Having a hard time studying for your math test? One of our tutors from the Newport Beach/CDM Study Hut shares her study tips!
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition See what I did there? Math is about learning the steps. This holds true for Algebra, Geometry, Stats, and even Calculus. You have to be comfortable with what you’re doing at each step, no matter what curveball is thrown. Think of a baseball player who spends hours in the cage, or a basketball player who finishes every practice with 10 made free throws (Kobe Bryant has actually been known to come to the gym early to make 800 jump shots before practice)! The more practice you put in, doing the problems over and over again, the easier it will be and the better you will do on the real thing.
Give It a Scent While you’re studying for that Geometry midterm or Trig final, or another subject for that matter, chew a unique smelling gum, or spray a new perfume/air freshener. Then, while you’re taking the test, chew that same gum, or spray that same scent. The smell will trigger your memories of studying and improve your performance!
Study Somewhere New While it is great to have a spot where you always study (it has everything you need and a comfy chair!) it’s good to mix it up sometimes. Go to the local library, Starbucks down the street, or just a new spot in the house. Just like with the new scent, your memories of studying will be linked with the feel/look of the new study spot.
This CDM math tutor’s favorite mnemonic.
Create Mnemonics While it is rarer that you need to memorize lists in math, memorizing formulas can be daunting. Using a common mnemonic can ensure that you commit that bad boy to memory. For example, many people like to use Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally to remember the order of operations (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction). The only thing better than using a common one like this is making one up for yourself, because then it has personal meaning and you are more likely to remember it.
Ask for Help No one can do it alone! Tutors at Study Hut have been collecting tips and tricks like these for years, and would love to share them with you! Call today to start building strong study habits and acing those tests!
Here is a comprehensive list of programs to help your student stay ahead this fall.
– SAT and ACT classes both one-on-one and group courses. Our group course for SAT’s and ACT’s start after the July 4th weekend.
– Spanish 1/2 and Spanish 3/4 Workshops
– Elementary to Middle School and Middle School to High School Transition Sessions
– Algebra 1, Geometry, and Alg 2 Prep Classes which will start at the end of July. Joey will be teaching some of the courses in the Manhattan Beach Location.
– General Summer School Help
We are open Monday-Friday and you can contact our managers to book appointments for summer. Manhattan Beach Location: Kristen@studyhut.com – (310)546-2408, Redondo Beach Location: Justin@studyhut.com – (310)540-5888, and our El Segundo Location: Alex@studyhut.com (310)648-8526
1. During the school day, teachers’ attention is spread among many students. A tutor can create a targeted plan for your child’s specific needs.
2. Today, kids have increased access to technology, busy parents, and have extremely busy schedules, all of which can potentially distract them from their studies. Time with a tutor gives them the time to focus only on homework or studying.
3. Tutors have the time to explain a concept in several different ways, instead of having to move class along at a certain pace.
4. Tutoring can also teach study skills, which can then be applied to what’s going on in school.
5. Even for students who are doing well in school, tutoring can provide a competitive edge to do even better.
6. Summer tutoring can prepare students for upcoming difficult subjects, such as algebra, or reinforce what was already learned that year so September isn’t spent playing catch-up.
7. For high school students, individual or small group tutoring can be essential for APs and SAT subject tests.
8. For younger kids, tutoring can help boost standardized test scores.
9. A tutor can be a useful sounding board for an upcoming project, paper, or exam, and can help prevent the stress and frustration of leaving an assignment for the night before.
10. Whether it’s third grade math, high school chemistry, or middle school history, tutors have expertise in their subject and can make it more engaging and maybe even fun.
As a former student at Palos Verdes High School ( www.pvhigh.com ), I have found that the Study Hut curriculum for PVHS Math, Biology, Chemistry, Spanish, and English are perfect for the PV High curriculum. The PV school district’s expectations for Math classes, ranging from Geometry to Calculus, are very high and the homework and study workloads show this. At Study Hut ( www.studyhut.com ), I give one-on-one tutoring to help students understand and manage their challenging Algebra, Algebra 2, and Geometry workloads. Adding to this, most students are required to take Biology and Chemistry. From my experience as a Natural Science major at USC ( www.usc.edu ), I can personally attest to the very high level and challenging requirements that Palos Verdes high school students face.
At Study Hut, I help students in understanding the difficult materials, as well as in preparing for their tests (whether they be finals, AP, SATs, or SAT 2). Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 are also requirements for PVHS students and during my time at PV High, I remember that many students also take Spanish 3 and Spanish 4. These classes can be especially problematic for students who have never taken Spanish before or are not used to the verbal and written demands of the classes. At Study Hut, I really enjoy helping students improve their Spanish vocabulary, as well as their grammar and pronunciation. With all of these subjects, it really works to my benefit that I have taken the classes that I tutor at PV High (a lot of times with the same teachers), so I have a good understanding of the expectations and style of work that PVHS requires for a good grade. Adding to this, the atmosphere and tutoring style encouraged at Study Hut meshes well with Palos Verdes High School students and generates very positive results.
The Study Hut Foundation officially opened last Wednesday and we are super excited about it!
Nestled on a quiet corner in Lomita, directly across the street from the Lomita Public Library, the Study Hut Foundation is perfectly located to conveniently serve the students of Nathaniel Narbonne High School.
Description
The Study Hut Foundation aims to provide the same tutoring and test-prep services, which our students in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Newport Beach, and El Segundo have become accustomed to, free of cost to students who could otherwise not afford them.Afford hard working, motivated students the opportunity to reach their highest academic potential and achieve their goal of attending college.
Improve our community by supporting the good work of committed students.
How Funding Will Be Used:
The goal of the Study Hut Foundation is to support the education of students, in Lomita and neighboring communities, who could not otherwise afford to receive tutoring. As such, the primary function of the funding that the Study Hut Foundation receives will be used to fund scholarships for students who meet Study Hut Foundation qualifications. The scholarships offset the costs of tutoring, including the tutor’s time and the materials used during the session.
Our Redondo Beach Office Manager Justin went to our Study Hut Foundation on Monday May 6th, and he tutored two students, Gabrielle and Joe. Gabrielle used to get all A’s and now she is getting F’s in Chemistry and Geometry. She forgot her Geometry book so they worked on Chemistry.
Justin then worked with Joe. He is getting D’s in both Algebra 2 and Chemistry. Joe has a hard time balancing between sports and classes but is very capable of getting good grades. He just needs someone to sit down with him and help him with his work.
We have a physics teacher from Mira Costa who is volunteering to work there!
We will be holding our Study Hut Parent/Teacher Scholar Quiz on Sunday June 2nd from 4-9pm at the Manhattan Beach Country Club to help raise funds for the Foundation.
The beginning of a school year can come with many exciting twists and turns. From seeing old friends, to meeting different teachers and immersing oneself in a new world, each year comes with a hand full of differences. For the most part these new aspects of life aren’t very different or difficult, in fact most are pretty exhilarating. However one area which each year comes with added difficulty for most students is math. Whether it’s geometry, algebra, or even algebra 2, each new math comes with it’s own twists, turns, and potentially difficult new material. It is imperative that most students hit the ground running in math classes because the pace at which they move only speeds up, and if someone get’s lost early on, it’s very difficult to catch up as the material adds upon itself.
That’s why the tutors here at the Study Hut of Manhattan Beach feel that the best way not to fall behind is to prepare for coming challenges. That’s why we are currently offering summer prep courses for algebra, geometry and algebra 2. From July 24-August 23, come in for 5 weeks, 20 hours, of tutoring. During the course students will get the opportunity to be exposed to much of the material which will be coming in the next year. As boring as math might be for many students, it is a skill which one can only improve by exposure and practice.Therefore these summer prep courses put students in the best position to excel in math, often the most difficult subject of the year. Studies have shown that prior exposure to a subject, even if it’s not memorized or fully retained, can DRAMATICALLY improve one’s performance and understanding of the material upon second exposure. So don’t delay, and put yourself or your child through one of the finest tutoring facilities in the south bay area this summer to make sure that math is a problem of the past.
Ah, the SAT. No matter where you live, where you go to school, or what kind of grades you get, the SAT is an experience that bonds American students of all ages. It’s changed over the years, but the idea is the same: find a way to accurately gauge a student’s level of education through completely standardized means. Now, whether it’s an effective gauge is another debate entirely. What matters to you is how well you do on the test. And that’s what we’re here to help with.
First of all, you should understand what you’re getting into. The SAT is divided into three sections: Math, Writing, and Critical Reading. The Math section covers nearly everything you’ll learn in the first two years of High School, plus a little bit of Junior year. Basically, expect to be tested on all of Algebra and Geometry. Not to worry, though; nothing from Trig or beyond will be on the test. The Critical Reading section involves two main parts. First is Reading Passages, in which you’ll be given passages to read (duh.) and will have to answer questions based on the content of the reading. Second is the Fill-In-The-Blank section, where you’ll have to school SAT vocabulary words to complete sentences, based on context. Last but not least, there’s the Writing section. This begins with an essay, followed by MORE reading paragraphs (now based more on grammar and sentence structure than content), and correcting sentence errors.
The test runs just under four hours. This involves 6 25 minute sections (two from each subject, including the essay), two 20 minute sections, and one ten minute sections. You’ll receive breaks after each two sections (3 breaks total).
NOW, how do you prepare? This is going to sound weird, but studying the material is NOT the biggest way to prepare (but still important). What we do here in our SAT Prep Courses is teach you STRATEGY. We teach you how to solve any problem, and how to do it in a quick and efficient manner (which, on a timed test, is priority one). We’ll teach you when to skip a question, when to guess, how to mark up a paragraph, and how to write a proper essay that the graders will love. We’ll show you how to raise that grade.
SO, this is how to do it. Come in for a free diagnostic. This let’s us see what level you’re at. Then, sign up for either our group classes, or private SAT tutoring sessions. This is dependent entirely on you, and how you learn best. Either way, we’re gonna work hard to make sure you know what you’re doing when that SAT rolls along.
El Segundo schools are gaining prominence in the South Bay and and have seen a considerable amount of recent recognition, which is awesome! Both sports and academics are on the rise (Congratulations El Segundo Women’s Water Polo!) Study Hut tutors are happy to provide a place for El Segundo students to continue on the road of academic success and overall achievement. We already have a few El Segundo students in the Hut and are happy to see more El Segundo faces.
Our relaxed environment mixed with a heavy dose of scholastic energy and enthusiasm is working wonders for our Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach students and we are happy to extend our efforts and energy over to our El Segundo neighbors! Our tutors use their depth of knowledge of the area to reach the needs of each student at the Study Hut…. but never without some fun, of course!
If you are looking for help in that one troubling subject (Boo, Geometry), or need of an overall academic boost, we have Spanish Tutors, Math Tutors, Chemistry tutors, History Tutors, English Tutors (and more!) to provide a new outlook, and help keep our students on the right track. No need to feel like you are barely keeping your head above water in those pesky subjects when you can dominate them!
If you are an El Segundo student or parent looking for an El Segundo tutor, call the Hut or email Rob or Sean Patrick for more information. We would love to see you achieve the success you are looking for.
Mira Costa High School students have the most trouble with chemistry, Geometry and Algebra. The best chemistry tutor is someone who can help you with material and explain it in a way you understand, but also, someone who has attended chemistry at Mira Costa in the last 6 years (so we’re ultra fresh and know exactly where you struggle most).
Study Hut Tutoring is a premier tutoring center unlike any other. Locally owned and operated, we grew up in the South Bay, graduated Mira Costa High School and have returned from college to help locals succeed in challenging classes. Giving the best service each hour is our number one objective. Read the rest of this entry »
