What is it Like to Attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

What is it Like to Attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Ryan is a Chicago tutor who specializes in College Essay prep tutoring, World History tutoring, Geometry, and more. He graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 with a degree in Political Science and History. See what he had to say about his alma mater: 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? Ryan: The setting is downstate away from the hustle and bustle of the Chicago area in the quiet towns of Champaign and Urbana. It is a safe campus and the bus system is very reliable. The campus is quite large but not so spread out so that you may walk, bike, or bus around campus in a timely manner. I would not recommend a car unless you live off campus, as on-campus parking is expensive and it is difficult to find a parking spot. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Ryan: For such a large university, U of I is very personable. I found that I was able to talk to professors, AAs, and TAs whenever I needed to do so. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Ryan: U of I has the largest Greek (fraternity/sorority) system in the country. Socialization opportunities are widespread. The dorms are O.K., and they are large so that you will find that you have an increased opportunity to find your niche of friends. Many restaurants on campus, and many places deliver very late. 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? Ryan: I would have to say that U of I is best known for its Engineering and Computer Science programs. If this is your interest, a job after graduation is guaranteed. I studied Political Science and History in the Liberal Arts and Sciences College. Renowned scholars are in this area, and U of I has a world-class reputation in its LAS programs. I entered graduate school with the tools to succeed because of U of I, and am rapidly approaching attaining my PhD. 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? Ryan: As mentioned above, U of I has a large Greek system. I myself did not join a fraternity, as I had many friends from high school also attending U of I. I also befriended many people on my dorm floor. As U of I is a large school, I would say making friends as a freshman is easier than other schools. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Ryan: U of I is Illinois flagship university. I cant think of a company that does not come to campus looking for employees. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Ryan: Libraries can get overcrowded at night, so get there early. There are plenty of them, however, so you can find your favorite! There are enough places to study. I would recommend staying away from dorm lounges, as they usually end up being social forums and you cant get much studying done. Libraries, coffee shops, and the student union are where I went to study. 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? Ryan: Champaign-Urbana is a small dual-city area of about 100,000 people. It is compact and small and easy to navigate. The town offers everything that a Chicago suburb may, but other than that there is not anything that really stands out about the area. Campus is the best part of town, so I recommend staying close. Besides, you are there to study anyway, right? VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Ryan: Lectures can be huge. My biggest class had nearly 800 students. However, you are also assigned a discussion section with a TA for each large class so that you can have the personal and small class setting as well. These are usually about 30 students per class. The upper-tier classes when you are a junior and senior are smaller and more personalized. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Ryan: My favorite class was a political science class with Professor Scott Althaus. It was on the science of campaigning. We did real-world statistics and marketing strategies to learn how campaign managers do what they do and win elections; a very interesting and very real-world applicable class. Check out Ryans tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Can You Learn Spanish Online

Can You Learn Spanish Online Easy Tools to Learn Spanish Online for Free ChaptersLearning Spanish on the Internet: A Reality!Websites for Learning to Speak SpanishA Private Spanish Tutor in your Pocket?Learn Spanish Online Free of Charge: Hello YouTube!There are lots of things that you need to know to become fluent in Spanish, but did you know that it’s possible to learn Spanish online easily?It's an option that differs from taking a Spanish course at a local Spanish language school. There are huge advantages of taking Spanish classes at such an institution (for example, spanish classes london). As a beginner you have a teacher on hand to guide your through the early stages and to answer your questions.But if you learn how to speak Spanish in this way then it is more regimented, and therefore often less flexible than learning this new language online.And this applies to any second language that you might want to learn, not just Spanish. So if you are eager to learn Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, or Russian, then see what options there are for learning the language online!In the digital era of technology we are currently living in, it has become nearly impossible to live without a Smartphone, a tablet, or a computer!It is now possible to buy groceries from your laptop, to order your favourite sushi from your iPhone, and even to apply for a car registration without getting up from the comfort of your sofa.So why not take advantage of this to take Spanish lessons online?Indeed, the Internet is overflowing with sites and applications that are very useful for any new learner who want to study and master the Spanish language.And although the answering how long Spanish takes to learn  falls very much into a grey area due to the amount of different factors that affect individual people's ability to learn a foreign language, some websites and smartphone applications have been proven to help people rapidly progress in Spanish.Adaptable for all levels, from novices to intermediate level speakers, all the way through to masters, and available f or all budgets, these tools for learning languages online are getting better and better.Superprof has researched all the different online tools that will allow you speak Spanish. ¡ Olé ! TadeoSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterSpanish Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MartaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SharonSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TanyaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Jose manuelSpanish Teacher £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLearning Spanish on the Internet: A Reality!Above all else, using new technologies in the learning process is a real asset to facilitate learning in any subject or discipline, but especially in learning a foreign language.Rapidly assimilating a language can be fun. And what better way to take Spanish lessons than to use tools that incorporate games and that are accessible to the majority of people?But let’s return to the heart of the matter: Is it really possible to learn to speak Spanish online?Take advantage of new technologies to improve your Spanish!Indeed, we can ask ourselves whether we can really progress in Spanish or in any other subject outside of the classroom without the help of a private tutor.With technology, yes, but beware!Speaking Spanish isn't an easy task, especially if fluency is your aim. You will need to be dedicated to studying it in order to fully grasp the complex differences in terms of things such as the tenses, the role of the subjunctive, and the verb conjugations differ from English.Therefore, we advise you to beware of flashy promotional offers that certain sites promise. It is impossible, even with all the willpower in the world, to learn a foreign l anguage in only 30 days or even 45. A language immersion trip is your best bet for learning Spanish quickly, but even then this won't be enough time for you to master the language of Cervantes.Even if you take Spanish lessons in one of the many Spanish speaking countries around the world, such as Spain, Argentina, or Colombia, you will still need several months to become fluent.Fluently mastering Spanish, English, German, or Italian for example requires time, a lot of work and practice.It is impossible to give a precise amount of time, for we are all unfortunately unequal in terms of learning.Spanish lessons online will give you the important foundations of the language with an initiation to the Spanish grammar, alphabet, conjugation, and the language’s subtleties.Nevertheless, before becoming bilingual, you will certainly need to call on other services such as a private Spanish teacher, for despite the thorough and pedagogical programs on these sites, you will not be able to beco me completely bilingual simply by taking them.You will rapidly discover online, thanks to all the tools that exist, that Spanish is an easy language to learn!Websites for Learning to Speak SpanishThe Internet is full of tools for easily learning to speak Spanish.Some even allow you to study Spanish for free!Here is our choice of online Spanish courses.Learn Spanish Easily with Duolingo.comDuolingo is the most popular way to learn languages in the world, and it’s completely free to use. Most of the lessons take the form of quizzes that test your speaking, listening, and writing. As you start with basic Spanish, you will look at some elementary words and phrases, such as some nouns and adjectives.Duolingo is also available as an interactive app that you can use on your commute to work or while waiting at the doctor’s office. The app also has a great focus on verb conjugation and the rules of the Spanish language to help you learn the foundations. There are also translation tools o n the site.Improve your level of Spanish for free with DuolingoTo facilitate learning the Spanish language, nearly everything is gameified. There are also forums where you can interact with other users and Spanish-speakers.It’s a very useful tool, and on top of that it is free of charge, meaning that each person can enjoy learning the language of Cervantes.Continue your Spanish with Babbel.comBabbel  offers courses in 13 languages, including, of course, Spanish.This site is particularly good for those looking to learn conversational Spanish to prepare for an upcoming trip abroad or for a more contemporary immersion in the language. For those more interested in speaking than reading, Babbel might be the right choice for you.Babbel will allow you to rapidly assimilate the foundations of the Spanish language and also teach you current expressions.In addition to traditional lessons, you can also read in-depth discussions of particular grammatical aspects of Spanish, for those interest ed in linguistics.It is very useful for becoming conversational in Spanish, including learning the pronunciation and accent that are both integral to Spanish.In addition: Babbel has an app where you can easily review your vocabulary.Spanish Lessons Online with MemriseMemrise is a free language-learning website where online users help each other improve. The site also employs audio, visual, and memory activities and games to help you learn vocabulary, which is then tested in quizzes.If you struggle with remembering new vocabulary, Memrise is great because it works on the level of word association to ensure that you can easily recall concepts and definitions. Other users can also submit their own ideas for mnemonic devices that have helped them.Memrise encompasses a wide variety of lessons for speakers of all levels.There are still more sites for learning Spanish online. It is a matter of personal taste and goals as to which will be the right choice for you:RosettaStone.comVocbox.comL engalia.comEtc.You should be aware that by using this method, you are completely responsible for how quickly you progress. It will depend on how seriously you take the language earning process, and how much time you dedicate to it.A Private Spanish Tutor in your Pocket?Do you have your Smartphone with you? Why not take advantage of it to learn Spanish easily?For a few years now, a multitude of phone apps have sprung up promising that you can learn a foreign language directly from your Smartphone or tablet.With apps like Babbel, Duolingo, Busuu, and Memrise, you can easily learn Spanish anywhere with your phone!In the paid version of Babbel,  you can access all of the site’s content. Babbel has voice recognition technology to evaluate your pronunciation and punctuation. A plus that differentiates the application from books and classic Spanish textbooks. There is a vocal assistant that a great number of users find helpful, from beginners just starting out, to those already in great command of the language who can benefit from a deeper learning.Babbel also has another advantage that distinguishes it from other applications for learning Spanish. There is a multi-channel solution that allows you, once subscribed, to continue your Spanish lessons on different devises, switching between your phone, your tablet, and your laptop.All of these apps teach you a foreign language in the form of lessons and pedagogical exercises to review your vocabulary, spelling, conjugation, and Spanish grammar. Lessons, exercises, and tests are categorized by level and theme, allowing the full range of Spanish learners to easily use this technology.Take a quick break and review your Spanish!Imagine you want to learn Spanish with a Spanish teacher, and having that person available all the time and everywhere to help you perfect your language skills!You will also see rather quickly on these applications that Spanish and English words share many similarities! What's more, if you speak, or have ever studied, French, you will see that French and Spanish are similar in certain regards as well.How to study Spanish while also having fun?Applications like Duolingo believe that we learn when we have fun. And it’s a fact!Based on this, in addition to providing classic lessons to easily learn Spanish, you will find various exercises at the end of many lessons that structure the app to be like a video game. The concept is simple: if you fail the exercise, you lose a life!Your learning thus becomes a real game where you are congratulated after each stage. A playful way of motivating learners in their Spanish progress.The big advantage: Duolingo and many other apps don’t cost a penny, showing that learning Spanish for free is possible!Learn Spanish Online Free of Charge: Hello YouTube!When we talk about the Internet, we have to mention YouTube. Did you know that you can learn Spanish for free with this web tool?Aside from being a free Spanish resources, you can find a Spani sh class for pretty much anything that you find difficult!Indeed, there are a great number of videos devoted to learning Spanish in the form of lessons or quick tutorials created by Spanish-speaking professors.Work on your Spanish accent with YouTube videos!You will have to sort through the great number of videos to find those that are most pedagogical and comprehensible.A very useful tool for training your ear to Spanish pronunciation and for improving your accent.As you can see, it is easy to learn Spanish online. Numerous sites and applications are accessible to you no matter your level.To sum up, Spanish lessons online allow you to:Practise your Spanish vocabularyUnderstood Spanish grammar (irregular verbs, personal pronouns, negation…)Familiarise yourself with Spanish pronunciationTrain your brain to memorise and recognise with free, easy Spanish lessonsLearn more about Spanish linguistics and culture

Online Science Tutoring - Offering the Foundation of Basic Life Skills

Online Science Tutoring - Offering the Foundation of Basic Life Skills 0SHARESShare Science is basically dealing with life and teaching of science objects. Science properties is with the aim to connect you with life in you and around you. Online Science tutoring has accepted this task of introducing concepts and also about life through Science to you. This is by means of its methods that enforces basic life skills upon you. Tutoring online in Science-Enforcing basic life skills 1. Skills of observation-   Any human mind observes and life becomes successful and if these observation powers are kept intact and made proper use of. Experts in Science tutoring online use multimedia tools and it is to make students observe the objects of Science and find out the results. 2. Executive Functioning â€"   Human brain has the capacity to co ordinate ideas and concepts and arrives at conclusions thereby. Science help online with its various resources and introduces its concepts. It is in a way where students find it easy to allow ideas into their brain and switch over to new concepts. Concepts after they have understood the previous ones and they go by planning and organization of ideas and keep what they have learnt in memory. These are the basic human skills-acceptance of ideas , shift to new ideas and situations, planning and organizing materials and retention of them in memory-all these are successfully introduced by online tutors in Science to the student minds with their various strategies Tutor pace with its distinguished team of Science tutors makes it a duty to introduce basic human skills to student minds to make their lives successful. Online science tutoring is getting well known, because of its viability in helping understudies in a branch of knowledge that many see as very troublesome. By and large, science assignments and schoolwork are tedious, yet they likewise require far reaching comprehension of ideas. Great online science training programs target refining understudies essential information in science and showing them the correct ways to deal with tackling issues. Numerous online science guides are exceptionally experienced and well-able to enable their understudy to finish worksheets, trials, and ventures; and to assist them with getting ready for their tests. Get  Science Tutor Online  Now! [starbox id=admin]

A Level German Lessons Learn to Speak German

A Level German Lessons Learn to Speak German Want to Learn German? Take German Courses at AS A Level ChaptersBenefits Of Studying Towards A German AS and A LevelCurriculum At A GlanceExam boardsUsing Past Papers For RevisionCareer Prospects For German StudentsWhile a German A Level can at times be taken without prior experience, chances are that most pupils who decide to study German at AS and A Level will have spent the two years previous to that learning the language.For them, AS and A Level German will take them to the next level of language learning and, in this higher class, they will begin to explore more complex linguistic properties while placing themselves in more advanced scenarios and settings.Many students who chose to study German at GCSE back in Year 9, whether on a whim or because they had a goal in mind for acquiring this particular language, will probably have come to realise that they actually found it surprisingly easy!While German is relatively similar to English, it naturally has a very unique make-up and its own set of exceptions to grammatical rules to master. As such, the longer you spend learning the language at school, the better your grammar and vocabulary will become.You may have been surprised at how easy you found German at GCSE level. Photo credit: Jirka Matousek via Visual Hunt / CC BYIn addition, studies have shown that dyslexic pupils often find it's easier to learn  German online than French or Spanish, which could be down to its somewhat logical and intuitive parts of speech.French and Spanish derive from Latin which is a classical language that many Britons are just not in tune with. SönkeGerman Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ClaudiaGerman Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SefaGerman Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HilaryGerman Teacher 5.00 (16) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LisaGerman Teacher 5.00 (8) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChrisGerman Teacher 5.00 (19) £39/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tuto rs WendyGerman Teacher 5.00 (2) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HowardGerman Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsBenefits Of Studying Towards A German AS and A LevelGerman is a very beneficial and very popular language today, and is widely spoken across the globe. Some say that it is the language of a powerful nation that supports its fellow European countries, for instance by keeping the eurozone alive and supporting struggling economies.Germany has even bailed out Spain and Greece during hard times, which means that it plays a big part in keeping some of our favourite holiday spots going strong!Following the war and its own financial crisis, Germany rose from disaster and gained recognition and praise for its excellence in the fields of manufacturing and engineering, while also becoming increasingly well-known for its high-class education system.Curriculum At A GlanceProgressing from the GCSE German course, AS and A Level German are design ed to develop the student’s confidence in communicating in the language (i.e. across all topics: speaking, listening, reading and writing). The focus that all AS and A Level specifications put upon the various ways of communicating makes more effective communicators of these language pupils.Through the understanding of culture in Germany and other German-speaking countries, students will be motivated to grow more curious about the language and its heritage and thus encourage interest to keep them engaged with lessons.It is this enthusiasm that will enable a language learner to be more proficient and to start to think about broadening their skills either through further education or by embracing opportunities to travel.Some schools or colleges may offer you the chance to visit a German-speaking country or to take part in an exchange programme, both of which will give you an opportunity to excel your language skills.A school trip or exchange can really boost your language skills. Ph oto credit: COD Newsroom via VisualHunt / CC BYThough optional on many courses due to financial matters, pupils who complete exchanges often find the experience to be a very worthwhile one and come back invigorated by the language immersion. Students can later draw on these experiences when it comes to their exams. SönkeGerman Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ClaudiaGerman Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SefaGerman Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HilaryGerman Teacher 5.00 (16) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LisaGerman Teacher 5.00 (8) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChrisGerman Teacher 5.00 (19) £39/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors WendyGerman Teacher 5.00 (2) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HowardGerman Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsExam boardsAll of the same exam boards offer German at the higher levels of A S and A Level, and these will follow the standard exam structure in terms of assessment for the unforeseeable future (i.e. being graded from A*-G).Below is further information about the principal exam boards offering the AS and A Level German specifications in the UK.AQAWith new specifications having been brought out this year for German (teaching from 2016 and exams from 2017), AQA has modified its previous syllabus which now includes, at a glance, modules on Social issues and trends, Artistic Culture and Grammar, with optional module Literary texts and films.The contents of this higher-level course reflect the sophistication of the course in comparison to the GCSE syllabus. The qualification offered by AQA is linear, which means that students sit their exams at the end of the course. Therefore, pupils will be assessed for the AS Level at the end of Year 12 and for A Level in Year 13.OCRAs with AQA, OCR is currently reforming its qualifications in line with the government programme of general qualification reform. While AQA has developed a new syllabus for German at AS and A Level, OCR has decided not to redevelop this specification and, as such, the final assessment opportunity for these courses (H076 and H476) will be summer 2017 and the re-sits taking place in summer 2018.The purpose of the course is to give candidates a good grounding in all aspects of the language and culture of Germany, with the aim of enhancing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills within German.With just one written assessment and speaking test at each level, the course’s examination methods are straightforward and cut the burden and stress on pupils. There is no coursework required on this course.EdexcelEdexcel has developed a new accredited specification in German. The newly constructed syllabus includes cultural content designed to engage and inspire students while also offering pupils the chance to read and learn about German Literature to further enhance their languag e skills.As previously mentioned, many AS Level pupils will have completed a GCSE qualification in the language therefore this course supports the progression from GCSE level and encourages students to develop and use the transferrable skills already gained as part of their previous german lessons.WJECWJEC provides an exciting opportunity for German beginners to build on their knowledge of the language through social, intellectual and cultural themes. The course is designed to develop a better understandimg of linguistic properties and to provide a deeper comprehension of the culture of Germany and German-speaking countries.As with the new Edexcel specification, students enrolled on the WJEC German AS and A Level course will be given the opportunity to study literature and film to increase their cultural awareness and with the objective of encouraging fluency in the language.Being taught since 2016, WJEC offers these AS Level and A Level qualifications, which have been accredited by OFQUAL, on the basis that prior learning has taken place in the form of a GCSE or equivalent qualification.Using Past Papers For RevisionAs with GCSE, AS and A Level German exam papers from previous years can be downloaded by going to the dedicated area on your exam board’s website. While you are very welcome to look at and even attempt past papers from exam boards other than your own, you must remember that your particular exam may not be structured in the same way and therefore could be marked quite differently. Saying that, all revision and practice can be worthwhile.One way to avoid any confusion when it comes to the assessment of your exams is to check the markI got scheme related to your specification. This, along with examiners’ notes and comments, can open your eyes to the types of responses the examiners are looking to see and can allow you to better understand what gains and loses marks in your particular paper.Alternatively, your teacher may offer you a series of pap ers to attempt either in the classroom or at home. If completing past papers at home, you must ensure that you try your hardest to recreate exam conditions, which means no interruptions, no disallowed materials and a strict time limit.The benefit of completing mock exams set by your school or college is that it will force you to get into the right mindset and to approach the revision task more seriously.Career Prospects For German StudentsProspects.co.uk, a top site for students seeking information on careers and opportunities for further study, confirms that modern foreign languages are high in demand and that these skills are sought by most business that trade internationally. Consequently, you may be interested in following up your language course with a degree and even a masters degree.Other career choices that languages like German can offer you are being an Interpreter, a Translator or a Teacher of languages. However, there are various other industries in which German would be useful too.With a language like German, you could open up many career opportunities, including becoming a translator or interpreter. Photo credit: LoS, Traducción e Interpretación via Visual Hunt / CC BYMany language programmes offer the opportunity to travel abroad to study or work, so if you plan on taking a degree in German and benefitting from a year in a German-speaking country, try to find a placement that relates to the career path of your choice for the optimum work experience.This will not only look great on your CV, it will significantly improve your language skills with a stronger emphasis on language in the workplace.On Superprof, you an find German lessons all over the country:Learn German London

Solve Inequalities With Fractions

Solve Inequalities With Fractions Inequality is the equation which has less than or greater than symbols in it i.e. and respectively. Equality is when we can equate both sides of the equation and is represented by =. Fraction is usually written in the p/q form. Here p is the numerator and q is the denominator. The denominator of a fraction cannot be equal to zero i.e. q not equal to zero. Fraction are very commonly used and very important form of representation of numbers. Some fractions can be further simplified according to the requirement. Different mathematical operations can be used to simplify and solve a given fraction. Example 1: Solve the inequality 2x 2/5 3/5? Solution: Given equation is 2x 2/5 3/5. Here the unknown variable which needs to be solved for is x. Step 1: Add 2/5 on both sides of the equation. This gives 2 x -2/5 + 2/5 3/5 + 2/5; 2x 5/5; 2x 1 Divide both sides of the equation by 2; 2x/2 1/2 Hence the solution is x 1/2. Example 2: Solve the inequality 6x 5/4 3/4? Solution: Given equation is 6x 5/4 3/4. Here the unknown variable which needs to be solved for is x. Step 1: Add 5/4 on both sides of the equation. This gives 6 x -5/4 + 5/4 3/4 + 5/4; 6 x 8 /4; 6 x 2. Divide both sides of the equation by 6; 6x/6 2/6 Hence the solution is x 1/3.

Career Development Creating a Two Part Exit Strategy - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Career Development Creating a Two Part Exit Strategy - Introvert Whisperer Career Development: Creating a Two Part Exit Strategy If you are contemplating a career change may I suggest you consider an exit strategy?   In the world of our careers, anytime you are considering a change in careers, you would do well if you put together a strategy to pull the plug where you are in a professional way.   In addition, to that, you should have yourself financially prepared for what will most likely be a change in your income.   Both things are what I think are essential to a great exit strategy.   Let’s look at what you should consider for both parts: Part 1 â€" Plan to pull the plug Stay engaged â€" When we make a decision to leave a job we have already stepped off the mental cliff into the next job or career. It is seriously hard to stay engaged and contribute at the same level you did prior to your decision, yet you must.   Don’t give your boss a reason to fire you before you’re ready to go. Plan for completion- Your boss and your work peers will deeply appreciate you giving some thought about what shape you leave things. Examine the work you are doing and do your best to have things completed before you take your exit. If you can’t get it all done, work out a plan of delegation with your boss. That will allow you to fully educate someone else on what is needed to complete something you can’t finish.   If you ever need to return, you will be remembered for how you leave as well as what you did while you were there.   Leave with them all wanting you to stay. Time your notice â€" If it will be a while before you leave in order to get your new gig going or pay off some bills, DO NOT TELL OTHERS at work. You have to keep this to yourself.   All companies have unique personalities when it comes to learning about your departure.   Some will see it as a form of disloyalty and want you out of there now.   Others are fine with some lead time for giving the notice to quit.   Even if you work for the later, it’s best for your work assignments and relationships that people there don’t start viewing you as a “short timer” any sooner than necessary Part 2 â€" Financial Planning Pay off any debt you have â€" Since you’re making a decision to completely change careers, you have to give yourself as much freedom as possible to make that decision. Some people won’t make that important change because of the burden they have financially.   Even if you want to leave right now, unless you are completely assured of your new income, you have to limit your financial risk. Get real about your living expenses â€" Do you really know how much you spend and on what? Most people really don’t.   They know if their debt is going up or down and have only a vague idea of what is driving numbers.   Begin tracking your expenses so you really have a handle on how much per month you’re spending at Starbuck’s or going out for Chinese.   This will help you down the road if or when your income level changes.   It will help you today if you need to build a reserve. Build a reserve â€" Experts say you should have an emergency fund of around 3-6 months of expenses. If your new venture is apt to take several months to get started you would do well to be on the more conservative side of that estimate and go with 6 months. Investment stash- If you are striking out on your own you most likely will need some capital to spend on getting your business up and running. If you are going to go to another company but will need education or certification classes, you will need to have to costs covered.   In either case, you may need to be investing a chunk of money on your next step. Get family buy in â€" If you are not living solo, you need to review your plan with your family and get their agreement to modifying their spending habits. You can’t assume just because you told them at the dinner table you were going to start up a business that they will automatically translate that into anything that will impact them.   You may also want their emotional support during the start-up phase and this would be a good time to ask them. All too many people allow the financial concerns of a career change to stop them in their tracks.   Although they are unhappy at work, they are overwhelmed mostly by unknowns.   If you are not moving forward in making this important decision, you may want to start out by creating an exit strategy to give you a better picture of how you could move forward.   It may take a couple of years to put everything into place.   It may be the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself. Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

MyGuru Joins Forces with Two Expert Tutors for the GMAT, GRE, amp; LSAT

MyGuru Joins Forces with Two Expert Tutors for the GMAT, GRE, amp; LSAT Improving Academic Performance MyGuru has recently brought two exceptional test prep instructors onto its team: John Easter, Indiana University, B.S. in Mathematics and French M.S. Candidate in Mathematics at University of Illinois at ChicagoJohn Easter attended Indiana University, where he majored in French Composition and Mathematics. While at UI, he tutored privately, and even founded a tutoring agency of his own specifically designed to help freshman and sophomore students struggling to pass the math classes required for entrance into the business school at Indiana.John is currently a master’s degree candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago, studying mathematics. He has tutored dozens of students privately over the years.While he is more than qualified to tutor or teach both Mathematics and French, John is an expert at helping students with the GRE and GMAT. In fact, John scored a 760 on his GMAT, which places him in the top 1% of all GMAT test takers.David Yi, Middlebury College, B.A. in Political Science JD candidate from the University of ChicagoDavid Yi is our newest LSAT tutor. He is attending the University of Chicago for a JD degree, after attending Middlebury College in Vermont and majoring in Political Science.After graduating from Middlebury, David spend several years overseas with the Peace Corps, where he ended up taking the LSAT, and earning a perfect score. Upon finding he had a knack for the LSAT, be began tutoring privately, and eventually signed on with a major test prep provider.Over time, he became an instructor of other LSAT instructors, helping prepare others to teach the LSAT. In the past few years, David has been developing his own private LSAT test prep materials. He also recently graduated from the University of Chicago with his JD.John and David provide excellent examples of the type of tutors we regularly bring onto the MyGuru team. These are tutors with exceptional credentials - tutors who would be considered “expert level” and billed out at hundreds of dollars per hour at the major test prep firms (e.g., Kaplan and Princ eton Review).However, because these tutors believe in what MyGuru seeks to represent, a unique mix between high quality but high priced national test prep firms and the low cost but uncertain quality of individual tutors found on “tutor matching” sites like Craig’s List, John and David are passionate about working with MyGuru’s results-focused students.To learn more about David, John, or MyGuru, call us at 312-278-0321.

ACT How to Make your Own Study Schedule

Preparing for the SAT/ACT How to Make your Own Study Schedule ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog No matter how many times your parents have repeated it to you, it never quite sinks in â€" If you fail to plan you plan to fail. While this feels a bit dramatic, in a test like the SAT or ACT it is important to realize that preparation can have a significant benefit on your score and on opportunities that stem from this such as college admission and scholarships. While many students have performed well in high school, standardized admissions tests can be a limiting factor because students often fall into a few common traps, such as the idea that being a good student translates directly into a high performing standardized test taker. While this may be true for some students, it often is not the case. College admissions exams often require knowledge on how to study for and take a standardized exam. The best way to overcome this hurdle is by creating a study schedule and planning for test day ahead of time. Step #1: Set Your Target Score While it can be daunting to make a list of schools this early in the process of college applications, this will make setting a goal much easier. The advice I typically give to students is to create a list of schools with three categories â€" dream schools or reach schools, mid-tier schools, and safety schools. It is also important to look at what each school is available to offer based on your desired career path or the ability to explore if you are unsure at this stage of your life. After establishing your list, use the internet to find published SAT and ACT scores for each school. I recommend looking at the seventy-fifth percentile and the twenty-fifth percentile of each school. Your goal score should be the highest seventy-fifth percentile score among schools on your list. In doing so, you’ve placed yourself in the top twenty-five percent of applicants for standardized testing scores. This is the score that would likely allow your college application to be reviewed at any school on your list. It is also important to note whether your school requires the essay portion as this will impact your testing registration. Although, I strongly advise taking the essay portion of the exam whether it is required or not as it is another easy opportunity to evidence your strong scholastic abilities. Step #2: Take a Practice Exam Taking a practice exam will allow you to determine your baseline SAT or ACT performance. This will help determine how much time you will need in test preparation. It is also an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the test prior to taking the real SAT or ACT. Both tests have official published practice exams that are arguably the closest to the official exam in terms of test questions and structure. When taking your practice exam, it is crucial to try to recreate the testing environment as closely as possible. This means taking the test under timed conditions, at a similar time of day as the real test, no electronic use during or in between sections, and finding a quiet location. This will allow you to obtain the most useful diagnostic score and to set goals for your test preparation. After taking your practice exam, compare your target score to your baseline exam score. Determine the point difference between these two scores. Do not get discouraged by this portion of test preparation, the SAT and ACT are both tests that you can learn to take. A lot of the preparation for the SAT and ACT requires understanding how the test is set up and being comfortable with the timing of the test. The SAT is split into Reading (52 questions in 65 minutes), Writing and Language (44 questions in 35 minutes), Math (58 questions in 80 minutes), and the optional essay (one essay in 50 minutes). The ACT is composed of five sections: English (75 questions in 45 minutes), Mathematics (60 questions in 60 minutes), Reading (40 questions in 35 minutes), Science (40 questions in 35 minutes), and Writing (1 essay in 40 minutes). As you can see, these sections are short, and it is imperative to know how much time to spend on each question in order to complete the section within the allotted t ime frame. Step #3: Pick a Date Most students will schedule the SAT or ACT for the spring of their junior year so that there is time to retake the test the following fall if needed. There are a number of factors that go into picking a date. First and foremost, you should determine the latest date that allows you to have a score prior to submitting your application to schools. This should be your last chance date, the date that you need to take your test by in order to apply for college. Some students take the SAT or ACT a second time to see a score increase. If adequately prepared, you likely will not need to take the test again barring any events like getting sick or have another emergency come up around your test date. Another factor to consider is how much time you will need to prepare in order to attain enough knowledge and practice to achieve your target score. For a student who needs to improve their score by 0 â€" 100 points you may need about 30 hours of preparation. Whereas a student who has a larger improvement in the range of 100-300 points may need closer to 100 hours of preparation. It is important to be realistic about your schedule as a student and other commitments. For example, if you are in band during marching season, this might not be the best time to schedule the SAT or ACT because most of your weeknights and weekends are occupied with extracurricular activities. The best way to determine how much time you have to study for the SAT and ACT is to write out a typical schedule for the week of your mandatory school activities, extracurricular activities, job, time needed to study for class, or any other commitments. The remaining time that is left on your schedule, beyond sleeping an d eating could feasibly go towards your SAT or ACT preparation. However, it is important to balance your schedule. Working too many hours on academic pursuits could lead to exhaustion that will impact your test performance. After taking these factors into consideration, it is important to go online and schedule your exam early. This will keep your testing costs to a minimum and ensure that a spot is reserved for you on test day. Step #4: Find Study Materials That Work for You In preparing for the SAT or ACT, reflect back on the methods that lead you to score well on exams in the past. Did you do well in a big study group? Using practice exams provided by a teacher or that you found online? Do you enjoy studying with outlines or flash cards? A number of study resources have been published for the SAT and ACT. Blog articles written by reputable sites can even provide helpful and free tips, like this one from Brainly about effective SAT essay strategies. These resources range in application and work differently for each student. The best study resource is the one you will actually use and even enjoy at times. It is crucial to take many practice passages and exams to gain familiarity with the test itself. It is also important to spend time reviewing these passages and tests. This is where you will find the common patterns and mistakes you’re making and allow yourself the greatest room for improvement. This is the single biggest mistake I have seen amongst a ll standardized test takers that is so easily corrected. Step #5: Setting a Schedule After selecting your study resource, it is time to sit down with a calendar and divide up your workload for your study period. It is important that you work consistently towards your goal, taking a break once or twice a week as needed. This will build up your stamina for test day. When you divide up your work set realistic goals on how many pages you can read or passages you can take in the amount of time you have each day to work on your SAT or ACT. Establish goals throughout your test preparation for score improvements so that you can assess whether you are set to achieve your goal. These checkpoints will give you an idea of whether you need to reschedule your exam and will keep you from cramming for the exam. When setting up your schedule, it can be tempting to only focus on the sections that you find are weakest based on your diagnostic exam. While you should spend more time on these sections if there is a significant difference in your section scores, it is important that you have a balanced score among your sections on your exam. Make sure that you allot time to study all sections of the exam as a balanced score is often reflective of an academically well rounded student. Step #6: Take the Exam Now that you have studied hard, it is time to take your exam. Make sure you are well rested the week leading up to your exam. Trust the hard work you have put into this process and enjoy the challenge. Best of luck! About the Author Jordan Salley is a senior ACT and SAT tutor for MyGuru. For more information on ACT and SAT prep, our unique approach, and our tutors, visit us here for ACT prep or here for SAT prep.