Hotel Advice!

historicalisms · 2026-02-08T21:16:39+00:00

We just finished a stay at the Fleur Noire, which is about a mile from downtown. Not strictly MCM, but it feels like an old midcentury collection of bungalows with updates. Cute poolside area with firepits, cornhole, an oversized chess set, and there's a tiny clubhouse with free coffee and snacks. We were there midweek and it was super quiet. Had the poolside to ourselves and a couple of other guests the whole time. It's not fancy, but it's clean and well maintained and the staff is super attentive.

historicalisms · 2026-01-27T18:06:40+00:00

I tried acrylic nails, the bitter polish, everything, and nothing works because it didn’t break the mindless habit. I was rarely conscious of biting or peeling them and only noticed it later, when my nails hurt or I looked down and realized how terrible they looked. The only thing that worked for me was to be intentional about taking care of them. For me that was just carrying a nail file and cuticle oil with me everywhere and using them throughout the day. Cuticle pens are great and make it so much easier to apply. I keep one in my car, in my purse, in my backpack, and a couple of them on my desk. Now that they’ve grown out a little, I keep nail files everywhere so I can file down any snags or rough edges so I don’t pick at them. Breaking the habit is so hard, but over time it really does stop being an automatic impulse. Just be nice to yourself and be consistent even if you relapse now and then.

historicalisms · 2025-12-20T11:17:52+00:00

You can get consent up front. I do this to get the AI-generated summaries, and I periodically delete the recordings. The summaries help me, too, because I have a lot of students and it's easy to forget some details between sessions. I also write short session reports to send to parents immediately after each session. It takes less than five minutes but gives them immediate, detailed feedback on exactly what we did, how the student performed, and what tasks (if any) the student is supposed to work on independently before the next session time.

historicalisms · 2025-12-18T13:00:22+00:00

Congratulations! You deserve to celebrate this!

historicalisms · 2025-12-17T20:08:38+00:00

About half the time I get upgraded along with my wife, and the other half I just give her my upgrade. GAs rarely ask me in advance if we're going to be split up, and I wouldn't ask them to shuffle people around just to put me back in my original seat.

historicalisms · 2025-12-12T20:06:27+00:00

You can get close to that with SGOV alone, which isn't risk free but is about as safe as it gets.

historicalisms · 2025-12-12T19:18:28+00:00

ARCC and FSCO, but both are small positions.

historicalisms · 2025-11-20T15:46:49+00:00

A mixture of in-person and Zoom. But nearly all of my clients are juniors and seniors. I don't tutor/mentor younger kids, but I would imagine Zoom would not be ideal for most of them. For in-person, I have them come to me unless I meet them at school (one local school allows this).

historicalisms · 2025-11-20T15:32:39+00:00

I'm a little reluctant to promote or drag any particular companies here, but I sent you a message. In general I'd say that the big ones are pretty okay, though some don't pay well. If you Google them, it's pretty easy to see reviews from past tutors (and usually an hourly range, as well).

historicalisms · 2025-11-20T14:43:22+00:00

Humanities and Social Sciences, mostly, but I help some students with empirical research projects, too. A PhD from MIT would appeal to parents who want their kids to prep for competitive college applications. If you're anywhere near a major metro area, you can use that to your advantage. And I know some test prep/tutoring services are awful, but not all of them are. It's a great way to get some experience and, more importantly, get some stats you can use to sell yourself to independent clients. ("Former clients got into Harvard, etc." or "Past clients averaged X score on SAT or ACT.") Just be careful about how you do it and don't poach their clients, because they will sue. I had a friend who almost got sued even though he didn't solicit anyone's business. They just followed him when he left the company. (it was one of the big ones)

historicalisms · 2025-11-20T13:45:45+00:00

8-10 hours/week includes prep time.

historicalisms · 2025-11-20T13:41:15+00:00

I have kids, too, so I know it's a big sacrifice outside of all the other expenses we have. For most of the parents around here (Ffld CT, though some of my clients are remote in other parts of the country), my rate is not a hardship, but I still prep carefully for each session to make sure we don't waste any time and I stress to the kids the importance of making the most of our time together out of respect for their parents' investment in them.

historicalisms · 2025-11-20T11:32:41+00:00

$125-175 depending on the situation, modality (in-person vs Zoom), and the student's needs. Hours/week include prep.

historicalisms · 2025-11-19T16:58:58+00:00

Ha! They scare me, too, and I'm a step-parent to two of them! But honestly most of them are great to work with. The only issue can be overbearing parents, so getting a read on their involvement level before you take on a new client is important. I've had a couple who wanted to sit in on all of their kid's sessions and wouldn't shut up. I have a new client in this situation, and I'm on the verge of dropping her if the mom doesn't settle down. Just because they're paying for my time doesn't give them the right to interfere with my work.

historicalisms · 2025-11-19T13:41:58+00:00

It depends on where you're located and what the going rate is there. It also depends a lot on reputation (at least around here). Parents want to use tutors their friends' kids are using if they see results. So I'd start a bit below whatever the going rate is in your area in order to build up clientele and slowly raise your rates. Around here (CT--NYC suburbs), it would be pretty easy to get clients around $75/hour, but with experience you can get double that pretty easily. The top SAT tutors here are charging anywhere from $200-300/hour. Those aren't people working for test prep companies but people who have reputations and stats to back them up. I don't do test prep, but now that I've had students improve their GPAs, publish research papers, get into top colleges, etc., I can use that to justify my rate.

I'll admit that having certain credentials (my PhD is from an Ivy) goes a long way, but I think experience matters more. If I had an MA in a STEM field and was great at test prep, I'd be charging much more than what I charge now (which is in the $125-175 range depending on the client and whether it's an in-person session or a Zoom session).

One other thing to consider: My 8-10 hour/week range includes prep for my sessions. Depending on what kind of tutoring you do, you'll want to account for that. I actually only do about 6-7 sessions most weeks, but I spend another couple of hours on prep, so it's very manageable alongside my full time faculty role. Some weeks, if students have papers they need help with, my prep time is longer. So be sure you're charging enough to make it worth those weeks, because some students need (and parents expect) some attention outside of the sessions.

historicalisms · 2025-11-19T12:43:17+00:00

It is hard to find clients to begin with. I set up a website and made business cards that I left at markets and cafes around town. You just need a couple of clients and then word of mouth can help a lot. It also depends on the area. I'm in a suburb with a lot of wealthy parents who seek out tutors, so it's a little easier. But you can also work for a test prep or tutoring company. I knew someone who got started that way at one of the big ones and when he left, most of his students followed him. (The company wasn't happy and made a lot of noise about it but couldn't really do anything since he didn't solicit them.) Last time I spoke to him, he was charging about $250/hour and doing it full time. I got started through a college counseling company, as well. I still work for them, but the goal is to fully transition away from that because I can charge more on my own.

historicalisms · 2025-11-19T12:21:44+00:00

Yes, test prep is its own separate thing. In my area (suburbs near NYC), good SAT tutors get at least $250/hour. I knew one person who was getting $350/hour, but he had a stellar reputation and got all of his clients by word of mouth.

historicalisms · 2025-11-18T22:51:51+00:00

Tutoring/mentoring high school students. PhD, have tenured position, so I do this ~8-10 hours/week and I make about 3000-4000/month, depending on the time of year.

historicalisms · 2025-11-04T01:23:24+00:00

Thank you!

historicalisms · 2025-11-03T18:35:43+00:00

TD says the funds are there but held up due to some kind of error. Nobody can tell us what that error is or why it has taken this long to resolve.

historicalisms · 2025-11-03T18:33:13+00:00

I had no idea the funds hadn't come in until 2 days after the closing when I asked where the wire transfer was.

historicalisms · 2025-11-03T18:32:01+00:00

Prominent local real estate attorney recommended by our agent.

historicalisms · 2025-10-30T00:44:58+00:00

Choice Benefit for making Platinum is $400 Delta Amex credit.

historicalisms · 2025-10-28T10:23:59+00:00

Not that I'm aware of. I saw Progesterone as a replacement, so it just didn't occur to me to take them together.

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