Inquiring minds want to know – what is it like to major in journalism? Well, if you’ve got one of those particularly inquisitive minds, this area of study would probably fit you perfectly. A field where the sole purpose is to learn about new things and share them with the world, students who are naturally curious and determined to get answers to open questions should be more than ready to take this on. Certain challenges come along with it, however. Obstacles regarding boundaries and knowing when to keep reaching and when to recognize limits are explored. Depending on the area of journalism you want to go into, various skills conce... Read More About Should I Major in Journalism?

The following piece was written by Ben Gubar. Ben is a New Jersey tutor for Varsity Tutors as well as a professor for Richard Stockton College. Mark Twain once said: “The more you explain it, the more I don’t understand it.” In my opinion, this is the bane of every instructor’s existence. When I first started teaching at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, I would hear variations of this quote from my students. My biggest job was not to impart the knowledge to the students, which is what every professor must do, but rather to impart it in such a way that students wouldn’t become confused. One could say that i... Read More About Reflections of an Anatomy Instructor

The following piece was written by Wendy Williams. Wendy is the founder of Williams Educational Consultants and is a national expert on the SSAT. If you are looking at placing your student into a private school, then you will need to have your child take The Secondary School Admission Test, or the SSAT. Many private schools require this exam as part of their application process. Although this test is an important ingredient in an applicant’s file, it is not the only thing that the admissions office looks at in evaluating applicants. However, it is important that families understand what the SSAT is testing as well as options on testing ... Read More About How to Prepare for the SSAT

We all know the feeling; sitting there anxiously awaiting the teacher to come by your row of desks and hand that stack of tests to the person in front. You watch that stack get smaller and smaller as it gets closer to you until finally, you have it. Thoughts are racing through your mind about how well you studied that last set of notes or whether you should have looked into that math tutoring. The second you place that exam in front of you and pass the rest of the pile to the student behind you, a deep breath is taken and you are ready to dive in. Nervous or confident, you just want to get started so you can finish quickly and get the hec... Read More About Test-Taking Tip: How to Review an Exam Before You Take It

We’ve talked about the distractions, we’ve talked about randomly helpful items, but now it’s time to talk about how you can put all of those things together and produce a great study environment. No student is in a good position to study if the surrounding atmosphere isn’t conducive to such productivity. Before you gather your books and attempt to cram that information into your brain, you need to make sure you are placed in a good setting, whether it's somewhere for a solo study session or a meeting with your SAT tutor. The number one rule when it comes to creating study environments? Don’t go by what anyone els... Read More About Study Tip: How to Create a Good Study Environment

It’s the classic saying that every college student is familiar with – “Good grades, a social life, and enough sleep – in college, you can only pick two.” Getting a good education is of course the primary reason for attending college, but the social scene appeals to many students as well. However, the great determination and time it takes to maintain a good GPA is often underestimated by incoming freshmen, and balancing that academic life with the desired social life takes some discipline. Developing that skill is yet another time-consuming process, so where does that leave students with getting some shut-eye? Exac... Read More About How to Balance Grades, a Social Life, and Sleep in College

Alright, it’s time to sit down and prepare for that test. Situate yourself at a library table or your plushy futon, whichever locale you prefer, and take out all necessary learning materials. But when you open up that notebook of pages you’ve been scribbling on all semester, why isn’t that information resonating with you? Probably because it’s nearly impossible to logically comprehend several random bits of inner-thoughts and copied-down chalkboard bullet points at a first-read. Unless you happen to be an organizational champion and have been keeping those notes neat and sensible as you created them throughout the year,... Read More About Study Tip: Organize Your Notes

A pretty straight-forward major, yet still with so many options. The study of Education is a great road to be on. It’s focused, fulfilling, and determinative of a clear career path. But it is not a path you should choose just for the safety – teaching is one of those positions that should be reserved only for those who are sincerely passionate about it. If you want to be an educator, you should ideally first be a student who is sincerely passionate about learning. Selecting this major should be a promise to yourself that you will bring that passion and keep it with you as long as you reside in the education world. Skills Needed: D... Read More About Choosing a College Major: Education

When you take an exam, all that should matter is that piece of paper in front of you. But what do you end up thinking about in addition to those questions you are reading? The other people in the class; how fast they’re writing, the way they’re sitting, the moment each one stands up all finished and ready to turn in their finished product. It’s human nature to be distracted by these things, but the nervous test-taking environment only accentuates it. A major piece of advice that will help you work through your test with minimal stress is that you must learn to block out those fellow students. You have the rest of the day and... Read More About Test-Taking Tip: Blocking Out Other Test-Takers

Cómo estás? Comment ça va? Wie geht es dir? If you’re taking a foreign language in school, you probably understand at least one of these phrases. Then again, being that these are the most common languages to study and they all mean some version of “How’s it going,” it’s likely that you can recognize them all anyway. With most schools requiring a foreign language study, it’s extremely common for students to begin learning their chosen language in late junior high. Nobody said grasping a foreign language was going to be easy, however. It takes a lot of discipline, thorough review, and dete... Read More About How to Approach Learning a Foreign Language

Class schedules and formats are pretty routine in high school. You arrive around eight in the morning, situate yourself in an ordinarily-sized classroom for typically no more than 50 minutes, then move on and repeat that process about seven times throughout the day. Once that designated time in mid-afternoon strikes, you’re done for the day and free to return home. This high school class routine is comfortable. You know what to expect and when to expect it. Moreover, there aren’t many surprises when it comes to the type of classes you’ll encounter. They all last about the same amount of time and require the same kind of atte... Read More About The Different Classes You'll Have In College

Happy New Year! You may be already kicking off your lifestyle-related resolutions by hitting the gym, cutting back on Facebook, or improving/eliminating any other frequent habits you want to change. It’s good to get a solid start on these before you are back in school and overwhelmed with a brand new set of academic responsibilities. You should also spend this time, however, reflecting on one question: can you do better in school this year than you did last year? Although you are still in the midst of the same academic year you left off on in December, the new calendar year is reason enough to spark a change. Look at your previous acade... Read More About 5 New Year's Resolutions for School

Those last assignments are turned in and the final exams have been taken. Fall semester has come to a close and the freedom of winter break is finally upon you. Now the question is: what do you with it? What do you do with so much free time when are you are free from worries of schoolwork? Most students take the position of relaxing doing absolutely nothing else. There is certainly nothing wrong with that; after all, you deserve it after all the hard work you’ve done. But for those of you who want to accomplish something a little more, how can you best take advantage of this time off? There are plenty of ways to use this break so you ca... Read More About How to Be Productive Over Winter Break

Ever wonder why you’re just not grasping that material in class? We usually blame the subject matter for being too difficult. Sometimes that is correct, but maybe you’re just standing in your own way and don’t even realize it. Having trouble thoroughly understanding the material isn’t always a comprehension issue. As a matter of fact, it is more often an issue of focus. Unfortunately, that tends to be a difficult thing to control when you’re tired, bored, or just not interested in the material. There are many habits, however, that we can consciously stop, and several of these are what hurt a student’s abili... Read More About 5 Habits to Avoid During Class

Succeeding in a college class isn’t always just about the grades. Being able to walk away knowing you developed a positive and lasting relationship with your professor is a sign of accomplishment as well. Creating such a rapport with this person can be very beneficial to the rest of your college career in addition to your future as a young professional. But how do you go about this? How can you make sure to stand out amongst your peers and be the one student that really impresses that professor? No huge gesture is necessary; it’s more about a series of baby steps that gradually build up to grant you that esteemed reputation. Sit ... Read More About How to Make a Good Impression on Your College Professor

If you decide to major in English, prepare to do a lot of reading. Of course, most students who choose this field of study enjoy reading anyway, so this shouldn’t be much to ask. However, studying English as a major in college calls for a whole new level of reading that you may not be fully prepared for. In addition to that, you will face a larger world of writing – but again, this is an activity you hopefully already enjoy. Yet, regardless of how much you genuinely admire reading and writing, there are elements of the English major world that you’ll need to familiarize yourself with in order to get through these classes suc... Read More About Things to Focus On as an English Major

That period of time between Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break is one of the biggest hurdles of the academic year. You get to indulge in a dose of the holidays for just a bit until you are very quickly pulled away and dropped right back in school for another few weeks. This wouldn’t be so bad if Winter Break wasn’t right around the corner waiting for you at the finish line. So how does one stay focused during this odd portion of the semester? The overlapping buzz of the recent holiday combined with the anxious anticipation of the coming one makes it difficult to think about anything else but food, family, and presents. Although i... Read More About 5 Ways to Stay Motivated During the Holidays

There are many elements to planning a study session. First and foremost, you determine the location where this will be taking place. Next, you’ll probably go to necessary measures to eliminate obvious distractions. At that point, it’s just you, your study material, and your study environment. But is that always enough? It is very common to still find yourself at a stalemate with how to get motivated in the process. Even with all the right surroundings, you may find yourself bored and sluggish, leaving you on a road to nowhere in your study journey. Not knowing what else to do, students often just accept this fate and endure the st... Read More About 5 Random Items to Help You Study

There are many parts to a reading assignment. Although the formal task is to simply read it, it is commonly understood that you’ll have to do a lot more than that if you truly want to dominate the assignment. Clearly, the teacher didn’t grace this upon you just for the entertainment of reading a story – he or she wants you to truly grasp the meaning of it. The purpose is for you to analyze different points, look at it from different angles, deeply understand the characters, etc. This probably sounds like typical English class jargon, but it is in fact what you need to do. It is easy for students to think they can coast throu... Read More About How to Interpret a Reading Assignment

If you think you can get by in a class without actively participating, you may want to think again. More and more often, teachers are making classroom participation an integral part of your final grade, leaving the shyest of students quite nervous. The good news is, anyone can master a class discussion, you just need the right attitude and vision. What you must do first is not let any anxiety get the best of you. Even if you’re not the most talkative person in school, taking part in the class discussion is nothing to feel embarrassed about. Raising your hand and sharing some insights will not be seen as unusual because everybody is requ... Read More About How to Participate in a Class Discussion

The very phrase, “Open Book Test,” evokes immediate relief over students. It automatically de-stresses them due to its implications that studying isn’t necessary and that very little preparation is needed. Unfortunately, these thoughts are a huge trap. Although it is perfectly understandable why one would think an open book test requires no studying, that is simply not the case. Making an exam open-book certainly makes the test-taking process a lot easier, but it does not eliminate the need for studying altogether. The key to mastering these tests is mastering your notes, and there are a few steps to take for you to do that.... Read More About How to Prepare for an Open-Book Test

It can be difficult enough to write an essay, but having to do it within stressful time constraints is another challenge in and of itself. Usually, these time constraints are in reference to due dates that tend to be weeks or months ahead. But when an essay is part of an exam, those weeks and months before your due date become minutes and hours. Facing a timed essay is nevertheless an intimidating situation that requires just the right mindset. There are a few things you should recognize and accept before going into a timed essay. First off, know that you will not have any time to waste – it is as simple as that. The comforting procrast... Read More About How to Write a Timed Essay

This is certainly a broad topic, as distractions are everywhere. Not only that, but everybody gets distracted by different things. That is one of the reasons studying can be so difficult and frustrating – random aspects of the world are always catching our attention. Especially if you are one with a shorter attention span, staying focused through your studies is no easy process. Regardless of where we study, the surrounding environment is going to detract us from our work in one way or another. But there are a few distractions that we can control, and they are obvious ones. Ways of shutting them off are simple and effective – howe... Read More About How to Avoid Study Distractions

Everybody has their own views on the quintessential group projects that are inevitable throughout school. While some students claim it makes the assignments more difficult to complete successfully, others feel the group aspect creates a safety net that will make failing far less likely to happen. One thing that appears to come up frequently, however, is that every group tends to hold a mix of these views – especially when the groups are randomly assigned and students can’t just gravitate toward their friends. Having clashing perspectives on how the work will get done can often be what hurts a group the most, so communication is key... Read More About How to Deal With Group Projects

There are students everywhere. The room is intimidatingly huge. All you face is a giant powerpoint screen and a professor who appears to be miles away. As this professor shuffles through papers and produces a plethora of static to get their microphone clipped on sufficiently, you are probably feeling utterly clueless as to how you are ever going to learn anything in there. The classic college lecture hall is a setting you’ve seen in many movies and T.V. shows throughout your life, but once you’re actually there, you may find yourself having to take a step back to figure out just how you should approach it. It’s easy to hopel... Read More About How to Take Notes in a College Lecture

What do big exams, small quizzes, research papers, math problem sets, and all homework assignments have in common? Deadlines. You have until a specific due date to complete the work or studying necessary for all of those things. It’s perfectly understandable how quickly that can stress a student out and cause major procrastination, forgetfulness, or weakened effort. When all of this work must be done in a shared time period, deadlines can easily get the best of you in a negative way. Organized scheduling and time management are absolutely necessary for meeting these deadlines successfully, and there are several tricks that can ease your ... Read More About How to Deal With Deadlines

Public speaking is different for everyone. Some people are indifferent to an audience, some embrace a crowd, and some absolutely freeze up when faced with so many staring pairs of eyes. Unfortunately, class presentations will come your way no matter how you feel about them, so public speaking is a skill you need to acquire. Firstly, never think that public speaking can only be mastered by extroverted people. If you are particularly introverted, a little shy, or maybe just even lacking strong self-confidence, that doesn’t mean you can’t give a great presentation. Anybody can stand up in front of the class and present their material... Read More About How to Give a School Presentation

Sometimes, when it comes to studying, it’s all about where you are. If you’re having trouble getting through the material or focusing on the task at hand, don’t immediately assume it’s because the work is too difficult and that you can’t handle it. Students are quick to get frustrated and give up when an assignment becomes too strenuous. They may end up blaming the material for being too complicated or the teacher for not explaining it logically enough – or worse, end up blaming themselves for seemingly lacking the comprehension skills. That negative train of thought must be avoided. Students should not be ... Read More About How to Find Your Study Space

It’s the day before your big test.  You’ve vigorously read through all the material, flipped over every flashcard, and memorized every fact.  If you prepared adequately, you’ve been doing this for weeks (or months, depending on the test) and not just in the last 24 hours.  Procrastination is not a method of choice for a task this huge – that task being studying for an important exam.  Assuming you did not leave it all to the last minute, the final day before you actually face the exam can be a little strange.  You’ll have those first-day-of-school butterflies and be unsure of how exactly y... Read More About How to Mentally Prepare for Test Day

Throughout your many years of school, you will never avoid the essay assignment.  This will be thrown at you over and over and over – so many times that you’ll eventually look back and find yourself in disbelief that you’ve actually written that many essays.  Whether you’re analyzing literature for an English class, writing personal statements for college applications, or taking a stance on an issue for an ACT writing task, you are going to need the same set of fierce writing skills to compose a well-structured and logical essay.  Some people have a better knack for writing than others and those natural i... Read More About Tips for Writing an Essay

You will often find homework, projects, and exams to be very different in the college world than they were in the high school world.  This doesn’t always mean “harder,” just different – although yes, they will often be significantly harder.  But the major differences that make these assignments so much more difficult include the tighter time constraints, drastic changes in environment, and lengthier tasks in question.  All of this will be so brand new to you, nothing like the days when you came home at 3 p.m. to sit and work on worksheets at your kitchen table.  With all the surrounding distractions,... Read More About Approaches to Studying in College

Everyone has their own method of studying, but the classic process of making a study guide is something you see quite often.  But how can you make a truly great study material that will actually increase your chances of successfully retaining this information?  Well, first off, it is vital that you understand the information rather than just memorizing it – this may be something you heard your middle school teachers preach to you, but it really is good advice. Step #1: Identify all necessary information.  Go through your notes, your textbooks, and every powerpoint slide that teacher presented and narrow down what is impor... Read More About A Guide to the Study Guide

At first glance, the SSAT Math Section (also known as the quantitative section) may seem like a bunch of simple computations, but it’s much more difficult than that. The clock is constantly, constantly ticking and the questions are written to confuse you. But, if you have the right SSAT prep strategy and the right SSAT tutor to guide you through the test, you’ll improve your SSAT Math Scores dramatically. SSAT Math Practice tests/SSAT Tutor: Taking practice tests and reviewing them with your SSAT tutor is best way to improve your score. Practice tests alone can only help you so much, as they just show you where you struggle and g... Read More About How To Improve Your SSAT Math Score

The SSAT along with the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) are used for admissions into private/independent schools. Some schools favor the ISEE, others favor the SSAT and some will look at whichever you scored best on. See more from Varsity Tutors on how to improve ISEE scores. Don’t add pressure: The tests can cause tons of pressure and anxiety for younger students, especially when parents pile it on. That’s why having the right mindset is just as important as the best SSAT prep. Avoid telling your child “you need to do well,” “you must do well,” or “if you don’t do well…” ... Read More About How To Improve SSAT Scores

Over the next two weeks, close to 2 million students will be taking the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams.  Covering subjects ranging from Art History to Macroeconomics to Statistics, AP exams (and their corresponding AP classes) give high school students opportunities to take rigorous classes while earning college credit by successfully passing the exams. Here are some pointers to help you get through the next two weeks of grueling exams: 1.  Read over the official Course Description booklets The College Board has course booklets for each of its AP exams.  Browsing over the course booklet is a great way to ensu... Read More About How To Prep For AP Exams

By now, you’ve probably heard your older brothers’ or sisters’ tales of it – and your teachers talk all about how important or difficult it can be. But, the fact that you’re reading this post and considering working with an ACT tutor already puts you a step above the rest. And guess what, we’re going to give you even more help with the following ACT prep tips. Background: Some colleges prefer the ACT over the SAT and vice versa. But, most will consider whichever you score higher on. Unlike the SAT, you can’t combine sections from previous tests to create an aggregate score. The ACT has five sections:... Read More About How To Improve Your ACT Score

Managing time is just as important as knowing the equations on this section because you have a little less than one minute for each question. That’s why you need to use arithmetic shortcuts to solve questions quickly and correctly. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll need to know for the ISEE quantitative reasoning section. But, if you really want to ace this section, it will be best to work with a private tutor. Your tutor will walk you through practice questions and help you find the best ways to solve them – a rare advantage most students won’t get. Practice without a calculator: Because you won’t be given... Read More About How To Increase Your ISEE Quantitative Score

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is the first of many huge, high-pressure tests your child will take, and giving him/her the right mindset is just as important as ISEE prep. Sure, knowing the ISEE problems and patterns can dramatically improve your score. But, how you motivate your child can make the biggest difference. Don’t pressure your child: There is a lot riding on this test. It can determine your child’s education all the way through high school and possibly even college. If you bring this up, your child’s head is going to start spinning. Don’t tell them that they “need” to perform well o... Read More About How To Improve ISEE Scores

Whether you're in the middle of spring break or will start vacation soon, keep in mind some tips to stay connected with your academic school work and not find yourself "behind" after the holidays. Mix in relaxation with light studying.  Studying during spring break when you're not stressed out because it's the night before a test may allow you to process information in a different light.  Instead of trying to cram 100 biology textbook pages in two hours, you have the leisure of getting to understand concepts at a comfortable pace.  For studying, also check out our previous blog post on the best study habits. Take the time to l... Read More About Best Study Tips For Spring Break

Although the "Analysis Of An Issue" is specific to the GMAT, the essay writing tips below will help you on any standardized essay writing prompt. This is the first of two writing prompts, and you will have 30 minutes to complete your essay.  You will be given an issue – typically a business-related or general interest topic – and you have to argue for or against it.  Graders are really looking for your typical 5-paragraph essay with an intro that states your opinion, 3-4 paragraphs of examples to support it and a conclusion to wrap it up. As promised, here is a walkthrough of how to nail the Analysis of an Issue Section... Read More About How To Improve Your Issue Analysis Writing

The Analytical Writing section is the dark horse of the GMAT. Often ignored and rarely prepared for, the Analytical Writing section slides behind the curtain of the Quantitative and Verbal Sections. However, it can dramatically improve your chances of acceptance, and some schools even place minimum Analytical Writing score requirements. The following tips can make it easier for you to grasp what a solid essay is and the thought behind it. But, working with a GMAT Writing Tutor can help you take your essay to the next level, and ultimately improve your chances of acceptance. See more from Varsity Tutors on how to increase your GMAT score. Ba... Read More About How To Increase Your GMAT Analytical Writing Score

The Quantitative Section may be the easiest section to improve in – if you prepare correctly, giving you the golden opportunity to significantly improve your overall score. The following tips can help you understand how to boost your score, but working with a private Varsity Tutors tutor will be the major difference in actually doing so. Your tutor will guide you through the following tips and structures, ensuring you improve your GMAT quantitative score. See more from Varsity Tutors on how to improve your cumulative GMAT score. Focus on just the Quant. Section: Verbal, Analytical Writing don’t even exist right now. First, you ne... Read More About How To Improve Your Quantitative GMAT Score

The Verbal Section is the hardest section of the GMAT, according to most test-takers. And if you really want to improve your overall score, you’re going to have to take it on and master its techniques. The following tips can give you a solid understanding of how to improve your verbal score, but to truly to ace this section, you will need more help. A private Varsity Tutors tutor will help you convert the following tips into tangible results for improving your GMAT Verbal score. See more from Varsity Tutors on how to boost your combined GMAT score. Focus on verbal: The GMAT is just way too big to take it all on at once, although studi... Read More About How To Boost Your Verbal Score On The GMAT

The GMAT is for admissions into business schools, and the GRE is for grad schools – that’s a major distinction. The GMAT is designed to determine if you can take the next academic step toward business school, and ultimately if you can handle it. If you’re looking for GRE help, see more from Varsity Tutors on how to improve your GRE score. Learning the ins and outs of the GMAT is a monster task. That is why we recommend working with a private tutor to have him/her guide you through the strategies of acing it. GMAT background: The GMAT is a computer-adaptive exam, scored between 200-800 with the average score around 400-600.... Read More About How To Improve Your GMAT Score

Are you one to take notes meticulously during lectures?  Or study one section of a textbook for a whole hour?  Or always go to the same room to study? Contemporary research on brain psychology and memory retrieval suggests that those may not be the best methods when it comes to learning.  Instead, researchers recommend the following tips: Interleaving learning: rather than drilling 50 algebra questions, you should solve a few algebra questions, a few graphing questions, and word problems.  The key is to identify related skills sets to alternate.  In the sports world, using basketball as an example, rather tha... Read More About Learning About Learning

First things first: the GRE is for graduate schools, but not for MBA programs (that requires the GMAT); however, some business schools may accept it. Background: The GRE is a computer-based test that generates questions based on your previous answers. If you continue to correctly answer questions, they will get harder. The test has three sections: quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and analytical writing. The test was updated in August 2011 to more accurately reflect the current thinking skills needed in graduate schools. The quantitative reasoning/verbal reasoning sections are now scored on a 130-170 range with one point increments. T... Read More About How To Improve Your GRE Score

Writing is one of the more interesting subjects to teach, it may not be the most difficult, but it is definitely different than teaching math or science. William G. Tierney and Stefani R. Relles, two professors, guest wrote an article in the Washington Post about teaching writing. Their main point is that teachers spend too much time addressing bad writing and not nearly enough time helping students improve. They see writing as a product and not a process, and that is the root of the problem. Together, they have created a program that seeks to effectively teach writing to college-bound students who have struggled with the subject. Most of t... Read More About How To Improve Your Writing Skills

The human brain acquires, retains and retrieves information in a very complex manner. Knowing exactly how is the key to studying more efficiently and more effectively. Every nuance of learning and memory has been studied including diet, time of day, length, atmosphere – and the results are both valuable and fascinating. Many teachers tell their students to re-read textbooks and class notes as many times as possible; however, testing yourself repeatedly on the information your studying is significantly more effective, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. Testing or quizzing yourself before a big test exercises your brain... Read More About How To Best Study For A Test

Gone are the days of having to carry around eight textbooks in your backpack, or to rush to your locker to grab that American History textbook for your next class.  One school district in Indiana has completely ditched textbooks in favor of online curricula that students access via laptops.   According to an article in the New York Times, all math and science textbooks in the Munster, Indiana, school district have been replaced with digital editions.  The change impacts all students in grades 5-12, and cost over $1 million to implement.  Some of the biggest differences are obvious.  With a laptop, the digital cu... Read More About Why School Districts Are Abandoning Textbooks

Online education has been lighting up every education news service since the Internet was created. Some believe it can work in addition to traditional schools/colleges, and others think it could actually replace traditional schools. However you feel toward it, there is now an easier way to search for online schools. You don’t have to type “online college” into Google to find all the schools in your area or even wait for “empowering” radio commercials. The US News & World Report launched an online education directory where students can easily find appropriate programs. Visit this site for the directory and ot... Read More About How To Find An Online Education That Suits You

Two Stanford professors have announced that they will offer a free online class on artificial intelligence, according to an article in the New York Times. Stanford professors, Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig – two of the world’s best-known artificial intelligence experts – will teach the course. Over 112,000 and counting people have already enrolled in the class, which is nearly six times the entire Stanford student body. Students range from high school to retirees, and the course will represent students from 175 countries. Thrun and Norvig said that they will teach this course as part of an education experiment... Read More About Stanford Offers Free Artificial Intelligence Class Online

Who was North Korea’s ally in the Korean War against American troops? No googling please. See, history isn’t that easy after all. If you said China, without googling, pat yourself on the back and grumble about how uninformed your fellow Americans are. But the fact of the matter is very few high school seniors were able to correctly answer that question, and most fourth graders cannot identify why Abraham Lincoln is an important historical figure. American students are simply less proficient in their nation’s history than any other subject, according to an article in the New York Times. Nationally, 12 percent of high schoo... Read More About Why Students Struggle With History Classes

Typically, most school children eat lunch then head off to recess. That’s just the way the curriculum has been set for years. But, what’s more appealing to little Johnny an apple or a game of dodge ball outside? He’s probably just eating some of his sandwich and his snack pack, trying to get to his game of dodge ball as fast as possible. But, kids will actually finish their whole lunch if they eat after recess, giving them the nutrition they need, according to an article in the District Administration. “We tell kids not to eat and swim right away. And yet here we are, telling them that the quicker they eat, the quic... Read More About Why Recess Should Be Before Lunch

Researchers at the Numerical Cognition Lab and the University of Chicago have been analyzing the causes of "math anxiety".  This is a situation familiar to many K-12 students, who seem to freeze when they see a math problem.  Their research shows that the anxiety of math teachers and parents can rub off on their students, ultimately affecting their learning. Fortunately, proven classroom methods have also been tested to reduce students' anxiety of doing mathematics.  These tips include: Focus on learning the process behind math concepts, rather than merely trying to get a right answer. Similarly, don't refer to the t... Read More About Analyzing Math Anxiety

Bridge, a card game with seemingly complex rules to those who don't play, is becoming the game of choice in classrooms.  A recent article in the New York Times article points to ridge as being as intellectually stimulating as chess, but with an added social component.  Whereas chess is a two person game, bridge can be played with four persons at a time, and variations of the game can accomodate any number of even players. The game has even drawn the support of the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who donated $1 million back in 2005 to promote bridge in schools. With terms like "tricks" and "dummy", bridge is a game that combi... Read More About A Card Game Boosts Social And Academic Skills

It turns out that taking a test isn’t just a teacher’s easy way of finding out where students stand or forcing them to read a chapter in a textbook.  Testing might actually boost student learning and improve memory retention, according to a report cited in the New York Times. The report, published in the journal Science, concluded that students who read a passage and were then tested a week later on what they read retained about 50%  more of the information than students who used other, common study methods. The other methods students used were repeatedly studying the material “cramming” and creating detaile... Read More About To Learn More Keep Testing Yourself

Do you have a few Advanced Placement classes in your schedule?  Now, you’re not required to take the corresponding AP test come May, but the class should be preparing you for said test.  However, an easy question to ask would be: should I take the AP test?  The answer is simply, “yes”.  Here’s why… College credit for cheap - One AP test will cost you $87 (as of 2010).  Some school districts may even offer financial assistance to students taking AP tests.  That may sound like a lot of money, but on the other hand, many colleges will award you college credit for good scores. ... Read More About Take The Exam If You Are Taking The AP Class

All students have heard it before. The it is the constant nagging by parents and teachers about study habits.                        Find a quiet place to study, study at the same time/same place every day, study in an empty room are some of the typical methods that parents or teachers preach.             However, they are wrong, absolutely wrong. A group of cognitive psychologists researched how to increase tangible learning through studying and discovered that most of the conve... Read More About The Best Study Habits

High school students annually stress over SAT and ACT test scores. Parents and other figures offer countless little tips to boost students’ performances. Eat a good breakfast, they say. Get a good night’s sleep, they prod.  Have a nice cup of coffee, they advise.             These are all simple, little tips that could boost a student’s thought process and generate higher scores. Furthermore, exercising the morning of your big ACT or SAT test could also help increase your score, according to an article in The US News & World Report.     &nbs... Read More About Exercise Before Tests

            A study recently conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation revealed that a third- grader’s ability to read can predict his/her success later in life, according to an article in The Salt Lake Tribune.             "Up to third grade, children are learning to read," Abel Ortiz told The Salt Lake Tribune, the foundation's director of evidence-based practices. "Starting in fourth grade, they are reading to learn. So if they don't learn to read by third grade, that greatly impacts their ability to learn in later years." ... Read More About Reading In The Third Grade

Online education: it seems so simple, so convenient. So perfect for you? It could be; however, there are several mistakes that online teachers frequently see students make, according to The US News & World Report. The US News & World Report published eight, common mistakes associated with online education.  1. Not verifying the school’s credibility: Most students go to college and other schools to receive credits. However, some employers and colleges simply will not accept some online schools’ credits. They put no credence in some of these unaccredited online schools. Therefore, attending certain online schools are a... Read More About Online Education Pitfalls

            Professors can now customize textbooks by editing, rewriting, or deleting various sections of them through new online software.             Macmillan, one of the largest publishers of textbooks, is creating a new digital textbook program called DynamicBooks. This program will be like a Wikipedia version of textbooks, according to The New York Times.             Many professors use generic textbooks and assign various outside-of-the-book readings and assignments. Also,... Read More About Digital Textbooks

            This post is being written while listening to Professor Jim Newton’s Communication Studies 187: Journalistic Ethics from the University of California Los Angeles for free.             The lecture is an hour-long video clip from YouTube. The U.S. News and World Report states that many college professors are uploading their lectures to online sites, extending higher education past students and teachers to all people. Their lectures are publicly available to anyone interested.        ... Read More About Free Online College Lectures

"When will I ever need this?"  "Why would I ever need to know this?" Questions like this from students are often met with an answer like, "Well...when you're in the real world..."Wrong answer.  This represents the loss of a great learning opportunity.  Instead of referencing some ambiguous state called "the real world," educators could instead find applications with which the students can directly relate.  Merely just saying that they will need this specific piece of knowledge in some future "real world" also unnecessarily devalues the student's current lives.  Are they not living very real moments every day? So how c... Read More About In The Real World

"Failure is the mother of success" - Chinese sayingThink back on your own schooling, and you'll realize that most classroom environments are meant to stifle failures.  If you're currently a student, you well know the embarassment that comes if you raise your hand and offer an incorrect answer.  Students become boxed in, afraid to stretch their thinking beyond the confines that teachers have established.  However, research, and anecdotal evidence, is showing that accepting failures as part of the learning process can lead to more creative individuals who are able to apply problem solving skills to new problems.  The December... Read More About Failing Is An Option

The next SAT test date is only a month away!  1. Practice, practice, practice.  Just like learning how to ride a bike, you get better at the SAT by practicing.  Staring at the questions won't get you far.  Dive in and do some practice questions.  You'll not only learn the format of the questions, you'll also learn how The College Board (makers of the SAT) likes to word questions. 2. Use The Official SAT Study Guide.  What better way to practice than by using actual SAT test questions?  This book is published by The College Board, and contains a whopping 10 full length practice tests.  In addition, the ... Read More About Five SAT Test Prep Tips

A New York Times article has reported that SRI International for the Department of Education discovered that students performed better in online learning scenarios than in classroom scenarios. The study was performed from 1996 through 2008, and it used mostly college students and adults. However, some K-12 students were used. Students who did some or all of their work in online settings ranked nine percent higher on test scores than students who used strictly classroom, face-to-face instructions. On average, students who used online instructions ranked in the 59th percentile on test scores, while students who used only classroom instructions... Read More About Online Education

You might be thinking this post is superfluous.  What's so hard about reading a textbook?  Turns out it's more difficult than it looks.  Flip open any math, history, science textbook these days, and you might feel like you've opened up a circus tent.  Tons of colors.  Every other word is bolded, underlined, or italicized.  Almost every page has a callout box.  Pictures are strewn all over the place, sometimes they are even placed in page corners to supposedly "guide" you through the the chapters.  On top of all that, there are special "sections" in each chapter to distract you.  "Come read this real... Read More About How To Read A Textbook

Starved for ideas?  Watch a Tedtalk!  Tedtalks happen at TED Conferences.  It’s marketed as a gathering of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators.  The best part?  Many of the talks are posted online, entirely free, for anyone to view!  You don’t have to pay a fortune (tickets start around $6,000) to attend a conference, all you need is an Internet connection. With topics ranging from Entertainment to Science to the Arts, you’re bound to find something that interests you.  You may even find new interests within a matter of minutes.  Here’s a small sampling of the insp... Read More About Watch a TED Talk

These are not sites to help you “study”.  As mentioned before in a previous post, the Internet is potentially a huge distraction.  But if you insist on having your browser open, just have www.google.com open.  These next few Google tricks can be huge time savers.  None of them require you to leave the google homepage (or search results page), which means less distractions and more work done! Note: everything in quotation marks is an example of what you would type into the google search box. * Word definitions (no need to waste time finding a dictionary) Even defines some foreign language words for you &ldquo... Read More About Google Tricks

1) Don't Multitask Contrary to what you believe, multitasking actually diminishes your performance in all the activities that you're simultaneously doing.  Several studies have shown that the human brain simply does not multitask very well.  You can read more details about one particular study here.  Just as studies have shown that driving while talking on the cellphone is dangerous, studying while watching TV and Instant Messaging and listening to music can be dangerous for your grades.  Turn your cellphone to vibrate, even better, turn it completely off so you're not tempted to check it for messages. Don't have a mov... Read More About Three Things To NOT Do While Studying

There are many reasons why college is different than high school; however, the main reason is the different way you will be forced to think. High school teachers preach that you will think critically in their high school courses, but most students are not fully introduced to this type of thinking until college starts. High school classes do require some critical thinking, but not nearly as much as colleges do. The entire course curriculum can be different. High school classes rely on memorizing dates, definitions and other facts. However, college challenges students to know and apply the knowledge to the professional business world or everyd... Read More About College Demands Critical Thinking