Wednesday, April 1, 2020

English Learning Tips For Beginners

English Learning Tips For BeginnersThere are many learning tips for beginners that one can follow to improve their English skills. These tips do not require you to follow any formal set of rules, but they must be put into practice. The main point is to develop good English habits and techniques that you can use everyday. Here are a few tips that you can apply to make the process of learning English faster and easier.First of all, you should understand that your level of speaking and listening will determine how much you learn. Try to take notes at the times when you are most comfortable with your conversations. Also, take lots of notes when there are unexpected pauses or thoughts that take your mind off the topic at hand. Keep a journal of the experiences so that you can refer to it later.Repeat the lessons that you learn once or twice a week. Even if it seems that you do not understand something, it is perfectly fine to repeat the word again. The more often you do this, the easier i t becomes to memorize the language.Practice the correct pronunciation and reading: the English language is broken down into words that are used in different ways. Therefore, if you want to learn English fast, you need to know the meanings of the words. Try to get the basic pronunciation right and then read them aloud to yourself.Do not think that you can just memorize everything overnight. Of course, if you are in a hurry to learn the language, then that may be okay. However, it is better to start slow and slowly build up your knowledge over time.Make sure that you master good grammar and use it every day. It will help you create sentences in English that are complete sentences and fully grammatical. Always remember that grammar will always play a role in the meaning of the sentence. It is important to make sure that you fully understand the grammatical structure of the sentence before you apply it.This is one of the most important English learning tips for beginners. Never try to l earn English by reading a book and copying the words. You must combine reading with writing and speech so that you can easily memorize the basic English words.The last tip to remember is to focus on doing the things that you enjoy doing and see success. When you are completely dedicated to your goal, you will see that it is a lot easier to learn English.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

What a Successful Student Will Learn at a Chinese School

What a Successful Student Will Learn at a Chinese SchoolStudents who are struggling to cope with their educational experience often turn to tutor mountain view Chinese school to help them adjust to the daily rigors of Chinese education. In addition to assisting in the learning process, they help in developing character and social skills.Students tend to improve greatly once they have enrolled in the school. They get better grades, learn more, take on more responsibilities, and develop a strong self-esteem. Their life style changes as well, and they may find that their friends don't have to always treat them as a child anymore. This kind of flexibility is important to the student's mental health.We all change our attitudes and behaviors as we grow older. What you are now is different from what you were then. When you face a challenge and you're unprepared for it, you fall apart. The pressure of facing these challenges can become too much for some people, and they simply give up before they get started.At a Chinese school, your problems are being met by other students who are young, enthusiastic, and eager to help each other. In addition to the verbal and written skills that we learn from the traditional Chinese schools, you'll learn the social skills necessary to interact with your peers and teachers. As a student, you'll see the benefits of learning these skills in practice.Students who are able to practice these skills when they're struggling can use them during their entire life. In fact, if you've experienced how difficult it can be to go through school, you'll appreciate how much easier life will be with these skills. As a student, you'll be able to learn more at a much faster pace, and you'll be less stressed out.Students in tutor mountain view Chineseschool face a lot of pressure and frustrations from their teachers, but they find comfort in their relationships with each other. Being with the same group of classmates gives them a sense of belonging, and h elps them move through the challenges of school together.By participating in school, students at tutor mountain view Chinese school are building their personality and creating more successful work habits. By becoming a more effective worker, and a more effective learner, you can enjoy a fulfilling life in the future.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Want to Know the Secret of Boosting Essay Scores

Want to Know the Secret of Boosting Essay Scores Essays are a compilation of knowledge in literature, in prose, literary criticism or criticism. They can also occur in any other genre. The genre where essays are used to communicate ideas. He portrays good writing style, vocabulary power. The authors vast flow of ideas are shown here. As far as academic essays are concerned, students are entrusted with writing a variety of essays. They are concerned with showing their abilities to analyze a topic. They present it in the expected format. It is formatted through appropriate words in impressive style. Why to seek online writing help? In the internet world where even speaking has become single syllabic. Imagine writing lengthy paragraphs for essays. Essays that has been out of focus and as a result most of the students lack the fundamental writing skills. Skills which help them do their assignments that they need some external help. Online writing help has taken a primary place in bringing the best of students’ writing skills. This is the reason that all the students hang about with a mobile. This connects them to web and helps them get things done online. Taking help from reputed English scholars through online medium. This is thus the trend of the day as students find it most convenient and result oriented. @TutorPace Offers 10% Discount on Online #Assignment Help for Improved Grades http://t.co/P1NO7BttIg #backtoschool pic.twitter.com/vJs9iihJwU â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) September 10, 2015 How to boost your writing scores through essay assignment help? Assignments are bulky and voluminous in content with prescribed guidelines for you to follow. The topics for analysis need to be understood and a befitting introduction to explain the title needs to be given. The structure of the body, insertion of the topic sentence, related ideas in paragraphs, vocabulary to use and a suitable conclusion are the notable factors for writing essay assignments. Assignment help from online tutorials thwarts all your hassles in writing and makes you do essays in a foolproof manner without struggle. The tutors teach you how to interpret a title, what points to be gathered in favor of or against the title, how to pick up the topic sentence, what kind of content to be presented in support of the topic sentence and what kind of vocabulary to be used to enhance the writing style. Why online English tutors are necessary for writing? Online English tutors stress the importance of flawless writing with good grammatical construction in writing and help the students with the art of writing essays. Their model techniques for understanding and researching a topic, methods of bringing in the supportive ideas are all the major highlights of their help for students in their essay assignment writing. Further, they embellish students’ with proof reading and editing techniques and teach students methods of impressive presentation of their essays. So, online writing help is the best source for boosting your essay scores.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

What is it Like to Attend North Carolina State University at Raleigh

What is it Like to Attend North Carolina State University at Raleigh The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Laila received her bachelors degrees in Spanish and public relations from North Carolina State University at Raleigh. She is currently an online tutor specializing in Spanish, English, and ESL/ELL. See what she had to say about her experience at North Carolina State University at Raleigh: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Laila: North Carolina State University has a fairly large campus. Its student body population was just under 30,000 when I studied there. This was much larger than my small hometown of 500 people. Such a large student body may sound intimidating for some folks, but once you make friends and get into your core classes, it feels much smaller. Because it is the size of a small city, transportation was reliable and constant. You could certainly walk to your classes, or take the Wolfline bus system, which ran day and night. Some students also biked, and some drove cars, but the bus system was clean and consistent. I never felt unsafe on the campus, but as with any populous area, students should expect to exercise caution and be smart to help deter avoidable security incidents. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Laila:The availability of the professors, of course, depended on the particular professor, but most of them were pretty available for the students. All professors had office hours that they either honor themselves, or that their TAs would honor. The availability of the academic advisors also varied. I changed my major once and added on a second major during my time at North Carolina State University, so I had more academic advisors than the average student. I didnt find my academic advisor for psychology (my initial major) incredibly available; I got the impression that he was very focused on his research, and I felt I was marginal to him. In contrast, my advisor for communication (my second major) was extraordinarily available and very friendly, so it really depends. I would suggest to any student to take ultimate ownership of and responsibility for your academic success and to make your academic priorities that of your professors. Also, form relationships with professors and depart ment staff outside of your advisor. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Laila:North Carolina State University has a lot of dorms, since there are so many students (I lived on the 10th floor of a tower dormitory my freshman year). Of course, those with seniority have first pick of where to live, and most freshmen are placed on Central Campus to help them become acclimated to campus life and help ensure their success, which I think is good. There are also off-campus apartments that you can live in, either with friends, or with other students (many apartments have roommate matching options). For food, there are two dining halls on different sides of the campus for convenience. There are also many restaurants on the two main streets surrounding the university, as well as convenience stores on campus with basic food items like milk, cereal and of course, Ramen Noodles! There are plenty of socialization opportunities, especially during the first few weeks of the semester. A lot of student groups plan events and the university sponsors events, too. There are also a ton of student organizations (around 300), and if you dont find one you like, you can also start your own! Theres a department in the student center whose whole purpose is to support student organizations, so youre in good hands. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Laila:North Carolina State University is probably best known for its engineering school, as well as its research in the hard sciences. However, it also offers almost any major you could think of. I had two majors: Spanish and communication, with a concentration in public relations. I chose Spanish because I had fallen in love with the language and found myself very passionate in my pursuit to master it, and I later added on public relations because I enjoyed both writing and working with people. I think there was a good deal of support for both of my degree programs. For example, with Spanish, the professors were always sending out opportunities to help further students linguistic and cultural fluency, both locally and internationally. For public relations, there were local societies that afforded many networking opportunities, and also a semester-long internship built into the plan of study. I took advantage of these opportunities in a number of ways. I studied for a semester in Puerto Rico at a school with a good reputation for communication studies. I also completed three internships: one with a Latino advocacy nonprofit, where I interviewed Spanish-speaking lay health advisors; one with a state government entity, where I created marketing materials and translated information to Spanish; and one with an advertising agency, where I provided research and client support for the public relations department. I do think North Carolina State University does a good job of providi ng support and information about opportunities; ultimately though, its up to the student to take advantage of them, so dont be afraid to dive in! 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? Laila:I found it fairly easy to make friends as a freshman. North Carolina State University breaks the incoming freshman class into orientation groups, so many of the friends that I carried throughout my undergraduate career were those from my orientation group. Having an outgoing, or at the least, friendly, personality also helps. You can also make friends from any student organizations that you become a part of as well, so I would definitely encourage getting involved, especially based on your interests. Join the Spanish club, a Bible study group, or an engineering society like NSBE, or even start your own group. Many students later join a fraternity or sorority, which is also a way to make friends, network, and engage in diversions. I would say that Greek life plays as big of a role in your life as you allow. Many students go Greek, while others opt for different activities. Either way, theres always something to do on campus. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Laila:I was one of the students who visited the Career Center several times, especially in my junior and senior years. I found them very helpful in critiquing my resume or cover letters, and even offering career advice. I would definitely recommend that all students start visiting the Career Center at the start of their junior year, if not sooner. They can give you a lot of tips on how to job search and tell you about recruitment events. Many companies do recruit on campus engineering firms, nonprofits and international companies, so there are lots of opportunities presented to students. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Laila:The great thing about the library was that it stayed open 24/7 (though I think now they close at 11 p.m.). If you had to study late, there were campus-sponsored escorts that would take you to your dorm. The main campus library, D.H. Hill, has 4.5 million items (yes, million!). It also has cool things like microfiche of The New York Times editions from the 1800s, a digital media lab, plenty of computers, and private study rooms. Unless its around finals, finding a place to study is easy to do in the library. During finals, you may have to look a little longer, but youll still find somewhere to study. Theres also now an additional library that has been built since Ive graduated, which Im told is very nice. Some people also study in the campus lounges, but that can be hard because they are also used for cooking, watching television, and playing games, so I would definitely recommend the 10-story library over the lounge. Describe the surrounding town. Laila:Raleigh is a city that feels like a large small town, but theres plenty to do. There are museums, the state fair in October, concerts, plays, basketball, football and hockey games, restaurants, 5Ks, trails, etc. There are also other colleges nearby in Raleigh (Shaw, St. Augustines, Meredith, Peace), and Duke, NC Central, and UNC Chapel Hill just down the road. Personally, I didnt do much exploring of the actual city until after I graduated, but a lot of students go downtown for fun. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Laila:North Carolina State University has a large student body population, which was just under 30,000 (undergrad and graduate students) when I studied there. Such a large student body can be intimidating for some folks, but once you make friends and get into your core classes, it feels smaller. General education classes can have as many as 300 or more students. The classes for my majors, though, typically had around 20-30 students, sometimes even as few as 10, depending on the course. I wasnt really affected by the class sizes, even for the larger classes. I was never shy about asking questions, utilizing office hours, and introducing myself to the professor so that I wasnt just another face. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Laila:Professor Gray was probably the toughest instructor among those who taught Spanish, and I had her for my Spanish 201 class as a freshman. I did fairly well in that course, and I even tutored others. I enjoyed her because she challenged us, but a lot of other students avoided taking her classes. Since Spanish was my major, I took 300- and 400-level Spanish courses, and one semester, I decided to take another, more in-depth course that she taught: Business Spanish. I did horribly in it! It was not any easy class, by any means, and she was an instructor who gave students exactly what their work merited. Ever relentless, I didnt let it shake me. Once I had a better understanding of Spanish, its structure, phonetics, and more vocabulary, I took another business Spanish course, also taught by Professor Gray. The second time, I understood far more, and I also utilized her office hours whenever I needed to. It paid off when I earned an A+ for the semester! I have the deepest respect fo r Profesora Gray. She remains one of my favorite teachers from North Carolina State University, and I even go back and speak to her classes (in Spanish, of course!) as one of her star student examples. Check out Lailas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How To Improve Your GMAT Essay

How To Improve Your GMAT Essay The GMAT has one 30-minute essay: the Analysis of an Argument prompt. It has a pretty basic formula, and yes, were going to walk you right through it. Instead of arguing your belief, you will actually critique another authors point. However, this essay still requires the classic, 5-paragraph setup. In the first paragraph, youll need to take a stance that the authors argument is either logical or illogical. Next, you will use 3-4 paragraphs of points to confirm your stance. Finally, youll put together a strong conclusion to sum it all up. Example prompt:The Awesome Energy Riders have become an extremely popular toy line for the ACME Co. Management. Hollywood Pictures thinks that this success will translate to the silver screen and has bought the rights of the Awesome Energy Riders to make four pictures. Directions:Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. Before you jump into writing, try to come up with 3-4 high-level reasons why this argument is logical or illogical. Below you will find a very solid guide for writing your essay. In fact, this could be used for nearly any Analysis of an Argument essay. First paragraph Firmly state if you find the argument logical or illogical. For example: The argument to produce four Awesome Energy Riders pictures is very poorly reasoned. Based on the information given, it is nearly possible to conclude that the toy lines success will translate into film success especially the success of four films. Second paragraph Remember that you are not arguing whether or not these films will be successful (although that can come into play), but rather you are arguing if the prompt given can determine if the films will be successful. In this paragraph, you could make the point that the prompt makes false assumptions, the most obvious of which is the assumption that toy success leads to film success. You could write about how the G.I. Joe toy line was one of the most successful and popular toy lines, but the movie was a gigantic flop. Additionally, many popular toy lines are derived from movies (like Disney films), but rarely do Hollywood studios base films off of toys. Toy Story is a prime example because the toys were derived from the film and not vice versa, which led to success on both fronts. The prompt falsely assumes that the success can translate, but previous history indicates it will not. Additionally, make sure to understand the distinction between examples and points.This argument makes false assumptions, is a point. The unsuccessful G.I. Joe film is an example to support that point. Make sure you have a couple of examples to support each point you make. Sure, you could write an entire 5-paragraph essay outlining G.I. Joe in one paragraph, Toy Story in another, and a third, similar example in the next one to all support the false assumption point. However, thats not nearly as creative as having 3-4 legitimate points and examples to prove all of them each of which prove that the prompt is illogical. Third paragraph The argument ignores critical factors. For instance, if James Cameron is writing this film and it has a $500 million budget and star-studded cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Natalie Portman, it may likely be successful. Yet, the argument given completely ignores any film production details, which can determine success. The argument also ignores its intended audience. It can be assumed these toys are popular with children, but how often do children make decisions to go to movies? Also, will these movies be appropriate for kids? These factors need to be considered. Fourth paragraph The argument is based on emotional, not rational appeals, which makes it even more illogical. It does state that these toys are extremely popular; however, how long have they been popular? Most toys are only popular for a short period of time. The most popular toys are always the hottest, latest, must-have item, and toy manufacturers know that. So, they aggressively try to squeeze every dollar they can out of them before the fad is over, and the Hollywood studio is trying to ride this fad while its hot but it wont be hot for long, and they are letting their emotions impact sound business decisions. Fifth paragraph Now, just wrap it all up. Make a conclusion statement that this argument is illogical because it makes false assumptions, ignores critical factors, and bases decisions on emotional appeals.

Top 7 Geometry Apps To Make Math Easier For Students

Top 7 Geometry Apps To Make Math Easier For Students Certain subjects like geometry and algebra are very different from what students are usually used to. This makes it all the more difficult for them to understand it. The fear of having to learn something new and of course the fact that it doesn’t conform to the usual style of learning they are used. Both of these contribute to poor performance in the subject. Geometry is one such subject that students find way too difficult to handle. It is introduced at the very beginning and it only gets progressively worse. Here are a few top apps that are designed to help students learn the subject with ease and these are popularly recommended by even online geometry tutors. App1: GeoCon HD This is a game designed for the iPad and helps students grasp the nuances of planar geometry with ease. This game enables learning by building and touching and is very effective for tactile/kinesthetic learners. Read To Know Top 13 #iPad #Educational #Apps For Kids http://t.co/c6NhHOQilv pic.twitter.com/OW3DcOg9Kq â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) October 7, 2015 App2: Symmetry School Learning Geometry This award winning app is excellent for learning geometry and parents and teachers. They use it alike to teach geometry to kids. Charged at a minimal $3.99, it is an excellent buy and provides great value for money. Value in terms of learning and making the subject interesting and fun enough for kids to learn. App 3: Dragon Shapes â€" Lumio Geometry Challenge This app is perfectly designed to cater to the learning needs of today’s children. Solving math puzzles related to shapes and geometry. This let students unlock Dragon shapes and this game is very popular amongst the student fraternity. And this has up to four academic levels of difficulty. 12 study #apps that lead to #students’ stress free #education https://t.co/6WlETMms1A via @examinercom share via @TutorPace â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) November 23, 2015 App 4: My Geometric Universe This is perhaps the most interesting of apps designed to teach geometry to kids. The player can actually draw shapes using pencils, protractor and set squares and cut them out to use in real world object building! Could you think of a better way to teach geometry and its applications to children? Not surprisingly, this app is very popularly used as geometry homework help by many parents. App 5: Montessori Geometry This app again has a five star rating on many popular review sites and is one of the most comprehensive apps. Best for learning geometry in a fun filled manner. In fact, this app is the popular choice for most editors. For those who label it as a comprehensive, in depth and well crafted one to teach geometry effectively. App 6: Dragon Box Elements This game enables students to learn geometry without them even knowing it! With a variety of puzzles, adventures and problems for them to solve that are built in to the game; they end up learning the subject in a matter of hours (at least the fundamentals)! App 7: Cyberchase 3D Builder If your child is a fan of Cyberchase, all you need to do is download the app and they will start working with it right away! This is a 3D game wherein two of the popular characters Buzz and Delete accidentally delete houses and the player has to help them build 3D shapes from 2D ones. Innovatively designed, this app helps students visualize and build shapes in 3 dimensions and this is very helpful in learning geometry and serves as the best geometry assignment help for math. Top 10 #Mobile #Apps For #College Students In 2015 https://t.co/AI6cPqjJhN via @TutorPace â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) November 23, 2015 Summary Today’s education standards are very high and investing in apps that help students understand the fundamental concepts better and use them effectively are essential for them to be able to master the subject. This is specifically true when it comes to maths. The above mentioned apps are sure to be of help when it comes to mastering math and acing their exams.

My Child is Having Homework Problems, How Can Online Tutor Help

My Child is Having Homework Problems, How Can Online Tutor Help 0SHARESShare Often children get stuck up doing their day to day homework problems. The reason can be lack of understanding while learning the topic at school or lack of time to complete the homework after the school hours. Whatever may be the reason, but children requires some extra help to fill up their gaps in understanding the topics, guide them in solving difficult homework problems or revise the lessons for test prep. There are a number of websites offering  online tutoring  services offer tutors and resources to facilitate an easy and convenient method of working.   The tutoring websites provide online help to the children to complete their school homework done at the time they want. The homework is done by the children and not by the tutor. Often people criticize the concept of homework as an extra burden to the children. Although, in reality, homework help children in improving their skills and abilities by revising the topics learnt in the school classroom.   Online tutors work very close with the students to work on their homework like reading and understanding the topic, to memorize, problem solving, preparing QA, designing projects and working on experiments. They help improving memory and thought process. The daily practice work and revision of school work prepare your child get ready for the next day. They prepare students for difficult topics with extensive knowledge.   Online tutors not only teach the subject conceptually but make them learn how to learn the topics. They make student self-learner, disciplined and responsible. The teaching methodology, Math problem solving techniques and practical approach towards learning Science is excellent with online tutoring. [starbox id=admin]

A Guide to Home Gym Equipment

A Guide to Home Gym Equipment From Pull up Bars to Smart Watches: Basic Gym Equipment for Every Need ChaptersWhat Gym Machines Should we use in Personal Training?Fitness Gadgets to Get the Most out of your TrainingThe Best Sports Watches 2018 for Getting FitWhether you are an expert personal trainer or beginner, this article will help you to meet your students' demands and get them to meet their fitness goals.  Are you a fitness amateur looking to see results and learn the right movements?  Superprof is here to help you choose the best gym equipment according to your fitness goals (muscle gain, weight loss or cardiovascular reinforcement).Going to the gym and not knowing where to start can be completely discouraging. However, with the right personal trainer and gym machines, you will become a pro in no time. (Source: Visual Hunt)Certain personal training sessions can be done with very little or no fitness equipment.  This will give you even more excuses to avoid the judgemental stares at the gym and do your own at home exercises. This article will give you all the secrets to get bac k in shape without spending loads of cash.  Of course there  are many other versatile exercises to tone that bottom, however, they require other kinds of  fitness accessories  such as squat racks, and  steppers  that can be found in most gyms. Such  exercises include kick-backs with the help of dumbbells and step-ups  that can be done on any sort of elevated platform.If you want more exercise ideas and the best assets around, take a look at Fitness Magazine's  Top 10 Exercises to Tone Your Butt. You'll have the best bottom in no time!Superprof's exercise pick:  Swimming! When people ask me what my favourite physical activity is, I always say swimming. You do not need to be an elite  Olympic  athlete to enjoy swimming. It's liberating, effective and free of any traumatizing injuries. Swimming is a total body workout  that helps you burn that cellulite, works a great number of muscles and relieves tension thanks to the massage-like feeling of water on the body.Swimming is a love of mi ne that deeply works your muscles and helps you shed the extra pounds without many aches and pains after. (Source: Visual Hunt)Should a Personal Trainer use Home Gym Equipment?We saw it above,  gym equipment  and  weight machines are interesting because they permit us to isolate and work out certain muscle groups. If we told you could become your own personal trainer and have your our own home gym using everyday objects, would you believe us?Personal trainers are physical training experts. Many have attained a BTEC National Vocational Diploma and achieved a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification. Trainers also possess the First-Aid Certificate in case any clients suffer from an injury while training. They are extremely experienced in the physiology and anatomy of the human body. They are there to help you reach your fitness objectives and teach you what sports equipment is best for your situation. They are also instructed to show you useful movements without the use of commercial fitn ess  equipment.Many fitness classes (abdominals, muscle gain and toning, cardio), water aerobics or pilates can be done without the use of any training  equipment.  In most cases, all you need are some a good floor or yoga mats, a towel and your favourite energy drink. Let us never forget that a good fitness program needs good quality nutrition and hydration to keep you in shape and give you the rest you need in between training sessions.The following low budget home gym equipment can produce amazing results:A skipping ropeResistance bandsAbdominal crunch machines; to help you do efficient abdominal exercises without the back painIt is also very possible to use everyday objects such as a bed, dining chairs, a bench or even a wall in your flat to do your exercises. Greatist has released an amazing article depicting  50 bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere. These exercises are designed for at home personal training without using specialized  gym equipment.Personal training: the pe culiar case of the abdominalsAbdominals should be treated on their own because they can easily be done with or without fitness equipment.Crunches  are the most popular abdominal exercises done in personal training or fitness classes. They are usually done with your own body weight, without any gym weights.  It is crucial to hold your head up with both hands as you lift your chest up and down.Another effective abdominal exercise is the sit-up.  It is an easy and effective movement to tone those abs. It consists of moving your upper body up and down while lying on your back with your legs folded.Sit-Ups are great because they can easily be done without the use of gym equipment. (Source: Visual Hunt)Men's Journal recommends doing  Flutter Kicks  as an interesting and effective abdominal workout. Flutter Kicks are not violent and they get you that six pack you've always wanted. Caution needs to be demonstrated during this exercise because if you lower your legs too far you could easily hurt your back.There you have it, whether you use equipment or not, there is a little something for everyone's personal training style. What makes a good personal trainer? Adaptability, realizing that every single client is unique and has their own needs.Fitness Gadgets to Get the Most out of your TrainingProposing a high-quality personal training program with effective exercises and realistic objectives requires planning. But sometimes, what separates a decent personal trainer from a FANTASTIC personal trainer is the material they use and the data they have at their disposal...Therefore, for an even more effective training program, why not use all the statistics that fitness trackers can offer?Calories burntRunning timeAverage speedHeart rateSleep quality...The data provided by these fitness trackers are very diverse and allow you to get the best out of your workout. They also permit you to retrieve all the useful and  functional  training information you need on an app. Everything is then transferred to your smartphone, tablet or computer.This allows any gym trainer  or fitness enthusiast, keep track of their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. A fitness tracker is an ideal complement to an enhanced  workout that makes  exercising more fun!No need to go to the gym anymore, get an online personal trainer.Gadgets and Wearables has a great list of  best fitness trackers and health gadgets for 2018.Apple Watches and Fitness Tracking Bracelets can help you get the most out of your workout.The Best Sports Watches 2018 for Getting FitAlright so you get the point: fitness trackers are a great complement to a complete workout.  However if you a little extra cash and want to invest more (you can never invest enough in good quality products), you should go ahead, treat yourself, and buy a smartwatch!Buying one, for the simple love of watches and the latest technology, can be a good idea, but a smartwatch is more sophisticated, precise and advanced than a fitness track er. Smart watch functions include:GPSPedometerGyrometerBlood oxygen sensorIntegrated sports programsCompassAltimeter...Many technology brands now specialize in smart watches, such as Garmin or Fitbit (we cannot neglect to mention the Apple Watch or even Samsung for that matter). Nevertheless, if you like an old classic and are afraid of buying from a brand you've never heard before, don't fret because well-known watch companies now offer a wide variety of models:Fassil,Casio,Tag Heuer...Now if you want more effective fitness training, it's completely up to you to discover the various functions of your new smart watch!

The Art of Being Productive in High School to be a More Attractive College Applicant (Part 2)

The Art of Being Productive in High School to be a More Attractive College Applicant (Part 2) ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog In our last blog post on this topic, we explored why today’s high school students must be so productive in high school. Getting good grades isn’t quite enough anymore. You need to show a variety of interests and ideally achieve leadership positions outside the classroom to maximize your chances of admission to a top college. We offered a six-step process to being more productive in high school: Identify the activities and subjects you value and are genuinely interested in Identify key areas of alignment between what you value and what colleges would also value to create “leverage” Set goals and build a plan to meet them Get organized Prioritize and re-prioritize Get help when you need it In this blog post, we explore each step in more detail. Identify the activities and subjects you value and are genuinely interested in. The first step in becoming more productive is to think about what you value and enjoy. If you are trying to get the most out of each year of high school, a major consideration should be your personal preferences. You want to do things you enjoy with people you like hanging out with. If you enjoy writing or taking pictures, the yearbook or school newspaper is a good option. Obviously, there are lots of different sports to consider. It’s also important to think about which subjects you’ll target for more advanced study (i.e., AP classes, etc.). If you’ve always been pretty good at math, then make an actual or mental note that AP calculus is in your future. If you don’t like reading or writing, consider for now that perhaps AP English isn’t for you. At this stage, it’s just important to realize that, for better or worse, it’s important to be involved in a range of activities during high school, and you want to build a list of what interests you and put yourself in a position to take a leadership role in some of them eventually. At the same time, you want to take a reasonably challenging academic course load that you can both handle and do extremely well in. Identify key areas of alignment between what you value and what colleges would also value to create “leverage.” Next, and this is perhaps new to some students, you want to think about how those activities fit into a normal high school or college curriculum. This should start with an understanding of the primary importance of GPA, but with the sometimes-contradictory secondary importance of taking advanced, difficult, challenging classes. In other words, you’d be well served to get a perfect, 4.0 GPA. If you take all average classes though, and never take an honors or AP class, that 4.0 GPA is worth a lot less. On the other hand, when I was in high school, I loaded myself up with tons of AP and honors classes, and then didn’t put in the work â€" and perhaps really didn’t have the time - to get enough A’s. I was left with an “OK” GPA matched with a long list of challenging classes. That’s not ideal either. You want to look at your course of study and put your potential classes into categories: Required, core classes that you must do well in Optional classes that you choose, and again expect to do quite well in More advanced classes that you know will be a challenge, but which help your academic resume look challenging and impressive You’ll want a mix of courses across those categories. Next, consider the extracurricular activities in which you are interested, and note what opportunities might exist to build your resume while also covering required academic requirements. This creates “leverage,” allowing you to accomplish multiple objectives with one endeavor. For example, participating in the student newspaper and/or the yearbook development process often includes taking classes which count towards your English requirement. So, you are taking a class, but also getting involved in an activity. Similarly, if you are planning on taking AP level math or AP level French, there is probably some overlap with a math club or French club in which you could get involved, where part of the time you spend on the activity occurs during class. If you play a varsity sport, perhaps gym class is waived, making time for you to study during school. Students are often surprised at the opportunities they have to “kill two birds with one stone.” Obviously, it’s more than OK to get involved in something just because it seems interesting or a friend suggests it, but you should also be thinking about your options and interests in a structured way to identify these points of leverage. Set goals and build a plan to meet them The last step is about generating your list of options. In this step, you work out an actual plan. Now, if you are reading this early in your high school career (or, more likely, are a parent reading this earlier in their child’s high school career), you are in a better position. But it’s relevant for any student. Here, you realize that you only have X many classes you can take and Y many hours after school, and you decide what you are going to do, keeping in mind the “leverage” opportunities above. But before you can do that, you should consider your academic goals. If you want to go to Harvard, you’ll really need to do it all. High GPA, high ACT or SAT score, tons of activities, leadership, and community service. But, if you want to go to an excellent state school, a high GPA and test score will probably do the trick. If you are targeting a high selective liberal arts school, GPA and test score might be a bit less important relatively speaking and demonstrating unique and deep interests in a few activities is likely more important. The key is to identify where you want to end up, acknowledge the requirements, and then start planning. Your goal is to design an academic course of study that is challenging but reasonable, and supplement that with extracurricular activities that put you in a position to demonstrate a breadth of interests, skills, and leadership ability. Get organized One you have your rough plan, inclusive of courses you are going to take and activities in which you are going to engage, the key to success is staying organized. What does it mean to be organized? I like to think of organization as being driven by two fundamental concepts: a) filing systems and b) to-do lists. Filing systems are the physical or digital folders on your computer where information from each class or activity is kept. Your locker and your back-pack are also filing systems. To-do lists help you manage your time. I generally keep three different types of to-do lists, which help me best use the time I have in any given day: long term, medium term, and daily. In other words, I have a list of things I need to accomplish in the next 3 or more months, things that must get done in 1-4 weeks, and then things I want to accomplish today. An academic planner is a popular form of to-do list that I recommend. Prioritize and re-prioritize One of the hidden keys to truly high levels of productivity for a high school student is prioritization. You should pause at the beginning of each week as well as the beginning of each day to review and update your to-do lists and think about how you truly need to spend your time. You’ll be surprised how important it is to take a deep breath, step back, and decide what to do after comparing all of the things on your mental plate and on your to-do list. You might have that big project on your mind, but should you really spend another 3 hours working on it? Or, should you start studying for that quiz tomorrow? You may want to go hang out with your friends, and you should find time to do that. But if you have a big test tomorrow, what is more important? Get help when you need it I think students tend to vastly underutilize after school time with teachers, getting help from each other, their parents, and even private tutors. If you studied for a quiz but did not do well and are feeling your grasp of a concept slipping away, don’t just assume it’ll all make sense at some point before the mid-term exam. Go get help from the teacher. Spending the time to get that help earlier rather than later is a critical way to save time and increase your overall productivity. If you wait, you’ll end up spending even longer going over old concepts that you didn’t really understand at the time, and which you now have completely forgotten as you try to get up to speed before a big test. Don’t get too lost. Get help and support early. Summary Motivated high school students need to be highly productive in today’s competitive college admission environment. Productivity comes from working hard, yes. But it also comes from planning your academic course load and extracurricular activities carefully.