What is it Like to Attend University of Montana

What is it Like to Attend University of Montana The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Chelsea is a San Francisco-Bay Area tutor and 2012 graduate of the University of Montana. She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and specializes in algebra tutoring, psychology tutoring, and more. Check out what Chelsea had to say about her time at the University of Montana: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Chelsea: The University of Montana campus was in a mountainous city with lots of outdoor activities. I always felt safe there. Getting around near campus was always easy via car or public transportation (i.e. bus). There were also Park Ride buses paid for by the university (you park your car and take the bus to campus). All of the city buses were free to use. A bike was nice if you didnt have a car because the city and campus were very flat. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants at University of Montana? Chelsea: I never had a problem getting in touch with someone if I needed help, whether that was a professor (for help with an assignment), an advisor (for questions about my major or career advice), or an administrator (who was in charge of financial aid or admissions). If the first person you contacted couldnt help, they were always willing to give advice about who would be able to. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Chelsea: The location was absolutely beautiful, right on the Clark Fork River with plenty of opportunities to go outdoors (for hiking, skiing, snowboarding, fishing, camping, etc.), or to stay on campus for various events. Dorm life was active, with RAs who were involved and who helped with transitioning to college life. There were two major dining places on campus, and because of the size of the campus, I was never too far from either! Which majors/programs are best represented and supported at University of Montana? Chelsea: The University of Montana is primarily focused on the liberal arts subjects. I received my Bachelors degree in Psychology because of my personal interest in the subject and the variety of labs on campus. The university did a wonderful job providing support no matter what field of psychology you were interested in. Since I was more interested in the research side, I was easily able to get involved in several labs to assist with research projects. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Chelsea: As a freshman, it was easy to make friends because the university requires freshmen to take specific classes, which prompted me to interact with students. They also try to keep floors in the dorms specifically to freshmen. There is an event called WelcomeFest that has special events for everyone, but especially for freshmen. This helped us to get acclimated to campus and college life! How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Chelsea: The Career Center has a large office with several workshops going year-round to help with cover letters, resumes, and graduate school applications. There are two campuswide career fairs that go on every year. Some of the specific departments have individual career fairs, as well. As for reputable companies recruiting students, I would say yes. Many companies come specifically to the University of Montana because of its reputation for academics. How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Chelsea: There are several different places to study on campus. The library offers quiet floors or group study rooms. If you need a study room, its always a good idea to reserve them in advance, especially during the evenings and during the week. There was never a place that felt over-crowded, and a seat was always available. Describe the surrounding town at University of Montana. Chelsea: Missoula is a small town, but with something for everyone! The downtown area is where almost everything happenstrivia, art walks, several restaurants, live entertainment, and events. If youre going out on campus, there are plenty of events going on nightly through the student union, clubs, or dorms. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Chelsea: The student body is around 12,000 people. The major lecture halls are, at most, 100-150 students large. In the lower division classes, it was usually a larger student class (30-40), but in the upper division classes, it was often smaller (10-20). No matter what type of class, I always felt that I could reach the professor or student aide if I had a question. No matter what class size, questions were always welcomed! Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Chelsea: One of my favorite classes was my Intro to Computer Science class. The professor was one of the most engaging professors I have ever had. Not only did he drive my interest in the subject, but he challenged us to be successful. He was always available to answer questions, and he encouraged us to come by during office hours. I could tell he was teaching something he loved, making it easy to enjoy attending his class and finishing the assignments with ease. Check out Chelseas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How Achievements Help Introverts Demonstrate their Value in the Workplace - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Achievements Help Introverts Demonstrate their Value in the Workplace - Introvert Whisperer How Achievements Help Introverts Demonstrate their Value in the Workplace As an introvert and a naturally careful and astute observer, you may have noticed the sheer momentum of change in the workplace in recent years. Like typing a letter with an antiquated typewriter ribbon, or latching onto a job you think will whisk you along as you make a steady climb up the corporate ladder until retirement is a thing of the past. One of the most essential survival tools in today’s fast paced environment is entrepreneurial skill. While you don’t actually have to become an entrepreneur yourself, your task is to think like one. Your professional success depends on keeping yourself directed and creating your own professional opportunities. As an investor in your personal start-up, you will achieve a competitive edge by knowing how to market yourself and understanding what makes you standout.   Demonstrating your value to employers Employees must perform at the highest level by solving problems, delivering positive outcomes, and introducing and/or implementing innovations and new ideas. But that’s not all. Most important, they must shine a light on their accomplishments, as well as on their talents and skills that generated them. This can be particularly difficult for introverts, since achieving success in  this environment requires speaking up, and promoting oneself and one’s ideasâ€" areas they can find challenging. As a result, they tend to stand on the sidelines while social dynamos with the skills and confidence to take initiative and toot their own horns get the jobs, the promotions, and all the attention as demanded by our current extraverted work culture. But introverts are quite capable of getting recognition if they learn to promote their achievements.   Achievements: Your Life Awards One of the best ways for introverts to appreciate and understand how they add value in the workplace is through accomplishments. Throughout your life, you can no doubt list a variety of achievements of which you deserve to be proud. They might be personal accomplishments like learning to fix a flat tire, running a 5K, cooking a gourmet meal, and organizing a family event, or career-related successes like writing a proposal, training staff, introducing a new program, or creating a database. Whether simple or complex, achievements can instill a sense of pride and boost confidence. They also offer clues into your overall interests, skills, and values, and will generate words and phrases you can use to describe who you are, your unique talents and whatever your goals may be.   Achievement Exercise When I taught a Career Evaluation course at the University of Pennsylvania, I used myself to model the Achievement Exercise by listing three of my favorite achievements, and then asking my students for feedback on what they learned about me based upon these accomplishments. My Three Accomplishments Creating my first flower garden. Getting selected by my High School English Department to recite the Gettysburg Address before a large audience at the end of the town Memorial Parade. I managed it, in spite of my fears of being in the spotlight. Designing, planning, and presenting the first Career Discovery course for college students at the University of Pennsylvania I asked my students to boil down all this information to the essence of my key skills and values. The result was as follows: SKILLS: written and verbal communications, problem solving, public speaking, and counseling/advising, interviewing, teaching, processing, planning and researching. VALUES: creativity, recognition, and knowledge I have used their analysis many times since to respond to the request “Describe yourself” and to answer the question, “What are your strengths?” Keep in mind that you don’t have to be an Olympic champion to feel as if you’re accomplished. Achievements can be challenges that you’ve met, successes you’ve achieved in creating projects or initiatives, or even a simple act of kindness.   Your Achievements Write down at least three achievements that make you proud, plus the skills and values attached to each.   In high school, maybe you were on the track team, or wrote for the school paper, or served as class or club officer. In college, writing an outstanding research paper, studying abroad, and volunteering for Habitat for Humanity are all examples of major achievements. At work, consider your successes with challenging projects or tasks, reports, presentations, leadership roles, and innovations. You may also want to ask colleagues or friends to review your list and see if they can add othersâ€"As an introvert, you might well have overlooked some gems. Knowing exactly what to say about your achievements will easily reflect your added value to employersâ€"as you meet people who can support you in your job search, or as you promote your career.  So get out of your introverted modesty zone and give your ego an overdue massage as you take pride in your many accomplishments. Author Bio: Jane Finkle is a career coach, speaker and author with over 25 years of experience helping clients with career assessment and workplace adjustment. Jane served as Associate Director of Career services at the University of Pennsylvania where she created and led the Wharton Career Discovery seminar, and served as liaison to recruiters from major corporations. She has been published in the Huffington Post, Adirondack Life, Talent Development and mindbodygreen.  Her newest book is The Introverts Complete Career Guide. www.janefinkle.com Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!   Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Find French Lessons in London

Find French Lessons in London Opportunities to Learn French in the UK’s Capital ChaptersWhy Learn French?London’s Many OpportunitiesStarting a French CourseThere are so many reasons to learn French that it’s amazing that not everyone is doing it.Or, at least, it would be if we Brits weren’t so notoriously bad with our language skills, as if learning a new language was in fact a foreign thing to do. Honestly, this attitude to language studies is one of the most unfortunate parts of British culture. And it’s something that we should really change â€" because a first language alone is not really enough in today’s globalised world.One way we could all do this is, quite obviously, to take ourselves out and learn other languages. We could, on an individual level, engage just a little with the language and culture of places we visit (the Brits are actually in the top five countries with most people travelling abroad each year). And we would probably do well to stop taking the mick out of people who aren’t native speakers of English.Knowing a second language is so important. And the respect that you gain, and the respect that you show, by at least trying â€" and no one is asking you to be completely fluent â€" is something equally as important. AnnieFrench Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarolineFrench Teacher 5.00 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriFrench Teacher 5.00 (9) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarianneFrench Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThibautFrench Teacher 5.00 (3) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickFrench Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DéborahFrench Teacher 5.00 (10) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamyFrench Teacher 5.00 (2) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Learn French?We’re here to talk about French. But the fundamental reasons why you should learn French are really the same as the reasons for learning any other language. It’s go od for you, and it’s good for the world in which you are living â€" promoting cultural and political (as well as literal!) understanding.Let’s take the latter one first. How does the world benefit by your signing up to a French language course, passing through basic French, through intermediate French, and to the fluency of advanced French? Because, in a world of increasing diversity, multiculturalism, and greater exposure to difference, bilingualism enables the building of bridges. It helps different people to understand each other linguistically, and therefore emotionally and culturally.There’s that, but there is also the personal benefit of stepping into that language school. And this isn’t just that learning French vocabulary â€" or any other vocabulary â€" is good per se, or that the subjunctive, grammatical tenses, and phonetics have an inherent value in them. Rather, it’s that the process of learning a language makes your brain healthier, it makes you generally clev erer, and it helps you in your career.Why not try French classes in London?Our Favourite Things about Learning FrenchIn terms of the benefits specific to French, that’s all down to what French is in the world nowadays. That’s not only that it is one of the ten most widely spoken languages in the world.But rather that it is an international language of diplomacy, with over thirty countries across the world having French as an official language â€" but with people in many many more countries speaking it too as a lingua franca. Importantly, French culture has also been massively important both historically and in the present day. There is a reason why we, in the UK, associate fancy foods with the French â€" and why Paris is known across the world as a symbol of style, wealth, and political, artistic, literary, and philosophical culture.Signing up to some French courses â€" attending a French class, reading and writing in the Romance language, and talking to French people â€" would give you an access to all of this. And it’s a hugely rich domain of which to be part.Read our articles on French in Birmingham  and French in Leeds.London’s Many OpportunitiesAnd, honestly, there is no better place to learn French â€" or any language for that matter â€" than in London. Not only are three hundred languages spoken throughout the schools of London, but, specifically in terms of French, London is known for being France’s sixth biggest city. Because there are so many French nationals living in the UK’s capital city.In amongst all this, there are a huge amount of opportunities for you to learn French. With an almost unlimited number of French teachers, conversational classes, formal language lessons, and French literature and writing skills classes, you’ll find exactly what you want from your language training.Here's to your new French language skills!Starting a French CourseBut what do you need to know or do before you say ‘bonjour’ to French language class es? Are there any particular prerequisites?It’s a common question among beginner language students, but the answer is a simple ‘no’! And that’s because, whichever French language school you attend, you will be assessed by a placement test before you even start.So, even if you are a complete beginner who doesn’t know the very first word in French (we doubt it), or someone who learned the odd conjugation back at school, your new French teacher will be able to understand your ability immediately.Absolutely don’t worry at all about it. Just go, have fun, and get speaking!And if you’re not based in London, you can find information on French classes in Cardiff and on French language schools in Edinburgh at Superprof too.Take French Classes Institut Francais du Royaume-UniThe Institut Francais, or the French Institute, is the home of French culture in the UK. With a cultural complex â€" including a cinema â€" and a lively community of French artists and immigrants, there is n o better place to enjoy the richness of French culture and beauty.Based in South Kensington, the Institute has a dedicated language centre too â€" with qualified, experienced, and lovely teachers offering classes to students of all different levels.It’s a really wonderful place â€" with an incredible, friendly vibe. And if it’s authority that you are after, there’s not a better place to look.Get Private French Tuition at Superprof.Group language courses are not for everyone. It can be a little tough to get a word in anywhere if your class is of a certain size or you are not the most confident person in the world. And when you want to get value for money, or when you really need to learn a language, it can be frustrating if you are not making the progress you want.That’s why private tuition can be a better option for some. Private tutors can tailor every class to your specific needs, strengths, and weaknesses. And you have their undivided attention, so you have time to speak, and opportunity to ask specific questions.At Superprof, we host over seven million tutors in a thousand different subjects globally. In London, we have nearly seven hundred French tutors available to start lessons with you right now â€" at an average rate of £23 an hour.So, if it’s one-to-one teaching you want, you’ve come to the right placeBrowse Foreign Language Classes at London’s International House.International House is a world-famous charitable institution that specialises in teaching English to learners from all over the world.However, based in Covent Garden, it also offers a wide array of French lessons in different languages, from Arabic to Russian. Of course, French is covered too!The courses are consistently well-reviewed, and the institution’s stellar reputation should be enough to convince you that you are in the right place for what you want: proper language teaching with a proven track record.Speak French at the Franglish Conversation Classes.An increasingl y popular way to learn a foreign language is not through intense, focused classes â€" in which you do exercises and stare at grammatical instructions on a whiteboard â€" but rather through casual conversation.You and learners of all sorts of different levels get together over a drink or a coffee to just chat away, about anything you like. And, in the process, you start to progress in your language.The fundamental principle of these types of class is that language is first and foremost communication. And that’s how you learn.Franglish is one such conversation class (in French and Spanish) in London.Do a Degree in French at UCL.London has some of the best universities in the world. Alongside UCL, there is King’s, LSE, and a host of others.And there is no greater mark of your ability to speak a foreign language â€" and no greater asset for your career â€" than a degree declaring your skills. This is for the more determined language learners obviously, because this won’t be no beg inner French or conversational French.Rather, it will be an intensive French language program that prepares you to speak like a French native â€" and will prepare you for careers in diplomacy, translation, or to teach French yourself.Whilst you’ll cover the depths and breadths of French linguistics and literature, whichever university to study at, you’ll have the opportunity to study abroad too â€" which is always nice. And the immersive experience does absolute wonders for your language skills.The French language is as beautiful as the country itself.Find advice on learning French in Glasgow and on French language study in Belfast whilst you're here!

Video Lesson 13 Easy Spanish Words and Phrases for Kids

Video Lesson 13 Easy Spanish Words and Phrases for Kids Suzy S. Ready to help  your son or daughter  learn Spanish? Theres a lot of research about how learning languages is easiest for kids, so its the perfect time to teach him or her  a few easy Spanish words. And if you dont speak the language yourself, dont worry. There are so many great learning resources available online, many of which are free. In the video below, tutor Rosita R. shares several easy Spanish words and phrases that are perfect to learn together! Plus, see even more Spanish vocabulary for kids here. Buenos dias Good morning Buenas tardes Good afternoon Buenas noches Good evening / Good night Como se llama usted? / What is your name? Me llamo / My name is Mucho gusto / Nice to meet you Como esta usted? / How are you? Estoy bien, gracias / Im fine, thank you Con permiso / Excuse me Perdóname / Excuse me, sorry Por favor / Please Gracias / Thank you De nada / Youre welcome Want to learn more? See even more easy  Spanish words  for kids here,  or check out our live online Spanish classes! Kids will learn  vocab, conversational phrases, and much more in a fun group setting. Featured Instructor: Rosita R. Rosita teaches Spanish, singing, and many other subjects in Los Angeles, CA, as well as online. Rosita also teaches several online group classes, including Spanish for Kids.  Learn more about Rosita here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

How to Improve your Flexibility when Playing the Piano

How to Improve your Flexibility when Playing the Piano What type of piano exercise can help you with your dexterity? Chapters What do we mean by dexterity in terms of piano? Scales to Improve your Dexterity at the Piano Advice for Working on your DexterityHow Long Does it Take to Improve Your Dexterity when Playing the Piano? What Gives a Pianist their Dexterity?Learning to play the piano (with or without a piano teacher) requires a certain set of characteristics. Will, determination, and a good ear, of course.Dexterity is one of the most practical qualities to have if you want to learn piano. Personally, I work on my dexterity every time I sit down at the piano. When I first started my piano lessons, I had very little flexibility. I had to work twice as hard on that technique. If you’ve got “small” hands, then you'll have to compensate with flexibility, speed, and precision. It's all about finding the perfect balance.Dexterity is so important when playing the piano. (Source: Christophe Urbain)I often tend to compare music to sport. Both require warming up, regular practice in order to get be tter, and a number of physical and mental qualities.With this in mind, I’d like to discuss working on something that isn’t very glamorous but nonetheless very important when it comes to practicing how to play the piano, your dexterity as a piano player.Discover also the best times to practice playing the piano...When you play piano, dexterity refers to your ability to move your fingers precisely and quickly, when necessary, over the keys. We could also call this flexibility. Having dexterity means that you can put complicated chords together easily and quickly, with a high degree of fluidity.Regardless of their level or experience, precision is essential for any pianist. You can work on dexterity your whole life. In fact, even experienced pianists do.Just like any athlete, musicians need to work daily on their dexterity, flexibility, speed, and agility in front of the piano.  In order to do this, there are exercises and classes that you should be looking at.Which types of pianis ts work on their dexterity?  The answer is so simple: ALL OF THEM!!! Every self-respecting pianist needs to take this step, no matter where they are in terms of ability. The moment you start to think that you're too good to practice on your dexterity is the moment what you start to lose your abilities as a pianist.Working on your dexterity is basically one of the quickest methods to improve your overall playing. If you want to play the pieces you love, you need to work on it!Whether you want to play your favorite piece, play and sing at the same time, or even write music for the piano, you need to work on your dexterity. If you don’t do this, you’re effectively slamming the brakes on your progress. But don’t worry! There are plenty of tools available to release these metaphorical brakes.If you choose online piano lessons you will be offered the same kind of advice to improve on your piano playing skills. Scales to Improve your Dexterity at the PianoWe’ve all heard someone sa y “they’re just a beginner, they’re still practicing their scales”. There’s a reason for this.Why practice scales?Scales are really useful for warming up when you first sit down at the keyboard. They'll also be one of the first things you come across when you learn to play piano or study music theory.Scales are also really useful for building up your dexterity when you first start learning how to play the piano. You should start with C-major since it only uses the white keys. Don't get complacent, though! Crossing the thumb can still be a bit tricky. When you've got this down, you can move onto D-major, E-major, etc.Then you can go faster.  Changing speed is a great way to make some serious progress.  Start with just the right hand on its own then the left hand on its own. Afterwards you can use both hands together and work on your coordination.While scales mightn’t seem like the most interesting thing for a pianist, you’re still technically  playing the piano. Hanon a nd CzernyThese exercises were designed by and named after their composers. You can get books of these exercises, too. The goal of these exercises is to improve your playing.Hanon and the Important ThumbHanon was a composer and a trailblazer when it came to exercises for learning the piano. The idea’s really simple: simple exercises using only the white keys that free up your fingers, rendering them independent from one another.Hanon exercises. (Source: Amazon)You can get books filled with these exercises and you can use any exercise whenever you want, changing the speed and adding other complexities as you see fit. The thumb is really important. You have to practice moving it under your index, middle, or ring finger on a regular basis.Czerny’s Speed Exercises  For Czerny, exercises were for speeding up, working on sequences, and using your fingers independently. These exercises also use the white keys.Czerny Exercises. (Source: IMSLP)While some people think these exercises are j ust for beginners, it's not true! It’s recommended that everyone use at least some of these exercises regularly, changing the speed, and the fingering, eventually.The difficulty generally increases, too. Working with these exercises is very effective. Especially when it comes to piano classes.Find out how you too can make piano playing easier...Piano techniques and Hanon, Czerny, or Van de Velde exercises can be very effective. However, there are a few tricks, too.  You can probably imagine a few exercises that might help.Why not create your own exercises?  For example, imagine a combination of notes for your fingers: let’s say 1-3-2-4-3-5 for the right hand and 5-3-4-2-3-1 for the left hand.  Now repeat this pattern over and over getting quicker every time. Doing an exercise like this can help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to fingering and also help you work on your precision. Your imagination, creativity, and inventiveness need to come into play. Us e them all at the same time to come up with exercises which work for you (or a student if you’re teaching) in terms of your needs and whether there’s room for improvement.A skilled tutor will realize this, too. They’ll know how to work with their student’s needs.Putting Simple Chords Together  You can also practice putting together a few simple chords before moving on to more complicated sequences without even looking at the keys. Make sure to keep your hands in the right position.This exercise can help improve visual memory and not just when it comes to playing piano. A pianist who doesn’t have to look at the keys can focus more on the music they’re reading or even on singing and playing the piano at the same time.Discover also the best ways to write music for the piano...How Long Does it Take to Improve Your Dexterity when Playing the Piano?You don’t need to put tons of effort in. Just by regularly training, you’ll start to see the benefits.How much should I practi ce playing the piano?  10 minutes per day should be enough.There isn’t a really a perfect time to work on your dexterity. You can do so before or after practicing the piece you’re learning, or before or after your piano lessons or just when you sit down to tickle the ivories. It’s important not to overdo it or not practice enough.Between 5 and 10 minutes per hour played should be enough.Doing so at the start can help you to warm up (don’t forget that you also use muscles to play the piano and you run the risk of tendinitis or exacerbating an existing condition).Make sure to exercise regularly. (Source: Amazon)Doing these exercises at the end can push these muscles and improve your flexibility, just like a gymnast.Regularity is the key to success.Flexibility can be worked on at any stage of our lives as musicians. Regular training can help you improve more quickly when it comes to reading music and therefore play longer, more precisely, more quickly, and, of course, more happ ily.Just like any other skill, practice makes perfect. Of course, don’t forget to take breaks to avoid fatigue and injury. Not training regularly also is risky. You’ll stagnate and either always remain at the same level or fall behind. What Gives a Pianist their Dexterity?To put it simply, it’s an amalgamation of all their skills. Speed and fingering precision are important technical abilities.Brushing up on technical skills allows any pianist to enjoy themselves. Music and playing the piano have to remain enjoyable.Any exercise that allows a pianist to progress and improve their playing is useful. The goal is to work out an appropriate difficultly in terms of how regularly they practice and what level they want to get to.Dexterity is therefore essential for any pianist. You want to become a better musician.  Furthermore, it’ll help you get better at improvisation.The art of dexterity. (Source: PictaStar)With this in mind, what other technical aspects do we need to consider when it comes to improving at the piano.Dexterity is obviously not the only thing a pianist needs to work on.  What about reading music? Listening? Feeling? Positioning?  There are plenty of things you can be working on. You could say that they’re all just as important as dexterity. But that’s a story for another day.What do you think about these top tips for becoming a better piano player?

What Instrument Should I Learn [Quiz]

What Instrument Should I Learn [Quiz] Sign up successful What Instrument Should I Learn? The Smart Choice: Piano Arguably the most versatile instrument on the planet, the piano is an excellent option for creating inspiring music. One major advantage of this instrument is the way its keys are laid out. The keyboard is a near perfect mirror of the steps needed to understand music theory, and this is why we’ve dubbed piano “the smart choice.” The piano is a great instrument for adults and children. Students of any age or background can learn how to produce tones on the piano within just a few minutes. However it can take years to master more advanced piano skills. The Popular Choice: Guitar Electric, acoustic, and classical guitar there are so many options! Each instrument is unique and better suits the needs of different students. No matter how old you are, the guitar is an absolute blast to play. Students typically learn to master chords and scales after a month or two, but it can take years to master the instruments more virtuosic capabilities like fingerpicking, arpeggios, and soloing. The electric guitar is the best choice for younger students because its strings are easier to play than the acoustic or classical guitar’s. Keep in mind though that you’ll need an amplifier to go with it. SEE ALSO: Top 10 Most Unique Instruments to Learn The Challenging Choice: Violin The violin is capable of producing some of the world’s most achingly gorgeous music, but it’s an instrument that can take many years to master. The violin is similar to the guitar except that there are no frets, and this makes it especially challenging to learn. But even with its challenges, the right violin teacher can help students of any age navigate this incredible instrument over time. If you’re interested in picking up the violin, give yourself six months to a year to master some of its basic concepts. The violin requires patience and persistence; you won’t sound like Joshua Bell or Antonio Vivaldi right away! The Simple Choice: Ukulele The ukulele is the friendliest instrument to learn on the planet, but that’s not the only reason you should consider playing it. Ukuleles are inexpensive, portable, and cheery-sounding instruments that are perfect for creative songwriters. Amanda Palmer and Israel Kamakawiwoole are a few well known uke musicians, but thousands of artists around the world play this fun instrument. The only real downside of the ukulele is that it’s extremely limited as far as sound and dynamics go. If you’re looking for an awesome starter instrument for kids, the uke is best choice available, hands down. Kids can learn how to play simple chords on the ukulele within a week or two. The Fun Choice: Drums If you’re looking for an instrument that lets you be loud and expressive, then the drums are perfect for you. Drums come in all shapes and sizes, but most sets have a snare, bass drum, hi-hat, and toms.   Do Buddy Rich, Ringo Starr, and Keith Moon inspire you? Listening to some of musics famous drummers before deciding which instrument you should learn is a good idea.     It can take a few months of practice on the drums to be able to produce solid and discernible beats. The drums aren’t too difficult to learn, but you’ll definitely want to work with an experienced drum teacher to ensure that you’re learning correct technique. We hope this article and quiz helped you answer the daunting question “What instrument should I learn?” If you need more help choosing the right instrument for you, try sampling a few beginner-level lessons in several different instruments before committing to just one. Check out TakeLessons Live where you can take FREE classes in each of these instruments for 30 days! Need Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Guest Post Author: Patrick McGuire is a writer, musician, and educator. He records and performs music under the name, Straight White Teeth.

Metaphors and Similes in English Langston Hughes teaches us the difference

Metaphors and Similes in English Langston Hughes teaches us the difference Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist and playwright who wrote in the first part of the 20th century. He was part of the Harlem Renaissance, an artistic movement of the time in which black writers, musicians and artists were to the forefront of the cultural movement.In order to fully understand Langston’s poetry it is important to be aware that he used a lot of metaphors and similes in his writing to convey his thoughts.MetaphorsA metaphor is a figure of speech. It makes a comparison between two or more nouns that are not obviously similar but are alike in an important way.Here are some examples:Life is a rollercoaster = the ups and downs of life are compared to the ups and downs of a rollercoaster. He has a heart of stone = the coldness of someone’s heart is compared to that of a stone. Don’t worry, there are plenty more fish in the sea = this is a commonly heard statement made to someone after the breakdown of a relationship. It compares the millions of fish in the s ea to the multitude of possible other mates available.Below is the poem Dreams by Langston Hughes. Can you spot the two metaphors he uses to communicate that our dreams are important and they should not be forgotten?Dreams By Langston HughesHold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly.Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.How did you get on? Did you spot the metaphors? They are:Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly andLife is a barren field frozen with snowSimilesHughes also used many similes in his writing.A simile, like a metaphor, is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two nouns. However, it differs from the metaphor in that it uses like or as to communicate the comparison.Here are some examples:Her skin was as white as snow.In her new dress, she looked as pretty as a picture.He was as slow as a snail in that race.She was very ill and looked like death.Dad smokes 100 cigarettes a day. He smokes like a chimney.Mary eats very fast. She eats like a pig.Here is another poem by Langston Hughes. This one is also about dreams but instead of metaphors, it has many similes to communicate its meaning.See how many similes you can count in the poem?Dream Deferred By Langston HughesWhat happens to a dream deferred?Does it dry up?Like a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a sore?And then run?Does it stink like rotten meat?Or crust and sugar over?like a syrupy sweet?Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load.Or does it explode?How did you do? Did you get 5?1. Like a raisin in the sun 2. Or fester like a sore 3. Does it stink like rotten meat? 4. like a syrupy sweet?5. like a heavy load. Metaphors and similes are frequently used for artistic expression because they help to turn ordinary happenings and events into extraordinary occurrences. This is the case not only with literature but also with music.Got questions? Email us or ask them in comments below. Sign up for our online Englis h classes.If you found this lesson helpful, feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter. nazia its a nice site

Fuel Your Mind Through Exercise, Nutrition and Sleep

Fuel Your Mind Through Exercise, Nutrition and Sleep Improving Academic Performance It turns out that there’s lots of documented scientific evidence that the more you exercise, the better you eat, and the more you sleep (within reason), the better your brain works (i.e., you can reason more clearly, recall information faster, solve problems faster, etc.). It naturally follows that exercise, nutrition, and sleep are critically important, though perhaps indirect,elements ofimproving children's academic performance. On the one hand, this may seem a little obvious. But one of the more interesting pieces of advice about critical thinking and problem solving ever given to me was that the best insights are those that seem really, really obvious once they are realized. If you really didn’t know it before for sure, but now you do with certainty, you’ve realized something important. Still, I find that sometimes an idea seems so intuitively obvious that it isn’t interesting enough to grab most people’s attention, or perhaps because it’s obvious, it just doesn’t seem like it can be that important. I am convinced that this rule falls squarely into this “seems obvious, probably don’t need to pay that much attention to it” category. But, it’s an important rule with surprising supporting evidence that far too many people simply ignore. We won’t go into extended detail on the science behind this rule here, but the science is covered in enjoyable detail in Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina. But, a quick summary of the science would be that we evolved over thousands of years in an environment that involved constant movement. We were literally walking 10-20 miles per day for thousands of years. So, part of the story is that the brain has evolved to function more efficiently when we are in motion. When we are in motion, more blood and oxygen gets to the brain, and it operates better. In his book, Medina summarizes the issue by saying that current research suggests that “exercisers outperform couch potatoes in tests that measure long-term memory, reasoning, attention, and problem solving skill. The same is true of fluid intelligence tasks, which test the ability to reason quickly, think abstractly, and improve off previously learned material in order to solve a new problem.” The story with nutrition is similar. Eating right and getting the right type and number of nutrients into your body is literally what gives your brain, heart, and muscles the fuel to perform. Sleep is a more nuanced story, and perhaps more important. Whereas exercise, for example, can be thought of as a bit of an indirect link to cognitive performance (i.e., if you are a regular exerciser, your gain a cognitive benefit, and that benefit doesn’t go away if you skip 2-3 days of activity), sleep can be much more direct. If you get 2 hours of sleep, you will have trouble thinking clearly the next day. Clearly, if you have trouble sleeping you shouldseek tips and strategies for sleeping better. When you do not get enough sleep, it can and will directly impact your ability to learn difficult (or not so difficult), recall information, and problem solve. Outside of school, it can impact your athletic, musical, or interpersonal skills. The United States center for Disease Control and Prevention considers sleep health a public health epidemic. The CDC web-site features some astounding statistics on sleep that have obvious impacts on your ability to learn and perform well in school and at work. ~40% of adults of 20 years of age have noticed themselves being unable to concentrate or remember information because they are tired, according to information on sleep compiled by the CDC. A 2006national sleep foundation studyfound that 75% of adolescents between 6thand 12thgrade were getting insufficient (8 hours) or borderline (8-9 hours) of sleep each night. Let’s look at one final chart on sleep. In the book by John Medina, he references a study that has been performed many times in which a very tricky set of mathematics problem is given to a group of students, and they are prepped in methods they can use to solve them. They aren’t told that there’s a potentially very easy “shortcut” way to do the problems, which is discoverable once you dive in and try to solve them. They are told to take 12 hours to decompress and figure it out. They were necessarily working on the problem for 12 hours, just re-setting, and thinking through options for how to solve it before they really dove back in. One group was given those 12 hours during the day (i.e., 7AM to 7PM) while the other was given those 12 hours over night (i.e., 7PM to 7AM. The below chart shows show the percentage of each group that was able to find the “shortcut” solution to the problems. In sum, to perform at a high level in school, at work, you should be sure to exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. How to learn more â€" Again, I highly recommend John Medina’s book Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School to learn more about the ideas in this chapter. The CDC web-site and National Sleep Foundation offer ideas and strategies for getting better sleep, and there is a growing body of research on the link between academic performance and exercise.