Chemistry Practice Tests - Your Way to Improve Your Scores

Chemistry Practice Tests - Your Way to Improve Your ScoresAfter you have done your homework and have finished the course requirements, your goal should be to take an SAT chemistry practice test to test your skills in applying the material you learned. If you take the time to prepare, you will have a great advantage over the students who do not take the time to do so.The first thing to understand about SAT practice tests is that most of them are quite easy. These tests are for those who have taken the course, not necessarily those who already know how to apply the material. You should definitely plan your time carefully and make sure that you spend most of it on practice problems. If you do not, you will find yourself frustrated at the end of the test when the subject you spent most of your time on just seemed to go by the wayside.Once you know that these are easy, you can proceed to the next step and use the SAT practice tests as an opportunity to improve your scores. The test will g ive you a score for each section, and you will know which ones you have been excelling at and which ones you are performing below average.There are some features to be noted while taking practice tests, however. First, some questions will ask you to do things you are not familiar with. Although it may seem that these would be easy to complete, it is better to be prepared for these questions than to answer them incorrectly and admit defeat when your answers will be not good enough.Keep in mind that if you know the material in a straightforward manner, then you will not have much trouble answering the practice tests. On the other hand, if you are struggling with the material, then you may not know how to answer the questions correctly.Next, take the time to break up the problem into smaller ones. Doing this will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and will keep you focused on the solution at hand. Although you will never get the full solution, you will be able to see what is wrong with your answer and you will be able to focus on the next question instead of looking for the answer in the rest of the test.Taking the SAT with the help of a practice test is an essential part of preparing for the exam. You will have a higher score than those who have only studied the material.

Singing Lessons Help Your Speaking Voice Training the Whole Voice

Singing Lessons Help Your Speaking Voice Training the Whole Voice Suzy S. I have been a professional actor-singer all my life, it seems.   When I was studying theatre at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County many moons agowe had no voice training as actors.   We were often told I cant hear you or Project! or I cant understand what youre saying.   But that was the extent of our training. Unfortunately, we had to figure out what to do with those criticisms.   I did, however, take singing lessons by a very fine instructor during my university days.   I learned how to use my voice very effectivelyas a singer, and occasionally found myself observing that my speaking voice was receiving some benefit from that singing training, too, but I didnt know quite how. It wasnt until I went to graduate school at the Dallas Theater Center that something revolutionary happened to my voice and my attitude towards my use of itboth as a speaker and a singer.   What I discovered was that the focus and resonance I had learned as a singer was no different that what was needed for an effective speaking voice as well. I discovered that the difference between singing and speaking is one of dynamic rangethe highs and lows, the sustention of notes beyond what would be considered as speaking is more extravagant, but the training should be the same.   The instrument being used is the same, the most intimate instrument that we play, because it is produced solely from within.   If we begin to think of our speaking and singing voices as one and the same, we can apply all the rich, focused vibrations we learn to produce while singing directly to our speaking voice. Breath does not control the tonal quality of the speaking/singing voicethat is produced by working as if were not using any breath at all. Of course, we need a constant supply of breath to create the vibration of the vocal folds, but after that breath stream becomes a sound stream, its up to resonance and wave reflection to take over.   The sound is conducted through the bones of the face and head.   So, when we learn to focus that sound stream onto the hard palate, and upwards into the nasal bone, forehead and craniumwe produce a beautiful unforced resonant qualityespecially when we also create a more generous open cavity in the mouth. So whats to stop us from speaking the way we sing?   Try this experiment:   Create your own little melody in your mid-range for this phrase: This is the way to feel the focus.   Focus your voice (by thinking it there!) onto the hard palate as you do this rather slowly.   Then speak the line while maintaining that feel of the vibration on your hard palate, sailing up into your head (hopefully). Dont you enjoy that placement, that richness of tone?   It can be yours for the askingwhen you have the feel of singing while you speak! So, dont be satisfied with a singing voice that works one wayand a speaking voice that is lodged in the back of your throat, raspy, or of another sort of poor quality.   Lets not leave the speaking voice out of the quality equation. Train the whole voice by remembering to always have a little song in your speech, and a little speech in your song! Guest contributor, Nancy Krebs Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

A Day in the Life at University of Virginia

A Day in the Life at University of Virginia The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Ali graduated from the University of Virginia in 2013 with a Bachelors degree in Drama and Arts Administration. She is a New York City tutor who specializes in SAT prep tutoring, ISEE prep tutoring, SSAT prep tutoring, Writing tutoring, and more. See what she had to say about her undergraduate experience: 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? Ali: The campus (or The Grounds as we refer to it at UVA) is completely accessible without a car, but the free University Bus Service runs regularly around Grounds in case you dont feel like walking or need to make a quick class change.First-years arent allowed to keep a car in Charlottesville, but many upperclassmen choose to bring one once they move off-campus.Lack of parking on Grounds makes it pretty inconvenient to drive to class, but having a car makes grocery shopping, traveling to/from school, and exploring Cville a bit easier. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Ali: No matter what, someone will be there to help you! Who you go to for assistance will probably depend on the class size. In my seminars or smaller lectures, professors were always readily available.It might be a bit more difficult to schedule a meeting with the professor from a 250-person lecture, but certainly not impossible!In that scenario, youll generally have a smaller discussion section and/or a teaching assistant; my TAs were always easily accessible and happy to answer my questions. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Ali: All first-year students are required to live in dorms and there are two first-year housing complexes on Grounds: McCormick Road or Old Dorms, and Alderman Road or New Dorms. Most students prefer Old Dorms because of their convenient location, but others like New Dorms for their more modern amenities (air conditioning, newer study rooms and laundry facilities, etc.). 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? Ali: Economics, Psychology, Biology, International Relations, and Business are UVAs largest majors; however, Im not sure if that makes them any better represented or better supported than any other departments. I had fantastic experiences with Mathematics, Politics, English, and Religious Studies courses as well! As an undergraduate, I created my own major in Arts Administration and Non-Profit Management through UVAs Interdisciplinary Studies program. The program allows you to design your own curriculum, drawing from classes in a variety of academic departments. 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? Ali: All first-years live together in dorms, so its pretty easy to befriend other students on your floor or your hall. About 30% of UVA students join Greek life, so the majority of students are not in fraternities or sororities even though the schools social reputation suggests otherwise. Many think of UVA as an Old South school, but in reality, the social scene is hugely diverse; whoever you are and whatever your interests, theres a place for you! I joined a sorority in my first year and loved it, but many of my close friends did not participate in Greek life. Its a great way to meet people, but definitely not required to build a circle of friends. VT: How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services? Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Ali: I used the Career Center for advice regarding cover letters and resumes while applying to summer internships; they were very helpful! VT: How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Ali: Most students study at home, in libraries, or in nearby coffee shops. There are three main libraries; all are very cozy and useful for different reasons. I generally studied in Alderman or Clark, but I did pull a few late nights at Clemons (open 24 hours from Sunday through Thursdayif youre in a time crunch).Study spaces get a bit crowded around midterms and finals, but I was always able to find a spot! 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? Ali: A small city at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville has it all: a bustling downtown area with a great music and arts scene, gorgeous hiking trails in the surrounding countryside, tons of incredible restaurants, a rich local history, and more. Students really take advantage of everything the town has to offer; it was a fantastic place to go to school! VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Ali: We have around 21,000 students in total, about 14,000 of which are undergrads. Your class sizes will depend on your major and the level of the class; introductory classes are generally pretty large, but class size quickly shrinks as you begin to take intermediate and advanced level seminars.Most of my classes had 8-25 people in them. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most. Ali: I loved Theology, Ethics, and Medicine taught by James Childress. The course inspired interesting and profound discussions about religion and politics with regards to biomedical ethics. I took it as an elective in my first semester and would highly recommend it to any incoming student! Check out Alis tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

8 Unspoken Reasons Why You Werent Hired - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 8 Unspoken Reasons Why You Weren’t Hired - Introvert Whisperer 8 Unspoken Reasons Why You Weren’t Hired Applying for a job is part of many people’s lives. Your resume is the application and needs to be done in a way that gets you hired. You need to have a professional resume which represents you in a great way. Do some online research and find out what the latest trends are. It is possible to find some cheap resume writing services or resume help online. There are some mistakes people make when applying for a post. These mistakes could cost you the job. Also, interviews are another place where you can blow your chances. Let’s look at some of the reasons you might be sabotaging your career. 1. Your resume is more than 5 pages I am really being nice saying more than 5. In this day and age, a resume longer than 2 pages might be frowned upon. A resume longer than 5 pages seems like a disrespect for the manager’s time. No one wants to read about the goal you scored in second grade. This is grown up life and you need to make sure you grasp their attention. 2.  You missed something in the application process You would be surprised how often this happen. People get so excited when they see the perfect job opportunity, they forget to read the application requirements. It could be something silly like 3 references and you only included 2. Had you read the requirements, you would have easily included a third.   3. Your cover letter is generic Gone are the days when you could type out one cover letter and send it for every job applied for. Now you have to make sure your cover letter is written specifically for the post you’re applying for. Make sure all the job requirements are discussed on your cover letter. You don’t have to go in detail but at least make sure the company is aware that you have all the skills to do this job. 4. You have spelling errors and grammatical issues This is unacceptable. N matter what, you should not be having spelling errors and grammar errors on your application. You should proofread it a few times and let an outside person (friend or family member) do the same. Eliminate all such issues or it will be picked up by the recipient of your resume. 5. Your references did not say all good things Don’t worry, this happens a lot. You think you did an amazing job at your last company. Perhaps your referee said something totally irrelevant to them but strikes a cord with the new company. Perhaps they discussed the amount of times you took off sick or came in late. Who knows? This might be a reason you did not get hired. Make sure your references are aware of the importance of this application. 6. How prepared were you for the interview Being called for an interview is great. Did you research the company’s values, mission, and vision? Do you understand the culture of the company and what they do? It may seem like a waste of time but this needs to be done in order for you to impress the committee. 7. Your dress code was not up to scratch At your previous job, you could wear jeans and a tank top. You felt a little underdressed when you walked into this corporate establishment. Is everyone wearing tailored suits and look really polished? Perhaps you should have researched the dress code or simply asked around. Your image is important in this instance. Looking sloppy could cost you the job. 8. You thought you weren’t good enough If you are doubting yourself the minute you walk into an interview, you already failed. You know it and the panel knows it. You have to come across as confident and believe in your abilities and achievements. All you have to tell yourself if that this company is lucky to have you. These are only a few things we do that costs us being hired. Make sure none of these are the reason why you don’t get hired on your next try. Make sure you know the company well before applying. Impress them before you even walk into that interview. If you put together a good resume, they will be excited to interview you. Pay special attention to the format of your resume to ensure you are not cut out on silly technical errors. If there was a candidate better than you, then so be it. At least you did not make any mistakes that cost you the job. Tegan Reed is a content writer at http://cheapresumewritingservices.net/ . Writing is not only her job but also her hobby. Tegan`s life credo is “You can make anything by writing”. She dreams of becoming a well-known writer as her cult-hero CAREER ACCELERATION 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! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Planning a Trip to China

Planning a Trip to China How Do You Organise a Trip to China? ChaptersWhich Are the Most Beautiful Cities in China?Essential Information About Visiting ChinaHow Long Should You Spend in China?The Top Places to See in China“To Travel is to Live” - Hans Christian AndersenChina’s much bigger than the UK and it attracts millions of tourists every year. Even though 60% of the country is mountains, there are huge modern cities, the Yangtze River (which is nearly 4,000 miles long), and something for everyone to enjoy.So how do you plan a trip to China? What should you know before you go? Where should you visit?Here’s our guide to China! NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChinese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhich Are the Most Beautiful Cities in China?As the capital, it’s unsurprising that Beijing is one of the country’s most popular cities. In the past, it was home to the Jin Dynasty and today is the country’s political centre and home to the Great Hall of the People and Tienanmen Square.There are hundreds of outstanding sights in China? (Source: edwindoms610)In terms of monuments, you have to see the Great Wall of China. There are also other great sites such as:The Temple of Heaven, a UNESCO World Heritage SiteThe Forbidden CityThe National Museum of ChinaJingshan Park, a great place to relax after a day in the heat of the cityBeijing isn’t the only big city in China worth visiting.Shanghai, which literally means “Upon-the-Sea” in Chinese, is one of the biggest cities in China and the world with 24.2 million inhabitants. It’s the perfect place to stay in China and one of the most international cities. You can visit:The Bund, a pedestrian area on the banks of the Huangpu River.The Jade Buddha TemplePeople’s SquareThe Shanghai Grand Theatre, where you can see many beautiful local showsThe Yu Garden, a great place to relax after a long dayThe Pearl Tower, a television towerChina isn’t just a country of technology though. When you visit China, don’t miss Xi’an in the Shaanxi Province. It’s at the end of the Silk Road and is very touristy, which doesn’t detract from just how beautiful the city is.The Zhejiang Province is home to West Lake in Hangzhou which inspired many poets and artists. Many great emperors lived there in the 9th and 10th centuries. It’s considered to be one of China’s most beautiful cities and was the capital under the Song Dynasty.Find out more about the best cities in China.Essential Information About Visiting ChinaWhether you want to see Chinese wonders and UNESCO World Heri tage Sites or travel around China, you need to prepare your trip well in advance.China is a country with a rich history and culture. (Source: Silentpilot)In addition to getting to China, you’ll need to know how to get around China by bike, taxi, bus, or train. Here are the average prices:A bus ticket costs between £0.25 and £0.50 though this can go up to £1.40 in cities like Guangzhou.Taxis cost around £0.40 per mile though the distances can be really immense.Bicycles can be rented for around £0.15 per hour.Bicycles are everywhere in China and are considered the way to travel.  If you want to travel and learn more about China, you should learn more about important aspects of Chinese culture:Martial artsChinese calligraphyChinese gardens, like those at SuzhouBuddhismIt’ll help a lot if you know Mandarin Chinese.  Here’s some advice for getting over the language barrier:Order basic dishes to avoid confusionGet yourself a translation app to get you out of tricky situationsMa ke sure you have important information (such as your hotel) written down in ChineseBefore you go to the Yunnan Province and discover more of China, you’ll have to make sure you get a visa. You need to get the tourist visa (L Visa) regardless of your length of stay. Here’s some important information about your visa:Your visa is valid for a maximum of three months from the day you enter China.There are transit visas available, valid for 72 hours if you’re continuing onto elsewhere in Asia, for example.You need to contact the Chinese consulate to complete your request.Your Visa will be a sheet of paper stuck into your passport. Make sure you always carry your ID on you.With your phrasebook, tickets, and visa in hand, you’re ready to go!Find out more about planning a trip to China.How Long Should You Spend in China?Before you go, think about the type of trip you’re going on and then you can decide how long you’ll need to go for. There are different types of trips you can go on because China is a vast and interesting country with big modern cities and protected natural sites:Visiting one or two cities in China.A tailored trip with cultural and tourist activities.A trip around a particular part of China.A trip around all of China.Make sure you have enough time enjoying Chinese culture as well as the sights. (Source: ulleo)When should you go to China?Most tourists visit China in April and May or September and October. You can go between April and October or during the Chinese New Year if you want an immersive experience.If you’re travelling for 10-12 days, we recommend that you focus on the big cities such as Beijing, Datong, Pingyao, and Xi’an (where you can find the terracotta army). The best parts of this trip will probably be the Great Wall of China, Luzhi water town, and the skyscrapers in Shanghai.Keep in mind that preparation for a trip to China can take up to six months, especially considering that you’ll need to get a visa. Additionally, yo u’ll want to make sure that you don’t miss a single monument.Find out more about how long you should spend in China.The Top Places to See in ChinaIn this guide, we’ve already mentioned some of China’s biggest cities. Here are some other great places to visit:Xiamen, a city in the south of China with many temples.ShenzhenYangshuo, famous for its beautiful rice fields.Zhangjiajie, in a region of natural beauty.Suzhou, with its canals.Chengdu, a beautiful city in the centre of China with many historic remains.Guilin, home to limestone hills and colourful grottos.Lijiang (Yunnan Province) where you can see the Tiger Leaping Gorge, a great place for a trek.The Great Wall of China is absolutely breathtaking! (Source: jplenio)You can also do typical Chinese things like seeing pandas. There are 4 natural parks where you can see them and they’re all under 100 miles from Chengdu:The Wolong National Nature Reserve is home to 30 pandas.The Dujiangyan Panda Base, home to 20 pandas.The Bifengxia Panda Base, also home to 20 pandas.The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, with 50 pandas.If you’re looking for unusual places to visit, you might like the Panjin Red Beach in the north of China. This magnificent natural marsh is home to 300 wild species.Its unique colour is due to marine algae, Suaeda, but do you know what’s even weirder?It’s red in autumn but changes to green from April to August. It’ll take your breath away.Find out more about the best things to see in China.If you'd like to learn some Chinese before you go to Shanghai, you could consider enlisting the help of one of the many talented tutors on Superprof! The tutors on the site offer three types of private tutorials to help you learn the lingo: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face tutorials are taught with one student and one tutor and tend to be the most costly per hour because you're paying for both bespoke lessons and a bespoke course. They're usually the most cost-effective type of tutorial since every minute in the lesson is spent focusing on you as the student.Online tutorials are similar to the face-to-face tutorials but take place either on a call or over webcam. Thanks to the internet, you can now video conference tutors from all over the world and be taught for less per hour since the tutor won't have the travel costs to worry about and can fit more students into their schedule as a result. Your tutor might even be from China!Finally, group tutorials are more like the classes you'll have had in school with one teacher and multiple students. However, with group tutorials, you and a group of friends (perhaps the people you'll be travelling with) can get in touch with a private tutor to plan lessons that you'll all attend together. While these tend to be the cheapest per student per hour since the cost of the tutor's time is shared, you'll also get far less one-on-one time with your tutor.Each different type of tutori al has its pros and cons and it's really up to you and your budget to decide how much you'll need to learn, how you want to learn, and what your budget is going to be for Chinese language lessons before you go.

Come Back, Baby Come Back Learning About Intransitive Phrasal Verbs With UB40

Come Back, Baby Come Back Learning About Intransitive Phrasal Verbs With UB40 When I say intransitive phrasal verbs you might not know what I am talking about, but you are likely to have heard them in a million songs.Some examples of song titles including intransitive phrasal verbs are Come Back by UB40, Wake Up by Rage Against The Machine and Kanye West’s Run Away to name but a few.What are intransitive phrasal verbs? Firstly, let’s refresh. Phrasal verbs are two-part verbs including a verb and adverb or verb and preposition.Intransitive phrasal verbs are popular in song lyrics because they are easy to use. They are not followed by an object.However, my students seem to make most mistakes with this kind of phrasal verbs. Why is that? Could it be that they are overcomplicating something that is really quite straightforward?Intransitive phrasal verbs always follow the same pattern.Subject (followed by) verb (followed by) participle.Here are some examples:John came over yesterday.The car broke down this morning.We ate out for my birthday.A list of intransiti ve phrasal verbs You can click on any of these for the full definition on LOI Englishs phrasal verb guide page. Yes! Phrasal verbs are important to learn and used daily in English.Come backCheck upDrop outFall offFind outFill inGrow upPick upPull throughStand upShut upShow up/offWake upWear outEnglish practice for intransitive phrasal verbs:Can you think of any more intransitive phrasal verbs?Which of the song titles below include intransitive phrasal verbs?Call on me by Janet Jackson.Waiting On The World To Change by John Mayer.Ran Into You Yesterday by John Legend.Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out by Freak Power.Check Out by Nicki Minaj.As we ponder the answers, let’s enjoy a classic intransitive phrasal verb pop reggae classic, UB40’s Come Back.Did you find this blog interesting? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter.

Strategies to Improve Working Memory in Children

Strategies to Improve Working Memory in Children Throughout the course of any given day, children are asked to do a lot of different things, from getting ready to engaging in the classroom, from doing chores to doing homework. In school, your childs job is to learn, but learning is actually quite complex. It requires paying attention, comprehension, active listening, reasoning, critical thinking, making comparisons and organizing thoughtsfor multiple subjects. When all of those activities come easy for children, school usually comes easy too. But if you notice that your child struggles in school and has difficulty remembering important information and focusing on homework, you might wonder whats going on. There could be several contributors, but it is possible that your child has a weak working memory. Working memory is defined as memory that involves storing, focusing attention on, and manipulating information for a short period of time (Merriam-Webster). Years ago, researchers first defined working memory as memory used to plan and carry out behavior (Miller GA, Galanter E, Pribram KH.Plans and the structure of behavior.New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc; 1960.) Put simply, working memory is what helps children remember homework directions long enough to complete the work. It allows them to problem solve when they encounter tricky math homework or a word they do not understand when reading. It helps children recognize when a draft of a writing assignment needs correcting. Children who lack working memory, on the other hand, likely have a range of issues in school, including: Poor memorization skills Difficulty paying attention in class Difficulty staying organized Struggles with completing math calculations in their heads Lots of mistakes in writing (difficulty retaining and remembering grammar rules) Difficulty working independently/easily distracted Often unable to answer questions correctly or thoughtfully when called on in class Often unable to follow multi-step directions Heres the good news: you can help your child improve his or her working memory with brain-boosting exercises and other memory improvement strategies. Here are some easy ways to do so: Make sure your child gets sufficient sleep. Children might roll their eyes at the get more sleep suggestion, but the research doesnt lie: sleep accelerates the improvement in working memory performance. A good night of sleep will help your child improve the memory and increase focusamong many other important benefits. Play memory games. Certain games help children improve working memory because they require them to keep track of moves of their opponents and recall information quickly. Think card games, which require players to remember their cards and keep information in their heads long enough to decide their next move, and games like Simon, which has players memorize and repeat a color pattern that gets increasingly complex. Break down bigger tasks. Have your child break down complex, detailed assignments into smaller steps. He or she should write them down and keep that to-do list visible. To strengthen working memory, encourage your child to use tools like graphic organizers, visual maps and checklists when doing homework. Working memory is one of the most essential functions students needand integral for the cognitive abilities that fuel school success. It is what allows children to manipulate, process and retain information. If you suspect your child has poor working memory, call Huntington. Well evaluate your child to determine his or her strengths and weaknesses and develop a targeted plan of action that focuses on memory improvement, building confidence and improving academic performance. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader.Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com.

15 College Gameday Snacks

15 College Gameday Snacks pixabay.com Gameday snacks are definitely the most important part of any good college football party. Nothing brings college students to a party like a good plate of loaded nachos. If you want to have an awesome party, you have to have awesome snacks. Gameday parties are the perfect excuse to try out a new recipe and put some creativity into it. Flex your creative muscles by trying to make any recipe you use into the shape of a football, jersey, or football field. Bring a Martha Stewart-worthy snack to a party and you are sure to be invited back for more. If you are hosting a party, whether it be a tailgate or a get together at your apartment or dorm, snacks are a must. The best way to ensure that your party will have a wide array of yummy snacks is to host it potluck style. Make a couple dishes yourself and ask your guests to bring gameday snacks of their own. Not only does this make things easier on you as a host, but it ensures there will be plenty of food to last the whole game. Here are 15 delicious recipes to choose from for your next college football party: 1.  Pigs in a Blanket These are the perfect bite-sized snack for your football party, and you only need three ingredients! Easy to make and easy to eat they are the perfect snack for hanging out and watching the game. 2. Buffalo Chicken Dip Add some heat to your party with this dip. Pair it with chips or veggies for a spicy snack. 3. Football Snack Bags These are great to munch on while watching the game. Easy to make and fun to eat from, these are great for hanging around the TV just watching and munching. 4. Football-Themed Ice Cream Sandwiches These take basically no effort to make, but taste delicious! Basically, all you have to do is stick a popsicle stick into an already bought ice cream sandwich, slap some designs on it, and you’ve got a football themed treat! 5. Bacon Potato Bites Nothing goes together better than cheese, bacon, and potatoes; it’s the holy trinity. 6. Chocolate Covered Strawberries It’s a fruit so it’s healthy, right? 7. Mac Cheese Bites As if there’s anything better than easy to eat, bite-sized mac cheese. These are easy to make and are sure to make your friends go wild. 8. Banana Oat Bites For a healthier snack to compliment your hot dogs and potato chips. These banana oat bites are full of protein to keep the energy high throughout the entire game. 9. Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones Pizza and wings all in one. These are definitely good to make if you want to show off your stellar cooking skills. They are sure to be one of the most impressive dishes at the party. 10. Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings These will be gone in the first five minutes of the party, so make sure you bring a lot of them. 11. Football-Themed Rice Krispie Treat A classic childhood favorite that is sure to be a hit. 12. Taco Cups Tacos without the mess! 13. Pepperoni Pizza Cheese Ball Literally just a big ball of cheese. Sounds amazing, right? 14. Grilled PBJ Upgraded childhood classic. This will bring peanut butter jelly to a whole new level of awesome. 15. Chocolate Peanut Butter Footballs Chocolate and peanut butter were made to go together. These chocolate peanut butter footballs are basically football shaped Reeses and every bit as delicious in football form as they are in cup form. Hopefully, these recipes can get you started with some ideas for your next party. Whether you are looking to make something sweet or something savory, there are tons of amazing recipes here and all over the web to choose from. Don’t forget to provide or bring some drinks as well. Soda, Gatorade, beer, or cider are great beverages for watching football. If you really want to go out, you could do a bit of fun decorating as well by getting some inflatable footballs or football-themed streamers, but that’s all extra. You don’t need to have a fancy apartment or crazy decorations to host a good party. All you need are good snacks, cool drinks, and awesome friends.

Work Smarter, Not Harder The Most Efficient Way to Learn a Language, Summed Up in 4 Steps

Work Smarter, Not Harder The Most Efficient Way to Learn a Language, Summed Up in 4 Steps The Most Efficient Way to Learn a Language, Summed Up in 4 Steps Raise your hand if you hate wasting time.Now keep your hand up if you want to not only learn a language quickly but actually be able to speak and use it in your daily life.While there are nearly as many learn a language fast hacks as there are language learners, one factor  learners should be considering alongside speed is efficiency.If you learn your target language in four quick weeks of vocabulary drills and memorization exercises, you havent spent awful  much time on the language. Youll almost certainly have little or nothing to show for those four weeks you did spend studying.By the same token, as much as we want to be able to actually use and speak our languages, nobody is relishing the idea of five years of classes and daily practice to reach fluency.To learn a language well, learning should be fun,  focused and, most importantly, it shouldnt be wasting a minute of your time.This is where efficiency comes in.Efficient, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, means: (Especiall y of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense, and as language learners, its what we should all be striving for.If you want to not only learn a new language fast but also impress the natives with your mastery of it, youve got to stop wasting your time on counterproductive attitudes and activities now.Four steps can take you from frustrated aspiring bilingual to efficient multilingual machine, and it all starts with attitude. The Most Efficient Way to Learn a Language, Summed Up in 4 StepsStep 1: Boost Your Language Learning Efficiency with a Quick Attitude AdjustmentLanguage learning is literally all in your head, so to do it right, youll need to make sure your head is screwed on straight.All the research tells us  that attitude is one of the most important factors in language learning, and that yours can make or break your language learning  aspirations.Most of the stumbling blocks that trip up learners on their linguistic journeys  come from being misinformed or making  inaccurate  assumptions about language learning and languages in general. Getting started learning  a new language can seem like an impossibly daunting task at the outset, especially if you havent mentally prepped for it.For that reason, before you start any kind of learning routine at all, touch base with yourself on attitude.Let these four fundamental facts of language learning orient you when youre feeling lost or overwhelmed:1. Multilingualism is individually and societally normal and anyone can achieve it.Too many language learners have this odd idea that speaking multiple languages is something reserved for geniuses and savants, but if thats true then well over half  of Earths population is incredibly gifted.In most countries you see on todays map, the majority of people speak multiple languages, whether theyre local dialects, world languages learned in school or other important regional languages.Furthermore, youre born with all the eq uipment youll ever need to learn a language. Your brain is designed to keep learning and learning! Its just a matter of learning how to tap back into those parts of your brain when you havent used them in a couple decades.2. Its impossible to learn anything well without assigning purpose to it.Your short-term memory can retain data for a little while, but itll never convert information  to long-term memory without giving some kind of meaning or purpose to that data.This means that you can repeat your second person future subjunctive verb endings every day, but until your brain recognizes what those endings mean, theyre probably not sticking very well. Its why youll always remember an elephant named Butterfly, even when basic verb conjugations seem impossible to get down.But once youve started using that second person future subjunctive in Portuguese to wish your Brazilian colleagues a nice evening, your brain can start working with these curious verb endings, their relationships to things going on in the real world around you and how they might apply to other verbs.3. Language isnt a finite thing that you can learn and have; its an infinite process in which you can learn and participate.Theres no magic number of vocabulary words that together, when all memorized, add up to completely learning a language.As the eager learners we are, we get so  caught up in progressing from simple present to past to perfect tenses that we start to think that compiling enough of these pieces will eventually make us perfect at the language, but every language is much greater than the sum of its parts.Instead of thinking of a language as some concrete  thing with black-and-white boundaries and hard-and-fast rules, think of it as a living  process by which its speakers communicate and accomplish tasks socially. Instead of trying to collect all the pieces, focus on using the pieces you have, watching how other speakers of the language mix and match their own pieces, and then pick up new pieces from other speakers as you learn them organically in context.4. Native speakers pay way less attention to your mistakes than you do.Foreign language anxiety is real and it can be crushing.The first few times trying to speak a new language in front of people feels like singing naked in front of a room of strangers, and for many this results in failure to launch.While anxiety is natural and all of us deal with it, youll be glad to know that youre usually the only one in the room judging your every word and your pronunciation. Natives arent looking at the language like you are; instead, they see through it as they use it to communicate with you.Try paying attention for a couple of hours to your own odd grammar mistakes, slips of the tongue and not-quite-right word choices  in your native language, and youll realize that you hardly ever notice these sorts of things from yourself or anyone else.These four ideas are crucial for clearing  away the mental stumbling blocks that y ou didnt even see lying in wait.Countless would-be polyglots doom themselves to eternal monolingualism when they think its too hard, when they force themselves through tedious classes, when they mistakenly think that a language can be memorized or when theyre simply too afraid to make mistakes.The efficient language learner doesnt waste their time, and once theyve got this pro-learning attitude down, theyre ready to move on to the second step.Step 2: Tap into Your Brains Natural Capacity for Statistical LearningDespite the seemingly stuffy  name, statistical learning is generally the most enjoyable and easiest part of learning a new language.If youve ever tried to learn a language by immersing yourself, by watching TV or any other input-based language learning strategy, youve used statistical learning methods. But what is statistical learning, and how do you apply it to learning a new language?Whats statistical learning?Statistical learning is the process by which your brain compile s mass amounts of data and then uses this enormous sample to extrapolate super accurate and nuanced patterns within  the data.As it relates to language learning, statistical learning basically means soaking yourself in a language and literally filling your head with countless  numbers of observations and examples.Were talking data so numerous youve never met the computer that can handle them, but thankfully your human brain comes factory-ready for this kind of information gathering.When babies are born, they almost immediately start compiling linguistic data on speech sounds and frequencies, words and meanings, and eventually sentence structures and grammar rules.  But babies arent the only ones who can exploit this process.When, for example, a speaker of English as a second language has spent enough time interacting with other users of the language, their brain will start to compile countless  instances of phrases like I had fun and I had a good time. Eventually (usually subconscio usly), the learner picks up on the pattern that phrases like I had a fun are never used by native speakers, while phrases like I had fun are.Alongside all the other countless examples of different kinds of nouns, some that can be counted (like one time, two times) and others that cant (like two funs), all this data can be generalized into rules about not only how the words fun and time work, but how other words like them in the language might work.How does focusing on statistical learning enhance your language learning efficiency?Think of it as the sponge factor: The vast majority of statistical learning activities can be either seamlessly integrated into your daily routine or practiced from your couch in sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt.Statistical learning is easy because you dont have to take any special time to do it. Listening to your target language from a radio app on your phone while you wait for the bus or integrating it into your relaxation time with a TV show or movie means that the language isnt disrupting your day but instead blending into it.  All those hours you would have been spending in class (and on getting there and back) can instead be your chilled-out linguistic osmosis time.Its also a more effective approach because it focuses on the language as a whole instead of memorizing its parts in the hopes of later building them up into something useful. Simply observing a language in its natural state is much more efficient than isolating single words and rules and isolating yourself to study them.Productive  ways to practice statistical language learningThe goal of statistical learning practice is building up that corpus of data youre carrying in your head, and anything you do to that end should be focused on exposing yourself to natural instances of the language at a level at which you can understand part or most of it. An Oscar-nominated thriller with lofty, poetic language will be a waste of time for  many  beginners, but that doesnt mean you cant find something at a level youll understand and flesh out your sample of the language.Like we said, statistical learning covers almost any activity in which youre exposed to a language. That said, the possibilities are limitless, but here are a few suggestions to get you started:Read a familiar book in translation. Your familiarity with the storyline will give you a huge comprehension boost, allowing you to retain even more from the text.Watch a TV series thats right for your level. Challenge yourself with a Netflix binge, or tune into a plain and slow-talking kids show.Read a Wikipedia page about a familiar subject in your target language.  Wikipedias a language learning goldmine, with millions of articles in dozens of languages. Just like reading a familiar story in a foreign language, this is one of the easiest and most efficient vocab-building exercises.Watch a Disney movie dubbed in your target language. Got an animated film youve seen a hundred times in English? Chances ar e youll understand a lot of it in your target language too.Eavesdrop in a park. Stake out on a bench and actively listen to passersby, seeing what you can understand and what you notice about their language use.Have a focused conversation. As soon as youve got your basic conversational vocabulary down, you can get some of your statistical input from real, live natives. Ask about subjects youve recently read about  and observe how the speaker talks about them.Statistical language learning is an efficient way to cut out the memorization drills and start seeing and hearing what your target language really sounds like and what you can do with it. Its organic, effective and costs little or no extra time out of your busy day.But youre  not gonna get very far without actually using what youre learning.Step 3: Apply the Statistics with Social LearningRemember all those formulas you learned in high school algebra?yeah, didnt think so.Data gathering is all well and good (and necessary), but   if you dont make that data  matter  to you somehow, its gone as soon as the exams over.During and after all your data compiling, the real magic happens right here in the use-it-or-lose-it phase of efficient language learning.Whats social learning?More or less, its exactly what it sounds like.Social language learning is putting to use all that linguistic material youve been soaking up by using it for its intended purpose: socializing and communicating with others.If statistical learning is data gathering, then social learning is applied statistics, using effective repetition to make organic connections between the words youre learning and how they relate to the world around you. Its how you take the lessons and patterns youve drawn from all that data and convert them into new synapses and strong, deep, lasting connections in your brain.Remember fundamental fact  #2 above: to learn anything well and retain it, you have to give it a use or purpose. And with language learning, that purp ose normally broadly falls into one of two categories:Using language to accomplish a task socially, from discussing where to go for lunch to explaining your problem to the computer repairman.Developing social relationships through which you experience the language, including those with friends and significant others, but also the postman who visits  your home abroad or your overseas business partners.These two different kinds of activitiesâ€"accomplishing tasks and building relationshipsâ€"give you meaningful investments in the language.By getting important stuff done  in another language, your use of that language will be more focused on practical things, like setting up the Internet in your new apartment and getting to know your new friends better.In short: Youll learn it because youll have to  and  youll want to.Whats so efficient about social language learning?In a nutshell, its unavoidable: No human being will ever learn a language without social interaction.The perfectionist w ill struggle with the urge to stay home and study their noun declensions for just one more hour before going to their language exchange, but most of the time thats a super inefficient use of time. Once youve gathered a decent statistical sample of the language, your time is best spent on the ground, playing trial and error with all the new rules and patterns your brain is testing out on the data.Furthermore, just like with statistical learning, most of the ways you practice it are fairly normal everyday activities for most of us, thus saving the time of constructing a big, artificial, inefficient study routine.Productive ways to practice social language learningThe  secret is simple: Talk and listen.Heres a list of suggestions to get you started:Make a new friend.  Meeting a person is always a good chance to chat, but the real social learning goldmine is investing in friendships and relationships that lead to important social, personal and emotional bonds in the language.Go on a dat e.  You use your native language differently with a significant other than you do a friend or parent, just like you will in a second language. Dating gives you chances to explore the language from different angles while also adding an important social tie to your repertoire.Cook a meal together with someone.  Organizing to accomplish a focused task is mega practical and also mega social. Join your new housemates in the kitchen and explore not only how you use the language to communicate with each other, but to talk about and interact with all the ingredients, dishes and appliances in your environment.Play a game with other speakers.  Playing games for language learning is not only fun, its super efficient.Remember that social learning by definition is always going to involve another person, and that learning implies youll need to think about things at least a little bit.Something like going to a café or restaurant and repeating the phrase youve memorized to order your food, or even just rehashing  the same get-to-know-you conversation every weekend, isnt learning so much as memorization or parroting. You need to get more flexible and spontaneous than that.As a rule of thumb, if a parrot can do it, it probably doesnt count as social language learning!Step 4: Achieve Maximum Language Learning EfficiencyOnce youve updated your attitude and learned a bit more about learning, youre already well on your way to a  super  efficient language learning routine.But heres the catch: None of these previous three steps does much good all by itself.Instead of finishing one step, wiping your hands clean and moving on to the next, think of efficient language learning like a big circle, a continuous process just like the language youre learning.This final step requires you to  combine  your can-do attitude with both statistical and social learning.  This means that you now need to integrate all three of the previous steps!Statistical learning builds the foundation and supplies the fodder for your social learning endeavors. Those social encounters will often give you new data which send you back into the statistical learning zone, leading you to give a closer listen to something you thought you understood or learning new ways of talking about or doing the same thing.  To support your ongoing statistical and social learning, youll need to frequently check your attitude, ensuring that you stay sailing smoothly and efficiently forward.Every now and then in your efficient language learning cycle, take a minute to  revisit your attitude and put those four fundamental facts from before into action:1. Squash I cant thinking. You can do it and anyone can.2. Understand your purpose. What kind of communicative tasks do you want to accomplish with your language, and how can you best train for those tasks? Let the answers to these questions guide your learning.3. Dont expect to learn a language by memorizing the magic number of vocabulary words. Instead, learn how nat ive speakers use the language  in their daily lives, and learn how to participate in that process.4. Never let fear of failure keep you from speaking. Nobodys paying enough attention to your language use to notice most of your mistakes, and if they do notice, they dont care!Use these principles to guide how you think about and approach your language, and make efficient decisions based on them. You know what you want out of your language, and you can decide what kind of practice and studying works best for you.Here are some examples of how you can combine statistical and social strategies with your good attitude in your language learning endeavors:Join a book club. Online or in person, find a book (or magazine, or newspaper) to read and discuss what youre reading with other speakers of the language. Go out of your way to use new words and structures youve learned from your reading, and pay attention to how others are using the same words of structures.Watch a romantic comedy or two a nd hop on Tinder. Pay attention to how the characters use language to flirt and get to know each other in your movie, and try imitating it a bit in real life. Youll probably sound corny at first, but if youre lucky itll make you seem even cuter.Watch a new series with a friend. Find a series you want to watch, or better yet, ask natives what theyre watching and join in. Observe the characters speech, and try some of it on for size as you chat with your friend while the credits go by.Combine an online study tool like FluentU with language exchanges and real-life meetups. Need a bit more structure? FluentUs massive library of video content is perfect for statistical learning, and you can use it in the way most efficient for your own language learning needs.Remember, everyone loves to learn quickly, and perfect grammar is never a bad thing, but dont lose focus of what really matters: Efficiency.Learning a language is a huge commitment, so you want to spend your time and energy wisely.S oak your brain in your target language, use it fearlessly in social situations and never lose focus on having a positive attitude.Do all that, and youll never waste a minute of your time on your journey to fluency.Jakob is a full-time traveler, obsessive language learner, and dedicated language teacher. He writes about language, travel, and the many places they meet on the road at his blog Globalect.