Relay for Life is the largest fundraising campaign put on by the American Cancer Society (ACS). Participating fundraising teams spend 24 straight hours running or walking around a track to raise cancer awareness. This year was the first Relay for Life event ever held in Manhattan Beach and the Study Hut decided to team up and join the cause.
Fifteen or so tutors from both Manhattan and Redondo Beach Study Huts attended the event. We walked the track, listened to live music and testimonials, and played games, such as bean bag toss, frisbee, and football.
Overall, the event was very entraining. Kids and adults from all ages came out to and the diverse group of people maybe for a very enjoyable day. It’s because of events like this, through hard work, time, and dedication that survivors all around are able to celebrate more birthdays each and every year. Relay For Life is a life-changing experience.
At Relay, every participant has a chance to celebrate, remember, and fight back. Everyone has a different and unique reason why they Relay. At Relay, you can find healing, comfort, and support from others who have faced cancer or who have lost a loved one to the disease.
You have a chance to meet people who are equally as passionate about finding an end to cancer in our lifetime. No matter why you take part in Relay, however, one thing is clear: with every step you take, you are helping the American Cancer Society save lives.
This year Relay for Life Manhattan Beach 2011 raised $58,000 for the ACS. This being the first year in Manhattan Beach the event did well with room for growth, the local Relay for Life committee is determined to turn Relay into an annual event that will blossom and get bigger over time.
I know we’re all feeling that summertime itch, but there’s one last hurdle
before the sun, sand and surf‹finals week.
And so, we will divulge a few finals tips to the stressed-out students out
there:
1. Take care of yourselves. Drink water, eat healthy and get lots of sleep.
Being sick on exam day is definitely something to avoid.
2. Take breaks. Try not to study for more than an hour at a time without a
10-minute break. Keeping your mind fresh is key to making the most of your
study time.
3. Write out a study plan and stick to it. Ideally you should have a study
plan for each of your subjects for at least a week before the actual exam.
1. E.x. MONDAY: U.S. History (World War II): 1 hour; Biology (Nerve System): 1 hour
4. DON’T CRAM. The chance of burning yourself out is too great, and sitting
through an exam with a semi-functioning brain is a special kind of torture.
It is much better for your G.P.A. and your sanity to pace yourself and allow
that knowledge to sink into your long-term memory instead of hoping it will
stick around in your short-term memory.
Keep these tips in mind as you head into the last weeks of this semester,
and from all of us at the Study Hut, “GOOD LUCK!”
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!
AP tests are right around the corner! Exams kick off bright and early on the morning of May 2nd. Most AP teachers have practice AP exams scheduled, either during class time or on weekends, but it’s crucial at this point that you master the layout of the tests. Each test has a dramatically different format, so be sure to research those which you’re taking on the College Board website. How much time do you have? How many questions? How long should essays be? These questions can all be answered online or in an AP review book, which will also provide hints for test day.
The most important thing to keep in mind before embarking on a four-hour-long AP journey is to not become overwhelmed. Yes, it is easy to get swallowed up by calculus equations or to drown in AP euro’s sea of knowledge. But if you take the material section by section, you certainly will be able to rise to the challenge. Break down the material you’re learning into manageable chunks so that you can learn specific topics that have been difficult for you. Flip through your textbook and jot down the concepts with which you have struggled most throughout the school year. Focus on learning those concepts, and all that you’ve learned during the year will fill in the gaps. Your tutors at Study Hut are all well informed regarding both layout and content of the AP tests, so take advantage of them as an important resource for studying. If need be, go to your teacher with questions. Don’t be worried about asking for help! You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to support you.
The good news: after AP exams, classes tend to wind down and become much more relaxed. All your studying right now will pay off if you’re able to get college credit, pass out of entry-level classes, or even just have a head start on future material. Take the next few weeks seriously, and you will reap the benefits. Your focus and hard work now will pay off.
This week at the Study Hut we are welcoming back sun kissed students from their various spring break trips and activities. I’ve been hearing a lot of “I didn’t think about school at all over the break, it was so nice! It’s hard getting back into school mode.” It is definitely difficult to focus on school when you‘re day dreaming about your epic break. With summer right around the corner, it’s important to remember that you can keep your mind active while hanging out at the beach or road tripping to your favorite camp site. Luckily your tutors at Study Hut in Redondo Beach have some pretty sweet ideas.
After interviewing a few of the other tutors, one of the top ideas to keep your brain working over the summer is to read! While many students have summer reading lists, don’t forget to indulge in your favorite book…even if it is Twilight. Reading is a perfect summer activity while you’re lounging by the pool or tanning at the beach. Another great thing to do is to keep practicing the language you’re taking at school. Do you have a hard time remembering how to speak Spanish or conjugate irregular verbs when you return to school in the Fall? Most of your friends are taking the same language, so hablan en Espanol occasionally. Next time you go to LBJ’s, order in Spanish or if you are at Crème de la Crepe practice your French accent while ordering breakfast. Speaking another language is cool and will definitely help you in the future, so keep it up over your break.
Lastly, take advantage of the gigantic city of Los Angeles, only a few miles from the South Bay, and check out some museums. LACMA, the Getty and the Skirball are just a few that can get you started. If you think of museums as boring destinations for school field trips, then you are missing out! Cool photo exhibits, costume displays from your favorite movies and other interesting parts of the world’s pop culture at your fingertips. We think you should take advantage of it while keeping that mind of yours nice and fresh (especially on Tuesdays, when most museums are free!) Your tutors are always here to help you retain all of the calculus, chemistry and Catcher in the Rye you learn in school, but we also want you to stay sharp while you’re away from the Hut. So while you’re enjoying your time off from school, try to keep these tips in mind so getting back into “school mode,” won’t seem so bad when you return in the fall.
Writing competency is a vital step towards academic success in middle school, high school, and higher education. The establishment of a comfort level with regard to essay writing is fundamental. Many students moving from middle to high school become overwhelmed when assigned their first paper. Most are even more flabbergasted when they arrive at college and are required to write term papers.
At Study Hut, our tutors work with your students to build an outline—a formula, of sorts—for a paper which we think can be applied to writing universally. This formula starts with and builds upon a thesis statement, which declares the general purpose of the essay. Thesis statement writing is too frequently overlooked in compulsory English or writing education, so many students don’t know where to begin or how to address a topic or prompt. By teaching them the simple skill of jotting down their first meaningful statement of purpose, we hope to provide students with a foundation upon which they can do nothing but grow and learn.
Well-roundedness—it seems like a harmless enough idea on paper, but the drive to become a “well-rounded” student is pushing today’s students to the limit.
Grades alone are no longer enough, so our kids are spreading themselves thin trying to be the combination of athlete, artist, musician and scholar that will catch a college’s attention. This is in addition to coping with being a teenager, which comes with its own slurry of issues.
Films like, “Race to Nowhere”, are bringing to light a problem that many parents and educators have been aware of for a while—our students have too many academic and extra-curricular responsibilities and not enough time for themselves. They spend so much time trying to be what colleges want that many don’t figure out what their own passions are, which leaves them vastly, and ironically, unprepared for college and the real world.
The Study Hut tutors, many not too far from our own high school experiences, understand the pressures that our students deal with inside and outside of the classroom. We know that our work is more than teaching academics and study skills. We take advantage of our positions as role models to help guide healthy emotional and social development, so when our students do decide where they want to go, they are able to get there.
Education reform is a hot topic in politics and our communities. With documentaries like Waiting for Superman and powerful people taking a stance in education, people are starting to realize that things need to change. Successful schools have proven that outstanding teachers, extra time spent on education and high expectations for all students are key to academic achievement. At Study Hut, our tutors put these educational goals into action have seen exceptional results in our students.
Why is it so important to have high expectations for students? High expectations show students that we believe that they are capable of achieving their full potential. This turns into motivation for students to prove to us and to themselves that they can do well in school. I often hear fellow tutors saying “you are going to do an awesome job on your test tomorrow!” Students leave knowing their tutors expect them to perform well. When students at Study Hut are as excited to come in and tell us about an A on a test as much as we are, we know we are doing our job.
Excellent tutors at the Hut also add to students’ academic success. Students come to us because they need clarity, review and a fresh approach to teaching. If it takes a funny song to remember Spanish Vocabulary, we’ll make one up and sing it with our students. If history isn’t making sense, we will relate it to something relevant in a student’s life to show them the importance of a historical event. Thinking outside the box and connecting with students is a common method we share with schools in our community. The South Bay School Districts all have a mission to “strive for academic excellence by forming partnerships with the community.” Study Hut enjoys working with schools and students to be part of this partnership in promoting confidence and academic success in our schools.
Everyone who comes in for tutoring at the Hut has the same goal: to do better academically. Of course, methods and results can vary drastically from person to person. So, a major question that everyone should ask themselves as they walk in here is this: “What can I do to make the most out of my Study Hut experience?”
Now, some people might think that the smartest students are automatically the ones who will do best. I am here to tell you, this is not the case. Natural intelligence is rare. The one common quality, or “common denominator” for you math fans out there, is attitude. All of the students who show the most improvement all have that in common: a great attitude. It doesn’t matter if you’re Albert Einstein; if you come in here with no interest in working, no desire to improve, and no excitement for the material, odds are you won’t make much progress. The students whose scores improve the most are the one’s who come in with the goal of doing BETTER. They may not understand the material well, or even at all, but they want that to change and are prepared to work for it. Some of our students come in knowing EXACTLY what they want to work on, have done the appropriate preparation, and eagerly accept the tutor’s help. Other students come in mumbling, having no prep work done, and couldn’t care less if they learn the material. I’ll give you one guess as to who has the more rewarding experience.
Attitude is what it comes down to. The one’s that want to learn, and are excited about learning are usually to one’s to excel. And they’re ALWAYS the one’s to appreciate the Hut the most.
Life at the Hut has been awfully exciting this week, especially for Rob and SP. Today, March 1, 2011, marks the first official day at Study Hut Tutoring in El Segundo. We are extremely excited about our new office, but with this excitement comes responsibility and a very long task list. We have been working long hours to get the walls and floors looking pretty, make the plants grow, and get some furniture in the shop. Then comes the hard part – finding the best local tutors available. Study Hut is all about, “We’ve had your teachers, and we’ve sat in your classrooms.” And we aren’t abandoning this principle as we grow and experience more success. Rather, we are embracing the reasons for our success, and adding value by improving the services we provide.
At Study Hut, we aim to provide the best possible one-on-one tutoring experience possible. Our team aims to diversify in terms of subject strengths, meaning that we like having a math tutor “expert,” a science tutor “expert,” an English tutor “expert, and so on. With this approach, we are able to cover all necessary subjects, and make sure that we are able to help our students in all subjects across the board.
Another of our huge challenges is finding an awesome SAT tutor. Study Hut prides itself on offering the best SAT tutoring available. We use the premier software in our industry to maximize each student’s efforts, and we only hire successful, intelligent SAT tutors.
