Learn to Paint at Art School

Learn to Paint at Art School Fine Art Courses that Teach You to Paint Like a Pro ChaptersAre You Ready for Art School?How to get Accepted onto Fine Art CoursesIs it Possible to Attend a Fine Arts College on a Limited Budget?Learn to Paint at Art School -  Definitions'Art school can be a wonderful place if you're trying to find your voice and your style and your taste.' -  Abbi JacobsonIt is fair to say that the arts education sector took quite a hit during the national education sector cuts in the UK, which saw government funding to art schools slashed and many  art universities' entrance fees rise to a staggering £9,000 a year.Yet the spirit of impassioned struggling  artists on a path to express the inner depths of their imagination can never really be dampened!The UK is proud to have an art education sector that is one of the most prestigious in Europe with thousands of students enrolling in fine art courses and art universities across the country year on year.So, if you are a creative soul who is passionate about painting or drawing, then why not try getting into an art school to learn to paint like a pro? Don't let money worries stand in the way of your dreams, student loans can always be repaid!The training offered by art schools and art universities, such as Edinburgh Art College, London Art College and Fine Arts College, is  diverse and varied.Graduating from an accredited academy of art will give you the technical skills needed to succeed as an accomplished artist and even to set up your own exhibition. This post will explain in more detail criteria to consider before enrolling in an applied arts course. FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12 /h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsAre You Ready for Art School?Be creative and find your artistic fingertips! (Source: Visual Hunt)Characteristics of a Wannabe Art StudentWant to become an art student and potential professional artist? Think you fit the bill and are ready to join a design school or an academy of art? Then have a look to see if you fit the profile...You spent your school days drawing, scribbling, cartooning and roughly painting all over your textbooks and lost in sketches on the side of the margin during science, English lit and maths classes and even your final exams!You prefer to sketch, peruse works of art or delve into an art history book when you are bored rather than while away the time watching TV or participating in sport.Your creativity has no limits - you are able to invent your own stories usin g only acrylic paint, gouache paint or some coloured crayons on with a canvas and paintbrush (and perhaps a snack or two!).You are able to tell by which artist any given oil painting was painted simply by analysing the style of the painting because you spend so much time in art galleries and contemporary art museums on visits to exhibitions to see the latest artwork in town.During the school holidays, you prefer to take part in creative workshops on how to do collages, printmaking, papercutting and assemblage art so you can make a fresco image of yourself or even an alternative version of your dressing table!You never leave the house without a sketchbook and drawing pencils.If you fit the above profile then there is absolutely no doubt about it, you have creative bones in your body and art school is your calling!'In art school, you learn that design is much more than the look and feel of something - it's the whole experience.' - Joe GebbiaNow you just need to find out if you are rea lly made for a fine art college or school of art and design or if another art course or internship might be more appropriate!Each year, thousands of students apply to enrol at some of the most prestigious art schools and art universities in the country. A range of undergraduate degree programs and postgraduate art courses (like masters) exist.There is no specific  profile type  for getting accepted into an art school. However, you should already have taken drawing classes and a painting course and therefore have a basic knowledge of different drawing techniques.You may also want to investigate online painting lessons...  What Qualities does a Fine Arts College Student Need?A strong work ethic and the ability to work long hoursA sound grasp of drawing and other artistic techniques (sculpture, engraving, graphic design, life drawing, charcoal drawing, acrylic painting…),An extremely strong creative flairPerseverance - getting accepted into an art school or college is no easy feat., but it is an excellent way of understanding about how to find work in the art market, which is an industry that is very often demanding and at times ungrateful.A great sense of independence and ability to work aloneCuriosity and openness - intrigue about anything and everything and the ability to use this fascination in one's artistic body of work.Have a pensive mind and the ability to reflect on a variety of different subject matter.You can improve your knowledge of painting by attending a course through an association like UKADIA (United Kingdom Arts and Design Institutions Association).How to get Accepted onto Fine Art Courses'I have wanted to be a fine artist painter, and I reached the point in art schools where I'd like to understand more about images and how images communicate information to people.' -  John HenchEntrance tests for Art schools, fine art colleges and art universities in the UK are highly competitive. There are very often more than five candidates applying for j ust one available place. What's more, the level of demands and pressure will increase yet more once you are a fully fledged art student.Developing an Artistic and Cultural BackgroundStudying art at Sixth-Form college by choosing Art and Design at AS and A-level is a good way to immerse yourself in an environment rich in arts and culture and win points at interview.Once you have completed your Sixth-Form studies, do not hesitate to turn your hand to preparatory painting classes that will help you later on during art school aptitude tests and building your portfolio for when interview time comes around. Due to the intense competition, the level and standard required for the best art universities in UK is extremely high.Have Your Own PersonalityAfter you finish Sixth-Form, do not hesitate to take part in an art foundation course - such as those offered by universities like Kingston University London and Leeds University. These art universities offer students the chance to study a 1-yea r Art and Design (foundation) diploma, which can help get you up to scratch before art school entrance tests.Foundation art courses encourage you to  develop your own style  and prepare a portfolio of work that really reflects your  artistic orientation  through a variety of different mediums.Most people do not have quite the maturity or perspective for art school when they apply fresh out of Sixth-Form college, which is why taking a foundation year is advisable.Nothing is stopping you from applying directly to a fine arts college, academy of art or art university, but be sure not to close any doors and enrol yourself in an art foundation course as well so that you have the time to formally develop your own style if it turns out you are not quite ready for art school!Make sure that you choose the foundation course and associated accredited educative institution wisely to ensure that you don't come out qualified, but not much else! For example, if the course does not encourage you to develop your own style and there is not much to distinguish you from the other candidates.Having said that though, taking an art foundation course before enrolling for art school is usually quite a winning formula and almost 90% of art foundation students are able to get a place at the art school of their choice upon graduation.Have you also thought about joining a painting association?Develop competences in every artistic domain at art universities! (Source: Visual Hunt)Choosing From Art Schools and Art Universities (UK)Target the institution  that corresponds best to what you are looking for rather than sending your portfolio to all the art schools and art universities in the UK. This way you will be able to put together a portfolio that is in line with the teaching ethos of your ideal school and you will have a much better chance of success!What's more, not only will you have more to discuss during the interview but the institution that you choose will really be able to help you develop your technique once you are there as your ideas and personality will probably be a better fit than with another institution.Each further education and higher education art institution will have its own specialisms:Decorative ArtsFine ArtGraphic ArtVisual ArtVisual Communication and Computer GraphicsComputer AnimationSpatial DesignPhotographyIllustrationCeramicsTextilesIt is up to you to find the artistic  specialism(s) and mediums that work best for you!Your prospective employment opportunities are varied and exciting, from fine art  painter, illustrator, sculptor, designer, carpenter, engraver, graphic designer to caricaturist and photographer...Are you in need of a painting teacher? Find one on the internet with the click of a button!Preparing for the Entrance TestApplicant success for the best art universities in the UK is low due to the high levels of competition with candidates applying from all over the world.Of course, each college has its  own entrance requirements but there are certain common criteria:Background qualifications in the arts (A-level or undergraduate degree)Talent and technical skills  (as demonstrated by a portfolio of work)Artistic flair (as demonstrated by on-site artistic aptitude test/entrance examination)A good fit with the institution in terms of personality, desired career path and artistic inspiration (as demonstrated at interview).A sound grasp of English (as demonstrated through IELTS - non-native speakers only).Your portfolio should include 10 - 15 artistic works that are very varied and able to showcase your  talent and  capacity to  adapt to different mediums.  Interviewers look for candidates who are sensitive to the finesses of different mediums.You will probably be asked questions about your  motivation  for applying for the course and the institution as well as past projects  that you have undertaken.Some colleges even require candidates to have taken an English language exam - make sure you know all the requir ements in advance!Some fine art colleges even have assessed group work sessions as part of the entrance test. No matter what, it is important that you are yourself throughout the process so that the institution can get a better understanding of whether or not you would be suitable.Examiners and interviewers make their decisions based on personalities, how you interact with others during group work and the way in  which they think you will fit into the college as a future student.Attend an art course to build a strong portfolio and get into the best art universities UK! (Source: Visual Hunt)Is it Possible to Attend a Fine Arts College on a Limited Budget?In order to support art education, most fine arts colleges and art schools are actually partially funded by the government. They offer a variety of professional courses that range from diplomas in art and design to postgraduate degrees programs, masters and even PhDs. 'The good thing about art schools is that unlike other subjects yo u do not have to be fresh out of Sixth-Form - mature students are welcomed and even encouraged to apply as they bring with them a wealth of artistic experience.Fine art schools usually have the option to apply for scholarships and bursaries, but if all else fails then you could always fall back on a student loan where interest rates are very low and if you earn below a certain amount you will never need to pay it back!From Edinburgh to Leeds, specialist art schools and universities exist all over the country, although the greatest variety of institutions can obviously be found in the capital, London.If you are really struggling to make ends meet then you could always apply for means-tested government funding if you meet the criteria or alternatively look further afield to internationally accredited degree programs in countries like France, Italy and Germany where art universities are often quite a bargain due to funding. You might have to get your dictionary out as there may be a fo reign language requirement!In countries in mainland Europe, like France and Germany, art university fees are usually as little as €500 a term or even a year whereas here in the UK they can be anywhere between £6,000 and £9,000 a year. If you are in receipt of a full scholarship, then obviously you will not need to pay a penny.When push comes to shove though, what can be a real expense that most cannot afford is taking a foundation art course (which is highly recommended!) prior to entering a fine art college. Not only will you have to consider the cost of 3-5 years of study, but you will also need to take into account accommodation fees and living expenses.The silver cloud to all this is that you will be able to follow your dream career path and you cannot put a price on that!Far from the days of struggling artists like Van Gogh, the power of the internet has meant that a degree in an art-related subject is particularly sought-after!A good artist or art student should be able to create art from any material! (Source: Visual Hunt)Are you still at Sixth-Form college? Then you may like to consider taking up Art and Design at AS or A-level.Learn to Paint at Art School -  DefinitionsIf you want to be a top art school student then apart from artistic flair you will also need to have a sound knowledge of the art industry and all the associated vocabulary that is entailed, from painting to drawing.What is a Colour Wheel?A colour wheel is a circular representation of the colours used in painting. It is used by painters to check which colours are the easiest to mix.What is a Diptyque?Diptyque art is a French term meaning painting or sculpture created across two mobile or immobile surfaces. Generally,  the two surfaces or objects complement one another.Now discover everything you need to know about art classes in the UK...

Learning Chinese with MOOCs

Learning Chinese with MOOCs What You Need to Know About Learning Chinese with a MOOC ChaptersWhat is a Chinese MOOC?Why Choose a MOOC to Learn ChinesePlatforms for Finding Chinese MOOCsChinese MOOCs: Effective Learning“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” - Albert EinsteinAccording to NOTCFL (National Office of Teaching Chinese as Foreign Language), there are 2,500 universities in the world offering Chinese as a foreign language. These universities can be found in hundreds of different countries.Why not learn how to speak Chinese with an online language course?MOOCs are distance courses offered by universities and available to everyone.Learning Pinyin, Chinese characters, and how to speak Chinese is becoming increasingly accessible. Here’s our guide to learning how to speak Chinese with MOOCs, what they are, why you should enrol in one, where you can find them, and the benefits of learning with MOOCs.since  you need to keep up with the classes and the course and teacher will ensure that.Why not try out your Chinese by travelling there? (Source: Silentpilot )While this may appeal to certain types of learners, it’s not for everyone  and you need to adapt.However, having a teaching team makes the courses more effective than just regular online tutorials. Don’t hesitate to ask others for help on the forums and participate in the course as much as you can.The teaching approach favours working in groups. Students can support one another and help keep you motivated. This is why MOOCs are open to everyone. The teaching resources aren’t the only thing that’ll improve your learning.Furthermore, you’ll belong to a rich and diverse community that helps its members to progress. This will stop you from giving up the second week in.  Whether you’re planning a trip to China, considering moving there, or looking to study abroad, MOOCs could really help!If you've decided that MOOCs aren't for you, why not consider private tutorials?While these aren't free like MOOCs, they do offer a way to learn Chinese Mandarin that's well beyond anything else being offered. As the only student being taught in a class, you can focus on anything you want.Those who are interested in learning their second language to travel can focus on Chinese culture and Chinese speaking classes to get them around mainland China. If you want to take your language study further, you could really dive into reading and writing in Chinese with an intensive focus on literature, for example.The main benefit of learning the Mandarin language with private tutorials is that you're the boss. You can explain to your tutor the level of fluency you want to achieve and why you want to learn the language and they can put together a programme of language training that's completely tailored to you.If there are no tutors living near you, don't forget that you can always opt for online private tutorials via video conferencing software such as Skype. These are often cheaper as the tutor doesn't have travel costs to cover.

Gamification in Education Its Time Education Leveled Up [Infographic]

Gamification in Education It’s Time Education Leveled Up [Infographic] Brooke Neuman Explore the exciting world of education through gamification. See how and why it works on kids and adults for improved retention, knowledge, and more in this guest post from our friends at JoyTunes How many students have been scolded by parents to put their video game away and get their homework done? It’s been a common household quarrel for decades, but kids across the globe are finally celebrating the new data that supports gamification as a means of advanced education and learning. Check out how it’s being applied to students young and old who are learning to play the piano for the first time. Gamification:  What it is Why it Works Gamification is the process of utilizing gaming elements outside the standard gaming model to present an idea or achieve a goal. In the field of education, gamification is currently being used to help students learn better. Jane McGonigal enlightens the world to the benefits of education through gamification in her TED Talk here: In short, gamification techniques allow students to relate to the material and learning process in a whole new way, a way that is more engaging, interactive, attractive, and quite frankly, fun. Kids and adults can tackle issues from new angles, relate to the assignment more personally, visualize the problem at hand, organize and compartmentalize tasks, and achieve success based on motivating factors that speak to the individual. This is Your Brain, This is Your Brain on Gamification Here are a few facts about gamification that might clue you into the popularity, efficacy, and power of this under-utilized educational tool: By 2015, the gamification industry is projected to exceed $2 billion dollars, while the projected rates are meant to reach $5.5 billion by 2018. Close to 80% of students unilaterally stated that a more game-like atmosphere would increase productivity. 89% of people polled liked the point system for upping their engagement during an eLearning app session. People enjoy the charge that comes from scoring points, out ranking others, and being able to measure their accomplishments with concrete numbers. Skill-based knowledge assessments increased 14%, factual knowledge went up 11%, and retention was even improved by 9% for adults who used eLearning tools with gamification. Of course, not all gamification methods work as well as others. Some less popular techniques for getting the job done (or in this case the lesson learned) included receiving virtual gifts, being part of a story, and avatars. Music Gamified Learning to play the piano or any instrument is a challenge, no doubt. But mastering this beautiful art is easier, more manageable, and a lot more fun when you combine the strengths and incentives implied by gamification to your music lessons. Innovative music apps, like JoyTunes, use gamification to help kids and adults learn to play an instrument faster. The principles are simple: Games make learning more fun: The piano lesson is taught in the form of a game. We all like earning points: Points are gained when scales are performed properly. Games require repetition: Repetition makes for good music incorporation and learning. Hence, games equal excellent musical training grounds. Pretty smart, huh? Give it a Try! The infographic above tells the long story of gamification at a glance. The extent of this processing is yet to be discovered, but one thing can be said of gamification for sure: those who tap into this innovative method for teaching, learning, and training are guaranteed to see extraordinary results. And those that don’t…well, they’ll just be left in the dark. Guest Post Author:  Mya Achidov This is a guest post from JoyTunes. Mya Achidov is the Blog Editor-in-Chief at JoyTunes, a company that develops award-winning apps to teach you how to play music. 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

Improve Your Pronunciation 3 Spanish Movies to Watch Now

Improve Your Pronunciation 3 Spanish Movies to Watch Now Suzy S. Becoming fluent in a new language can feel quite daunting, especially when youre trying to translate in your head first! Read on for some great tips to increase speed and pronunciation from instructor  Giulia M I have been teaching Spanish, Italian, and English for a number of years.  I am Italian, which means that two of the three of the languages I teach are not my native one. I understand the challenges students encounter while learning a new language since Ive been through them myself. In order to master a language and express our thoughts and emotions in an effective way, we need to start thinking in that language. This can be difficult to achieve, but with  time, practice, and dedication, your thoughts will begin to  originate in your new language. I think the most powerful tools we have when learning a new language is our memory and our capacity to imitate. In fact,  a big part of  my learning process through the years has been when I watch movies in Spanish and memorize the dialogue. Much like with music, memorizing movie dialogue can help you learn pronunciation without having to think about the translation. The practice is useful when training yourself to think in a new language. My Top 3 Spanish Movie Recommendations There are so many great opportunities out there to watch movies in Spanish! I am a big fan of the Spanish director  Pedro  Almodóvar. His movies are very interesting and the actors speak Spanish beautifully. These are a few of his greatest titles. Volver A  comedic drama, the film features ghosts, murder, and love as it  details the relationships between three generations of women in Madrid. All About My Mother This emotional film follows a woman coping with her own personal tragedy as she makes new friends and reacquaints herself with an important character from her past. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Many complicated paths cross in a confusing jumble as a woman seeks to discover the reason her lover chose to leave. Even More Spanish Movies to Watch I recommend movies from Mexico like Y Tu Mamá También or Amores Perros to hear Spanish being spoken in a non-Spanish accent. Chilean and Argentinean movies might be a little more challenging because the actors tend to speak quickly. I am a big fan of Ricardo Darín, an Argentinian actor. You may want to check him out if your Spanish is intermediate or advanced. I love El mismo amor, la misma lluvia, Son of the Bride, or Nine Queens. Quick Tips for My Students Watch movies with English subtitles if you are a beginner, and in the language you are learning if you are intermediate or advanced. This way you will be able to connect the words youre hearing with the words youre seeing on the screen.  This will help you memorize new words and work on pronunciation. Using two of your senses at once tremendously increases  your learning ability. Whenever you dont understand a word, concept, or grammatical structure, pause the movie and look it up in your textbook or a Spanish dictionary.  This will be more accurate than using an online translator and the act of looking for something helps you learn. I hope you enjoy these movies as much as I do! I promise that on top of having fun, your level of comfort while speaking Spanish  will increase rapidly. Readers, do you like to watch movies in Spanish? What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments! Giulia M. teaches Spanish, Italian, singing, and guitar in Austin, TX and online. She is from Florence, Italy, and has been a tutor for the past 12 years. Learn more about Giulia 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 Photo by  tonicito

What Is Social History

What Is Social History Social History: What Does It Entail? ChaptersWhat is Social History?What Are Some Aspects a Social Historian Studies?Social History, Economic History and Political History: ConclusionsGender Studies: Re-Evaluating Social HistoryNot interested in political history and the rise and fall of Empires? Curious about how people lived in ancient societies on a day-to-day basis? Then maybe social history is the thing for you.History of MigrationYou might wonder why the history department of a university would be interested in migration.Migration has shaped history since the Early Man first left Africa to colonize the world. To show you their importance, here are some of the great migrations that shook Europe and the Mediterranean and influenced its cultural history:The Sea People migration in the Bronze Age (1200-900 BC) which contributed to the Late Bronze Age Collapse, during which several large Empires of the time including the Hittite Empire, the Mycaenian Kingdom and the Egyptian Empire of the New Kingdom.The Dark Age migra tions, due in part to pressure from the expanding empire of the Huns, led through a process of attrition to the fall of Imperial Rome. The Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain was a migration - the evidence of archaeology suggests that rising poverty drove them from the shores of Germany. These migrations shaped the world of Medieval Europe.Migration to the New World - with its heyday starting in the seventeenth century - had a profound impact on the native societies and led to the creation of the countries of the modern world.The Saxons came to England during a wave of migrations that changed the political map of Europe. Photo credit: EccyLad on Foter.comModern history is also shaped by migration - as evidenced by the internationally destabilising effect of the current immigration crisis in Europe and the US.Studying the history of migrations is understanding how different cultures shaped and influenced our own both from the point of view of history and that of anthropology, rethinking what we think is “British” or “European” in view of ethnic influences and looking at the world from a wider perspective.Read more about the History of diplomacy.Social History, Economic History and Political History: ConclusionsSocial history doesn’t exist in a vacuum - it is influenced by a lot of factors. Economics is one of them.Whether in the twentieth century or the second, economic factors are one aspect to have influenced social phenomena - and vice-versa. The creation of centralised workshops and the specialisation of artisans as a profession made trade easier, while the increasingly widespread use of banks made it possible to do business on a truly international scale, making the merchant class a true force in politics. Poverty breeds dissatisfaction and revolution (ask the French), while the growing working class during the Industrial Revolution of the Victorian age brought a new type of consumer to the market and a new social stratus ready for reform and eager t o break with tradition - eager for a voice of their own in a democracy.Revolution is often an agent of social change. Photo credit: Crethi Plethi on Foter.comThe Cold War fought between capitalism and communism, a clash of both political and economic ideological views, spurred on the race to the moon and fuelled advancements in technology that, in turn, bolstered the economy, at least for a while.Today, the common conflict throughout American history between the concept of a welfare state and unbridled capitalism, a debate raging since Industrialization came across the Pond in the nineteenth century, is coming to a peak.So when you are studying social issues, don’t shy away from a comparative approach. Whether it be political history or intellectual history, history of philosophy or even archaeology for the material remains - it’s all connected. If you want to study social history, consider taking courses in another social science among the humanities. Sociology is another good discipline to gain a theoretical background that will help you find new approaches for studying social phenomena from an interdisciplinary point of view.Gender Studies: Re-Evaluating Social HistoryGender studies often focus on women in history, but generally observe gender roles in society. Photo credit: Kaptain Kobold on Foter.comAn interesting evolution in intellectual historiography is the rediscovery of the role of women within history. Technically, Gender Studies is the study of the relative roles of men and women throughout the centuries; however, the fact that even up to early modern times the study of history focused almost entirely on the male side of the question (unless the woman happened to be in a politically significant role), means that a great many of the themes of modern gender studies centre around rehabilitating women in history and exploring their narrative - from the queens behind the thrones to the role of domestic production within the economy.

The Hidden Key to College Admissions Success Staying Organized

The Hidden Key to College Admissions Success Staying Organized ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Better organization skills can benefit almost anyone in any stage or area of their life. When some people hear the word organization their first thought is about home organization and a big box store specializing in ridiculously overpriced closet-systems. There are others who seem to find happiness in staying organized; these are the folks who are constantly making lists and crossing things off of them. For students, developing organizational skills is inherent to achieving academic success whether as a high school freshman studying for final exams for the first time, or a junior taking the first steps in the college admissions process. Applying to college can be particularly overwhelming due to the numerous requirements and deadlines. This process takes place simultaneously with taking AP Exams and working to maintain your GPA among feelings of “senioritis.” The college application process can contain ALL of the following: School Selection Visits Taking the ACT or SAT Selecting Potential Majors/Areas of Study Writing College Admissions Essays Requesting Letters of Recommendation Requesting ACT/ SAT scores be sent to Colleges Requesting Transcripts be sent to Colleges Composing a CV or Activities List Applying for Financial Aid Scholarships Accepting Admissions offers sending deposits This can be a daunting and confusing process. Remaining organized is imperative in order to successfully complete and submit college applications in a timely manner. TIMELINE MASTER TO DO LIST First, create a timeline detailing when you will tackle each task on your list. Breaking the application process into chunks like this makes the whole process more manageable and less stressful. Spring of Junior Year Summer of Junior Year Fall of Senior Year Spring of Senior Year Utilize a task management app such as Google Tasks or ToDoist to track your progress. COLLEGE LIST Which schools will you be applying to? Are they on the Common Application? Finding this out is necessary, as it will save you from unnecessary work, the Common App is a central application from which you can apply to multiple schools. You write a single essay and upload all application materials once for schools which participate in the Common App. For schools not on the Common App, you will need to visit their Admissions website and read their specific Requirements. TECHNOLOGY We are in the technology age, be sure to use tools to help keep you on track! Create a separate email, solely for College correspondence. This way, important reminders will not get lost amongst the daily advertisements and junk mail that clutters our inboxes. Separating your personal email from your professional email will ensure you do not miss any important messages! Set appointments in Google Calendar reminding you well in advance of deadlines for applications and scholarships. For extra accountability, share your calendar with a parent or mentor to help you remain on track. Create School Specific folders on your computer’s desktop or in an an online platform like Google Docs or Box, to separate essays and other information unique to each application. CHECKLIST Breakdown your Master To Do List by school, compose a Spreadsheet like the following: Application Deadline University or Program Essays (Prompt, word count) Letters of Recommendation (Accepted?) Scholarships (Require additional essays?) Test Scores Sent Transcripts Sent Be sure to check off items as you complete them, you can also use a service like Naviance, an online platform with the capability of tracking all elements of the College Admissions process. You can usually obtain an account through your school’s College Counselor.These are some tips to get you started, Good Luck! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa is a PhD student in History at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Managing Tutor with MyGuru. She has helped many students navigate the college admissions process and write more compelling personal statements and application essays.

Taking English Classes with Rockstars

Taking English Classes with Rockstars Assembling a team of English teachers isn’t easy, especially when you are focused on quality, experience, certification and  that extra something, je ne sais quoi.  LOI English is lucky  to have a talented team of teachers. If you are already an LOI English student then you know that our teachers are great at teaching English but did you know they have many other talents? Did you know that our teacher Peter has his own radio show? or that Tina is an expert on the artist Klimt? You can read her articles here, although it is in German.    Isaac does voiceover work (you can hear his smooth vocals during class). Davide is an experienced programmer and inventor. Here is one of his patents, it is a little too techie for my understanding.    Our teacher Takeyce has a beautiful new album called Faith and Love. Inspired by her reggae roots. You can hear her beautiful vocals and the wonderful message she wants to share.  You should check it out! Teacher  Kelly just released an album too, i n a little different style. Deeply Unlovable has a great British punk feel and she rocks with her band ,The Empty Page.  At LOI English you might be taking your next English class with a future rockstar. These are only a few of our talented teachers you could meet during your classes with LOI English. This is what makes LOI English unique. Are you unique too? Then you and LOI English will be a great fit.

I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute Beginner

I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute Beginner I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute Beginner You can do it.And yes, Im talking to you.Whether you flunked out of high school German, were too embarrassed to even attempt a bonjour on your visit to Paris, or were only able  to stick with  your New Years resolution for three days,  youâ€"my dear, dear readerâ€"can learn another language!Im not going to pretend that its easy for everyone. Some geniuses  seem to soak up languages like sponges, whereas people with certain learning disabilities can face significant challenges.For the rest of us, language learning is somewhere in the middleâ€"it can be both immensely frustrating yet also  immensely rewarding, often both at the same time. It might take you months to handle a concept that someone else grasps instinctively in minutesâ€"and vice-versa.But whatever the outcome, the joy and benefits of communicating in another language are real and attainable. Even more importantly, the process of getting there is thrilling.This post will take apart both of these aspects for those who are t otally new to language learning, or for whom it has seemed like an insurmountable challenge in the past. I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute BeginnerI come at this from my  perspective as a  former language teacher and  an experienced learner of languages, by the way,  with  my  own set of successes and major challenges when confronting a language. (For a book-long academic take on the same subject, and one that has informed my learning style and advice, check out  How Languages Are Learned.)Define Your Principal Motivation(s) for Learning the LanguageHaving a quality  reason for learning a language is central to everything that comes in the weeks, months, and, yes, years that you will later spend studying, speaking, enjoying and maintaining it.Lets look at some examples. What do you think about the following reasons for learning a language? Are they likely to lead to success?I want to have a second language on my CV.I want to seem like a more intellectual/e ducated/international sort of person.I want cute guys/girls to notice me in a bar when I answer my phone in another language.Sure,  there is no problem with folks wanting these  things out of life, and the last goal even has the benefit of being  specific. But language learning is a long, challenging journey, and what none of these motivations provides is a personal, compelling reason to focus on improving your communication.Compare the motivations above with these:I want to be able to flirt with the Russian girl in my yoga class.I want to place my order in good African  restaurants in French.I want to understand the lyrics of marabenta music.I want to be able to make sales to clients in Brazil.I want to hang out  and make meaningful friends at salsa events.Can you see how the latter motivations offer specific objectives for study that will keep you coming back to your grammar book with a sense of excitement rather than duty?Language learning is toughâ€"when youre on your thousandth Chinese character or trying to crack the mysteries of Russian cases, it can help enormously if your overall motivation is connected in some way to the detail that youre trying to learn that day.And if its not connected, guess what: Often you can skip it! Theres no reason, for example, to spend much time with the Arabic writing system if your ultimate driving motivation is a desire  to be able to chat with Lebanese relatives (whose oral language doesnt much resemble standard Arabic).I may always be looking to improve my vocabulary even in my mother tongue English, but I will probably never be fluent in baseball or physics jargon. I pick my battles in any language, based on what I like doing with it.Your motivation might even mean that fluency (whatever that is) is not necessary or desirable; theres immense joy and usefulness to be had with low-level, rudimentary and even silly communication in another language.Use Your Overarching Motivation  to Set Achievable Short-term Communicati ve GoalsThis overarching motivation above can then be broken down and used to set your week-to-week and lesson-to-lesson short term goals. Such goals should of course be specific, small, compelling and fun. The connection to your overall motivation then makes them personal to youâ€"something that you cant wait to dive into before and will really remember after.If my  motivation, for example, concerned sales to  Brazilian clients, goals that I might set for individual weeks would include, at various points in the long  process:I want to be able to answer the phone in Portuguese.I want to be able to exchange pleasantries.I want to properly use a formal, business registerâ€"and understand when its likely that I will switch to informal Portuguese with clients.I want to understand the culture of dealmaking in Brazil.I want to be able to describe our key products specs in Portuguese.All of these are great small goals that connect back to the overall motivation. For more on setting good an d  specific lesson goals, see the link at the top of this section.Tools for Language Learning That Are Linked to Your MotivationWeve covered a lot of the best tools for language learning, but a key point to make here is that your choice of tools will vary enormously according to the motivation that is driving your learning process.To give one example, I own a Serbian textbook that gives lots of history on old, literary Serbian that most modern speakers dont even know or use. As interesting as it all is, my principal motivation for learning is to be able to enjoy a  rakija when Im with friends in the Balkans and to complain together about life, so I focus rather on lessons about  sevdahlinka  songs (tragedy-tinged Bosnian laments), which give me the vocabulary that I enjoy and am more likely to actually use. Watching videos on the Internet and pausing to analyze, look up and make sentences from the new structures is thus a very  useful learning method for me.If your overarching motiv ation  involves listening, speaking or cultural elements, watching videos can be an important part of your learning process  too. FluentU provides the perfect integrated video-based tool for language learnersâ€"taking  real-world videos and transforming  them into personalized language lessons.For nearly all learners, some sort of textbook and language classes or online language exchange sessions will also be appropriate. But as much as possible, try to ensure that these are geared towards the reason that you are learning the language. Grammar, for most, is a means, not an end. You dont want to learn the literary past tense in French if you have no intention of ever writing a great French novel, for example, but you will definitely want to learn the spoken past tenses if you want to be able to hold a basic conversation in which you talk about things that youve done.For those interested in oral communication, the Teach Yourself  language books  tend to be very good for many languages ; but they  should often not be your choice if your goal is to read and write the academic version of a language.Staying Motivated as You LearnIf you have a good overarching motivation and your day-to-day goals are connected to it, your desire to learn at each lesson should be nearly automatic. That said, youll want to include a certain amount of variation as well as try  methods like these for integrating language learning into your life.Here are a few tips for creating a routine that you can stick with:Track your goals: Keep a notebook with the goals youve set for yourself; theres a lot of satisfaction  in being able to cross them off your list.Make it social: Interact with other learners, whether online or in conversation groups. And, of course, try to interact with native speakers as much as possible. Humans are social animals, so  doing this project with others will make it more compelling.Make it daily:  Ive found that even a small amount of time every day (like a half-hour) c an be far superior to setting aside a few hours once a week for a class or a study session. When a language is part of your daily life, you dont forget your lessons as easily, and you find yourself thinking about what youre learning and how you can use it at many points throughout the day.Integrate learning with your media consumption: Consuming the news, podcasts and entertainment  media in your target language rather than your own language provides incentives to learn and a richer experience with the language.Without giving any false hope for what is certainly an enormous undertaking, my wish is that you are leaving this post now with a more concrete and personally motivating desire to jump headlong into language learning.Your fling with a Russian girl/first sale in Portuguese/conversation with the Lebanese grandparents will be a great reward, sure, but with  whatever motivation you have in mind, the process itself will also hopefully be quite fun.Mose Hayward blogs about language s, including  the lack of smiling in  Russian flirting,  and why you thus might want to buy a  gas station.