Learn the Basics of IT with a Computer Science Tutor

Learn the Basics of IT with a Computer Science Tutor Mastering Computer Courses with an IT tutor ChaptersGetting the Right Start with Private IT TutorialsLearn IT at Home and Improve your Computer SkillsLearn to do Your Own Computer Maintenance with a Private In-home IT TutorLearn to Surf the Web Thanks to Your Private TutorWhat about Learning more about Programming Languages in your Private Computer Tutorials?What Should You Look for in a Private IT Tutor?There are 10 types of people in this world. Those who know binary and those who don’t.If you got that joke, then this probably isn’t the article for you. However, if you’re new to computers, the internet, and lack even the most basic computer skills, read on!With the right introduction to computers and some quality computer classes, you’ll soon be learning all the fundamental IT skills and some important computer basics. It's time to pick up your mouse and keyboardIf you’re thinking about taking improving your digital literacy to the point where you could consider studying it at university or taking computer courses, for example, Superprof has some tips and tricks that can help you on your way to becoming a top programmer or web developer.You can also find free office suites like OpenOffice or LibreOffice.Which should you choose? Once again, your private tutor can recommend the right option for you. 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 f ree!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 RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLearn to do Your Own Computer Maintenance with a Private In-home IT TutorA computer is a collection of hardware (physical elements) and software (virtual elements) which can all fail.If you can fix the small errors you come across, you can save a lot of money by not having to call tech support or getting IT technicia ns to come to your house.Make sure that you learn how to keep your computer safe. (Source: Jay Kunwar)What can a private tutor help you do in terms of computer maintenance?Clean your PCUpdate your driversImprove your computer’s security against hackersThese are a few simple things you can do to guarantee that your machine will keep working in the long run.If you want to go even further, here’s a quick overview of the IT maintenance skills your private tutor will probably show you how to:Delete programmes you don’t need. There are probably dozens of them! This allows you to free up memory and make starting up your computer less painful since they won’t be taking up valuable resources when you turn your computer on.Regularly delete temporary files.Regularly defragment your hard disk in order to optimise the storage used.Delete your browsing data and other cookies.Learn to use your antivirus in order analyse any attacks on your computer.There are plenty of free computer lessons online that can help you go through how to do some of these, too.Learn to Surf the Web Thanks to Your Private TutorOnce your private in-home IT tutor has taught you about your operating system and a few basic skills, they’ll show you how to use a search engine in your web browser. The most common browsers are:Google ChromeMozilla FirefoxSafari (on Macs)OperaYou should learn about navigating the internet on computers, tablets, and smartphones. (Source:  pixabay.com)During your computer class, you’ll learn to:Use a search engine by searching using keywords and choosing the most commonly visited sites.Browse a web page and open different tabs.Add websites to your favourites and manage them.Set up an email account and check your email inbox using a web-based client.Take screenshots.Download .jpg or .pdfs from a website.When accessing networks or surfing the net, you’ll often be expected to create accounts for various sites (your phone provider, internet service provider, online s hopping, news websites, etc.)This is where your private tutor will help you coming up ways to create secure passwords and how to hide them. You’ll often be asked to ensure that your password contains a mix of upper and lower case characters as well as numbers.You should know that you’ll never be 100% safe but you can make it harder to hackers to work it out. You should also invest in an anti-spyware or antivirus programme and take your private tutor’s advice into account since they’ll definitely know a thing or two about which programmes are the best.What about Learning more about Programming Languages in your Private Computer Tutorials?This section of the article should be of interest to those who’d like to take IT further and study it for work or even take it as a subject at university or just a class on coding as part of another degree.If you want to learn to programme, here are a few of the most common programming languages used to give you an idea of what you’ll com e across:Python: this is an object-oriented language that emphasises code readability.Java: an object-oriented programming language. Programmes written in Java are often easily adapted to other operating systems like Unix, Windows, Mac OS, or GNU/Linux.C: This is one of the most commonly used programming languages and has been around since the 70s. More recently, languages languages like C++, Java, and PHP, which are based on C, are used.Visual Basic: This is a “is a third-generation event-driven programming language and integrated development environment” according to Wikipedia.COBOL: common business-oriented language.When you learn to code, you’ll have to learn the syntax specific to each programming language. You can do this in your room on your own or you can do this with a quality private tutor or an IT technician.If you want to become a web developer, you may have to learn several programming languages. (Source: pixabay.com)If you’re interested in learning how to creat e websites or pursuing web development, you’ll need to learn the basics of:HTML (now HTML5) in order to create web pages.CSS in order to create the styles of each page (colours, fonts, shapes, etc.)You’ll often have to have lessons on PHP, a programming language used to make websites more interactive.What Should You Look for in a Private IT Tutor?There’s often a gap between an IT tutor (they’re often millennials who’ve grown up using computers and social networks) and their students. They often end up teaching the older generations how to use computers, too.Should you worry about this generational gap?  Of course not!Remember that private tutors are passionate about all aspects of their subject. IT is one of the few fields where it’s the younger generation who’ll teach the older one.  So there’s no need to huff and puff about it!Here are a few of the qualities you should look for in a private IT tutor:A gift for explaining all the IT jargon in an easily understood wa y.Patience and teaching skills.A passion for passing on knowledge.Joy when talking about the tools they use on a daily basis.Wanting to bring their student into the modern age.Using new technologies to open up new methods of communication.Find out about IT courses for seniors.

The Best Creative Writing Courses in the UK.

The Best Creative Writing Courses in the UK. The Best Places in the UK for Creative Writing Classes. ChaptersForget the Haters: Why You Should Take a Creative Writing Course.Find a Creative Writing Degree at a UK University.Or Find a Postgraduate Creative Writing Course.Enrol on a Short Creative Writing Program or Retreat.Courses in creative writing are one of the few types of educational courses that can really divide people. You’ll have heard many high-profile people say that they are something of a waste of time. Others legitimately resent this, suggesting instead that they provide an important space for budding writers to hone their craft.It doesn’t help that, in some cases, the former group have been teachers on creative writing programmes themselves.But, in any case, this snobbishness towards creative writing as a discipline to be taught is strange. Artists have gone to academies for centuries to learn how to paint. Dramatists and musicians also head to conservatoires across the world to develop their skills in their respective fields.These guys don’t seem to be looked d own upon by the professional musicians, actors, or painters. So why should those who want to learn how to write be given this unfair treatment?Well, indeed. And, regardless, we are very much convinced of the importance of creative writing classes. Because writing is not just about feeling inspiration and putting pen to paper. It is not the old Romantic vision of individual creativity and passion.No, writing is a skill that needs to be practised and worked at tirelessly. And if you want to join a creative writing course, you’ll need to be prepared for that.Here, we are going to show you some of the best places to study creative writing across the UK â€" at university level and in shorter, less academic contexts. The choice of which is yours to make. We hope you find it helpful â€" but remember that attending a creative writing course is not enough to turn you into the next James Joyce.Whilst you are here, you can check out your job prospects with a creative writing degree and see s ome tips to improve your creative writing. 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 Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1s t 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 tutorsForget the Haters: Why You Should Take a Creative Writing Course.So, no â€" creative writing courses are not a waste of time, no matter which famous writer has said it. If you want to be a writer, there are an awful lot of things that you will need to consider â€" many of which you will never have realised â€" and a creative writing class is a great place to make sure you have them all covered.Let’s talk about a couple of these things briefly. Meanwhile, you can check out our article, What is Creative Writing? Never stop writing.Ensuring Your Write.One of the most important opportunities that a creative writing class offers is the time and motivation to write. Whether they are screenwriting, writing poetry, or writing creative nonfiction, sometimes things get in the way that prevent creative writers from dedicating time to their work.This is particularly true of university degrees in creative writing â€" which obviously last much longer than the short courses. If you can commit three years full-time to your novel with a student loan to back you up, you’ll be laughing.Having Others Read It.But you might not be laughing so much when you have to pull your manuscript out of your bag and present it to your class. Too many can people harbour the belief that they’ll be the next Shakespeare when they have never shown anyone their work.Creative writing courses ensure that other people can give you constructive criticism on your work. As that’s the best way to make it better.Honing Your Writin g Skills.Like learning a musical instrument, writing requires skill and practice. This is not something that you can just pick up just like that.Whilst you can be self-taught as a writer as much as you can as a musician, there is no harm in putting in the hours â€" with professional support and writing exercises â€" to produce the best lines and narratives you can.Learning the Tricks of the Trade.There is so much more to being a professional writer than the writing process itself. You’ll need to know how to navigate the world of literary magazine, the trials of getting published, and the whole length of your writing career.Many creative writing courses teach you all this too, by the way. Find out more about creative writing courses!Find a Creative Writing Degree at a UK University.The strongest creative writing degrees tend not to be found in the most conventionally reputed academic institutions. But don’t let this put you off: some of the creative writing degrees in the UK are incredibly popular and incredibly well-regarded.Here are three options for you.Study Creative Writing at Lancaster University.According to the Complete University Guide, Lancaster University’s creative writing department is the best in the country. And, on its three-year joint honours programmes â€" in which creative writing can be combined with English literature, film, or fine art â€" you’ll have a fantastic opportunity to learn from some of the best creative writing teachers in the business.Take an Undergraduate Degree in Creative Writing at Newcastle University.Another very highly rated of the UK’s degree programs in creative writing is at Newcastle University. They too only offer creative writing degrees combined with English literature.Along with critical reading and writing, you’ll be working alongside professional writing practitioners and have the opportunity to work with poets like Paul Muldoon and novelists such as Andrea Levy. Check out creative writing courses!Do a Creative Writing Degree Online with the Open University.The Open University has always done higher education differently. This institution’s remote learning degree in creative writing is an online writing course â€" that allows people who want to work flexibly or remotely to gain the qualifications and education they want or need.On this course, you can work between forms â€" and you’ll be studying literature alongside too.Check out the features of creative writing!Or Find a Postgraduate Creative Writing Course.A great option for many budding writers is to complete an undergraduate degree in a more conventional academic subject and then continue to a Master’s or doctorate in creative writing subsequently.Like undergraduate degrees, this gives you the allocated time to commit to your work â€" and you’ll find that the postgrad courses are very rarely combined either.Do a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Manchester.A great place to do a creative writing masters is at the University of Manchester, one of the most popular destinations for a course of this kind in the UK.As part of the course, you will work with Manchester’s Centre for New Writing, which brings together established writers with you budding students. Of course, you can commit your time to poetry, fiction, screenwriting â€" or any other form of writing â€" as you see fit.Try the University of Aberdeen’s Master’s in Creative Writing.Available fulltime or part-time, the University of Aberdeen’s creative writing MLitt is a hugely popular postgraduate degree in Scotland.For this course, you’ll be required to submit writing samples as part of your application. And, to give you a sense of the sort of assessments these courses do, you’ll be required to submit a folio of coursework alongside an analytic essay at the end of your course.Commit to a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham.And then there’s the PhD in crea tive writing, which the majority of the aforementioned universities offer too.At Birmingham, the PhD is studied over three years (or six years, if part-time), and it can be done remotely. Throughout this period, you will need to produce a piece of creative work and analysis for your submission.Enrol on a Short Creative Writing Program or Retreat.Not everyone wants to go to university â€" and not everyone has all that time to spare. For those of you who fit into these boxes, shorter creative writing programmes, workshops, and retreats are available across the UK in all genres and forms of literary writing.From one-off events to week-long trips to the countryside, these can be great for everyone.Head to Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre, Moniack Mhor.One of the most romantic places to attend a creative writing course is near Beauly, near Inverness in Scotland.This is known as Moniack Mhor. Set in wonderful countryside, you can attend writing retreats all year round. They usually la st about five days. Creative writing is full of struggle - so keep it up!Or Find a Course at Arvon.Arvon claim to be the ‘home of creative writing’ in the UK â€" and they do have some stellar endorsements if you need persuading.They operate between Shropshire, Yorkshire, and Devon, and offer courses in poetry writing, screenwriting, playwriting, and much much more.Check Out the Faber Academy’s Many Creative Writing Programs â€" in Poetry, Fiction, or More.The Faber Academy in Bloomsbury, London have a winning method, having famous writers present their particular takes on specific writing skills.From researching fiction to creating characters, from editing your novel to reading, the Faber Academy has everything you need to become a better writer.

4 Ways Learning a Language Can Help Your Career

4 Ways Learning a Language Can Help Your Career Many high schools and colleges require students to study a foreign language. Beyond fulfilling this prerequisite for graduation, learning another language can boost your career prospects. This is increasingly important in todays global economy. As companies broaden their reach across continents, they are increasing communication and movement between offices around the world. At a more local level, companies are serving a diverse population. With nearly58 million Latino people in the United States for instance, Spanish is spoken more often and in more communities than ever before. This has led to more bilingual jobs. So how exactly can a foreign language help you in your job? Here are four ways learning a language can help your career: 1. Learning a language opens doors to new career opportunities A foreign language can expand your network. Not only are you able to speak with people from different backgrounds, youll also earn trust by demonstrating a deeper understanding of cultural norms and etiquette. This was certainly true for Chicago-based Varsity Tutors student Chris T. He began learning Mandarin Chinese to make himself more competitive at a company that conducts international logistics for ocean freights. While his Chinese colleagues knew fluent English, he noted that, Speaking to Chinese delegates in Chinese allowed me to be seen as more of a subject matter expert. Not only did I understand the logistics, but the culture as well. Speaking a foreign language can make you more appealing to international companies, qualify you for a wider range of jobs, and help you climb further up the ladder. What language will open most doors is dependent on the work you do. Mandarin Chinese and German are particularly helpful in fields like finance, while Spanish is useful in areas like sales, marketing, and healthcare. Thinking about what career you might like to pursue can help you decide which language to study. [RELATED: Why Should You Learn a Foreign Language?] 2. Learning a language improves crucial business skills Learning a language can be difficult. Challenging your brain sharpens various cognitive skills, many of which will help you be successful in your career. For instance, the process of language learningimproves decision making and increases perception. Memorizing grammar rules and vocabulary can improve your memory, and applying said rules can make you amore intuitive problem-solver. Speaking a foreign language can also increase your confidence at work. Denver-based Varsity Tutors student Rachael A. shared, Communicating with the people I work with in Spanish was great, but I never felt like I could be vulnerable and ask clarifying questions. Tutoring is allowing me to gain a higher fluency without embarrassment. 3. Learning a language sets you apart from other job applicants Foreign language enrollment isdecliningat U.S. universities and colleges, but the demand for bilingual workers hasmore than doubled in five years. Given this gap, having a foreign language on your resume can be a huge opportunity to help you stand out from other applicants. [RELATED: 4 Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job] 4. Learning a language may increase your salary Learning a foreign language may translate into anearnings boost due to differences in supply and demand. While the actual value will vary based on language and job function, its worth noting. Here at Varsity Tutors, business languages (Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese) grew four times faster than European and traditionally academic languages (Latin, French, German, and Italian) over the past year. One in three of non-English language tutoring sessions were completed by adult learners, suggesting some adults are now trying to get ahead in their careers. Want to get ahead early? If your school doesnt offer the language you think will propel your career forward, or you want to go a level deeper with your language learning, private tutoring can give you the edge you need to boost your career prospects. To learn more about language learning for professional development and to read our full report on the state of language learning in America,click here.

What You Can Learn from a Less-Than-Perfect Gig

What You Can Learn from a Less-Than-Perfect Gig Suzy S. No matter how much practice and preparation you put in, sometimes gigs or performances dont go as planned. But in the end, its all about what you gain from the experience. Read on for Los Angeles teacher John P.s story Every band encounters problems when they play shows. Sometimes it’s a few small things: a PA that isn’t loud enough, a crowd that isn’t into your music, malfunctioning gear, a tough time slot. Sometimes all those things can come together to cause a storm so perfect you just have to laugh and admire it. That’s what happened when my band The Quick And The Dead played our last show in Las Vegas. We started out with everything planned perfectly. We were going to stay with our friend Victor. The club had a new PA they’d just installed. Two of the guys were going to fly out from Los Angeles and meet us. We were well-rehearsed. What we found, however, was that things didn’t always go as planned. When we stopped for gas in the middle of the desert, Mike, the driver and drummer of our band, noticed the engine overheating. We ended up stranded at the next gas station for over two hours until AAA came. We were towed to the next available town, which was about twenty miles south. Even though we were pressed for time, we made the most of it as we waited.  We took a guitar and a hand drum from the truck and jammed in the parking lot. Just the three of us and the wide open Nevada sky. An iPhone captured the impromptu jam, which turned out pretty fun to listen to. As time continued to pass, we finally noticed the Avis car-rental place around the corner of the repair shop. We shook our heads and raced inside. We had twenty minutes until they closed and the only thing they had available was a huge Ford F-150 pickup truck. “We’ll take it.” We ran into a dollar store to see if there were any supplies we might need. My friend Jim and I found a cheap blue tarp for ten bucks and thought we should get it so no one would be able to see our gear. Then we hurried back to the shop, took all our gear from Mike’s Pathfinder and loaded the pickup. “We can still make the gig,” Mike said. “It’s only four o’clock.” An hour later the storm clouds blew in. The highway traffic crawled. Pitter. Pitter. Rain splattered the windshield. A mad dash on  Xxyyxx Road allowed us to secure the tarp as best we could. The sky turned pink and then purple. The light seemed fake, like a movie set. Soon thereafter the sky exploded in rain and lightning. The storm followed us all the way to Las Vegas. Crossing our fingers for our gear, we soldiered on. It took forever to get to Henderson. Our gear was untouched, which seemed miraculous. *** It was almost midnight when we arrived, two hours past our scheduled slot. There was still another band to wait through. By the time we dragged our gear in, the clock hovered near two in the morning.  Finally, we made our way on stage to play our set. The crowd. Hated us. From the first note, our brand of classic-inspired rock did not go over well. Neither did the horrendous feedback, the result of the owners having a new PA, which they did not know how to use, and just let us deal with on our own. A few songs in, Bryan, our other guitarist, suffered a mysteriously dead amp. The thing just cut out and would not turn back on. After unplugging and re-plugging it in, he finally got it to work. That was the least of our problems. We played low, but the feedback was non-stop. Even Neil Young would have been taken aback. Victor’s turn at fronting the band for a Rolling Stones song went over horribly. The people all had their backs to us by then, drinking at the bar, probably praying it would be over. Rarely have I ever wanted to get out of somewhere so quickly. But what I did was to change it around. We’d lost the crowd, so I focused in on my bandmates. We’ve known one another for years. Bryan and I traded solos, each trying to compliment the other. I shared the mic with Troy. I locked in with Mike. And then I looked down at my sunburst Les Paul, which has been with me all over the country, and has played shows in so many great moments, and smiled. We had earned a great story that night, one that we would be able to tell for years. No matter how much planning you do, there are sometimes things that will gather to just completely shut down a show. It happens, and the best thing to do is to just realize the next night things will be better. You can travel great distances and go through a lot, and it’s still an honor to play music, regardless of the outcome. Until we got back to the hotel room and realized we had three and a half hours to return our rental truck, a drive that usually would take four, but that’s a story for another time. You might also like Expert Audition Tips TakeLessons Exclusive! Jumpstarting Your Music Career: 5 Tips Nobody Talks About Avoiding 5 Common Rehearsal Mistakes John P. teaches bass guitar, guitar, music recording, songwriting, and acting lessons to students of all ages in Los Angeles, CA. He joined the TakeLessons team in October 2012, bringing several years of experience teaching, performing and touring with his bands. Learn more about John, or search for a teacher near you! Photo by Hans Gotun

How to Work With an AP Physics Tutor

How to Work With an AP Physics Tutor Improving Academic Performance One way to ensure that you get the most value from your education is to hire a guide, someone who can provide personal attention to facilitate your learning process. Given that AP Physics is one of the most challenging courses you can take in high school, and given that it is usually preparation for even more specialized studies, hiring a dedicated AP Physics tutor makes a lot of sense. The responsibility for getting the most out of your education, however, still belongs to you, the student. Here are some steps you should take to ensure that you are using your AP Physics tutor’s services wisely. Do Your Best On Your Own The most successful physicists and engineers have been the ones who are independent thinkers. Before dumping all the responsibility in your tutor’s lap, try your best to read and understand the material and work through the problems on your own. If you get stuck in one place, don’t stop there and throw up your hands in frustration; instead note the difficulty you are having and move on as best you can. Not only will this build the study skills that you will need to progress along your educational path, it is also cost effective. The time you spend with your AP Physics tutor should be spent on filling in the gaps in your understanding, not starting from scratch. Prepare Ahead Of Time When you sit down with your tutor isn’t the time to decide what you need help with. You should spend time before the tutoring session reviewing what you know and figuring out where the gaps are, so that you can focus on those specific areas that you need help with. Do you not know the formulas? Can you not figure out which ones to use? Be ready to bring your AP Physics tutor up to speed with where you are, so that he or she can help you get caught up with the current material. Ask Questions Receiving help from a tutor is not a passive activity. You should take advantage of the personal attention to ask questions and seek clarification of anything that you don’t have a solid understanding of. Make sure you understand what you are learning from both a computational and a conceptual perspective. Unlike a teacher, it is not a tutor’s role to spoon fed you the entire curriculum, but rather to respond to your specific needs and fill in the gaps in your understanding. Review What You Learn Once the session is over, briefly review the concepts that you have acquired, and make sure that you understand them when you don’t have the tutor to explain them to you. Part of being a good scientist or engineer is being confident of your results without external verification. Review them again before the next session and make sure that you still have them; if you don’t, see the previous step. Build the habit of rigorously convincing yourself that you have learned the material, and any actual test you take will come to seem like a piece of cake. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

Podcasts for Students Series Introduction

Podcasts for Students Series Introduction Improving Academic Performance In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore how podcasts can help students improve their academic performance and prepare for successful careers. We all know effectively managing your time is a key component of performing well at work and in school, and podcasts are an excellent way to learn new things while you are exercising, walking to class, or on the bus. Podcasts obviously cover a wide range of topics. Apple’s “categories” of podcasts include: arts, business, comedy, education, games, government, health, kids and family, music, news and politics, religion, science and medicine, society and culture, sports, technology, and TV/film. If you’re a student trying to identify ways to perform better in high school, college, or graduate school, you’ll probably find most relevant podcasts in education, or maybe health or even business. Here are a few different “types” of podcasts I’ve identified that could be particularly useful to students. Podcasts about productivity, health, and wellness provide foundational ideas for performing at a high level. These types of podcasts might provide you with ideas about time management, note-taking, having more energy through better nutrition, the benefits of mindfulness, setting goals, etc. A good example of to this category for me would be The Getting Things Done Podcast by David Allen. I read David Allen’s book by the same name, Getting Things Done, about a decade ago. It explores how to be more productive and less stressed through better note taking, organization, and use of to-do lists. I have been a die-hard believer in the importance of getting tasks out of your head, into a note-book, and onto a to-do list ever since. Allen and a co-author, Mark Wallace, have recently published a book that covers similar ideas and concepts aimed at teenagers (i.e., students) called Getting Things Done for Teens. Podcasts about specific topics can help you reach specific academic goals. You’ll find lots of podcasts about specific issues facing current or future high school, college, or graduate school students. There are podcasts about college admissions strategies and the application process, preparing for standardized tests, and more. With these types of podcasts, you are obviously learning about specific situations in which you may currently or will soon find yourself. An example of this type of podcast would be The College Essay Guy Podcast, described as a practical guide to college admissions. Podcasts about history, politics, economics, science, medicine, etc. can help motivate you and make you more curious and interested in different types of courses. Here, the idea would not necessarily be that you are going to study for your history of Rome final by listening to the History of Rome podcast by Mike Duncan (although you probably could, as it’s a somewhat thorough but also entertaining exploration of the history of Rome). Instead, this category of podcasts might pique your interest or curiosity and give you more context about a topic you are learning about in class. Simply by having more general background knowledge about a topic and having listened to it talked about in an entertaining way instead of a typical academic way, you may find yourself more interested and thus more likely to perform well in the class. For example, Malcom Gladwell is the author of several very popular books (including one, Outliers, that explains success as a function of a person’s environment along with personal motivation, drive, and effort that might be particularly interesting to students. It was in this book that he popularized the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert at something). He has a podcast called Revisionist History that explores a variety of historical events from a different, often very interesting and unexpected angle. After listening to any one of these episodes it’s hard to not be at least a little more interested in the topic covered than you were beforehand. Here’s how to “use” podcasts. Podcasts are much less useful if you don’t act on or even remember what you are listening to. Podcasts about productivity tend to be chock full of useful ideas to try that will help you become more organized and use your time more efficiently. But you must remember those ideas if you plan on testing them out. I recommend taking simple notes during or immediately after each podcast episode. Then, make sure you somehow transfer the ideas onto a to-do list of some sort. The note-taking and to-do list building tool that I use most often is called Evernote, but simple pen and paper or any number of competitors to Evernote can help you capture and organize information. In our next article in this podcasts series, we’ll explore podcasts about productivity in more detail.

5 Steps Towards Conquering the Winter Blues

5 Steps Towards Conquering the Winter Blues Image via https://pixabay.com 1.  Embrace the Winter Weather While it’s usually tempting during the cold, gray winter months to just stay inside and watch movies all day, doing so can leave you feeling bored and listless. One great way to conquer the winter blues is by forcing yourself to get outside regardless of the weather. Take advantage of the season by playing in the snow, or go for a walk or jog to enjoy the feel of the crisp air on your face. Being outside for a bit during the day can play a big role in improving your mood, especially if it means being exposed to some sunlight and absorbing a bit of Vitamin D. Even if you only go out for a brief amount of time, the activity and fresh air will help to expel some of those winter blues. 2.  Exercise Regularly When it’s cold outside and all you want to do is bundle up with some hot chocolate, it can be appealing to forgo your usual exercise routine in favor of having a lazy day. However, too many days without exercise may cause you to feel sluggish and down. To avoid a dip in your mood, it’s important to stay active and maintain a regular fitness routine. Even a brisk walk in the morning will be beneficial, as staying physically active will help prevent you from falling into a winter rut. It will also give you an outlet for your energy, and will encourage your brain to release some endorphins to improve your mood and drive the winter blues away. 3.  Conquer the Cold One of the worst feelings associated with winter is that of being cold all the time. If you tend to go out underdressed for the weather, the cold will not only make you uncomfortable, but can leave you feeling irritable as well. According to NHS, “staying warm can reduce the winter blues by half”â€"in other words, it’s worth it to dress warmly when venturing outdoors. You can also keep warm by taking advantage of all of those warm foods and drinks that are popular in the wintertime. Have some healthy soup for dinner or a cup of hot chocolate when you get home from class. The warmer you are both when indoors and outdoors, the less susceptible you’ll be to the effects of the winter blues. 4.  Socialize Again, it’s easy during the winter to go into a sort of hibernation, where you spend the majority of time at home on your own rather than venturing out into the cold. In becoming more of a homebody, you may inadvertently find yourself spending less time with your friends and more time on your own, which if it goes on for too long can make you feel lonely and down. Instead of spending all of your free time in, make an effort to see your friends and to keep your social calendar relatively full. You can even invite your friends over for a movie night or dinner if you really don’t want to leave the comfort of your home; just being around other people will help to lift your spirits considerably. 5.  Enjoy Indoor Activities When it’s too cold to go out, avoid the winter blues by finding some new things to do inside. Try picking up a new hobby during the winter months, such as drawing or scrapbooking. In addition to giving you a new way to fill up your time indoors, these activities will also give you a way to channel some of your creative energy, and will help to reduce your stress levels. Especially considering you’ll probably want to spend your time outdoors once spring comes around, it’s a good idea to take advantage of all the fun things you can do inside now; read some of those books you’ve been meaning to get to, or tackle some of the tasks that you’ve been putting off. The more you have to do while you’re stuck inside, the less you’ll feel the negative effects of the season. Though the winter blues may seem insurmountable as you encounter one dreary day after another, being aware of how you’re feeling and taking steps to combat it can help you greatly improve your mood. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, full social calendar, and resisting that ever-tempting urge to become a couch potato, you’ll hopefully start to feel more energized and upbeat. If you find yourself still feeling listless, consider consulting a doctor to see what else you can do. Above all, keep in mind that the winter will come to an end eventually, and that (even if it doesn’t feel like it) spring is just around the corner!

The Importance of Repetition in Elementary School

The Importance of Repetition in Elementary School Why Repetition in Elementary School Matters As young students adjust to being back in the classroom, they will start out with a certain amount of review from the previous year. However, they will quickly move on to unfamiliar topics, some of which will build upon that other information. In this case, its really important that students understand each building block in the process. If they do get lost academically, its beneficial to identify what step they didnt understand so they can troubleshoot within this area. One of the best ways to avoid getting off track is to focus on repetition. Like most adults, younger students need to do things a few times before it becomes second nature. This is especially true when it comes to academic subjects such as math and language arts. 1. Multi-step math problems One of the best examples of using repetition comes in the form of math problems. Whether a student is doing long division or algebra, they will need to complete several steps to get the final answer. Many students understand the concept of math but struggle with the application. Repetition can be extremely helpful in these circumstances, especially when done in front of an Orange County private tutor. The tutor can recognize which step of the problem the student is struggling with and focus on that particular part. If students practice their math problems enough times, they will be able to do them on their own. 2. Grammar and spelling Grammar and spelling have so many different rules, many of which are counterintuitive. Kids often ask why something is spelled differently than how it sounds or why a particular grammar rule is broken under certain circumstances. When it comes to standard American English, repetition is one of the best ways to memorize and learn why things are done a specific way. When students practice their spelling and grammar and fix their own mistakes, they will eventually think of it as second nature (READ: 5 things to ask your kid during the first week of school). 3. Cause and effect Cause and effect are another thing that can be taught with repetition. Cause and effect can be applied to any subject, history, and science in particular. However, cause and effect are also used frequently in study skills. For instance, if students dont study for a quiz they’re not likely to receive a high score. This often has to happen a few times before kids become motivated to study in advance. Another example can be found when students have to read a chapter of a book every week. If they get behind, the effect is that theyll be reading all weekend. If they pace themselves, theyll have plenty of time to play. Cause and effect is a critical thing to learn whether its applied to a specific subject or just education in general (READ: 7 things parents should ask new teachers). 4. Problem-solving Problem-solving is another skill that takes time to learn. This is a tricky subject because each situation will be a little bit different. For example, students may need to complete a science experiment, or they may have to analyze a character in a novel. As kids get older, they will also have to problem solve when it comes to time management. Repetition is one of the key elements to finding a solution, or preferably multiple solutions, to academic problems. The more practice a student has, the more likely they are to be successful the first time around. In short Students need time to let certain subjects and concepts sink in. Some kids will understand a topic after three tries while others might need dozens of times to practice and refine their study skills. Each student is an individual and will have natural talents in different areas, but repetition will certainly help them be successful in the end. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.