ESL.com

New ELS Center Opens in the Heart of NYC!

11/14/2018

ELS has just opened a new flagship center in Manhattan, New York, New York where students from around the world can come to learn English and immerse themselves in American culture.

“It’s inspiring,” Frank Prieto Pinto, an ELS student from Colombia, said of the classrooms in ELS/New York – Manhattan. “When I was living in my county I saw pictures, I saw movies, and now I feel like I’m in the movies,” he said, gesturing to the wall-sized mural of Times Square behind him. Pinto, who is a professor of Strategic Thinking and Management Skills at EAN University in Bogotá, stressed the importance of having a positive learning space. “As a student in this moment, I need a good place to study, and the classrooms are so beautiful.”

The new space boasts a lounge and cafe as well as collaborative spaces for students to learn and socialize.

“... I am confident that this [space]—together with our great staff and great program—will ensure that all of the students at this center will have a priceless and memorable experience,” said Reiji Terasaka, Chief Operating Officer at ELS.

About ELS Educational Services ELS Educational Services, Inc. offers more than 55 years of success in assisting international students—more than 1.2 million to date—achieve their personal and professional goals through English preparation and university study skills. ELS assists international students to identify and gain entry to higher education institutions around the world, including in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia and the United States.

For more information: ELS Language Centers

Creative Writing Prompts That Will Help You Learn a New Language

11/12/2018

Having creative writing prompts that help you learn a new language is a great idea. A lot of people really don’t know a lot about all this, but we got you covered. We will help you understand this and learn that dream language faster. Now, let's do a little introduction about this. First, I'll break down each of these terms, so get comfortable and keep on reading.

Creative: It involves the use of your imagination or original ideas to create or make something.

Writing Prompts: This is a simple topic where you start jotting down ideas. The prompt could either be a complete paragraph, a single word or a short phrase. A writing prompt helps you get inspired for creativity.

One nice thing about writing prompt is the fact that it is free writing; the main deal isn’t what you write, but the simple fact that you do write. It doesn't even require a story or a story structure; it’s just designed to get you thinking. You can also use prompt as a source of good exercise to help build your creativity level and can help you develop new skills and also come up with ideas. As we know, practice makes perfect. One nice way write prompts so it looks less like a chore and makes it fun is by choosing interesting topics that’d bring up that fun part of you. So try to choose wisely.

How Can I Learn to Write a New Language With Writing Prompts
Writing prompts brings you out of your comfort zone. It allows you to write about something that you really wouldn’t write about on a normal day. When writing about a wide variety of topics or subjects, you'll need to learn about many different words. If you’re learning on your own, try writing these prompts daily. You can set a time variation of about 15-20 minutes per day, this would be an excellent way to practice your new language. Try to use some of the vocab words you learn to write when working through your vocabulary list weekly. If you want to even learn how to speak well, you can start by writing your thoughts down. Learning how to write sentences is a step towards learning how to say it out loud.
So here are some creative writing prompts that will help you learn a new language;
Express Your Family
Family comes first you know, so this is our first creative way. By writing about your family, you won't only use family related vocabulary, but you will also practice defining an age, color, height, favorite food as well as occupation.

Your Friends
It’s great writing about friends because you’re familiar, and talking to them in a simple way or manner should be fun and easy. If you have gotten more advanced with your writing prompt level, you could also write about your great friendship experiences; problems your friends faced; birthday parties; and also how your life was influenced by them. You could also write on what you like about them. Personality description can also be a great way to express more vocab, or you can also clarify how you met using the reciprocal verb concourse.

Tasks
Another good way to practice writing a new language is to write down your tasks. You can pick up two or three of them you would like to accomplish in a day. I know you would be wondering the type of tasks you’ll finish in a day, well here are some simple goals like getting a haircut or grocery shopping. This is also an exercise that gives you two benefits of practicing the new language and also making you productive.

Write on Your Experiences Yesterday
Writing about the previous day's event is also a way to practice, but you could also write about your accomplishments over the past year, month or even week. Making use of this creative way would allow you to practice your writing in the past tense, which is also a nice way for beginners and advanced persons. Talking about your past life or your relatives should be nice too.

Weekend Breaks
Writing about your plans for the weekend is also a great way your future tense. This is also an opportunity for beginners, and advanced persons to practice the future tense. A beginner could write about fun things that they might have been involved with during a previous weekend, while those in an advanced level could write on what their ideal weekend could be if they were given a free vacation or a date with a celebrity.

Night Dreams
If you can remember your dream when you wake up from your bed, you put it down in your journal. You can start by jotting down quick notes to avoid forgetting it. You don’t have to worry about analyzing your dream. Once you make your notes, you can then spend enough time writing down all that you remember relating to your dream. Writing dreams as your prompt is a way to have fun, it is an interesting topic. You can imagine writing all the strange things that must have happened at night.
We have given you five creative writing prompt but here are some other prompts that could be of help to you;

Writing a One-Paragraph Biography of Your Life
Writing about your biography might include varieties of past tense to describe one time actions as well as a description of events that have happened before. You can also practice using sequencing and transition words.

Recount an Event
The event could be historical, personal or even both. You can try to rewrite in the present tense, future tense or even perfect tense. This exercise assists you to become accurate and even faster at verb conjugation in any tenses.

Describe a Joke or a Funny Event
This kind of prompt will challenge you to make up sentences using informal expressions and vocabularies that are exceptional and would get you to think out of the box for distinctive vocabulary.

Write a Short Story
While containing lots of action verbs, try making it very expressive. It can be a story with an unexpected angle or an imaginable twist, the most important part is that you should have real fun doing it.

Discuss any Issue That Affects The Public
Issues like a drought or an electricity outage, for example, can be a nice writing prompt topic. Try expressing the impersonal in various ways to bring up suggestions for people and also solutions that might help out.

Write a Letter to Another Student
You can explain your likes about learning a new language, include the difficulties you experienced while learning it and maybe the reasons why you decided to learn a foreign language.

Convince Someone to Adopt Your Pointview Of an Issue
Make use of persuasive language to try and convince them on your reasons and your strengths and their weakness about the argument. You can make use of a personal decision or political matters or anything or topic that can be argued on.

Write a Short Gratitude Note
You can express your thanks with words of gratitude. You can write a note to someone you feel must have made your day an awesome one with presents or a smile.

Pick any Conversant Topic
When you have an object in front of you, it's easier to try describing the object as descriptively as you can. You could also make use of comparisons and superlatives.
Creative writing helps in influencing your language, try out exercises for better improvement. I hope we helped you with the information you needed, have a great day!

Author Bio: Kristin Savage has graduated from Columbia University where she was majoring in Germanic Languages. Besides English as her mother tongue she also speaks German and Dutch fluently. Currently Kristin is studying Spanish and planning to obtain her PhD in Applied Linguistics since she is interested in how to use her to some extent practical knowledge of language processes in everyday life. She has been a writer at Pick Writers for a few years and is known for her thorough approach to all the tasks and aspiration to fulfill assignments with flying colors.

How to Host an American Thanksgiving

11/9/2018

Thanksgiving is a national holiday and American tradition where families and loved ones gather on the third Thursday in November to spend time together, give thanks and share a meal. During the holiday, universities typically close the campus and grant students a long weekend so they can be with their families. Though there are many similar holidays celebrated around the world, American Thanksgiving has some specific traditions that can be fun to try while you are in the United States. This year, invite all your international friends for a new experience and use these tips to throw a truly American Thanksgiving celebration in your apartment.

Plan Your Feast
Thanksgiving is all about the food, so plan out your menu carefully and make sure you have all the cooking equipment you need. A few days before Thanksgiving, decide what traditional American Thanksgiving foods you’ll treat your friends to, and make sure you have enough room to prepare the meal in your apartment. Head to the grocery store in advance so you have plenty of time to find what you’re looking for. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of cooking and realize you don’t have what you need to complete a recipe. You can even put your own culture’s spin on an American dish for a fun blend of flavors and traditions.
Clean Your Apartment
Inviting all your friends for a Thanksgiving celebration means your apartment may feel a little cramped. A good way to prepare for your guests is by cleaning up your apartment and putting away anything that could limit your space. The day before Thanksgiving, throw away loose trash, vacuum the floors, clean the kitchen and living spaces, and make sure all rooms look tidy and ready for your friends.
Add Fall Flair
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to make your apartment feel festive and create an inviting environment. New throw pillows for your seating areas can create warmth and add a pop of seasonal color. Decorate your table with nuts and pinecones to add texture and color to your holiday table and add a fall-themed wreath to your door to welcome guests. Lastly, scatter battery-operated candles throughout your space to create a warm ambience, while not having to worry about melting wax.

Thanksgiving is a fun way to gather your friends and try a classic American tradition for yourself. Invite one or two close friends to cook with you and share the joy of making your dinner together or watching American football after your Thanksgiving meal. No matter how traditional your Thanksgiving Day is, these tips can help you host a successful gathering of your friends and celebrate the holiday.

Rob Johnson is an experienced international traveler and Director of Higher Education Sales at CORT Furniture Rental, where he works directly with students and higher education institutions.

8 Surprising Things about American Culture for International Students

11/8/2018

From slang to restaurant etiquette, you should be prepared for many surprises about American culture when you decide to study in the USA. International students come here with impressions based on movies. TV shows and movies may represent real life from time to time, but they cannot fully prepare you for the real experience.
Whenever you visit a foreign country, you immerse in its culture. Foreign cultures always manage to surprise you in one way or another. Studying in the USA will be an enhanced experience of the same type, since you’re going to spend more time here.
So what are the most surprising things about American culture you should be prepared for? Let’s list them!

1. The Food Portions Are HUGE

When you order food at an American restaurant, you get a huge portion that you couldn’t possibly eat. If you were used to European portions, expect to be served a double-sized meal.

For foreign students in the USA, food is a culture shock of its own.

2. People Are Polite

Truth be told, it depends where you come from. But most foreign students find Americans to be really nice. A foreign student at Utica College asked 33 international students to identify the most surprising things about America and Canada. They were mostly talking about the food, but you’ll notice comments about people being nice few times.

All cultures have kindness imprinted in them, but not all of them express it to third parties. British people, for example, are perceived as cold and overly intellectual. They make small talk about the weather and don’t care much about the person they are talking too. At least that’s how foreigners see them.

Americans, however, are usually very communicative. They are eager to make contact with foreigners and they will invite them to go out together.

3. Tons of Writing at Universities

The educational system is part of the culture. In America, it’s practically based on writing. Students are writing papers all the time, and to be honest - they are not that good at them.

As a foreign student, you’ll have to fit into that culture.

Maria Olivier, writer for EssayOnTime, explains: “The most surprising things about foreign students in the USA is the volume of writing they have to do. Essays, research papers, term papers, book reports, lab reports, case studies, business plans... you name it. It’s a challenging aspect of education that they have to adjust to.”

Oh, maybe it’s time to start polishing up your academic writing skills before you head off to America?

4. Mega, Super, Giant Stores!

You go out to get some oranges and you go back with complete supplies and at least $300 spent at the superstore.

When you first enter an American superstore, you’ll wish you had a map to navigate through it. On your way out, you’ll notice people buying everything they don’t need.

5. The A/C Goes Nuts

Expect to freeze in closed area during the spring and summer. You might consider taking a sweater when you go for groceries... in summer!

People here go crazy on the air conditioning.

6. People Leave Big Tips at Restaurants

If you plan to work as a waiter while studying, you’ll love this. If you’re just a student who likes the occasional restaurant dinner, you won’t enjoy the fact that you’re expected to provide a generous tip.

In most European countries, people are used to leaving coins on the table as a “thank you for the good service.” In America, you’re expected to tip 15% - 20% of the pre-tax bill. If you’re using coupons, you’re expected to tip on the full amount; not on the discounted price.

If you tip lower or you don’t tip at all, the servers will hate you and might spit in your coffee the next time they see you.

Oh; you’ll also need to tip taxi drivers, hair stylists, and the pizza delivery service.

7. Cheerleaders

When college teams play, the cheerleaders are more fun that the games themselves. If you haven’t seen any movies with cheerleaders, we’d recommend you not to do it. That’s how you’ll get really, really surprised when you see them in person.

These are not your usual sports team fans or audience entertainers. They take it to a whole other level. They are practically gymnasts, so you might start wondering why they don’t use that talent for a more useful purpose.

8. The Super Bowl and the World Series

Oh. My. God! If the Super Bowl doesn’t surprise you, I don’t know what will. This is the culminating game of a regular season in the annual NFL (National Football League) championship. It’s such a big event that people won’t stop talking about it. Brands pay $4 million for a commercial of 30 seconds during the broadcast.

Take a moment to process that.

Speaking of sports, Americans are also crazy about baseball. The annual championship is called The World Series, although only American teams participate in it. Okay; there’s one Canadian team, too.

Go figure.

One Thing Is Definite: You’ll Enjoy It!

Yes; you’ll find the USA surprising. But you know what? This experience will be great because it will surprise you. Embrace the differences and enjoy your stay!

Author Bio: Serena Dorf is a social media savvy Los Angeles-based content writer. She is interested in marketing, writing, and public speaking. In her free time, she is reading classic American literature and learning Swedish. You can find her on Google+ and Twitter.

How To Make Money Tutoring Online

10/29/2018

If you have an academic degree and have a passion for teaching, you can consider becoming an online tutor. However, even if you are not academically inclined or a teacher, you can still do online tutoring. The important thing is to impart knowledge to other people in your own little way. Online tutoring is immensely rewarding. You can tutor online and get paid in the comforts of your home. There are different online tutoring websites to choose from and they have different payment schemes and benefit packages. However, most of them will pay on an hourly basis.

What do you need as an online tutor?

There are only a few things that you need in order to get started as an online tutor:

A reliable computer
A stable Internet connection
A headset with microphone
Webcam or Skype software

Most of the time, you will be engaged in video calls with your students so you may also need to be proficient in English. As for the qualification, it will depend on the agency or company. There are some companies that look for experience and related qualifications. There are others that require that you only pass an assessment test.

Ways to make money as an online tutor

There are several ways you can make money from online tutoring. You can either do it as a business or you can do the tutoring yourself. The latter is a good starting point for getting experience before starting it as a business. By teaching it to others, you become a person of knowledge and experience. If you want to take the path of tutoring by yourself, here are some websites that can help you get started with tutoring online:

Tutor ABC

Tutor ABC is one of the most popular online tutoring companies. To apply for the company, you would need to have a teaching qualification and an experience. Having a university degree, being TESOL/TEFL certified can also be helpful. To apply, you may need to upload a video to help the company assess your teaching ability. You can expect to earn between $8 to $10 per hour on the website.

Smile Tutor
Smile Tutor is one of the largest tuition agencies in Singapore. If you are based there or visiting Singapore for a short period, you can register as a tutor on their website and find hundreds of tuition assignments daily. Applying is as easy as a few clicks and you can get students on a short-term and long- term basis. Rates range from $20 - $100 / hr depending on your portfolio. You can also speak to their coordinators for free to get advice on how to get more tuition jobs.

GoFluent

GoFLUENT requires its online tutors to log in at least 20 hours per week. The requirement is an academic teaching or business teaching experience to be able to work with the company. You can teach English to foreign students and get paid for doing so.

TutorVista

TutorVista has an online tutor base of over 2,000 qualified teachers hailing from different countries and continents. You can have the opportunity to teach subjects like English, Biology, Science, Physics, Math, Grammar, and others. TutorVista has been featured in NBC, BBC, and other media outlets. The potential earning in the site is between $10 to $40 per hour and you are required to register 4 hours of work weekly.

English hunt

The website specializes in teaching English to foreign students. It applies free-talking to test-prep instructions in its curriculum. To work as an online tutor in English hunt, you would need a four-year degree course and a teaching certification. Knowledge is imparted to students through video instructions. The payment is determined on an hourly case-by-case basis.

Tutor.com

Tutor.com is regarded as one of the best online tutorial websites connecting the right tutors to students. It has in its fold Ivy League teachers, the best doctors, professionals, pilots, and others. With the website, you can relatively work from anywhere teaching subjects like Calculus, Statistics, English, Chemistry, and others. You get paid by the hour and expected to log in 5 hours weekly. The pay is between $10 to $50 per hour depending on the subject you teach.

Cambly

Cambly is an ESL website where online tutors teach English to foreign students. No experience is required to work with this company. It has a time tracking feature that monitors the hours you spend for tutoring. At a rate of 17 cents per minute, you can expect to make around $10.20 an hour. Payouts is done weekly.

Chegg

With Chegg, you need to have or at least taking up a degree program to become an online tutor. Once accepted, you will be matched with students depending on the subjects you want to teach. You would be paid $20 per hour with the company.

Author Bio:
Raul H.Powell is the content developer and freelance writer. He writes a lot of article on his carrier. Last one year he is working with Smile Tutor as a content developer and a writer. He has a expertise on writing an article on various types of online tutorial. He also wants to promote such kind of work to develop the skill.

Soar at Seattle University

10/23/2018

Seattle University, founded in 1891, is located on 50 acres in the city of Seattle, Washington. The university celebrates educational excellence achieved through diversity and strives to empower leaders for a just and humane world. Get to know what makes Seattle University special and see if it might be the right choice for you.

Commitment to Diversity: With more than 700 international students from more than 70 countries around the world, Seattle University strives to give each student the best possible education and experiences. The International Student Center (ISC) serves as a home for all international students. Here, faculty members can answer any question you may have about your class schedule, visa status or personal matters. The ISC also creates monthly programs and events for international students and serves as a place for international students to watch TV programs from home, work on group projects and make new friends. Check out this video, which features current Seattle University students sharing their international experience.

Seattle University also offers The English Language and Culture Bridge, a program designed to develop international students’ understanding of the English language, so they can be successful in their coursework and feel comfortable interacting with other students and staff. The primary goal of the program is to provide students with the background in the American academic culture and with the language skills essential for success in their studies. The courses offered in the program are highly advanced, with a specific focus on university-level reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

Join a Club: For students looking to get involved on campus, Seattle offers more than 140 clubsand organizations, such as academic organizations, student government, diversity and social justice organizations, faith-based communities, fine arts and media clubs, sustainability and service organizations, and more. These clubs provide communities for students to explore their passions and meet new friends with similar interests. Students who are passionate about a topic that doesn’t have a club are encouraged to connect with the Center of Student Involvement to create a new club.

Earn Your Degree: Offering 65 undergraduate majors for students to choose from, Seattle University has programs that prepare every student for success after graduation. Students who aren’t sure what they want to study can enroll in the Premajor Studies Program, where students can spend up to two years building a foundation in the liberal arts and exploring their academic interests. Participating in the Premajor Studies Program allows students to explore different majors to find out what will be the right focus for their degree.

Cheer on the Redhawks: Seattle University Redhawks are consistent performers on the field and in the classroom. With eight men’s and 10 women’s teams, including lacrosse, soccer, and track and field, there is always a sporting event for students to attend and show their Redhawk pride. For students who want to get in the game, but are just in it for some fun, University Recreation offers intramural sports, club sports, outdoor activities, aquatics, as well as fitness facilities and group exercise classes.

Finding a Home Away from Home: Undergraduate students at Redlands are required to live on campus for their first two academic years.Upperclassmen are welcome to live off campus, meaning international students have the option to search throughout the city to find the apartment that will be right for their lifestyle and budget.

ApartmentSearch.com makes finding the perfect apartment easy by showing you options that work for you. If your apartment is unfurnished, furniture rental is an economical and convenient way to furnish your home. CORT, the leading provider of furniture rental in the U.S., furnishes thousands of student apartments with everything from beds and sofas to housewares and electronics – all with affordable rental package options.

If you are looking for a small campus committed to creating a welcoming and warm experience for all international students, Seattle could be the right university for you. Take a deeper look at Seattle University’s website to learn more about their academic programs and offerings.

For more information: Click here!

8 Ways to Develop Your Cognitive Skills and Make Studying Easier and More Effective

10/3/2018

Studying can be the best experience ever in case you’re learning about things that interest you. Like reading an immensely attention-grabbing book, studying about inspiring subjects can completely overtake your days and make time to flow at a tremendously fast pace. On the other hand, we all have to read about stuff outside our area of interest from time to time, and that can be worse than trying to sleep on a music festival.

When trying to study about tedious topics, our mind turns into a perfect task avoiding machine. Our attention disappears altogether, and long-term memory suddenly stops working. Anything we read is forgotten even before we turn the next page. Luckily, many study-related cognitive skills can be trained and developed, and these trainings won’t only make you better at remembering tedious information but also more effective when learning about topics of personal interest.

These simple activities and exercises are capable of developing different forms of attention, long-term memory, as well as other study-related cognitive skills such as information processing and cognitive flexibility. Below you will find 8 ways by Wonderlic Test Prep to develop your cognitive skills.

1. Read Books
Reading books is a highly effective way to develop multiple cognitive skills, most importantly attention and long-term memory. Reading also improves your ability to process information. It doesn’t matter which books you read, as long as they aren’t some light reading material like love stories or beach friendly books, you’ll be fine.

The best way to read is always reading one novel and one nonfiction book at the same time. Whether you like history, technology, different branches of sciences, there are hundreds of quality nonfiction books that tackle plenty of interesting subjects. This way you will be able to improve your studying skills and also learn something as well. And also, try reading interesting online articles that deal with science and technology. Just take your time and think about the info presented in those articles instead just scrolling the first couple of paragraphs and then switching to something else. By slowly and comprehensively reading online articles you will develop attention and widen your attention span, which is quite important for studying effectively.

Reserve a couple of hours each day for reading and then stick to the schedule, try reading before going to sleep and during job breaks or in between classes. Use the time you would spend on scrolling your Instagram feed on reading books.

2. Listen to podcasts

Podcasts are great. There are literally thousands of different podcasts online, and all (or most of them) are free to listen to. No matter what topics are in your area of interest, you are guaranteed to find a couple of podcasts you can regularly listen to. And they are great for developing cognitive skills.
You see, if you listen to a podcast while commuting, during strolls, or when doing something else you can develop your multiple simultaneous attention (the ability to multitask successfully). Just try following a podcast while doing something else and over time you will become able to actually remember what you’ve listened to while doing the secondary task (working out, strolling through the park, etc.). And when you notice you can actively follow the discussion and remember it afterward, you’ll know your memory and attention got upgraded.

3. Listen to favorite music

It is well known that listening to classical music helps in developing attention and maintaining it over long periods of time. But it doesn’t matter if your taste lies in some other music genre. You can develop attention by listening to your favorite music regardless of the genre, just be attentive.

Try carefully listening to lyrics, or thinking about the songs’ structure. Follow the flow of different songs and analyze their melodic constructions and progression. This way you won’t simply develop attention but information processing too.

4. Meditate

Meditation is great not just for relaxing and coping with everyday stress but also for improving our memory recall ability. Mindfulness meditation has proven to have positive effects on memory recall by improving emotional reactions, enabling us to better focus our attention towards active tasks, according to multiple studies.

Meditation can also help us to be better at remembering information and according to one study“mindfulness meditators more quickly adjusted the brain wave that screens out distraction could explain their superior ability to remember and incorporate new facts rapidly.” So, learn about mindfulness meditation here and here and then start practicing it. Results will come after just a couple of sessions.

5. Train your cognitive skills by taking cognitive tests

The brain is a muscle, and all muscles need training in order for them to grow stronger. And brain training means taking various cognitive tests many of which can be accessed online. Memory tests are quite good, so are various cognitive training apps available for smartphones.Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is another good way to develop every cognitive skill because it is a broad test that conveys almost every cognitive ability.

6. Stay hydrated and exercise

Yes, staying hydrated increases your attention span and helps you focusing on a subject for more extended periods of time. It also enables you to develop long-term memory. And physical exercise also has lots of positive effects on cognitive skills because it makes us focused and persevered in order to complete tough, physical activities.
It doesn’t matter which type of exercise you prefer. Running, swimming, weights, other types of cardio training are all fine. Just make sure to exercise at least four times per week, about an hour per session.

7. Takes notes in longhand

Taking notes in longhand instead on a laptop makes you actively thinking about the subject, processing information while taking notes, and reframing information in your own words which can be beneficial later, during studying.

8. A couple of bonus tips

You should drink coffee, tea, or chewing gum while studying. This helps us at focusing, at retaining information longer, and at being better in information processing.

Write what you learn in hand, or repeat information aloud, whatever suits you more. This way you will actively repeat what you learned and also think about it. In the first case (writing) you will think about what your write and in the second case (repeating aloud) you will listen to the information. Both ways help to remember information better.

Chunking technique can help to remember long and unrelated lists. This technique works by organizing the information in different groups, or chunks. For instance, if you study about great European empires, you can divide them based on location (Southern Europe, Western Europe, etc.) or based on eras they thrived (classical era, medieval era, Renaissance, etc.).

And probably the most important piece of advice of them all. If you want your attention and memory to be at their best make sure to have enough sleep. No matter how much you love the subject you have to study about, or how much you trained your attention and memory if you are sleepy your brain will not be able to work at its peak performance. 7-9 hours of sleep every night is extremely important for your brain to function at its max performance.

Author Bio: Mike Taylor is the content manager of Wonderlic Test Prep. He likes to stay up to the speed with education and related topics and has been contributing in the same since a decade now.

7 Tips to Help You Overcome Difficulties with Coursework Writing

9/30/2018

What’s the most challenging part of your studies? Is it the studying itself? Is it the busy schedule that leaves no personal space? If you think about it, it’s both these things, but there’s something that makes it even more difficult for you to cope with the time constraints: coursework.

Every course you take comes with assignments, presentations, essays, case studies, term papers, article critiques, and whatnot.

What Difficulties Do Students Face with Coursework?These projects are challenging from multiple aspects:

Lack of time is the greatest problem. When there are multiple classes to take throughout the day and studying material to cover in the afternoon, the student doesn’t have time and energy to work on an essay.
The professors don't give precise instructions on how to complete a case study. Yes; the student can search for online guidelines, but that means investing more time in the project.
Some students can’t write. They just need more practice. But the coursework is not practice. It’s being graded and it causes a lot of stress.

So how do you overcome these difficulties? We’ll give you 7 practical solutions.

7 Tips for Coursework Writing

1. Understand the Type of Project
Before you start working on a particular project, you have to ask yourself: what kind of coursework is this? Your professor gave you basic instructions. Take them as your foundation and find online tips to clarify the challenge. Find out what structure the paper should have. A 5-paragraph essay, for example, is consisted of an introduction with a thesis statement, three paragraphs of the body, and a conclusion.

2.   Do Preliminary Research
You have a theme, but you have to narrow it down. If, for example, you’re supposed to write a term paper about Africa for your geography course, you can’t just name it The Geography of Africa. It’s too general. You’ll choose a specific aspect of that theme and you’ll work on it.
To choose that aspect, you need to do preliminary research. The Internet gives you all sorts of information. Find an angle that really gets your attention. Make sure there are enough resources to deal with. This step will help you choose the coursework title, form the thesis statement, and start the process.

3. Don’t Forget the Outline
It’s easy to skip this step, since you think it’s not visible in the end result. But it is! The outline gives you the focus you need. It will prevent you from making digressions. It keeps you on track, so you’ll prove your thesis statement.
The outline should identify the structure of the coursework. What are you going to write about in each part?

4. Manage Your Time
You have to start planning the completion of your coursework as soon as your professor assigns it. Do the preliminary research and craft the outline the very same day.
Then, map the process in your calendar. Mark the deadline in red. You have several days by then. Plan to complete small parts of the project every single day, so you’ll cover the process step by step. This is the recipe for overcoming stress. You complete small sections of work that don’t seem overwhelming.

5.   Always Edit!
You may believe you didn’t make mistakes since you were careful. But as you read through the text, you’ll notice grammar and spelling issues.
Moreover, you’ll also notice inconsistencies in style and form. Maybe there are gaps in the logical flow, so you’ll have to add more info to fill them in.

6.   Check for Plagiarism
You have to reference all sources you use according to the citation style you follow. But even when you do that, it’s still important to run your content through a plagiarism detection engine, so you’ll make sure it’s unique.

7.   Ask for Help When You Need It
You started on time, did the research, and crafted the outline. Somewhere along the writing process, you got stuck and you have no idea how to carry on with the project.
It’s okay. There’s still a solution. When you can’t complete your coursework, you can get help from an assignment writing service. The professional writer will take your guidelines. They will write unique content, but they will also offer valuable writing tips that will boost your self-confidence regarding coursework.

Remember: whatever difficulties you’re facing with coursework, it’s possible to overcome them. You just need to approach this with the right mindset. Believe in yourself. You’ve got this!

Author Bio: Barbara Mitchell is a freelance writer and a tutor. Her students take most of the time, but she still finds time for blogging. Teaching and blogging - those are the things that matter.

Reach Higher at Tacoma Community College

9/24/2018

Since 1965, Tacoma Community College has offered students the opportunity to receive top-notch college education close home—and at an affordable cost. They've educated more than 500,000 students since we started, adding programs, expanding our campus and ensuring that we grow right along with our students.
Located near Seattle, Tacoma is the 3rd largest city in Washington State. Tacoma Community College (TCC) has consistently been ranked as one of America’s top 50 Community Colleges. In 2010, we were ranked as the #1 Community College in Washington State. The area is rich with cultural diversity and many recreational activities. Our climate allows for visits to the beach, boating and hiking in summer, and skiing and snowboarding in winter. TCC’s campus puts you near the heart of Tacoma, close to theaters, museums, cafés, waterfront restaurants, outlet malls, and a vibrant international district.
TCC provides a cost-effective way for students to start their college career and has been recognized for its academic excellence, service to veterans and more.

Why Should You Choose Tacoma Community College?

No TOEFL/IELTS score required
Low cost, high quality, guaranteed transferable education
Easy online application
I-20 issued in 2 business days
Free tutoring services
Excellent student support
Safe, beautiful location ideal for studying
Exceptional home stay program
Total enrollment: 9,000
International students: nearly 400, from more than 40 different countries
Student Clubs

TCC can put you on the path to success, whether it’s through a two-year degree, a new career, or helping you start your four-year university education.
Apply at Tacoma Community College today through our StudyUSA+ Platform.
With our StudyUSA+ you can apply to various reputable U.S. universities and programs with one master application, communicate directly with your schools, complete the entire admission and enrollment process, and receive admission, visa and enrollment support for every step of the way. No agent needed.

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Learn English and pursue an associate degree at Fox Valley Tech

9/10/2018

Fox Valley Technical College welcomes international students! They offer a fully-accredited Intensive English Program, as well as over 200 Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees and programs to choose from, with excellent 2+2 credit transfer to 4-year universities. Starting at FVTC is the smart, affordable way to the career of your dreams. Interested in learning English? Their Intensive English Program certificates will help you learn English and prepare you for college classes.
At Fox Valley Tech, there is no need to apply for a scholarship to enter. Their tuition is one of the most affordable in the nation, making your final cost less than half of other universities. They invite you to compare their tuition of only $5,500 USD and see for yourself how starting at FVTC will save you money. They provide relevant technical education and training to support student goals, a skilled workforce, and the economic vitality of our communities.
Whatever success means to you, they can help you find it. Dream Big. Apply Now through our StudyUSA+ platform.
StudyUSA+ is ready to take you through the entire application, admission and enrollment process with one application form and you can do it in one place.

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Online admissions support

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Fox Valley Technical College is waiting for your application. Are you ready? Let’s get started with StudyUSA+.

For more information: Fox Valley Technical College

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