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Hate math? Then get a math tutor! Or go to the Museum of Mathematics.

Without a doubt, math is a useful/necessary skill in everyday life. But for some students, math is tainted with painful memories of grueling math tests, confusing equations, and long hours of homework.

But just because you (or your child) dislike math doesn't mean that you're destined to feel aversion to it for the rest of your life. If your child is struggling with math, please give them some academic enrichment. Hire a math tutor who can break math down into easy concepts and actually make it fun. 

It always makes us smile whenever we hear back from clients who tell us how our tutors helped their children go from hating math to actually looking to their math tutoring sessions.

Math can certainly get very complicated, but if you view it as a puzzle waiting to be solved, then it can actually be pretty fun. Math tutoring can help students learn to tackle problems from a more strategic/methodical view point, and this is a skill that will certainly prove useful for the rest of their lives.

Besides getting a math tutor in NYC to motivate/inspire your child, you might also want to consider bringing your child to the Museum of Mathematics, which is scheduled to open in 2012. The museum will contain interactive exhibits, such as a tricycle with square wheels. It's fun AND educational-- a win-win for everyone! We can't wait for its grand opening next year.

Photo credit

Interview with the new Managing Director of CUTTA

Deborah Feng

Where are you from? 

I’m from New York City. I was born in Queens but grew up in Manhattan.

What are you studying?

I’m majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures and concentrating in Business Management.

What do you like most about Columbia?

The people! Columbia is bustling with talented students and professors that are eager to help others. Everyone is so accomplished and motivated, it’s hard not to feel inspired on a daily basis!

What is your job at CUTTA? 

As the new Managing Director of CUTTA, my job is to supervise all aspects of the company, including its finances, operational processes, human resources, marketing, etc.

As an entirely student-run business, CUTTA aims to provide the best possible services to our clients while providing job opportunities to Columbia’s most talented students. As I start my leadership term, I want to make sure that we are keeping our clients happy. If you were satisfied (or dissatisfied!) with anything from the previous management term, please let me know so that I can make the immediate and appropriate changes to ensure your future satisfaction.

What is the best thing about CUTTA? 

The best thing about CUTTA is that it is an entirely student-run business that offers premium tutoring and translating services to our clients. Our employees are incredibly bright, and our clients are wonderful. It is honestly an honor and a delight to be the new Managing Director of CUTTA!

International presence at US campuses

The amount of international students and foreign scholars within the US universities have increased a lot for the past decades. This is happening even though it has been even harder to obtain visas to the US after 9/11.

I think this is great. The students get a sense of what it actually means to be a global citizen. What would Columbia University be without its diverse and international student body. I'm personally very proud to be part of such a great community as Columbia.

The article below is taken from New York Times and it also discusses the increase of foreign scholars and leaders around at the US campuses. This is also necessary if a nation wants to stay competitive. The US is doing very well in higher education just because they attract the best scholars from all over the world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/education/10presidents.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=foreign%20students&st=cse

Our student run business, Columbia University Tutoring & Translating Agency (CUTTA), is managed by a different student every year. This year our manager is Swedish, but has lived in the UK and Norway as well. Next year there will be an American student running the company. To get to know the other student employees around me from all around the world is priceless and it really enriches my life a lot.

-Jakob

New railway system in the US. It is about time!

After having remained behind the rest of the developed world for a long time it is not a second too early that President Obama announces a commitment to improve the US railway system.

We stand in front of one of the biggest challenges that the humanity has ever faced, the climate change. I'm sure that I'm not the only one promote this brilliant idea from Obama to develop the American railway system. Even though there is no excuse that this did not happened earlier in a developed country like the US, later is still better than never. One reason why this project did not come into place earlier, some people say, is because many Americans have a very close, "romantic" relationship to their vehicles. The article below is taken from Scientific American.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coming-to-america-high-speed-rail

According to their calculations, by engaging in this project, the US would reduce the carbon dioxide by around 188,000 ton. It is time to put the political ideologies to the side and do what is bets for our beloved mother Earth. The Republican governor of Florida Rick Scott decided to reject $2 million in federal funding for a high speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando. We will see if he is willing to rethink his decision before Florida is completely under water.

More college applicants on the waiting list than ever in 2010

You think it's going to be hard to get into the most selective universities in the nation? Well, this year it's probably going to be even harder. As the colleges' budgets restrain even more, the number students put on the waiting lists for the Ivy-Leagues and other selective schools is growing. Duke University was on top of that list in 2010 with roughly 3000 students placed on the waiting list. The strategy for the high school graduates is to apply to as many colleges as possible to increase their chances. It was not strange for a high school senior to apply to up to 15 different colleges last year. My general wondering is how it is going to be this year now that the application deadline for fall is approaching. I have a feeling it's going to be a battle field even worse than last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/education/14waitlist.html?_r=1&ref=admissions

High school students in NYC are not prepared for college

Only 23% of high school graduates met the standards for college preparation in 2009 in NYC. In spite of these seemingly terrifying statistic we are still better than off than many other urban districts such as Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester and Yonkers. See article below from NYtimes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/nyregion/08regents.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=students&st=cse

This seems to be a system disorder and if the system disorder doesn't get better then we will loose our competitiveness internationally. According to the article, the "readyness" for college rate is much higher in wealthier districts than in more poor districts. Perhaps a solution would be to let the student and family decide what high school to go to rather than being assigned the closest one. In this case we would force all the public schools to get better.

HOROSCOPES

CUTTA is reading its horoscopes for the week

• Aries You try to be an accepting person, but you still don't see why some people can't be a nice, normal gender instead of women.
• Taurus Turns out that while dogs can't actually smell fear, they're really good at smelling who likes to carry bacon around in their pockets.
• Gemini When you think about it, there's really only one way to quit your job at the refinery in a way they'll remember for hundreds of years.
• Cancer All celestial signs point to you suddenly coming into possession of a great deal of twisted aircraft-grade aluminum, charred wiring, and burning jet fuel, but it's not what you think.
• Leo You, your couch, and your TV will be whisked away to a remote island by a wealthy sportsman who has waited all his life to hunt the Least Dangerous Game.
• Virgo Once again, you'll be saved from boredom by the fact that matches are often given away for free in establishments that sell alcohol.
• Libra It's not wearing a white dress to your third wedding that people will find odd. It's the blood of your two previous husbands on the veil and train.
• Scorpio Truth be told, you haven't been a very good father, but it's not your fault that the mothers of your children haven't informed you of their existence.
• Sagittarius You'll receive a recorded message from your future self in which you appear extremely insistent that an unspecified person be thanked for a waffle recipe.
• Capricorn A journey of self-improvement ends almost before it starts when you find out there's a kind of waffle stuffed with cheese and booze.
• Aquarius Your coworkers seem to be hinting that they wouldn't mind if you got rid of that beard, but you've been married to her for almost 10 years now.
• Pisces Pluto rising in your sign this week indicates vast trouble ahead, as you really shouldn't be able to see it with the naked eye like that.

FROM: http://www.theonion.com/articles/your-horoscopes-week-of-february-15-2011,19181/

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Need a tutor in the Upper West Side? Then contact CUTTA!

Meditation behind bars

Here's an interesting article that might interest some of our stressed out NYC tutoring clients!

A 2500 years old meditation technique discovered by Buddha Gautama is being taught to the inmates in Alabama's most cruel prison. Please see the article below:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_us/us_prison_meditation

Now, of course this is not just for murderers and robbers. The technique is for everyone regardless of religion and ethnic background. It has no bondage at all to any organized religion since Buddha himself was not interested in creating an organized religion. Given that I have taken the very same course, although not behind bars, I know what these people are dealing with. This technique is highly recommended if you want to find balance in your life, improving the results in your studies, getting rid of addictions such as smoking or drinking, or if you simply want to convert your mind from misery to happiness.

New York High School Students Lagging Behind

Check out the NY Mag article on the woes of New York high school students. What do you think? 

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/just_because_our_students_are.html


If you're worried about falling behind in your school work, then don't hesitate to contact CUTTA. Our NYC tutoring services are proven to be effective.

CUTTA: Who are we?

Anna Malkan

Where are you from? 
I was born in London, but I grew up in Stockholm and Oslo

What are you studying?
Art History and Middle Eastern studies.

What do you like most about New York? 
It's the whole world in one place. I like that you can find anything at any time.

What is the best thing about CUTTA? 
 It consists only of students who share a common passion for teaching and languages. I love that even though we are a student run organization, we provide services that are as good, or even better than our competitors.

What's your job at CUTTA? 
I'm the managing director. This means I oversee the direction of the company, work with management, financial, marketing etc.


What do you miss most about Sweden?
The cafe culture.  Within ten minutes walking distance of my house, there are at least ten cafes, none of which are Starbucks.




To find out more about Columbia tutoring in NYC, be sure to check out our website!

CUTTA: Who are we?

Ella Delany

Where are you from? 
Melbourne, Australia.

What are you studying? 
A Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing

What do you tutor and why?
I like getting to know my students, and seeing their improvement in subjects that I love. I tutor English, French, the LSAT, SATs and composition.

Best thing about America? 
Cable TV.


Worst thing about America? 
Cable TV. It drains my life away. 


What do you miss about home? 
At the moment, the sun! 

If you'd like to request Ella or any of our other Columbia tutors, be sure to check out the CUTTA website!

  

CUTTA: Who are we?

Jakob Olof Hörngren-Folch

Where are you from? 
Stockholm, Sweden 

What are you studying?
Mathematics at the School of General Studies 


Why and what do you tutor?
I like to work with people, and I like to share knowledge with other people. I think that is one of your responsibilities as a student. I tutor maths, Italian, Swedish.

Favorite Swedish dessert?
Semla: marzipan and whipped cream in sweet bread. 


What do you like most about America?
The diversity of people  here.


What do you like least?
I could go on all day...If there is one thing I like least, it is the political and economic system here.

Biggest moment of culture shock? 
Probably just how huge America is- how there are so many people everywhere.

Best coffee near Columbia?
In the SIPA building they have ILLY coffee. It's delicious.

To meet more of our Columbia tutors, be sure to check out the CUTTA website!

Is the Chinese education system the best in the world?

Does the high score received from PISA represent the Chinese Education system in a perfect way? The column below is from the New York Times.

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/chinas-education-system/?scp=6&sq=education&st=cse

There are many Chinese student within the Columbia student body and I admire many of them for their very advanced knowledge in the sciences and mathematics. I strongly believe that we can learn a lot from their educational system and their methods of teaching.

Although it's a huge advantage to have an accelerated knowledge in math, is it the only positive way we look at the Chinese education system, or are there any backlash effects of this system? How high, for example, is the stress level on the young students who become drilled and trained in reading and higher math at an early age?

There are some questions that need to be investigated on this topic. What do you think?

And of course, if you need a math/science tutor, definitely reach out to CUTTA. Our Columbia tutors are top notch!

Like us on Facebook, and join in our discussions!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutta-Columbia-University-Tutoring-and-Translating-Agency/301556008450?v=app_2373072738#!/pages/Cutta-Columbia-University-Tutoring-and-Translating-Agency/301556008450?v=wall

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutta-Columbia-University-Tutoring-and-Translating-Agency/301556008450?v=app_2373072738#!/topic.php?uid=301556008450&topic=16821

Need a tutor in NYC? Need to translate a document? Then contact CUTTA. We'd love to help!

The big freeze continues

As I write this staring out the window of CUTTA into a land of sleet and snow it seems hard to believe that this weather is ever going to lift. For all our international tutors and translators, many of us are dreaming of sun, going out without covering ourselves in an enormous and unattractive sleeping-bag coat, and saying goodbye to freezing fingers and scaly winter skin. Wake us up in March.

A few questions come to mind:
1. how are you supposed to walk over the puddles on the sidewalk without getting your feet wet? A flying jump can be risky as you can end up with your face on the ground. Then everything is wet.  Going for the slow wade however only means that you have sopping wet, stinking feet, all through your next lecture. As your socks dry you give off the faint aroma of wet dog.  If you are on the subway, people change seats to avoid being close to you. (sometimes this isn't a bad thing).

2. Is it possible to combine thermal underwear and ordinary day wear in a way that is attractive? We're not reaching for the stars here!!! why does it have to be so damn bulky!! 

In the meantime the New Yorker's compiled a slideshow of blizzard cartoons help wile the hours away when netflix and youtube lose their attraction (IF EVER!)

And as a bonus, a freezing cat picture. If the cat doesn't cheer you up, all hope is lost.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/backissues/2010/12/blizzard-cartoons.htmlhttp://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/backissues/2010/12/blizzard-cartoons.html

Stay warm
from CUTTA

CUTTA: Who are we? Introducing Maya - a lavender collecting French-American!

Maya Koenig-Dzialowski
Hometown: Princeton, NJ

Program of Studies: B.A. in Economics (2009), Certificate in Pre-medical studies (expected 2011)
Areas of Expertise: Languages, Math, Science, and Economics
On tutoring: “I’m drawn to tutoring because I enjoy interacting with others in an academic setting. As a goal-oriented person, I find it very fulfilling to help someone make steps towards better understanding a subject matter. Tutoring also allows me to learn about new topics via the students I tutor; everyone’s background always has something interesting to offer!”
Fun fact: “I make homemade lavender sachets, using the lavender from my grandfather’s backyard in the south of France.”

To read more of our NYC tutor profiles, be sure to check out the CUTTA website!

Are we not scientifically literate enough?

Since a lot of our Upper West Side tutors help students in the sciences, we thought we'd share this article about whether or not we are meeting the standards for scientific literacy.

According to the Programme For International Student Assessment (Pisa), the United States of America places itself at the 17th place in 2010 on the yearly educational rating list provided by Pisa. The article below was published by the Guardian in the UK on December, 7 2010.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading

As you can see we are parked behind accelerating nations in the east such as China, South Korea, Singapore and Japan. We are especially behind when it comes to mathematics, in which we are below the average. This raises the important question: Are we not scientifically advanced enough? If so, what are we going to do to turn this around. Currently, more people in South Korea have access to internet than we have here in the US. Europe is the leading continent in developing their railway system and they invest far more capital in green energy than we do. The fastest computer in the world you will currently find in China.

If we want to stay competitive on a global plane, the educational system has to improve in our country. The most important intervention has to occur in the public primary and secondary schools. These are the schools that prepare our future generations for college. It is pretty clear that something has to happen if we don't want to end up at an even lower position next year. The emerging markets in Asia are accelerating, do we really want to stay behind and just watch?

The NY times tells us to forget what we know about study tips

According to the New York Times cramming one topic or subject each study session is less effective than jumping from book to book, and mixing subjects up! Apparently your brain may have to relearn what it already knows before it can absorb new material. This seems to create a sort of cross checking process when you change topics, reinforcing the material you just have learned. I wonder if checking facebook kicks off this mental double-check?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=homepage&src=me

And of course, if you'd like personal assistance with improving your study habits, you can hire any one of our talented NYC tutors!

CUTTA

CUTTA, the Columbia University Tutoring and Translating Agency has joined the 21st century!! We've started a blog, Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CUTTA_NY and Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Columbia-University-Tutoring-and-Translating-Agency/301556008450

Why did we start this blog? As a resource for our tutors and those in the tutoring/teaching industries, for students to look for study tips and to learn about their tutors, to share facts about our diverse community of tutors and translators, and to start discussions about our interests.Which are? Education, linguistics, translation, multiculturalism... you name it!

We would love you to be a part of our online community. So don't be shy, comment, talk, discuss, post: we want to hear your thoughts!