After many years helping hundreds and hundreds of students, we have heard nearly every excuse why not to get help. But in reality, most students need some type of help improving their grades, raising test scores on the SAT or ACT, or targeting colleges of best fit. And no excuse can hide that reality.
“I don’t need help. I am only in eighth grade. I will get it together when I need to get serious.”
“Help? Yeah, my grades could be better, but I have time. I am sure if I just put my mind to it, I will be fine.”
“I can get higher test scores working on my own. After all, I can take the test as many times as I want.”
“I am a really smart person. I do not need help; it will all come together naturally.”
“How can I find two hours a week in my schedule? I just do not have that kind of time!”
No matter how smart you may be or how “normal” you consider yourself to be, getting help with school-related performance is not some badge of shame that only the “dumb” kids need. At some point in our lives, we all need help. If you want to be a better athlete, you find a great trainer or coach or nutritionist or sports psychologist. Do athletes who follow this path fall into the “dumb” category? If so, tell Tiger Woods. Or Michael Jordan. Or David Beckham. Even one of the greatest minds of the last century, Albert Einstein, had teachers from whom he benefited immensely. We do not grow in a vacuum; we learn interactively, not in solitude. We all need help; the only “dumb” person is the one who refuses to ask for help.
Many of you probably sit in class at some point and wonder, “I totally do not understand what the teacher is saying.” You raise your hand and ask a question. You see the teacher after class or in academic lab. And still, you just cannot seem to connect with the teacher or the material.
Many of you probably find yourself reading a textbook or working an assignment and feeling lost. Your friends try to explain, even mom or dad offer a thought or two, but you remain clueless.
All of us learn in different ways. Each of us has a unique brain whose millions of neurons process information at different speeds and on different paths. That does not make any of us defective or slow; it makes us human. Our brains do not fully mature until we reach our mid-twenties, yet teachers and schools and colleges expect us all to learn at the same pace. Most of us need help with conditioning, a coach that can guide us to higher performance before our brain fully ripens.
We have worked with students with genius level IQs and students with severe learning disabilities, and with every type of student in between. We understand how you process information, we readily identify your unique learning style so we can communicate in the same language. Working within your personal framework, we help you learn to work more efficiently, to understand assignments more clearly, to think more critically and effectively, to feel more confident when you face a big test. We help you reach your goals, make your dreams a reality. And we only require two or three hours per week of your time.
When you work with us, you will work one-on-one. You will have a program of instruction designed specifically for your academic goals and your learning style. If we work with you on tutoring, we will take your class subjects and help you better understand concepts, organize material more effectively and learn how best to study for tests. If we work with you on test preparation, we will break down the tests for you so that you understand their design; we remove the fear and replace it with confidence. Through familiarity and practice, you will build up the skill inventory the particular test expects you to master. And in a rather short period of time, you will see concrete results, real progress.
We hope you take some time to explore what we have to offer. Visit the Case Studies page to see the types of students with whom we have worked and their paths to success. Try our Question of the Week. Go to the Moving Minds forum, read our latest blog entries and join in the discussion – we think you will find it timely and relevant. And if you have a question for us about your situation, drop us an email.
Thanks for visiting, and we look forward to meeting you.