Britt comes in for tutoring at Study Hut once a week. She works on Algebra 2 with her tutor, Chris. Britt has excellent grades in all of her classes, but sometimes needs help working through the more difficult problem sets that her teacher assigns.
The graphs of conic sections and their transformations were challenging. It was hard to remember what the parent function looked like, and how each number in different spots could transform the graph. Chris and Britt worked on making parent function flashcards. They made sure to include how to find the vertex, directrix, focii, radius, and any axes the graph might have. Then, they went through many practice problems. Chris made Britt do problems until she was able to solve them quickly and correctly. Comparing her graphs to the graphs of the parent function also helped Britt gain a better understanding of how each transformation affected the graph’s shape and size.
Britt got a ninety-two percent on her Algebra II exam. She was selected by her high school to compete in a math competition against students from other high schools. She was given a set of problems and had a limited time to complete them. She wanted to prepare because some of the practice problems dealt with math she had never even seen before. She learned some concepts in Pre-calculus and Calculus so that she would be able to compete as best she could against her older peers. We cannot wait to hear what she placed in the competition!
George comes into Study Hut every week to work with his tutor Allie. Allie has been George’s tutor since he began coming to Study Hut. This year George made the tricky transition from middle school to high school. With Allie’s help, keeping his good grades was a breeze. She taught him how to balance all the work that came with his new course load.
Allie and George mostly worked on Geometry and English. Like most students, George was having difficulty grasping the concept of graphing. Plotting the points on and x and y graph was easy enough, but learning all the different forms of equations and finding the x and y intercepts were hard. Allie explained the difference between point-slope form and slope-intercept form. Point-intercept form is useful when you are only given two points on the line and no other information. However, slope-intercept form is more useful. You can immediately find the slope of the line and the y-intercept from a line’s equation that is written in slope-intercept form. Allie also showed George how to find the x-intercept of a line. To find the x-intercepts, you plug in zero for y and then solve the equation for x.
Allie also helped George develop his essay writing. She taught him the proper structure for a five-paragraph essay, as well as ways to create a strong thesis statement. They also worked on creating smoother transitions and engaging commentary for his concrete details. George did amazing and received all A’s and one B his first semester.
Wyatt began coming to Study Hut halfway through eighth grade. He had an essay to work on so he worked with Tori. She taught him the general structure of a five paragraph essay. Wyatt’s mom e-mailed Study Hut the next day, saying that Wyatt felt “rejuvenated and inspired” after his session with Tori, so he started coming to Study Hut once or twice a week.
Tori helped him develop his critical thinking and writing skills for high school. She also helped him work on his application essays for St. John Bosco High School. Wyatt knew this school had an amazing reputation in regards to sports and he had his eyes set on the prize. He started his freshman year in the Fall of 2013 and has earned his spot on the honor roll every semester. He was at the top of his English class thanks to all the skills he worked on with Tori, and he always felt prepared for all of his assignments. His teacher was constantly impressed with his work.
Now he works on all of his subjects at Study Hut. He is has an incredibly busy schedule. He commutes to school every morning, and has training for football or basketball year-round. Wyatt recently got his first offer to play football in college and Tori could not be more proud. She said. “I often feel overwhelmed in my own life with school, work, and student teaching, but Wyatt’s commitment to doing what it takes to achieve his dreams truly inspires me to do what it takes to achieve mine. I could not be more excited for what the future has in store for him.”
Bryce began coming to Study Hut because he was having trouble in his Algebra 1 class. He understood basic concepts, but was having trouble applying what he learned to homework problems. This was translating into grades he was unhappy with on his tests.
He began coming to Study Hut twice a week to work with his tutor, Charlsey, on his Algebra 1 homework. He had been having a lot of trouble solving for multi-variable systems of equations. His teacher had not explained the topic very well. The practice problems that were assigned for homework did not review or explain any of the new material. Bryce quickly became frustrated because simply reading the book did not explain solving systems clearly enough.
Charlsey went through the different ways of solving systems with Bryce. First, she explained substitution. With substitution, you solve for one variable in terms of the other variable that you are solving for and then plug that back in to your second equation. Then you are left with one variable and a simple algebraic equation to solve. Bryce hated substitution though, so they went over elimination. In elimination you use multiplication or division to make the amounts of one variable equivalent in the two equations. Then you either add or subtract your equations depending on the sign, and are left with one variable to solve for. Then you use simple algebra to solve.
Charlsey sent Bryce home with extra problems to work on. When he returned for his next tutoring session, he understood how to solve systems and was confident with the material.
By the time you get to high school you have already heard all about the SAT and the ACT. But what about the SAT II Subject Tests? Many colleges require them, but people do not seem to talk about them as much as the other two tests. So, what exactly are the SAT IIs?
The SAT IIs are hour-long tests that focus on specific topics. Most tests are multiple-choice. For the language tests, there is a listening portion. The cool thing about the SAT II is that you can choose which subjects you take. That means that you can pick the subjects you know best and feel most comfortable in. Even if the college you are applying to does not require SAT IIs, they can still be helpful. Getting a great score on an SAT II can set you apart from other applicants applying to the same program. Doing well on certain SAT IIs can also count for placement in higher-level classes than you would be placed in without an SAT II.
You can take up to three SAT IIs in one day, but you may take just one as well. The subjects on the SAT II are covered in a deeper context than on the regular SAT. You will need to fully grasp concepts instead of just having broad overarching knowledge of the topic. Unlike the regular SAT, you should not wait until your junior or senior years to take the SAT II. You should take it after the class you have taken that corresponds with the topic you are picking for the SAT II. That way the majority of the information will be fresh in your head and you have a greater chance for success!
The Capstone Project is a research paper and project that students attending Palos Verdes High School work on throughout their junior and senior years. The Capstone Project requires students to think critically about a topic of their choice. It manifests with the students giving a presentation on their research and work to a group of teachers and parents. The Capstone Project helps students narrow down options for a major and find out if they would be passionate working on their topic long term.
Laura helped her student Olivia with her Capstone Project during her junior and senior years. Olivia was having trouble deciding which topic to pursue for her project. After weighing her different options, Laura helped her decide on examining how documentaries affect public perception of issues. They decided to use the film Blackfish and how it changed the public’s view on captive whales as the basis of Olivia’s paper. She researched the differences between the lives of orca whales in captivity versus in the wild. She worked in the field scuba diving for research and polling people on how Blackfish changed the way they looked at captive whales.
Once she had all of her research completed and data collected for her project, it was time to put it all into an essay. Laura helped Olivia organize all of her data into paragraphs. There was a lot of research, so it took time to narrow down all the facts so that Olivia could prove her initial thesis while still being concise. Olivia was chosen to be part of Capstone Elite where she competed against other selected students as some of the best Capstone projects of the class.
The start of a new semester is a great time to change any bad habits that were keeping you from earning the best grades you could last semester. Zoning out in class, not turning in homework, and not getting help until it was too late are all bad habits students fall in that keep them from getting amazing grades. Here are some helpful habits to start this semester that will keep you on top of your grades.
If you are in a class that is constantly giving you trouble, set up a regular weekly tutoring appointment. A tutor can make sure that you fully understand the concepts taught in class. This way, you will understand your homework and will never feel left behind when you are confused by new material. Many students avoid doing the work for a class when they do not get it, which only exacerbates the problem. The added structure of learning outside of class will help you keep up with the work.
Make sure you take amazing notes this semester! Some students do well with Cornell style notes while other students remember information better with an outline style. Figure out which format works best for you. Make sure that all of your notes are legible. There is no point taking notes only to go back and not be able to read them! While going back through your notes, write additional notes or highlight key terms and important concepts. Going over the material only while taking the notes is not enough for most students, so rereading them and marking them up will leave the concepts fresh in your mind.
Don’t forget to stay organized this semester! You cannot do well in any class if you lose the notes and cannot find the assignments you need to be turning in.
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!
We had a huge day at the Newport Beach Study Hut today, and our top students are all quite eager to hit the ground running with a fresh start second semester.
Mortimer, a diligent and eager-to-learn student, worked on his reading comprehension skills with Rob. They worked on pre-writing essays and the different components that make up an essay. He understands topic sentences, conclusions, and can already write an entire introductory paragraph. This student is already impressively working on various writing prompts for the SAT at the young age of 10!
Another sophomore from Corona Del Mar High School, Mukil, fresh out of a successful finals week, worked on common core math today with the guidance of his tutor. He picked up the brand new concepts taught in class with ease. The new concepts were then drilled by practice problems to reinforce and check understanding. Not only did he get to master previous lessons, but we also helped him prepare and get ahead for his next class. He also worked on Spanish and went over some vocabulary and phrases for his Spanish quiz on Friday.
Lastly, a senior from Mater Dei came in for precalculus tutoring. Although she’s received multiple early college acceptances, she’s not letting senioritis get to her. When she first came in, the packet that her teacher gave as homework made no sense to her. There were lots of blanks and question marks scattered all throughout the packet. However, after just an hour of working through the packet with her math tutor, she ended up fully grasping the points that she didn’t understand an hour ago. Not only did she finally understand it all, but she then demonstrated her understanding by completing difficult practice problems to further enhance and reinforce her learning.
Richard and his student Jarred worked on studying for Jarred’s Psychology final exam together. Jarred is a very good student, but Psychology has a lot of complex terms that sound very similar. Some terms have definitions that are almost the same, but small nuances that can make the difference between a right and wrong answer on the essay portion of the test.
Richard wanted to help Jarred make sense of all the vocabulary and see how they were all related to one another. They went through each word and pieced together how it connected with some of the other vocabulary. Exercises like this made it easier for Jarred to remember each word and what it specifically meant. Richard would see if Jarred knew a word, asked him to explain it, and then use it in an example. Using the vocabulary words and concepts in examples reinforces the meanings and connections for students, and gives them a more comprehensive working definition of them word. For example, Jarred had to know that serotonin and dopamine could be affected by conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and depression. A lot of students have trouble differentiating between serotonin and dopamine because they have similar functions. Explaining how each one was affected by different conditions to Richard really helped Jarred distinguish between the two.
Jarred was a little worried about his final. However, after studying with Richard he felt confident and more prepared for his test. He was now armed with relative examples and real connections between the vocab to ace his final and destroy all the essay questions.
