Tuesday, March 24, 2020

How To Get Started Baking At Home

How To Get Started Baking At Home Baking For Beginners: Tips For Getting Started At Home ChaptersBenefits Of BakingTop 5 Essential Baking TermsTips To Improve As A BakerTips For Your EquipmentTips For RecipesYou too can be a great home baker, bringing baking delight to your family and friends over hot cinnamon rolls, artisan bread, pumpkin pies, apple cakes and chocolate chip cookies. Baking for beginners can be successful and with the tips that we have shared. You will be able to have your own bake off at home, right in your own kitchen.So turn off ‘The Great British Bake Off’ on BBC and turn on your oven. Remember, the faster you bake, the faster you get to eat all of those scrumptious bakes. So get ready to give up store brought bread, muffins, scones and cake mix. Because once you taste your homemade treats, you won't ever want to go back.From the great smells that waft out of the oven to the great tasting food that is being created. Photo Source: Unsplashloves and appreciates homemade but especially homebaked foods. If you didn't make enough to share or just pre fer to keep your slices of apple pie to yourself, why not take a picture and share to social media. However, don’t make it look too delicious, or you might just get some unexpected and invited guests at your front door.Baking is stress relieving process; Especially things like kneading bread or dough, Sieving dry ingredients, or rolling out pastry. Baking can be very meditative, which is beneficial for your health and can be a great relaxing exercise, especially after a stressful day at work.Baking is good for the health; This is especially true when compared to deep frying. However, it is essential to realise that for baking to be healthy, it does depend a lot on what you bake. Of course, baking a sweet cheesecake is not as healthy as baking chopped vegetables. Choosing to bake savoury items over frying them is a great step toward better health overall.The smell of fresh baked foods; This is something that everyone can appreciate. It hardly matters what is in the oven, nor does i t matter much whether you are a beginner or an expert. The smell will be enough to lift your mood and have you waiting for the timer to go off so that you can take the first bite. Remember to wait for it to cool, though, or you might burn your mouth.A sense of achievement; As well as whatever you bake being delicious, it also comes with almost instant gratification. From the great smells that waft out of the oven to the great tasting food that is being created. You should feel confident and proud as this was created by your hands.Almost everyone loves chocolate if you are feeling generous you can share. Photo Source: UnsplashTop 5 Essential Baking TermsKnead - To massage dough in a rough way to develop the mixture, often done using the palms of the hands or an electric mixer.Sift - This is when you work dry ingredients through a sieve to remove lumps or impurities. Often used for flour and icing sugar.Beat - This is the process of mixing something rapidly and energetically to create an evenly mixed and smooth paste or batter. This adds air to the mixture and creates spongy cakes and bread.Blend - This is done to mix 2 or more ingredients together well and evenlyWhip - Whipping like beating is to mix a mixture rapidly to add air. Often done with a whisk. Eggs are whipped to create a meringue. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsTips To Improve As A BakerDon't RushThese days we rush everything that we do, but baki ng is a process to be enjoyed not a chore that gets rushed. Taking your time while baking allows you to reap all of the rewards that baking has to offer. It also allows you to learn and observe what you are doing and how things are coming together. This observation is the basis for creatively and expertise later.Baking Powder Needs To Be PreciseThis essential ingredient for cakes and desserts can also be the ingredient that quickly ruins all of your hard work. Adding too little will ensure that your cake won't rise at all and adding too much will ensure that it will rise and fall quickly. Follow the recipe carefully for this ingredientCombine The Signs: Is It Ready?When baking a cake or anything really, you can use a few methods to be able to tell if the food is well baked. Mixing these signs will help you ensure well-baked foods every time.Is it brown?If it is a cake when you push it gently in the middle does it rise up again (this means it's ready)Has the right amount of time pass ed?If you have a toothpick, you can push it into the centre of what you are baking. If it comes out clean, it is ready.Does it smell amazing?Tips For Your EquipmentYou Don't Have To Do It The Hard WayKitchen electronics are an actual godsend, they make your life easier and make baking so much more fun. If you don't believe me try whisking eggs to create hard peaks for a meringue pie. You could think of it as a fitness workout for your arms, or you could save that for the gym and just invest in a good electric mixer.Invest In The BasicsInvesting in highly used equipment will always be money well spent, especially if you want to start to bake more regularly. Although the initial investment might be a bit high, and it can be tempting to go for cheaper alternatives. These items can last forever if you take care of them, so it is worth the investment.   Flimsy, low-quality tins, parchment paper (greaseproof paper), spatulas/utensils, and mixing bowls. Will take your easy baking recipes t o an early grave as they will need to be replaced much more often.Baking EvenlyMost ovens do not heat evenly, so it is helpful to rotate your baked goods halfway through to ensure that they are baked evenly. For example, you may see one side is brown and completely cooked while the other side is only just starting to cook. Rotating the item will balance this out and ensure that it is completely cooked by the time you take it out.For a beginner, however, it may not be clear which side of the oven is hotter or how your oven bakes. In this case, you must take your item out of the oven, slowly observing how it looks. If there is an imbalance, you should be able to see it quickly.Baking is a process to be enjoyed not a chore that gets rushed. Photo Source: UnsplashTips For RecipesWeigh Ingredients CarefullyIf you have too much flour and not enough sugar or worse too much salt. It can really throw off the entire result of your baked item. Paying attention to the recipe and following it pr operly will help you to get a better result than guessing at the measurements.Recipes Are Not Written In StoneWhile recipes are important, they sometimes also need some tweaking to perfect them and get them just right. This is because the recipe was not made with your kitchen in mind. The temperature of your oven or the way it cooks may be slightly different and so whenever you bake you should mark up your recipe with notes. Perhaps you had to bake for 5 minutes longer to get the perfect bake, or maybe you had to turn it down a few degrees to avoid burning your food.When using a recipe the first time you should follow it precisely then make notes for what you could do to improve the baked treat next time. These notes are the real gold as you have now personalised the recipe to your purposes. Each time you do this, you will improve on your result.Find amazing cookery courses London on our platform.Grease And Flour Surfaces GenerouslyWhen you are baking things stick. If you don't flou r your work surface while working on making bread, cookies, biscuits and icing on your dough will stick to the surface, making it really hard to get off the surface. There is nothing worse than rolling out your dough perfectly then realising you can't get it off the work surface. The same rule goes for greasing your baking sheets, baking trays, cake tins and pie dishes. Once baking the doughs may connect with these items and cause a severe and ugly breaking and tearing or the baked good as you try to get them out of the container. This is easy to overlook but really worth paying attention to.Now you know some of the baking tips, tricks and secrets of the top bakers. You have a foolproof way to bake the ‘best ever’ everything. Preheat your oven, you can now fly through easy baking recipes, adding impressive international dishes like focaccia bread, gooey chocolate red velvet cupcakes, deliciously indulgent macarons and flakey puff pastry. Not convinced? Get out your mixing bowl a nd just give it a try, you can thank me later. Ready, set, Bake!

Friday, March 6, 2020

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.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

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.

Are you studying effectively (For your learning style)

Are you studying effectively (For your learning style) Improving Academic Performance We’ve all heard someone say: “I’m not doing well in this class because I am a visual learner and all the professor does is give boring lectures.” What does this really mean? There arefour Learning Styles; visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. Understanding which one/s you fall into can prove beneficial in the development of study and retention skills. Though we may feel we identify with one type of learning over another, the following are undoubtedly study tips that can help us all- not just in studying for exams but in actually retaining the material we’ve learned beyond them. Visual Learners prefer to see new information and ideas. A visual learner absorbs material best when it is presented using pictures and graphs. Study tips for visual learners include: Take notes during lectures, but move beyond words. Draw small graphics and symbols to show relationships or use arrows to show growth/decline or inverse relationships. Draw flowcharts to document a process. Use outlines when writing notes or mapping out a paper. Organizing notes/ideas in this fashion creates a roadmap for you, helping you to stay on point, ensuring that your writing is easy to follow. When studying from an outline, it iseasier to remember ordered points or data, as you can visualize what comes next in a sequence. (IE: This is useful in Science when studying processes such as Mitosis or even in History when studying historical events.) Make Flash Cards to help you recall information. The process of flipping through important terms, vocabulary, historical people events and their definitions using visual cues and repetitioncan enable students to remember information. Incorporate videos into your study process: Sites such as Khan Academy and Crash Course present dense material in a creative and accessible way. Auditory Learners prefer to hear information over reading it or seeing it displayed visually. Study tips for Auditory learners include: Use mnemonic devices to aid in remembering facts or an order of events. This requires the student to simplify large periods/themes down to the most pertinent, easy to remember, facts. Repeating aloud, class notes or textbook stanzas. When studying, pause to paraphrase and recite aloud, from memory, what they’ve read in the textbook or class notes, before moving on. An instructor asking questions, during lectures/lessons allows auditory learners a chance to repeat the information back to the instructor engaging them in an active learning process. You can also have someone quiz you aloud on course material when studying. Reading/Writing Learners learn best when they read and write material themselves. Engaging with text is more influential for them than listening to a lecture or viewing images. Useful study tactics for Reading/Writing Learners include: Take notes, lots of them! During course lectures or presentations take as many notes as possible. The act of writing out notes goes a long way into “inscribing” material into our brains. HOWEVER, don’t try to write down the speaker’s words verbatim. Instead, put it in your own words and summarize the points. This will prove beneficial when you consult your notes to study. You are more likely to comprehend and retain material written in language which you understand and can most easily remember. When studying, rewrite your notes. The 1st time you take notes it is usually at a hurried pace as you try to keep up with the instructor. In class, you are being introduced to new material, which may not stick this 1st time. Writing your notes, a 2nd time, the material isn’t foreign and you will begin to retain it. Finally, make bullet point lists. When making a bulleted list, we abbreviate material into smaller, more easy to digest bits. This forces you to weed through your lecture and reading notes, zeroing in on the most pertinent info. Kinesthetic Learners are those individuals who are hands-on, experiential learners. These students learn best by performing a task or activity. Perhaps the most effective method for kinesthetic learners is to learn by teaching. When a kinesthetic learner is asked to teach the information to a classmate or family member, they are better able to recall and wrestle with complex subject matter. In an effort to clearly explain, they breakdown the information and in turn internalize it. Taking study breaks is important for kinesthetic learners as they often have a hard time focusing for prolonged periods of time and siting still. Take a short break to go for a walk or do some physical activity, incorporate study into your break by trying to recite what you’ve just learned from memory or by using flashcards. We all respond to new information differently: Many of us prefer to receive visual cues or stimuli, being shown rather than simply told (visual learnign) Others are best able to comprehend something when they hear it (auditory learning) Some like to read/take notes on material on their own rather than listening to a lecture (reading/writing-based learning) Select students grasp information when they preform a task related to the subject (kinisthetic learning) Again, though we may feel we identify with one type of learning over another, the study tips we just reviewed can help us all better digest, interpret, and retain information to improve academic performance. Lisa Alvarado is a Managing Tutor with MyGuru. She is a graduate of the University of Texas (B.A.) Purdue University (M.A.) and is currently obtaining her Ph.D in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has worked professionally with university athletics departments tutoring college athletes. Her particular strengths are History, English, Government, Essay Writing, and Public Speaking.

How to Handle Working Full-Time and Going to College

How to Handle Working Full-Time and Going to College via Pexels.com Organize Your Schedule In Advance Academic advisors typically encourage students to fill out their calendars and organize their due dates at the beginning of each semester so that there are no surprises when it comes to due dates and other important deadlines. If you plan on working full-time while juggling coursework, this will be a necessity for you as well. Time is a valuable thing and when you’re pressed between a load of classes and a full-time position, you will absolutely need to prioritize your time effectively. Set up a schedule at the beginning of each semester and mark down all deadlines, meetings, test dates, projects, and assignments right away. Do not allow anything academia-related to sneak up and bite you halfway through the semester. Be sure to also mark down any important dates or schedule changes related to your job, if you haven’t already. Check for conflicts early so that you can do your best to manage them well ahead of time. Working full-time and taking classes is the furthest thing from a cakewalk, but if you keep your schedule organized and stay on top of your deadlines and assignments, you will be able to survive and thrive through the struggle. Establish A Support System Speaking of struggle, it’s hard for anyone to get by without a little help. Working full-time while taking any college coursework is going to be stressful and maybe even completely overwhelming sometimes. For the sake of your own mental and physical health, you should not try to soldier through all of this hardship by yourself. Instead, keep your family and friends in the loop. Keep them updated with what is happening in your classes and in your job. Let them know that their support will be crucial during this time. Having a strong support system will make a huge difference in both your academic and professional performance as well. When you’re stressed and overwhelmed, that can definitely have an effect on your work. Aside from that, you and your wellbeing should always come first when it comes between matters of academics and career aspirations. Working full-time and taking college classes does not have to be a nightmare. Be sure to communicate any difficulties you may be having with your manager, coworkers, academic advisors, and professors. These people want to see you succeed and they will do everything in their power to help you get there. Never be afraid to ask for help. Image via Pexels.com Communicate Effectively With Others On that note, let’s talk about communication. Communication absolutely makes the world go ‘round and we would be nowhere without it. If you don’t communicate with the people around you while you’re working full-time on top of taking any amount of college coursework, you will be going nowhere fast. Out of respect for your professors, managers, and sanity, you should be keeping everyone around you in the loop of what you’re planning to accomplish. For one thing, you will have support and assistance throughout the process if things go wrong and it will relieve some of the stress of juggling two huge commitments. If you know that you will need to miss a day of work or class, communicate that with your professor or manager as soon as possible. Discuss multi-tasking with your manager and if they would be open to you working on assignments or studying during your downtime at work. Share your syllabus or class schedule with your manager. If an exam or huge due date falls on an important day of work, talk to both your professor and manager to see what can be done. More than likely, your teachers and supervisors will respect you for taking on so much at once and do whatever they can to help you succeed, but it’s your job to respect them by keeping them informed about your schedule a nd not dropping the ball on them at the last minute for any reason. Consider Registering For Online Classes A lot of the challenges of working full-tme and taking classes could be lessened if you take online courses. These courses do not require you to attend a physical lecture and you can squeeze in the work around your free time. You won’t have as much of a hard time balancing and managing your time. A lot of universities offer distance learning or fully online degree programs. This will save you a ton of time and the headache of managing so much at once. Remember Why Youre Doing It Being a college student and working full-time are huge challenges on their own. When you mix the two together, it definitely seems like it could be impossible. However, you should never get discouraged. Remember why you’re doing what you’re doing and how it will all be worth it in the end. Your full-time job will help you maintain a professional mindset and attitude while you’re in school and at the same time, you will be ahead of all of your other fellow graduates. Earning your degree will open up the door to an entire world of new opportunities. Image via Pexels.com Working full-time and taking a full load, half load, or even a quarter load of college courses is no small task. You will be pressed for time and energy, but if you stay organized, prioritize your mental health, communicate with the people around you, and keep the end result in mind, you will have climbed a heck of a professional mountain and all you will have left to do is sit back and enjoy the view. Good luck!

What Its Like To Take Your First College Test

What It's Like To Take Your First College Test Via (slowrobot.com) You have assigned reading for a reason. Your professor didn’t make you buy a textbook and let it sit at your desk with no purpose other than to hurt your bank account. Your lectures, homework, and exam grades all ride on the simple task of reading. Instead of rushing to your room after class to catch up on the next Netflix episode, skim through the chapter and highlight what interested you about the reading. You’ll be able to input your thoughts during the discussion and impress your professor. 2. Did you talk in class? Via (onedio.com) Giving your opinion and asking questions is probably the easiest thing you can do. Professors like students that speak up and discuss. It’s a high school “teacher’s pet” move, but it’s a smart move in college. Other students might have similar thoughts and questions; they’ll even appreciate that you took one for the team and spoke first. Easier said than done, of course. The intimidation of talking in a room full of strangers is real, but so is not knowing the answer to the question. If you really aren’t comfortable with speaking up in class, write down any questions and email your professor or stop by to discuss during their office hours. Your effort outside of class may even be rewarded with a few extra points on your grade. 3. Dont go out.   Via (Giphy) Learn from my mistakes, y’all. Do not, under any circumstance, go out before a test. A no-brainer, huh? Well, yours truly was obviously not prepared for college. I’d just moved to a new city for college, I went out and had dinner with a cousin. That turned into a night of bars and clubs, naturally. Next thing I knew, I was crashed out on her couch with no way of getting back to campus. Luckily, I have the best friend you can make in college who picked my hungover ass up and took me back to my dorm room. I then had the genius idea of checking my planner and realized my first midterm exam of my college life was in 15 minutes. It didn’t matter that I’d taken the fastest shower in recorded history and Usain Bolted to my class because I was two minutes late and my professor had locked the doors. I made the lesser known walk of shame to my room. The story has a happy ending, however, because my professor offered the class a recovery exam to replace the lowest test grade. Still, I was traumatized about the whole thing that I didn’t go out again for three months. To this day, I make it a point to check my agenda before I even think about going out. 4. Layouts matter. Via (Giphy) How you’re getting tested is important to know, too. Depending on your class material, your professor may give you questions in essay or multiple choice format. Your professor may assign a day to review in the syllabus. If you don’t pay attention at any other point in the semester, please pay attention to this one given day as a one-time refresher on what will be on your first college test. If the exam is in essay format, your professor will want to know what you took away from class discussions and topics. Formulate a study guide with opinionated answers and write down anything you can remember or research on. If the exam is in multiple-choice format, you’ll probably want to use note cards as your study guide. Write down definitions, important names and dates, key facts, and topic summaries. If you can connect descriptions to words, you’ll have an easier time taking your test. 5. Grading styles help. Via (theodysseyonline.com) Curves, in all sense of the word, are my favorite. Professors know that college students are not prepared for college-level work. Don’t feel bad about how badly it went because they may pity you and add points to your grade. Although this may not seem fair to the ones who studied intensely, their grade will just get better so it’s a win-win for everyone. 6. Incentives work. Via (Giphy) If having good grades isn’t important enough to you, remember that there’s ice cream in the freezer waiting for you after that one hour of hell. It helps, I promise. Your rewards after having survived your first exam will be much sweeter. Obviously, you could just collect your prize now and go to your exam with a happy belly, but the psychology of setting a reward and earning it is much more satisfying. Your first exam is not just your first exam it’s a holistic preview of the semester. If you fail because you don’t study, I don’t have to tell you what happened there. If you prepare for the worst, you’ll have a better chance of acing your first college test. May the odds be ever in your favor, friends.