Public Library or Coffeehouse Tutoring

Contrary to what many people believe, it's not necessarily a good idea for students to study in complete silence, especially  for those students age 14 or above who  have above-average scores on standardized tests.   The ambient noise (usually a combination of conversation and music) and unpredictable visual input (customers walking in and out) one encounters at a public locations such as coffeehouses can serve as gentle distractions, helping students learn to filter out any similar distractions (whether visual, aural, physical or even mental) that they might encounter on test day.  

We do understand that every student is different, and that for some students, near or complete silence is truly a necessity when learning.  But even for those of you who are skeptical of this technique, we would still recommend that you try playing some instrumental (non-lyrical, such as jazz or classical) music at a low volume during a few tutoring sessions, then noting the results.  You might be surprised to find that it actually helps you concentrate!  Satellite radio stations such as XM or Sirius, which never (or rarely) play commercials, are perfect for listening to during tutoring sessions.

Our founder Brian McElroy has successfully tutored students in public locations such as coffeehouses for over a decade, and he now plays music in the background during private lessons at his San Diego office.  It certainly appears to be working--the score improvements, college/university acceptance rates & overall test scores/GPAs of McElroy's students have been consistently among the very best in America for nearly two decades (1998-present).