As school winds down and our students head into their last finals of
the year, parents might be starting to look ahead to next semester.
One of the most common sources of anxiety for students and parents is
mathematics. Now, more than ever, high school students are expected to
learn higher math concepts at a faster pace. Common pitfalls, like
organization and study skills, conceptualization, and test taking
anxiety, can add unnecessary stress to students’ lives and affect
their performance in and out of school.
Getting ahead on math during the summer is the best way of keeping
sharp and building confidence for the fall. The Redondo Beach Study
Hut will be offering prep courses in Algebra I & II and Geometry that
focus on the math principles needed for success during the school
semester. Out tutors are experts at bringing mathematics back down to
earth, and since we work in the Torrance and Palos Verdes districts,
we know better than anyone the teaching styles of specific teachers
from each school. Building a strong foundation is key, and Study Hut
has the means to make it a fun, memorable experience!
Our 5-week classes will begin during the last week of July, and they
meet twice a week for a total of 20 hours of math instruction! Making
an investment in math now means less math anxiety and better
comprehension of the more difficult math concepts. Everything is
easier to learn the second time!
Please contact Justin at Justin@studyhut.com or (310) 540-5888 for
more details!
With the summer fast approaching, it is easy –almost tempting, to forget school entirely and begin the process of unwinding to prepare for the lazy days ahead. Don’t get us wrong, you deserve this break and you should most definitely take the time to rest your mind and body. However, it is equally important to keep that brain active and prepare for the upcoming school year. So while you are basking in the sun and playing at the beach, do not forget that Study Hut is just a block away to satisfy all your academic cravings. And we have something special in store for you this summer.
The best and brightest tutors at the Hut have designed ingenious reading and writing workshops to not only help you succeed in your classes, but also to hone these skills which will undoubtedly prove to be an asset in your future endeavors. You will actively improve your writing abilities as you navigate through the various styles of essays and you will learn how to read (yes, read) with the goal of extracting facts, recalling vital information without having to continually re-read while boosting your speed without compromising your comprehension. And if you know Study Hut, then you know we will make these workshops fun, informative and interesting. Keep in mind that regardless of the classes you will enroll in, your ability to read and write will directly impact your understanding of the course and ultimately affect your grade. Beyond school, your reading and writing skills will be tested again when you take the SATs and/or ACTs for college and then again during college. And thus, it is in your best interest to invest some time and energy to really develop these skills that are so vital in life.
Finals are approaching quickly and AP testing is right around the corner. Students are stressing out because they aren’t sure how they’re going to remember everything from the whole entire semester. But there’s no need to worry! With preparation and planning, Study Hut Redondo Beach tutors can help you tune into the secrets to ace those tests. Although some students find studying for finals excruciating, having a good study buddy and study space makes a huge difference and that’s what we offer for our students. Each subject and student requires different methods of studying. So, the students are paired up with tutors who they can get along with and who are experts in the subjects they need help in. We can assist them in filling out those last minute study guides, making detailed flashcards, and taking practice tests. In math and physics, we understand that there’s what seems a never ending list of equations. In English, we know that writing essays is a long process. In science, we recognize that the vocabulary could be a little confusing. In foreign language, we realize that conjugations and translating between words gets frustrating. We teach you how to apply those equations to problems, write outlines for essays, and understand vocabulary. I spent a session working with a student on her outline for an essay and she came back the following week with a smile on her face because she knew she did well. I also had one student thank me for tutoring her on the water cycle because she enjoyed how we drew it out and made diagrams for it. We understand that teachers don’t always explain things clearly, but they still show up on the finals! We’re here to make sure you get everything, so come on over and meet your tutor today!
I am the newest member to the great team of the Study Hut there in Manhattan Beach. My name is Peter Krejcarek I received my Environmental Engineering degree from Manhattan College in 2010. For the past two years I have been tutoring independently back East in Florida focused on the areas of math and sciences. A couple of months ago I made the move out here to the wonderful state of California but was missing tutoring. I was walking around Manhattan Beach area one day and came across the Study Hut, from the outside it looked very friendly and a great place for students to work. So I sent in my resume and asked if they needed anymore tutors. Luck has it I am back tutoring again. The study Hut is a great place, all the tutors are super nice and all the kids are very interested in learning. Being at here has allowed me to take my tutoring to the next level and improve my teaching techniques.
I have now been working for the Study Hut for 3 weeks and it has been a great time. My first impressions were right; the Study Hut is a great place to work and an awesome place for students. The atmosphere is great and positive; all the students are enjoying themselves and learning a lot at the same time. I hope to be a tutor at the Study Hut for a while, they really have a great thing going and I am very lucky to be part of it.
Working at Study Hut has taught me how to implement different learning styles for different kids. With some of my students, I have very hands on approach where I am constantly checking their planners and making sure they are on top of all of their assignments. In sessions like these, I am talking for most of the time. For my students that I know are trying their best and are just coming to tutoring for the few questions that they couldn’t figure out, I take a more observational approach. I watch them as they try and solve the problem, and try to assess where they are going wrong. Recently I have seen a lot of improvement in one of my 7th graders that has required a lot of hands on attention. He began coming to Study Hut about 5 months ago, and was getting a C or below in all of his classes. We discovered that his main problem was organization. I began to push him into writing everything down in his planner including soccer practice and piano lessons. The idea is to develop these necessary habits early on so that when high school and college come along they have the tools to cope with stressful schedules. After about a month of pestering him, he finally began to write everything down, and as a result has become much more motivated. The planner gives him a sense of direction, and he feels less overwhelmed with everything he needs to do. His mood has changed dramatically from someone with very little confidence and motivation to someone that is hopeful and much more excited about school. His grades are still not as high as we both want them to be, but I’m confident that we can raise them by the end of the year.
Every year, the California public school system imposes the STAR Test on elementary, middle, and high school students as a means of assessing the average progress in classrooms. Generally, teachers tend to take a break from regular material to prepare for the tests, which cover everything that the state deems standard for education. Students study English, math, history, and science for the STAR Tests. As a rule of thumb, most students find that there is not much new information to cover for each section; instead, it is almost strictly review. However, it does help for students to spend some time preparing for the STAR, as some of the material may not be easily recalled.
STAR testing is done toward the end of the school year, about a month before summer recess, so much of the information is covered early in the year and may be forgotten, especially for the history section, which is based on facts instead of general concepts, as in the cases of math and English. STAR testing is sometimes criticized as not be representative of what students ought to learn: some students take sciences out of the usual order, and some repeat math classes, which alters the average learning curve. However, as long as the STAR Test is in place in California, teachers strongly encourage students to do their best and score well in all subjects. Of course, the test reflects directly on the school and the teacher, and higher scores indicate better instruction. Furthermore, the break from regular material that STAR Test preparation offers allows students a great chance to catch up on old material or to get ahead on future subjects. Studying for the STAR Test also greatly reinforces what students have already learned, as well, which certainly improves retention and comprehension. Although the STAR Test may be flawed, at the very least it encourages students to study and reinforce all of their completed work.
Summer is a great time for students to get ahead in a class. Both getting prepared for the upcoming year and finding extra help with a summer class is an excellent summer choice. Study Hut in Redondo Beach offers group and private tutoring over the summer. This summer Study Hut will offer group classes in reading, writing, geometry and algebra. Each of our group classes is small and designed to help students prepare for the upcoming year of class.
Many Palos Verdes school district students are improving their GPA greatly by taking advantage of summer courses. When a student gets a low grade in a required class such as Math or English a counselor will recommend that the student retake the course over the summer. Summer school courses move through material very quickly and students often need help keeping up with the work. Study hut is a great place to come in for extra help. It is especially difficult to focus on studying at home after class because of computers; TV and the various ways kids distract themselves. Study Hut is a great environment to gain the resources needed for your student to excel in their class.
Getting a head start on next year’s classes is a fantastic way to improve performance in those tough classes. AP and honors classes jump right into the difficult material and many students have a hard time keeping up. The Study Hut can help your student be prepared to hit the ground running. Our tutors know what to expect in all the AP classes. We know the teachers and what they want from their students. Aside from the class grade, getting ahead will give your student the best chance of getting a four or a five on the AP exam.
It’s that time of year everyone. That’s right, it’s the first ever STUDY HUT BAKE SALE. This week and next week the Manhattan Beach Study Hut is having their very first bake sale. Why sell baked goods at a tutoring center you might ask? Well, lucky for us, our manager Sam is the co-chair for this year’s Relay For Life, and Study Hut is doing everything we can to help raise money! We have three different days that people are going to bring in baked goods. We have even decided to turn it into a competition where the kids vote on which tutor baked the best dessert! All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. Every year, the American Cancer Society has a Relay for life to help raise money for research and programs. People form teams that support a particular type of cancer, and walk for 24 hours. Each team tries to keep one member on the track at all times. This represents the struggle of a cancer patient : as the day goes on you get more and more tired, and at one point reach a moment where you think you can’t continue. All you can do is have faith in the next day. The fatigue that comes with walking for 24 hours is supposed to be a representation of this message. Personally I am excited that I can experience this event with my coworkers. It will be a very new experience that will bring us closer together while at the same time supporting a wonderful cause. As for the bake sale, I am amped up to not only raise money but to win the competition! So if you are feeling up to supporting a great cause, come into study hut this Wednesday (4/11), Thursday (4/12) and Monday (4/16)!
I walked into Study Hut in Manhattan Beach not knowing what to expect as a new tutor going from private in-home tutoring to this local tutoring center. What I found was a team of outgoing, energetic, friendly, and intelligent tutors who loved what they do and did it very well! This was inspiring and exciting because they instantly accepted me into their Study Hut family and made a comfortable environment with all the resources I needed to tutor my students well. I was also welcomed by the home-like setting with comfortable chairs, big tables, art on the walls, and beach-y décor. I found that all the tutors have the same strive and determination to help and see their students grow to achieve their academic goals. It is as important to us tutors that all of our students pass their classes, stay organized, and reach their maximum potential. The one student to one tutor ratio really helped me connect with my students and learn a lot about what their hobbies, likes/dislikes, learning style, and most importantly what their goals are. I met many students from schools across the Manhattan School District and found that they all enjoyed their time spent here. I can tell that they really feel comfortable here as some students reach for candy in the drawer, pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave, and chat with other tutors and students. The tutors can really relate to the students because sometimes the tutors had the same high school teachers as the students have now. It’s interesting hearing how through the years the teacher is still doing the same assignments and field trips. Study Hut really provides an amazing learning experience for their students and we love to cheer our students on as they continue to succeed.
As AP Season approaches, it’s normal to get a little apprehensive. However, keep in mind that AP Exams in no way define you as a person nor are they the ultimate deciding factor when it comes to college admissions. Sure, a good score can boost your app, but it’s not going to make or break an acceptance. With that in mind, there a couple things you can do to help prepare for the exam:
First, don’t procrastinate. It’s really easy to let AP test prep slip down the ranks on your To-Do list, but doing a little prep everyday is better than spending the weekend before your test cramming a year’s worth of information into your brain. If you haven’t already started, start gathering up the prep materials that your teacher has given you so far and organize them by topic. Pick a topic and give yourself at least an hour or so everyday and start reviewing the material.
Second, don’t do the same type of prep everyday. Change it up. For example, instead of reading through your notes or summaries first, you may want to look at the questions on an old AP exam and see what you remember and what you don’t. That way you can focus on weaker topics and review the stronger ones later. If you need/want more material for your studies, check out the College Board website (may have old exams posted) or go to the library and flip through a couple test prep books (Barrons, Five Steps to a 5, etc.). Study groups are also a great way to motivate both yourself and others!
Lastly, know that you’re not alone in this! The Study Hut is here to help you! The tutors have all been through the AP exam process multiple times and have taken a wide array of subjects. Not only are they familiar with the material and exam structure, but they also know how you feel and what you’re going through and are always here for that extra moral support!
