It’s 2021! Top 12 Best Study Tips

It’s been an exciting start to the New Year. What a better reason to offer much-needed studying tips, from elementary, high school to college prep, to prepare for the rest of a successful school year in Puerto Rico.

At El Tutor Coach, we always look for opportunities to share tutoring help from great educational resources such as the Top 12 Study Tips for Back To School offered by The Princeton Review that applies to all students at any grade level

Check out the top twelve study skills below:  

1. You don’t need ONE study space.
A well-stocked desk in a quiet place at home is vital, but sometimes you need variety. In this new world that we live in, we suggest finding comfortable spots around your home for a change of scenery, which can prompt your brain to retain information better.


2. Track more than HW in your school planner.
Keeping a calendar helps you plan ahead—but you’ve got more going on than just homework assignments! Make sure you’re marking your extracurricular, work, and social commitments, too. (Tests, after-school virtual activities, mini staycations are just a few examples of reminders for your planner.)

We have great tutors that can help you get organized! One of our popular tutors, Sasha Lee, suggests that her students always divide their time between studying and rewarding themselves. It’s as simple as blocking 20-30 minutes to concentrate on your workload, then stopping and doing something just for you!

3. Start small.
If you’ve got a big assignment looming, like a big test, stay motivated by completing a piece of the project every few days. 


4. School supplies (alone) don’t make you organized.
Come up with a system and keep to it. Do you keep one big binder for all your classes with color-coded tabs? Or do you prefer to keep separate notebooks and a folder for handouts? Keep the system simple—if it’s too fancy or complicated, you are less likely to keep it up every day.


5. Get into a routine. When will you make the time to do your homework every day? Find the time of day that works best for you (this can change day-to-day, depending on your schedule!), and make a plan to hit the books.


6. Learn how to create a distraction-free zone.
Try turning off your phone notifications or blocking Twitter or Tik Tok (temporarily) on your computer so you can concentrate on the homework tasks at hand.

7. Get real.
When you’re looking at the homework you have to get done tonight, be realistic about how long things take. Gauging that reading a chapter will take an hour and writing a response will take another 30 minutes will help you plan how you spend your time.


8. Use class time wisely.
Is your teacher finished lecturing, but you still have 10 minutes of class left? Get a jump on your homework while it’s still fresh in your mind. Or use the time to ask your teacher about concepts that were fuzzy the first time.


9. Look over your notes each night to make sure you’ve got it.
Fill in details, edit the parts that don’t make sense, and star or highlight the bits of information that you know are most important. Interacting with your notes will help you remember them.

10.Study a little every day.
Cramming for a quiz might work in the short-term, but when it comes time to study for exams, you’ll be back at square 1. You might remember the information long enough to ace the quiz, but reviewing the terms later will help you store them for the long haul.


11. Don’t let a bad grade keep you down.
A rough start to the semester doesn’t have to sink your grades. Take proactive steps by checking your grades regularly online and getting a tutor if you need one.

12. Make a friend in every class.
Find a few people you can contact from each of your classes if you have a homework question or had to miss class (and do the same for them!). Then when it comes time to study, you’ll already have a study group.  

Contact us for a free consultation to see how El Tutor Coach can support your tutoring needs!

El Tutor Coach Holiday Spectacular with On The Go PR

We are excited to have been featured in On the Go PR holiday segment with Maricelle Rivera. Our fabulous coaches included mixologist Arnaldo Hernandez from Bacoa Finca & Fogon in Juncos, who whipped up some delicious coquito recipes, as well as Lela Soto, who helped the ladies create some magical holiday ornaments.

Contact us to learn more about our private events, holiday experiences and adult group classes.

Happy Holidays!

Top Tips to Start Preparing for the SAT & ACT Tests

At El Tutor Coach, we know it’s never too early to start thinking about developing better test-taking skills for the SAT & ACT college entrance exams.

It’s important to share for those who don’t know that the SAT & ACT exams are not the same. Students should actively research the difference as well as take online practice tests or review the sample questions provided at great resources like ACT.org and College Board.

Now, our friends at College Covered have also shared a few helpful hints below:

–       Knowledge is Power: Know the ins and outs on how the tests work and are administered. Understand the test structure and well gain insights on the question types and overall instructions.

–       Practice Makes Perfect: Make sure to set ample time aside to take timed practice tests (use a timer or your iPhone!). Remember to review and practice again. Our specialized SAT/ACT tutors can help your child make practicing enriching, valuable as well as fun.

–       Read Everything: Go to your local book store and browse thru official test prep books or just ask us! We work with all the top schools in Puerto Rico and can help facilitate the process.

–       Tutoring is Key: Tutoring helps to answer important questions, demystify the test-taking process and offer unparallel support and guidance, especially for those students that need extra help.

–       Build up Your Memory Bank: It’s incredibly important that the student knows all basic math formulas and concepts, this will maximize their time and help build confidence.

–       Read, Read and Read Again: Challenge yourself and read everything you can, from books and articles or review reading comprehension tests. If you don’t know a word look it up! It’s that essential.

–      Now Study Some More: Take practice exams, track your progress and prepare. Plus don’t forget to enjoy a healthy breakfast the morning of the test.

Our rock star SAT & ACT tutor, John Jimenez, offer one more piece of advice.

“These tests are beatable. Remember, the SAT and ACT are not Memory Tests, they are strategic tests, so if you come in with a strategy and practice you will, more likely than not, do well!”

Let us know how we can help & good luck! 

TIPS ON HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT TUTOR

Thank you Reading Rockets for offering AMAZING tips for parents on how to choose the best tutor. As mom’s ourselves, we know the process it takes to find that perfect match. Each child is unique. Some require more personal instruction while others like my son, Lucas, prefer learning more creative techniques, he makes funny raps songs to help him memorize! 

Looking for a tutor, the below steps are a great way to get started. 

Step 1: Be goal orientated. Connect with your child’s teacher. Agree on their learning style and extent of their needs, intensive tutoring, brushing up on skills or the application of special technique. 

Step 2: Research your options. You can always ask your child’s school to recommend tutors. For us at El Tutor Coach, we knew there was a way to offer parents here in Puerto Rico a selection of tutors that were experienced with great backgrounds in various subjects and make the process so much simpler.   

Step 3: Select the best tutor for your child. If a budget is a concern, then know that it’s important that your child is happy, this creates a partnership and helps nurture an environment in which they are willing to learn. This will only help them develop more self-confidence and propel them for more success. Believe us, finding great tutoring partners for our kids has always been one of the hardest but must fulfilling jobs. 

We are always happy to help! 

Check out more from Reading Rockets, a national multimedia literacy initiative offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.