July 30th, 2012
Just a couple weeks ago, we were all waiting in anticipation for our long overdue summer break. Now, summer is at its peak, and while we do enjoy our vacations and coffee breaks, the academic semester is just around the corner, and it is time to start investing in what matters by taking initiative. Instead of waking up to a sluggish summer hangover, why not buckle up before the academic storm hits and start preparing for your semester courses? Study Hut’s tutors are not only available to help you cram for midterms and term papers. We are also here to help you gear up for SATs, APs, or even Geometry. Take advantage of the last couple weeks of summer to get ahead of your peers. When you go shopping for your back-to-school supplies, remember that learning is merely facilitated
by textbooks, paper, and pencil. — your actual success in school will depend on your attitude, preparation, and dedication to your studies.A couple of hours every week goes a long way in preparing you for the coming academic semester — choose to sacrifice a couple hours of this fading summer for a significant head start on your courses at school.
We at Study Hut call this ‘investing in education’.
Tags: academic, academic semester, APs, geometry, midterms, SATs, school, semester, studies, study Hut, Study Hut's tutors, Summer, term papers, Tutors
Posted in Summer Tutoring |
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July 18th, 2012
Summer enrichment at Study Hut Manhattan Beach is filled with active, student-centered learning activities that get the kids out of their seats and thinking outside of the box. One of my elementary school students is entering first grade at Pacific this fall. Like most six year olds, he has an attention span of less than five minutes…maybe 30 seconds…so every few minutes we change up the routine! He practices his sight words by writing on a whiteboard, stamping the words with ink and a stamp pad, and even by jumping up and down as he spells the words out loud. For math practice he goes around to the Study Hut tutors taking polls so he can work on tally marks. This not only improves his math skills, but also gives him an opportunity to practice math in an applicable setting and see its importance to everyday life. These activities also help him to develop social skills. In addition to the social math activities, he also greets the Manhattan Crew every afternoon session using appropriate eye contact and asking follow up questions. Probably the highlight of the sessions for him is his sticker chart. He earns stickers throughout our study sessions and keeps track of them on a graph. Yesterday he told me, “I like Study Hut, it’s fun here!” I told him, “Yes, Study Hut is a lot of fun because learning is fun!” He smiled and walked out the door to show off the Star Student Award he had just earned during our session. At Study Hut, the students are at the center of everything of we do.
Tags: elementary school, elementary school students, enrichment, first grade, kids, Learning, learning activities, Manhattan, Manhattan Beach, math, math activities, pacific, sight words, student, student-centered, study Hut, Study Hut Manhattan Beach, Study Hut tutors, Summer, Summer enrichment, Tutors
Posted in Summer Tutoring |
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July 5th, 2012
Summer school classes are short in duration, but very intense, and Advanced Placement (AP) summer classes are even more intense. The school day tends to be four hours long. This may seem long to students, but trying to cram a year’s worth of materials in is a big challenge for teachers. Therefore, much of the work must be done outside of class.
AP history classes are the most common summer courses that high school students take. These classes require students to do a lot of reading, a lot of writing, and a lot of studying. Teachers typically do a chapter a day. The student then goes home, reads the chapter, and does the work that goes along with it. This work can be defining key terms and people, making timelines, conceptual questions, or essays. Essay writing is the most time consuming and difficult part of these history courses. They allow the teacher to make sure the student understands a wide range of material. Also, the student must demonstrate good writing skills and critical thinking. It can become difficult to come up with new ideas and examples when writing essays every week.
Getting anything lower than a B in an AP class doesn’t look good to college admissions officers. Putting in so much effort into a college class and then performing badly is a waste. The tutors at Study Hut can help students with their AP summer school work. We have tutors that specialize in essay writing. They can edit and revise rough drafts or help students from the very start. They help guide the student through their brainstorming and outlining process, to their rough draft, and then the final draft. Don’t let your summer AP class go to waste! Let us help you!
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Posted in AP Tutoring |
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June 28th, 2012
Winding Down at the Hut
We’ve had lots of blog posts about how to prepare for finals and end the year on a high note. All week, students have been rushing in and out of the Hut, reciting geometry theorems and putting the final touches on Socratic seminars. But we’ve failed to mention the most important aspect of the end of the school year…
It’s the end of the school year! Yay!
In addition to playing Alice Cooper on loop, we’ve been doing a lot to prepare for summer. This mostly includes staring out the window and daydreaming about our plans. Between the tutors and the students, we’re a busy bunch!
Some are planning vacations and some are eagerly anticipating the London Olympics. Some have weddings for dear friends and others are just planning on soaking up as much sun as possible on the beaches of the South Bay. Here are a few responses from around the Hut to the most whimsical and challenging question: What’s your favorite thing about summer?
“Surf and work.”
-Alex, Tutor
“Sleep, surf and travel.”
-Codee, Sophomore
“I like not wearing socks when I’m wearing my shoes!”
-Amir, Tutor
“The sun not going down until 9pm.”
-Madison, Sophomore
“I like reading Robert Frost while sitting contemplatively under a tree in the summer breeze. Just kidding! Corn dogs.
-Amy, Tutor
“Not being at school.”
-James Houston, Sophomore
“Music festivals, Vegas, and beach parties in the daytime.”
-Sam, Study Hut Manager
“I am really looking forward to sleeping, surfing, vacations, no school, playing with my dog, having free time and hanging out with my friends on the beach.”
-Matt, Freshman
No doubt about it, we’re a Hut about town. What are you looking forward to this summer? Let us know in the comments, and enjoy your time off!
Tags: finals, freshman, geometry theorems, school, school year, socratic seminars, sophomore, south bay, students, Summer, The Hut, Tutors
Posted in Summer Tutoring |
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June 26th, 2012
BYU online summer school is a great way to stay productive during the summer and to get ahead on classes for the next school year. It is independent study and puts no deadlines on the work and tests. This can be both good and bad. On the one hand it allows students to have a flexible schedule that allows for sports and travel. On the other hand, however, it can be challenging to learn the material without a teacher and to keep a good pace. Study Hut can help with all this.
High school students are accustomed to having a teacher present to explain the material to them. Studying independently is a skill that students often don’t master until they go to college. Therefore, learning concepts online can be difficult and frustrating. Our tutors are familiar with the BYU classes, how they are structured, and what is expected from the students taking them. Coming to the Study Hut allows students to go over any material they have trouble understanding on their own, or simply confirming that what they have learned is correct.
Time management is often a challenge for high school students. They tend to procrastinate and get behind in their work. It is not unusual to see a whole BYU course being crammed into the last two weeks of summer vacation. The result is usually a low grade and a stressful end to the break. Seeing a tutor at the Study Hut is a perfect way to make sure this doesn’t happen! We will lay out a timeline and hold the student accountable.
Study Hut is an official BYU proctoring center. So if tutoring is not necessary students can still come here to take their tests. We administer the tests for $50. And if the student is being tutored here, the tests are free!
Tags: A tutor, A tutoring, A tutors, academic success, academic successes, confidence has soared, el segudno math tutor, el segundo math tutoring, good tutor, good tutoring, good tutors, grades up, hermosa math tutor, hermosa math tutoring, hermosa valley math tutor, hermosa valley math tutoring, Hut's Success, improvement through tutoring, manhattan beach math tutor, manhattan beach math tutoring, math tutor, Math tutoring, palos verdes math tutor, palos verdes math tutoring, PV Math tutor, PV math tutoring, redondo beach math tutor, redondo beach math tutoring, redondo math tutor, redondo math tutoring, south bay math tutoring, staying focused, student success, Successful tutor, successful tutoring, successful tutors, Torrance Math tutor, Torrance math tutoring, tutor, tutor success, Tutoring, tutoring success, tutoring successes, Tutors
Posted in BYU Online |
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June 18th, 2012
Study Hut generally maintains a relatively steady state of operations, seasonally — fortunately, this all changes when our students slam into the Great Wall of Finals. I see students coming in with varying degrees of academic success and perceptibility, which consequently creates a general state of panic and chaos in the majority of students that come in for extra tutoring. While it may seem as if this pinnacle, this cummulation of efforts, is far too all-encompassing to
be manageable, the truth is, none of this will matter tomorrow, or the next year, or the next century. Conversely, in respect to you, the student, everything matters with what you do today, and studying for classes during this hectic time is, rightly, what you must be doing. Study Hut’s role in this system is to facilitate your studies, guide you to answers to questions, and, most importantly, give you the confidence and ability to ensure you function properly at the right moment — test taking time.
I believe that, while some students do require extra tutoring and that others require a confidence chat in between sessions, studying is, clearly, the correct step. We, the tutors at Study Hut, will do everything we can to make sure you are ready for whatever test comes at you — more or less. When you feel as if everything is coming down on you and that things
are simply overwhelming your ability to retain all that information — come on, an entire year? — just remember to breathe, just breathe…
Tags: academic success, classes, extra tutoring, finals, students, study Hut, studying, Tutoring, Tutors
Posted in Finals Tutoring |
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June 12th, 2012
Finding the time to prepare for the SAT during the regular school year can be difficult. Between homework, sports, activities, friends, family…its hard to find the time and easy to come up with reasons to put off studying for the SAT. Don’t put it off anymore! What better time than the summer time to get started and stay focused on preparing for the SAT without the stress of schoolwork.
Beginning Tuesday July 10th, and ending Thursday, August 23rd, Study Hut will offer a two hour, twice a week group course. The course will focus on fundamental academic skills and test-taking strategies required to succeed on the SAT. This course will include four proctored full-length practice tests and fourteen personalized online homework assignments catered to each student’s specific weaknesses.
Study Hut will also offer one-on-one Sat courses with a variety of different packages. The packages range from a 24 hour course to a 40 hour course. The number of proctored tests and online homework assignments varies with each package. Students can also come in for hourly SAT tutoring using the same materials as the courses.
The courses will be taught by experienced and local tutors that students enjoy being around, and our students on average see
200 point increase!
There will be a FREE diagnostic test for students on Saturday June 16, from 8am to 12pm. Please contact Justin at Justin@studyhut.com or (310) 540-5888 for more details.
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Posted in SAT Class |
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June 4th, 2012
Hi!
I’m Jenna, the newest tutor at Study Hut in Manhattan Beach.
I am so excited to be part of this team of awesome tutors who help students succeed and make them laugh at the same time!
I grew up in Manhattan Beach surfing and playing soccer and tennis at Mira Costa High School. As hard as it was to give up the beach for a few years, I moved to New Orleans to study Economics at Tulane University and, of course, to celebrate Mardi Gras! After graduating from college, I taught elementary school in New Orleans with Teach For America for a couple of years. I adored my students and wanted to continue teaching but I also wanted to study Spanish so I moved to Ecuador to teach English. I taught students of all ages and fell in love with the country but missed my family very much so I cam home after a year.
Now that I am back in Manhattan Beach, I am thrilled to be working with the most energetic, dedicated, fun-loving tutors in the area! The Study Hut crew is an amazing team of all-star tutors that work together to make sure the students master everything from Spanish and Calculus to learning how to read. In my first week here I have seen how the Study Hut tutors work together as a team to tackle the goals of each student. The team dynamic is truly unique in a tutoring environment and gives the students the best of the best! Study Hut tutors have made me feel at home and I can confidently say that it is truly one of the best work environments that exist. Of course, the students are the best part of this job and I can’t wait to meet more of them at Study Hut Manhattan Beach.
Jenna Schaeffer
B.A. Economics
Certified Teacher
Tags: Calculus, Economics, elementary school, english, Manhattan Beach, mira costa high school, read, Spanish, students, study Hut, Study Hut tutors, teacher, teaching, The Study Hut, tutor, Tutoring, tutoring environment, Tutors, University
Posted in Tutors |
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June 3rd, 2012
Every year, Parras Middle School hosts a lively fundraising event that gathers the local community for a day of creative entertainment –ranging from vivacious drum circles to colorful sidewalk art. This would be the second year Study Hut has been participating and supporting local schools like Parras Middle School in Redondo Beach.
The 5×5 ft sidewalk canvas was set up next to dozens of other participants who also wanted to support the local Redondo Beach schools. Our tutors, Valerie Chavez & Vin Castillo represented the Study Hut with chalk in hand and pastel in the other. The creativity was billowing in the air with chalk dust as everyone meticulously crafted their art.
The Study Hut design, with the help of designer/tutor, Jenny Smith, depicted a surfer riding the waves of a book with the great Study Hut logo in the foreground. We thought it was a creative design that united two of Study Hut’s fundamental values: Study hard and have fun doing it. Needless to say, Valerie & Vin couldn’t help but break from their artistic endeavor and join in on the drum circle/limbo contest across the field. Banging on drums and joining the youth in a friendly game of limbo dancing, Study Hut truly exemplifies what it means to be active and supportive in the community.
There was much energy that filled the air at Chalk It Up, but what enticed our olfactory senses was the luscious smell of freshly popped kettle corn. The smell of the sweet and salty treat came in waves that re-energized us from the scorching heat of the sun. I’m sure the Redondo Beach locals were satisfied with the nice heaping bag of kettle corn, shave ice and graphic sidewalk art. Study Hut definitely had a great time at Chalk It Up. We will definitely be there next year to support the local schools of Redondo Beach!
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Posted in Chalk It Up! |
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May 31st, 2012
I love all of the kids I tutor at Study Hut, but there are a few who I have especially enjoyed lately. Sarah is someone that I see regularly. She always comes into Study Hut with a smile on her face. She is motivated to do well…sometimes she just doesn’t realize how much work it actually takes to get an A. We mostly work on math together. She learns quickly but just once and awhile gets stuck on a certain topic. It can sometimes take a long time for her to get that concept, but once she has it down she is super happy and more motivated. She has raised her grade from a D to a B, and I’m really proud of her! Another one of my favorite students in Dave. Dave came into Study Hut with almost all D’s. He had no tools on how to study for a test, and didn’t realize how much work it was going to take to be a good student. I had to be really strict him by making sure he wrote in his planner every day, and I always sent him home with a checklist on what he needed to finish that day. His grades are still not where I would like them to be, but his attitude has changed completely. I think that Study Hut has provided him with the confidence that he needed. He used to just not do assignments because of a fear of failure, but with a little encouragement he is constantly improving. My other students name is Charlie. She is in the 10th grade, and I feel like she is a mini me. She works hard but not everything comes naturally to her. Luckily she has the discipline to come into tutoring twice a week. She is taking her final today and I can’t wait to see how she did.
Tags: study Hut, Study Hut Tutoring, Study Hut tutors, tutor, Tutoring, Tutors
Posted in General Articles, high school, Manhattan Beach, Success Stories |
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