E-Safety

Social Media Safety/E-Safety Social Media Safety/E-Safety ChaptersOversharingThe Power of PasswordsBe ScepticalAs far as internet safety is concerned, the biggest threat often appears in the form of malware or tricks that allow hackers access to our bank details or other important personal information.Social media can act as a platform through which said hackers can operate. Whether it’s through correctly guessing your password (which is easier than you might imagine), dodgy links sent under the guise of your friends’ accounts, or simply a case of oversharing on our part.In this article we’ll assess some of the biggest risks associated with social media  in this day and age, and how best to avoid them in the future. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover al l our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomi cs Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsOversharing When it comes to sharing on social media, less is more.In life, we tend to keep our biggest secrets to ourselves, and if we do decide to disclose them, it’ll likely be to our closest friends who have earned our trust. But what happens when you let your guard down, maybe you’ve had a bit too much to drink or are consumed by strong emotions, and you have access to a social media account?Keep the Personal, Private.Whereas in the past a rant was just that, these days that same rant could be broadcast to the whole world with just a tap of the finger.It is as such that a moment of madness can come back to haunt you in the future; an unpopular opinion can land you in hot water with potential employers; a secret shared can be used against you at a later date.With this in mind, we have to be careful what we post to social media and ensure that we’re not tempted to press publish on something which could be potentially damaging to us at another point in time.This also goes for interaction s we have with friends on social media. While you may think this form of messaging is between just you and them, a log of the text will be kept and so it’s best not to discuss really personal matters or credit card information for example. Especially since all it would take is your Facebook (or other social media platform) account to be hacked, and that information is no longer secure.Family MattersSomething that a lot of people don’t think twice about, posting pictures and videos of family, or close friends, can be dangerous.The more clear a picture you provide through social media as to your friends, family, and personal life, the more information you are giving away to people who could use it to harm you.While this is not an especially likely scenario, and most people post daily content involving friends and family, there are some things to bear in mind when posting this type of content.First, try to avoid posting too much multimedia content of your children. While your frien ds and family love and appreciate the updates, if this content gets in the wrong hands, it could cause a lot of pain and distress. Especially since the photos and videos will be in a public forum if you decide to post them on social media.One way to secure this type of content is to make sure that when you post or publish it, you set your privacy settings so that only friends or family will be able to view it.There’s also the notion that your child or children might not appreciate certain content being made publicly available, at least when they grow up. This is an issue that should be discussed within the family, and be given some real thought.There’s a thoughtful article by Forbes on the issue of ‘sharenting’, which is definitely worth a read.The Dangers of AnonymityThe last way in which we can succumb to the dark side of social media is through anonymity.Anonymity is a perfectly valid way to have an online presence, should for whatever reason you prefer to keep your ident ity secret.However, for some, anonymity is a mask to hide behind. The prevalence of internet ‘trolls’ is evidence of this. Unless you have a lot of followers, you might not have encountered this before, but if you do, I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of some unwarranted and unsolicited criticism at one time or another.All you have to do is go on a celebrity’s social media feed, check the comments under an innocent post, and you’ll understand how toxic the culture of internet ‘trolls’ can be.The lack of accountability provided by anonymity can be dangerous and gives people a way of criticising relentlessly without showing themselves or revealing their true identity.Even people in respected professions can engage in this type of behaviour, given such anonymity and free reign to express their unsolicited opinions without repercussions. As a result, it’s worth thinking before you post a response to something someone said, and ask yourself whether you would say that to them in person.The Power of Passwords Use a series of letters and numbers for a strong password.Something that a lot of people can take for granted, a password you create should be more complex than just the first thing that comes to mind.Given how simple it can be for hackers to figure out your password, and subsequently get hold of your personal details, your best bet to keep yourself safe is password-protecting your social media accounts the right way.Particularly when considering phone safety, passwords are crucial.The Stronger, the BetterThe definition of a strong, unique password, is one which contains a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. It’s also ideally quite long.The reason for having such a password is simple: it makes it much harder for hackers to figure out.Once someone gets hold of your password, they won’t just get access to that account either, they can probably get into other accounts you have too, assuming you have the same password for different accounts.That brings me to the second reason it’ s important to have a strong, unique password, since if each of your accounts has a unique password, hackers won’t be able to cause a domino effect with your other accounts falling under their control.Something which came to my attention recently is the idea of ‘brute forcing’. This refers to the automated process of trying every word in the dictionary until coming up with your password. A scary thought indeed, being aware of such a technique should make all of us want to make our password something complex, and nonsensical.Double UpAnother thing you should probably do if you haven’t already is make sure the device you use social media on is password-protected itself.Having a strong password for your social media account is all well and good, but if you don’t have a password on your phone or tablet and you leave it on the table for a moment, you’re essentially leaving the keys to the door of your personal life on the table.Of course, it goes without saying that the passw ords for your accounts and your device should be different too, to make it as hard to crack as possible.Be Sceptical Keep an eye open for social media traps.Scepticism is always a good thing when it comes to social media safety.One misclick or lack of judgement could start a ripple effect which could have negative repercussions.Stranger DangerJust as you’re taught as a child, strangers on the internet should in most cases be avoided, especially when it comes to social media.Cyber bullying is a dangerous reality if you aren’t careful online.If somebody you don’t know reaches out to you or sends you a friend request, then you should take a moment before responding or accepting.While adding someone you don’t know probably won’t be the end of the world, you never know who it is and what their intentions are. Especially if you have private information on your social media account, it’s best to exercise caution when it comes to people you don’t know.Beware of LinksInternet safety 101: links can be deceptive. They are so easy to click but can cause huge damage to your device, or lead to malw are that could compromise your personal data.For the most part, clicking links from articles and trusted sources is fine, but once you enter certain parts of the internet you might be more likely to run into an undesirable, misleading link.These links are often found in places where you might be caught with your guard down, so it’s best to avoid clicking links when you’re not on a secure, trusted website.Yet, that’s not the biggest concern when it comes to links. Funnily enough, when it comes to dodgy links, your friends are the enemy.What I mean by that is you would never expect your friends to send you a dodgy link through social media, and I’m sure they wouldn’t, but sometimes they do.  Hackers gain access to social media accounts all the time, and when they do, they often try to catch people out by posing as their friend and sending a link with an innocent-sounding message like “check out this funny video!”.The best way to avoid this is to wonder to yourself if the text that accompanies the link is something your friend would typically say to you. Also consider how likely it is that they would send you a link out of the blue with some robotic-sounding line before clicking it.To find out more about staying safe online, check out our comprehensive guide on the topic.

A Student Review of Rice University

A Student Review of Rice University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Olivia is a senior at Rice University studying Materials Science. She currently tutors several subjects in Houston including SAT prep tutoring, Chemistry tutoring, and German tutoring. Check out her review of her school: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Olivia: Campus is very safe; its a little bubble within Houston. The running joke is that we live in the 4th biggest city in the country but go weeks without leaving campus. Its definitely true, but there are also lots of opportunities to get off campus if you are interested. For example, the student association arranges student nights at the Rodeo every year and the Alley Theater every semester. There are buses on campus, and Houston has some public transportation for which we have unlimited passes. Most students only have cars if theyve moved off campus as upperclassmen. By far the most popular method of transportation on campus and within the university area is biking. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Olivia: The professors here are typically pretty available, both in terms of time and personality. TAs are typically grad students and also are good about being available for class and academic advice. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Olivia: Theres a reason why Rice is consistently ranked #1 for quality of dorm life. All the dorms here are different and youre assigned to one dorm for all 4 years. You really get close to a small section of campus and have a family to support you through everything. Campus life is very vibrant because so many students live on campus, there is always something different going on. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Olivia: The Architecture, Music, and Engineering schools are among the smallest at Rice, but are also 3 of the top ranked programs in their fields. The Materials Science program in particular is currently ranked #1 in the world, I believe. I chose to study Materials Science because of a graduation project required by my high school, where I shadowed research scientists at Air Products and Chemicals in Allentown, PA. Ive toyed with minoring or double majoring in just about everything under the sun while here, but Ive never wavered in my choice of Materials Science as my primary area of study. The Materials Science department at Rice is very small in terms of undergraduate students. Were actually part of the Mechanical Engineering department, which presents us with a lot of unique cross-disciplinary opportunities. Strictly Materials-focused faculty easily outnumber the undergraduate students, so I can actually walk into a professors office on any given afternoon and there will be a goo d chance that they will have a minute to talk. We also have a lot of grad students in Materials Science, who are great resources for info on classes, internships, and school life in general. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Olivia: Theres actually no Greek life at Rice. Dorms are instead assigned randomly in a Harry Potter style. Youre assigned to one dorm for all 4 years, and even if you choose to live off campus, you still get to participate in that dorms special events and family activities. When you move in freshman year, youre assigned 3 upperclassmen advisors with ~8-10 fellow freshmen/new students and you have a whole week to pick classes, get to know the freshmen class, and get familiar with campus. Your matriculating class at your dorm really becomes family. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Olivia: There are several large recruiting/career fairs on campus every semester. Some are specific (ie. Engineering, Consulting, etc.) and some have a wide range of firms. As an engineer going into industry rather than grad school or consulting, I prefer to use my professors industry connections in terms of job opportunities and recruiting. I have used the Career Development Centers resume and interview workshops, however, and they are great tools to help prep for the internship and job hunt. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Olivia: There are study rooms and/or lounge areas in almost every building on campus. The librarys individual study rooms are popular, especially around exams, so they can be hard to get a hold of. Theres always room available somewhere though. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Olivia: Houston is such a great city. It gets a bad rap sometimes because its in Texas and because Austin likes to be the cool Texas city, but theres a lot of up and coming activities in the city. Theres a strong local business movement, a growing job market, a huge arts and entertainment sector with things from public art festivals to fine arts museums and various theater companies, and a huge diversity of restaurants from fancy places to food trucks. Our student IDs get us free/discounted access to a lot of arts and entertainment around the city, from museums and theaters to the zoo. How much you take advantage of it really depends on where exactly your interests lie and your schedule. Its definitely easier to get off campus as a senior and/or if you have a bike or car. In terms of night life, there are a lot of bars next to campus which have stand-up comedy or live music and you only have to be 18 to get in. Two of the local breweries were also founded by Rice grads, so a big rite of passage senior year is to go with the senior members of your dorm for a tour. Theres also a pretty significant social dance scene in Houston. The Americas Classic Championship (Pro West Coast Swing championship) was in town recently. SSQQ, the place where Texas two-step was standardized in the early 1900s, is only about 7 miles from campus. One of my personal favorites is a country-western dance hall called Wild West. Its a great way to get off campus and meet people and experience the Texas culture. Many student groups carpool there weekly or monthly for social events. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Olivia: The undergraduate population is about 3,000 students. Some of the intro level classes as well as physical fitness classes are fairly large, but those are typically classes that are good to have more students. When you get to more specialized classes, the class size drops dramatically. Most classes Ive taken here have been between 5 and 25 students. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Olivia: I think this honor has to go to a class Im currently taking. Ive had a lot of great experiences with Materials Science professors and related technical classes, but one class Im currently auditing stands out the most. The class Im auditing this semester is an architecture seminar called the Joy of Materials. The professor was hesitant to let me into the class because I am not an architecture student and he was concerned I was looking for a technical class. Two weeks into the class, he has personally thanked me for taking the course and bringing unique discussion to the class. On the other hand, it has brought another perspective of materials to my thought process. So much of the BSMS program at Rice is focused on nanoscale properties of materials, which is very important for engineering. But bringing bulk and aesthetic properties of materials into consideration brings a new dimension to materials selection. This dimension is particularly important for those planning to go into product design/bulk materials type positions, rather than nanoscale research or grad school. Check out Olivias tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Become a Better Guitarist

Become a Better Guitarist How to Improve Your Guitar Playing Chapters1. Warming Up is an Essential Part of Improving Your Guitar Playing2. Use a Metronome to Improve your Guitar Playing3. Play Slowly at First in Order to Improve Your Speed4. Study, Understand, and Memorise Chords in Order to Play Guitar Better5. Motivate Yourself to Become a Better Guitarist6. Regular Practice: the Best Way to Improve Your Guitar Playing7. Improve Your Playing by a Recording Yourself8. Play Without Any Accompaniment to Improve on the Acoustic Guitar9. Improve Your Guitar Technique by Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone10. Play as Part of a Band in Order to Become a Better Guitarist“Art is making something out of nothing, and selling it.” - Frank ZappaWhen you start playing the guitar, there are limitless possibilities. You're like a newborn baby who doesn't know how to walk and is learning to take their first steps.  In this case, it can be difficult to work out where to start and how to stop playing the guitar.Here are our 10 tips for becoming a better guit arist. PeterGuitar Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EdgarGuitar Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PaulGuitar Teacher 5.00 (12) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToddGuitar Teacher 4.75 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamueleGuitar Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KurtGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RyanGuitar Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors1. Warming Up is an Essential Part of Improving Your Guitar PlayingWhen you play the guitar, your hands will be in positions that they're not used to being in.You need to warm up your fingers and hands before you play the guitar. (Source: KleineKiwi)To be able to comfortably play the guitar, it's a good idea to warm up first.  However, unlike when you do sports, the goal of warming up before you play the guitar isn't to avoid injury but rather improve your dexterity.Start by warming up your neck and your shoulders so that you're comfortable when playing.  The next thing you should do is warm up your arms, your hands, and your fingers with a series of circular motions with your elbows and moving your wrists as if you wanted your hands to touch them.Make sure you keep your back straight when you're playing the guitar.  5 minutes of warming up will help you feel more relaxed and improve your playing.To warm up the fingers on your left hand (if you're right-handed), there are plenty of different exercises you can do.Bit by bit, you'll see your speed and dexterity improve. You'll also see that you make more progress during a session if you've warmed up.2. Use a Metronome to Improve your Guitar PlayingEven the most beautiful chord progressions in the world will sound awful if they're not being played in time.  Being able to play in time is an important skill for any guitarist.I know it doesn't seem very glamorous playing with a metronome that's constantly clicking away, but if you want to learn how to play in time, it's essential!Practising with a metronome will ensure that you are always in time. Don't worry if you can't manage it at first. Over time, you'll get there.The goal is to get so used to playing in time that you can eventually play without a metronome. You'll start hearing the regular ticking of a metronome even when one isn't there.3. Play Slowly at First in Order to Improve Your SpeedTo get the most out of playing with a metronome, it's a good idea to start off slowly at first. You can set the tempo to whatever you want.Break down all the movements you do when playing. (Source: langll)However, if you want to improve, it's a good idea to start off slowly and work on individual phrases and master playing them at the slower tempo.You can’t play quickly if you can’t play slowly. Your brain needs to understand every little movement that you need to make in order to play the correct notes with the correct timing.If you start by playing quickly at the beginning, you'll never progress. In fact, your playing will be sloppy and you'll pick up bad habits that will be difficult to correct later on down the line.4. Study, Understand, and Memorise Chords in Order to Play Guitar BetterChords are an essential part of guitar playing.To get better at them, you should check out chord diagrams.By spending just 10 minutes a day studying your chords, you'll discover new chords and fingerings. Don't forget to go back over chords you've already studied from time to time. You'll also need to study intervals: second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.Finally, don't forget to work on your scales and their relation to different chords in order to improve your improvisation and composition. PeterGuitar Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EdgarGuitar Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PaulGuitar Teacher 5.00 (12 ) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DanielGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToddGuitar Teacher 4.75 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamueleGuitar Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KurtGuitar Teacher 5.00 (3) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RyanGuitar Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors5. Motivate Yourself to Become a Better GuitaristIf you aren't motivated, you'll never progress.  It's pretty obvious when you think about it. You're going to learn better if you actually want to learn.However, you may notice that your motivation wavers. One day you might be incredibly motivated to play the guitar and another day you couldn't care less.  Don't worry, though. This is normal. As human beings, we need stimulation in our daily lives.One thing's certain, you'll progress more quickly if you're motivated.So, you'll need to find ways to motivate yourself. Set yours elf short and long-term objectives to achieve such as discovering new music and bands, talking to other friends who are musicians, writing new songs, working on new techniques, etc.To feed your motivation, make sure that you keep things varied. This could include taking a regular guitar class, playing for your families and friends, watching films and documentaries about famous musicians you like, reading books on your favourite guitarists, etc.Just don't give up if you're not feeling motivated one day, your motivation will come back.6. Regular Practice: the Best Way to Improve Your Guitar PlayingWe often say this on Superprof but it's true, practice makes perfect.Do you really think that the world's greatest guitarists only practise once a week? (Source: Free-Photos)Whether you're learning a language, playing a sport, or learning how to play a new musical instrument, doing a little bit of practice each and every day is far more effective than doing a lot of practice once a week.Even if you can only practice for 10 minutes a day, do it! It's better than not practising and all.Ideally, you'd be able to get a break from work for half an hour to practise your guitar playing.  Don't forget to set aside some time where you'll be doing nothing or at least not playing guitar.You'll also need to give your brain time to assimilate everything you've learnt, and bit like when you put a computer on standby.To get the most out of your practice sessions, consider creating a schedule of when to practise and what to practise.Being able to see what you're working on and what you've achieved is a useful way to stay motivated and monitor your progress.7. Improve Your Playing by a Recording YourselfSometimes you need to be objective and critical of yourself in order to improve.  Recording your playing and listening back to it is a good way to see the progress you're making and highlight any errors that need correcting.Similarly, it can be useful to film yourself playing as this wi ll allow you to see any physical mistakes you're making. You can also use this for learning languages, dancing, or other performance arts.You can use this to check on your posture, your finger placement, and avoid picking up bad habits.  It's a great way to take a step back from your practice sessions and evaluate yourself in a more objective way.Some guitarists will only see the negative aspects of their playing whereas others mightn't be able to see anything wrong with what they're doing.It's important to try and place yourself between these two extremes and be aware of both the good parts and bad parts of your playing.8. Play Without Any Accompaniment to Improve on the Acoustic GuitarAs a guitarist, you might be used to playing along with the music.  You may even get the impression that you playing to the best of your abilities as if you are playing as part of the famous band.  Try playing on your own and seeing if you do really sound that good.Playing records on their own one so und exactly the same when you've got no music to back you up.As you train and practise, you can imagine yourself playing in a famous band.9. Improve Your Guitar Technique by Stepping Out of Your Comfort ZoneYou won't improve without putting the effort in.  You need to work on something that you aren't already an expert in otherwise you won't progress. It may be comforting to do something you're good at but it won't help you get better.If you really want to improve, you need to challenge yourself and stepped outside of your comfort zone.  Take a song or a guitar solo that you've dreamt of playing and break it down.Slow down the tempo and play it bit by bit, step by step, until you can play it  at full speed.  While this may take some time, research, and perseverance, it will all pay off in the end because you'll progress more quickly than if you hadn't.10. Play as Part of a Band in Order to Become a Better GuitaristFinally, our final tip for those who want to become better guitarists is to join a band.Learning with other guitarists is a good way to improve your playing. (Source: Pexels)The guitar is a great instrument to play as part of a band or as part of a group. Learning to play with other musicians, singing, creates songs, improvised, and perform shows is a great way to become a better musician.It's also a great way to motivate yourself because you never know what you're going to play or how you can improve.So are you ready to become the next Joe Satriani?If you're struggling, don't forget that private guitar lessons could help. Your guitar teacher can help you learn to play, understand music theory, and improve as a guitar player as you go from strumming a few basic chords to improvising complex jazz solos.The main advantage is that they'll tailor each guitar lesson to you. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or expert, they'll be able to teach you at your level with a focus on the types of music you like.In beginner guitar lessons, you can learn how to play guitar at your own pace. Once you reach the intermediate level, you can take lessons focusing on techniques specific to genres such as blues guitar and rock guitar. By the time you're an expert, your music teacher will be able to show you the best guitar techniques and how to master them.Check out even more advice for guitarists.

Top 10 Innovative Ways to Enhance Learning for Students

Top 10 Innovative Ways to Enhance Learning for Students Our educational system is vast and complex. Implementing innovations to stimulate and strengthen educational system is not simple. Here are a few innovative ways to enhance the learning in the modern age where the entities like student, tutors, institutions and parents need to move out of the confined classrooms. Project-based Tutoring: It is the way of educating students beyond the textbooks to study complex topics with real-time case study. Unlike learning from traditional book-based instructions, project-based tutoring allow students to collect information from the Internet and expert interviews. The entire curriculum can be covered into multiple projects where students can present his learning acquisition beyond the school including parents and community groups. Integrated Learning: The subjects like history, art and literature are interwoven. A student should reach across the confined boundaries in the name of subjects and explore the relationship through integrated learning. Integrated learning should allow students to learn subjects beyond the simple text and numbers to include color, graphics, animation, and music. Sharing knowledge: Teamwork among students help collaborating with team members. Each student in the team is responsible to learn the topic and deliver it to other team members. Knowledge sharing develops emotional and social skills forming valuable foundation for their lives as a wise citizen. Comprehensive Assessment: Test is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes and improve the scores. Assessment should include detailed and continuous assessment of the student strengths and weaknesses. A student, teacher and parent can monitor academic assessment and focus on improving weak areas. Intellectual and Emotional guide: With increasing curriculum, teachers can spend less time in molding student emotionally and intellectually. The teachers should be a coach or guide to take the student through the learning process. They should give attention to nurture students’ interest and self-confidence to seek any additional challenges. Sharpen Teachers’ skills Teaching skills should continually sharpen their lessons and tips from other teachers by attending seminars and conferences. They should spend time in refining their tutoring skills under the guidance of other expert teachers. Technology: Using technology smartly to modernize the curriculum, include creative tutoring methods and increase parents’ involvement. Online tutoring now includes lesson plans and classroom demonstration to educate in more productive and creative way. Software tools like interactive whiteboard, voice based training email, voice mail helps teachers, students and parents stay in close touch. Restructure Resources: Resources like facilities, time and money should be restructured. The education should not be confined to 45-minute period but should be available for help on demand. Schools should conduct camps and activities in summer vacations for teachers’ development, student activities, parenting classes and community use. Parents Involvement: The parent is the first guide when stay involved to build strong alliances with schoolwork gives motivation to the student results in better performance. Educational institutions should inform parents about their goals, importance of good performance of each child and ways to assist their child in their classroom and homework lessons. Community Partners: Educational institutions and students should partner community organization, museums, government agencies, businesses and industries to provide critical information, technology and real time experience for teachers and students. Institutions can enlist professionals who act as mentors for students and teachers.

10 Tips for Acing Your College Admissions Interview

10 Tips for Acing Your College Admissions Interview The following piece was written by Joie Jager-Hyman. Joie has been featured in ourAdmissions Expert seriesand is a former Assistant Director of Admissions for Dartmouth College. She is the founder of her own admissions consulting service, College Prep 360. While not every school offers interviews for admission, if the opportunity is presented to you, take it! Before the school year starts, research your colleges websites to see if they offer interviews. If they do, reserve your spot as soon as possible. Even if an interview isnt officially recommended, it can still be a great opportunity for students to demonstrate interest in the school and possibly compensate for any blemishes on their academic records. Whether your interviewer is a member of the admissions staff or a local alumnus, it is extremely important that you put your best foot forward. Having personally conducted scores of admissions interviews, I have compiled 10 easy tips for students to ace their interviews. The following are taken from my new book, B+ Grades, A+ College Application: 1.Bring your resume: In my experience, many interviewers will use your resume to guide the conversation for the interview and pose questions about your extracurricular activities, community service, personal interests, and so on. Discussing your resume will give you plenty to talk about and will help the time fly by.2.Familiarize yourself with current events: Thanks to the internet, it only takes a few minutes per day to peruse national newspapers like The New York Times or to stream national news on NPR. Your interviewer will expect you to have a general understanding of major headlines, so do your daily homework.3.Read outside of school: While you make time to brush up on current events, also take the time to read for your own enjoyment. Doing so will give interviewers a lot of insight into your intellectual curiosityespecially if you choose to read books outside the realm of pop culture (e.g., the Twilight series, Harry Potter).4.Know your academic interests: Chances are your inte rviewer will ask about your favorite academic subject and what you might want to study in college. Think of a class you really enjoy and be prepared to elaborate (enthusiastically) on how you would like to pursue studies in that subject area. Also, do some legwork and research online how this area is taught at your interviewers college. If you can name a course or professor that interests you, all the better!5.Reflect on your personal interests: Be prepared to shed light on personal interests or activities, such as photography or music. Even if you simply enjoy seeing photography in museums or playing music in your friends cars, be ready to talk about your passions! Your interviewer will want to know what youve learned from the time youve spent viewing or taking pictures and how you would want to pursue that activity in college.6.Show passion for a cause: Colleges are looking to admit students who will take charge and use their educations to make a positive impact on the world. This would be a great opportunity to talk about any community service efforts on your resume, but if youre not that involved, think about issues you care about and be prepared to discuss how you want to leverage your passion for those issues to make your mark on the world.7.Do your research: By interviewing, you are exhibiting a serious commitment to a particular college and your interviewer will expect you to have some familiarity with his or her school. Go beyond what it is on the colleges website and chat with a current student, or read the schools newspaper to get a sense of the major issues on campus and what the student body is like.8.Ask three questions: An interview is as much an interviewers opportunity to learn about you, as it is for you to learn more about the college and see if it is a good fit. At the end of your interview, you will likely be asked if you have any questions. Be sure to ask thoughtful, qualitative questions that you cant find the answer to online such as: H ow accessible is the faculty outside the classroom? or, What kind of research opportunities are available to underclassmen?9.Writea thank-you note: In these days of e-communication, a handwritten note makes a wonderful impression on an interviewer. You can keep it brief and just mention how you enjoyed meeting him or her, making sure to include a few highlights from your conversation.10.Practice makes perfect: While you may never have been interviewed before, you can take comfort in knowing that interviewing is a skill that you can learn through practice. Based on my tips, you now have a pretty good idea as to what interviewers will ask you, so jot down a list of questions and practice with someone you trust. Make sure you practice well in advance of your scheduled interview so that you wont feel overwhelmed with questions! Check outCollegePrep360 for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Student Experiences at the University of Texas at Austin

Student Experiences at the University of Texas at Austin Alyson earned her bachelors degree in French from the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in writing tutoring, French tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, she shares her experience at the University of Texas at Austin: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Alyson: The campus has an on-campus bus that runs in a circle to help students get from one side of campus to the other. There are also public buses that run to campus from almost anywhere in the city. Lots of students have bikes, but I didnt. I had a car on campus, but never used it because the buses were so convenient. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Alyson: The staff at UT Austin is very available. While some have walk-in hours, I always preferred to make an appointment. They all worked really well through email, too. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Alyson: I never lived in the dorms. I lived in an apartment my junior year and a house by campus my senior year. I like the freedom and independence I felt, because I thought the dorms would make me feel too constricted. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Alyson: UT Austin is known for its sports, as well as its business and law schools. The liberal arts programs were all very good as well. I double-majored in French and English. French was my passion, but I added English because I needed the credits to graduate. My advisor was super helpful in guiding me to choose English, and I felt supported the whole time I was at UT Austin. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Alyson: I didnt participate in Greek life, but it did have a nice presence on campus. I mostly spent my extra time outside of school working and studying, and I still made plenty of friends. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Alyson: I didnt utilize this at UT Austin, but I know there were career fairs offered to students through the center. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Alyson: UT Austin is a big campus with lots of choices for where to study or hangout. I never found spaces overcrowded, and since there were so many, I could always find somewhere to study quite easily. Describe the surrounding town. Alyson: Austin, Texas is a fantastic city with lots to do. Its very green and beautiful, so if you like nature, youll love it there. You can hike, swim, kayak, canoe, and generally never get bored. The urban side is incredible, tootons of restaurants, shopping, music venues, and festivals. Id say students go all over, but campus wasnt too far from downtown anyway. Late night buses were also available to take students to and from campus safely. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Alyson: UT is a huge university. The lower-level classes were lecture, and would hold easily over 100 students. When you got further along in your specific major, however, the classes got much smaller and more intimate, with around 10-to-20 students. I loved the variety in class sizes. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Alyson: In one of my courses, I gave a presentation with a partner. The professors wife attended that day, which was unusual. My partner and I aced the presentation. It was about the Sirens chapter of Ulysses, and I remember that the professors wife came up to us after class to compliment us specifically about how impressed she was with our understanding of the subject matter. It just seemed really unique to get a compliment like that from the professors wife. I feel really lucky to have gotten to take that class, as it was the professors last one before he retired. Check out Alysons tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

What are the Benefits of Circuit Training

What are the Benefits of Circuit Training Circuit Training: A Fun and Dynamic Workout ChaptersCircuit Training: A Total Body WorkoutLosing Weight and Gaining EnduranceToning Your Body and MetabolismCircuit Training: Sessions that are Always DifferentCircuit training - if you’re not an avid gym goer or athlete, this type of body workout probably doesn’t ring a bell. Relatively new and very efficient, this method combines the best of strength training and resistance training in order to deliver results such as lowering bodyweight, body fat and reinforcing all muscle groups.Between weight lifting and cardio workouts, it can be hard to determine what kind of workout routine will help you reach your personal goals either at home or at the gym. While there are many other methods you can try, circuit training can leave you feeling toned in your whole body through a high intensity, dynamic program.Superrpof invites you to discover what it’s like to train in a “circuit,” a method that can be great for those looking to toss out repetitive and boring training methods a s well as those looking for a total body workout. Not only does circuit training allow you to increase your muscular endurance on the long term, but also to help you achieve the body of your dreams!Get yourself a personal trainer near me now. Circuit training plans take your general fitness goals into mind CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teach er 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCircuit Training: A Total Body WorkoutAt this point you may be wondering, what exactly is circuit training? Chances are, if you’re doing research into the best methods for fat loss or to burn calories, you’ve probably come across HIIT, or high intensity interval training. A HIIT workout is similar to circuit training, except for the fact that the exercise moves done in circuit training are completed without a rest break in between each move but, rather, a longer rest break at the end of each circuit.The objective of circuit training is similar to all types of interval training, which is using both your lower body and upper body to exert a large amount of force in short, intense intervals. Generally, each exercise move is completed one after the other where each move should be completed at about 30 seconds without rest time.Comparing circuit training to traditional types of weight training or bodyweight exercises, you can see it has many advantages including:A fitness program that is accessible to all levelsGetting a full body workout in about 30 minutesTraining exercises that improve your general healthTraining workouts that are always varied and funLittle to no gym equipment needed (like kettlebell, dumbbell, medicine ball, etc)Great for combining with other sports activities (swimming, rock climbing, etc)One rule you should always stick to, not just when you do a circuit workout, is to make sure to adapt the weight, cardio and strength exercises to your level. Also, keep in mind that circuit training will giv e you the best results when you define an objective for your own personal fitness goals beforehand.What are you waiting for? Now that you’ve seen the workouts that circuit training has to offer and whether you’re doing aerobic exercises, squats or push ups - try some out today!Losing Weight and Gaining EnduranceCircuit training is a workout method that works for three principal aspects of the body: to lose fat, gain muscular endurance and for weight loss. While circuit training helps to burn fat, losing weight through this method can also mean gaining flexibility and improving your cardiovascular health.Weight is often something that people pinpoint when they start their fitness journey, whether that be through starting sports with a community team or through an exercise program with a personal trainer near me. Losing weight, however, should be associated with building muscle and improving cardiovascular fitness instead of just with beauty standards.Circuit training allows you t o lose weight because each session allows you to burn calories through cardio and weight exercises. This is the reason why many people turn to circuit training as a way to lose weight and, simultaneously, get fit. Achieving these fitness goals cannot, of course, be possible without also making sure you eat a balanced diet that is low in fat. While an intense workout, circuit routines are also highly adjustable to each personAnother advantage of participating in a circuit training program is that, in losing weight, you will also be able to increase your endurance - something that you use on the daily. Increasing your endurance in a cardiovascular exercise-based program doesn’t simply look like one that involves running. A cardio workout is anything that gets your heart pumping, which can mean exercises like lunges, pushups, biceps or bicep curls, and burpees.Each session in circuit training will put your respiratory system to the challenge by working for your major muscle groups through a fat-burning, cardio exercise. Completing these body weight exercises in short, intense bursts with no recovery time in between them will help your heart get stronger.Finally, the last benefit you can expect to gain through circuit training is toning your body by gaining muscle. Whether you use lifting weights, a barbell or just the wei ght of your own body, completing anaerobic and aerobic exercise moves in this interval style will lead to a gain in muscle mass as well as endurance.Whether you’re working on your glutes, triceps or whole body, circuit training will allow you to become more athletic, have a better heartbeat and make your body feel like its functioning at its best. If you’re looking to be in great physical health in the long run, don’t hesitate to start trying circuit training!Toning Your Body and MetabolismEngaging in a fitness program like circuit training will give you benefits that might lead you to believe that it’s only great for short term goals like getting your summer body ready or helping you lose weight quickly. However, this method is meant to be implemented to help your health on the long term.In fact, because the workout involves repeating exercise moves in an explosive manner, it is a great way to train your muscles and ligaments. Contracting and expanding them rapidly can help you build up your endurance in everything from your shoulders to your hamstrings.If you’re already the type of person that completes body workouts for weight loss or muscle gain, you can also integrate circuit training if this method interests you. This is a great way to add some variety into your normal workout routine and work more areas of your body.If you’re at the beginner level, meaning that you have been leading a mostly sedentary life, here’s an idea of what a circuit can look like in a circuit training session:Knee ups (or jogging in place)Butt kicksPushupsJump ropeCrunchesYou can complete these exercises five times, repeating each move for 30 seconds straight and having a 45 second to 1-minute break at the end of each circuit. If you’re interested in introducing some other moves, you can try exercises like: plank, jumping jacks, burpees, lunges with weights.If you’re at a more advanced skill level and you’re wanting to focus on gaining muscle, here's an idea o f what a circuit can look like:Bench pressSquats with weightsDeadliftShoulder shrugDumbbells shoulder pressRowingAgain, you should complete 5 circuits in total by repeating each exercise for about 45 seconds straight, one after the other. Your rest break should be anywhere between 45 seconds to a minute, depending on your body. If you’d like to add some other moves to your workout, you can try rolling crunches, elastic pull-ups or standing push-ups.There are many things you can do to make sure you get the most out of circuit training. One example is to make sure that you feel comfortable in your environment, completing your workouts either with friends or alone depending on your individual preferences. Another example is to find your motivation, in other words, what will get you moving each day.One of the most important things you can make sure to do, besides practising good form and performing a cool down after each session, is to take up your exercise program at a regular and co nstant rate. Combined with eating right, working out at the right pace will help you feel better both inside and out. Vigorous workouts should always be followed with rest and plenty of water!Circuit Training: Sessions that are Always DifferentNow that you’ve learned everything there is to know about circuit training, the only thing left for you to do is choose which type you prefer. If you’re objective is to lose weight, the kinds of exercises in your circuit will be more simple but efficient in burning a lot of calories. Boxing moves, cardio, squats and pushups, the outcome will most likely be the same: to sweat!No matter who you are, all sides of the gender spectrum seek to tone their body with the help of sports activities. In-circuit training, you can be sure to accomplish this through exercises like triceps dips, squats and more. The great thing about circuit training is that, while giving you muscle gain and increased endurance, you’ll always be able to vary the exercises in your circuit - adapting them not just to your individual goals but also how you feel day to day!

When Should I Take the MCAT

When Should I Take the MCAT MCAT Medical School Admissions College in and of itself is a daunting process for most students. Studying constantly for twelve to eighteen hours of course work, juggling extracurricular activities, and trying to maintain an active social life can be challenging. Add in aspirations to attend medical school and suddenly you are overwhelmed. Needless to say, this entire process requires a significant amount of planning. Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have at least resolved one concern on your list and answered the question of when to take your medical college admission test (MCAT). Evaluate Your Coursework The most important consideration in taking the MCAT is what level of premedical course work you have completed. Pertinent to this is the understanding that the MCAT tests extensively on required premedical courses and additional information not covered in these courses. For example, there is a portion of physiology on the cardiovascular, renal, and genitourinary systems on the MCAT that is not normally taught in premedical prerequisites but might be covered in classes the student takes electively such as anatomy and physiology. Because of the large burden of information, it is ideal to take the MCAT after you have completed all of your required course work and if possible a few extra courses to solidify and deepen your understanding of the content that will be covered on the MCAT. Most schools recommend taking cell biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and biochemistry to aid with the MCAT as well as the transition to medical school. Some students are particularly adept at t eaching themselves and are able to perform extraordinarily well on the MCAT despite not completing their prerequisites prior to taking the exam. However, this is a small margin of the population of premedical students and not typically advised. Consult the Calendar Another factor to take into account is the timing of the application process. The typical timeframe for application and interviews to medical school is a year. For example, most application systems open in May of the year prior to enrollment and students are admitted up to June of the following year. This requires that the MCAT be taken at latest by May of the year prior to attendance. Backtracking even further, MCAT scores take a month to be released, which means ideally, your MCAT should be taken at latest by April of the year prior to enrollment in medical school. Taking into consideration the fact that many students do not achieve their target score and retake the MCAT means that you should consider having a buffer of time to retake the test if necessary. While this seems a bit tedious or even cautionary, keep in mind that this could cause you to either apply with a noncompetitive score or delay your application by a year. If you do not have a score that meets the standards of ad missions you are investing both money and time in a process that may have minimal or no yields. In addition, you are required to disclose if you have applied to medical school previously which can affect how your application is viewed by an admissions committee. Give Yourself Time Taking these factors into consideration, it is ideal to take your first MCAT in the summer or fall of the year prior to application. For most students this falls in the beginning of their ‘Junior’ or third year of school. Taking the MCAT in the fall allows you to evaluate your score early and make crucial decisions from there. If you end up needing to retake the MCAT this gives you a few months to assess changes to make in your next test preparation period. It also allows you a window to register for the test which can be difficult some years when testing sites are limited and many students are taking the exam. If you end up receiving a score that you are satisfied with, this gives you a good window of time to plan for the application cycle and prewrite essays. This period of time could also be used to address any weaknesses in the student’s application such as volunteer work or extracurricular activities. Be Prepared Finally, realize that the best time to take the MCAT is when you are most prepared and able to perform well on the exam. While most students are anxious to get moving through the long process that a career in medicine requires, realize that a year or two spent working toward your goal will not impact your career in the long run. Put in the time now and perform your best so that you can set yourself up early to do well. About the Author Jordan Salley is one of MyGuru's most accomplished MCAT tutors. Clickhereto learn more!