However, AP English can be just as challenging as any accelerated course and any student who wishes to take it on must make sure he or she is fully prepared. The reading assignments will be heavy and the expectations of writing ability will be even heavier. Combined with the intense work load of a full schedule, any student would be completely justified in feeling overwhelmed and lost. It is for these reasons that students must take the appropriate steps to stay on top of the assignments. Particularly mid-year, the work can become daunting and tedious and it is easy to lose focus. To stay ahead with AP English, students should commit to completing all of the reading. Missing even one assignment can have a huge negative impact on future work and exams. Secondly, students should make sure that they begin essays at least a week before their due date. This is because a full week allows for several rounds of editing. The more a paper is edited, the better it will be, with few exceptions. Also, whenever possible, students should ask others to take a look at their work and give outside suggestions. Last, students must stay organized to succeed. A neat binder and notebook are always a must!
While AP English will most likely prove a challenge no matter what, students who take the steps to ensure their preparedness will undoubtedly have a much easier time tackling the class.
Study Hut tutors could not be more excited for the big Finals push. We have students from AVID coming in for private tutoring all week, but we also have a huge event scheduled for Saturday. As in years past, we will be hosting an all day tutoring and study session on campus at Palos Verdes High School. We will have access to multiple different classrooms, and tutors will get to go into different rooms and help students with the specific subjects they need most help with.
This year, there will undoubtedly be math tutoring, science tutoring (including biology tutoring and chemistry tutoring), history tutoring, from World History and EHAP to U.S. History, Government, and Economics tutoring. Math tutoring will include algebra tutoring, geometry tutoring, algebra 2 tutoring, pre-calculus tutoring, trigonometry tutoring, and maybe even some calculus and FTS tutoring.
We will also, of course, have English tutoring, writing tutoring for students with an upcoming final paper, Spanish tutoring (all levels), and probably a few other subjects as well.
The event is free (and required!) for all AVID students, and speaking from past experience, it is an extremely productive event for all students involved. The teachers always come to support, supervise, and offer their knowledge as well.
And best of all, we are getting El Taco Man ordered, so he will be showing up with his cart, and all the tacos any young man or woman can eat. Does it get any better than this? I think not. See you on Saturday.
Figuring out what you want to do with your whole life is one of the hardest and most thought of decision a person will every make. Yet, normally students and young adults do not begin thinking about their future life goals until they begin college or even later in life. While it is perfectly fine and normal for people to have no idea what they want to do with the rest of their life and struggle with the decision, they must be actively thinking about it and trying new things to figure it out.
Most High Schools today provide an immense selection of different classes both high school and college level courses. Students in high school should have a plan of attack when deciding which courses to take for each year to strategically complete all the requirements for graduation and college acceptance, as well as experiencing new topics and courses that the student is interested in or potentially be interested. For example a student has the choice between taking Marine Biology and AP Psychology next term and we were able to determine easily which course is best for her. Right now she has the idea that she wants to work with autistic or handicapped children, so the obvious choice is the Psychology course, even though the class will probably be harder. Taking these courses early in high school allows for the student to become familiar with the topics they will be learning about in much greater detail and be able to decide if they truly do enjoy the subject or if they need to reevaluate and choose a new subject. The final advantage of this is that by taking the intro level courses in your desired subject of study earlier, allows the student to bypass the intro level courses seen in the first years of college and allow them to move on to more advanced and often times more interesting subjects.
