Sunday, March 22, 2020

The Beginners Guide to Arithmetic

The Beginners Guide to Arithmetic Everything You Need to Know About Learning Maths ChaptersWhat is Arithmetic?Finding the Best Arithmetic TutorResources Online for Arithmetic HelpCommon Arithmetic Questions and ExamplesWhether it’s basic elementary grade math or pre-algebra, many students in the UK struggle in arithmetic every year. While some teachers have turned to more creative approaches  in teaching elements in reading and maths courses, sometimes students and adults alike need a bit of extra support.Luckily, we've laid out a guide that can help you grasp everything to know about learning arithmetic. Starting with the history of the mathematics branch to how you can get online maths classes, get started on learning today!Having a maths tutor can help you solve math questions step by stepa x (b + c) = a x b + a x cThis law is extremely important in everything from polynomial functions to matrices and has many applications in the real world. Here’s an example of how this law can be used to simplify an algebraic expression.Take:4x + 3(x â€" 10)Using the distr ibutive law, we can see that in order to simplify this expression, we must distribute the 3 to get:4x + 3x â€" 30The next step again involves the distributive law. Looking above, we might know by habit that the next natural step would be to add 4x and 3x together to get 7x. However, the reason why we can do this in the first place lies with the distributive law.x(4+3) is another way of writing 4x + 3x before x is distributedNow, combining everything we’ve learned, the final answer gives us:7x â€" 30Learning maths should always be empowering and hopefully this guide has put you on the right track towards accomplishing your goals in the branch of arithmetic.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Top Tips for Combating the Back-to-School Blues

Top Tips for Combating the Back-to-School Blues This post is part of our 2017 Back-to-School Series. Throughout the month of August, visit the Varsity Tutors blog for back-to-school advice, tips, and tricks for all ages. Having to gear up for a return to hard work and saying goodbye to the nice weather and relaxation of summer is enough to make anyone sad. If your children are feeling down or are having some anxiety about heading back to school this year, dont fret! Tips for combating the back-to-school blues include encouraging students to reconnect with friends, helping them prepare for their new schedule, and promoting positive thinking as school begins. Remember, the back-to-school blues are entirely normal and can be alleviated with a little time, re-framing, and some thoughtful preparation. Here are top tips for combating the back-to-school blues: 1. Tackle back-to-school shopping together Recruit your children to come with you when you do their back-to-school shopping. Not only will they get the chance to choose new clothes and to personalize their supplies, its also an easy way to introduce them to finances. Set a budget for their school supplies and clothing, and help them learn to prioritize by balancing the things they really want with savings elsewhere. You can even suggest that overall savings at the end of the shopping trip go toward a treat. Creating a sense of ownership over school notebooks, personal style, and locker decorations can go a long way toward building enthusiasm for the new school year. 2. Reconnect with school friends when going back to school Sometimes summer break can interrupt school friendships, especially if those students live farther away, or your children never got around to hanging out with that person outside of the classroom. Encourage them to get in contact with friends theyre going to see again at school, and to organize a playdate or get-together of some kind. Even just emailing to compare schedules or classroom assignments can help to relieve some anxiety about going back to school. 3. Prep for the new back-to-school schedule Start getting your children prepared for the shock of a more rigid schedule by slowly setting earlier bedtimes, wake-up times, and perhaps even doing a run-through of the morning routine. To help your student feel more comfortable, you can also: Visit the school Check out the new classroom Get a feel for the layout of the building or the schedule of classes. If teachers are around, meet them ahead of time. Familiarity with the new routine and surroundings will help decrease anxiety and stress on the first day. [RELATED: Tips for Helping Children Change Schools] 4. Talk through more serious back-to-school concerns Its also important to make sure that the back-to-school blues are just normal anxieties about the future, or sadness that summer is over. Talk to your children about why theyre feeling a little down about returning, and listen for signs of more serious concerns like bullying or social isolation that could be causing your children to dread returning. Talk through normal anxieties and try to reframe them by reminding students of fun things or successes that happened last year. If you sense that your students have a deeper reason for not wanting to go back, talk to them about it, and create a plan for them that is communicated with any teachers (and even administrators, if appropriate). [RELATED: 5 Questions to Ask Your Students New Teacher] 5. Make plans for summer in the fall to combat back-to-school blues Oftentimes, back-to-school blues happen simply because your children had so much fun over the summer. Work with them to make plans for summertime fun even after school has started: family outings, trips to the ice cream stand, unstructured get-togethers with friends, or hikes and other outdoor activities. Just because school has started doesnt mean its suddenly the dead of winter, or that every free moment must be dedicated to homework. Plan something for the first weekend after school starts to help ease the transition. 6. Fight down in the dumps back-to-school thinking If your children are making blanket declarations about how school is constantly the worst, remind them of times theyve had fun with a school project, a new teacher they like, or events like school dances that dont happen during the summer that they can look forward to. It can also help to remind them of some of the less fun things about summer, like mosquito bites, boredom, or sibling fights that theyll be able to avoid once theyre back in school. With a little foresight and preparation, helping your children find ways to look forward to a new school year is easily accomplished. Re-frame the return with new school supplies, reminders of good friends, accomplishments, and fun, and you can most likely count on at least one smile for that first-day photograph. [RELATED: How to Help Your Elementary School Student Cope with Test Anxiety] Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

The Best Hindi Films for Learning How To Speak Hindi

The Best Hindi Films for Learning How To Speak Hindi A List of Bollywood Films for Learning Hindi ChaptersHistory of Indian CinemaLearn Hindi with Romance FilmsHistorical Romance: a Hindi LessonAction Films in the Hindi LanguageBollywood Dramas for Learning HindiComedy Bollywood Films for Learning HindiBarfi! (2012)When learning how to speak Hindi, it’s a good thing to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. If you can’t go to India, you should listen to the language as often as possible to learn its  rhythm and accents.One wonderful way to listen to Hindi being spoken by natives is by watching Hindi movies in the original language.In this romantic comedy directed by Guru Dutt, Anita (Madhubala) needs to marry within a month of turning 21 if she wants to inherit her father’s fortune. Her aunt (Lalita Pawar) hires a struggling cartoonist named Preetam (Guru Dutt) to marry her and divorce her, but of course, he and Anita fall in love…Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)You Won’t Get This Life Again by Zoya Akhtar is about three childhood friends (played by Hrithi k Rochan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar) who go on a trip to Spain and are forced to confront their ideas about each other - and themselves.Barfi! (2012)This heartwarming romantic comedy by Anurag Basu takes place in the 1970s and follows the relationship between a deaf young man (Barfi, played by Ranbir Kapoor) and two women: Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz) and Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), who is autistic.   Not to be confused with the 2013  film of the same name in the Kannada language!Need help understanding Hindi movies? Why not try a Superprof Hindi tutor?

5 Steps To Build A Personal Brand When Youre An Introvert - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Steps To Build A Personal Brand When You’re An Introvert - Introvert Whisperer 5 Steps To Build A Personal Brand When You’re An Introvert Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

4 Educational Fourth of July Activities

4 Educational Fourth of July Activities July is the heart of summer vacation, filled with warm weather and quality family time. This month is also marked by the nations biggest holiday: the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. This holiday signifies the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and the creation of the United States. Aside from celebrating the birth of the nation, the Fourth of July is a great opportunity for the whole family to learn more about the United States through educational activities, such as visiting a historic site, participating in a parade, or cooking a traditional colonial meal. Looking to make the most of Independence Day? Here are four educational Fourth of July activities that are both patriotic and educational. Educational Fourth of July activity #1: visit a historic American city If you would like to visit a historic American city, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are two great places to explore on the Fourth of July. You can schedule an organized tour around these cities or explore on your own. Philadelphia is home to many pieces of U.S. history, including: The Liberty Bell The Betsy Ross House. As the nations capitol, Washington, D.C. is home to many historic monuments, such as: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial The Washington Monument. Even if youre unable to visit Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. this Fourth of July, there are many other historic American cities. Check with your citys historical society to discover what local sites you can take advantage of this Independence Day. [RELATED: 4 Educational Family Field Trips] Educational Fourth of July activity #2: attend a parade Cities and small towns all across the country host Fourth of July parades. These parades are inclusive, with people of all ages participating. They may include educational activities and speeches that tell stories about the founding of the United States. Check your local events directory to see whether theres a parade happening near you and how you can get involved. Educational Fourth of July activity #3: learn songs of independence Singing songs of independence can be both fun and educational. Many of these songs tell stories about the founding and creation of the United States. This can be a great activity to illustrate to young children the history of America. Search for an existing playlist online, or compile your own to share with your family. Popular favorites include The Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful. [RELATED: 6 Activities to Keep Students Learning This Summer] Educational Fourth of July activity #4: eat like a colonist Colonists diets in early America were quite different than whats seen today. Give the whole family a taste of early American cooking by trying some classic recipes this Fourth of July. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation publishes a list of 18th century recipes every two weeks. They offer a full menu of colonial dishes, from shepherds pie to tidewater chili. This is a great way for students to learn more about colonists eating habits and to gain a deeper appreciation for the lives of early Americans. [RELATED: 3 Educational Summer Road Trips] Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee Kayla Matthews November 15, 2019 Career Development, Networking No responses Go to top No workplace functions without a system of recognition. People want to work hard at their jobs and stand out from the rest of the office to earn that end of the year bonus or raise, but they need encouragement more than once a year. The only way employees will keep up their productivity and maintain a high-quality workload is by frequent encouragement and recognition. At the end of every project or major effort, employees should know that their hard work is seen and valued. The issue is that not everyone wants the same kind of recognition. If you have a number of people in your office who hate being the center of attention, there are other ways you can recognize their hard work. Check out these four easy ways to reward and recognize an introverted employee, so everyone can feel appreciated at your workplace. 1. Do Something Private Introverts dont like being in the spotlight, especially around an office full of people where they only have one or two close friends. Instead of sending out an office email congratulating them or throwing a party in their honor, do something private for your star introverts. Depending on their personality, that could look like a couple of different things. You might write a personal note to them and leave it on their desk before they arrive in the morning. Maybe theyd appreciate a verbal confirmation of their work or a small gift, like a fruit basket. Think about what your introverted employee enjoys and tailor your private recognition around that. 2. Buy Them Lunch It gets old to bring your lunch everyday or order from the same lunch spots. Thats why its extra nice to treat an introvert employee to a free lunch. Order in for them or give them a gift card to a nice restaurant in town. Studies have shown that providing employees with free food increases workplace morale and energy, because everyone loves a delicious bite of something tasty and free. 3.  Celebrate with People They Know You may want to do something big for your introverted employees because they did something big for the company. If thats the case, consider gathering their closest friends, family, or teammates to help them feel comfortable. For instance, you can  host an employee picnic  so everyone gets to have fun without there being a focus on the one individual. You can send out an email letting everyone know why the picnic is happening, but let the introvert mingle as they want and not be forced into the spotlight. This is a great spring or fall idea, especially if your business is located near a public park. 4. Allow Work From Home Days Heading to the office every morning can be a challenge, but its especially hard for introverts. They need longer periods of time to rest after social events and their energy drains quickly during the workweek. Thats why you should consider rewarding your introvert by allowing them to work from home occasionally. Studies have shown that allowing employees to work from home just once a month boosted their workplace happiness  by 24%, which can only be higher for introverted employees. If the work they do doesnt have to happen in the office, letting them work from home could be the reward that means the most to them. Ask Their Friends Sometimes its hard to make close friends with your employees when youre the boss. You may not know the introverted employee well enough to make a personal preference call for them. Dont be afraid to ask their friends for their opinions and keep the reward a secret until its presented. Theyll want to help recognize their friend as well, especially when they see management going to great lengths to keep in mind the introverted persons level of comfort. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

GMAT Study Planning Fundamentals Choosing a GRE Preparation Method

GRE/GMAT Study Planning Fundamentals Choosing a GRE Preparation Method GRE/MAT Graduate School Blog This is the first in a multipart series on how to go about studying for the GRE or GMAT. We don’t plan on going into detail on specific concepts covered on the GRE or specific test-taking strategies in this series. Instead, the intention is to cover higher level, foundational issues around preparing for these exams, such as what type of support to get, what materials to use, what mindset to cultivate, etc. This article is being posted on our GRE blog, but we’ll switch from GRE to GMAT over time, as the concepts are broadly applicable to both exams. To start, let’s point out that we are often asked what materials we recommend our students use to prepare for the GRE. We generally have a clear answer to this question (it focuses on using the Official Guide to the GRE and a few other free or low cost materials), but before exploring that question in the next installment of our “GRE/GMAT Study Planning Fundamentals” series, we need to answer a higher-level question. What is your preferred approach to studying for the GRE in the first place? You need to match your materials with the overall approach you are most comfortable with and which will work best for you. So, in this initial article, we’ll explore various approaches to preparing for the GRE. There are two basic, initial dimensions to the question of how to prepare for the GRE: “offline vs. online” and “type of support.” Offline vs. online is almost self-explanatory. It means, will you primarily be working offline with physical books, potentially meeting someone in-person to review, or will you be heavily leveraging the internet and using an online course or app? The “type of support” dimension breaks down into the following options: Self-study using a test prep book, such as the official guide mentioned above, or something from Princeton Review, Barron’s, Kaplan, or many other sources Self-paced course or “app” â€" good examples here would be GRE prep from Magoosh, Dominate the GRE, or PrepScholar Full service real-time class or course Private GRE tutor The “right” approach to studying for the GRE is partially a function of personal preference, particularly when it comes to offline vs. online. But, it’s also a function of the type of student you are and your particular strengths and weaknesses. The below matrix may help you think through your options. Let’s make our way through the above matrix and explore the pros and cons of these approaches. Box 1 will be the upper left (private tutoring completed offline), and then box 2 will be the one below it. So, box 4 is self-study completed offline. We’ll then consider box 5 to be private tutoring completed online, and box 8 to be the lower right, or self-study completed online. As we evaluate each box, we’ll be concerned with ultimate effectiveness for various types of students (i.e., ability of the approach to lead to a higher GRE score), but also cost and convenience. Let’s start by discussing Box 1, or private tutoring completed offline and in-person, and Box 5, private tutoring completed online over the internet. We’ll compare these boxes to each other, as well as to the rest of the matrix. Private tutoring is probably the most customized way to prepare for the GRE. IF you have a good GRE tutor, he or she will help you develop a customized plan, explain concepts in ways that more quickly make sense to you, and function as a mentor to accelerate your GRE prep. On the other hand, 1-1 GRE tutoring can be very expensive, and because each tutor has his or her own approach, there is a downside that involves a lack of structure and too much time spent on this or that topic, whereby a student ends up feeling like they have spent a lot of money and spent a lot of time, but still don’t know all they need to know to get a high score. In general, though, with private GRE tutoring, assuming you have a good or very good GRE tutor, you’ll get an approach tailored to your unique situation (timing, strengths, etc.) that is expensive but effective in building your skills and preparing you for test day. If you are an average test taker and just looking for an average score or above average score, this option could be less attractive to you. A class or an “app,” or even self-study, may strike a better balance of effectiveness, cost, and convenience. Classes tend to “teach to the average,” meaning they cover topics at a pace that makes sense for the average student. However, this means that for someone who is really struggling, the class might be go too fast. But, for someone shooting for a 90th percentile score at a minimum, the same class might be going too slow. If you have spiky strengths and weaknesses, the class approach is also problematic. For the mathematically gifted but verbally challenged student, half the class is a waste, and the other half may progress too quickly. In all these cases, private tutoring, due to the customized approach, is a great option relative to classes. But for the average student, it’s a harder call. If you compare private tutoring to a self-paced app (box 6) or self-study (4 or 8), the average student may just find that they must be extremely disciplined and hard working to prepare adequately on their own without support of a tutor or course/app to provide guidance on concepts and practice problems. But, self-study is clearly much less expensive. Our biased view, in part informed by the hundreds of hours the author of this article spent self-studying for the GMAT instead of getting a private tutor, is that the use of an app or private tutor is a good investment. Regarding the online vs. offline question, or box 1 vs. 5, many students continue to feel like there is no substitute to sitting down with someone in-person to study or receive private tutoring. And it’s true that a lot is communicated through non-verbal cues, etc. However, I should note that the right type of online GRE tutoring, with a clear video and easy to use online whiteboard, can feel very much like an in-person experience. You see the tutor’s face, and he or she sees yours. You see the whiteboard, just like you’d see the paper. You are both looking at the same e-book, just as if you were looking at a physical book. When you consider these points, the fact that online tutoring is obviously more convenient (no travel, easier to fit into everyone’s schedule, etc.), the fact that online sessions can be recorded for later review, and the fact that the GRE is given online anyway, our view is that online tutoring is a better option than in-person tutoring (when done right, with an effective platform). In part 2 of this article, we’ll review the rest of the matrix and explain why, in our view, boxes 3, 5, and 6 are the best approaches to preparing for the GRE for the majority of students.

Increasing Your Return on Investment in College

Increasing Your Return on Investment in College ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Over the past several decades, the cost of college has been rising at a much faster rate than people’s income in the United States. What this means is that it`s effectively become a lot more expensive to go to college. The value of the entire decision to attend is being reevaluated. Many articles are being written about this â€" here’s one example. This means a few things. For one, it means that students need to be more and more careful about which colleges they choose to go to and secondly, it means that students need to think long and hard about how to increase their return on investment when they decide to go to college. And so what we`d like to do is spend a little bit of time here thinking about that second point, increasing your return on investment when you decide to go to college. Then at the end of this post, we`ll come back and talk about that first point which is choosing which college to attend. College is a unique investment in that you can really control the return that you get from it. Let`s assume college costs $25,000 a year, so that`s $100,000 to get a degree, assuming you finish it in four years. Let’s consider that investment versus an investment in, for example, the stock market. Well, with the stock market, you buy some stock for $100,000 and while you can choose which stocks you buy, once you buy them, you just sit back and wait and see how they do. College is very different because you can control what that $100,000 returns to you in “value.” If you take that $100,000 and you basically “buy” a degree from a mid-tier school, party a lot and get a C average, well, the return that you get on that investment will be relatively low in the form of a less prestigious job or a lower salary, et cetera. Compare that to taking $100,000 and spending it on a degree in engineering from Harvard, for example. Well, that degree is going to be worth so much more, therefore the return on that $100,000 is going to be so much higher. It might seem obvious, but it’s an important point to think about. You should start thinking about this concept early, well before you`re even ready to go to college. Of course the concept would apply both for college and graduate school for those that are getting PhDs, MBAs or law degrees. The better that you do in high school (i.e,. higher GPA, more activities, etc.), the better position you`ll be to make those dollars that you`re going to invest in a college degree more valuable. If you don`t get the right grades or the right test scores in high school, you`re not in a good position to get into the type of a college that gives you a high return on your investment. So that`s the important thing to think about - college is an investment, but one where you can control the return on that investment. In a future blog post, we`ll touch upon the first point that we started off making - students might just want to think long and hard about which colleges make the most sense for them, based on the value of the degree they’ll have once they graduate relative to the tuition cost being charged. They also might want to begin thinking much harder about how AP classes, summer school, and online courses can help reduce the cost of college my increasing the number of credits they can transfer in. But that’s a topic for another time. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});