Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

Overcome Test Anxiety

At CROSSWALK, we see a number of students that struggle with test taking. Many bright, articulate and well-rounded students freeze up during test time.

There is something about a test environment that creates nerves and lowers self-confidence.

So if you are struggling with test taking, try some of these techniques to improve your results:

1) Keep the Confidence Up: build yourself up before, during and after the test. Tell yourself you are just as smart, or smarter, than the next student. Often times, test taking is more about your internal confidence than your knowledge. This is most true during standardized tests.
2) Don’t Spend Too Much Time on One Question: this obviously depends on the test, but the advice is applicable in a lot of settings. If you cannot develop a good answer quickly, move on to the next question. You can always go back, so score points where you can. Taking too much time will also lower your self-confidence.
3) Stay Calm: part of successful test taking is the ability to stay calm and focused for the entire time. Take deep breaths and eliminate any extraneous thoughts.
4) Make Sure You Are Answering the Question: sounds obvious, but may test takers don’t read all of the directions or they don’t understand precisely what is being asked. Many teachers want to ensure you know the material, so they will plant traps or tricks to catch people that don’t read the directions or understand the question. Take the time to understand exactly what is being asked.
5) Double Check Your Answers: this is the oldest trick in the book, but extremely necessary. When reviewing tests the next day, many students find silly errors or slips that could have easily been avoided if they checked their work. So take the extra time to check your work.

These are just some techniques to overcome test anxiety. Ultimately it comes down to preparation, focus, confidence and practice. Tell yourself you are good test taker, study for the test and practice the good habits listed above and test anxiety will be a thing of the past.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

What are the Best SAT Resources?

CROSSWALK has specialized in SAT preparation over the past five years.

Over that time, one question dominates the SAT scene: what is the best way to study for the test?

The answer to that question depends on the student and this or her goals. That said, here are two resources that I always recommend:

1) Kaplan SAT Prep Book/Course: Kaplan has some excellent resources, particularly when it comes to strategy. I’ve used a lot of their books with other test preparation, like GMAT, and I’ve found them to be spot on. Their classes are great as well, albeit a bit pricey for some.

2) The Official SAT Guide: this book is produced by the same organization that produces the SAT. I encourage all of my students to take as many of the 10 full-length tests as possible. Time them and score them. Uncover strengths and weaknesses. Knowing these will help prepare future studying and test taking.

As far as other resources, I recommend the College Board website. There are some great tools, like SAT Question of the Day and online courses, that can keep the mind fresh.

One final note: I shy away from anything other than Kaplan or College Board for my SAT prep courses. I’ve found other study guides to be too easy. If the studying is too easy, students freeze up when they get to the more difficult questions on the actual SAT.

Kaplan provides great strategy, College Board provides great questions. Stick with these two and you should be okay.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

A Good Tutor Connects the Dots

Most students are bombarded with many learning resources.

Books, websites, teachers, parents, siblings and even other students are all viable tools to faciliate the learning process. But with so many resources, a student can get overwhelmed.

Sometimes the best way to navigate the ocean of information is to utilize someone that can connect all of the dots.

A good tutor will be able to optimize the information flow and connect the dots.

A good tutor will cut through the clutter and determine the most useful and important information.

A good tutor will help the student understand what the best resources are and what resources to avoid.

Usually this process takes time as the tutor learns the student’s learning style and capabilities. But even if it takes time, the results should speak for themselves as the student will learn how to study better and how to learn more optimally.

So if you need to connect the educational dots, consider some sessions with a tutor.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

3 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Tutor

CROSSWALK serves student and life learners alike. We supplement the classroom setting and we also create our own curriculum and program depending on the student’s needs.

However, most of our clients fall into the first category: they need some help in addition to the classroom work. This post is directed towards these same students and their families.

CROSSWALK is not simply about hiring a tutor. CROSSWALK is more about finding the right supplemental education fit so a student can achieve both academic and life goals.

So before you jump into finding a tutor, ask yourself these three questions:

1) Can I schedule some extra help from my teacher?

Sometimes it’s impossible, but the first place to start is with the current teacher. If there is a gap between a student’s expectations and the student’s results, the teacher can be the first to recommend a program.

2) Is there another resource available on campus?

Most local schools offer a resource center with study guides, tutors and extra help. Often times, a regular visit to the resource director is all a student needs.

3) Can Mom or Dad help out?

Many times, a student simply needs some motivation and support. Mom and Dad might not have the subject knowledge, but they can certainly help encourage and direct.

If you answered “YES” to any of them, consider your other options.

But if you’ve answered “NO” to all three questions, then it is probably a good idea to think about a tutor.

Wherever your decision-making process leads you, give us a call and we can offer some ideas.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

It’s the Teacher’s Fault, Isn’t It?

Learning is complex. Students respond to different materials and different methods.

We see this time and time again. In a classroom setting, especially when there are a lot of other students, the needs of one particular student can get overlooked. It’s a fact of the matter.

Despite a teacher or a school’s best efforts, some kids fall through the cracks. Other kids don’t achieve their potential.

It can be frustrating for the student, the parent, the teacher, the school and anyone else involved.

But don’t be too quick to blame the teacher. I’ve heard it time and time again from CROSSWALK’s clients. They bad mouth the teacher for not helping the student.

While that may be the case for some students, the vast majority of our clients find that there are other factors involved. Simply blaming the teacher is an easy excuse, but underneath there might be other learning challenges like too many distractions or lack of motivation.

Whatever the case, a tutor is a great resource. A tutor can sift through the learning challenges and personalize a program to achieve maximum results.

We do it everyday at CROSSWALK. Achieving a student’s academic potential is what drives us.

After all, we’re teachers. And we’re here to serve your academic needs.

Brooke Higgins Uncategorized

CROSSWALK Celebrates 7 Years

It all started back in 2002. I was starting an MBA program at M.I.I.S. and I had reconnected with some of my high school teachers. One requested that I tutor a student of hers in Spanish. One student led to two, two led to four and soon I had more than I could handle. It was great for me because I didn’t have to do some work study desk job! And since I was pursuing my MBA, I figured I’d start a business. I hired out my classmates and CROSSWALK was born.

Thinking back, I had no idea I’d still be tutoring and helping people achieve their learning goals. It’s been great fun. CROSSWALK has seen a lot of learning: SAT courses at Soledad HS, ESL classes for Scheid Vineyards field supervisors, private instruction for all of the Monterey Peninsula high schools and everything in between. Even a crash Spanish course for an elderly couple preparing for a trip to Nicaragua! All great–and wonderfully learning–experiences.

I’ve even got to travel a bit and take my SAT prep show on the road. I’ll be doing some SAT prep classes in Auburn, CA in September. Who knew?

Yet at the core we still remain a small, flexible and responsive service. We still aim to personalize our programs and we pride ourselves on hiring only the best instructors.

So far a recipe for success, but more a recipe for serving the tutoring and supplementary education needs of our clients.