By the Peer2Blog Team Peer2Peer’s main goal is to create and maintain a well-rounded community for students of all ages. This includes connecting the students to better academic assistance and promoting education while creating equitable learning opportunities for all students. We are students helping students hoping to make a collaborative environment. To create this kind of community, the tutors are significant - they are the backbone of Peer2Peer.
To make any session productive, the student needs to be in a comfortable learning environment. Introduce yourself and let the student feel at ease! Encouraging them when they get stuck throughout the session helps maintain a constructive learning environment. If you can, allow the student to take control of their own learning. For example, if the session is focused broadly on using fractions in equations, give the student a choice between multiplying or dividing fractions. Putting the student in control of their education gives them confidence, and makes the session more meaningful. It’s important to let your interest in the subject shine through so the student looks forward to learning about the subject. Prepping beforehand ensures that your session will run smoothly. It can also help you feel more confident about your material. First, always make a lesson plan. You don’t have to follow it word-for-word; it ultimately depends on what the student needs help with during the session. You can adjust it as you go, but make sure that it includes: articles or questions of increasing difficulty, time to review the previous session (if your sessions are weekly), an introduction to the topic, practice, and review at the end. If your student has homework that they need help with, try to get it from them beforehand and work it into your plan. If they don’t need help with specific questions, Khan Academy, Education.com, and IXL are great resources to draw practice problems from. Still, don’t spend all your time on external websites; you want your session to feel personal. If your student were just looking for practice problems, they wouldn’t have signed up for tutoring. Also, if the subject you’re tutoring is more complex, take time to review the material yourself beforehand. Sometimes even when you’ve prepared for your session, there are things that you may not be able to control. If a student has not prepared enough or isn’t as strong in a topic, you may need to refocus your session to that topic. You can ask the student what they are strong in and go from there or ask the Peer Leader supervising the session for help as well. If you or your student experience internet issues, let the other know what is happening and try closing out other tabs, checking your network, or rejoining the meeting. You can also switch to another platform like Skype or Google Meets. If the issues persist, ask to reschedule the meeting to a suitable time. If there are specific questions you aren’t prepared to answer, use your resources! You can Google the question, search through worksheets you have prepared, or consult your Peer Leader. Just remember to make mistakes into learning opportunities that will only make your next session go smoother. As long as you follow these tips and any others you may receive from tutors or Peer Leaders, you can create a great learning environment. Making sure all of our Peer2Peer tutors are well equipped for their sessions is an important part of keeping our community strong.
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By Aditya Mehta and Kaustuba Baratam During these strange times, it might feel as if we are stuck. However, it's critical to not waste time worrying about what we missed out on and instead ask ourselves what we can do about it. Sure, there aren’t school clubs, sports meets, and other in person activities, but one constant is the Internet. In a more positive light, COVID-19 has presented us with an opportunity to have a new perspective on life - one where we are free from the hustle of in person activities and do everything online. Whether it is volunteering online, school work, or exercise, there's a way in which we can do it together.
One of the many opportunities given during these last couple months is volunteering. Many initiatives originated due to the lack of resources we have now. Initiatives with many different goals: giving back, educating, etc. help people around the world. Take some time to research about what you can do to help your community virtually. Other local organizations created to help the community alongside Peer2Peer include: COVID-GCA, Appily Day, and BMC Prep. Here at Peer2Peer, we focus on giving a high-quality education especially to those who are missing out on it because of COVID-19. With so many options, be on lookout for volunteering opportunities! A large part of giving back to the community is recognizing local as well as global issues. Whether or not an issue directly affects you, it’s important to stay informed because it allows you to be a part of something bigger. Global activity creates a strong impact on many lives and being an activist is one way to broaden your horizons. Do your part in the community! Sign petitions, spread the word, and educate yourselves in the free time you have, to develop positive habits. Let’s face it, the schooling system has taken a turn and it will not be going back to normal for a while. Until then, we need to learn how to carry over our previous activities to today’s virtual restrictions. Mental health is an important part of our lives and without in-person interactions, it can be difficult to maintain a proper social life. Considering these circumstances, how does one move past these barriers? Take some time to evaluate how you are doing; recognize measures you can take to improve your day and talk to family or friends frequently. In these unprecedented times, remember that everyone is facing similar situations. These times can present you with opportunities you did not have before like finding time to volunteer, keeping up with current events, finding ways to help, and most importantly taking care of your mental health. Before the impacts of COVID-19 our lives were fast-paced and often did not give us time to focus on ourselves. It is critical to take advantage of the opportunities given The Peer2Peer and Covid-GCA team are here to provide resources to help! For more information visit covid-gca.org or peer2peercharlotte.weebly.com. By Ella Rasmussen According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a doctor is “a person skilled or specializing in healing arts.” So, what does that actually mean? As a teenager decidedly unqualified to answer that question, I asked one. Sean M. Fox, MD, is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Carolinas Medical Center of Atrium Health here in Charlotte. He’s also the Program Director for the Medical Center’s Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program.
According to Dr. Fox, “doctor” encompasses a huge range of disciplines, and, contrary to that sterile, rigid impression that most people have of professions in the sciences, it’s much more personal than one might think. Deciding how to pursue your career after medical school “requires a personal assessment of what you as an individual value and hold most dear,” he says. “The practice of medicine is quite vast and has many refined areas.” And we haven’t even gotten to the messy details of actually treating patients yet. But getting there, or surviving medical school, is what really teaches you the spirit of the field. As a professor, Dr. Fox puts special emphasis on the amount of dedication it takes to complete a doctor’s education. According to him, the process typically involves four years of college, four years of medical school, and three to five years of training in a specialty of medical practice (such as pediatrics or surgery), also known as residency. While primary care doctors start their careers by finishing their residencies and taking Board Examinations, specialists require additional years of training. One of the most difficult parts of the process, according to Dr. Fox, is “to prioritize continued efforts in learning more every day.” In his words, the puzzle pieces do not all come together at one time. Medical school involves years worth of learning, forgetting, and relearning all the moving parts of the medical field, while your chosen specialty will challenge you to combine select bits of that knowledge. So, yes. It’s incredibly difficult--and it should be. You’re learning how to coax the obstinate boundaries of the medical field forward, and at the same time, you’re entrusted with saving lives. But, Dr. Fox says, don’t let that stop you. “Regardless of what path you select, there will be aspects that are not pleasurable,” he notes, “but if that path gets you to the place that you love, then the pain is tolerable and even beneficial.” While that education sounds like a marathon you have to run just to start your career, it’s an integral part of a process that continues throughout the profession. “We are all on the same path toward mastery, but that path is really an asymptote, never crossing that point of mastery,” says Dr. Fox. “We all need to be diligent and continually push the educational and experience boulder up the mountainous path.” He considers succeeding on that path one of the highlights of his career. And though it may seem easier to take the path of least resistance, one of his biggest pieces of advice for students interested in becoming a doctor is to choose a career based on what you love rather than on avoiding what you don’t. “Do something that inspires others as well as yourself,” he says. “Never stop learning.” Of course, the profession after training presents its own challenges. Dr. Fox works in the Emergency Department, where he holds that there are no typical days. Working eight to ten hours at a time, his department treats anything from minor cuts to victims of major car accidents. Residents typically work much longer shifts limited to thirty contiguous hours. While he sees severe, graphic injuries on the regular, he says the most stressful part of his job is constantly watching for signs of those severe illnesses that aren’t immediately obvious. “The fear of missing a clue, or worse, causing harm induces a lot of stress.” Still, the upsides of the work measure up well against the demands. “Without a doubt, that stress is offset by the reward of being present to help a patient and their family in their time of need,” he says. And, of course, the obligatory answer to the question everyone is really asking: how accurate is Grey’s Anatomy? Unfortunately, Dr. Fox stresses how bad television is at portraying medical care--typically, they tend to prioritize drama over the continuous, chaotic learning experience required of most emergency department staff. Though it may be a demanding profession, it’s just as achievable as any other. It’s not impossible. You don’t have to be a once-in-a-generation genius. Really, what you need to pursue a medical career is a “steadfast resolve to want to improve yourself every day,” says Dr. Fox. With that, you can focus on what the field is really about: helping people in need. By Mihir Kale The SAT English Section is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing & Language. These have a combined total of 96 Questions: 52 in Reading and 44 in Writing. The Reading Section of the SAT is fairly difficult for many students. The Reading Section is made up of 4 distinct passages and a paired passage (two short essays sharing a question set). Each of these 5 “sections” has 10-11 questions each. There are three different kinds of texts: History, Literature, and Science. There will always be 1 Literature passage and a combination of Science and History passages. Reading passages are usually about certain topics:
History passages cover themes like abolition, suffrage, democracy, and paired passages that compare two opposing opinions on those themes. Science passages cover evolution, new research studies, or summaries of complex scientific discoveries. Paired passages for science usually build off of one another and look at different angles of the same topic. Literature passages are excerpts of major novels, such as Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre, and focus on deciphering complex language to determine themes and characterization. Reading questions are organized from most general to most specific, which means that you should always start by reading the whole passage first. The first few questions will almost always ask you to summarize the passage or identify themes that apply to the entire passage. Towards the latter half, questions will focus on paragraphs or even sentences. In the Reading section, it can be difficult to determine the correct answer because some complex questions can have multiple answers that seem “correct”. When presented with this problem you can:
Keep in mind that to be successful in anything, even the SAT it takes lots and lots of practice! Some useful sources include: Khan Academy, reading the newspaper, and using released practice exams. You can also schedule a session to work on the SAT here at Peer2Peer with one of our qualified tutors! The Peer2Blog team wishes you the best of luck with testing! Don't be nervous, you will do amazing! By Mihir Kale, Kaustuba Baratam, and Aditi Bharathkumar Edited by Ella Rasmussen and Amy Zhang As a freshman, you’ll face a lot of firsts. Being the youngest class in high school is a big source of stress, but don’t worry! Every one of us has dealt with these same struggles, and the Peer2Peer team is here to help! AP classes are a common worry for students, so it's good for freshmen to be prepared.
Why we take AP Classes The main reasons students want to take AP classes: A) to get a bump on their GPA B) to get a feel for college-level courses. However, keep in mind that AP courses and College courses are very different! AP courses help you pass the test, whereas college courses help you get an in-depth knowledge of how professionals in that particular field will think; another key difference is that AP Exams are standardized, while college exams will not be. Just be aware that the AP experience is an introduction to college-level work, not actually a replica of it. Making the Decision Deciding between an AP and an honors course can be tough. AP classes boost your GPA and can earn you credits for college. If you’re trying to prepare for harder classes later on, ‘freshman APs’ are a great way to get that experience and have a smaller workload. That doesn't mean that these classes are easy; just that they’re more manageable for freshmen. AP PSYCHOLOGY What is covered In this course, you will learn about the basics of human behavior. The course is designed to introduce biological and mental processes. Expectations AP psych is one of the more fun and interesting AP classes, but only if you put in the work. Reading is fundamental to this class. You will frequently be assigned reading and have quizzes based on it. This class was the first AP class I took, and it was hard to adjust to because I have never taken a class that was so reading and memorization oriented. There aren't a lot of topics to cover, however they are detailed and structured. What you learn in one unit will be used in the next. You should also expect to remember a lot of vocabulary, influential people, and experiments. Advice As mentioned earlier, expect a lot of reading! Also, take time to understand the concepts and learn them with examples. Use flashcards or Quizlets! This will be key for last-minute studying. Passing the exam We don't know what AP testing will look like next year, but preparation is key! Find or create a study guide, and be detailed! Use examples and take your time making it. Don't rush through your work, because ultimately, it's not about the due dates. It's about how well you know the material and whether you can pass the test. Take practice exams before the test date- this will help you better understand what the testing experience is. AP WORLD HISTORY : MODERN What is covered AP World is an intensive course that teaches themes of history in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas from 1200 C.E. to the present day. You will learn about cultural, social, and political developments that have changed the world. Expectations You should be ready for a lot of writing. AP World won't ask you to memorize dates or facts, but you will need to observe themes and patterns across history and cultures. Thoroughly understanding these concepts will be critical in this class. Advice It’s not impossible to succeed in AP World, but you need to focus on mastering types of questions that are on the AP Exam: the document-based question (DBQ) and long essay question (LEQ). The ability to get your point across to the reader using examples will be critical! Passing the exam Since you need to thoroughly understand the themes and identify examples in AP World, try taking the released exams that College Board has on their website. To better prepare for the exam, you also need to know the concepts with examples! Making a study guide or finding videos and other resources online can change your perspective on AP exam prep. AP World is about knowing themes and identifying examples of those themes, so practice writing short paragraphs explaining trends and using historical events as evidence. AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY What is covered This course is about humans--how we have developed and altered the Earth's surface. It’s a vocab-oriented course and teaches students concepts and models in geography, migration, culture, agriculture, and development around the world. Be ready! Expectations You can expect a lot of vocab! Remember, this is an AP course, so while it may seem easier compared to some classes,keep in mind that this course is focused on memorization. Be prepared for a lot of models, theorems, concepts, and ideas that you need to provide examples of and apply to real life. You will need to memorize information about people, the development of places, and more. There's a lot of memorization in freshman APs. Advice Use Quizlets! Based on what textbook you use, your vocab and concepts might differ slightly from others. Still, you can find so many resources online that will help you ace the class and the test. I have used Quizlets and study guides from other teachers, and I also watched the APHG review sessions that the College Board posted on YouTube last semester. Passing the Exam Make a useful study guide and thoroughly understand it. You should understand everything on it, and include examples to explain your answers on the exam. You should also practice identifying critical information in maps and other diagrams. Conclusion As you can see, these ap classes are easier compared to other ones because of their emphasis on social sciences. These classes are usually much easier to understand for students, because they are more interesting and straightforward, along with being focused on memorization. As always, feel free to use Peer2Peer as a resource for better understanding topics. You can always request a tutoring session and delve deeper into the topics with a qualified tutor. The Peer2Blog team wishes you the best of luck with these courses! By Mihir Kale The SAT Math Section is divided into two major sections, NO CALCULATOR and CALCULATOR OK, which have a combined total of 58 questions, 13 of which are Free Response and 45 multiple choice. For SAT Math, the questions are organized from easiest to hardest. You’ll notice that the last couple of questions are the free response questions, which are a bit easier to make up for the change from multiple choice. Because these SAT Questions are organized based on difficulty, achieving certain scores can be measured by how comfortable you feel when answering the parts of each section. In general, students who score above a 1400 can answer the first half of each section efficiently, and use around a quarter of the time given for that section. This sounds a little complicated, but the process is really simple! While taking a practice test, keep in mind the time you take to complete half the section: which is 10 questions for No Calculator, and 19 Questions for Calculator OK. The first thing to do when studying for the SAT is to take a practice test, which is the most important tool for measuring your score and progress. For your first Practice Test, I recommend using Khan Academy, which gives a really concise and thorough breakdown of which questions you missed and how to solve them. This information is crucial because you need to identify the topics you’re struggling in to get better at them. However, note that Khan Academy only includes some of the official College Board Practice Tests, specifically: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Meaning that Tests 2 and 4 are NOT INCLUDED, this is great because you can use it to your advantage. Let me explain. On test day, you’ll be taking a test on paper, while all of Khan Academy’s tests are online, which seems unimportant, but it can make a difference if you aren't used to paper tests. So: Download Tests 2 and 4 and print them from the College Board website, use these as the last tests you’ll take before the big day, which will give you an opportunity to get acclimatized to the actual SAT format on paper. Now, depending on how much time you have left to study, you should aim at taking as many practice tests as possible, set aside a specific day where you take a Practice SAT every week, or even twice a week. For a standard 3 month schedule, take Khan Academy Tests once a week for 8 weeks, and then College Board paper tests twice a week -whichever ones you did at the very beginning on Khan Academy- for the remaining 4 weeks. By the end of 8 weeks, it is unlikely that you might remember the answers to the repeated tests. Nevertheless, make sure that Tests 2 and 4 are saved for the very, very end, as they are the closest you can get to the actual SAT experience as long as you haven't seen them before. I’ve taken a practice test...now what? Once you’ve taken a practice test, the next big step is compiling an error summary, basically an analysis of every question you missed. A good error summary will include:
The key thing about your error summary, is that it allows you to understand which topics you need to work on. Khan Academy selects these topics for you automatically, and it’s a great resource for solving multiple practice questions. However, it’s important to make sure that Khan Academy isn’t your only source of practice, get as many different sources of practice problems as possible!
The 100% Absolute Best Resource would be the official College Board study guide, which will allow you to work through any topic in the simplest way possible, with detailed instructions. While Khan Academy will give you a lot of Practice Problems, it’s not entirely helpful when it comes to learning new topics from scratch. You can also find tons of resources for free, for example, Acing The New SAT Math Section, by Alex Hyun, is a PDF on the internet and covers all 20 “sub-topics”. By Kaustuba Baratam and Aditi Bharathkumar Studying is definitely important to doing well in classes, however there isn’t a set way to study that works for everyone. What works for you definitely won’t work for all 30 of your classmates, so how do we find the best solution for each person? In this article: we have descriptions of some of the best study methods that have worked for us and other people we have spoken to. We hope that you are able to take away some good study tips:)
BECOMING A BETTER STUDIER Let's start off with some basic tips that might help you become a better studier. First, designating a strict study area is more important than many may think. Freshman year of high school, I studied on my bed often and usually fell asleep later. The following year, I set up a desk and made sure I kept it (somewhat) neat; I kept track of my work with my new organization skills and did much better sophomore year. Having a place that you associate mainly with studying has proven to be useful and produces better results than using other places. Another important factor to keep in mind when designating your study area is checking what noise level is good for you. This factor is of course based on the individual. Do you prefer blasting music or having pin-drop silence? There has been a lot of research done about sounds that may help you focus: wave frequencies, classical music, etc. I recommend looking this up if you don't know what might work best for you. Personally, I prefer little to none when studying:) Along with having a set space and noise level to study, it's critical to have a set time. After school, most people tend to take a break and then start working. Whether you choose to take a break or finish homework right when you get home, make sure you are consistent with the times at which you complete your after school activities. By maintaining a uniform routine after school, you make it easier for yourself to associate a certain time with studying. STUDY METHODS Another important factor of learning to study better is knowing methods that will maximize your results. Here are three popular methods that are often used to study: First up is the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto rule. This basically means that if you spend 20% of your study time focused and not distracted whatsoever, this will equal to 80% of the time you spent studying somewhat distracted and getting off topic. Focusing and getting work done in less time is better than studying for 5 hours and getting off topic every 10 minutes, and allows you to grasp the content better so that you really understand what you’re studying. This is pretty confusing, so again additional research might help! Next up, we have the Pomodoro method. It is a widely used time management technique. It especially helps people who can't pay attention for long periods of time. The method is broken up into 5 steps:
SOME GREAT STUDY TOOLS Once you have a set routine, the next step is to develop good strategies that help you study efficiently. Taking notes is the first step to retaining the information you are given. Any study materials you create will be made from the information in your notes, so make sure you are taking thorough and precise notes in class. Pay attention, especially to topics that your teacher hints will be on your next test. .First, it might be helpful to paraphrase some sections of your notes that you struggle with. As mentioned earlier, one critical rule when studying is that you know a topic well enough when you can confidently explain it to someone else. You can better understand concepts by applying analogies that work in similar ways, but make sure that the analogies are accurate and can be applied to that situation. Once you have cleared up any trouble areas, judge the material that you are studying to see which tools might be best moving forward. For example, flashcards and Quizlets are great for vocabulary or simple memorization, flowcharts and diagrams are great to explain a system or process, and memory games are best to use after you have a basic foundation on topics. And of course, it might be best to use a combination of these methods for your topic. While some of these tools may seem time consuming to make, remember that the Internet is on your side! Most of the time there are great study materials that already exist online. All it takes is a Google search to find interactives, notes, presentations, articles, and online flashcards to help you study the way that works best for you. Once you have gotten the bulk of your studying done, you can make a condensed cheat sheet on the topic. Include pictures or colors as needed to help remember key details. Studies have shown that using blue ink when writing helps retain more information- so give that a try! THINGS YOU MAY BE DOING WRONG While most people think that they have been using good studying strategies, there are several common mistakes. For example, you might think that taking a long period of time to study is ideal, but studies have shown that taking short breaks while studying increases efficiency. Similarly, studying the same subject for a long period is equally unhelpful. Instead, try studying in small chunks of time and switching up subjects after each break. Another bad habit is skimming through notes instead of doing interactive activities like the note-taking skills mentioned earlier. One of the most common mistakes includes trying to memorize information rather than understanding the processes. If there is one thing that we want you to leave with, it’s that a single method definitely won’t work for everyone and that everyone’s study plan will be different. It is important to recognize that finding an effective study schedule is important for your academic career. We hope that you are able to learn something useful from this blog! Let us know what study method works best for you! Hey guys! We are Peer2Blog, a brand new addition to Peer2Peer. The intention of this blog is to help our mentors and mentees with both academic and extracurricular activities. Along with this, we plan to educate and share anything that the Peer2Peer community- A.K.A you guys- feel needs to be addressed. Our goal is to cover a plethora of topics that the community is passionate about and issues that we would like to share our thoughts on. As part of the Peer2Peer community, we plan to use this platform in the most helpful way possible. This platform is open to suggestions, feel free to fill out our form: https://forms.gle/TxDcR64f1HRtkthE6! We hope you all enjoy us putting our two cents out there!
- Kaustuba Baratam and Aditi Bharathkumar |
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