April 11, 2023 by Astronut Leave a Comment

How to Write to Improve Your Memory

Index Cards

I’ve joked many times that my life revolves around index cards. Now, if you know me, you know that I’ve spent a few decades as a computer geek. I dearly love computers and all their technology. So why, oh why, do I need index cards, when I have a phone, a tablet, and a laptop at my disposal? That’s simple – because the index cards help me better remember things.

Penmanship

I just read an article on the history of cursive handwriting, a skill being phased out in many US schools. The article said, “Research shows that handwriting notes activates multiple brain regions associated with optimal memory, much more so than digital devices. Taking notes by hand or writing a to-do list on paper will preserve that memory a lot longer than typing into a laptop or phone.” The full article can be found here: https://www.wordgenius.com/a-history-of-cursive/YqEsQOgUJwAHVnFv

How Does Writing Improve Memory?

Writing by hand improves memory in a couple ways. First, the action of holding the writing instrument in your hand creates more focus, as you have to think about staying within the lines on the paper, not running over the edges of the paper, putting your thoughts in the right order, and space utilization. If you type on a computer, its easy to erase a mistake. Just go type over it. Not so easy with pen and paper. Now you need another object, an eraser, to help you out. If you wrote in pen, chances are you can’t erase that. Now you must start over. And no one likes to start over. Writing in ink on paper makes you think through what you’re going to write and the order in which you’re going to write it, before you write it down. This causes pathways in the brain to form around the information being written and increases its retention.

Writing by hand also creates muscle memory. When I type on my laptop, my hands and wrists largely sit on the laptop and don’t move. Only my fingers move around. With writing by hand, I have to physically pick my hand up and move it across the paper. If I write too long, I can get a hand cramp. The attention I pay to the cramped hand reminds me of how I got it – writing notes for something I needed to remember. My brain has to reaccess that memory. The more you access the same memory, the longer it will be remembered.

Writing by hand forces you to better organize your thoughts. The paper is 8 1/2 x 11 inches, or, if using index cards, much smaller. You can’t just go back and insert paragraphs and rearrange like you do on a computer. You have to think about placement of the words on the paper, to make sure you get everything down and don’t run out of space.

Writing for Better Grades

I have tutored physics, math and chemistry for many years. Invariably, my students will be given one or more index cards on which to write important concepts, create formula sheets, or to create flash cards. Although it would be faster if I made these up for them, I always have my students do it themselves, and say it aloud while doing so. Now we have four senses, and four areas of the brain involved: they have to see it, taste it (saying it), hear it, and touch it. Wa La!! I just made memorizing the polyatomic ions for chemistry go four times faster!! Who doesn’t love that?

Once the index cards are made, I tell them to carry them around in the pocket of their jeans (or pajamas, if that’s what they’re wearing to class that day). Instead of checking Instagram for the 517th time that day, pull out those index cards while standing in the lunch line. Say them aloud a few times. Or, if your parent is driving you to or from school or somewhere, do you really need to check Facebook again? Pull out those index cards and read through them, aloud, while you’re being driven.

When I drove myself to class when I went back to college, I still used this technique. I’d pull out my index cards while sitting at stop lights and run through them a time or two. The number one reason why I never took Biology is because I am lousy at memorizing. But I still had things I had to memorize for geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, physics and chemistry. How did I get it done? With my index cards.

Need More Help?

If you or someone you know is struggling with physics, math or chemistry in the South Orange County or North San Diego County, California areas and needs help, call me at 858-848-0860 or email me at thebubblyone@gmail.com. You’ll be glad you did.

February 11, 2020 by Astronut Leave a Comment

New Method for solving Quadratic Equations

I received this article in the Mensa Brainwave newsletter this morning. Having watched many tutoring students struggle with solving Quadratic equations, I am fascinated by the methodology described here. It makes perfect sense, and eliminates the trial and error method used for centuries.

I am without pencil and paper at the moment, but can hardly wait to pull some out and my math books and try the method for myself. In physics, I have run across some whopper Quadratic equations which, even when run through the quadratic formula, are still quite messy. This look like a vastly more elegant approach.

As always, thanks for reading. I can help your student master Quadratic equations by contacting me at sandy@stellar-student.com

November 5, 2019 by Astronut Leave a Comment

Math and a Snuggle Sack

Oklahoma Sooners Snuggle Sack with Machine Embroiidery — My BFF modeling the Oklahoma Sooners Snuggle Sack I made her.

When people think of sewing, I’m pretty sure they don’t think of math. They think of pretty fabric, patterns, quilting, and making cool custom garments. Sewing, though, is a lot of math.

Although patterns state the yardage required for a given size and width of fabric, oftentimes adjustments must be made. If the fabric has a nap or one-way design, extra fabric will be required.

In my case, I have been making Snuggle Sacks for special friends and family for a few years. Tonight, I started making another one. One of the components required is insulation. I usually use Thinsulate. I had some leftover Thinsulate from a project I’d completed over the summer. Since the insulation is sandwiched between the inner and outer Snuggle Sack layers, it will never be seen. This was an opportunity to use up my Thinsulate scraps. First, I had to see how much I needed.

Oklahoma Sooners Machine Embroidery Snuggle Sack — My BFF and I modeling the outside of her Snuggle Sack.

To do this, I calculated the area of the completed Snuggle Sack. I then measured the length and width of each of my scraps of Thinsulate. I then calculated the area of each scrap of Thinsulate. Then, I started subtracting the areas of the Thinsulate scraps from the total area needed, to see if I had enough. It turns out I have plenty of Thinsulate, with a bit leftover. But, if I hadn’t applied my math skills to the problem, I might have just bought more Thinsulate, and spent more money and had more fabric laying around the house.

And that’s just one simple example of using math in a sewing project and how STEM Education is used in everyday life.

Thanks for joining me. I hope to see you soon.

November 2, 2019 by Astronut Leave a Comment

You Might be a Professional Tutor if …

I moved to this home six months ago. I had had many of my possessions in storage for over 11 years (LONG story). Although I had most of my tutoring books with me where I’d lived before here, I didn’t realize how many books I had until I unpacked them.

When I’d toured this house, I was thrilled to see the built in bookshelves next to the fireplace. I was so happy that I wouldn’t need to buy or assemble bookshelves. I was certain that the approximately 15 linear feet of bookshelf space would be more than sufficient for my collection of physics, math, chemistry, space, astronomy, database and software books. Boy, was I wrong!!!!

Sandy Eulitt’s Physics, Math, and Chemistry tutoring book collection

Here are the books I have not yet unpacked, as I don’t have room to store them.

Sandy Eulitt’s still packed Physics and Math tutoring textbooks

And yet still more of Sandy Eulitt’s Physics, Math, and Engineering Tutoring textbooks

The question now is, what do I do with all these books I have not yet unpacked? I had to buy a tall bookshelf to store my “recreational reading” books, and I am out of floor space for another bookshelf. What to do, what to do. Bonus round, a dear friend of mine and former physics and astronomy professor offered me her textbook collection recently. Ugh. Is there a 12 Step program for withdrawing from textbook collecting? If not, I might have to start one.

Thanks for reading and have a happy day!!!!!

November 20, 2018 by Astronut Leave a Comment

Free Tutoring, Time Management, Study Skills

Math, Physics, and Chemistry Tutoring Background

Tonight I want to talk about study techniques and ideas, things I’ve observed from years of tutoring, etc. First, me preface this by saying I don’t have children, but over the past several years I have tutored countless children, students of all ages. Honestly, the youngest that I have tutored is probably about 11 or 12 and the oldest was into his 40’s. I have tutored a wide and diverse range of subjects from sixth grade math to the calculus-based physics for science and engineering students. The latter class is definitely consider the hardest topic I tutor.

Subjects Tutored

I’ve tutored AP Chemistry, college chemistry, introductory chemistry, a couple different programming languages, AP Calculus, pre-calculus, algebra, intermediate algebra, geometry, Linear Algebra, astronomy, differential equations, conceptual physics, high school physics, AP Physics, AP Statistics, and multivariable, or vector, calculus. There seems to be a common thread that runs through all of this, which constantly amazes me, frankly, kind of amuses me at the same time.

Most parents enlist the assistance of a private tutor as a last resort to help their child out. Maybe it is after the first test comes back with less-than-stellar-grades, or maybe it is closer to finals. The teacher may not be as available as the student needs or is unable to explain the material in a way that the student understands. As much as a student might want, the teacher cannot sit next to the student all night long while doing homework, to answer questions when needed. One thing that I consistently see in my tutoring is that the books look brand new. The books look like they have never been opened. They have no highlighting in them, they have no pencil markings in them, they just have that look of being fresh off the shelf, fresh from the bookstore and having never been used before. And this is something that really bothers me. Remember I tutor physics, math, and chemistry, predominantly. These are, by and large, subjects that have a lot of math. Consequently, the books tend to have a fair number of example problems in them. And I tell students that example problems are “free tutoring”. Many of the students that I tutor when I tell them this look at me like I have just shared with them some great epiphany. I’m very surprised by this.

Private tutor demonstrates study and time management skills for free tutoring and academic success.

I don’t understand why students, first, do not read the book and second, do not do the example problems provided within the book. In fact, my experience has been that many of the homework problems use material or techniques that were demonstrated within the example problems. So, if you are a parent and you are struggling with your child’s grades, or you’re a college student struggling with your own grades, the first thing that I say to you is, “Have you read the book? Have you actually sat down and read the book?” Let’s talk about that a little bit more, as I think one of the things that has to be addressed is the issue of time management. We all have busy lives, that goes without saying. College students are juggling three or four classes, often a part-time job, extracurricular activities, clubs that they are officers in, and may be involved in a job search, and we all want a social life, and sleep is always nice. High school students seem to be, primarily, juggling a number of classes, as well as extracurricular activities, and many students are involved in sports; many high schools seem to now be requiring participation in a sport for graduation. So the issue of time management and time budgeting becomes critical.

I’ve tutored high school chemistry, college chemistry, introductory chemistry, a couple different programming languages, calculus, pre-calculus, algebra, intermediate algebra, geometry, Linear Algebra, astronomy, the list really continue. A lot of what I have tutored, and has been most of my tutoring, has been high school students, and most of that has been conceptual physics. A lot of it has also been algebra, intermediate algebra, geometry, AP physics, and introductory and AP chemistry. And there seems to be a common thread that runs through all of this, which constantly amazes me, frankly, kind of amuses me at the same time.

Textbook Condition

Many parents, I think, enlist the assistance of a private tutor kind of as a last resort to help their child out. The student obviously is not getting this material on his or her own, and he or she may have gone to the teacher and asked for assistance, the teacher either may not be as available as the student needs or is unable to explain the material in a way that the student understands; there can be a variety of reasons why a private tutor is finally enlisted to assist the student. One thing that I consistently see in my tutoring is that the books look brand new. The books look like they have never been opened. They have no highlighting in them, they have no pencil markings in them, they just have that look of being fresh off the shelf, fresh from the bookstore and having never been used before. And this is something that really bothers me. Remember I tutor physics, math, and chemistry, predominantly. These are, by and large, subjects that have a lot of math. Consequently, the books tend to have a fair number of example problems in them. And I tell students that example problems are “free tutoring”. Many of the students that I tutor when I tell them this look at me like I have just shared with them some great epiphany. I’m very surprised by this. They already paid for the textbook! Why does it look brand new whenever I ask the student about it!!????

I don’t understand why students, first, do not read the book and second, do not do the example problems provided within the book. In fact, my experience has been that many of the homework problems use material or techniques that were demonstrated within the example problems. So, if you are a parent and you are struggling with your child’s grades, or you’re a college student struggling with your own grades, the first thing that I say to you is, “Have you read the book? Have you actually sat down and read the book?” Let’s talk about that a little bit more, as I think one of the things that has to be addressed is the issue of time management.

That concludes this blog on time management, study habits, tips and techniques to acquire the grade you want and the grade deserve have a good week.