So many people struggle with history in school! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had students come in struggling in their history class and in search of help. As a Manhattan Beach history tutor, I hate hearing this from new students and do everything I can to make the class more enjoyable. I do my absolute best to bring a level of excitement to the subject that they clearly are not getting from their teacher.
Many people see history as nothing but a bunch of meaningless facts that only vaguely relate to one another. As a Manhattan Beach history tutor, it is my job to string all of these “meaningless facts” together into a cohesive story that the student can become engaged in. I find that even if the student does not end up loving history as much as I do, they generally find the class much easier and are able to do well in the class. All of this begins to happen when the students begin to realize that all of those little facts that they found so frustrating before beginning tutoring simply make sense once integrated into an engaging story. Sometimes getting to this point is more difficult, but from my experience just about everyone can do very well in history as long as the information is presented in an engaging manner.
Over the past two years that I have been working as a Manhattan Beach history tutor I have helped countless students overcome the seemingly insurmountable task of receiving an A in their history class or achieve a 5 on their AP exam. Seeing my students succeed in their history classes is a wonderful feeling but the best is when I can inspire some appreciation of the truly delightful subject that is history.
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.
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.
Taking Advanced Placement (or “AP”) classes in high school are very important to completing lower division requirements in college, yet they move at a fast pace and try to cover dense material as quickly as possible. AP History classes, such as U.S. History (APUSH), European History (EHAP), World History (WHAP), and Art History provide a very unique set of difficulties since they are all covering such a broad and substantial amount of information. Here are some good study tips that might make your life a little easier in these classes:
Make a timeline – a list of dates or a timeline written in chronological order will help keep track of important events, the key players and the significance of the event.
Keep multiple lists – This is a great way of keeping track and studying the various leaders, governments and political movements that occur. Write a small paragraph under each word to have short and easily memorable ideas that are easy to understand for complex essay writing assignments.
Print out maps – both from the time period you are studying and the present. Coupled with your timeline, this is a great start to visually understanding connections between countries of the past and now. Everything will make more sense!
Keep a record of vocabulary, chapter by chapter – A small vocabulary list is also important for quick studying, so when test time arrives you have cumulative, yet specific, information to look over instead of a huge textbook.
Skim through the chapter first – This will give the overall sense of what the main purpose is, then you can go back to the beginning of the chapter and read it with that purpose in mind. For instance, if the main purpose of the chapter is Neolithic civilizations in Africa and their significance to archeology and present day African civilizations, then you know to read for types of Neolithic African civilizations, their region on a map, their artifacts, their religious beliefs, their language, etc.
Although history has a bunch of memorization, try not to think about it in that way. Understanding the concept is the most important thing. History is a story of the past, so when you read pretend it’s a story instead of a bunch of dates, names and facts. Furthermore, learning about history is really about understanding the significance of events to both the time period you are studying and the present day; when you read and take notes, always write the significance.
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.
Personally I have always loved learning about history, since I started watching TV one of the first channels I used to check was The History Channel(before shows like Pawn Stars and Ice Road Truckers), and I was always happy to go into any one of my history courses all through my scholastic career. But for many students History is thought of as the extremely dry and dull subject about dead guys and wars. With students dreading having to go to class and spend countless hours reading through a text book as dry as sand. Then when the student sets forth to go about reading for the class, they try and get through it as fast as possible with the minimum understanding and learning to pass the quiz or test. However, there is a much better way to go about studying and learning all the historical knowledge a student could need for all of their classes.
First, I can’t leave out the tried and true method of going through the reading and either highlighting the book, taking notes on the material read or making flash cards for the important events and information. But often times this just leads to more boredom and less understanding. One key is for that the student needs to actively engage with the material and find something that he or she can find interesting or entertaining from the material. I know that not every student will be able to find something interesting in every section, but by in large a lot of really interesting things went on in the past, we do study human beings in history and most of the time humans are capable of some pretty amazing and awesome things. For example, when Andrew Jackson was elected President he threw the largest and craziest Party the white house has ever seen, to set the course for his presidency. Yet, most textbooks either don’t even mention this fact or gloss over it as an important detail.
This is why students if they want to really become actively engaged with history and have a chance of enjoying the subject need to do some looking on their own for interesting tidbits. By finding just one interesting fact about a certain time period most students would look to learn more and more about the subject. And a great way to go about this is to watch documentaries and the old shows they used to show on History Channel as most students would prefer to watch and listen to their information than to read it all in huge dry textbook with minimal pictures. There are multiple free website online to find documentaries and historical programming, its all about the students putting forth the effort on their own or with the the help of a tutor to find something that interests them, because without interest there cannot be true learning and understanding.
High school is a fun, challenging, and decisive point in one’s life. Academically, it’s the first time that your performance in classes will follow you and affect your future. It is also a time of great personal growth, and a time of starting to accept one’s responsibilities as a young adult. Because of all these rapid changes in an adolescent’s life, high school can be quite challenging. Through practicing with a sports team, hanging out with friends, and finding new hobbies and muses, finding the time and direction to do well in the often difficult classes packed into the four years can be quite challenging. This is where the Study Hut comes in. All of us tutors have gone through high school—we know what those years were like, even if it seems as though we’re too old to remember. The Study Hut is also a very community based organization, and the founders Rob and SP who grew up around Manhattan Beach, and many of tutors, know the greater Manhattan Beach area and its schools very well.
So Mira Costa high school students—let us help you get through these fruitful and challenging years. Study Hut has tutors proficient in everything from the mandatory mathematics of high school, to the more advanced AP courses of the sciences. Let us help you organize your planner, and make sure you’re armed with the best knowledge possible to do well in your classes and ace your tests.
High school is also the time for the SAT and ACT—those scary three lettered standardized tests which colleges and universities use as criteria for acceptance into their schools. At the Study Hut, we’ve got you covered. There are personalized SAT and ACT courses designed to teach you the fundamentals of test taking, so you know exactly what you’re going to get, and how to handle it during the test. Although challenging, there’s a method to these tests, and you too can learn to ace it.
So Mira Costa—come to the Study Hut… you’ll be happy you did.
Last weekend Study Hut held its 2nd free tutoring seminar at West High and Redondo Union High School. For two hours after school last Friday, and for three hours on Saturday, Study Hut was on campus for free group tutoring coordinated with school administrators. Over one hundred students from West and over 50 from Redondo came to receive free tutoring with highly specialized tutors. The students were separated into group by school subjects, ranging the whole high school academic spectrum from geometry to U.S. History; where one to two Study Hut Tutors prepared them for the upcoming finals. Last time was such a success that teachers at West High rewarded students with extra credit for attending both days. The best part of the whole event was the great attitude of all the students who came. They were all eager to receive the help and get the most they could before the all important finals. We at The Hut would like to thank the helpful staff of both West High and RUHS, our great tutors for their effort, and the all students who came down to make this another great experience.
