Tag Archive for: grades

Drew M. Hodis

Building Resilience on Your Academic Journey

Building resilience on your academic journey.

Every student faces challenges on their academic journey. Whether it’s a difficult class, a bad grade, or a personal setback, everyone experiences moments of doubt and discouragement. But the most successful students are those who are able to overcome these challenges and build resilience.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. It’s about having the strength and perseverance to keep going even when things are tough. Resilient students are able to learn from their mistakes, adapt to change, and stay motivated in the face of challenges.


Building Resilience

  • Take care of yourself. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and exercise regularly. Taking care of your physical and mental health will give you the energy and focus you need to succeed academically.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a teacher, tutor, or classmate. There are many people who are willing to help you succeed. Consider getting expert tutoring help from Hodis Learning & Music.
  • Set realistic goals. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals. Break down large goals into smaller, more manageable ones. This will help you to stay on track and motivated. See: SMART Goals.
  • Develop a positive attitude. A positive attitude can go a long way in helping you to overcome challenges. Focus on your strengths and believe in yourself.
  • Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and move on. Don’t let your mistakes discourage you.


Specific Examples

Here are some specific examples of how students can build resilience in the face of common academic challenges:

  • Dealing with a difficult class. If you’re struggling in a particular class, don’t give up. Talk to your teacher about what you’re struggling with and ask for help. You may also want to consider forming a study group with other students in the class or hiring a tutor.
  • Getting a bad grade. Everyone gets bad grades from time to time. It’s important to not let one bad grade define you. Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Analyze your performance on the test or assignment and identify areas where you can improve.
  • Experiencing a personal setback. If you’re going through a difficult time in your personal life, it’s important to be patient with yourself. Don’t expect to perform at your best academically when you’re dealing with personal challenges. Talk to your teachers or counselor about what you’re going through and ask for support.

Building resilience takes time and effort. But it’s an essential skill for all students to develop. Resilient students are more likely to succeed academically and in life.


Additional Tips for Building Resilience:

  • Cultivate a relationship with a mentor. A mentor is someone who can provide you with guidance and support on your academic journey. They can help you to set goals, develop strategies for success, and overcome challenges.
  • Build a strong support network. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and support your goals. This could include family, friends, teachers, or other students.
  • Celebrate your successes. It’s important to celebrate your successes, no matter how small they may seem. This will help you to stay motivated and keep moving forward.

Remember, you’re not alone. Everyone faces challenges on their academic journey. But by building resilience, you can overcome these challenges and achieve your goals.


Get Expert Help to Build Academic Resilience

Hodis Learning & Music provides expert, individualized academic tutoring and academic coaching to students of all ages and backgrounds, helping them master course material and optimize academic performance. Learn more about our services by calling or emailing us today!

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Rachel Hodis

6 Steps to Improve Your Grades After Receiving a Poor Progress Report

6 steps to improve your grades after receiving a poor progress report

It can be discouraging to receive a poor progress report. But students can take action to improve their grades before the end of the semester. The steps below guide students on how they can improve their grades.


1. Identify the Problem

Review your progress report to understand which subjects you are struggling with and which areas within that subject are most challenging. Once you’ve identified those specific problems, you can start to work towards improving in those areas.


2. Set Attainable Goals

Set achievable short and long term goals for yourself based on your progress report. Make sure your goals are SMART, or specific, measurable, and timely. An example of a good short-term goal could be to complete all homework assignments for a specific subject for the next two weeks. A long-term goal could be to improve your overall grade in that subject by one letter grade by the end of the semester.


3. Create a Study Plan

A study plan can help you stay on track and focused on your goals. Create a study plan with specific times and places designated for studying. Make sure you plan in breaks to avoid burnout. And incorporate study techniques that are proven to work best.


4. Seek Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from teachers, tutors, or classmates. For example, you can ask your teacher for clarification on difficult concepts or get feedback on your assignments. A tutor can help you create a study plan, help you with homework, or explain challenging concepts in new, approachable ways.


5. Stay Organized

Use a planner or calendar to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and exam dates. This can also be where you write down your study plan and schedule. Check out our other tips for staying organized.


6. Stay Motivated

Remind yourself of your goals and progress to help you stay motivated, even when work is challenging. You can also build in rewards when you achieve some of your goals or complete a challenging assignment.


Improve Your Grades With Tutoring

A progress report can be helpful for determining where you are and where you need to work harder. Tutoring is a fantastic option to help you set your goals, stay on track, and achieve better grades by the end of the semester. Learn more about our academic tutoring services or contact us to schedule your first session!

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Rachel Hodis
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End of Term Checklist for Students

Congratulations, students! You’ve almost made it through another school year, and a year that hopefully felt more exciting, comfortable, and, well, normal than the previous two school years.

With the end of term approaching, so too are final exams and projects. Here’s a quick checklist for you to follow before you end the year.


1. Check your Grades

This is to ensure that you won’t be surprised when final grades come in. This is also a great opportunity to see if you can make up any work or see what you might need to do on your final assignments to get the best grade possible.


2. Talk to Your Teachers

If you’re behind in a class, missing assignments, or just want to make sure you’re prepared for your final exam or assignment, check in with your teacher. Talking to them now will allow you adequate time to catch up on assignments and prepare without needing to rush. Your teacher will also appreciate hearing from you earlier rather than right before or after the final assignment. Read our guide on talking to your teacher.


3. Create a Timeline

Create timelines to help you approach studying or complete those last assignments for the term. Breaking down your studying will help you retain information better and won’t feel as overwhelming. This same method will help if you’re trying to complete a final project or paper. Trust me, spending just 30 minutes writing every day to finish an essay will be much better than trying to write the whole thing right before the deadline!


4. Book a Tutor

Tutoring sessions will be much more effective and helpful if you have a few weeks to work with a tutor rather than just the day before. Plus, tutors aren’t just for studying or academic classes– book someone to help you write or edit your final research paper, or find an educator who can help you prepare for a year-end musical performance!


5. Plan for Summer

If you truly feel like you might have fallen behind in a class this year, it’s not a bad idea to think about scheduling tailored sessions to help you catch up before next year. You can also schedule summer activities that aren’t academic! Consider music lessons or art instruction, or even a portfolio workshop if you’re looking to take your art skills to the next level.

We wish you the best of luck as you approach the end of another school year!.

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Rachel Hodis

Why You Should Hire a Tutor for Essay Help

Why you should hire a tutor for essay help.

Hiring a tutor doesn’t always have to be on a long-term basis. Here at Hodis Learning & Music, we offer on-call tutoring for occasions when you only need a tutor for a short period of time. One of those times just might be when you have an essay to write. Whether it’s an English essay, research paper, or your personal statement for college applications, our expert tutors at HLM can make writing your next essay a breeze! So how exactly can our tutors help you with your essay writing?


The Brainstorm Session

The first step for writing any assignment is to figure out what to write about. Your tutor can help you focus on the topic of your essay to make it relevant and easy to compose. Tell us what book your essay is based on, and we’ll help determine the best angle to focus your writing on. If it’s a personal statement, all of our tutors have experience with the competitive college application process. We’ll offer advice on how to make your essay stand out to college admissions.


Outlining Your Essay

Once you and your tutor have established a topic, we’ll work with you to outline your essay. Every essay must be constructed around a solid thesis statement, which your tutor will perfect with you. If you’re unfamiliar with an essay format, your tutor will guide you through the process and make it easy to understand. Additionally, your tutor can help you find supporting evidence in your text, or direct you on where to find relevant and reliable sources.


Editing and Proofreading

After you’ve written the first draft, your tutor will edit and proofread your essay. From spelling and grammar mistakes to word choice to paragraph topics, your tutor will offer feedback that can strengthen your essay for the next draft. And of course, your tutor can be the last set of eyes on your essay before you submit your final version.

From these sessions, you’ll learn the tools and skills you’ll need to ace any essay or report!

To see who our expert writing tutors are, click here. And learn more about Hodis Learning & Music on-call rates, or reach out to our team to get help with your essay writing today.

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Rachel Hodis

When Should You Hire a Tutor?

Hiring a tutor

With the end of the semester approaching, it seems like the perfect time to get a tutor to help your student study for finals or nail down those challenging concepts. But this isn’t the only time you should consider hiring a tutor. Below are some other times you might want someone to help your student with school work.


At the Beginning of a New Semester

Start off a new term on the right foot by scheduling a tutor right away! This will be particularly important if your student struggled the previous semester or school year and you don’t want them to fall behind. Because teachers will introduce new concepts that build upon previous lessons, a tutor can help reinforce those old concepts and integrate how those relate to what your student is learning in class in real-time.


After a Big Exam

Okay, you’ve had the first big test of the semester and your student gets their grade back. If it’s not what you or your student were expecting, or if your student knows there were concepts they didn’t understand on the test, this is the perfect time to hire a tutor! Discuss with the teacher, or have your student meet with their teacher, to learn which questions they missed. With that information, the tutor can hone in on exactly what areas and concepts to go over with your student. A tutor can also offer test-taking tips, so your student can manage their time effectively and strategically approach exams.


If Your Student Lacks Confidence in a Subject

Is your student scared to read out loud during class? Do they drag their feet doing math homework? Maybe they never participate in Spanish class discussions. These could be signs that they lack confidence in a certain subject, even if they are smart and capable. A tutor can help your student gain confidence by ensuring they understand the basics of a subject. “Usually that’s where I see students struggling with confidence, because they don’t know the basic concepts and they’re afraid to ask for help or feel like it’s too late to learn,” shares Hodis Learning & Music President Drew Hodis. A tutor can break down difficult lessons, explain concepts in new ways, and slow down students so they understand the work they’re doing.


Before an Essay is Due

A tutor can help your student with essay writing at whatever stage they may be at. From brainstorming topics and forming a strong thesis statement, to integrating supporting evidence and constructing paragraphs, a tutor can take your student’s writing to the next level, help them ace their essay and improve their writing skills.

Hiring a tutor under any circumstance can be an important and necessary step to ensure your student feels confident in class and understands concepts. School and learning can feel overwhelming, but having the right tutor can make even the most intimidating or confusing subject material more approachable.

Schedule a session with one of our tutors today!

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