5 Tips for An Upcoming College Freshman

By: Caitlin Woods, a college student working her way to success

With the excitement of high school graduation dying off, a newer, more nervous excitement is settling in among many soon- to- be college freshmen. It can be overwhelming to think that in a few months (or sooner for some) you will no longer have the comforts your teenage years brought you. It can be hard to be to look to your near future as a young adult student without a sense of fear, but hopefully this article will help!

As a college student and a young adult, I can understand the feelings, thoughts, and emotions that may be rattling around your head as you enter this new season in your life. I have put together the five most important tips that I feel a new college freshman should know as I have just experienced it.

1.       Enter college with an open mind.     

Although college is just another school, it certainly is different from high school. Make sure that you realize and have come to terms with the fact that everything will be different. You will be leading your new adult life. Teachers will treat you differently. The campus will be much larger. The work load will be more daunting and intense. You may even experience living on your own for the first time! Enter college knowing that you are an adult now. You will be treated as such. 

2.       Set yourself up for success!

“My behavior is my responsibility. No one can make me do or say anything that I don’t want to do.” This was a motto that I had to say after the Pledge of Allegiance every day in elementary school. I never knew what meaning it would have until I reached college. In college you are the only one who can control what you do. There will be no one there to remind you to do your homework or to go to bed on time. Make sure to surround yourself with others who want to succeed and won’t pressure you into not studying or staying out too late. Also having the mindset that you are there for a purpose and you expect to meet your goals helps. 

3.       Communication is key!

If you are having trouble, a problem, or find yourself in a tough situation NEVER BE AFRAID TO TALK TO YOUR PROFESSOR! Most professors are very understanding and will do whatever it takes to help you, find you help, or understand a situation. Many of your problems can be solved if you just let them know what is going on. If you feel like you’re doing terrible in class they can tell you if you are or not and let you know what could help. They are also the ones who can help you if you need to miss class because of a family emergency for example. Professors understand that they are there because you want to be there. They understand that they are providing a service that is being paid for so they do their best to help you.

4.       Find ways to make Studying and Homework enjoyable.   

You are always more likely to do something if you enjoy it. Put that mentality into your studies and it could be very beneficial to you. Try getting a group together from class that could meet to have a study session over lunch or something of the sort. This way you’ll make friends and adapt to your new environment and be productive at the same time!

5.       Show up and participate!

This may have been preached to you throughout your years in grade school but it is especially true in college. When your professor tells you that tomorrow’s class “is going to be an easy day,” it shouldn’t be taken as a ticket to get a few more hours of shut eye.  You should take advantage of any opportunity presented to you, whether it is optional or not. Take in every bit of information you can and you will benefit in the long run. Plus, it shows your dedication and your professors will be more inclined to work with you if something negative happens such as missing an exam. 

So, on your first day, when you walk onto that large campus; take a deep breathe to clear your mind and remember these tips. College is truly one of the best times of your life, even if you are studying hard. As long as you work hard and act responsibly, you will exceed your own expectations! Good luck and remember to contact A Quantum Leap Tutoring and Educational Consultation if you need that extra boost! We can help you with everything from College Algebra to organizational and test-taking skills.

“Success Feels Good”

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A Teacher Appreciation Story

I often think back to my fourth-grade year as my best year in school. I made straight As that year. There were a couple of motivating factors that led to my high grades, but I know I would not have continued the path to educational success without the teacher I had that year, Mrs. Rogers. I know, ironic right? One would assume this teacher was the most peppy teacher ever with a bounce in her step and a song for everything.

That wasn't exactly the case. Mrs. Rogers was probably about the same age as Mr. Rogers, but her demeanor was quite different. Most children thought of her as gruff. I don't think she was mean, just strict. She had expectations, which were clearly laid out at the beginning of the year, which we were supposed to live up to. This was when teachers were still allowed quite a bit of creativity in their lesson plans. The time of those green and white grade books and calculators being forbidden in any activity.

So, here are the reasons this year was especially awesome then I will reference how Mrs. Rogers brought it all together for a holistic love of learning. My family was.....well, we were poor. We lived in a small trailer in a trailer park and I think my dad worked like a million hours per week just so we could eat. I always made honor roll but this year he told me if I made straight As the entire year, he would buy me a TV! What?! I knew this was something I had to achieve. Though we didn't have cable, it didn't matter, it would be mine!
The next motivation was that a particular boy in our class had skipped 3rd grade and was put into our class. It was known that he made straight As and was anticipated to graduate college at like 15. So this became quite the competition in my own mind.

Fourth grade was a bit different than any other year. We had to learn to multiply, divide and write fully in cursive. Quite a bit different than today where it seems like my son has to be able to do long division by the end of kindergarten. Mrs. Rogers provided a library in the classroom for us. We had two books on our desk so we could (by could, I mean, we had to) read when our work was completed. She had a regimen for us. We did the same basic routine everyday and we knew what it took to gain her approval. I remember there being quite a bit of homework, not to mention science fair projects and book reports. Mrs. Rogers always had it together. Her hair was a certain way, her clothes were neat and pressed, and she never lashed out.

I suppose I was that child that loved disciplined environments but where I really got to know Mrs. Rogers was after school since I was chosen to wash the board everyday before the bus came. She and I would talk about my dreams and aspirations. She exposed me to the belief of there being much more outside a small town in Louisiana and that started with college. Mrs. Rogers became a grandmother figure for me. A pillar of stability and someone I knew I could turn to no matter the situation. I knew I would receive the same logical answer time after time. I remember on the last day of school, I bought her a scarf from K-mart. Mrs. Rogers didn't realize I left it on her desk so I  just left school that day. When she discovered the gift, she stopped my bus and came aboard to thank me. That was the  last time I saw Mrs. Rogers, but I did go to college and I have traveled the world.

I hope for the students I tutor, I represent that same pillar of experience, strength and stability. Through tutoring at-risk youth, I have realized how much you don't know what goes on in a child's home and sometimes you are the only positive adult in their life. So, thank you teachers for realizing your job is much more than that and today, we celebrate you!

To VPK or not to VPK ?

This may sound counter-intuitive but, in this economy, it seems getting your child enrolled in a 'free' VPK program is more difficult than ever before. The cost of gas is barely affordable for most and not affordable at all for others. That poses the first problem of how to get your child to this free program. The Florida program is approximately 3 hours per day. That requires transportation twice in a short period of time. This can be very difficult to coordinate with other children's school schedules or the lack of having a personal vehicle.

What about the wrap-around program you say? Many moms stay at home because their family cannot afford the additional financial stress of daycare even with a second income. This makes this 'free' program more costly. These facts are all very real to some families. So, what motivation do parents have to ensure their children take advantage of this program? The statistics are out and there are significant increases in Kindergarten readiness for a child who completes the entire VPK process. There are even notable differences in children with just some participation in the program. Here is the link to the facts gathered over the last few years of the success of the VPK program.

VPK Results

What are some things that can ease the stress of getting your child to VPK?

1. Get your child registered as early as possible with the Early Learning Coalition in your area. 
2. Do not leave registration without your yellow form and the list of VPK providers by zip code.
3. Choose a few VPK providers in your immediate area then call first to see if the hours they offer will fit into your schedule. 
4. Once you find a couple that meet your family's needs, visit the facility. Be sure to understand the absence policy as this can cause your child to be removed from the program. * You may switch VPK providers once within the year.
5. If the VPK provider is not within bus or walking distance, set up a carpool. Most children at this age can safely use a high-back booster therefore making it easier to add car seats to your car. 
6. Maybe even ask a member of the staff to help you coordinate carpooling. 
7. These are just a few ideas but be sure to communicate any problems you may have to the staff of the facility so that they may understand your situation and help you resolve issues. 

Even though not perfect, the VPK program implementation is a great resource to provide readiness for your child's school career. If you are still having a hard time, contact your local Parent Resource Center and they may be able to help you with even more options even though your child is not technically in public school yet. They have a lot of resources and information available to them. Check out their site here:

www.knowyourchoices.org

Remember A Quantum Leap is available for all of your tutoring needs.
www.TutoringByCity.com

How To Ease Test-Taking Anxiety contributed by our guest blogger- Lori Lite

We sought out a specialist for this blog because we know everyone is preparing for some big exams throughout Florida. Whether your child is getting ready for the FCAT, ACT or SAT, these strategies will carry them (and you) through! Of course, call A Quantum Leap for all your test-taking tutoring needs!

Ease Test Taking Anxiety 

By Lori Lite / Stress Free Kids

It’s normal for kids and teens to feel a little nervous before a big test, but anxiety left unchecked can affect grades. A quiz or full blown standardized test can evoke feelings of stress, fear, and even panic. All students eventually face an SAT, ACT, ITBS, CRCT,CTBS, or CAT. Even home schoolers face the PASS test. Studies have shown that students that practice relaxation achieve higher test scores. Empowering techniques of deep breathing, visualizing, and positive statements are easy to implement. Preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college…. It is never too soon or too late to introduce the following technique.

Here are some signs that a child is stressing or overly worried about tests:

•  Doesn’t want to go to school, especially on test day

•  Cries or has melt-downs during the days leading up to a test

•  Changes eating and sleeping patterns in the days before a test

•  Puts herself down or calls himself “stupid”

•  Has an upset stomach or a tension headache before a test

•  Performs well on practice tests but not on the real test

A powerful stress buster for test taking is positive self-talk. Anxiety can be lowered and confidence boosted with this simple technique. The following statements can be used before and during tests.

When angry or stressed, I take deep slow breaths.

I am calm, focused, and smart.

I am relaxed and alert.

I calmly trust my knowledge.

I know the answer to this question and I will look at it again in a few minutes.

I am smart and relaxed.

I am doing the best I can do, and my best is terrific.

I remember to breathe deeply during my tests.

Breathing deeply brings more oxygen to my brain.

I have enough time.

I have studied and I am prepared.

Being calm helps me to remember more.

Getting proper rest is essential to performing well at school and on tests. The Indigo Dreams CD Series introduces positive statements and 3 additional relaxation techniques for children and teens. Breathing, visualizing, progressive muscle relaxation will all help before, during and after tests.

Stress Free Kids founder Lori Lite has created a line of books and CDs designed to help children, teens, and adults decrease stress, anxiety, and anger. Ms. Lite’s books, CDs, and lesson plans are considered a resource for parents, psychologists, therapists, child life specialists, teachers, and yoga instructors. Lori is a certified children’s meditation facilitator and  Sears’ Manage My Life parenting expert. For more information visit Stress Free Kids and for daily advice follow Lori on Twitter and Facebook .

The Summer Slide

Summer slide is a phenomenon that has been studied since the early days of our education system.  It refers to the tendency of children to lose some of their learning over the summer vacation because they do not receive the same intellectual stimulation they got during the school year.  The result is that many teachers must spend time each fall remediating lost knowledge from the prior year before they can start teaching the current year’s curriculum.

Sadly, lower income children are likely to suffer much more from summer slide than middle and upper income children. Studies show that while more privileged children tend to lose about one month of learning, lower income children are likely to lose three or more months of knowledge. Why the difference? Lower income parents are less likely to be educated themselves, less likely to have books for their children, have fewer resources to provide enriching cultural experiences, and less likely to engage their children in stimulating conversation. 

Preventing summer slide doesn’t have to feel regimented like school, and it doesn't have to be expensive. Just look for creative ways to keep your child’s mind active. Here are a few simple suggestions to help your child stay ahead of the curve instead of behind:

·         Limit television and video games. Instead, encourage your child to visit the library   regularly to check out books that are of high interest to them.

·         Talk with your child about what he or she has read. Ask questions about the characters, what happened in the story and why.

·         Cook with your child to reinforce measurement and following directions.

·         Read the newspaper together and discuss current events.

·         If you take a trip, you can engage your child in learning to read maps, discovering geography, and seeing how cultures and climates differ from place to place.

·         When you have a backyard party, engage your child in the planning and shopping: How many people will attend? How much food is needed? What will it cost? Where can you get the best prices?

Most children will enjoy these activities, but if your child resists, just remind them:  The brain is like a muscle – if you don’t use it, you lose it! 

Thanks to our NE Florida Regional Director, Amy Copeland for writing this article. 

Check out our website for our summer rates and programs.

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On managing Halloween candy

Everyone who has spent half a day around kids knows that sugar intake has a very real, strong effect on their behavior and focus. The sugar high and its hyperactivity, the crash and its negative emotional effects... these are probably becoming just a little too familiar and predictable in the fallout from Halloween.

I was prepared to write a post, today, about taking control of the Halloween loot and carefully doling it out in small doses to minimize sugar spikes and crashes... but while looking for some good information on that topic, I actually came across something intriguing. Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen at Raise Healthy Eaters actually makes a persuasive case for letting kids manage their own Halloween stash (within limits). The idea is that by letting kids overdo it when they first get all the candy, it takes that little forbidden edge off eating sweets. For older kids, she argues, letting them totally control their own candy intake can be an extremely useful for teaching them about snacking. After a couple of days, the sugar will lose its allure and it will become a snacktime treat again.

This post was related to a larger series on the Raising Healthy Eaters blog about managing sweets, and though it went against my first instinct I have to say it makes sense. If parents micromanage too much, kids don't get to make their own (relatively low-stakes) mistakes and thus never learn to make healthy, smart decisions in the first place. We can teach by example, of course, but what we learn through doing is always going to be the easiest to remember.

What do you think? Is it worth braving a few days' chaos to let kids take control of their own decisions about sweets for a little while?

This blog is brought to you by A Quantum Leap Tutoring,  here for all your tutoring needs in Florida!

Candy Bar Charts and Using Spreadsheets

Halloween is finally upon us! In honor of our last post before Halloween (tune in again on Monday for some timely tips on sugar and snack intake and study habits), here's a little activity that serves two purposes: it's a math and computer skills exercise for the kids, and a way for parents to see just how much candy came in from trick-or-treating. I actually do this every year.

Supplies needed:
1) Lots of candy! If you've eaten some of it already, you can just use the empty wrappers, too.
2) A surface to separate candy out to sort and count it (even the floor works for this)
3) A computer with a spreadsheet program loaded up. If you have the MS Office Suite, Excel will do the trick; you can download the OpenOffice.org Suite for free and use OpenOffice Calc; or you can just go online and create a new Google Docs spreadsheet (from the link, click "Create New" and pick "Spreadsheet"). Alternatively, this will work on graph paper with a pencil and crayons for coloring in charts!

Step 1: Picking categories and sorting. Sort all the candy into categories. You can pick your categories: sort of color of wrapper, by type of candy (candy bar, fruit drop, etc.), by specific candy brand, or by company making the candy (M&M/Mars, etc.). Count up how many are in each category.

Step 2: Typing up your results. Create a spreadsheet. In the first column (A), list your categories. In the second column (B), list how many you have of each.

Step 3: Making a chart. Make a bar chart or pie chart comparing how many you have of each. Use the "chart wizard" to do this in MS Excel, or by going to the Insert menu and selecting "Chart" in either OpenOffice Calc or Google Docs, and following the on-screen directions. The chart will show you what type of candy, of your categories, was most popular to hand out.

Step 4: Calculating your total stash. After you've finished your chart, you can also figure out the total number of pieces of candy using the spreadsheet's auto-sum feature. In any of the programs I've listed, you can pick a cell (box on the spreadsheet) off to the right somewhere and type in "=SUM(B1:B100)" (without the quotes). Hit enter, and you'll see the total number of pieces of candy. This command adds up all the numbers in column B, from rows 1 to 100 (so unless you've got more than 100 categories, this should more than cover it!). Type "Total Candy" in the box to the right of this number so you'll know what it is later.

Step 5: Figuring out an average. You can also figure out the average number of pieces of candy per category. In the cell under your total number, type in "=AVERAGE(B1:B100)" (without quotes). Hit enter to see the average. You can label this as the average by typing "Average" in the cell to the right of this formula.

Step 6: Figuring out the mode. The mode is the most likely number to find in a group of numbers - the one that occurs most often. If all your numbers of pieces of candy listed are different, you'll get an error message for this formula, but if one number is more common than others, the spreadsheet software can find it. Under your average, type "=MODE(B1:B100)" (without the quotes). Hit enter to see the mode. If you have 5 pieces of bubble gum AND 5 Babe Ruth bars, but all the other categories have different numbers, your mode will be 5. If there are two possible modes, the software will pick one. If no number is more common than the others, there's no mode and you'll get an error message. Label this as the "Mode" in the cell to the right.

Step 7: Making adjustments. Feel like eating a piece of candy? Subtract it from the correct category and see your total and average (and maybe your mode) change! This is the real beauty of spreadsheets - that the formulas can keep updating as you update the information in the spreadsheet.

If your child is struggling in math - or any other subject - we're here to help at A Quantum Leap Tutoring. We're here for all your tutoring needs, any subject, any time of year, all over the state of Florida. Please give us a call so we can figure out the best plan to help your child with his or her own needs - while keeping your child's strengths in mind, too.

Halloween crafts!

Welcome back! At A Quantum Leap Tutoring, just like everywhere else, we're continuing to gear up for Halloween. Maybe you've been decorating for weeks now, or maybe some of you, like me, are crossing your fingers that you'll find some spare time to dig out the cobwebs and blacklight this Saturday... or to run out to the store to buy some decorations when last year's turn out to have gone missing.

But not all Halloween decorations need be purchased, nor do you have to be Martha Stewart - or even an adult! - to make great-looking decorations. Today, we've rounded up some links to super-easy Halloween crafts for kids to do, with you or even on their own, to spruce up the house to an appropriate level of spookiness by Sunday.

I'm not a gifted crafter myself, so I loved all the free craft patterns and instructions on allfreecraft.com's Halloween craft page. Every project (scroll down) has its own step-by-step instructions - with photos, so everyone can look at the project before you go finding supplies and decide if it would be something worth making. My favorites are the Halloween in a Jar "snowglobe" and the CD Pumpkin. I'm always a fan of reusing things for crafts; of the three "R"s, recycle, reduce, and reuse, people most often forget about reusing, or it just doesn't occur to us! There's no need to go out and buy a bunch of supplies  for any of these crafts; use what you've  got. For instance, the Egg Carton Bat (another great craft for using something you've already got lying around) says you need black paint, but even a black marker would do.

Along the same lines, familyfun.go.com has a lot of great ideas for Halloween decorations. One I think is great and unique is the House-o'-Lantern, which gives instructions for making your whole house into a pumpkin of sorts! Even without the orange tissue paper this would be pretty neat-looking, I think. Best of all, this site has 40 last-minute costume ideas.

When the decorating and preparation are easy, that means no stress about getting everything done on top of studying. It's a great celebration, but it also comes at the time of year when lots of students are starting to really struggle in school. The review at the beginning of the year is over, and we're getting deep into the new material, and it's a time when we often need to reevaluate plans for students. Tutoring can be a great option to supplement when students are struggling with background concepts necessary for their schoolwork. Remember, A Quantum Leap Tutoring is always here for all your tutoring needs, so give yourself a little peace of mind and enjoy the spooky season!

A Safe (and Not So Scary) Halloween

Though we all know that Halloween is all about spookiness and fright, and big kids really relish it, for both the younger and older folks, it can be a little TOO scary. Little kids can find the emphasis on startles and scares overwhelming, and as parents, it can be scary letting kids out to roam around the neighborhood. With that in mind, we have a couple of tips on staying safe, and on fun, less scary activities for those kids not loving the spooky atmosphere.

First, to put parents' minds at ease, a couple of short reads on Halloween trick-or-treating safety, one from Education.com and one from AlphaMom. The Education.com link has some great tips for older kids who might be trick-or-treating on their own, and the link from AlphaMom article has some excellent tips on safety gear.

But now for the younger crowd who might be feeling a bit apprehensive about the holiday, here are a couple of useful links I found for a less scary Halloween celebration:

Playing Halloween Bingo. The version in that link is all about finding images in printed media in the week leading up to Halloween, but for younger kids it could be a fun opportunity for them to look for Halloween-related images just around in their day-to-day lives - grocery shopping, in the car, etc. - and cross off anything they see!

Not-So-Scary Halloween Books for younger readers. Nothing like a good book to get into the spirit of the season without getting the shivers!

Come back next Monday evening for more great links! Or, subscribe to our RSS feed to get automatic updates in your browser (look for the little orange symbol that looks like a signal being transmitted in your browser's toolbar).

Pumpkins and Costumes and Newsletters, oh my!

Halloween is just around the corner! Most people are familiar with their local traditions here in the U.S. for Halloween, but how much do you know about the history of Halloween, or about how other people around the world celebrate the holiday? Education.com has some great articles on these topics if you want to know more.

Here's a little of what I learned from those articles. For one thing, it turns out that turnips, not pumpkins, were traditionally carved to be used as candle holders. And although Halloween as it is celebrated in the U.S. is pretty uniquely American, a lot of countries have similar holidays for honoring the dead or partying in costumes - Great Britain even celebrates with fireworks!

If you subscribe to our newsletter, you'll have seen a link to a great set of activities about pumpkins over at EducationWorld.com. My favorite is called Predicting Pumpkins, a hands-on science activity for all ages. All you need is a couple of different-sized pumpkins and the instructions from that page (printing a couple of copies of the PDF worksheet can't hurt). At the end you get to carve your pumpkins just as you normally would, and your front porch will look even better for having diverse sizes of pumpkins carved on it!

The whole activity is written as a lesson plan for a classroom - but remember, the real world and home are both great classrooms! It might be reasonable to adapt activities written as lesson plans for home use, but there are so many lesson plans available online that can be a lot of fun to do at home, even if you don't fill out worksheets or get graded like in school.

If you missed that link because you don't subscribe to our newsletter yet, please sign up! It's free and comes out once a month, full of great tips, contests, and fun education resources. You can sign up on our website, http://www.tutoringbycity.com - just scroll down and put your information in. We won't be selling your email address - you'll just get a monthly email with all kinds of useful information (and the occasional tutoring discount) in it!

Come back Wednesday for some more useful tips about making Halloween a safe and less scary holiday! We're so used to Halloween being about screams and fright - but the holiday can be more friendly for the younger crowd, or for any of us not looking to be scared out of our wits.