Education and books info

League tables for secondary schools and their respective data

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:44:52 +0000

Secondary schools league table helps students in knowing their results once the exams are released. The table gives complete results for GCSE or A- levels of all the secondary schools in the region. If you are a student and you want to know how you performed then you can visit online and download your copy.

What data is contained in a league table?

The league table for secondary schools contains a large number of secondary schools and gives a comprehensive guide to key stages four and five results of A-levels and GSCE results. The table shows the grades of students in the various subjects, those who have failed and the percentage score of each secondary school.

Not only does the table show results for public schools, it also shows the results of private schools. By looking at the table you can access the reviews of the private schools, thus being able to find the school that your child has been dreaming of. The table has league maps that can show various school locations you can click at the map and be able to explore it.

The table also shows averagely how each secondary school spends per pupil. These tables are a great asset to all parents that are serious about making an informative decision. As a result, they do not have to visit all the schools of interest and devote a great amount of times researching every single detail. All this information is easily accessible online in the form of interactive league tables.

How Tough is it for Graduates in the North West?

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:01:36 +0000

It’s hard to escape the doom and gloom about the jobs market and unemployment levels, in particular about opportunities for graduates. If you believe the media and various reports and complaints, it’s virtually impossible for graduates to find jobs. They get work in shops or restaurants, let alone something connected to their degree.

But is this the same everywhere? Recent reports about large companies setting up offices in the North West and the popularity of the region for businesses suggest reasons to be optimistic about the region’s economy, particularly within sectors like media.

The North West is second only to London for graduate employability, with companies large and small prepared to invest in the talent.

All the large graduate recruiters such as Deloitte, KPMG and Accenture have offices in the region and conduct annual graduate recruitment drives from the local universities in Manchester, Liverpool and the surrounding areas. In addition, smaller companies tend to do well in the North West’s creative industries sectors, and small companies such as one year old Venn Digital, SEO , web design and digital marketing specialists in Wilmslow, are able to offer employment and training to graduates. There is a recognition that investing in graduates pays long term dividends, as the graduate and employee grow together.

The other opportunities open to students and graduates in the North West mean they get support not available in many regions. For example, Manchester University is host to the country’s largest graduate jobs fair, where over 160 employers exhibit to promote a range of roles. The region also recently launched the Graduate i-Pass, aimed at giving budding entrepreneurs access to free services and support, such as wireless internet and meeting rooms in key facilities such as Liverpool Science Park. It will also help to create a community amongst ambitious graduates and foster innovation in the region.

SAT Test Taking Tips

admin — Sat, 21 May 2011 10:09:20 +0000

The SAT is the most popular standardized test used for admission into colleges and universities in the United States. It includes three sections: math, critical reading, and writing.

General Tips

In each section of the SAT, the questions start out easy and become increasingly difficult. Answer the questions that are easiest for you first.
Be careful about guessing. For most questions, you don’t lose a point for omitting an answer, but you do lose a fractional point for a wrong answer.
Don’t spend more than one or two minutes on any one question.
Mark the test book in any way that will help you.
Keep track of time.
Bring water and healthy snacks to renew your mental and physical energy during breaks.

Math Section Tips

Most of the items in the math section are multiple-choice questions.

Use a calculator as needed. (Be sure to bring a calculator.)
Use the test booklet for scratch work.
If stuck, try substituting the numbers given as answer choices for the variables in the question.

Other questions require that you come up with your own answers and fit them into a grid.

Since there is no penalty for wrong answers here, take your best guess if you can’t figure out the answer.
The answer cannot be a negative number. Do the problem again if you come up with a negative number.
The answer cannot be a mixed number. If your answer is a mixed number, convert it to an improper fraction or a decimal.

Critical Reading Section Tips

Some of the questions require you to read a sentence containing one or two blanks. You are required to select the answer choice that correctly completes the sentence.

Read the sentence and try to complete it before looking at the answer choices. If what you come up is one of the answer choices, select it as your answer.
Read all the answer choices before selecting one. Don’t just select the first one you come to that you think might be correct.
Be especially careful when sentences include negative words (e.g., not) or prefixes (e.g., un). These change the meaning of a sentence.
When a sentence contains two blanks, do not select an answer choice unless you are certain that both words in the answer choice are correct.

Other questions require you to read a passage and select the correct answers to questions about the passage.

Read the passage before reading the questions.
As you read a passage look for the main ideas. You can always go back to look for details.
Pay the most attention to the first and last sentence in a paragraph.
Some passages are presented in pairs. In this case, read the introduction first to see how the passages are related.

Writing Section Tips

This section includes multiple-choice questions. Some require you to improve sentences, others to find errors in sentences, and others to improve paragraphs.

Select an answer choice that seems simple and clear. Do not select an answer choice that seems awkward and very complicated.
It is particularly important to read the questions and answer choices in this section very carefully.

This section also requires you to write a short, persuasive essay on an assigned topic within 25 minutes.

Because the score for your essay is based on the reader’s overall impression, express your ideas clearly using examples to back them up.
The standard five-paragraph essay is the best format to use.
Keep your writing as simple as possible. Don’t be too “wordy.”
Focus on the organization of the essay rather than perfect grammar and spelling.
Avoid the use of slang.

5 Easy Ways to Practice Multiplication Skills

admin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:49:11 +0000

In second or third grade, kids are set to learn their multiplication tables. Several teachers ask students to practice their multiplication skills at home. Although, simply sticking to age-old flashcards does not motivate much learning and fun.

Below are five outstanding and helpful ways to help kids of grades to practice their multiplication skills based on multiplication tables, so that they can lead in various math multiplication projects.

Five Fun Ways to Practice Multiplication Skills:

Activity 1: Memory Game

Kids mostly opt to play multiplication memory game. They can create their own multiplication memory game focusing on a definite multiplication table. Here, in this example, you we will use table of 3.

Multiplication is a sequential function. You can select a color of construction sheet, cut 2-inch squares, and write the problem (0 x 3, 1 x 3, 2 x 3, etc.). Now, choose one more color of construction sheet, and cut squares and write down the answers (0, 3, 6, etc.).

Next, turn almost all the cards downwards and play the usual memory game. Try to choose a “problem” color and an “answer” color for it. If your memorization is correct, then note down the points and try again. You can do this with almost every set of table.

Activity 2: Use of Internet

Next, parents and teachers may make use of the Internet to help practice multiplication skills for kids. You can find tons of web sites devoted to help kids to practice and polish their entire math skills. They also offer fun and innovative interactive games.

Generally, children tend to practice hard in multiplication problems to improve the game, and when it becomes fun to play, they hardly realize that they are practicing and learning.

Activity 3: Musical Practice

Another helpful way to practice multiplication is to memorize musically. Teachers and parents can find several knowledgeable videos, songs, and recordings, based entirely on multiplication tables and skills.

Several teachers affirm that music is by far the most helpful way to practice multiplication skills.

Activity 4: Single Calculations

1 x anything = itself

You can start such multiplication concept with a few small numbers, for example 7 x 1. Try to stick with small digits until you find the concept easy and simply repeat the number that you are supposed to multiply. For students of higher grades, try for example 283 x 1 along with some fractions.

Activity 5: Doubles Calculations

2 x a number = doubles

Two times a number signifies to add it twice. Thus, those are the doubles in calculation. Tables of two are just the doubles. You can evaluate the doubles, with multiplication equation, but try to explain it in addition form.

For example, 2 x 6 = 12, and in addition, doubles of six is the same 6 + 6 = 12. You can write the solution to the addition problem as the solution to the multiplication problem. Hence, kids need to understand that 2 x n is n + n.

Final Review:

The implementation of this system is very much simple. You can assess the concept of 1 x anything, with varied set of numbers bearing the multiplication tables in mind.

Kids need to observe that, they are not only learning a whole set of multiplication tables, but they are also making themselves capable to use these skills to solve bunch of numbers. Kids tend to polish their multiplication skills with regular and repetitive practice of multiplication tables. Try to mix these steps or perform each, on a daily basis. The more you practice, the quicker you will polish your multiplication skills.

Math is always unproblematic, if is taught and learned in a correct manner.

10 tips to improve the way you speak English

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 07:39:31 +0000

Many deserving candidates lose out on job
opportunities because of their vernacular accent.

Yes, you can. All you need to do is train yourself to
speak English as comfortably and perfectly as you
speak your mother tongue.

How do you train yourself? By inculcating certain
practices in your daily lifestyle. These will get you
closer to sounding like a native English speaker and
equip you with a global accent — and you will speak
not American or British English, but correct English.

This is the first step to learn any other accent, be
it American or British or Australian.

Lisa Mojsin, head trainer, director and founder of the
Accurate English Training Company in Los Angeles,
offers these tips to help ‘neutralise’ your accent or
rather do away with the local twang, as you speak.

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak
English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth
movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are
saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of
their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm
of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong
intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a
hard time understanding you.

Don’t worry about your listener getting impatient with
your slow speech — it is more important that
everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the ‘music’ of English.

Do not use the ‘music’ of your native language when
you speak English. Each language has its own way of
’singing’.

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols
of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation
of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find
difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the
language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying
them. Listen and read at the same time.

vi. Buy books on tape.

Record yourself reading some sections of the book.
Compare the sound of your English with that of the
person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.

Pay special attention to ‘S’ and ‘ED’ endings. This
will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you
use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every
day.

Research has shown it takes about three months of
daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for
speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation
mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and
avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is
a very important exercise because doing it will help
you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won’t happen
overnight. People often expect instant results and
give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if
you are willing to put some effort into it.

Quick tips

Various versions of the English language exist. Begin
by identifying the category you fall into and start by
improving the clarity of your speech.

~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and
the ‘Indianisms’ that creep into your English
conversations.

~ Watch the English news on television channels like
Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies
and HBO.

~ Listen to and sing English songs. We’d recommend
Westlife, Robbie Williams, Abba, Skeeter Davis and
Connie Francis among others.

Benefits of an Online College Degree

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:06:09 +0000

No man who worships education has got the best out of education…. Without a gentle contempt for education no man’s education is complete. ~G.K. Chesterton

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think – rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men. ~Bill Beattie

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. ~Sydney J. Harris

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. ~Albert Einstein

The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

It’ll be a great day when education gets all the money it wants and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy bombers. ~Author unknown, quoted in You Said a Mouthful, Ronald D. Fuchs, ed.

An educational system isn’t worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn’t teach them how to make a life. ~Author Unknown

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense. ~Robert G. Ingersoll

Education… has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading. ~G.M. Trevelyan

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks. ~A.A. Milne

Nations have recently been led to borrow billions for war; no nation has ever borrowed largely for education. Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both. ~Abraham Flexner

Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. ~Edward Everett

Real education must ultimately be limited to men who insist on knowing, the rest is mere sheep-herding. ~Ezra Pound

Education should be exercise; it has become massage. ~Martin H. Fischer

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. ~Robert Maynard Hutchins

He who opens a school door, closes a prison. ~Victor Hugo

Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It’s like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won’t fatten the dog. ~Mark Twain

My idea of education is to unsettle the minds of the young and inflame their intellects. ~Robert Maynard Hutchins

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. ~Will Durant

Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children, and not for the education of all adults of every age? ~Erich Fromm

Education aims to give you a boost up the ladder of knowledge. Too often, it just gives you a cramp on one of its rungs. ~Martin H. Fischer

Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it. ~William Haley

I read Shakespeare and the Bible, and I can shoot dice. That’s what I call a liberal education. ~Tallulah Bankhead

A child educated only at school is an uneducated child. ~George Santayana

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. ~Malcolm S. Forbes

An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading, fictitious, mendacious – just dead wrong. ~R. Baker

What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook. ~Henry David Thoreau

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught. ~Oscar Wilde, “The Critic as Artist,” 1890

To me education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil’s soul. To Miss Mackay it is a putting in of something that is not there, and that is not what I call education. I call it intrusion. ~Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

If I had learned education I would not have had time to learn anything else. ~Cornelius Vanderbilt

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. ~Aristotle

Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. ~G.K. Chesterton

In the education of children there is nothing like alluring the interest and affection; otherwise you only make so many asses laden with books. ~Michel de Montaigne

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. ~Robert Frost

Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves. ~Abbé Dimnet, Art of Thinking, 1928

Learning, n. The kind of ignorance distinguishing the studious. ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

The modern world belongs to the half-educated, a rather difficult class, because they do not realize how little they know. ~William R. Inge

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. ~Aristotle

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. ~Mark Twain

When a subject becomes totally obsolete we make it a required course. ~Peter Drucker

If a man is a fool, you don’t train him out of being a fool by sending him to university. You merely turn him into a trained fool, ten times more dangerous. ~Desmond Bagley

Education is the movement from darkness to light. ~Allan Bloom

Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants. ~John W. Gardner

There is nothing so stupid as the educated man if you get him off the thing he was educated in. ~Will Rogers

Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire. ~William Butler Yeats

Education, n. That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding. ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

A good teacher must know the rules; a good pupil, the exceptions. ~Martin H. Fischer

With just enough learning to misquote. ~George Gordon, Lord Byron, “English Bards and Scotch Reviewers”

There is only one Education, and it has only one goal: the freedom of the mind. Anything that needs an adjective, be it civics education, or socialist education, or Christian education, or whatever-you-like education, is not education, and it has some different goal. The very existence of modified “educations” is testimony to the fact that their proponents cannot bring about what they want in a mind that is free. An “education” that cannot do its work in a free mind, and so must “teach” by homily and precept in the service of these feelings and attitudes and beliefs rather than those, is pure and unmistakable tyranny. ~Richard Mitchell, The Underground Grammarian, September 1982

The regular course was Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with; and then the different branches of Arithmetic – Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision. ~Lewis Carroll

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. ~Roger Lewin

They say that we are better educated than our parents’ generation. What they mean is that we go to school longer. It is not the same thing. ~Richard Yates

I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated. ~Al McGuire

The tragedy of education is played in two scenes – incompetent pupils facing competent teachers and incompetent teachers facing competent pupils. ~Martin H. Fischer

A gentleman need not know Latin, but he should at least have forgotten it. ~Brander Matthews

If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin, they would never have found time to conquer the world. ~Heinrich Heine

You send your child to the schoolmaster, but ’tis the schoolboys who educate him. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

One attraction of Latin is that you can immerse yourself in the poems of Horace and Catullus without fretting over how to say, “Have a nice day.” ~Peter Brodie

The simplest schoolboy is now familiar with truths for which Archimedes would have given his life. ~Ernest Renan, Souvenirs d’enfance et de jeunesse, 1883

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. ~John Dewey

Education: the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the indifferent by the incompetent. ~John Maynard Keynes

Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know. ~Daniel J. Boorstin, Democracy and Its Discontents

I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly. ~Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

Education is the process of driving a set of prejudices down your throats. ~Martin H. Fischer

It doesn’t make much difference what you study, as long as you don’t like it. ~Finley Peter Dunne

Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t. ~Pete Seeger

We are students of words: we are shut up in schools, and colleges, and recitation-rooms, for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and do not know a thing. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Intelligence appears to be the thing that enables a man to get along without education. Education enables a man to get along without the use of his intelligence. ~Albert Edward Wiggam

The great difficulty in education is to get experience out of ideas. ~George Santayana

The founding fathers… provided jails called schools, equipped with tortures called education. School is where you go between when your parents can’t take you and industry can’t take you. ~John Updike, The Centaur, 1963

You can get all A’s and still flunk life. ~Walker Percy

The more that learn to read the less learn how to make a living. That’s one thing about a little education. It spoils you for actual work. The more you know the more you think somebody owes you a living. ~Will Rogers

My parents told me, “Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.” I tell my daughters, “Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.” ~Thomas L. Friedman

All the learnin’ my father paid for was a bit o’ birch at one end and an alphabet at the other. ~George Eliot

Education is the transmission of civilization. ~Ariel and Will Durant

The one real object of education is to have a man in the condition of continually asking questions. ~Bishop Mandell Creighton

If you sincerely desire a truly well-rounded education, you must study the extremists, the obscure and “nutty.” You need the balance! Your poor brain is already being impregnated with middle-of-the-road crap, twenty-four hours a day, no matter what. Network TV, newspapers, radio, magazines at the supermarket… even if you never watch, read, listen, or leave your house, even if you are deaf and blind, the telepathic pressure alone of the uncountable normals surrounding you will insure that you are automatically well-grounded in consensus reality. ~Ivan Stang, High Weirdness By Mail

Top 10 Most Popular Online Degree Courses

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:18:08 +0000

So you have finally decided to pursue your studies the online way. But with so many different courses available, which course would you choose – Management, nursing or medicine? Confused? Don’t worry. There are hundreds of online degrees that are available for pursuing distance learning courses. It is human nature that people tend to choose programs that are more popular to study online rather than others. Go through this list and find out the most popular online degree courses and choose a career for yourself.

Business

Business degrees programs are the undisputed leader, when it comes to online programs. The reason is perhaps the vast opportunities that this field offers. Being highly competitive, there is a constant need for executives to upgrade their skills. Though there are various levels of business-related online courses such as Associates, Bachelors, Masters, etc., but the Bachelor’s and the Master’s stand above the rest.

Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice strives to be one among the top ten courses that students prefer to learn online all over the world. Growing number of people are finding huge interest in jobs related to law enforcement, forensics, security services, etc, because of which, there is a huge spur in the demand of this course.

Arts and Design

Art and Design is a natural choice for students having a creative bent of mind. Jobs involving creativity are well paid and well respected today. Hence, there is high demand for this course. Whether it is Animation, Interior Design, Graphic Design or Fine Arts, there is a lot that this field has to offer to the students.

Computer Science

When it comes to the field of computers, certain courses related to its specific divisions such as Networking, Web Development, Java, etc. are in great demand. In fact, a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology is also one of the hot favorite programs in distance learning. With the technological boom at its peak, the sector has vacancies in plenty for the computer professionals.

Healthcare

Healthcare is another popular online program that is opted for by many people, for the simple reason that there is more demand for healthcare professionals all over the world. And amongst the various specializations, nursing degree courses score over the others. The reasons are many – the continuous evolution of healthcare industry, availability of well paid jobs in nursing, short supply of professionals in nursing vis-à-vis their demand, etc.

Education

The education program has suddenly got new buyers. The reason behind it is said to be the growing number of opportunities in the administration line. People are rushing to enroll themselves for the Bachelor’s and Master’s online degrees in education.

Engineering

No matter that it is the business program that has been able to gather all the hype, the engineering program is also sought after by many when it comes to distance learning. Though undergraduate engineering programs are not much in demand, but with the foray of graduate online programs in the market, people have grabbed the golden opportunity with both hands.

Psychology

The field of psychology has also made a successful attempt in invoking interest in the minds of online learners to pursue this subject. The focus area in this field is cognitive science. Offering higher levels of learning such as Ph.D and Masters, these courses help in shaping up the career.

Culinary

When it comes to the field of Culinary, the most attractive online course is Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. Offered by various schools of reputed genre, this stream is going to be in great demand in a short time.

Accounting

Accounting is yet another field of study that has made its mark in the top ten online degree programs.

Now that you are aware of the fields of study that have caught the fancy of numerous people like you, select the course that best utilizes your skill set in a positive manner. The demand for online degree courses is on a greater side due to many reasons. The demand for online degree programs changes with a change in the economic trends.

Source: http://populartop10.com/top-10-most-popular-online-degree-courses/

High School Choice

admin — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 07:06:28 +0000

There are important things you should take into account before you can decide to choose a high school institution of your choice. This is very important because it may hinder your plans and programs deciding on a particular school which you don’t exactly qualify for. Below are basic guidelines you should consider for yourself and from there gauge whether you qualify or not for the best schools you like most.

Finances

For many students finances is one major gauging point whether you can enrol in private and top institutions for high schools or not, or you are more likely to decide for public high schools where your educational funds is comfortable with. Many students dream to enrol in private institutions but their finances deny them of doing so. To be able to calculate exactly if your funds can send you to private schools or not you should carefully study the expenses incurred by a student in a private school as well as in public high schools. Try to make some important research of your chosen school and get information as to how much you can spend in a semester. In this way you can compare the expenses and eventually you can gauge from your educational budget.

Type of schools

Since there are high school types available for you, it is very advisable to learn the advantages and disadvantages of these schools. These school types include the traditional schools, boarding school type and online education. Each of these has very different approaches so you must be able to learn these approaches to be able to carefully study which is best.

School accreditation

There are also students that are very particular with the schools accreditation and licenses. Well, it’s just very normal for students to know whether their educational investment won’t be wasted on non-accredited high schools. Since there have been sad stories of students being victimized by unscrupulous learning institutions it would also be necessary to be extra careful.

Quality of education

The quality of education is also a good thing to learn from your top three choices. When we say quality of education this simply means the school should have complete lab facilities to be able to promote quality, have good teacher-students ratio, conducive-learning atmosphere, top performing traditional or online high schools, and other important factors.

Source: HighSchoolguide.Net

How to Prepare for Standardized Tests

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 11:22:13 +0000

Standardized test are a way for schools to see how much you know in any particular subject and to discover what areas need to be sharpened. Even though these tests are randomly changed, there are ways to prepare yourself to take the test, which inevitably will enable you to score higher on these tests.

There are preparations that need to take place up to three weeks before the big test is to be taken. You can contact the testing facility and ask them to send a sample test. Study these sample tests and study up on the subjects that will be on the test.

The first thing you should do before taking any test is to have had a good night’s rest. This will help you think clearly without bogging your brain down. It is very helpful to eat a good well-balanced breakfast; this will give you the mental boost you need to stay alert.

If you are taking a standardized test at a testing facility, it is best to arrive early and familiarize yourself with the area; this will avoid you losing time if you need to go to the bathroom. Bring all your supplies you will need and bring extra sharpened pencils: this will save time if your pencil breaks.

The majority of standardized have time limits per subject, so eliminating any delays will improve the number of questions that you will be able to answer. This will also allow you extra time on questions that you are having trouble with.

For some people timed events cause anxiety, if this happens, put your pencil down and relax. Take a few breaths and get up and move around without disturbing others who are taking the test.

To ensure your answers are recorded properly, mark your answers completely. Make sure you fill in the circles completely and make sure you have filled in the correct circle for the numbered question that you are answering.

When the testing is completed, if you feel you have not done well at all you can contact the main testing headquarters and ask that your test not be scored. Let them know that you did not do well at all, and would like to retake the test. The test can be re-scheduled, but a note will be made on your record that you requested a retake. This is will not look bad on your record: it looks better than a bad score.

Time Management Tips

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:41:33 +0000

1. A Personal Time Survey

To begin managing your time you first need a clearer idea of how you now use your time. The Personal Time Survey will help you to estimate how much time you currently spend in typical activities. To get a more accurate estimate, you might keep track of how you spend your time for a week. This will help you get a better idea of how much time you need to prepare for each subject. It will also help you identify your time wasters. But for now complete the Personal Time Survey to get an estimate. The following survey shows the amount of time you spend on various activities. When taking the survey, estimate the amount of time spent on each item. Once you have this amount, multiply it by seven. This will give you the total time spent on the activity in one week. After each item’s weekly time has been calculated, add all these times for the grand total. Subtract this from 168, the total possible hours per week. Here We Go:

1. Number of hours of sleep each night	________ X 7 = _______
2. Number of grooming hours per day	________ X 7 = _______
3. Number of hours for meals/snacks per day – include preparation time	________ X 7 = _______
4a. Total travel time weekdays	________ X 5= _______
4b. Total travel time weekends	_______
5. Number of hours per week for regularly scheduled functions (clubs, church, get-togethers, etc.)	_______
6. Number of hours per day for chores, errands, extra grooming, etc.	_______ X 7 = _______
7. Number of hours of work per week	_______
8. Number of hours in class per week	_______
9. Number of average hours per week socializing, dates, etc. Be honest!	_______
Now add up the totals:	_______
Subtract the above number from 168	168 – _______ = _______
The remaining hours are the hours you have allowed yourself to study.

2. Study Hour Formula

To determine how many hours you need to study each week to get A’s, use the following rule of thumb. Study two hours per hour in class for an easy class, three hours per hour in class for an average class, and four hours per hour in class for a difficult class. For example, basket weaving 101 is a relatively easy 3 hour course. Usually, a person would not do more than 6 hours of work outside of class per week. Advanced calculus is usually considered a difficult course, so it might be best to study the proposed 12 hours a week. If more hours are needed, take away some hours from easier courses, i.e., basket weaving. Figure out the time that you need to study by using the above formula for each of your classes.

Easy class credit hours	________ x 2 = _______
Average class credit hours	________ x 3 = _______
Difficult class credit hours	________ x 4 = _______
Total	_______

Compare this number to your time left from the survey. Now is the time when many students might find themselves a bit stressed. Just a note to ease your anxieties. It is not only the quantity of study time but also it’s quality. This formula is a general guideline. Try it for a week, and make adjustments as needed.

3. Daily Schedules

There are a variety of time schedules that can fit your personality. These include engagement books, a piece of poster board tacked to a wall, or 3 x 5 cards. Once you decide upon the style, the next step is construction. It is best to allow spaces for each hour, half-hours for a busy schedule. First, put down all of the necessities; classes, work, meals, etc. Now block in your study time (remember the study time formula presented earlier). Schedule it for a time when you are energized. Also, it’s best to review class notes soon after class. Make sure to schedule in study breaks, about 10 minutes each hour. Be realistic on how many courses to take. To succeed in your courses you need to have the time to study. If you find you don’t have time to study and you’re not socializing to an extreme, you might want to consider lightening your load. Tips for Saving Time Now that you know how you spend most of your time, take a look at it. Think about what your most important things are. Do you have enough time? Chances are that you do not. Below are some tips on how to schedule and budget your time when it seems you just don’t have enough.

4. Don’t be a perfectionist

Trying to be a perfect person sets you up for defeat. Nobody can be perfect. Difficult tasks usually result in avoidance and procrastination. You need to set achievable goals, but they should also be challenging. There will always be people both weaker and stronger than you.

5. Learn to say no

For example, an acquaintance of yours would like you to see a movie with him tonight. You made social plans for tomorrow with your friends and tonight you were going to study and do laundry. You really are not interested. You want to say no, but you hate turning people down. Politely saying no should become a habit. Saying no frees up time for the things that are most important.

6. Learn to Prioritize

Prioritizing your responsibilities and engagements is very important. Some people do not know how to prioritize and become procrastinators. A “to do list” places items in order of importance. One method is the ABC list. This list is divided into three sections; a, b, or c. The items placed in the A section are those needed to be done that day. The items placed in the B section need completion within the week. The C section items are those things that need to be done within the month. As the B, C items become more pertinent they are bumped up to the A or B list. Try it or come up with your own method, but do it.

7. Combine several activities

Another suggestion is to combine several activities into one time spot. While commuting to school, listen to taped notes. This allows up to an hour or two a day of good study review. While showering make a mental list of the things that need to be done. When you watch a sit-com, laugh as you pay your bills. These are just suggestions of what you can do to combine your time, but there are many others, above all be creative, and let it work for you.

8. Conclusion

After scheduling becomes a habit, then you can adjust it. It’s better to be precise at first. It is easier to find something to do with extra time then to find extra time to do something. Most importantly, make it work for you. A time schedule that is not personalized and honest is not a time schedule at all.

By George Mason University