When is Chemistry worthwhile?

When is Chemistry worthwhile?There is a lot of controversy regarding the effects of graduate school on students who are studying chemical engineering, particularly at the University of Florida. The allegations include that students who take graduate courses in chemistry learn very little. Other negative accusations include that undergraduate students cannot succeed when compared to students who study Chemistry at the university.Graduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Florida generally require the equivalent of four years of undergraduate education. The difference between a four-year college and four years of graduate school is that there is a maximum of six semesters of coursework. In order to complete these requirements, many students take additional courses while in their undergraduate degrees.Some of the faculty members at the University of Florida are openly critical of students who want to pursue a career in Chemistry. They say that this is one of the most difficult c hemical engineering fields to break into since it is so closely linked to business. This is certainly an extremely controversial topic.In the case of the University of Florida, there is a growing group of concerned faculty members who are advocating for an alternative route for students who want to go into Chemical Engineering. They insist that students should take one year of Chemical Engineering and then take a full four year ChemE program with four semesters of coursework. With this new approach, the future for Chemical Engineering in the United States will be more prosperous.Those who do not wish to follow this route are not allowed to continue to study under the supervision of the faculty and students that support this alternative approach are likely to develop a vested interest in the future environmental cleanup of America. Those who have followed this approach see this as a much better alternative to an environment littered with chemical spills and leaking chemical tanks.Ind eed, this more realistic approach is welcomed by those who recognize the hazardous nature of Chemical Engineering. For these students, the answer is quite simple. They should take another year of ChemE and then begin their path to a very lucrative career in Chemical Engineering.Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida is undoubtedly one of the most respected careers in the world. It is a wonderful career and one that should not be dismissed simply because of the impact that ChemE has on the University of Florida.

How are you today A Guide to Asking Questions in English

How are you today A Guide to Asking Questions in English When we start to learn a new language, we generally focus on talking about ourselves. We talk about who we are, where we come from, what we do etc. However, for effective, interactive, communication to take place we need to move beyond this stage and learn to ask questions.   This is not only important for good grades in English in the classroom and for successful conference calls in the office but through question-making we can also learn more about Anglophone cultures and even make new, English-speaking, friends.Forming questions in English is not difficult but you need to learn some basic rules.Pay attention to who or what is the subject of the questionWho is learning English? (who is the subject to the verb) What did you learn in class today? (what is the subject of the verb) Who do you want to bring to the cinema on Saturday? (you is the subject of the verb)Pay attention to the preposition in forming the question as this will be repeated in the answerWhere did you go to? I went to the bathroom. What are you talking about? I am talking about my English classes. Who is the present for? The present is for Juan.In English, many questions and answers use the same words (in a different order)Have you a big family? (I have a big family) Did you go to class today? (I did go to class today) Is Maria your sister’s friend? (Mary is my sister’s friend)There are two main types of questions in English: Closed Questions and Open QuestionsClosed QuestionsClosed questions are easiest because they only need an answer that is yes or no. They generally require the auxiliary verbs to do, to be and to have.Did you go to Chile last week? = (No) I did not. Are you cold? =(Yes) I am. Have you 5 million pesos? = (No) I have not.When forming a closed question you must switch the subject with the first auxiliary verb:Do you understand English? = I do understand English. Is it sunny today? = It is sunny today. Did you eat pasta today? = I did eat pasta today. Have you been drinkin g coffee? = I have been drinking coffee. Has she lived in Buenos Aires for three years? = She has been living in Buenos Aires for three years.Use the auxiliary verb ‘do’ to form questions: Do you work hard? = I work hard Do you live in Argentina? = I live in Argentina Did you speak fluent Spanish? =I speak fluent SpanishOpen questionsOpen questions require more than a yes or no response. They demand an opinion, explanation or description.Open questions are formed around a set list of interrogatory words. These are what, when, where, which, who, whom, how, why and whose.What time is it? It is 10pm When is she leaving Buenos Aires? She is leaving Buenos Aires on Thursday Where are you going on Saturday? I am going to London on Saturday? Which one do you want, the black scarf or the red scarf? I want the red scarf Who did you take to the dance on Friday? I took my sister’s friend Jane to the dance on Friday. Whom should she call about the matter? She should call the floor manager about the matter. How do I look? You look great. Why did he call me Saturday? He called you Saturday because he wanted to borrow your book. Whose t-shirt is he wearing? He is wearing my brother’s t-shirt.Not all of these interrogative words need nouns as question words. What, which and whose are examples of these.What class is this? What is this class? Which scarf is yours? Which is your scarf? Whose is this book? This is whose book?We hope you enjoyed the class and found it beneficial. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in English classes (cursos de inglés). Also if you enjoyed this, please share it on Facebook and Twitter.

American School of Marrakesh

American School of Marrakesh American School of Marrakesh At ASM, we work with each child to help her/him grow and develop to his/her full potential. We hold high expectations for all students and work, in partnership with parents, to see that each child meets or exceeds our expectations. For the majority of our students, English is a second or a third language. They gradually learn their new language and are quickly able to study any subject in English. Our focus on educating the whole child includes the teaching of values such as honesty, integrity, kindness, and responsibility. The development of respect for ones self and others is a major goal for all members of the ASM school community. These values guide our efforts as educators and help our students to become true global citizens. The school is organized into two sections: Lower School (Grades PK-5); and Upper School (Grades 6-12). The educational program at The American School of Marrakesh is based on U.S. standards and benchmarks. Students in grades K-12 receive instruction in Engl ish in the areas of language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Beginning in Grade 1, all students study Classical Arabic for one period each day. Beginning in Grade 5, students also have French classes for one period each day. Our students also attend physical education, music, and art classes each week. The computer lab at ASM is available throughout the week for students in Grades K-12. Children in grades K-5 have regularly scheduled library visits on a weekly basis. ASM is accredited by MSA (Middles States Association).

Dreaming big Our decision to teach abroad, part 2

Dreaming big Our decision to teach abroad, part 2 Moving abroad and starting over in a new country is one of the most nerve-wracking yet exhilarating adventures ever. If you’re thinking about teaching abroad with a family but wonder whether it's the right choice for you, Ryne’s story is essential reading. Just make sure you check out part 1 here first! Opportunity knocks One day in early September 2017, an email from Teach Away landed in my inbox, letting me know about some of the international teacher job fairs that would be happening this year. As sheer luck would have it, the first one was happening Atlanta, where one of my best friends lived. I had never been to Atlanta (but always wanted to visit) and it had been around two years since we had last seen each other. It seemed like a great opportunity to catch up with my friend, personally meet with international school heads and do some hands-on research on teaching abroad. Next, my wife Grace and I discussed the opportunity with our parents. While they were obviously saddened at the prospect of having us living so far away, they were fully supportive of the idea of teaching abroad. In fact, my dad referred me to some former colleagues of his, who had been administrators at international schools in South Korea and China. I gave one of them a quick call to get a feel for his experience teaching abroad, as well as what to expect at an international teacher job fair. Getting the chance to talk to someone that I knew and trusted was far more reassuring than anonymous bloggers online - especially when he had nothing but positive things to say about his experience teaching abroad. He was also able to help shed some light on the many questions my wife and I had. He also gave us some honest insight into the challenges of moving overseas, which was a good reality check for us. But when we weighed up all the pros and cons, the benefits of teaching abroad still won out over thepotential pitfalls of making a move overseas. Best of all, my dad’s former colleague was able to put us in contact with someone he knew who had also taught abroad with a young family. It was during this second Skype conversation that I could really start to see my wife’s excitement brewing. He told us all about what it was like for their children growing up in a culturally diverse environment and all the benefits that come with an international education. While we were even more sold on the idea of teaching abroad, the timeline was still up in the air. We felt that we were a couple of years away from being fully committed to accepting a job offer. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. Next, I called Irma, my Teach Away representative, to find out more about what a job fair would entail. I was concerned about the pressure of having to say yes to a job offer right away out of fear of missing out on a great opportunity. Irma put my mind at ease by letting me know that hiring schools would give me at least 24 hours to consider any offers. Best of all, she also let me know that my wife would be able to stay home with the boys while I went to the job fair, as many of the schools would be willing to have interviews with both of us if Grace was able to Skype in on the interview. This was a huge weight off our shoulders - especially when you consider the cost of flying us both to the job fair (not to mention making sure the boys were taken care of while we were both away). Irma also pointed something out to me that really made us think seriously about pushing our timeline for teaching abroad up to the following year. As both Grace and I are dual certified, in high-need fields, we would, more than likely, walk away from the job fair with multiple job offers. Feeling excited, we started drafting up a list of questions we needed to answer fully before committing to teaching abroad the following school year. 10 important questions we asked ourselves before teaching abroad 1. Should we sell our house or rent it out? 2. What would we do with our larger possessions and furniture? 3. How will our state retirement be impacted if we leave for two to five years? 4. How much money are we looking to save? (With certain international schools you can live off of one salary and pocket a salary, whereas with others you can only save $5,000 - 10,000 USD a year) 5. What will the healthcare situation be like? 6. Are we OK with ananny watching Everett (our six-month-old baby)? 7. What parts of the world are we willing to teach in? 8. Do we want to be in a large metropolitan area or are we okay to be in an area without a major city close by? 9. What kind of housing are we willing to live in? 10. What subjects are we looking to teach? After we had a plan in place for each eventuality, we were finally ready to make our dream of living and teaching abroad a reality. Job fair time One week before the fair started, Teach Away senta list of all the schools and their available positions. That way, we were able to compile a list of schools that we would both have a realistic chance of landing jobs with. Based on the itinerary we initially received from Teach Away, we would have one day of school presentations where each school would give a 30-minute presentation and answer our questions. Being able to compile a shortlist in advance was extremely helpful as many of the school presentations ran concurrently. Following the presentations, we could sign up for interviews taking place over the following two days. Unfortunately, this was going to be tough as my wife and I would only have the evenings to talk through our options. Clearly, I was going to have to go back to my college days of diligent note-taking on every school! Teach Away also sent us information on all of the school benefit packages ahead of the fair. This included basic information on the school, expected salary ranges, how much money you can save as a single teacher or teaching couple, healthcare packages, accommodation and tuition for dependents. Based on the info Teach Away provided, we came up with a top ten list of schools that we would be willing to accept job offers with. This meant we could focus solely on nailing our interviews, instead of wondering whether the school was the right fit for us. When I first arrived at the job fair, I felt lucky to have Teach Away there to answer all my questions. I really felt that we already had built a relationship with the constant communication before the job fair had even begun. It was especially helpful having the team there when I suddenly found myself having scheduled three job interviews - the day before interviews were even supposed to start! I thought I would have a little downtime at the job fair but ended up being busy from morning to night with interviews and events. I definitely did not get to spend as much time with my friends from Atlanta as I had hoped - but happily, they still had food in the fridge and a bed for me at 10 pm at night! Job offer time In the end, Grace and I received six offers in total at the Atlanta job fair. We both ended up accepting jobs at our dream school in China. Next up, we’ll be dealing with the visa process and all the other life-changing things that come along with moving abroad - not least of which is selling our house! How can you know if teaching abroad is right for you? Just as I started this blog series by talking about the perception of having children versus the realities, my advice to you would be to approach the opportunity of teaching overseas in much the same way. If you anticipate the fact that there are going to be unexpected obstacles that you will encounter and are willing to roll with the punches, you will walk away with an overall positive experience. Right now, we are so excited to be moving to China, where our sons will get the opportunity to be immersed in diverse cultures and be educated in an international setting that they would never have been able to experience here in the US. Being a part of a smaller, family-friendly school community and having the chance to grow in the profession that we both love is more than we could have hoped to ask for. We’re also looking forward to blogging more about our experience moving overseas and teaching abroad - stay tuned to the Teach Away blog for more posts from us over the coming months. My wife and I cannot thank Teach Away enough for their amazing help and support throughout the entire process, along with our family friends who were able to give their first-hand experiences that gave us the confidence to take the leap in the first place!

6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT

6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT 6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT Studying for the MCAT is no easy feat and requires months of studying, at the minimum. Read accounts of any perfect scorer on the MCAT and you’ll discover that creating a solid study plan and dedicating a solid chunk of your day towards MCAT prep on a consistent basis is the key to yielding a high score. You may see articles online that can get you prepared for the MCAT in under a month, but be cautious about such bold claims. To do well on the MCAT, you must cover all the MCAT material before taking the test, and there is enough material on this marathon of a test to keep you busy studying for well over a three to four-week period. I write about the MCAT as well as create study guides for standardized tests and I want to share with you some of the top study tips that I have come across for the MCAT. Read on if you want to know how to do well on the MCAT by utilizing the most proven and effective study methods available. 6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT These ten study tips should not be your only method of tackling the MCAT. I recommend choosing a high-quality MCAT comprehensive book set or MCAT prep course that will outline your study plan based on the amount of time you have until the test day as well as identify and strengthen your weaknesses. 1. Take a Diagnostic Test First and foremost, before you start studying concepts or purchase any MCAT prep materials, you must take a diagnostic test to know what your baseline score is. A baseline score, in layman’s terms, is simply the score you would receive if you showed up at an MCAT testing center and took the test right now. How do you take diagnostic test? To take a diagnostic test, you need to have a full-length MCAT practice test. You can find one of these tests on Princeton Review’s site that you can take online. Once this test is graded, you can see what areas you need to work on more and other areas that you already seem to have pretty squared away in your mind. 2. Simulate Test-Day Conditions When you take your first diagnostic test as well as other practice tests, it’s extremely important to simulate real MCAT test day conditions. This means only taking breaks for snacks during official test breaks as well as working through entire sections before taking your few minutes of rest. 3. Study with Coursework when Possible Optimally, you’ll be taking college classes that align with what you should be studying for the MCAT. Building a solid background on the key concepts such as chemistry, biology, psychology, and physics. If you have the chance to progress into even more higher-level classes in biology or chemistry, you are even better off! 4. Create a Study Schedule and Stick to It! If you plan on taking the MCAT in 6 months, then you should be studying 20 hours per week. That would be nearly 4 hours per day during the workweek. A good way to make sure you stick to this schedule is to map out your days as well as fill in any other activities you may have to participate in, such as family or school events. If you know you will not want to study after dinner, then schedule your 4 hours during the daytime. Similarly, if you do not think you will have the self-discipline to study over the weekends, then do not schedule time to study on Saturday or Sunday. Creating a study schedule is all about you and how you study. Understanding yourself and when is best is a completely personal task. 5. Self-Evaluate Often When studying for the MCAT, it is important to take as many practice tests and practice as many official questions as possible. But simply answering the questions and looking at your score is not enough. You must go through the answers and understand why you got the question wrong and use the time to figure out how you can improve upon these incorrect answers. This is the only way to learn from your mistakes and come out stronger as a test taker. 6. Build Endurance The MCAT is over 7 hours long, so stamina is a huge factor in doing well on test day. You can build this stamina during your practice by working up to longer periods of time of uninterrupted study and practice. This many mean working on longer passages and not taking a break in-between. You may start at twenty to thirty consecutive minutes and work your way up to an hour to an hour and a half without breaks. Remember, preparing for the MCAT is like training for a marathon. Building your endurance can take months of training until you are able to work at a pace suitable for crossing the finish line. If you are able to follow these key study tips for the MCAT, you are well on your way to rocking the MCAT! Don’t forget to have a good night’s rest before test day and keep in mind that if you did your best during studying and practicing over the months, then there is nothing to be stressed about on test day. About the Author Kristine Thorndyke is a passionate teacher and test prep blogger. She writes about the MCAT, ACT, and everything in-between! 6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT 6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT Studying for the MCAT is no easy feat and requires months of studying, at the minimum. Read accounts of any perfect scorer on the MCAT and you’ll discover that creating a solid study plan and dedicating a solid chunk of your day towards MCAT prep on a consistent basis is the key to yielding a high score. You may see articles online that can get you prepared for the MCAT in under a month, but be cautious about such bold claims. To do well on the MCAT, you must cover all the MCAT material before taking the test, and there is enough material on this marathon of a test to keep you busy studying for well over a three to four-week period. I write about the MCAT as well as create study guides for standardized tests and I want to share with you some of the top study tips that I have come across for the MCAT. Read on if you want to know how to do well on the MCAT by utilizing the most proven and effective study methods available. 6 Key Study Tips for the MCAT These ten study tips should not be your only method of tackling the MCAT. I recommend choosing a high-quality MCAT comprehensive book set or MCAT prep course that will outline your study plan based on the amount of time you have until the test day as well as identify and strengthen your weaknesses. 1. Take a Diagnostic Test First and foremost, before you start studying concepts or purchase any MCAT prep materials, you must take a diagnostic test to know what your baseline score is. A baseline score, in layman’s terms, is simply the score you would receive if you showed up at an MCAT testing center and took the test right now. How do you take diagnostic test? To take a diagnostic test, you need to have a full-length MCAT practice test. You can find one of these tests on Princeton Review’s site that you can take online. Once this test is graded, you can see what areas you need to work on more and other areas that you already seem to have pretty squared away in your mind. 2. Simulate Test-Day Conditions When you take your first diagnostic test as well as other practice tests, it’s extremely important to simulate real MCAT test day conditions. This means only taking breaks for snacks during official test breaks as well as working through entire sections before taking your few minutes of rest. 3. Study with Coursework when Possible Optimally, you’ll be taking college classes that align with what you should be studying for the MCAT. Building a solid background on the key concepts such as chemistry, biology, psychology, and physics. If you have the chance to progress into even more higher-level classes in biology or chemistry, you are even better off! 4. Create a Study Schedule and Stick to It! If you plan on taking the MCAT in 6 months, then you should be studying 20 hours per week. That would be nearly 4 hours per day during the workweek. A good way to make sure you stick to this schedule is to map out your days as well as fill in any other activities you may have to participate in, such as family or school events. If you know you will not want to study after dinner, then schedule your 4 hours during the daytime. Similarly, if you do not think you will have the self-discipline to study over the weekends, then do not schedule time to study on Saturday or Sunday. Creating a study schedule is all about you and how you study. Understanding yourself and when is best is a completely personal task. 5. Self-Evaluate Often When studying for the MCAT, it is important to take as many practice tests and practice as many official questions as possible. But simply answering the questions and looking at your score is not enough. You must go through the answers and understand why you got the question wrong and use the time to figure out how you can improve upon these incorrect answers. This is the only way to learn from your mistakes and come out stronger as a test taker. 6. Build Endurance The MCAT is over 7 hours long, so stamina is a huge factor in doing well on test day. You can build this stamina during your practice by working up to longer periods of time of uninterrupted study and practice. This many mean working on longer passages and not taking a break in-between. You may start at twenty to thirty consecutive minutes and work your way up to an hour to an hour and a half without breaks. Remember, preparing for the MCAT is like training for a marathon. Building your endurance can take months of training until you are able to work at a pace suitable for crossing the finish line. If you are able to follow these key study tips for the MCAT, you are well on your way to rocking the MCAT! Don’t forget to have a good night’s rest before test day and keep in mind that if you did your best during studying and practicing over the months, then there is nothing to be stressed about on test day. About the Author Kristine Thorndyke is a passionate teacher and test prep blogger. She writes about the MCAT, ACT, and everything in-between!

Teaching Perseverance to the Next Generation - TutorNerds

Teaching Perseverance to the Next Generation - TutorNerds Expect the unexpected: Teaching perseverance to the next generation One of the things many students face once they leave their educational career and move on to the working world is how to cope with unexpected situations. In fact, many of todays students wont experience a major practical failure until they have their first job or internship. The classroom, whether kindergarten or college, offers an environment where teachers and administrators can make decisions they feel are best for the student on a case-by-case basis. Although this is a great, safe, way to learn life skills, it doesn’t always translate into life as a post-graduate. There are a myriad of revolving factors in the working world that the employee will have no control over, such as the economy or new technology. Additionally, the supervisor will need to make decisions that are best for the company or the department rather than best for the employee. Navigating this part of life requires a lot of perseverance, something that many new grads may not yet have had a change to develop. 1.   Personal failures vs. economic failures Most new employees make a mistake here and there. Its something that everybody does, and mentors and supervisors are there to help recent grads get on track and used to the pace of that particular work environment. Sometimes a job wont work out because the company simply cant afford to pay that person anymore or because they restructure their personnel. One key to finding perseverance outside of the academic environment is to identify the difference between a personal error that serves as a specific learning tool and a change in the economy. Some things are within the control of the student, and others are not. Either way, the person will need to focus on securing an alternate position. 2. Bouncing back from a bad situation There are two elements to bouncing back from a situation that didnt work out. There are the practical elements of learning about any personal improvements that need to occur and applying them to a new position. There are also emotional components to perseverance. Its really important that a job seeker or new employee stay positive and look for a great mentor who graduated, perhaps, 10 or 15 years before them. 3. Celebrating success One thing thats essential to navigating the real world is celebrating successes when it occurs. Job offers, bonuses, positive comments from supervisors, etc… should all be celebrated. Having a positive impression of the working world can help a lot of people find creative and innovative ways to navigate their post-academic life. (READ: 5 Ways to Have a More Successful Second Term). 4. Manipulating goals Its important for recent grads to remember that their initial goals are malleable. If a person decides that their original goal might take ten years instead of 2, thats okay. If they want to change their original goal because a new opportunity has come up unexpectedly, thats also fine. Both students and post grads find that the things they want most out of life change several times. Trying to stick to one specific set of goals without any flexibility can become overwhelming pretty quickly. 5. Working as part of a community or team Another thing that recent grads might find different is that the vast majority of their working success will be as part of a team or community within the workplace. As a student, most assignments will have been completed solo and students are graded only on their work. Moving on to working as part of an entire department can have a very different feel. Socializing in the workplace and getting along with all sorts of different personality types will be new at first but its one of the most important skills a person will develop as they become successful in their career field. 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 write.

Tutoring Jobs Available in Dallas, Texas

Tutoring Jobs Available in Dallas, TexasTaught by professional tutors who have been there and done that, we offer many tutoring Dallas TX jobs. If you are searching for Dallas Texas jobs that will make your dreams come true, this article is going to give you a head start.Jobs in tutoring include working with toddlers. With years of experience and also a good attitude, this job is perfect for you. You will be responsible for helping a child with his or her schoolwork and helping in their social life. As a tutor you will be able to teach these young ones about how to read, write, spell, add, subtract, do their math, and much more.As an online tutor, you can begin your career as a tutor in Dallas Texas. Working from home with virtual classrooms and affordable tuition is an excellent opportunity to earn a good income. In a matter of months you will be up and running and be teaching in your own home.For a new job, you will be asked to pay an initial fee for getting started. They will usua lly ask for a deposit at the time you are hired. Your payment will be held until you have made progress in your tutoring career. Once you have proven yourself to be a good tutor, your employer will pay you.Sometimes you may even be asked to become a certified tutor. Certifications are a good way to gain the respect of your students, especially if you have a decent teaching record. Certified tutors can work with all grade levels from babies up to high school level.Some students like Taylor, a Texas toddler who lives with his mother, has a passion for reading. By offering tutoring services and coordinating with a local middle school, he is learning all about his favorite books. He is now ready to go to college and to get that degree that will make him successful.If you are looking for a lucrative career in tutoring, you can choose to work for a company or individual, such as a private school or an agency. Students are becoming more knowledgeable about academics, which has led to an in crease in tutoring. There are some tutoring jobs available in Dallas, TX, that you can work hard to get.