How Virtual Reality Chemistry Could Impact Your Education

How Virtual Reality Chemistry Could Impact Your EducationVirtual Reality Chemistry is currently one of the most popular science learning tools. There is a very simple explanation as to why people are so interested in it. In order to be successful in the field of chemistry, one must not only be good at reading, writing, and arithmetic but also have the ability to interpret what they have learned.It is not hard to imagine how Virtual Reality Chemistry might impact our lives. Although it was originally developed for computer games, the potential uses of the tool is much greater than what is possible with computer games.In Virtual Reality Chemistry, everything is real and things like substances will react in a totally different way than it would with a real substance. Think about an organic chemistry equation. If you were to try to read it, you would discover it is a very difficult task, you would be forced to rely on a person to help you. With a Virtual Reality Chemistry, everything is going to be laid out for you on a screen in front of you.One could look at a single molecule and determine its properties and reactions. It would be much easier for someone to understand and follow what is going on when they are looking at one. They would be able to visualize the reactions happening and how they would relate to the user. Now the possibility of getting information out of the exact variables can be much easier.In addition to the obvious benefit of getting information out of the variables, it is also important to learn more about the reaction of one's theory with the actual outcome. The Virtual Reality Chemistry is going to provide you with a classroom environment to learn a little more about the substance. Imagine, all you would have to do is use your 'brain' to understand something.Another advantage of Virtual Reality Chemistry is the fact that it is based on fact, not fantasy. No one is going to believe what you think, even if you are correct. Instead, you would onl y see reality when it happens to you, with all the excitement and adrenaline that come with it. You will be surprised at how interested people will be in learning more about the subject.What a lot of people are finding about Virtual Reality Chemistry is that it is a very beneficial learning tool. It is something that could change the way education works. In the future, we could learn more about the reactions of one substance, not based on fancy drawings and charts but instead based on something real, on the types of substances. To put it another way, the possibilities are endless.

How to Boost Your Reading Comprehension

How to Boost Your Reading Comprehension Improving Academic Performance Reading comprehension is one of those critical skills that you use on a daily basis. Many may think that simply reading will help strengthen their reading comprehension skills, but that isn’t necessarily true. Reading comprehension goes beyond reading and understanding the words that make up a sentence. Reading comprehension involves deciphering the topic and purpose of the sentence, paragraph, or article at hand. Without reading actively -- that is reading, remembering, and analyzing what you’ve read -- your reading comprehension skills won’t improve very much. So, how can you learn to read actively? Take a look at the tips and strategies listed below to learn how to read actively. Preview Your Text Do you habitually skip the summaries and focus questions at the beginning of your textbook chapter? Don’t! These summaries and guided questions are there to help you read smarter! Before diving in and reading an article or text in its entirety, take time to briefly preview the chapter summaries and guided questions. If you are reading an article or a book, preview the text by reading the title and the paragraph titles. Previewing the text prior to reading it in length will give you a basic understanding of the main topic and/or purpose of the text. Educators at Education Corner write that reading the introduction, table of contents, chapter headings, and bold print can be strong indicators of what the main topics of a text will be. Knowing what the main topics and main purposes are ahead of time will help you to determine what information to pay close attention to and how the text will develop. Jot Down Questions Now that you have a general idea of what the main topics of the text are, rewrite the chapter titles, chapter subtitles, and paragraph headings into questions. For example, a chapter title that reads “Principles of Macroeconomics” can be easily rephrased into a question: ‘What are the principles of macroeconomics?”. Jotting down questions prior to reading a text in full will help you navigate what the main points are, and what information you should take away once you’ve completed reading the text. Read! Previewing and jotting down questions will help prime you on what to expect in the text. You’re all set to beginning reading. When reading, pay close attention to the first and last sentence of every paragraph. The first sentence often introduces what the main topic of the paragraph is, and the last sentence typically summarizes the main point and indicates the direction the next paragraph is going to take. The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University recommends bracketing the main idea of the reading, writing notes in the margins, and creating an outline of the reading to aid in conceptually understanding the reading. The key to active reading is making sure that you understand the main idea of the text, the function it serves, and how the main idea or main argument develops over the course of the reading. To track how the main idea develops, keep note of pivotal words such as additive words (and, also, furthermore), compare/contrast words (conversely, despite, however), and cause-and-effect words (accordingly, because, hence). When you see these words, pay attention! These words are important because they indicate the direction of the main idea. To review more pivotal words, check out the pivotal words guide published by Dartmouth College. Recall What You’ve Read After you have finished reading your text, take some time to write a brief summary. Your summary shouldn’t exceed one page. In your summary, recall the main idea of the text, the main purpose of the text, the points that the text brought up, and important details. Writing a summary of the text does two things: 1) it gives you an opportunity to check whether or not you fully understand the text and the argument. 2) you have a summary that you can quickly review when preparing for exams. If you're summary indicates that you didn't fully understand the text, go back and re-read it. It may take two or three times reading an article before you can clearly identify the main idea. If this occurs, try breaking up the reading in chunks and deciphering the main idea of each paragraph. Once you've identified the main idea of each paragraph, string the ideas together to help you understand the text as a whole. Review The most effective way to retain the text that you’ve read is to review the text or your summary. Revisit your summary and quiz yourself on how much you remember about the text and the main points that the text addresses. If there are some points or concepts that you don’t fully understand, review the text. Take the review process a step further by spending time posing questions about the main idea, teasing out the assumptions that the author makes in her text, and real-world applications of the concepts presented in the text. This extra step will help you to have a stronger understanding of text, and will help you retain the main ideas of the text. Reading actively takes practice and time. Practice utilizing these tips and strategies and you’ll start to see your reading comprehension strengthen! About the Author Banke is one of MyGuru's most accomplished tutors, as well as a frequent blog contributor. For more information on Banke's background and tutoring experience, click here.

10 English Collocations with Say ?? - Learn English with Harry

10 English Collocations with Say ?? - Learn English with Harry Today, Im talking to you about English collocations and in particular 10 English collocations with Say.So there are lots and lots of these collocations to go through and Ill try and give you some helpful examples. 10 Collocations with Say So the first one is:say somethingSomebody is sitting there and theyre silent, perhaps in a class and the teacher says:Say something! Or if youve just heard some bad news and the persons waiting for a reaction, they are very quiet. They say:Please just say something.So say something and then the opposite of that:say nothingIf you dont want to get into trouble with your parents, say nothing.  If somebody insults you or says something bad, say nothing. Dont respond.This is what my parents always used to tell me never work cause I always got into trouble. But they always used to tell me, say nothing.So say something and then the opposite say nothing.Or indeed you can say anything or have you anything to say so you can turn them around.When youre preparing, for example, an English exam, its not about what you say, its about how you see it.So your teacher might say:Do you want to say anything? Say, talk about your family or talk about your job. Say anything. And of course we can all always  say sorrySo when somebody does something or one of your children does something, you always tell them:Say sorry, theyll understand.So if you hit your brother by accident or you take something from your sister or you dont share the sweets.Say sorry as if you mean it. Thats what I always hear. Theres no point saying oh, sorry. Im sorry.say a wordWe usually use this in the negative. Dont say a word.So somebody says:I dont want to hear it. I know what happened. I shouldnt have backed the car out onto the street without looking. So I know it was my fault. Dont say a word. Im already upset. 10 English Collocations with Say say for sureSo we, again, we might use this in the negative.I cant say for sure and we use it also I cant say for certain. That is very, very similar.So are you going to join us for dinner on Friday?I cant say for sure at the moment because Im waiting to hear from my brother. I cant say for certain, but hes got to ring back because I just dont know with him. So theyve got really the the same meaning cant say for certain and I cant say for sure.And then we also have tosay hello or say goodbyeSo these are greetings that we use. The parents might tell their children when theyre bringing them up or theyre trying to instruct them about good manners.When you go to the house, say hello. If somebody says something to you, say hello. And when youre leaving, please say goodbye. Remember your manners, please say goodbye. say thank youSo when you get something, thank you.And when you want somethingsay pleaseSo these are all instructions that we give our children.Say please, say thank you. Say He llo and say Goodbye.And of course we cansay yes and we can say noSo these are just very simple.Say Hello. Say Goodbye. Say Yes. Say No. Say please. And say thank you. So weve got all of these 10 English collocations with say. Let me just run through them with you again just one more time:say somethingsay nothingsay anythingsay sorrydont say a word or I never say a wordsay for suresay for certainsay Goodbyesay Hellosay thank yousay pleasesay yes and say noSo as always, join me on my YouTube channel Learn English with Harry and visit me at www.englishlessonviaskype.com and Ill catch up with you again soon.

Its fine

It’s fine The limits of my language are the limits of my world” “Die grenzen meiner sprache sind die grenzen meiner welt” .- Ludwig Wittgenstein; Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (section 5.6) How often do you go through your day encountering something that creates a response of “that’s fine”? By this I mean “oh, it doesn’t matter, it’s fine, there is nothing to be done about it”. Lets enter the theater of the mind for a second: A: “Hey, sorry I forgot to mention yesterday, but I can’t come to your birthday party after all” B: “Oh, okay, don’t worry about it. It’s fine” or: A: “Is that vase supposed to be cracked like that?” B: “Oh yeah, that’s fine” Think about this for a moment: we routinely encounter situations which we decide to ignore. “It’s fine”, “it doesn’t matter”. All of these statements communicate a  mental event the resolution of potential tension in one’s mind. Having taken a few classes in Blackfoot as a team, we have stumbled on a particularly poignant example of how the language you speak subtly shapes your attitudes and understanding of the world: “it’s fine”. This came about from learning the phrase in Blackfoot: “maatohkaiki”. The structure of word formation in Blackfoot is such that elements are added together to produce single words that produce complex ideas. This feature of the language is called “agglutination”, a feature present in Turkish, Japanese, Malay, Tagalog, Finnish, Estonian, and many others. Even English displays some features of this, for example in the word “un-wholesome-ness”. Maatohkaiki, broken down by element, is roughly equivalent to the phrase “I’m not doing anything about it”. This, of course, struck us as very indicative of what, as language nerds often do, one can derive from a closer look at the particulars of a language one uses casually. So, what can we learn from this? The phrase accomplishes the same task in each language, but, buried deep in the deceptively simple expression, there is a window to a fascinatingly diverse worldview. What can we tell from “it’s fine” or “it doesn’t matter” in English? First of all it is a declarative statement about the outside world. The thing out there possesses a state: mattering or not mattering, being fine or not fine. The phrase declares a state, judged and evaluated by the subject: “it’s fine”. That evaluation is loaded with meaning is the state of the world “correct” or “acceptable”, or is it not? The Blackfoot interpretation is subtly, but significantly different: “I am not doing anything about it” the distinction is not based so much in evaluation, as it is in decision of action. Action, in this case, is the vehicle through which meaning is imparted on the situation or object. Meaning is created and given to the outside world through the action of the subject. Let’s add just one more element of complexity for illustrative purposes: Mandarin Chinese The equivalent phrase here is “???” (méi guan xi) - or “no relationship”, meaning that a certain thing does not matter; has “no relationship” to another thing. The first character means “lack of” and the following two “relationship”. The emphasis of the world view becomes very apparent here: the world is made of relationships, and the speaker is filtering the world through this model. “Chinese culture looks primarily at relationships” is a statement that bears repeating in this case. So, what? It makes sense, then, that a native speaker of any of these languages would internalize their understanding of the simple phrase differently from speakers of other languages. The language of one’s thoughts shape her world in a distinctive way. Of course, a language is filled with these subtle colors, shaping our perception during the language acquisition phase of our childhoods. The beginning example, seen through this lens, can be now re-interpreted: A: “Hey, sorry I forgot to mention yesterday, but I can’t come to your birthday party after all” B: “Oh, okay, don’t worry, I’m not doing anything about it” Or B: “Oh, okay, don’t worry, it has no relationship to me” A: “Is that vase supposed to be cracked like that?” B: “Yeah, I’m not doing anything about it” Or B: “Sure, it has no relationship to me” These re-interpretations do seem to convey a contrast in attitude and perception of the world. Such subtle differences are almost imperceptible to a monolingual speaker. It is only in the learning of foreign languages do we start seeing these changes in perceptions, the way our own minds shift subtly with every new language. We learn from contrast. Seeing the world through another’s eyes is a difficult but necessary task. In order to build productive relationships with those around us, the ability to see the the world as they do is a powerful tool. It is a tool of cooperation and understanding. It seems that a great way to do this is to keep learning no languages and vocabularies. With each new word, our world expands and becomes just a shade more flexible, a bit more capable of empathy and understanding.   It’s fine The limits of my language are the limits of my world” “Die grenzen meiner sprache sind die grenzen meiner welt” .- Ludwig Wittgenstein; Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (section 5.6) How often do you go through your day encountering something that creates a response of “that’s fine”? By this I mean “oh, it doesn’t matter, it’s fine, there is nothing to be done about it”. Lets enter the theater of the mind for a second: A: “Hey, sorry I forgot to mention yesterday, but I can’t come to your birthday party after all” B: “Oh, okay, don’t worry about it. It’s fine” or: A: “Is that vase supposed to be cracked like that?” B: “Oh yeah, that’s fine” Think about this for a moment: we routinely encounter situations which we decide to ignore. “It’s fine”, “it doesn’t matter”. All of these statements communicate a  mental event the resolution of potential tension in one’s mind. Having taken a few classes in Blackfoot as a team, we have stumbled on a particularly poignant example of how the language you speak subtly shapes your attitudes and understanding of the world: “it’s fine”. This came about from learning the phrase in Blackfoot: “maatohkaiki”. The structure of word formation in Blackfoot is such that elements are added together to produce single words that produce complex ideas. This feature of the language is called “agglutination”, a feature present in Turkish, Japanese, Malay, Tagalog, Finnish, Estonian, and many others. Even English displays some features of this, for example in the word “un-wholesome-ness”. Maatohkaiki, broken down by element, is roughly equivalent to the phrase “I’m not doing anything about it”. This, of course, struck us as very indicative of what, as language nerds often do, one can derive from a closer look at the particulars of a language one uses casually. So, what can we learn from this? The phrase accomplishes the same task in each language, but, buried deep in the deceptively simple expression, there is a window to a fascinatingly diverse worldview. What can we tell from “it’s fine” or “it doesn’t matter” in English? First of all it is a declarative statement about the outside world. The thing out there possesses a state: mattering or not mattering, being fine or not fine. The phrase declares a state, judged and evaluated by the subject: “it’s fine”. That evaluation is loaded with meaning is the state of the world “correct” or “acceptable”, or is it not? The Blackfoot interpretation is subtly, but significantly different: “I am not doing anything about it” the distinction is not based so much in evaluation, as it is in decision of action. Action, in this case, is the vehicle through which meaning is imparted on the situation or object. Meaning is created and given to the outside world through the action of the subject. Let’s add just one more element of complexity for illustrative purposes: Mandarin Chinese The equivalent phrase here is “???” (méi guan xi) - or “no relationship”, meaning that a certain thing does not matter; has “no relationship” to another thing. The first character means “lack of” and the following two “relationship”. The emphasis of the world view becomes very apparent here: the world is made of relationships, and the speaker is filtering the world through this model. “Chinese culture looks primarily at relationships” is a statement that bears repeating in this case. So, what? It makes sense, then, that a native speaker of any of these languages would internalize their understanding of the simple phrase differently from speakers of other languages. The language of one’s thoughts shape her world in a distinctive way. Of course, a language is filled with these subtle colors, shaping our perception during the language acquisition phase of our childhoods. The beginning example, seen through this lens, can be now re-interpreted: A: “Hey, sorry I forgot to mention yesterday, but I can’t come to your birthday party after all” B: “Oh, okay, don’t worry, I’m not doing anything about it” Or B: “Oh, okay, don’t worry, it has no relationship to me” A: “Is that vase supposed to be cracked like that?” B: “Yeah, I’m not doing anything about it” Or B: “Sure, it has no relationship to me” These re-interpretations do seem to convey a contrast in attitude and perception of the world. Such subtle differences are almost imperceptible to a monolingual speaker. It is only in the learning of foreign languages do we start seeing these changes in perceptions, the way our own minds shift subtly with every new language. We learn from contrast. Seeing the world through another’s eyes is a difficult but necessary task. In order to build productive relationships with those around us, the ability to see the the world as they do is a powerful tool. It is a tool of cooperation and understanding. It seems that a great way to do this is to keep learning no languages and vocabularies. With each new word, our world expands and becomes just a shade more flexible, a bit more capable of empathy and understanding.  

Deciding between public schools private schools in Abu Dhabi

Deciding between public schools private schools in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi attracts professionals from the global education community to the region on a frequent basis; Teach Away helps thousands of teachers land exciting opportunities in Abu Dhabi every year. These opportunities include positions for highly experienced education leaders as well as positions for elementary school teachers with only a few years of teaching experience. All of these jobs are either at private schools or public schools. Understanding the benefits of employment at both private and public schools in Abu Dhabi will help educators make more informed decisions when pursuing teaching work in the Middle East.Benefits of Teaching in Abu Dhabi Public SchoolsFantastic salaries and benefitsBe part of the UAE’s education reform - there are a lot of very excited teachers with the chance to help shape the new learning system in Abu Dhabi!Lots of opportunity - Teach Away posts hundreds of vacancies in Abu Dhabi every year, reviews applications regularly, and interviews candidates for public school positions several times throughout the yearJoin a very active and connected community of educators - teachers meet and converse prior to going abroad Extensive support during arrival and departure, including massive orientation events during your first week abroadBenefits of Teaching in Abu Dhabi Private SchoolsFollow a familiar curriculum from your home country (private American international schools will follow a curriculum from or based on education in the United States)Competitive salaries and benefits Interview directly with the specific school and hiring director or principal - teachers heading to Abu Dhabi private schools know exactly where they’re going (including the name of their school) and can connect with staff at their school before even arrivingEnjoy amazing resources and facilities at most private schools - amenities like gyms, computer labs, and theatres are commonOnboard with a thorough, fun, and very personal orientation program that might even include a trip to the desert to ride ATVs on the dunes! Teach in a familiar environment to home in terms of structure, schedule, and students Communicate clearly with parents, who are mostly English-speaking expatsMove and live with your family - in some cases children of teachers are offered schooling at the hiring private school  Both public and private schools in Abu Dhabi have a lot to offer their employees. When deciding between them, it’s all about finding which is the better fit for you. If you want to teach a familiar curriculum and to know exactly where you’ll be teaching before you fly overseas, then private schools are probably the better choice for you. If you’re looking to contribute to and experience a massive education reformation, then landing employment in an Abu Dhabi public school should be your priority.  See our current Abu Dhabi teaching jobs here.

5 Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam

5 Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam Tips From an Orange County AP Tutor: Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam Although nearly every student of the SAT and ACT will take multiple practice exams, many AP students don’t take a full-length practice exam in its entirety until the real test in May. There are several reasons students fail to take a practice test for any given AP subject. For example, they feel they have gotten enough help from their classroom teacher at school, they are already exhausted from taking multiple SAT or ACT practice exams, or it’s their first Advanced Placement experience. However, failure to take at least one full-length practice test leaves students in a bad spot when it comes time for the real exam need further help on you AP exam? Book your Orange County private AP tutor today. Reason #1 Get a realistic view of your score Many students dont understand the grading process for AP or how much each section counts for. The only way a student can truly find out what their expected score will be is to sit down and take a full length test. So many students feel confident they will get a 4 or 5, but come home with a 2 or a 1, neither of which counts towards college credit. However, students who take a practice test in advance have time to work with their tutor on their test prep skills (READ: AP Exams and the DBQ: How to Improve). Reason #2- Get used to sitting for a very, very long time Students in AP classes, especially those taking their first AP, forget how long the actual test it is. Of course, students who have already taken the SAT will have some idea of what its like to sit for extended periods, however, its a good idea to think about issues such as mental fatigue, back and hip pain, and other issues associated with taking long standardized tests in one sitting. Reason #3- General test prep Students who are taking their first AP exam are probably not familiar with test prep techniques. A big portion of the multiple-choice exam is basically learning about these techniques. If terms like ‘process of elimination’, ‘going with your gut’, ‘looking for evidence’, and ‘choosing the best option’ are not intimately familiar, the student is in need of more practice. A private tutor can sit down with the AP student and explain why certain answer choices are there to confuse them and why and how to eliminate these answer choices. This can make a big difference on test day and can also help prepare AP students for the all-important SAT and ACT exams later on (CLICK: AP English Language and Composition Exam: 101 Key Terms). Reason #4- Each AP classroom experience is different Each AP class will be a little different. Although teachers have a certain syllabus and rubric they are required to follow, every educator has a different teaching style. Some will focus on the essay while others may work on test prep techniques. Some will be easy graders and others may be exceedingly strict. The issue with this is that the AP test is standardized, meaning it will be the same throughout the country. On the real test theres no room for leniency, different grading styles, or anything other than the standard rubric for the AP exam. Reason #5- One chance and only one chance Students taking the SAT and ACT often have to take it two or three times. This has become fairly normal and takes quite a bit of pressure off of students who dont do that well on the exam the first time around. In fact, students who happen to have an ‘off’ day when they take the SAT simply never show that particular score to colleges they are applying to and no real harm is done. However, there is one chance and only one chance to take the AP exams. Students who are unprepared will have to find a way to get it together for the exam or risk losing a full year of college level study (READ: Ask a Nerd! Grades and AP Class). Bottom line Choosing to take an AP class and exam is a big responsibility. Although many students dont want to spend multiple hours sitting down to take a full length AP practice exam, theyre advised to remember that if they dont score at least a 3 on the exam they will lose their college credit option. This means that they may have traded those few hours one day in high school for an entire semester of Math or English 101. At the end of the day a practice test is totally worth it. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about. 5 Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam Tips From an Orange County AP Tutor: Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam Although nearly every student of the SAT and ACT will take multiple practice exams, many AP students don’t take a full-length practice exam in its entirety until the real test in May. There are several reasons students fail to take a practice test for any given AP subject. For example, they feel they have gotten enough help from their classroom teacher at school, they are already exhausted from taking multiple SAT or ACT practice exams, or it’s their first Advanced Placement experience. However, failure to take at least one full-length practice test leaves students in a bad spot when it comes time for the real exam need further help on you AP exam? Book your Orange County private AP tutor today. Reason #1 Get a realistic view of your score Many students dont understand the grading process for AP or how much each section counts for. The only way a student can truly find out what their expected score will be is to sit down and take a full length test. So many students feel confident they will get a 4 or 5, but come home with a 2 or a 1, neither of which counts towards college credit. However, students who take a practice test in advance have time to work with their tutor on their test prep skills (READ: AP Exams and the DBQ: How to Improve). Reason #2- Get used to sitting for a very, very long time Students in AP classes, especially those taking their first AP, forget how long the actual test it is. Of course, students who have already taken the SAT will have some idea of what its like to sit for extended periods, however, its a good idea to think about issues such as mental fatigue, back and hip pain, and other issues associated with taking long standardized tests in one sitting. Reason #3- General test prep Students who are taking their first AP exam are probably not familiar with test prep techniques. A big portion of the multiple-choice exam is basically learning about these techniques. If terms like ‘process of elimination’, ‘going with your gut’, ‘looking for evidence’, and ‘choosing the best option’ are not intimately familiar, the student is in need of more practice. A private tutor can sit down with the AP student and explain why certain answer choices are there to confuse them and why and how to eliminate these answer choices. This can make a big difference on test day and can also help prepare AP students for the all-important SAT and ACT exams later on (CLICK: AP English Language and Composition Exam: 101 Key Terms). Reason #4- Each AP classroom experience is different Each AP class will be a little different. Although teachers have a certain syllabus and rubric they are required to follow, every educator has a different teaching style. Some will focus on the essay while others may work on test prep techniques. Some will be easy graders and others may be exceedingly strict. The issue with this is that the AP test is standardized, meaning it will be the same throughout the country. On the real test theres no room for leniency, different grading styles, or anything other than the standard rubric for the AP exam. Reason #5- One chance and only one chance Students taking the SAT and ACT often have to take it two or three times. This has become fairly normal and takes quite a bit of pressure off of students who dont do that well on the exam the first time around. In fact, students who happen to have an ‘off’ day when they take the SAT simply never show that particular score to colleges they are applying to and no real harm is done. However, there is one chance and only one chance to take the AP exams. Students who are unprepared will have to find a way to get it together for the exam or risk losing a full year of college level study (READ: Ask a Nerd! Grades and AP Class). Bottom line Choosing to take an AP class and exam is a big responsibility. Although many students dont want to spend multiple hours sitting down to take a full length AP practice exam, theyre advised to remember that if they dont score at least a 3 on the exam they will lose their college credit option. This means that they may have traded those few hours one day in high school for an entire semester of Math or English 101. At the end of the day a practice test is totally worth it. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about. 5 Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam Tips From an Orange County AP Tutor: Reasons to take a Practice Test before taking the AP Exam Although nearly every student of the SAT and ACT will take multiple practice exams, many AP students don’t take a full-length practice exam in its entirety until the real test in May. There are several reasons students fail to take a practice test for any given AP subject. For example, they feel they have gotten enough help from their classroom teacher at school, they are already exhausted from taking multiple SAT or ACT practice exams, or it’s their first Advanced Placement experience. However, failure to take at least one full-length practice test leaves students in a bad spot when it comes time for the real exam need further help on you AP exam? Book your Orange County private AP tutor today. Reason #1 Get a realistic view of your score Many students dont understand the grading process for AP or how much each section counts for. The only way a student can truly find out what their expected score will be is to sit down and take a full length test. So many students feel confident they will get a 4 or 5, but come home with a 2 or a 1, neither of which counts towards college credit. However, students who take a practice test in advance have time to work with their tutor on their test prep skills (READ: AP Exams and the DBQ: How to Improve). Reason #2- Get used to sitting for a very, very long time Students in AP classes, especially those taking their first AP, forget how long the actual test it is. Of course, students who have already taken the SAT will have some idea of what its like to sit for extended periods, however, its a good idea to think about issues such as mental fatigue, back and hip pain, and other issues associated with taking long standardized tests in one sitting. Reason #3- General test prep Students who are taking their first AP exam are probably not familiar with test prep techniques. A big portion of the multiple-choice exam is basically learning about these techniques. If terms like ‘process of elimination’, ‘going with your gut’, ‘looking for evidence’, and ‘choosing the best option’ are not intimately familiar, the student is in need of more practice. A private tutor can sit down with the AP student and explain why certain answer choices are there to confuse them and why and how to eliminate these answer choices. This can make a big difference on test day and can also help prepare AP students for the all-important SAT and ACT exams later on (CLICK: AP English Language and Composition Exam: 101 Key Terms). Reason #4- Each AP classroom experience is different Each AP class will be a little different. Although teachers have a certain syllabus and rubric they are required to follow, every educator has a different teaching style. Some will focus on the essay while others may work on test prep techniques. Some will be easy graders and others may be exceedingly strict. The issue with this is that the AP test is standardized, meaning it will be the same throughout the country. On the real test theres no room for leniency, different grading styles, or anything other than the standard rubric for the AP exam. Reason #5- One chance and only one chance Students taking the SAT and ACT often have to take it two or three times. This has become fairly normal and takes quite a bit of pressure off of students who dont do that well on the exam the first time around. In fact, students who happen to have an ‘off’ day when they take the SAT simply never show that particular score to colleges they are applying to and no real harm is done. However, there is one chance and only one chance to take the AP exams. Students who are unprepared will have to find a way to get it together for the exam or risk losing a full year of college level study (READ: Ask a Nerd! Grades and AP Class). Bottom line Choosing to take an AP class and exam is a big responsibility. Although many students dont want to spend multiple hours sitting down to take a full length AP practice exam, theyre advised to remember that if they dont score at least a 3 on the exam they will lose their college credit option. This means that they may have traded those few hours one day in high school for an entire semester of Math or English 101. At the end of the day a practice test is totally worth it. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about.

It`s Time To Get Your Weekend On

It`s Time To Get Your Weekend On Hi everyone, its time to clock off, wind down and get your weekend on. I`m so glad it`s the weekend, but when am I not? I have no particular plans, but what I love about United States is that you can find here whatever you want: music, sport, culture, cuisine, kitsch, wildlife, beaches, thrills For those who need to catch up on studying TutorZ has a team of tutors that covers all subjects and grade levels from elementary school subjects to college. Ready to get help from an expert? Find an experienced Tutor now. Have a fun weekend!