5 Tips for Writing Your Medical School Secondary Essays

5 Tips for Writing Your Medical School Secondary Essays The following piece was written by Linda Abraham. Linda has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is the President and Founder of Accepted.com Your AMCAS applications are done, but the app writing party is far from over. Pretty soon, you hope to be swamped with secondary essays and the writing will need to be picked up again. Each med school will ask you for different information some will just want a check; some will want short answers; some will want essays. And some will want a combo. The following 5 tips will help you get through all of them:1.Timing is everything.You should complete each secondary application within two weeks of receiving it. That being said, please do not rush! Two weeks should be enough time to write persuasive, well-written essays. 2.Prioritize to hit important deadlines.If you have too many secondaries and too little time, then you should prioritize by first completing the secondary applications from your top choice med programs that is, those schools that you are most interested in attending and/or those that will most likely offer you an interview invite. Why bother spending precious time on a school that you dont care much about if itll detract from time spent on one of your top choices? Next, prioritize by the closest deadlines. 3.Research each school.Since you will be writing different essays for each secondary application, youll need to make sure that each of your essays speaks directly to the approach of each individual med school. Youll have an easier time catering each application to each school by knowing as much as possible about the program. Review the schools website and familiarize yourself with the curriculum and mission statement. Then try to incorporate some of that school-specific info into your essays. Why is this so important? The admissions readers are looking to admit students whom the school can help succeed in achieving their goals. They also want applicants who have the skills and motivation to contribute to their program. Write essays to illustrate that match, and youll do a better job of persuading the admissions readers that youre exactly what theyre looking for. 4.State motivations in state school essays.When explaining why you want to attend a particular state school, try and stress reasons that focus on mission, teaching style, goals, etc., rather than just on the schools proximity to home and its cost (though those are also valid reasons). Remember, you want to show why youre a good match youre up against lots of applicants who also want to attend a school close to home with in-state tuition. 5.Share new information about yourself.Your secondary application is an extension of your personal statement even more space for you to introduce your spectacular qualities, talents, and interests to the admissions reader. If you have important information that you couldnt incorporate into your AMCAS application, try and find a way to work it into your secondaries. And dont just repeat whats in the AMCAS. You can update, you can go deeper, and you can add to the AMCAS, but dont paraphrase it. And nowlet the secondary application writing party begin! Visit Accepted.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

What is Internet Safety

What is Internet Safety What is Internet Safety? ChaptersLess is MoreProtect Yourself from MalwareHow to Maintain Online PrivacyGet Creative with PasswordsAlso known as cyber safety, internet safety is all about - yep, you guessed it - staying safe online.In this increasingly technologically reliant society we live in, it’s pretty much a given that most people will spend some time on the internet on a regular basis. As a result, it’s worth stopping to think about the steps you could take to ensure you aren’t at risk of internet scams, hacking, or on the receiving end of some other nasty digital wrongdoing.So you might be asking yourself, what are the steps I can take right now to protect my personal data and privacy?Luckily for you, we’ve compiled this list of actionable steps which will help you go from an internet safety novice, to a digital wizard. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaS chool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teac her 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLess is More A valuable mantra for internet safety.As cliché as it may be, in the case of what you decide to share on the internet, the saying ‘less is more’ often rings true. Phone safety dictates that we shouldn’t go around shouting personal information from the rooftops.You see it all the time these days, people in the limelight are made to regret things they said or did months or even years ago, even if they feel like they are completely different people. All you have to do is search for tweets celebrities regret posting, and you’ll have plenty of cringeworthy material to go through.It doesn’t only apply to celebrities though, since any one of us can have our old information brought to light. That’s why it pays to be a bit conservative with the amount of personal information we choose to share. Even cyber bullying can become an issue if someone you know chooses to use information against you.As tempting as it may be - especially with the meteoric rise of social media platforms li ke Twitter - to share every last detail of your life online, this can often come back to bite you later down the line. Social media safety is as important as ever these days.With regards to the information we share, it would be prudent to heed the words of Digital Responsibility, who in this article advise the reader: ‘assume that nothing you share online is private’. A sobering thought which provides a stark reminder that whatever you post online will likely be there for all eternity.Sharing less information online about your personal life helps not only avoid identity theft, and keep your professional persona intact for future employers, but it can also protect you from having private affairs used against you for whatever reason.All it takes is a flash of anger and you could be liable to open up your Twitter or Facebook account and post something you could very well later regret.The fact that these platforms, as well as Internet forums, are literally at our fingertips 24/7 is a scary thought. If our devices captured everything we ever said or did, it probably wouldn’t end well, so making sure we rarely use the internet to vent or channel anger is a good way to keep ourselves safe.Protect Yourself from Malware Malware can seriously harm your computer.Whether you’re familiar with the term malware or not, you probably know that there is software out there which is designed to mess with your device and ruin your day.There are several ways in which you can fight back against malware, and reduce the risk of being on the receiving end of it in the first place.Avoid Dodgy DownloadsSteer clear of websites which aren’t secure, and certainly don’t try to download from websites which your computer or device has warned you about. It’s best to err on the side of caution, as once you get malware, it can be hard to shake.There’s no need to refrain completely from downloading through the internet, since 99% of the time it will be completely fine, but for that off chance that something isn’t right, it’s worth making sure you are downloading from a legitimate source.Gone PhishingAs innocent as it may sound, phishing refers to the cybercrime of attempting to get you to click on strange links th rough e-mail.Always ensure you read through the text of the e-mail, check that who it’s coming from is a legit source, and if it’s a big company, check to see their e-mail address online to see if it matches up.If you have doubts, you should try to contact the organisation who allegedly sent the e-mail, to verify that it was actually them, and not someone phishing for your personal information or bank details.Buy from Secure WebsitesAn easy way to ensure that the website you are about to purchase something from is legitimate, is to check the URL.If the website has ‘https:’ at the beginning of the URL, then you know it’s secure. Why? Because the added ‘s’ stands for secure.Another way to know if the website is secure is to check for the padlock icon around the address bar.If you are going to purchase something from a website without these signs, then make sure you do a bit of research around the company, and find out if people have bought things through them before succ essfully.Install Anti-virus SoftwareThe best way you can protect yourself from malware right now though, is by installing some good anti-virus software on your device.Anti-virus, or anti-malware software works to identify and block out malware where possible, and at the very least, helps put your mind at ease.If you don’t currently have anti-virus software on your computer or laptop that you actively use, you are at a higher risk of catching malware, which I’m sure you don’t want.A nice way to think of the software is as a personal bodyguard, who is there to protect your device and your data from intruders.How to Maintain Online Privacy Keep on top of your device’s privacy settings.Most of us appreciate a level of privacy in our personal lives, yet we are happy to put our whole lives on the internet without even batting an eyelid.So what can we do to maintain our online privacy?Privacy SettingsFirst things first, next time you load up your browser (or once you’re done reading this article), take a look at the privacy settings.Find the settings tab for your browser, and you will be able to enable certain measures which will restrict what information marketers can find out about you from your browsing habits. We’ve all had that strange experience of loading up Facebook only to see an ad for those shoes we were just looking at.Consider Using a VPNA VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be a very valuable tool for those moments where you’re away from your home wifi connection, still want to access the internet while out and about.While you might not realise it, using the wi-fi in public places can be a recipe for di saster. Due to the insecure nature of some wifi connections, your data could be at risk, especially if you carry out transactions through it. Even if you don’t use these wifi networks for business, simply entering a login password can be risky.What’s more, and something that is easy to overlook, is the fact that you don’t necessarily know that the wifi you are connecting to belongs to the coffee shop you’re in for example. Of course the bigger companies take measures to have secure wifi, but what about smaller independent coffee shops?People can be so devious as to set up wifi under the name of the business in order to gain access to the data of any poor soul who connects to it.This is where the VPN comes in. What the VPN does is create an encrypted route between your device and the wifi router. This will protect your data by masking your IP address, and keep you anonymous.A simple way to think about is to imagine you have your own personal connection to the public wi-fi whi ch is inaccessible to anyone else. Whereas without one, you are risking your data flying around with everyone else’s, which can be targeted by hackers.Get Creative with PasswordsOne of the most fundamental elements of staying safe online, the importance of having strong and varied passwords cannot be stressed enough.Hackers love the opportunity to guess a password, so don’t give them an easy target. The stronger your password, or the more letters, numbers, and symbols it contains, the less likely it is that someone will be able to gain access to your account.It’s also important to vary your passwords from account to account too. While having a strong password should make it a lot harder for anyone to access your personal information, if they do manage to break through, you don’t want them then having access to all of your accounts.That is to say, it’s good to have a strong password, but it’s better to have a variety of different strong passwords. That way, a hacker gaini ng access to your e-mail account doesn’t also mean they have access to your bank account too.A few tips on creating a strong password:Make it long.The longer your password, the better, and the less chance a hacker has of getting into your account.Add numbers and symbols.Likewise, the more numbers and symbols, the better.Don’t write it downWhile it might be tempting to write it down, you shouldn’t write your password down for the same reason you shouldn’t write your PIN number down.

5 Guitar Tricks to Impress Your Friends

5 Guitar Tricks to Impress Your Friends Suzy S. Even if youre new to the instrument, certain guitar tricks are sure to impress your audience! Here, Greeley, CO teacher  Andy W.  shares five to try out What better reason to play music than to impress your friends? Below are five guitar tricks that are guaranteed to impress your friends: 1. Slapping The slap technique is most commonly used by bass players. But slapping can also be done on a guitar, typically electric. There are three basic elements to slapping. One is to slap with the thumb of your right hand over the pickups. The second is to slap with multiple fingers of the left hand onto the strings over the fretboard. The third element is to pluck notes using available fingers on the right hand. Using these three elements to make a slap sound, you can combine them in any order to make whatever rhythms you want. Guthrie Govan breaks down slap guitar in a very easy-to-understand video here: 2. Tapping Tapping is a technique where the right hand taps a string and alternates with notes played by the left hand. A basic way you can start tapping is to find three notes that you want to play on one string and play them as triplets using this sequence: tap, pull-off, pull-off. The first note is tapped with your index or middle finger and then pulls-off onto a note held by one of the left hand fingers, which is then pulled-off onto another note held by a left hand finger. Other ways to tap are to use more right hand fingers, use open strings, and to use different rhythms. The same  Guthrie Govan video  above also explains tapping. 3. Open String Runs If you alternate fretted notes with open strings you can create a cascading sound of awesomeness. The video below describes how you can take a scale and substitute as many fretted notes as you want with open strings (E, A, D, G, B, E). The beginning of the lick in the video starts off by descending the G Mixolydian scale (G, A, B, C, D, E, F) from G: G (fretted), F (fretted), E (open), D (fretted), C (fretted), B (open), A (fretted), G (fretted). The video below shows the rest of the lick. This second video demonstrates descending and ascending scales while using open strings! 4. Sweep Picking Sweep picking may seem intimidating, but it really just combines fretting an arpeggio with the left hand and strumming slowly with the right. The trick with this technique is to simply match up the fretted note with the pick. The video below explains step by step how you can sweep pick without having ever tried it before: 5. Harp Artificial Harmonics This guitar trick is a variation on artificial harmonics, which itself is a variation on natural harmonics. The natural harmonics are most commonly played on the 5th, 7th, and 12th frets. To play these, you lightly press the left hand on top of the fret without pressing the string to the fret. Then, you pick the note. To make an artificial harmonic, you regularly fret a note with the left hand and then use your right hand index finger to lightly press on that string twelve frets above the fretted note. Then, you pick the string. With this technique, you have to hold the pick between the thumb and middle finger. Finally, to play harp artificial harmonics, you alternate plucking a note using the right hand ring or pinky finger with picking artificial harmonics. This creates a harp-like sound! This technique works well when you can fret a chord using four or more strings without repeating any notes. The video below shows the great guitarist Lenny Breau describing how to accomplish this: Are your friends impressed yet? If not, then you either need to turn it up louder or practice these guitar tricks even more! Andy W. teaches guitar, singing, piano, and more in Greeley, CO. He  specializes in jazz, and has played guitar for 12 years. Learn more about Andy here! 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 Photo  by  Nathan ONions

What do Companies Think of Introvert Behavior - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / What do Companies Think of Introvert Behavior - Introvert Whisperer What do Companies Think of Introvert Behavior? What Classifies as an Introvert? What do Warren Buffet, Abraham Lincoln, and JK Rowling all have in common? Surprise! They are all introverts. Often overlooked, introverts are typically more laid-back individuals who perform better in calm, controlled, and predictable environments. They prefer to engage with smaller groups of people in more personal ways. Introverts in the workplace are often perceived as quiet, shy, or even non-contributors. However, it is more likely something different altogether. Introverts tend to take more time to process potential solutions. They work out problems on their own before discussing them, do their best work alone and may avoid water-cooler conversations in place of being alone at their desk. Even more surprising, when compared with their counterparts, extroverts, they may make better leaders. In 2018 LinkedIn reported in their post “How to Hire Introverts,” that “introverted leaders outperform extroverted ones in many organizations.” This article was based on research from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). The Problems with Being an Introvert at Work.

Painting Classes Leeds

Painting Classes Leeds How to Choose the Right Painting Course in Leeds ChaptersThe Different Types of Painting CoursesCommon Painting TechniquesArt Supplies and Materials You Will NeedWhere to Find Art Classes and Workshops in LeedsIf you’ve ever visited galleries around the city, or have found yourself wandering around the Leeds Art Gallery, you may have stumbled upon an artwork or two that made you think “Oh..Even I can do that!”Artistic expression has always been a contentious subject. From the content of the paintings (like Dali’s 1933 “The Enigma of William Tell”), to the artists themselves â€" the history of painting has been riddled with controversy time and time again.No matter how one feels about a particular piece, it’s hard not to feel something upon viewing it. For many, this is what leads them towards wanting to try out a painting class, and for those that want to learn the best way to get started, here’s a breakdown on   what types of art instruction you are likely to find.From graphic design to art history, taking painting classes can start your art journey FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Different Types of Painting CoursesAcrylicAcrylic is a popular choice for both beginners and more experienced painters. Besides being cheaper than other alternatives, it is also one of easiest paints to handle. Acrylic paint itself is water based and only requires water as a solvent.If you’re looking for art instruction, your classes will most likely involve learning to paint with acrylic if you’re a beginner. While you could head over to an open studio in Leeds for some inspiration, you can also head over to websites like this one to see some of the best contemporary work in acrylic.Finding painting classes in Cardiff and painting workshops in Belfast!WatercolorWatercolor painting, while calling back images of the rudimentary painting kits in the children’s craft aisle, is the oldest and arguably one of the most sophisticated painting method. Found in everything from the earliest cave paintings to the Sistine Chapel, watercolor is great for both quick or extremely detailed studies.If you’re looking for art education in watercolor, you’re in luck. There is a copious amount of workshops and courses for watercolor in the Leeds area. Using this medium is great for all skill levels as well as it is both cheap and extremely fun to work with.If you're based in London, find out where to find paint ing classes here.Oil PaintingMost of the works that you would think of as masterpieces right off the bat have been done in, you guessed it, oil painting. The reason can be found in both the paint’s durability, being an oil based paint, and also its slow drying speed.This is the type of paint you’re more likely to encounter in advanced courses, due to the materials’ higher price tag as well as the toxicity of the solvents used (the most common one being turpentine). While most tend to develop their painting skills with more accessible mediums first, you could also try to do so with oil paint.One important note: before you even pick up a brush or start experimenting with color or mixed media, you should develop your drawing skills. While it might sound strange at first, drawing and painting are inextricably linked. Developing and improving your basic drawing skills will go a long way in improving your painting career.Find painting classes in Birmingham.Find a medium that you wil l enjoy painting in every dayCommon Painting TechniquesStarting to learn a new skill can come with a lot of uncomfortable feelings â€" namely, stressing out about whether your are or are not a “good” painter. While it’s always important to find techniques to combat this way of thinking, it can help you feel more confident by learning a bit about painting techniques.There are a couple of different techniques in painting that will help you better and more accurately express your ideas regardless of the medium you use. The first isn’t so much a technique as it is a set guideline, and that is color theory.See some painting courses near me here.While color theory has a long history and has gone through revision after revision, it can be recognized today around the world as displayed on the color wheel.Not only does this color wheel introduce the idea of complementary and supplementary colors, but it can also go a long way in improving your color mixing skills. Whether you’re pa inting a portrait of the human figure, or cartooning a political scene, understanding color will be indispensable to you as an artist.Underpainting is an important technique most often used in oil painting, it is also widely used for acrylic painting as well. This technique is incredibly simple and can actually be a great way for beginners to practice their sketching ability with various paints.Underpainting essentially involves coating your canvas with a layer of paint, normally a neutral color, that will serve as the base for your painting and help develop shadows and shading later on. Everyone from Leonardo da Vinci to contemporary painters use this technique to give their painting a more intense color range.If you’ve ever or can imagine painting your nails, you can appreciate how important putting on a clear top coat can be for both helping bring out color and conserving the paint. Similarly, glazing, the technique used after the painting is done, involves the process of paint ing a transparent layer on the top of the finished work in order to both modify the appearance of the painting as well as protect it.Whether you’re painting a still life or a rugged landscape, these are some of the common techniques you should familiarize yourself with if you want to learn more about how to improve your artwork, both in appearance and shelf life.Find a painting class in Manchester.Art Supplies and Materials You Will NeedWhile there are many art supply stores around the Leeds area, buying supplies can be pretty intimidating no matter your level. Before you show up to your first painting course or workshop empty handed, get in contact with the professor of your art school or the program organizers and find out what kinds of materials they will be supplying.Generally, while each student should always have their own painting materials, teachers often have extra brushes and a palette or two lying around that can be borrowed by the students. If anyone understands the fi nancial strain investing in art supplies can be, its your professors, so there’s no need to feel uncomfortable in asking them for help.Try a painting class in Edinburgh too!Finding materials for your art college or workshop can be stress-freeThe type of canvases you will by buying for your course will, of course, depend on the medium the course will use. Both acrylic paint and oil paint can be used on traditional canvases bought from art supplies stores and they will be made of either cotton or linen.Watercolor, on the other hand, is traditionally done on paper. If you’re taking a water color course, it can be helpful to get paper of various thicknesses in order to experiment in finding your favorite type.If you’re thinking about turning your hobby into a lifelong pursuit, you’ll want to start investing, over time, in quality paints, an easel, and even your own art studio.Find a painting class in Glasgow.Where to Find Art Classes and Workshops in LeedsYoung artists and exper ienced painters alike can have a hard time finding an open studio, painting classes or art workshops to attend and expand their craft. There are many different ways in which to find out where you can get art lessons in Leeds, below are some of the most common ways of finding them.An Online Art CenterWhether you're looking for an art studio to start working on some major projects or simply want to find some kids art courses, starting by checking out some art lessons online can be an extremely helpful starting point. In fact, Leeds City College offers courses in oil painting that can be signed up for online. Clubs like the Leeds Drawing Club can help you develop the life drawing skills that will come in handy in your painting classes.Art Class InstitutionsIf you're interested in finding an instructor with years of experience backing them up, finding an reputable art school or institution can be a great starting point in your journey to learn to paint.Sites like Superprof house a large number of tutors and trusted institutions that give painting lessons ranging from adult art to plein air painting. If your curious about learning how to paint but want to be guided by a professional, this can be a great option.Art lessons Through WorkshopsPainting workshops, becoming ever more popular in big cities, can be a great way to learn art outside of an art studio. With websites like Obby and Everbrite, you can look up the next art workshops your local community has coming up. Not only is this a great way to practice and advance you skills, but it's also a great way of meeting people from your city.Another great way of discovering workshops is to simply walk around Leeds itself. Many art supply stores and cafes actually advertise workshops with physical flyers, so make sure to keep you eye out for these opportunities.

Common English Idioms about Knowledge - Learn English with Harry ??

Common English Idioms about Knowledge - Learn English with Harry ?? Here you will learn common English idioms about knowledge and understanding. 10 English Idioms about Knowledge Im sure that you are visiting this website because you would like to learn English and improve your English speaking skills. You would like to learn new English vocabulary words and gain new knowledge. Idiomatic expressions are a very important part of learning English, so today lets take a look at English idioms about knowledge and understanding. 1. GET THE HANG OF SOMETHINGMeaning: to understand how to do something or how something works properly.Example: I got a new phone. It was complicated at first but when I read the leaflet I soon got the hang of it and was able to use it.2. GET THE PICTUREMeaning: to see something clearly or to understand something clearly.Example: I did not know that Michael and Mary were dating, I saw them together in the park and soon got the picture.3. GET YOUR HEAD AROUND SOMETHINGMeaning: to work something out or figure out what to do.Example: My boss gave me a complicated task, it took me some time to understand what I needed to do but eventually I got my head around the problem.4. A GREY AREAMeaning: something not clear and not easily explained. When something is very clear we say it is black and white (easy to understand). If it is not easy it is somewhere in between, that is a grey area.Example: He had two bosses both of them frequently gave him orders. He was not clear as to which one he sho uld report to. It was a grey area for him. English Idioms about Knowledge 5. NOT HAVE A CLUEMeaning: have no idea about somethingExample: John is 21 tomorrow and I do not have a clue as to what I should buy him.6. JUMP TO CONCLUSIONSMeaning: to make a decision without having or knowing all the facts.Example: Brian was not home at his usual time 4pm. His mother jumped to the conclusion that he had had an accident.7. READ BETWEEN THE LINESMeaning: to try to understand what another person has implied in what he/she said.Example: I got a letter from my daughter yesterday. She is coming home for a holiday. Reading between the lines I think she has broken up with her boyfriend. 8. UP TO SPEEDMeaning: to have the latest information about something.Example: The new boss interviewed all the staff and got up to speed very quickly.9. TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONEMeaning: solving problems, looking for solutions and brainstorming ideas with another person instead of on your own  has many benefitsExample: How about working together on month end report? Two heads are better than one!10. CANT MAKE HEADS OR TAILS OFMeaning: cant get my ahead around something, dont understand somethingExample: I listened carefully to my English teacher but I couldnt make heads or tails of the grammar rules he was trying to explain.Here we have common English idioms about knowledge and understanding.

The Benefits and Challenges of Studying History

The Benefits and Challenges of Studying History Studying history can work wonders in helping students develop critical thinking skills. It does not matter what subject in history one is studying, or what level; they all help students learn to look at a variety of issues from different points of view. Because at some level we know the outcome of historical events, and we often have multiple viewpoints of those events, students can begin to understand how humans in the past have approached a variety of issues that in turn provide insight into how to approach the issues of today. Students can start seeing in history that there is never just one correct way to approach an issue, and while that variety can be overwhelming, it can help them start to learn how to make decisions about their own issues even when it is very difficult and overwhelming to do so. Studying history can also help students develop understanding about humans in general by seeing how people of the past were all trying to do the best they could, with varying degrees of success and different metrics for measuring that success. The study of history can also help learners gain empathy, grow as people, and better understand the nuances and complications inherent to human civilization.Click here to learn more about how we can help your student with history.History is a subject that most parents and students often assume will go smoothly, even at an AP level, as they often do not realize that history in high school is no longer about just memorizing dates, places, people, things, and events. Students typically come to AJ Tutoring a few weeks into first semester or even second semester with a low grade, frustration, and confusion. Our history tutors are here to help them out! Often, the main reason students struggle is that they have never encountered history like this before, so it is not surprising that they may be a bit lost. Individualized history tutoring is a great guide for this complicated subject, and, as time progresses, we can work with stu dents to develop critical thinking skills that will help them now and later in life.Despite the stereotype of history being a dull subject or a not useful subject that is not relevant to the world today, it is in fact a vital part of a student’s education and should not be dismissed. It is a subject that can help them grow and develop as people, which will help them go far in the world regardless of what goals they pursue as adults.Even if students are committed to studying history, they can often struggle with keeping track of all the information covered in history classes, especially AP history classes. Teachers often expect students to absorb a myriad of seemingly specific facts which will be reviewed on quizzes and tests. It can be intimidating and frustrating for students when they try to study thoroughly and correctly, only to realize that they missed that one tiny section about an apparently random person or event that then pops up on an examination. With these difficulties in mind, here are a few strategies that our history experts recommend for students engaging with a challenging history subject.A key solution to support intimidated and frustrated students is to help them develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to use the information they do remember to answer questions on details that they don’t remember. These skills can manifest in a number of forms. For instance: helping the students build their own timeline of key events that are less difficult to remember, then making educated guesses about things like cause and effect or continuity and change over time using that bedrock of information. If a teacher provides a study guide before tests or quizzes, we recommend that students aim to absorb all the information from those guides. Then, they should pick one or more events that they think are the most important, engaging, and memorable. From there, students can start building their own timelines from these well-understood subjects t hat they can continue to build on throughout the school year until any kind of cumulative exams they might have, including AP exams.Also, it is important to remind students that history is a story, so there is always a (rough) beginning, middle and resolution to every event that then causes new stories to branch off with their own narratives. Putting historical events together like a multi-book novel series that is constantly being written and rewritten can be a fun way to interact with and remember historical events. Certain characters continue to pop up in different or similar places (Henry Clay the great compromiser is directly involved in many of the political wheelings and dealings of the early to mid 1800s, for example), while old problems that everyone thought were solved come back and challenge new (or even the same) groups of people (the issue of slavery in the US and its potential expansion into the territories is a great example). Helping students see that history is less about memorizing thousands of facts and more about exploring and understanding a story is vital in helping them effectively approach the subject and begin to think critically.  Students can be resistant to this new way of engaging with history, especially if their history classes in the past have focused entirely on memorizing a list of information. They think they already know how to approach history, but then at a high school level when they are expected to use the historical information to write and analyze events, they find they are not able to do so successfully. Students can often write down the information that is relevant to the prompt, but they are unable to explain why it is relevant to the prompt, thus earning a lower grade. Or they think that there is only one possible piece of information that is going to answer a very broad historical writing prompt and spend all of their time trying to figure out which of several potential events they are supposed to write about. In fact, there may be a variety of inroads or possible responses to the prompt.This new sets of challenges can be difficult to tackle, and each student learns differently, so trial and error with a variety of strategies is usually the most effective pedagogical approach. One of the strategies that we find helps many students is to have them practice answering writing prompts by breaking them down into more specific questions, thereby narrowing the focus of their ideas. From there, students can connect their thoughts and explanations into a unified answer. Also, if they are caught up and stalled by trying to find the ‘correct’ answer, it is often helpful to give them a very short time period to brainstorm and then write freely based on what they could brainstorm, even if they think it may not answer the question completely.The best resource for writing about history at an AP level is the collection of past AP history exam free response questions that can be found on the College Boa rd website. For example, you can find some highly useful AP US History resources here. For timeline-building, a crucial test-taking technique that is a very student-specific process, there is not just one best resource. The timeline can be something students start building on a piece of notebook paper, a Google doc, a photo of one drawn on the whiteboard during tutoring the list is endless!If your student is looking to build confidence and achieve success in a history course, please reach out to us today!

Educational day out Exploris, Northern Ireland

Educational day out Exploris, Northern Ireland Did you know that you could go and see rescued seals close-up in Northern Ireland? Exploris (formerly the Northern Ireland Aquarium) plays home to lots of injured and abandoned seals and forms a base for them in which to be treated and recuperate. Part heart-rending, part inspiring, this little seal sanctuary is just one of the highlights of the aquarium, which is located in the conservation village of Portaferry. Portaferry sits on the shores of the Marine Nature reserve of Strangford Lough, which contains more than 70 per cent of all of the marine species in Northern Irish waters - making it the ideal place to see and learn about an amazing array of sea life. Take a tour of the discovery pools to observe rays, starfish and sea urchins close up - experienced guides will be able to tell you all about the creatures. The open sea tank holds an impressive 250 tonnes of sea water and is where you'll find lots of deep water creatures, from household favourites such as cod, turbot and halibut to more scary examples like sharks and conger eels. You can even watch as Exploris divers swim around the tanks feeding the sharks and congers! Depending on the time of year, you can also go on an accompanied shore walk where you'll get to see animals in their natural habitat along the coast. To find out more visit www.exploris.org.uk