August 20th, 2012
Study Hut, coming up on it’s sixth birthday in December has come a long way. Not only have we expanded in the South Bay, but we are now in Newport Beach! By nature, you can only imagine the tutor rivalry that has spurred out from such expansion. The biggest rivalries are between the Manhattan Beach Study Hut, which we tutors like to call “Hut 1 or The Mother Hut”, and the Redondo Beach Study Hut located in the Redondo Beach Riviera Village, which we call, “Hut 2” (take note that no other cool name has been associated with this location). Hence, I have decided to write this blog on the reasons why Hut 1 is inherently better and completely dominates Hut 2.
1. Hut one is bigger and caters to more students. The Hut is always bustling with tons of kids ranging from kindergarten to adults. We tutor the young ones in subjects such as reading and writing, high school kids come in for SATs and whatever other homework they need help with, and we have the occasional adult coming in to learn Spanish, or English for that matter!
2. Our tutors dominate! We can tutor all subjects. Whatever subject you need to be tutored in, we can do it. Even Chinese!!!!
3. We are much facier. We are open seven days a week during the school year! No matter what kind of a bind you are in, we are here for ya! Scheduling around sports proves to be no match for us. Come in on a Saturday or Sunday and knock out your school work before the week begins to get a head start.
Or newly renovated Underground is inundated with new and exciting under the sea decor.
4. We have a self built lifeguard chair. Built just for the manager, Samantha, we dominate the seating arrangements category!
5. Even though they seem to be cool over there they are merely an image of a younger brother stealing the appearance of his older brother so he can play off as “cool” in front of his friends.
6. It is not rare to find the owner Rob BBQing in the parking lot for all of the employees. We all know the way to a tutors’ heart is through their stomach… or their calculator.
All in all, both Huts are great. They both have amazingly qualified tutors with open arms ready to help each and every student that walks in the door. However, it wouldn’t be The Hut if there wasn’t a little friendly rivalry. We like to keep ourselves entertained around here 😉
Tags: Chinese, english, high school, Hut 1, hut 2, kindergarten, Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach Study Hut, Newport Beach, reading and writing, Redondo Beach, Redondo Beach Riviera Village, Redondo Beach Study Hut, SAT, school work, south bay, Spanish, students, study Hut, tutor, Tutors
Posted in Hut One Domination |
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April 26th, 2012
As some of us are starting to wind down with summer on the horizon, some of you are getting ready to take the big test, the admissions killer, the SAT. It may sound overwhelming to balance school, extra curriculars, and studying for the SAT, but there are steps you can take to make it easier on yourself. Keep a balance to your life, and get help if you are struggling or just want to make things easier. At the Study Hut, we can give you that extra help you need. We’ll help you manage your time, stay ahead in your classes, and we also offer premium SAT tutoring if you want that 2,300 score. SAT time in high school is a stressful period, but get the help you can and come out on top. College is right around the corner and this is the last stretch, give it your all!
Some you may also be taking AP Tests. At the study hut we are offering a free AP Practice Test in the subject of your choosing this Saturday the 28th from 8am to 11am. If you are interested in taking it, which you should be if you’re planning to take the AP test in May, shoot Sam an email at Samantha@studyhut.com and specify the test you wish to take.
Remember, these tests may be overwhelming at first, but through slow and steady practice, improvement will show, and your confidence will rise. Once you have confidence that you are going to do well, the rest is cake, so use every resource at your disposal and ensure yourself the best score possible. Good luck!
Tags: ap testing, AP testing Mira Costa High School, Ap tests, SAT, SAT tutor, SAT tutor El Segundo
Posted in ACT, AP tests, El Segundo, high school, SAT, SAT, SAT vs ACT, Testing |
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April 18th, 2012
Every day of my life, people ask me “How is it that every single tutor at the Study Hut is a genius? Is it even possible for one building to hold that much knowledge?”
Ok, maybe they don’t say that, but I can tell they were thinking it. It certainly felt that way to me when I first started working here. I looked around, and I saw all of the different things the kids were studying, and how well the tutors knew the material, and I started to worry a bit, because I couldn’t believe I had to live up to such awesomeness.
Then, I started to see how exactly the Hut dynamic worked. It turns out that, while they are incredibly intelligent, Hut Tutors do NOT, in fact, know everything. It’s so much better than that. The Study Hut has an incredibly diverse body of tutors. Every single one of us comes from a different background, from different areas of study, and we’re all focused on one goal: helping any kid that walks through our door. I’m confident, that there’s not a single problem that your kid can come in with that at least one of us couldn’t solve.
And it’s great to see. There’s such a community dynamic here that you just don’t see in other places. I’ve seen three tutors team up to tackle a math problem, while two other tutors talked about the best way to write an essay, while another worked with two SAT kids on vocabulary. When one tutor can’t figure out a problem, there are 20 other people around them perfectly willing to help. We’ve got tutors that have lived overseas, worked in laboratories, taught classes full of students, and a million other things. And we’ve got all of these different types of people working together in the same place.
So, as individuals, we may not know everything. But as a group, there’s not much we can’t do.
Tags: classes, essay, Hut tutors, math, SAT, Study, study Hut, The Hut, tutor, Tutors, vocabulary, write
Posted in Tutors |
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February 28th, 2012
It may seem a tad premature to write about summer programs, but here at The Study Hut we are always thinking ahead of schedule. The sunny California weather also helps put in a good summer mood. This summer we are excited to introduce new programs for all ages!
Summer is a great time to get caught up on SATs, college apps, and enrichment for the younger ones. The Manhattan and Redondo Beach Study Huts are soon to be equipped with programs for each of those areas.
For starters, we will have reading and writing programs for kindergarten through 8th grade. For the youngsters, we will have reading workshops that target phonemic awareness to prepare them for reading. 3rd-4th graders will have the opportunity to participate in fluency workshops. 5th-8th graders will have the opportunity to take a writing workshop that will be geared toward writing perfected five paragraph essays. Each student will be provided with a private tutor that will guide them toward success.
As for the students at the High School Level we will have both math prep (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 3/4) and SAT courses. These classes will be in a group setting and will give each student a preview on each of these subjects prior to enrolling so they can have the benefit of starting out with flying colors.
Finally, we will be offering one-on-one tutoring sessions specifically geared toward helping students with their college applications. Such topics to be covered are their personal statement, financial aid, the actual application, resume, and interview skills. Summer is always a great time to get ahead of the game with college apps. Who better to help your child prepare than a tutoring center that has helped numerous students get into college?
Although we just got finished with ski week, we are geared up for the future and can’t wait to implement our new programs! Stay tuned for more info!
xoxo,
The Study Hut Team
Tags: 3rd and 4th graders, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5 paragraph essays, 5th grade, 5th through 8th graders, 8th grade, albegra 3/4, algebra 1, college, college applications, college apps, courses, enrichment, essays, Financial Aid, fluency, fluency workshops, geometry, high school, interview skills, kindergarten, kindergarten through 8th grade, Manhattan and Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, math, math prep, one-on-one tutoring, personal statement, phonemic awareness, private tutor, programs, reading, reading and writing programs, reading workshops, Redondo Beach, resume, SAT, SAT courses, SATs, study Hut, Study hut team, Study Huts, subjects, Summer, summer programs, The Study Hut, tutor, Tutoring, workshops, writing, writing programs, writing workshops
Posted in summer programs, Summer Tutoring |
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February 16th, 2012
As a new test-prep tutor for Study Hut, I have learned loads of information about the SAT, ISEE, and HSPT. I was surprised to find that, despite the differences in the exams, the overall study technique was very similar and ultimately comes down to one word – strategy.
This reminded me of my fourth grade teacher, Ms. Green. She told my class that she was SO good at taking tests that she could take a multiple choice test on any subject and still get most of the answers correct. At the time, I thought she was crazy – or maybe just really smart. What I have come to learn while working at Study Hut is that any test, whether for school or the SAT, has two different parts to it: the information it covers and the specific way that you put that information on the test. Failing to recognize this often makes the difference between an A and a B, or several hundred points on the SAT.
During my first test-prep tutoring session, my student seemed very stressed out about the ISEE test he was only a month away from taking. We were reviewing vocabulary words, many of which he had never even seen before. Becoming very concerned, he asked me: “How can I EVER remember all of this information?” I told him not to worry and that, by the end of our session, he would be able to figure out the meaning of at least half of the words he had never even seen before. Now, he thought I was crazy. He only had three weeks until the test and his parents had chosen Study Hut to provide that extra special test-prep service that only Study Hut can provide. Now, it was my job to show him the first important strategy to use when studying vocabulary words. While that’s not a secret I can reveal now, let’s just say that by the end of our two-hour one-on-one session, he not only knew most of the word meanings, but also answered 14/15 correctly on a practice quiz directly afterward.
Tags: ACT, ACT tutor, ACT tutoring, PSAT, PSAT tutor, PSAT tutoring, SAT, SAT tutor, SAT tutoring
Posted in 6-8, 9-12, HSPT, middle school, SAT vs ACT |
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February 9th, 2012
Your junior and senior years of high school are two of the most important years of school you’ll ever attend. You have to study for and take your SAT, you have to choose the colleges you want to apply to, and then you have to make that final step—surviving the dreaded college application process.
This does not have to be an overwhelmingly stressful period of your life. Yes, you do have to put forth a lot of effort to get into college, but there are people that can help with the process and ease your stress. When you’re sitting there looking at that mound of blank application materials on your desk, you may ask yourself, how can I ever do ALL of this by myself?
Well, the good news is that the tutors at the Manhattan Beach Study Hut are here to help you! You can get help from the college graduates at Study Hut that have been through the exact same, grueling process. You can’t find this kind of one-on-one service anywhere else.
We can help with in-depth SAT and ACT preparation and general organizational strategies sure to lessen your overall stress. We have the resources you need to succeed in this important time in your life. For example, one of the most difficult aspects of the college application is perfecting the application essays. We provide you with the support you need to write a unique, well-written essay that is sure to draw attention to how spectacular you will be as a college student. The strategies we teach our students in everyday tutoring include all of the study skills a high school student needs in order to succeed in college. Perfecting your study habits with Study Hut now is the best way to ensure future success in college.
Tags: ACT, application essays, college application, college graduates, colleges, essays, high school, Junior, Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach Study Hut, SAT, school, Senior, Study, study Hut, Tutors
Posted in 9-12, College Applications, high school |
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January 25th, 2012
The year 2012 brings many changes to the local Study Huts in your neighborhood. The high demands of students have made us expand not only in location but, hours as well. In the effort to provide quality one on one tutoring Study Hut is now open 7 days a week. This new radical change has taken over two years to come into effect. Before January 2012, students had the chance to come receive tutoring only Sunday Through Thursday. The small window of tutoring hours started to become inconvenient for our athletes, honor and extracurricular activity students. “Some kids with APs and sports can’t do weekdays and if they have band, theatre, or newspaper, then it’s super tough too”, informs our owner Robert Stone. These students have demanding schedules and sometimes could not squeeze in tutoring hours. As previous high school and middle school students the hut staff understand how demanding and exhausting this could be mentally and physically for the students. The changes are Friday and Saturday available days of tutoring and test preparation classes. “These are also the quietest days at the Hut, so there are advantages in the noise department as well”, states owner Sean Patrick. During the week it can become incredibly loud and for many students, the noise level is an extreme interruption of concentration.
The Study Hut has also become a huge asset in test taking preparation classes and has branched out in so many administered tests preparation of the nation. Included in the national tests, is our well known ACT and SAT preparation classes. In concurrence with weekends being open for tutoring, Fridays and Saturdays are also open for these test preparation classes. These classes give our students a huge advantage to learn the materials needed while tackling down their weekly courses as well. Nothing makes us happier here at your local hut than our students’ success in their classes. We pride ourselves in their academic goals and strive to make sure they meet their goals. So if we must stay open 7 days a week, so be it.
Tags: academic, academic goals, ACT, APs, courses, high school, hut, hut staff, middel school, middle school students, SAT, school, students, students' success, study Hut, Study Huts, test prep, test preparation classes, tests, The Hut, The Study Hut, Tutoring, tutoring hours
Posted in Manhattan Beach |
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October 18th, 2011
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.
Tags: algebra, critical reading, diagnostic, education, essay, fill in the blank, free diagnostic, geometry, grades, grammar, group classes, high school, junior year, juniors, math, math section, private sessions, reading passages, SAT, SAT prep courses, sat strategy, SAT vocabulary, school, strategy, student's level of education, students, studying material, teach, test, trig, vocabulary, writing, writing section
Posted in 9-12, high school, SAT, SAT, Testing |
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September 12th, 2011
Aside from taking challenging high school courses, an important part of getting ready for college is
taking a college prep test like the ACT or SAT. Both tests have changed over the years, but the main goal
is to score high enough for the colleges you’re interested in attending.
Many students take the test twice—once as a trial run and again after they’ve gotten a feel for the test
and have discovered their strengths and the areas in which they need some improvement. It’s a good
way to present colleges with your best and brightest academic face. Taking the ACT or SAT twice can
give you the advantage you need to land the college acceptance letter you want.
Test prep for the first time
Before taking either test, it’s important to find out if the school you’d like to attend prefers one test
over the other; for some, either test will suffice, while others have a preference. Once you’ve decided
which tests to take, you’ll want to invest in study guides or classes. Many companies like Study Hut offer both instructor-led and self-guided courses,
as well as free strategy sessions and practice tests. You can also reach out to your fellow classmates and
start a study group.
The second time around
Taking the ACT or SAT for the first time can be somewhat of a challenge, so it can be tough to get
motivated for a second round. But studies show that taking the test a second time can improve
your score: a study by the College Board revealed that while some scores dropped, 55% of high school juniors
earned higher scores the second time they took the SAT. If your first score isn’t as high as you
anticipated, taking it a second time could be worth the effort.
Once you’ve gotten the results from the first test, you can tailor your studying to focus on the areas
where you need improvement; work with your teachers and parents to find assignments that can help
you boost your score. Finally, stay in contact with your school’s academic counselor to make sure you’re
plotting a steady course with college prep classes.
The road to college
Even if you’ve earned low-to-middling scores on your college prep tests, there’s no reason to despair.
Remember that even though your ACT and SAT scores are important, they’re just one part of your
overall portfolio as a student. And traditional colleges are no longer your only option for higher
education: online programs offer the
same quality education as in-class programs and can offer benefits like scheduling classes around your
busy life and allowing you to work at your own pace. Online education is becoming more common
for traditional colleges and universities: according to the Pew Research Center, more than 3/4 of colleges and universities offer classes online.
Getting into college is just the first step in your higher education. And to make sure you afford yourself
the best chances, stay focused, ask for help when you need it, and concentrate on improving your scores
if you choose to take the tests a second time. Planning for the ACT or SAT should be taken seriously. If
you commit to doing well, you can lay the foundation for a quality college education.
Tags: ACT, SAT
Posted in 9-12, ACT, Learning, SAT, study skills, Testing |
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July 17th, 2011
The biggest misconception about the SAT is that it directly measures intelligence. Many students choose not to study for it because they believe their intellectual capacity is enough to earn the score they want. In reality, the SAT is a better indicator of how well the students have prepared than how smart they are. Getting a high score requires both mastery of the material and knowledge of the test taking strategies.
There is a wide range of material students have to know. The math section deals with many topics including, numbers and operations, algebra I and II, geometry, data analysis, statistics, and probability. The critical reading section requires students to be fast and active readers and have good comprehension and an extensive vocabulary. The writing section is graded on a very specific rubric. Students can learn exactly what is needed to satisfy each requirement on the rubric and earn a high score without being particularly good writers. Needles to say, a fair amount of studying is necessary to become proficient in all this material.
The SAT is a unique test and therefore demands unique test taking strategies. The score on each section of the test can be maximized using certain tricks and strategies. Knowing when and when not to guess, for instance, is a very important skill. As with the material, the test taking strategies are very teachable.
Tags: SAT, SAT test, SAT tutoring
Posted in 9-12, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Peninsula, Redondo Beach, SAT, Test taking anxiety, Testing, West Torrance |
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