Consistent ACT SAT Preparation

October 9th, 2018

Consistent ACT SAT Preparation: The Key to Getting that High SAT or ACT Score

Being consistent can be challenging, especially when you are a junior in high school. You have a lot on your plate with your classes and you may be on a sports team, part of a club, or on student council. Now you have to start thinking about which colleges you might want to apply to next year and preparing to take the ACT or the SAT (sign up ). All of this can consume a lot of time and make it hard to find time in your academic or extracurricular performance to get ready for standardized tests – the SAT and the ACT. That being said, it is extremely important to remain consistent when you are preparing to take the ACT or the SAT. Having consistent ACT SAT preparation is key to succeeding on this important test.

When you begin your ACT test prep or SAT test prep, it is important to create a study plan and stick to it. If you hire a tutor to help you with your ACT or SAT test prep, they can help create this study plan with you based on your specific needs. It is important to be consistent in the time you dedicate to ACT or SAT test prep. Choose a day and time that works best for you each week and dedicate this to test prep. This will ensure that you remain consistent in the time and effort you are putting in.

On that same note, it is important that you always do any homework or quizzes assigned to you by your test prep program or tutor. The purpose of these assignments is to give you extra exposure to ACT or SAT questions, but also to provide more practice on test-taking strategies. The more consistently you practice active reading and test-taking strategies, the more consistent you will be in implementing these while taking the test. Consistency in ACT or SAT test prep will better prepare you for taking the test and allow you to remain consistent in your other commitments as well.

If you have any questions about how to come up with such a schedule or get a consistent tutor for either of these tests, don’t hesitate to call Justin at the Redondo Beach Study Hut – 310-540-5888. He is available and knowledgeable about what it takes to get the score you need to get into the school you want.

Tags: ACT Redondo Beach tutoring, ACT tutoring, Redondo Beach Tutoring, Redondo Union High School, SAT Redondo Beach tutoring, SAT tutoring, study Hut, Study Hut Tutoring, tutor, Tutoring
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Senioritis Tutoring

September 25th, 2018

Senioritis Tutoring Prevention Specialists

Are you or a loved one in your senior year of high school? Are you suffering from extreme academic apathy? How many times this school year have you uttered the phrases, “I’m so over this,” and “I literally can’t even?” Do you roam the hallways feeling like an adult among children? Do you frequently fantasize about lying around in your college dorm room, tapping your phone screen, Instagramming the day away? If you relate to these questions on a personal level, you may have senioritis. Senioritis is contagious, and once you contract it, it’s tough to shake. Symptoms include: developing poor study patterns, free-falling grades, not taking the college admissions process seriously, and worst of all, getting dropped from a college because of a weak final semester. Unfortunately, the latter happens every year.

But have no fear. At the Study Hut, we’re senioritis tutoring prevention specialists. Our tutors are armed with the tools and strategies to cure even the most prickly cases of senioritis. We help students take ownership of their schoolwork and their applications. Our senioritis tutoring prevention specialists keep students motivated during a time when scholarly drive can be hard to conjure.

Our tutors are trained to aid students with every step of the admissions process. We offer one-on-one SAT tutoring, complete with complementary practice exams. Need help with a college essay? Our tutors have helped hundreds of students pen personal statements that make their dream schools swoon. We also help seniors maintain their grades. All of our sessions are one-on-one. This allows our tutors to bond with their students, and get a feel for their study habits and areas of need. We make sure our students are using their planners, completing all of their homework assignments, and performing to the best of their abilities. Need help with upper-level AP classes? We got you covered there too! Visit the Collegeboard for info on college searches and last minute SAT or SAT Subject tests.

Here at the Study Hut, we strive to eradicate senioritis from the South Bay. It breaks our hearts when students limp to the finish line and undermine years of hard work. If you or a loved one are suffering from senioritis, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our senioritis prevention specialists would love to help!

Tags: el segundo tutoring, senior tutoring, senior tutors, senioritis, senioritis tutor, senioritis tutoring, senioritis tutors, study Hut, Study Hut Tutoring
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The Planner

September 17th, 2018

The planner. The agenda book. “My scheduling book”. It has many names, but that doesn’t preclude the planner from being the most effective academic tool in your backpack. If we can learn anything from onion-cutting goggles, the Porsche Go-Kart, or air-conditioned shoes, it’s that technology isn’t always necessary. When it comes to academics, here at the Study Hut, we’re all for useful technology in the classroom. We love tools like Quizlet, iPads, and smartboards that help kids learn in tactile, innovative ways. But in this technological era where phones are near-sentient entities and our universe fits inside our pockets, one age-old academic ally goes shamefully ignored. We’re talking, of course, about the humble planner. When it comes to tracking assignments and mapping out a study schedule, there’s no replacement for the planner.

Here’s why:

Let’s say there’s a seventh grader named Johnny. Johnny’s math teacher posts the homework on eBackpack. Johnny’s English teacher posts the homework on Canvas, another online academic resource. Johnny’s Spanish teacher is old school, and writes the homework on the board. Johnny takes a picture of this. Johnny’s social studies teacher uses Google calendar. Now, Johnny has to check multiple sources to make sure he’s up-to-date on his studies, making it easier for assignments to slip through the cracks. What’s more, he hasn’t written out a day-by-day breakdown of how he plans to knock out his homework, study for tests, and chip away at his long-term projects. Some online resources alert students via notifications, texts, or emails when an assignment or test is coming up. This passive, automated way of planning is helpful, but it requires no initiative from the student, and still leaves the student without a means of viewing all of their assignments in one place.

We at the Study Hut strongly believe students need to use their planner. Our tutors begin every session with a planner check. We make sure students are not only writing their assignments down, but creating detailed study schedules. We help our students use their planners to avoid cramming for tests last minute. We teach our students to strategize about which material they’ll study on which day, taking into account their unique schedules. We help students keep track of long-term assignments using their monthly calendar section. This section has one page dedicated to each month, which helps students keep track of how their academic year stacks up.

In conclusion, if it has a screen and a charger, it’s not as good of a planning tool as the old school agenda booklet. Here at the Hut, we have plenty of complimentary planners on hand, and we enjoy teaching students to make the most of them!

Tags: study Hut, the planner
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Back to School Newport Beach Tutoring

September 10th, 2018

Are you looking for back to school Newport Beach Tutoring?

While our local Mater Dei, Sage Hill School, and other local private school students have been back in full swing for several weeks, Labor Day Weekend marks the official end of summer for our Newport-Mesa USD students. Accordingly, this has been a busy week at Study Hut for students from Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor High School, and Ensign Middle School.

As we see each and every year, the advantages of getting off to an early start are numerous. There are a lot of students that begin back to school Newport Beach Tutoring at Study Hut on day one because of the many benefits. The points earned on homework assignments, tests, and quizzes in September are worth just as much as the points earned during Final exams in December and January, so there is no reason for nonchalance. Quite to the contrary, students who put their best foot forward early and often almost always reap the benefits of being prepared.

That is why top students at Ensign, Newport Harbor, and Corona del Mar have been on the waiting list here at Study Hut Newport Beach for several weeks, and they are now all filing in for their preferred weekly times. As the semester carries on, these students will have their first-choice days and time slots permanently throughout the year, even if they need to cancel one week for one reason or another. They will also be entitled to priority booking when it comes to Finals tutoring, which is always our most in-demand time of year.

Whether your son or daughter is in need of single-subject tutoring at Newport Harbor High School in an area like biology or geometry, or he or she needs help across the board as a 7^th grader at Ensign with organization, study skills, and exam preparation, we are here to help you at Study Hut Newport Beach with all of the tools and expertise that keep our students coming back year after year.

For appointments, please email sp@studyhut.com

Tags: back to school newport beach tutoring, ensign, mater dei, Newport Beach tutoring, Newport Harbor, Newport Harbor High School, study Hut, study hut newport beach, study skills, Tutoring, Tutors
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MBMS Study Skills

August 22nd, 2018

Are you interested in signing up for MBMS Study Skills afters school program?

MBMS Study Skills sign-ups are already underway for the 2018-2019 school year. For the 4th consecutive year, Study Hut Tutoring and the MBMS PTA have partnered to deliver 3 -1hr sessions, after school in room 109. The sessions are separated by grade level. Each grade level meets from 3-4pm for three consecutive weeks on the same day each week. Below you will find the 8th, 7th grade flier, and the 6th grade flier, respectively.

To sign up for the 2018-2019 MBMS Study Skills program, you can go to studyhut.com/mbmsstudyskills or call (310)546-2408 or email studyskills@studyhut.com

You’ll notice that the sessions are non-transferable and non-refundable with no-makeups. Sign-ups for the MBMS Study Skills program are on a first come first serve basis, and space is limited to 30 students per grade level.

Based on the popularity of the program in previous years, it is strongly advised that parents sign up quickly to reserve their spot. The price is $125 and includes all materials. The group program is led by one of the owners of Study Hut Tutoring, on campus, in room 109 at the Manhattan Beach Middle School. Topics will include the big picture, which includes goal setting, class expectations, and a school timeline. We will also cover how to effectively track and record homework, tests, quizzes and due dates in the daily planner. Moreover, we will dive into how to create an effective 5 day study plan for each of the core academic classes.

The keys to developing effective study skills go beyond tools and tasks. It is important that the student is not only persistent but also adapts to feedback from educators that are trying to help. A big part of developing effective study skills is to block out times on the days leading up to an exam or a quiz. Brain science has told us a lot about the power of bite size nuggets of information sprinkled in each day, with good nights of sleep in between. For more information, please call Study Hut for a free consultation–there is no obligation to sign up–we want to clue people in with respect to the most effective methods to execute your student’s specific goals. After all, this process is both highly personal, individualized, and tailored based on a number of unique factors.

Tags: 2018-2019 mbms study skills, Manhattan Beach Middle School, mbms pta, mbms study skills, mbms study skills program, study Hut, study skills program
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When to Start Tutoring

March 19th, 2018

When to start tutoring…something parents ponder as their child matriculates. Parents are often curious about when the ideal age is to start one-on-one academic tutoring. The truth is, the right age to begin tutoring has more to do with the specific needs of the student as opposed to turning a certain age. At the Study Hut, we have tutors that specialize in working with students of all ages, from kindergarteners to graduate students. When we are evaluating a child’s educational needs, our goal is to focus in on the student’s unique situation and provide customized individual tutoring.

So while we see each student as unique, academic needs in general tend to fall into three categories. Some students are doing OK in all of their classes with the exception of one subject where they need help. In this case, the student can benefit from extra one-on-one instruction, assistance completing homework, and individualized attention while preparing for tests and quizzes in that class.

Others are dealing with challenges in multiple subjects. In this case it is especially important to disregard the student’s age and simply get them the support they need as soon as the problem is identified. Students can gain tremendously from working with a tutor to learn basic study skills such as organization or how to effectively study. These techniques are often not taught in school, yet they are the very tools kids need to be academically successful. Poor grades at any age can cause students to feel frustrated and over time can lead to self-identifying as a “bad student”. This is a difficult scenario to reverse.

The third type of need we encounter is when someone is preparing for entrance to a private school or college. This often involves studying for a standardized test and potentially writing essays for the application. If a student is preparing for the ISEE or HSPT it is recommended to start studying at least six months before the test date, if not sooner. Tenth grade is a good time for students taking the ACT or SAT to come in to the Study Hut for a free practice test.

Just as we would never recommend a “one-size-fits-all” approach to tutoring, we do not have a standardized rule of thumb for what a good age is to begin tutoring. If you are dealing with a child who is struggling academically, whether it is in elementary, middle, or high school: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Tags: ACT or SAT, challenges in multiple subjects, free practice test, how to study effectively, individualized attention, ISEE or HSPT, one-on-one instruction, one-size-fits-all, organization, study Hut, subject where they need help, Tutoring, Tutors, when to start tutoring
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Homework Help

March 8th, 2018

What does my child gain from getting homework help from a tutor?

While some of the students here at The Hut have specific subjects that they come in for help with, many of them, especially middle school and early high school students, come in for general homework help. Many of these students are already doing well in their classes, so it would be easy to question what benefit they get from “simply” doing their homework with a tutor.

However, as many of our tutors can attest, even students who are completing their homework on time, turning their work in, and passing their tests are often still making mistakes in their homework habits that can come back to hurt them later on. For example, one student was getting all of the correct answers on her math homework and doing well on her math tests.

A simple answer check and grade check would have indicated that there was nothing she needed to work on with a tutor. However, with closer examination, her tutor realized that her work was a mess. She was skipping steps in her work by doing the math in her head, not putting new steps in the problem on a new line, and sometimes was making easy-to-avoid math errors because of this. In addition, when work isn’t neat, when students do start making mistakes it is very difficult for them to go back in their work and figure out where they went wrong—which makes it even harder to fix the mistake! When her tutor noticed the problems in her work, they worked together to figure out strategies that would work for her to make her work neater and to avoid making mistakes in the future. While homework mistakes like this can often slip under the radar during middle school when classes are still easy (at least relative to high school!), it is crucial for a tutor to catch them early on so that students have already solidified positive homework habits by the time they get to more difficult classes. In difficult classes, good homework habits can make the difference between an A and a B or between passing and not passing.

Tags: homework, homework help, homework help tutor, homework help tutoring, homework help tutors, homework tutor, homework tutoring, study Hut, Study Hut Tutoring, tutor, Tutors
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Math Skills

March 6th, 2018

Q:What things can be done to enrich my kids math skills?

Math is an area of focus for many students at Study Hut. One of the biggest issues affecting students that we see is a lack of a solid foundation in mathematics. This leaves many parents wondering about what things can be done to enrich their kids’ math skills.

It is worth pointing out how the adoption of Common Core Skills changed how math is taught and learned across the country. The curriculum taught to previous generations was focused specifically on HOW to solve a given problem. The updates made to what kids are now being taught emphasize understanding WHY they are doing it.

That is to say, the logistics are still being taught to students, but along with knowing what to do to solve, children today need to have a conceptual background and they need to be able to explain the reasoning behind the method they have chosen to use. This is something to consider when you are developing ideas to enrich your kids’ math skills.

For example, making a recipe together can be a great opportunity to apply math to a real life situation. Measuring ingredients, or calculating how much food to make for a group, or halving a recipe are all chances to practice fractions and simple math computation. Ask your child to find solutions to math in the kitchen, and then ask more questions to find out what technique he or she used to solve. “Eat Your Math Homework” by Ann McCallum is an entire book dedicated to edible math projects.

Calculate the time it will take to arrive to your final destination on a road trip using the distance formula, figure out the tip at a restaurant, or estimate the cost of the 3 pounds of peaches you just put in your grocery basket. With a little patience, whatever situation arrises in your life that uses math can be a chance to see math in action in the real world.

Furthermore, modeling confidence with numbers and approaching math as a practical and useful tool teaches kids to do the same. This alone can benefit children by giving them positive experiences that can help shape their self-perception. As we know, internal belief systems play a tangible role in performance in all areas of life, including math.

So while many adults are shaking their heads at Common Core math and getting frustrated over how different the current model of computations look, it behooves your son or daughter to approach math with a can-do attitude. Whether working together on homework, or calculating how much dog food to bring with you on your next vacation, ask your kids how to solve along with why they chose that strategy. And don’t forget, irregardless of the task at hand, your own attitude and approach to math is something children will definitely pick up on.

Tags: approaching math, Common core, common core math, common core skills, math, math skills, study Hut
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Study Hut College Tour Cal State Fullerton

March 5th, 2018

Among the many outstanding universities in California, the Study Hut College tour Cal State Fullerton adventure was pretty special. California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), which is located in Orange County, is less than ten miles from Disneyland. Study Hut has taken it upon themselves to learn more information about the campus and their facilities to share with our students and community.

The university encompasses 240 acres with 8 colleges and 40,000 diverse students. CSUF prides itself in its diverse student body as it offers Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers for African Americans, Asians, Latino/Chicano, LGBTQ, etc. CSUF also offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degrees, so students can explore their options and be able to concentrate on any desired academic field.

Of the many majors they offer, the most popular majors include: Communications, Art, Business, and Nursing. CSUF’s Mihaylo College of Business and Economics was deemed to be one of the “Best Business Schools” by Princeton Review and is ranked number one in the nation for awarding degreesto Hispanic students. CSUF’s Nursing department is one of the more highly coveted majors with only enrolling 40 students out of thousands of applicants. The CSUF Nursing graduate program in Nurse-Midwifery and Anesthesia is ranked one of the best by U.S. News & Word Report. The program has students follow a direct pathway where they obtain their degree and license all at once and the school also includes a Simulation Center, which puts the students into a real life medical environment.

CSUF is highly known to be a “commuter campus,” but they do offer on-campus housing such as the freshman dormitories and student apartments. Campus housing is close to the local Gastronome that is equipped with a full buffet with even on-the-spot prepared omelets for breakfast. CSUF hosts a Discover Fest in the main quad during every semester, where they offer a wide range of opportunities for students that want to get involved. Students can learn about Greek Life, Study Abroad programs, internships, sports, undergrad research, and even about Nap Club. Each major also allows students to have the opportunity to obtain internships, such as Art majors who have the chance to be recruited by animation studios like Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, and Disney.

Prospective students considering applying to CSUF do not need to worry. They don’t need a ACT/SAT superscore, nor a perfect GPA. CSUF provides financial aid to 67% of the undergraduates, which makes it even more accessible. CSUF offers loads of chances for students to enjoy college life and succeed in the future. All they had to do is seize it.

Tags: study Hut, Study Hut College Tour, study hut college tour cal state fullerton
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Study Hut College Tour Cal Poly Pomona

March 1st, 2018

Last week was the Study Hut College Tour Cal Poly Pomona. As a graduate from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, I wasn’t sure what to expect from our sister school in Pomona. Aside from normal rival bashing, I tried to keep an open mind when I toured their campus with my fellow college counselors from Study Hut.

I can say that Cal Poly Pomona is just as nice a campus as its sibling school to the north. The land was donated by W.H. Kellogg, founder of Kellogg cereals, who used it for his Arabian horse breeding program and renowned rose garden, which are still running as a part of the terms of the donation. There is also plenty of new architecture being built to keep things modern, yet the campus feels as cemented in the local scenery as it ever was.

The tour guides touted the campus’s small class sizes (35 on average), state of the art engineering labs (including a wind tunnel and earthquake simulator), and partnerships with firms such as NASA and Edison. The opportunities for all its students are substantial, but the most impressive statistic is that more than 50 percent of students are able to graduate in 4 years or less! For a state school, that is no doubt unparalleled.

As a true polytechnic university, Cal Poly Pomona keeps its reputation as one of the preeminent engineering schools in the state. Obviously their Biology and Environmental programs are among its most popular as well, but the surprising discipline they bragged about was for hospitality management. The Collins College for Hospitality is ranked #2 in the nation, and has its own hotel right near campus!

From its rustic scenery and accessible location, to its rich history and unrivaled academics, Cal Poly Pomona (not to be confused with Pomona College) has earned its place as a top institution in our state. Any California resident should be proud to add this campus to his or her potential target schools.

Tags: Cal Poly Pomona, study Hut, Study Hut College Tour
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