How to Use The Organic Chemistry Tutor

How to Use The Organic Chemistry TutorThe Organic Chemistry Tutor gives students a starting point in the organic chemistry course. However, its primary purpose is to give students a good education, and not to teach them.By allowing students to make their own discovery and come up with a side activity to this education, we try to empower students with the sense of responsibility to do good research. By having them give your research a spin, you have made it more of an exercise than learning.This means that it is very important to ask what chemical formulas are in the background. Usually, it is at this point that we see the student push his/her head in the mud when it comes to the Chemistry lecture.Let us look at this from the students' point of view. They are studying Chemistry because they want to have a good job, not because they are interested in learning about Molecules. They also feel that Chemistry is very boring and tedious.If you let them make their own discovery, then they wi ll be motivated to go deeper and understand why chemical formulas are needed, why is Molecule in the word, etc. And this will also motivate them to look at a Chemical Equation to see how things are put together. Since this can be intimidating for a student, it would be best if you give them a hint.A clue to what has been taught by the Professor in the class was given by the Teacher with the Use of Dimensional Analysis. In other words, you can give the Student an Example in the Form of a Question. This is also an easy way to give the student something to work on in the course and gives the impression that you have some knowledge about what they are doing, so they will look forward to doing more.It would also encourage the students to understand and consider the importance of Chemical Formulas. They are no doubt the backbone of all learning and should be treated as such.

College Scorecard Use

College Scorecard Use Theres a lot that goes into the college decision. The more resources available to aid teens and their parents in their research, the better. The United States Department of Educations College Scorecard is an interactive tool that helps families gather critical information they need to evaluate colleges offerings, cost, quality, value and more. Here are a few ways you and your teen can use this tool to sort through all kinds of information about different colleges and make a smart college decision: Search for schools by location. The College Scorecard offers the ability to select one or more states and/or one or more regions (e.g. Southeast, Southwest, Rocky Mountains). Your teen can then add those schools to a list to compare and further research them (more on this below). Search for schools by program of study. First, your teen must select a certificate, two-year degree or four-year degree. Then, she chooses from a long list of programs. The search-by-program feature is ideal for teens who have specific majors in mind. If your teen wants to further refine that list, she can easily select other filters such as location, region or school size. Find schools based on desired size. Whether your teen wants to look for all small (2,000 students) schools in your state, all medium (2,000-15,000 students) schools with architecture or psychology programs, or all large (15,000 students) schools that are public and located in New England, the College Scorecard lets users narrow by size plus other attributes. Narrow down colleges based on a specialized mission or religious affiliation. Does your teen want to go to a school for women or men only? One that is a historically black college or university? One for students of a certain religion? The advanced search feature allows users to easily search for those types of schools. Compare colleges side by side. Maybe your teen knows the few schools in which he or she is interested in. Search for a college by name, add that college to a comparison list, then evaluate several colleges thoroughly. However your teen searches for schools using the Scorecard, the comparison feature is an excellent way to get a snapshot of several schools at once. Your teen can even send a summary via email. The College Scorecard makes it easy to search for colleges and universities, and also evaluate some of their essential data points. Here are some of the facts the Scorecard helps you and your teen learn (and compare) about colleges: Average annual net price (after aid from the school, state or federal government, including only in-state cost for public schools) Graduation rate (of full-time students who started at that school) Salary after attending (10 years after attending the school) % of full-time enrollment Socio-economic diversity Race/ethnicity % of students paying down their debt within three years of leaving school % of students receiving federal loans Typical total debt after graduation (federal loans only and does not include private student loans or parent PLUS loans) Students who return to the college after their first year Outcomes eight years after attending Typical SAT/ACT scores of admitted students The College Scorecard can help you quickly compare colleges and universities on a variety of factors, but it is also important to understand that your teens situation is unique and figures like cost of attendance will depend on many different factors (like your financial position when applying for financial aid and any scholarships your teen earns, for example). Still, it is a great tool and one to use in addition to other methods of research, such as visiting colleges in person and going to their websites to collect information. Check out the Scorecard at https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Questions about the college search? Contact Huntington at 1-800 CAN LEARN

What You Should Expect from a Private Tutor 25 Rules (Part 2)

What You Should Expect from a Private Tutor 25 Rules (Part 2) Improving Academic Performance In our last article in this series, we discussed that while it’s important to take ownership of your investment in private tutoring, you should still expect specific behaviors from your tutor. We covered what is reasonable to expect before the actual session from a communications, logistics, and preparation perspective. In this article, we’ll explore what you should expect during the tutoring session. During the Session Environment, timing, and focus You should be very comfortable with the tutoring environment. When you are struggling in a class and have decided to invest in a private tutor, you need to focus on the learning process. If there is too much noise or other distraction, future sessions should occur at a different location. Now, this doesn’t mean that public coffee shops can’t be good places to conduct a tutoring session. In fact, many students are far more comfortable meeting a tutor in a public coffee shop than in their home. A private room in a library is typically an excellent venue for a tutoring session. There should be open communication about the starting and end times for the session. If the tutor is late, if you spend 10 minutes discussing the weather, politics (probably something to avoid) or sports, or if the tutor must step away for a private call, this time should not count against the hour(s) you’ve purchased. At the same time, if you are late, it’s fair to expect the tutor to “start the clock” when the session was supposed to start, although we encourage tutors to be flexible. Also, at MyGuru, we ask tutors to report time in 15 minute increments, rounding down. So, if the tutor has been working with you for 65 minutes, it would be very reasonable to discussion whether a) things should be wrapped up in the next 5 minutes so you are billed for an hour or b) you continue working together for 15 or more minutes, so you are billed for 75 or 90 minutes. You should feel and observe that the tutor is 100% focused on your learning during the sessions. If you feel the tutor is distracted (i.e., checking his or her phone, not listening to you, etc.) then you are not receiving the attention you deserve. Your tutor should be 100% focused on you. Planning and organization One of the keys to a successful tutoring relationship is the development of a customized study plan. If you are receiving tutoring in a specific class, this becomes quite a bit less important, as the syllabus for the class can be followed. But even then, your strengths and weaknesses might necessitate a different “path” to learning the material for the class. You should be aware of the plan being followed in the tutoring relationship overall. Generally, the first session is somewhat diagnostic. The tutor is identifying and confirming strengths and weaknesses and coming out of that session, creating a plan for you. You should be aware of the plan being followed in any session. The tutor should explain the key objectives of the session, and highlight the major topics and expected takeaways. A student should never feel as if they aren’t sure where a session is going or why something is being covered. Tutoring techniques Every tutor has their own style, and there are different ways to connect with a student to help them understand difficult or new concepts and build new skills. That said, it is reasonable to expect the following from a tutor: Some upfront investment of time should be made in establishing a personal rapport with you. Tutors are generally well served by getting to know their clients/students a little bit. What are they motivated by? What do they like/dislike? This helps both parties get more comfortable with one another and can even be a source of useful analogies in explain the material. This article on edutopia.org lists the personal relationship first in a list of keys to a successful tutoring relationship. Students are far more likely to learn when they are asked to actively engage with the material. If the tutor is talking for most of the session, or simply working out problems while the student watches, then the learning that is occurring is likely to be passive. Instead, there should be a give and take of questions, answers, problems being completed in real-time by the student, etc. You should be an active participant in the session, not just an observer. You should be getting clear feedback associated with your mistakes. Whether it’s during real-time review of problems or as you are reviewing practice sets you completed on your own time, your tutor should be providing you with clear feedback around why you missed a certain problem and what to change moving forward to complete the problem correctly. Even if you feel the tutor explains things well, you are still not maximizing the value of the sessions if clear, targeted feedback isn’t provided. This is an excellent article about the importance of feedback in building study skills and learning new things. Your tutor should generally be able to explain most concepts in more than one way. One of the major benefits to 1-1 tutoring vs. reading a test prep book or taking a test prep class or sitting in any given math or English class is the high level of customization that is possible. If something isn’t clicking with you when explained this way, the tutor can approach the problem that way, etc. Concepts should be broken down into small pieces where possible and brought back to their more basic underlying components. A common issue teachers or tutors face in connecting with students is using language or concepts that seem basic to them, but which the student does not understand. There should be a constant drive to break things down to their more basic, foundational parts, and then build them back together. If a student is missing foundational conceptual knowledge, the tutor needs to identify that gap and find a way to fill it. This is an excellent article on the importance of creating increasingly larger “chunks” of information over time when learning new things (but by starting with very small ideas and concepts). Your tutor should be giving you “mini tests” during the session to check your understanding. Studying with heavy use of “mini” ‘quizzes is critical. Even if you are actively engaged in the session, asking questions, etc., it’s always possible that you aren’t truly understanding the material. Frequent “mini tests” can serve two purposes. First, research shows that “mini tests” are an excellent way to retain information because it is a highly “active” form of learning as described in this article. Second, “mini tests” help identify whether or not you truly are understanding a concept. Your tutor should be forcing you out of your comfort zone. To be getting the most of a tutoring session, there should be a certain level of discomfort. If the whole session is very comfortable and you completely understand everything that was discussed, then what really was the point of the session? If it seems like you are having no trouble at all in understanding the questions or concepts being reviewed, an excellent tutor will move on to more advanced material in the same area to push the student’s thinking. In our next and last article, we’ll discuss what to expect after a tutoring session.

Why you should book your private tutor now

Why you should book your private tutor now As the autumn term approaches, thoughts turn to the year ahead. For many students this includes GCSE and A-level exams. This time of year is also traditionally one of the busiest for private tutors as well-prepared students, looking to avoid an end-of-year cramming session, begin to make enquiries. As with everything else, it makes sense to plan ahead when it comes to finding a home tutor. Starting early obviously gives pupils the pick of the pool, as the best private tutors will be snapped up quickly. By working with a tutor from the beginning of the year, students also maximise their chances of scoring top marks in exams. Student and tutor can work together to devise an achievable study plan that works across the year. A long-term plan minimises exam revision pressure, especially for students taking multiple subjects, and helps clarify goals, aims, strengths and weaknesses. In helping to identify any gaps in knowledge early on, it allows ample time to focus on these and compensate as necessary. When looking for home tuition, students (and their parents) should spend some time thinking about what learning methods do and don't work for them, and research potential tutors who may provide a good fit. A suitable private tutor should also be familiar with the curriculum the student's school follows, Finding the right tutor now will save endless stress and worry later on and can provide all the advantages necessary to excel in school and exams throughout the entire year.

American Creativity Academy

American Creativity Academy American Creativity Academy The American Creativity Academy of Kuwait's vision is to create an outstanding academic institution that blends both American curriculum and traditional Islamic values. ACA has gained the highest accreditations for the benefit and support of students, which include their unique “dual accreditation status” by the Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). The school curriculum runs from KG to Grade 12, with 100% of students being English Language Learners (ELL). Students are expected to become fluent in both English and Arabic. ACA is dedicated to preparing their students for a successful post-secondary career. 100% of their graduates are college bound and have attended top universities around the world. ACA works to develop students who are critical thinkers and see the value in life-long learning. American Creativity Academy American Creativity Academy The American Creativity Academy (ACA) was founded in 1997 by a group of visionaries who wanted to establish a school in Kuwait which offered a unique blend of an American curriculum while respecting and practicing local values. We are fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. We were authorized to offer the IBDP in 2008. ACA is a growing and mixed physical entity. ACA operates on two separate campuses minutes apart by car in the suburb of Hawalli.

7 Strategies for Handling Depression

7 Strategies for Handling Depression Sourced from Flickr Even though I’ve been dealing with depression since my teen years, I’m still uncomfortable talking about my mental health and seeking out professional help. Our society treats open dialogue around depression as a taboo of sorts, leaving far too many people under the impression that seeking help from a counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist, is a sign of weakness. Treatment for depression has shown to be highly effective, but according to  Emory University, less than 25 percent of people with depression receive adequate care. Emory University also notes that there are over 1,000 suicides a year on college campuses alone and that roughly 1 in 10 students have made a plan for suicide. It seems to me that a lack of awareness and a willingness to talk openly about these issues is at the heart of the problem. I lost my brother to suicide 12 years ago. Divulging that information is typically a highly uncomfortable experience, for both me and whomever I’m talking to. The listener usually displays visible awkwardness and pity. Typically, this makes me feel alien, as though something must be wrong with me. The uneasiness usually lingers as we try and change the subject, or worse, they begin grilling me with far too many questions about it. It’s not that I feel like I need to constantly bring up the traumas of my past, but when asked questions like, “how many siblings do you have?” I must decide whether to be real about my answer. Do I tell them that I had six but now only five, or just pick one of the two numbers? When I’m frank with my answer, the best responses are always the ones that don’t miss a beat, that simply acknowledge my truth and move the conversation on. If I want to discuss the matter further, I think its best to let me be in control of that. When we talk about depression and suicide with someone who is suffering, allow them to go at their own pace. Make sure they know that you are there to be supportive, and offer a nonjudgmental ear if needed. We need to have these conversations, but Ive found pushing on someone elses problems before theyre ready can do more harm than good. Losing a sibling to suicide is the biggest deterrent for me to not follow in brother’s footsteps. I know firsthand the overwhelming pain that comes with losing someone to suicide, and I could never inflict that pain on another person. Depression makes it hard to care about yourself, and when I’ve found myself in such a state, I’ve remembered the people who care about me, who would be traumatized if I gave into my mental illness. image from media.defense.gov It is also true that depression can convince you that nobody will care if you were gone tomorrow. In my experience, this is never true. Someone always cares, whether we choose to believe that truth or not. When my brother died I was stunned to find out just how many people cared about his life, who were suffering from his decision to die. Truly, people care about you more than you can ever know. Choosing to continue living for the sake of other people is not enough, but I implore those who may be considering suicide to consider the lasting damage their death would have on those who love them. Its important to realize that people care, but its still more important to learn how to love yourself. Seek Professional Help Of course, seeking professional help is by far the most effective way to treat depression. Theres an unfortunate stigma around receiving psychological help, and I think its important we break the narrative that there is a weakness to seeking help. Seeing a mental health professional is no more a weakness than seeing a medical professional for physical health. Taking care of yourself often means seeking help. We are no more equipped to treat our own minds than we are a broken limb. Oftentimes, it may seem that such help is unavailable or too expensive, but I’ve found that all too often people are not aware of the resources available in their communities. If you’re a student, there’s most likely a psychiatric facility on your campus, and the services tend to be free. The services Ive received at  Montana State University  have been highly useful in helping me get a manageable handle on my depression. Most communities also have social programs to ensure that you can receive counseling services when you need it. Before concluding that professional help is unavailable, do some research to find what services and programs are available in your area. Whether you have depression or not, its important to be aware of these services as well. Being able to point them out to someone else whos suffering, and encouraging them to seek help can make all the difference.  My 7 Strategies for Handling Depression Im not going to pretend that Ive been perfect in managing my depression, but over the years Ive found methods that work to fight unhealthy states of mind. These strategies may not be for everyone. Professional help is almost always the best option for treating mental health issues. Still, we cannot be equipped with our own personal psychologist at all times. Below are my top seven strategies and reminders for staying in control of my depression. 1. Build a ladder: Perhaps my favorite advice for battling depression is the build a ladder concept. By seeking out experiences youve always wanted to have, essentially working on your own bucket list, you develop experiences that make your own life worth living. These experiences are like steps on a ladder that lead to a more fulfilled life. This concept comes from a woman named Martina, and you can learn more about building a ladder from her  video. 2. Failure is not the end: This is something I continue to struggle with as I finish my bachelors degree. Im terrified of failure, and I often assume I will fail before I even try. This inhibits my ability to succeed because I expect the work Im doing isnt good enough before Ive even finished it. All of that second-guessing only feeds my depression. Remember that its okay to fail, that failure is not the enemy. When I tackle assignments without worrying that I’m doing everything wrong, it makes it so much easier to move forward. We can strive to learn from our failures rather than being afraid of making mistakes. 3. Meditation: I used to think meditation was kind of dumb. Then I had a writing professor who required her students to meditate for five minutes before every class. It took me about a month of practice, likely due to my own attitude, to recognize the benefits of meditation. Taking that little bit of time to breathe and check in with myself helps keep me calm and focused. 4. Self-love:  This is probably going to sound corny to most readers, but Ive found that taking the time to tell myself positive things throughout the day, and especially when Im feeling down, really helps me build a better self-image. Sometimes, Im so off that it takes me a while to find things that I like about myself, but I can always find something, no matter how small. 5. Learn to take a compliment:  I dont take compliments well in general, but its especially when depression strikes. My typical assumption is that Im only being complimented out of pity, rather than out of genuine acknowledgment. When Im given a compliment and I notice Ive brushed it off as pity, I try to reevaluate and let the compliment sink in. Assuming negativity in an otherwise positive exchange is the depression talking. Taking the time to reevaluate helps tell depression to shut up. 6. Stop living by other peoples expectations:  Your life is your own, and nobody else gets to live it for you. When you allow the expectations of other people to dictate your life, you stop living for yourself. Think about who you want to be in life, and what kind of behavior you expect from yourself.  Its okay to screw up, but too often our shame in our failures comes from fear of what other people think, rather than from what we think and expect from ourselves. 7. Accepting and asking for help:  This goes hand in hand with seeking professional help, but it applies to daily life as well. Ive realized that Ive neglected to ask for help too many times, typically for fear of being a burden on someone else. When help has been offered to me, there are times Ive rejected it, out of my own sense of pride. Ive learned to acknowledge that fear and pride are feelings I project onto the person or situation before Ive even let them in. When Ive resisted this urge, I tend to find that people are happy to help and that accepting that help is not a weakness. We are stronger together. When the opportunity comes to return the favor, do it. You will strengthen bonds that will help you move forward. As the Beatles said, I get by with a little help from my friends.

?? The New GCSE Grading System Explained

?? The New GCSE Grading System Explained The New GCSE Grading System Explained Do you understand the new GCSE grading? There is currently a lot of confusion over the changes to GCSE grading that will start with this years results. Students receiving their GCSE results this summer, will see Maths and English graded between 9 and 1, with 9 being the highest grade achievable.It is currently only Maths and English GCSE’s that will be graded this way, however, other subjects will be following suit over the next few years. With the old A*-G grading system, it was widely known, that a grade C was considered a good pass, and that most Sixth Forms and Colleges would be looking for 5 GCSE’s grade A*-C for admission. Students and teachers alike are now confused over what exactly Sixth Forms and Colleges will be requiring. Is a grade 4 or grade 5 going to be considered a good pass? While the government are saying that a grade 4 will be enough for pupils to progress to the next stage in their education (if the Sixth Form/College decides it meets their requirements), they have expressed that their intention fr om 2019, is that pupils who don’t achieve a grade 5 in English or Maths will have to resit them in Sixth Form/College.There are lots of mixed messages about the new grading system and it seems that more in-depth explanations are needed. What are your thoughts on the new system? Do you think it’s a good idea to change it or do you think it should have remained how it was? Let us know!