Strive to Learn

🤳*ring ring* Are you answering the call to fully embrace the last few weeks of summer break? 🤔☀️

We know that the start of a new school year is fast approaching, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a hobby or go on an adventure before then! 🥳

Take a page out of our tutor Jose’s book: over the break, he’s been busy attending conferences, perfecting his Rubik’s Cube skills (‼️), and vinyl wrapping his car. 📚🚗

He also went on a sweet date to the Lego Store with his girlfriend — they even have tiny Lego versions of themselves to prove it! 🥰

However you decide to spend the rest of your break, we hope that you find or learn something new in the process! Who knows: maybe that last-minute hobby or excursion will be the topic of your college admission essays. 😉📝🎓

✨What’s been your favorite part of summer break this year? Comment below!✨

🎢Get ready for Thrill Ride Thursday!!!🎢

Over the summer break, most of our tutors have been finding ways to rest and rejuvenate before prep for the new school year begins.

And then there’s Josh.

He’s been on an East Coast coaster chase, and it’s been a scream of a time. 😱

Here he’s pictured (in order): at Carowinds located at the border of North and South Carolina; King’s Dominion in Virginia; and Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia as well. 🗺

🎡COASTER FUN FACTS:

• The tallest rollercoaster in the world is Kingda Ka, located in New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure. The coaster is 456’ tall and reaches a whopping 128mph. 😅

• The first ever wheeled rollercoaster was established in France, 1817! Compared to the speed of Kingda Ka, this coaster only had a top speed of 40mph. 😮‍💨

• The first tubular steel coaster was built in 1959 in Strive’s backyard: Anaheim, CA! The coaster in question is our very own Matterhorn bobsleds, guarded by one (1) yeti named Harold. 👣❄️🏔

What’s your favorite rollercoaster or theme park attraction?! Let us know in the comments! ✍️

Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer break. ☀️

Hello, lovelies! ☀️

Happy Tuesday — hope you’re all enjoying summer and all it has to offer. 🌸

We’re hard at work brainstorming new ways to help you reach your academic goals. 🎓

We’ve also got some fun surprises and content up our sleeves that we can’t wait to share. 👀

We at Strive hope you’re staying safe, healthy, and happy. We’ll be doing the same so we can see your bright and shining faces as we get closer to the school year. ✨🥰

📸Smile: it’s almost the weekend! 😁

Here’s a little to Josefine’s time at the IECA Conference in Philadelphia this year. ✈️ This is your super casual reminder that learning IS fun — with the right people and tools on your side, of course. 😉 Speaking of which, summer is a GREAT time to book a tutoring or college counseling session with one of our own bright and smiling Strive faces!
You don’t want to miss out on the fun of exceeding all your wildest education dreams, do you? 🤔💭🎉🎓📝

It’s official: summer break is HERE! 🥳☀️

Y’all have worked hard to make it through the school year, and now you deserve some well-earned fun in the sun. 😎

Don’t forget your sunscreen, your water bottles, and you adventurous spirit — whether adventure means road trips and hikes or curling up with a good book or TV show (it’s the latter, for me). ⛰📚🌾

And don’t forget about us in all your fun. 🥹 We’ll still be here churning out content and providing quality, individualized tutoring or college consulting services all summer long! 🎓🔬🌎🎭🔢✍️

Cheers to a fabulous break. ✨

🎉 Nothing says “Friday” like friends and funny filters. 🤪

Some of your Strive faves took time today to wind down the week with some quality bonding over Zoom. 🤳 After a long week, we all deserve a slow Friday that leads into a restful weekend. 😮‍💨☀️

We hope you all take the time to recharge, reset, and revitalize your souls over the next two days! ✨

Summer break is right around the corner! ☀️

The beginning of June means that the school year is winding down, and you all have earned a well-deserved break from school. 🏖

Only one week left for those of us in the OC! 🎉 Have YOU started your break yet? Comment below! 🙌🏻

Happy Wednesday, everyone! 🤗

It’s been a busy week already, but we’re heading into the home stretch before the weekend. Make sure to stay hydrated and turn up the volume on those focus playlists as we close the week out strong! 🎉

Speaking of busy weeks, we mentioned Monday that Josefine was hard at work attending conferences and college tours on the East Coast. 🏫 Here’s a small glimpse into her experience touring in Philadelphia! 🔔Make sure to check out our stories tomorrow for a bit of Temple trivia, a glimpse at a few of the campus happenings, and an inside scoop on a potential mascot marriage!? 💍🦉

Happy Monday, y’all! ✨

Welcome to a brand new week full of opportunity. 🚀

We are now less than two (2) weeks away from the end of Best of OC voting. 🗳

Have you voted yet today? Head to the link below to jump on the chance to help a small business and start your week off right! ✅👏🏻

🔗 https://ocr.bestinvoting.com/ 🔗

While you’re busy voting for Strive to Learn as the Best Tutoring Service, Josefine is hard at work on the East Coast speaking at the IECA Conference. 🎉 We’ll be posting about her experience throughout the week, so stay tuned! 📻

✨MIDWEEK MOTIVATION✨

You’re allowed to ask for help.

You’re allowed to be imperfect, confused, uncertain — that doesn’t make you any less capable of accomplishing your goals.

Whether it’s regarding relationships, life path advice, or figuring out the instructions for building IKEA furniture, go ahead and ask trusted people in your life for guidance. Lean on your community to help you grow and be better.

And if you need help with your studies or determining where to go to college, turn to Strive! We’re ready to help with all your education questions. 🤗🎓📚

Hello, friends!

I don’t know about you, but I feel like this week is zooming by with how busy it’s been. 😮‍💨

Hope you’ve all had good, easy weeks (even if busy) and are getting ready for the weekend! 🥳

What are you striving to accomplish/do this weekend? ✨

Happy Friday, everyone! 🎉

Cheers to making it through the week and enjoying the weekend ahead. 🤗

Before you completely unplug and detox for the next few days, we just wanted to remind you that voting IS open for the Best of OC 2022.

Your votes and your support means the world to us, so if you’re able to take a few minutes to complete the form at the link below it would be very much appreciated.

Reminder: you can vote once per day from every email of yours from now until May 27, 2022. You also need to cast a vote for ten (10) total businesses, so make sure to spread the support all around. ✨

Thanks again, and have a great weekend! 👋🏻

ocr.bestinvoting.com

Meet Malia! Malia is a high school senior and one of our college counseling students who just committed to Ole Miss! She recently had the chance to visit the campus in Mississippi and knew it was the right college community for her. Malia is excited to develop her leadership skills at the Ole Miss School of Business and explore the many possibilities open to her as a future business leader! In addition to excelling in her studies, Malia has been a devoted member of her soccer team and contributed to her community in her role with RTwelve, a women’s philanthropy organization. 🎓✨

Hello, everyone! 🌺

The Best of OC voting for 2022 is now underway and runs until May 27, 2022! 🎉

You can vote for us by going to the link below and choosing “Strive To Learn College Prep, Admissions Counseling, and Tutoring” in the “Education: Tutoring Services” category.
This is also a great opportunity to vote for your other favorite local OC businesses so make sure to complete the whole form.
Once you’ve finished, follow the instructions to submit your choices and then boom — you’ve done a fabulous thing by supporting a local business. 🥰
You can vote once per day from every registered email you own, and any/all extra support is much appreciated. ✨

Cheers to a fabulous Tuesday! 🎓

Best of OC: https://ocr.bestinvoting.com/

💥🤜B O O M🤛💥

We’ve already made it through half of this week, everyone. 🥳 Only two more days until the weekend. 🙌🏻 Anyone doing anything fun? Comment below! 💭✨

My brain has officially decided that, between work, music, social obligations, and multiple worsening humanitarian crises, I can't focus for more than five minutes without melting down. 🧠

If you're also struggling to make it through your daily routine, you're probably feeling burnt out too. Take this as your sign to rest and:
~go to bed a little earlier than usual for more sleep;
~disengage from your phone for at least an hour a day;
~say no to social gatherings;
~ask for help lightening your workload and schedule or finishing projects;
~reprioritize tasks so you can immediately complete what's most pressing and save the smaller, less urgent items for later.

Most importantly: listen to your body and give yourself a break. Attempting to power through burnout only causes more issues down the line. Care for yourself now so that you can continue bringing your best self to everything you do. 💌

☀️🌊STOP SCROLLING!🌊☀️

We have some exciting news! One of our students Elisha recently received a few college acceptances. 🎉 Her counselor Rachel () gives us all the deets below:

“Meet Elisha! Elisha has been working diligently on her college applications and has recently been accepted to Oregon State University, University of Kansas, University of Arizona, Arizona State and the University of Portland! Elisha is excited about the possibility of majoring in Psychology, with an emphasis on child development, and joining the cheer team at her future school of choice!” 👏🏻✨

We’re so proud of and excited for you, Elisha. 🤗 Keep being fantastic!

📚Did you know that students who sign up for Strive’s services are 7x more likely to get into their colleges of choice?! If you want to be like Elisha and receive multiple acceptances from your fave colleges, sign up for a free consultation with one of our counselors to learn how we can help you be your best! 📚

Happy How-To Tuesday! We’re gonna take a quick detour from our usual format in honor of International Women’s Day (don’t worry: we’ve still got tips and tricks galore). 👩‍🏫

For anyone who may not know, Strive To Learn was founded by Josefine Borrmann, a woman who moved to California from Germany as a young adult in order to fully pursue her passions. She’s an accomplished documentary filmmaker, a fearless world-traveler, and a dedicated educator. She believes wholeheartedly in empowering others to make smart, fruitful choices that positively impact their future. That’s why Strive To Learn provides free resources like this list of questions that helps you determine which colleges are best for your emotional, intellectual, and financial needs! 💭 Josefine and her team know that helping people be their best is the number one priority. On this International Women’s Day (and everyday), we celebrate women who help others — and themselves — become better. 💖

Getting into UC Berkeley just got brutal (and more expensive) with a 13% increase in applications, AND a court-ordered enrollment freeze predicted to impact at least 5,100 student applications.

Make sure your good-fit college list has a mix of both UC and NON-UC colleges this fall. Don't have one? Give us a call. :)

https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/02/14/uc-berkeley-statement-on-court-decision-affecting-2022-23-academic-year-enrollment/

Our recommendation,

UC Berkeley statement on court decision affecting 2022-23 academic year enrollment A decision issued Thursday, Feb. 10, by the California Court of Appeal, requires UC Berkeley to adhere to a lower court order requiring the university to freeze student enrollment at 42,347, the s…

Okay, fine. I'll admit it: I'm caught up in an endless cycle of doomscrolling. 🙋‍♀️

It feels as if I can't take my eyes off the news for two seconds without being blindsided by a shiny, brand-new catastrophe. ☄️

How can we give ourselves a break while still staying engaged and ready to help? 😰

Here are a few tips to fight the fatigue of news oversaturation:

1. Limit Your Exposure 🚫
~This has been said before, and it bears repeating: constant access to tragedy after tragedy, crisis after crisis is not natural, and flooding our nervous system regularly with bad news isn't healthy.
•Set time limits on your social media apps or allot a set amount of time to peruse news online or in print.
•Give yourself scheduled space from the chaos.

2. Focus On What You CAN Do 🙏
~You can't help everyone, everywhere, all the time. You can, however, do a little bit every day to make things better for others.
•Turn your efforts towards one or two issues at a time that you want to engage with regularly.
•Support small businesses, artists, and social media accounts from communities impacted by those issues.
•Follow activists and grassroots organizations affecting positive change around those issues.
•Do your research on the issues so you can talk about them confidently with others.

3. Have Outlets For Your Emotions 🎼
•Talk to friends, family, therapists, teachers, even stuffed animals about your feelings!
•Use art, reading, or exercise as a means to cope.
•Give yourself space to feel the enormity of some of the things we are witnessing. It's a lot to process, but you're not alone. Our inbox is open if you need it. 💌💫

Happy 2/22/22 Tuesday! 🎉2️⃣🎉

According to the National Weather Service, this all-2s date won’t happen again on a Tuesday until 2422. 🤯🗓

If you’re anything like me and enjoy making wishes at 11:11, then today is basically a super-charged wish machine! 🧞‍♂️ If you happen to be awake at 10:22 (which is 22:22 in military time), then you’ll have extra good luck in making those dreams come true! 💭

If wishing on numbers isn’t your thing, then take the day as a sign that YOU are super special — just like this date! 🥰

"Time isn't the main thing. It's the only thing." - Miles Davis
⏰
Here is a perfect example of "do as I say, not as I do": I am terrible at structuring my time effectively to maximize all I want to accomplish. Time management -- or the lack thereof -- plagues us all from time to time and keeps us from doing our best work. Here are a few helpful hacks to stay on track!
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1. Prioritize
~ Determine which items on your to-do list require immediate attention each day/week. Figure out a workflow that makes you most productive, working: simple tasks first to clear several items right away; creative tasks first to inspire motivation; or bigger, time-consuming tasks first to remove the looming stress they cause.
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2. Organize
~ Write due dates of big projects or tests on a calendar so you can prepare for them accordingly. Keep your workspaces clear of distractions. Have necessary study or homework materials readily available right when you're ready to work. Write out how long each task should realistically take and set a timer while working on them.
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3. Incentivize
~ Schedule regular breaks for rest, food, and leisure. Reward yourself when you complete a set number of tasks by a certain time.
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Let's be honest with each other: nobody likes studying.
🙅‍♀️
Studying is a chore, a disruptor of fun, a hindrance in our quest for enjoyment.
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So how can we make it more bearable? Here are a few simple tricks:
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1. Set A Timer
~A timer will help you determine when to work and when to relax. Set one for 60 minutes and remove all distractions so you can solely focus on studying. Once that limit is up, take a break; then start the process over again!
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2. Find The Right Environment
~Part of your studying struggles could be due to inadequate surroundings. Mess around with different sounds, seats, and spaces to see what gets your brain ready for ultimate information retention!
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3. Review Notes and Study Materials Regularly
~To get the most out of your notes and guides, make a habit of reading through them a few times a week. You retain more information by reviewing in small chunks rather than cramming several lessons' worth of material into one long study session.
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4. Play Pretend!
~Okay, hear me out. One of the best ways to actively engage with the information you're studying is to pretend you're teaching it to someone else. Doing this helps you learn how to phrase notes, study guides, and reading materials in your own words. Your brain will then form deeper comprehension of the subject matter. You'll also see which subjects need more clarity for your understanding.
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The devil's in the details... if you remembered to write them down. 😅
Note-taking in class can be a stressful ordeal - let's go over some quick tips here on how to make it a less intimidating practice!
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1. Don't Write Everything Down
~ Notes are meant to be snapshots of important information. When you stress over every little detail, you increase your likelihood of missing pertinent subject matter and test materials. Focus on catching the broader topics and the tidbits emphasized by your teacher. Afterward, you can compare notes with others, supplement lecture information with related reading materials, or utilize your teacher's office hours to add missing details.
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2. Rephrase Notes In Your Own Words
~ It's not enough to solely write down the information presented to you. You have to take the extra step to fully understand what you're writing in ways that make sense to you. Even subjects as straightforward as history and biology need your flair added to them! By reworking your notes in your voice, you allow your brain to connect the subject material and grasp concepts on a deeper level.
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3. Review Notes For At Least 10 Minutes A Week
~ Keep your knowledge fresh by reviewing notes for different classes for 10 minutes once a week. You will set yourself up for success by retaining information in relaxed stages rather than stressfully cramming a semester's worth of details overnight.
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4. Ask Questions!
~ Going back to Tip 1, you can AND should ask questions mid-notetaking or after you have reviewed your notes. Whether you bring these questions to friends, classmates, or teachers is up to you. What matters most is that you pinpoint sections where your understanding is muddy and work with those around you to clear those areas up!
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"Old habits won't bring new results."
🧠
A brand new semester is currently underway. You, however, may already be thinking to yourself: "gosh, I wish I had time for (insert hobby or activity here)." The mounting onslaught of test prep, homework, and daily responsibilities may see your winter break goals pushed to the wayside. While you may not be able to achieve everything you set your mind towards this semester, you can start checking a few things off your to-do list by adopting some new habits! Here are a few things you should know to get those habits forming:

1. Give The Habit Time To Stick
- Before implementing the habits you have in mind, know that it takes anywhere from 18-254 days for them to become automatic (the average amount of time is 66 days, don't worry). Set the expectation for yourself at the start that this won't be an overnight achievement, and that's okay!

2. Start With An Easy, Achievable Habit
- A no-brainer. Repeatedly accomplishing one task (or a few) makes you feel good, which in turn encourages you to keep the momentum going. Use the easy wins to work towards more intricate goals!

3. Incorporate The Habit Into Your Regular Routine
- One of the best ways to work new habits into your life is by adding them to different parts of your established routine. Do some small stretches while brushing your teeth. Read a few pages of a new book while waiting for breakfast to be ready. Drink hot tea at night when you're ready to start winding down for bed. It's all about committing these habits to muscle memory so that they seamlessly fit into your life.

4. Don't Give Up!
- Listen, we're all human. We set expectations for ourselves that may slip through the cracks now and again. If you find that you fall short of your desired goals one day, don't sweat it. It's not a sign to stop trying entirely: it's simply a chance to reset and begin again. 💫