Textbook Tutor

You've got an essay due. You've opened a blank document. And you've been staring at the blinking cursor for 20 minutes. What exactly are you supposed to write? Getting started can be one of the hardest parts of writing an essay. The good news is that you don't need to come up with a brilliant opening sentence right away. In fact, trying to write the perfect first sentence is often what keeps you from writing anything at all. Here are some ways to get moving. 1. Figure Out What the Question Is Asking Before you start writing, make sure you understand the assignment. If your teacher asks: “How does the main character change throughout the novel?” your essay isn't simply supposed to describe the character. You need to explain how the character changes and probably provide evidence from the book. Underline or circle the important words in the assignment. Then put the question into your own words. If you can't explain what the assignment is asking, it's going to...

Remember those first few days of school when everything felt new? Now you're probably starting to get into a routine. You know your teachers, you've had some homework, and you've probably taken a quiz or two. That also means it's a good time to stop and check how things are going. You don't need to wait for your first report card to find out whether you're on track. A quick school-year checkup now can help you spot small problems while they're still easy to fix. Here are five things to check. 1. Look at Your Grades If your school has an online grading system, log in and take a look. Don't just check your overall grade. Look at the individual assignments underneath it. Are you doing well on tests but losing points on homework? Are there a couple of low quiz grades pulling down your average? Are there assignments marked missing that you thought you turned in? You don't need to panic over one bad grade. You're looking for patterns. 2. Find Any Missi...

You studied. You understood the material. You felt pretty good walking into the test. Then you got it back and saw a bunch of points you lost on problems you actually knew how to do. Sound familiar? Sometimes the problem isn't that you don't understand math. It's that a small mistake—dropping a negative sign, copying a number incorrectly, or rushing through the last few problems—cost you points. The good news is that these mistakes are often easy to prevent. 1. Slow Down on the First Step A surprising number of math mistakes happen before you even start solving the problem. You copy a number incorrectly. You miss a negative sign. You don't notice that the problem is asking for something slightly different than you expected. Before doing any calculations, take a few seconds to read the entire problem carefully. Make sure you've copied the important numbers and understand what you're being asked to find. Those few seconds can save you from doing an entire problem ...

For some students, algebra seems easy. For others, it can feel like someone took a perfectly good math problem and replaced half the numbers with letters. If you're struggling with algebra, don't assume you're simply "not a math person." Algebra is a skill, and like most skills, you can get better at it with practice and the right approach. Here are seven things that can make algebra easier. 1. Don't Skip the Basics Algebra builds on itself. If you're having trouble with equations today, the problem might actually be something you learned several weeks or months ago. Make sure you're comfortable with the basics: Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing negative numbers Fractions and decimals Order of operations Exponents Working with variables If one of these areas gives you trouble, spend a little time reviewing it. Fixing a small gap now can make future lessons much easier. 2. Write Down Every Step When you're doing algebra in your head, it...

The first few days of school might have felt pretty manageable. You found your classrooms, met your teachers, figured out your schedule, and started getting back into a routine. Then suddenly... everything starts happening at once. There's homework. A quiz coming up. Maybe a project. Soccer practice. A club meeting. Messages from your friends. And somehow, you still need to find time to sleep. If you're starting to feel like your new school-year routine is getting a little harder to manage, don't panic. This is actually a great time to make a few small changes before things get even busier. 1. Don't Wait Until You're Overwhelmed One of the biggest mistakes students make is waiting until they have a huge pile of homework before getting organized. Instead, take a few minutes each day to see what's coming up. Check your assignments, look at upcoming tests and projects, and think about what needs to get done first. You don't need a complicated planner or a color...

 The first few weeks of school can feel surprisingly easy. You get your new classes, meet your teachers, catch up with friends, and start settling into your routine. Then, a few weeks go by. The new-school-year excitement starts to fade. Homework starts piling up. Tests and projects appear on the calendar. You're getting tired of waking up early. And suddenly, that motivation you had at the beginning of the year isn't quite as strong. Don't worry—this happens to almost everyone. The trick isn't to stay motivated every single day. It's to build a few simple habits that help you keep moving forward, even when school starts feeling like, well, school. 1. Stick With Your Routine By now, you probably have a pretty good idea of what your school days look like. Try to stick with a basic routine for homework, studying, sleep, and getting ready for school. Your routine doesn't have to be complicated. Maybe you come home, take a short break, eat a snack, and then spend an...

That feeling you get when the first day of school is getting closer? A little nervousness is completely normal. Maybe you're wondering who your teachers will be. Maybe you're worried about having a harder schedule this year. Or maybe you're just not looking forward to getting up early again! The good news is that you don't have to get rid of every nervous feeling before school starts. A few simple tricks can help you feel more prepared—and once school actually gets going, those worries often disappear pretty quickly. 1. Remember That You're Not the Only One It can seem like everyone else is excited and confident while you're the only person feeling nervous. That's almost certainly not true. Lots of students have some back-to-school jitters, including students who seem like they have everything figured out. Even students who are returning to the same school may be nervous about new classes, teachers, friends, or expectations. So if you're feeling anxious,...