Category: Schoolwork & Studying

You, Only More So: Junior Year Extracurriculars During COVID-19

Posted by: admin on April 30th, 2020

These are strange times, but staying at home doesn’t mean becoming a recluse. Contact your friends and get creative!  Juniors, here’s a bit of advice as you find yourself finishing out the academic year online. Remote connections are the way to go these days, but distance learning and social distancing shouldn’t get you to the […]

What Matters to You: Exploring Passions and Pastimes

Posted by: admin on April 28th, 2020

There has been a great deal of loss during these recent weeks, and we are all looking for silver linings.   As I contemplate possible silver linings for PrepMatters students, I look for opportunities that could offer greater strength and insight regarding learning.  I see, even in the midst of these difficult days, that there is […]

Finishing 8th Grade Strong

Posted by: admin on February 19th, 2020

Transitions are tricky. If you are staring down the last few months of 8th grade, you probably feel a mix of excitement and nervous energy, perhaps along with some love of your school and even just plain annoyance at the people around you. Transitions like this one usually come with deeply mixed emotions for everyone, […]

After the Tests: Lessons from the SSAT, ISEE, & HSPT

Posted by: admin on February 18th, 2020

Congratulations on making it through the middle school testing season! You can finally file, recycle, or burn all of your study materials. Hopefully, the experience turned out to be more pleasant or productive than you originally expected. At the least, you can say that it’s behind you.  As you return to your regularly scheduled school […]

Growing a Healthy Mindset

Posted by: admin on February 13th, 2020

There are those who have a natural inclination towards music. Some can stay on perfect pitch, while others command their instruments, effortlessly producing beautiful, precise notes. We also know those natural athletes who are able to coordinate their limbs to master sports with great strength, dexterity, and grace. Still others seem naturally good at developing […]

10 Tools to for a Writer’s Block Emergency

Posted by: admin on February 6th, 2020

Let’s not mess around: we’ve all had writer’s block and sometimes need help. It doesn’t mean that we’re special or broken or misunderstood geniuses or fools. Our muses are not at the bottom of a Netflix binge or a pot of coffee or a box of crackers. Working with our writer’s block is a learnable […]

How to Improve Your Writing: Three Easy Tips

Posted by: admin on January 27th, 2020

Sometimes, learning how to write effective academic essays can feel overwhelming. You need to worry about your argument, your examples, your overall structure, and on and on. But there are a few simple steps you can take to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. In today’s blog post, we’ll focus on some easy […]

Homework: How Parents Can Help Their Kids and How Kids Can Let Them

Posted by: admin on January 23rd, 2020

“Did you do your homework yet?” “Mom! I’ll do it. Stop bugging me about it!” …. “Is it done yet?” “AAAAAAARRGGGHH!” Sound familiar to you? I hope it doesn’t, but it just might. Fights over homework are all too common but avoidable. So why are they happening? Read on to learn some reasons they might […]

9th Grade Nerves: Starting Strong in High School

Posted by: admin on January 21st, 2020

Originally published January 21, 2020 For years now, you have been looking at the older students in your elementary and middle schools and thinking about what it will feel like to be an 8th grader — a leader of the school, the highest-known echelon of middle school achievement. And now that you’ve made it, high […]

Get More Sleep: How and Why We Recharge Our Brains

Posted by: admin on December 19th, 2019

We’ve all been there. It’s 12:30am on a Wednesday night, and you just want to finish your work and be done with it. You finally crawl into bed around 1am, hoping that the next five hours bring a blissful and rejuvenating sleep … only to awaken and find yourself woefully unenergized and under-enthused for the […]