Tag Archives: learning

Apr27

Yearning for Learning: Why You Should Never Stop Studying

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Yearning for Learning: Why You Should Never Stop Studying

Regardless of what stage of life you are currently at, learning is something that you should always be doing. A lot of people think of studying as something that is just for kids or young people at college, but the truth is, is that there are a whole range of advantages that will open themselves up if you commit your life to learning. As well as being a more well-rounded person, you will also constantly be developing new skills that you never know when will come in handy.

Whether you have lessons in something, take an online college course with Find Your Context, or study independently, here are just a few of the reasons that you should commit to lifelong learning:

You Will Become Happier: Studying can be very hard and frustrating, but there is nothing like the feeling that you are actually getting smarter. Even better, is when you can start putting these skills into practice and impressing people with what you have learned. There is nothing like reaching a goal that you have set for yourself, so you should make sure that you are constantly striving for bigger and better things. Having something to work towards is a great way to focus your mind and give you the feeling that you are always accomplishing something. Personal development should get you on the fast track to inner peace and happiness.

You Will Become Irreplaceable at Your Job: If you can show that you bring valuable new skills to your company, you are much more likely to impress your bosses. Not only will this keep you in your job role, but you should also start jumping to the front of the queue when it comes to promotion time. If you do decide that it is time to move onto new pastures, the more skills that you have, the more likely it is that you will end up landing yourself the job of your dreams. The rapid rise of technology means that more people are becoming replaceable; continual learning ensures that you won’t be one of them.

You Will Become More Cultured and Knowledgeable: If you stop learning at a certain point, that is exactly where you will become fixed. A person who is well-read and has numerous different skills finds it easy to carry a conversation on a whole range of different topics with ease. The more you learn, the more avenues of your mind you are opening up and the more well-rounded you will become as a person. Rather than making it seem like you are trying too hard to impress people with your knowledge, people will naturally start turning to you as a source of wisdom and excellent conversation.

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You Will Become More Passionate: The pursuit of knowledge is a major passion in itself, but the more you learn about different topics, the more passionate you will become about them. You may even end up discovering things that you love that you would never have thought of before. Try to be broad with your learning so that you don’t become too fixed on a single area and you will truly get the most out of expanding your horizons.

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Apr27

How Education Can Help You Get Fluent in the Language of a Business

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How Education Can Help You Get Fluent in the Language of a Business

The language of a business is the models and practices in place within it. No, it doesn’t mean the employees literally speak a language created by the business (although, sometimes it might seem that way!). It means that each business has its own way of doing business and its own methods that it chooses to use to do so. And each business speaks its own language in the sense that they provide different things and expect different things in return. And, like with any language, it is possible to get fluent in a business’s language through taking courses.

Different businesses are like different cultures. Each one differs from the next, even when they are in the same market. But just because there’s such a variation in businesses and their languages, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get fluent in them. In this day and age there are a whole host of courses to take and degrees to earn. So, fear not, because you’re always going to be able to find one that helps you in the business that you work in. Gone are the days where you could only get a grasp of the language of business by obtaining a Business Management degree. Today, you can take any number of courses to help you better understand the business that you business in.

For instance, if yours is a business in the Geriatric Care Management sector, then you can get fluent in the language of dealing with your older customer base by earning a Gerontology degree. In doing so you can learn and understand the behavioral habits of the elderly. You can also garner a deeper understanding for their societal standing. In learning these things and becoming fluent in this particular language, you are setting yourself up for success in this sector.

Despite the variation in businesses today, there are still some overarching languages spoken. A language that is spoken in every business is accounting. It is an integral aspect of every business, as it determines how protected and sufficient it is in a financial sense. If you want to be a successful business owner, then it is imperative that you become as fluent in accounting as you are in your mother tongue. To do so, you can try earning an Accounting degree from the UAB Online School of Business. In taking such a venture, you are giving yourself the best opportunity to be fluent in this crucial area of business. Plus, because 100% of this degree is completed online, you need not let any of your important everyday business aspects slip while you take it.

Whether you major in the liberal arts and humanities or in the STEM fields there are skills from both sides of the divide that can be translated into the language of business. As a liberal graduate you stand yourself in good stead to be able to speak persuasively. As a STEM grad, you have the skills to be able to deal with tasks logically. When taking a degree, in order to get the right qualifications needed for your career path it is imperative that you choose the right one. But when you are taking a course in order to better your knowledge, you can find different skills and techniques in all sorts of different classes. It’s just about how you implement the knowledge that you’ve garnered when the time comes.

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Apr10

It’s Time To Revise The Way You Revise

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It’s Time To Revise The Way You Revise

Studying up for an exam  – whether it be school, a driving test, or work-related – needn’t fill you with dread. Changing the way you prepare yourself can make it not only more enjoyable, but more effective. Here are just a few methods worth trying out to help you conquer the next big test in your life:

It’s not about the hours you put in:

No, this isn’t an encouragement to cram the night before. Revising weeks in advance is still important, but you needn’t spend hours burrowed in a textbook each day. Instead, dedicate small amounts of time each day to brush up on a few new things that you’re not as confident with. Cram in short bursts and give yourself a break and time to relax and reward your mind, then take another crack at it the next day.

Destroying the ‘fear of the unknown’:

Exam nerves are largely a fear of the unknown. However, nowadays, there are so many online tools that can better prepare you for the examination. For example, past exam papers are often easy to find online. By knowing what came the year before, you may have a better idea of what’s most likely and most unlikely to appear this year. There are also sites such as https://gradebuddy.com/ that can provide you with class and lecture notes for any of those lectures and seminars that you may have missed.

Knowing your learning style:

There are different learning styles better suited to different people. Some people revise better with others, whilst other may find this too distracting for their study style. Some people are visual learners, while others get put off by images and graphs. There are also other types of learning such as physical learning (doing practice exams, writing on sticky notes, playing revision games) and audio learners (listening to audio-guides, listening to other people). Find the learning style that best suits you, so that information gets soaked up more quickly and more effectively. Guides such as https://www.lynda.com/articles/whats-learning-style-find can help you get the best out of your individual learning style so that you can better prepare for the next big test.

Consider hiring a mentor:

When it comes to higher education, don’t be afraid to seek out professional support to help you get to grips with areas of study that you’re finding challenging. A mentor such as Alice Chang PhD may be able to help you to better understand topics that you are struggling to understand by providing personalized feedback. Make sure to work with someone who is reputable and who understands the niche subject you are revising.

Get out of the house:

If you’re just revising in your room, try a change of surroundings and see what effect it has on your output. Some people find going outdoors to be a good mental stimulation – although perhaps not on a miserable day. Libraries, coffee bars, and internet cafes can also be good places to get you feeling less confined. Make sure that there aren’t too many distractions by timing your revision periods well – going to a coffee bar during a busy lunch period might result in too much noise and a less than effective study sesh.

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Love, love, love studying outdoors.

Keep your body active:

Staying physically as well as mentally active is important when having a study session. Exercise gets the blood pumping around your body helping to circulate your brain with a fresh hit of oxygen. You don’t have to go for a jog or hit the gym – taking the time to do a few push-ups in your bedroom might be all that your body needs. There are also ways to revise as you exercise, although they may not work for all types of learners. You can listen to an audio study guide while jogging or doing a workout. Or you could work with a group of friends, throwing and catching a ball and having to answer questions each time.

Study up in small bursts and ace the next big exam that comes your way! You got this! 🙂

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Apr6

Have Fun & Impress College Admissions Officers

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Have Fun & Impress College Admissions Officers

The world of college admissions has never been more competitive, which means that if you want to get into the college of your choice, being academically successful alone isn’t enough. If you want to wow the admissions officers and secure your place, you need to dedicate yourself to other activities that show them that you’re an interesting, well-rounded, and dedicated person, whose presence at their college will make it a better place. The good news is, many of the extracurricular activities you can use to impress the college admissions officers are also a lot of fun. Here are some of the best ways that you can spruce up your college application when the time comes:

Volunteer: Volunteering shows that you are a caring person who is willing to go out of their way to help people and do something for the good of your community and the rest of the world. When you volunteer, you can also pick up a range of skills that will surely impress. Because there are so many volunteering needs from helping out at an animal shelter to teaching overseas, you will almost certainly be able to find an opportunity that you truly love and which is a joy to participate in.

Take a Class: Did you know that you can take online college classes? If you want to show the admissions officers that you’re serious about learning and you’re capable of succeeding in college, enrolling in a college class is a great way to do that. You’ll get credit towards your college degree and you’ll find out what it’s like to be in college. Some people even do their whole degree online, which leaves them free to travel, work, and fit in other commitments around their studies

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I did almost all of my college classes online!

Start Your Own Business: Setting up your own business and becoming an entrepreneur is a great way to show the admissions board that you have drive, creativity, and motivation. Even if you’re business just involves selling your creations on Etsy, it’s a great way to make an impact on your app.

Spend the Summer Overseas: Living overseas for a summer is a great way of getting out of your comfort zone and exploring new cultures. There are a number of programs available to young people, which combine overseas travel with volunteering, learning, and skill-building and they will almost always look impressive on your college application, painting you as a confident, cultured individual.

Try For An Internship: Internships, whether paid or unpaid, in your chosen field of study, will enable you to get hands-on experience in the industry which will give you a competitive edge against many other applicants. It’ll also give you the chance to find out if you really do want to work in a particular field when you graduate or explore other options while in school.

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I loved my college internship 🙂

Whatever you choose to do, don’t waste your time doing things of little importance when you could be improving your prospects. Sure, take time out to have fun and chill out in front of Netflix, but do something worthwhile with your time, too, and the colleges will be fighting for you to join their campus!

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Mar31

Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

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Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

Choosing to further your education can be a daunting task. If you have already started in the world of work and have had somewhat of a gap between the last time you sat in a classroom and where you find yourself today, don’t fear – not much has changed in what you need to do to get you to where you need to be; you still need to knuckle down and put in the effort required, as well as the following steps:

Prepare Yourself: Preparing yourself to go back into a world of learning is something that will take a bit of time. For starters, you will need to visit colleges to make sure you’re choosing the right one. What does your ideal college experience look like? Do you want to live on campus? Commute or learn online? Perhaps you even want to study abroad! Prior to visiting colleges, it’s important to have a clear vision of how you want these next several years to go. That way, you won’t settle for anything less.

You’ll need to get yourself focused with a clear conscience and the right attitude to tackle any workload. The reason that quite a lot of people don’t think about furthering their education when they’re making their way through adulthood is the whole host of responsibilities that you’ll inevitably have running alongside. This means all of the washing, cooking, cleaning, and bills that you have to uphold whilst still doing school work, plus all of the other jobs that you have to uphold to keep a house running – especially if you’ve got children. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. There are loads of examples of people who have made their way through college or another form of education while still running a successful household.

Should trips to campus for classes be too much with your schedule – that’s okay! There are countless different options for furthering your education online. Remote learning can earn you your diploma or a certificate and can be completed on the go or from home. You can also consider online courses for a specific career path. For example, if you are interested in cyber security you could explore the course options available through https://www.cybrary.it . Career specific courses can often be completed quicker than a traditional degree and will still open lots of doors in the working world.

Get The Materials: There is so much more than a pen and paper that you’ll now need to get yourself through the years that you have committed yourself to. There are must haves such as books, online resources (so you’ll need access to a computer), and other higher-learning materials that you will need to be able to grab a hold of at a moment’s notice to help with essays and other learning projects. Getting the staples such as pens, pencils, and paper will also help, as neolithic as it sounds nowadays! Talk about old school!

It’s important to note that you will need a great computer if you are choosing an online education like this STEM School Certification or virtual associate degree programs. You will also need to have fast, dependable internet so you can always access your learning materials.

Find a Mentor: You can reinvigorate your education and career path at any point in your life, but one constant is that you should find a mentor to emulate and an example to follow. This can be a teacher, a professional, or an expert in your chosen field. For example, people like Caitlin Brodie of Greenwich have succeeded professionally and have offered to train others in leadership skills and other abilities that are useful in the business world.

If you can get a private tutor in addition to your basic education and your classes in your course, you will find that you progress much more quickly and completely. Of course, it’s beneficial to be selective in who you choose to follow, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t learn from the example of multiple mentors as well. Find what works for you.

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Pretty!

Learn The Code: There is a code of conduct set in place in every educational faculty, and it is up to you to upkeep the core values and morals that it is displaying. There can be disastrous consequences to your learning path if you violate the code – you can find more at Duffy Law about the steps that you need to take should that happen. It’s definitely a good thing to learn ahead of time what is required of you in terms of on campus conduct.

Make Friends: Just because you are studying doesn’t mean that this isn’t a chance to make new friends. People are usually on the same course as you because they have at least one common interest: the subject at hand. It’s good to have study buddies with you regardless of what age you are or how independent you feel; discussing and exchanging ideas about what you are educating yourself on is a great method of making your learning deep-rooted rather than superficial and easily forgettable. When you begin to explain to someone what you know and how to do something, you are further teaching yourself and cementing any rough ideas that you had.

Congratulations on beginning your higher education journey. Now get out there and learn, learn, learn!

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Feb23

How Randomness Can Add Creativity To Your Photography

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In many ways, the high technology of the modern world spoils us, especially when it comes to photography. Thanks to computers and Photoshop, there is more scope than ever before to be creative and to be expressive in photos. There are all sorts of techniques that can be used and many of them can help to make your work look more artistic and creative. Here are some fun camera hacks to help you add randomness and creativity to your work:

Move The Camera: Most professional photography courses emphasize the importance of keeping the camera as still as possible. The reason for this is to preserve things like lines and sharp edges and to prevent the photo from looking blurred. But sometimes you actually want to blur to convey a sense of motion to the image you’re snapping.

There are several popular ways of using the motion of the camera to take a better shot. “Panning”, for example, is a technique used most frequently in sports when following a target, like a horse, from one side of the field of view to the other. Another technique is “rotation” where the camera takes a photograph mid-whirls. Finally, there is camera throwing, where you literally throw the camera to take the shot. (With this one, you might want to prepare an area where the camera can land softly!).

As you can see, moving the camera can provide countless effects in itself. However, if you are shooting objects that are really moving, you might need more specialized equipment. For example, a car race would be shot best with a Line Scan Camera because of its high speed processing.

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The camera was not thrown for this picture!

Creative Focusing: You don’t need a full-blown DSLR to play around with focus. Some of the best bridge cameras in 2017 also come with options that allow users to focus either slightly in front or slightly behind the subject. The purpose of doing this is usually to pick out some other element of the photograph to focus on, leaving the rest of the image blurred. With the right foreground and background colors, this sort of technique can create intrigue and mystery.

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I’m intrigued 😉

Zoom & Shoot: Another way to use your camera is to zoom in while you shoot. This has the effect of making the outer edge of the image blurred while keeping the subject in the center in focus. Zooming while shooting makes it appear as if the whole image is sort of popping out at you. It’s also possible to combine zoom with a slow sync flash, which can produce some pretty spectacular results.

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Flickr Image

Shoot From Below: Top professional photographers have been using low-angle shots for decades to evoke a sense of scale. It turns out that the technique is extremely useful. Even regular sized objects take on whole new personalities when shot from below. What’s more, shooting from below is interesting for viewers. In our daily lives, we rarely see things from a mouse-eye view, and so when we do, it’s engaging if nothing else.

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Holy moly!

Use Over Exposure: Another thing photography school warns about is overexposing your shots. But doing it in the right setting, especially when an image contains dazzling colors, can be really effective. If you bump up the exposure setting on your camera, sometimes you can generate beautiful effects with foreground objects contrasting nicely with the burnt out background of the scene.

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Pretty!

Whether your passion lies in front of or behind the camera, learning the proper techniques can only benefit you in your line of work!

Jan27

Curiosity Kills? No – Kids’ Curiosity Gives Them Skills

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Curiosity Kills? No – Kids’ Curiosity Gives Them Skills

A major part of ensuring your children grow up intelligent is encouraging curiosity. We learn more than anything by asking questions. A person could walk past an almost silent classroom and be tricked into assuming that learning was going ahead perfectly. But the classroom where pupils are asking questions is more likely to see a real transfer of knowledge. As long as they’re the right questions, of course!

That curiosity is often what separates the child who will get A and A+ in their exams from those who will get just pass marks. When it comes to excelling in history, it is useful to know that Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon. It is better yet to know why he did it. This curiosity is a part of any subject. Quite early on in learning a language, we will learn full sentences (such as “Comment t’appelles-tu?”). It might then be months or even years until we understand all the parts of that sentence. But understanding what each word means will give a student more confidence in speaking the language.

As a parent, it is useful to be able to encourage this kind of curiosity in a child. Taking a full part in your kids’ education can help them perform better in the classroom and in exams. Here are some tips to making your child’s life as educationally fun as possible:

If You’re Going To Watch TV, Find Time For Brainy Viewing: A lot of people have the opinion that watching TV is bad for children, insisting that they should be studying textbooks and doing homework. Of course, those parts of education are important, but TV can play a part, too. Historical dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects and the evening news are all worth watching. So, too, are quiz shows. Kids of all ages are pleased to see their knowledge reinforced. They will also be keen to enhance it in areas where they’re less strong at the moment.

You’ll Learn More By Traveling: It’s fair to say that if your child went on every school trip, it could end up costing you a great deal of money. Prioritizing the best ones for them can work out well, though. If they show a flair for languages, then school trips to Berlin and similar cities can enhance that knowledge. It’s also worth bearing it in mind when planning family holidays.

You can show support and encouragement for your child’s curiosity by participating in field trips too. You could provide transportation or be a chaperone, which will let your kiddo know you want to be there and learn. After the different expert-led school trips you take part in, make a point to discuss it with your child. What they liked, what could have been better, the most interesting thing that they learned, etc. This is a win/win situation as your kiddo will gain new knowledge as well as quality time with you!

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 Family vaca, anyone?

Take The Chance To Learn More Yourself: Any parent will know how much joy there is in teaching their young ones something and seeing it stick. From the moment they potty-train successfully onwards, there will be chances to do so. It never stops being satisfying. What we often don’t realize is that kids enjoy this feeling too. When you ask them about what they’re studying, and they tell you something you didn’t know, show how impressed you are and ask more questions. This will encourage them to keep learning themselves.

And if there’s a subject that you find interesting, why not take a few lessons yourself, at a night class or online? Speaking French around the house or swapping books on art or history can fuse a common interest which will be useful to you both. Curiosity, at any age, is something we should encourage.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Dec21

Monday Update: NCI Training Edition

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Monday Update: NCI Training Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday!! This past Thursday I had my training for the National Core Indicators (NCI) research project in association with the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio…What a mouthful! I had the honor of being one of fifty out of over five hundred selected to take part in this opportunity and I was so happy to be there – even though I had to get up at 4:15 in the morning to begin my day! Let’s discuss, but first take a look at some of the responsibilities that my new job will hold by watching some or all of this video:

My day began early on Thursday morning and didn’t stop until I got home at roughly 7:30 in the evening. After I finished getting myself ready for the day, I packed some snacks, made some coffee, and then hit the road. I live in Akron, Ohio and my drive to Columbus took a little over two hours. Luckily, I began my drive early enough to account for traffic because the rush hour traffic was insane! I had to be at The Ohio State University’s McCampbell Hall by 8:30 to begin checking in and because of my early start I made it right on time.

When I got to our designated room number, I was a bit taken aback by the fact that I was easily the youngest person there. Everyone was at least thirty or older and as I learned throughout the day, all of them had some type of job in the field of service for people with developmental disabilities. Other members of the research project had children with some type of special needs and there were also some fantastic self advocates taking part in the day as well. My parents were so impressed when I told them this and I have to say, I was quite impressed with myself, too!

Our day began at 9:00 sharp and we were introduced to the responsibilities we would have as members of the NCI research project. It’s going to be our job to interview people with developmental disabilities to make sure that through the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities they’re receiving the best care possible. It’s also going to be our duty to report anything suspicious to make sure that there is no negligence or abuse going on.

Throughout the day we watched and analyzed the video I posted above, learned how to report possible cases of abuse, and listened to speakers such as the head of the Nisonger Center at OSU who is assisting with this project, department heads at the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities, and the people in charge of the NCI project. It was so cool to be able to ask questions and interact with people who are in such high esteem in the world of developmental disabilities.

My training went on until five in the afternoon and I learned so much. We went over the survey that we’ll be completing in extensive detail and I feel confident in my ability to do it well. I have a folder full of paper with the slides of the Powerpoints that we were viewing too so I can look over them whenever I need. My mom read some of them with me too because she’s a developmental pediatrician and is always hungry for more knowledge!

My day was so jam packed with information that I couldn’t even begin to cover it all in one post. All of the speakers did a great job of holding my interest because it definitely would have been easy to zone out during the day! I am so happy to take part in such an important project and I can’t wait to begin conducting my interviews throughout the next few months!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: NCI Training Edition! How was everyone’s weekend? What are your plans for the holidays? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah