Benefits of Using Avant Garde Tutoring Dry Erase Boards

Benefits of Using Avant Garde Tutoring Dry Erase BoardsThere are many benefits that could be derived from the use of avid tutoring dry erase boards. After all, these boards are wonderful for in-class discussions, such as lecture sessions and group sessions, but the benefits go much further than this.Firstly, the in-class discussions are extremely beneficial to students. After all, they're usually conducted with the aid of a whiteboard. In addition, the discussion can usually be very useful to students who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by the amount of information being taught to them.This is especially true when the topics covered are games or other board games. Students will often find it particularly helpful if they are able to participate in discussions in a group. Many avid tutors encourage and assist in such sessions. This helps make such events much more productive.The benefits of talking about board games is not only limited to talking about games in class. One of the most useful aspects of board games is the opportunity to have a 'walk in' conversation with your classmates. At a live classroom setting, this could be easily accomplished if you had the boards in front of you.Tutoring in a group can also help enhance student participation in the class. Whether it's a group of fifth graders in second grade, or a group of seniors in their senior year, it will be very difficult to get everyone involved in the same class without the benefit of the boards. However, students generally find it far easier to get involved when they're not alone. They find it much easier to cooperate when they're on their own, and this works out extremely well for students.Additionally, because of the power of the boards, students can actually discuss the board itself. For example, there are a few rules that must be followed in order to display the board properly. Although it may seem to many students like they can merely point to words and they will come to life, that isn't alwa ys the case. For students to understand how to properly use the boards, it is helpful to learn how the board functions.Therefore, in addition to learning useful things about how to use the boards, students will also discover the immense benefit of free tutoring. Students will discover a whole new world of learning that they wouldn't have otherwise known, and that will serve them for many years to come.

ACT Online Prep Online ACT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace

ACT Online Prep Online ACT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace ACT, is an abbreviation of American College Testing and is the exam taken by high school students to get admission in colleges and universities in the United States. ACT test paper examines a student in 4 main sections to test the students academic knowledge. ACT consists of the sections: English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. There is an additional Writing section, however it is optional and students can plan beforehand if they would like to have their score given in writing section as well. In order to do well in the English and Reading section, students should improve their grammar skills and rhetoric skills. For Mathematics section, students must improve their logical and conceptual knowledge in topics like Algebra, Plane geometry or Coordinate geometry etc. to get a good score in the test. For the Science section, reasoning plays an important part to answer the questions which are given from science related passages. By testing in these 4 subjects, the students basic concepts and subject knowledge is analyzed. These scores can later be sent to the students desired colleges and universities which grant admission to the student. Good ACT scores make the students admission application look impressive and is surely one of the factors which help a student get into their desired college. Students can apply for ACT online through website as well and for that they have to register online on the website to pay the appropriate test fee. Online method is the fastest method to get the admission ticket.

What is Flamenco Guitar Terms and Techniques You Need to Know

What is Flamenco Guitar Terms and Techniques You Need to Know Sign up successful Understanding Flamenco Guitar Want to learn flamenco guitar? As you may know, it’s traditionally played on a nylon-string (classical) style guitar, using not a pick but the fingers and nails of the right hand to drive the sound. The left hand is used much the same as in other styles, with some tonal and positional particularities. The right hand is related to classical technique in some regards, but as we’ll see there are some big differences. First, an analogy: Imagine that the guitar is a car, driving you down some Andalusian country road. Your right hand works the gas and brakes, and the left hand is the steering wheel. There are foundational rhythms that you can play with the right hand that can be applied to any chord or melody, given the technique you are using. What are these right hand techniques? We will cover each of the foundational right hand techniques for flamenco guitar later on in this article. But let’s start with some basic terminology relating to the art. Spanish Terminology for Classical and Flamenco Guitar Terminology is important to learning flamenco guitar, partly because flamenco comes from Spain. Here we’ll cover terms used to describe musical elements, parts of the guitar, guitar technique in general, as well as those particular to flamenco guitar. These words are easy to learn and will enrich your life by connecting you to a colorful and unique artform. Flamenco Music Here are a few basic terms describing some of the fundamental parts of a flamenco performance: palo = song style (eg.  Solea, Tangos, Bulerias, Alegrias, etc.) cante = flamenco singing toque = flamenco guitar playing baile = flamenco dance palmas = rhythmic hand claps that accompany a performance falseta = a prepared or improvised guitar-focused interlude between sung verses or dance  sections, or as a compositional development in its own right Flamenco Guitar Terms This terminology relates to the guitar itself and accessories used in flamenco: guitarra = guitar cejilla = capo golpeador = tap plate cuerdas = strings acordes = chords Terms for Fingers on Flamenco Guitar When notating the music played on classical and flamenco guitar, we use the following terms and abbreviations for right hand technique: pulgar = thumb (notated as “p”) indice = index finger (notated as “i”) medio = middle finger (notated as “m”) anular = ring finger (notated as “a”) rosado = pinky (not used as a term, notated as “x”) Flamenco Guitar Technique These are the techniques used in flamenco guitar. With the exception of arpeggio, they are more specific to flamenco than to classical music: arpeggio = plucking individual notes of a chord, e.g: p, i, m, a, m, i. picado = playing single note melodies using i, m. rasgueo = raking across the strings using x, a, m, i, and sometimes including p. abanico = a sub-category of rasgueo, using either p, i, and m, or p and ma. alzapua = using the thumb (p) to articulate a combination of single notes and parts of chords. arrastre = raking backwards (high to low) over the strings using the ring (anular, a) finger. golpe = tapping the body of the guitar, on the tap plate (golpeador) using ma (middle and ring  fingers together), or just the ring finger (a). Right Hand Flamenco Guitar Techniques These techniques can be dizzying to watch up close and in person, but we will demystify them a bit here. The Arpeggio and Picado As mentioned earlier, right hand technique for flamenco guitar is to a degree built on classical technique, with some additions. The classical component consists of arpeggios, and the use of alternating index and middle (i, m) for melodies. The arpeggiated figures in flamenco are particular, but you can use exercises from classical repertoire to build the needed dexterity. Picado is one technique used to play single note melodies in flamenco, and is played with a short, percussive stroke that is muted immediately after playing each note. To build your picado, just apply an alternating i, m sequence to any of the scales that you’ve learned while keeping the guitar notes short and “punchy”. Pulgar (the Thumb): Melody and Alzapua The right hand thumb warrants special study, as it is used in arpeggio and alzapua, as well as in melodies. A major difference with classical technique is that the thumb is almost exclusively played with a rest-stroke (apoyando). This means that when you strike the string, your thumb pushes down through the active string, coming to a brief resting position on the adjacent string below. This gives a more penetrating action that is louder, more percussive and also unique in tone. Alzapua is a highly specialized technique that gives a unique effect. The thumb performs up and down strokes through both single and multiple strings, striking both through parts of chords and single notes on the bass strings. The thumb is used also used in an approach alternating with the index finger, for a unique effect. Start with the following sequence on the open E strings (index on high E, and thumb on low E): p i, p i, p i, p i. Then, begin changing the notes of the bass using the left hand, one for every 2 or 4 thumb strokes. You’ll find that the open high E string provides a nice pedal-like accompaniment to your bass melody. Alternately, leave the low E open and change notes on the high E string (right hand is still playing with the index finger), for a brighter sound accompanied by the droning low E played with the thumb. Rasgueo/Rasgueado Perhaps the most renowned of flamenco guitar techniques is the rasgueo (aka “rasgueado”). This technique is unique to flamenco guitar, and doesn’t find a truly comparable counterpart in classical guitar technique. If you’ve played some rasgueo in a classical piece, it was likely borrowed from flamenco in some fashion. The first one you should try is just stroking up and down through all strings with the index finger, while making a chord with the left hand: up i, down i. If you’re using fingers and no thumb, the only finger that makes an up stroke is the index. All others (middle, ring and pinky; m, a, x) only make down strokes. Try these basic right hand sequences to get yourself started: down x, down a, down m, down i, up i. -up i, down m, down i. Repeat these patterns to increase your sense of relaxed control, changing chords as you’re  comfortable. These flamenco guitar exercises really do take some time to develop so that they sound authentic and feel natural, so don’t give up. Spending a little time (5-20 minutes) every day is better than sitting for an hour or more at a time once a week or less. Of course, flamenco guitar lessons do help! If you can find a guitar teacher in your area, or one that is available through skype, do so to help you start off on the right track. In general, try alternating between loud and soft dynamics. This way, you give your muscles a bit of a break, as well as build relaxed control, which is both sustainable and will sound better than playing with too much tension. The payoff is immense when you can play flamenco guitar music, even a little bit! And getting the basics down opens up the potential to play with others, which propels you even further on your musical journey. Good luck and happy strumming. Post Author: David W. is a guitar teacher in Berkeley, CA. An instructor for more than fifteen years, David can also help students focus on classical, flamenco, or bass guitar.  Learn more about David 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 waferboard

A Day in the Life at Yale University

A Day in the Life at Yale University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Elena graduated from Yale University in 2013 with a Bachelors degree in French and the History of Art. She is a New York City tutor specializing in SAT prep tutoring, ACT prep tutoring, Writing tutoring, Literature tutoring, and many other subjects. See what she had to say about her undergraduate experience: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Elena: The campus is in the urban city of New Haven! Despite its gritty past, New Haven today feels very safe and the area around Yale is absolutely charming. There are campus buses, but they are often unnecessary as the majority of campus is quite centralized. Science students might want a bike, since the trek up Science Hill can feel arduous. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Elena: The professors, academic advisers, and TAs are incredibly welcoming! All professors have office hours, and students can go and talk to even the most influential of intellectuals. I have had many a coffee date with a professor or TA, and I have been known to email them frantically, receiving a response in the same day with a kind word or two. My academic advisers have written me recommendation letters, and one of them I have known for all four yearswe even met up in Paris when I was studying abroad there! VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Elena: Quite honestly, the best way to describe dorm life at Yale is to relate it to Hogwarts. Hilarious, I knowbut true! Like Hogwarts, Yale has houses; at Yale, these are called residential colleges. Each freshman is sorted into a residential college before arriving on campus. Each of them is meant to be a microcosm of Yale, so they are highly diverse. Your freshman year, ten residential colleges out of the twelve house their students on Old Campus, a huge quadrangle where all the freshman live. The dorms are all suite style. I lived with five other roommates; we shared a bathroom and a common room among us. Your sophomore year, you move into the residential college, where you can stay for the next three years if you would like to. Each residential college has a dining hall, a library, a gym, and tons of other facilities: a beautiful common room, music practice rooms, often extra libraries, and perhaps a dance studio, basketball court, climbing wall, photography dark room, or potte ry studio. Theyre quite amazing; each college also has a central courtyard and many have Neo-Gothic architecture, lending to their resemblance to castles. Each residential college has a lot of pride, but they are also all unified under Yale College, and all undergrads can access the other residential colleges and eat in their dining halls. There is also the main Commons dining hall which is huge (and very Hogwarts Great Hall-like). These automatic communities provide an incredibly easy way to meet people and make friends, not to mention all the extracurricular activities that provide social opportunities outside of the colleges. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Elena: Yale has historically been known for its Humanities and Social Sciences programs. These remain incredibly strong, but recently the Sciences have been gaining traction as well. I double majored in French and the History of Art. Both of these programs are one of the best if not the best of their kind in the country. The faculty in both were incredibly strong and welcoming. The French department especially has a very strong endowment, so I received grant money on two occasions to travel for study and research in France. The Art History department was also well supported, and I took an Art History class the fall semester of my senior year; we were able to travel to Italy to recreate the Grand Tour about which we were learning. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Elena: As I mentioned when discussing the residential college system, Yale makes it very easy for freshmen to make friends via these built-in communities. All freshmen live together on Old Campus and there are residential college events just for freshmen toward the beginning of the year. I made close friends immediately through my college, and I also made friends through the dance troupe that I joined in September of my freshman year. In the second semester of my freshman year, I joined the Pi Beta Phi sorority in order to expand my social circle. Greek life, however, does not play a huge role on campus, and I later disaffiliated because I felt I had too much on my plate. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Elena:The Career Center is very helpful for people looking to enter into fields with a very set hiring process: banking, consulting, Teach For America, etc. As someone looking to work in the Arts, I did not find it that helpful. The Fellowship Office was hugely helpful for me, though; they helped me become a finalist for the UK Fulbright Scholarship. Many major reputable companies are consistently recruiting on campus, though most are either in banking or consulting. If you want to go into those fields, youll definitely be at the top of the heap in terms of recruiting. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Elena: Yale has a veritable cornucopia or study spaces. As I mentioned, each residential college has at least one library (though usually more), plus a snack bar (called the buttery) with a lounge/common area. There are also computer labs in each college. Beyond that, Yale has the second largest university library system, and it has one massive library (Sterling) plus an underground student library (Bass), as well as tons of specialized libraries for the Arts, Sciences, Medicine, etc. Its library heaven. Since there are so many, spaces are very rarely crowded, and if they are, you can always find another space to go. One of my favorite places is the Sterling Memorial Library stacks, where there are old desks deep in the bookstacks that look out through stained glass windows onto Yales campus. It feels like youre hidden away in academia! VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Elena: New Havens main attraction is definitely Yale, but there are also great restaurants and bars around campus. Downtown is in fact very close to the campus, so students usually stay in that area to go out at night or for meals. There is also East Rock park where students can hike or go for runs. Its not the most exciting place, but it is definitely far and above a small, boring college town. Its still a hopping city with fun, interesting places. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Elena: The student body at Yale is about 5,300 undergraduates (I believe). It can feel big at times, but it can also feel quite small (often thanks to the residential college system). Class sizes max out at about 200 for the largest lectures, and the smallest class Ive taken was a graduate seminar with two other students, myself, and the professor. As a humanities person, many of my classes were seminars, and I regularly took courses with about 7 people. This close interaction with professors was absolutely incredible; it was probably one of my favorite things about Yale. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Elena: I mentioned the Art History course I took where we travelled to Italy to recreate the Grand Tour: it was taught by a specialist in Ancient Greek art and one in British art specializing in the Grand Tour. When we were in Italy at the Temple of Paestum, an ancient Greek temple, I was struck by what a unique experience I was having: to be standing in front of this ancient temple, discussing it with one of the experts in ancient Greek art, and then to have her British counterpart discussing how 18th century tourists would have viewed the temple. I could not get over how lucky I was to be in situ with these two great minds, viewing layers of history. Check out Elenas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

x Intercept Definition

x Intercept Definition The point on a graph where the curve of a function crosses the x axis is known as its x intercept. The value of y coordinate is zero at the point where the graph intersects the x axis. To find the x intercept of an equation, we put the value of y as zero in the equation and solve the equation to find the corresponding value of x. Example 1: Find the x intercept for the following equation of a line: 3x 5y = 12. Solution: In order to find the x intercept we need to put the value of y = 0 in the equation and solve the equation to find the corresponding value of x. 3x 5 (0) = 12 3x 0 = 12 3x = 12 x = 4 Therefore the x intercept for the above equation of line is (4, 0) Example 2: Find the x intercept for the function y = x2 x 6 Solution: For finding the x intercept of the above function, the value of y is taken as 0. As a result we get an equation with terms having variables x and x2 on one side and zero on the other side. We need to solve this equation to get the corresponding value of x. x2 x 6 = 0 x2 3x + 2x 6 = 0 x( x- 3) + 2(x-3) = 0 (x+2) (x-3) = 0 x +2 = 0 or x 3 = 0 x = - 2 x = 3 Thus the x intercepts for the above function are (-2, 0) and (3, 0).

A Day in the Life at Princeton University

A Day in the Life at Princeton University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Laura is an Austin tutor specializing in ACT prep tutoring, SAT prep tutoring, Writing tutoring, GRE prep tutoring, and more. She graduated from Princeton University in 2009 with a Bachelors degree in English. Check out her review of her alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Laura: Princeton is located in the quiet town of Princeton, NJ. Princetons campus is peaceful and gorgeous; its mostly designed in a collegiate Gothic architectural style that is reminiscent of Oxford or Cambridge. On the north side of campus, the main humanities building (McCosh), the main library (Firestone), the chapel, and many of the dormitory buildings are among the most beautiful buildings youll ever see and I still cant quite believe that I got to spend four years living in and around the famous Blair Arch. You will get spoiled with the beauty of the campus all my friends note that this is something that they really miss! Almost all students live on campus, and that means that its easy to get around campus by foot. Most of my classes were a five-minute walk away from my dorm room. The engineering quad is the farthest from the center of campus, and so a fair number of engineers do use bikes to get around but even this isnt necessary. Only a few students own cars, and they are useful only for leaving campus and not for getting around on campus. A train line runs onto campus, which is a much easier option for transportation if youre going to the airport or into New York. The campus is extremely safe Im very sensitive to danger, but even I would sometimes walk home alone from rehearsals or club meetings at 2 am. You can always call campus security for an escort between buildings, however, and there are blue phones all over campus which you can use to call security in case you feel unsafe at any time. But honestly, youll probably never need to use them. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Laura: Extremely available! This, to my mind, is the number one advantage that Princeton has over other major research institutions the professors take their undergraduate teaching extremely seriously and consistently prioritize their undergraduates. Its often said that Princeton is a liberal arts college (accessibility of professors, emphasis on undergraduates) with the advantages of a major research university (huge library, professors at the top of their field) and its really true! There are lots of opportunities to get to know your professors: from freshman seminars (aimed at allowing first-year students to work with top professors in a variety of departments), to college dining halls (each dining hall has several faculty fellows who eat there regularly), discussion sections for classes (all faculty are required to lead precepts alongside their graduate student teaching fellows), and of course, office hours. One of Princetons unique qualities is that you can often work with the top professors in a department even without majoring in their field; many top Princeton professors voluntarily choose to teach introductory courses. Students all work one-on-one with a top professor on their independent work in their junior and senior years. All students must complete one or two junior papers (medium-length research papers) and a senior thesis. For most Princeton students (myself included!), this is one of the highlights of their Princeton careers most seniors produce theses that are longer and smarter than anything theyve ever written before. Students can also choose to apply for a creative thesis, which might be a book of fiction / poetry or a performance in a play (with a critical analysis element). Of course, the amount of contact you have with your professors partly depends on you. If youre like me and seek out small seminars, you can interact almost solely with professors throughout your four years. If you prefer large lecture courses, its possible to largely avoid professor contact until you start your independent work junior year. My number one piece of advice to incoming students is to pursue every opportunity to get to know their professors. You will have the most brilliant scholars in the world teaching your classes, and they really, honestly want to get to know you and to help you in any way they can. Take advantage of it! Academic advising is run through your residential college for the first two years, and through your department for the following two. Residential college advising is fine; departmental advising is much better. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Laura: For the first two years, students are placed in one of six residential colleges (Mathey, Rocky, Butler, Wilson, Forbes, Whitman), which serve as your de facto community for the first years on campus. Student meal plans (which are required for all incoming students) allow you to eat in any of the college dining halls, but most students end up eating at their own because they know so many people there. Indeed, the residential college system means that you can go to the dining hall at any time and see people you know much of my free time in college was spent lingering in the dining hall over dinner, as new friends kept arriving and sparking new and vibrant conversations. In the second two years, students still live on campus (housing is guaranteed for everyone), but they have a wide variety of eating options: going independent (students have their own kitchen and cook for themselves), joining a co-op (a group of students alternate cooking for one other), staying in the residential college (eating in dining halls), or most famously and popularly, joining an eating club. About 70% of students choose the last option, but its definitely not a required part of Princeton life. I stayed in my residential college (Mathey the best one!) for four years, but I still ate with my friends from eating clubs or co-ops regularly because everyone gets guest meal passes which allow them to invite their friends to dine with them at their club / college. Dorm rooms are generally quite nice; most students live in doubles or quads their first year or two (quads generally have two bedrooms and a large common room, doubles usually have one room) but in later years, you can either live in a larger suite or get a single room for yourself. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Laura: I knew that I wanted to be an English major even before I arrived on the Princeton campus, and I chose Princeton partially because I knew that they had one of the top programs in the country. Astonishingly, the department exceeded my expectations; professors in the department are both brilliant scholars, and inventive and generous teachers. There were also fantastic departmental resources available; the English department even funded me to go to England to do independent research the summer before my senior year! The most popular majors are Economics and Political Science, but the smaller majors are every bit as good as the larger ones (if not better). Indeed, Princeton has run campaigns encouraging students to follow their passions and pick unorthodox majors, where class sizes are small and where students will receive intensive faculty guidance. The Woodrow Wilson school (or Woody-Woo), a Public Policy major, is a signature Princeton major which uniquely helps students think about policy-making as undergraduates. But departments are strong across the board, in the humanities, sciences, social sciences and engineering. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Laura: I found it incredibly easy to make friends at Princeton because of the diversity of organizations which allow you to carve out a niche (or multiple niches!) for yourself. The residential colleges make it easy to get to know people in your first two years, and they run further programs to foster a strong sense of student community, including weekly discussion tables and college trips to NYC. I ran a Philosophy Table discussion group which mimicked a language table, but talked about abstract philosophical questions instead! Most students on campus are involved with multiple organizations I was very active in an Episcopalian student religious organization, a Shakespearean theater group, and the English department community and this made it easy not to be pigeonholed in a single group. Youll also get to know people through your classes; many students at Princeton really do want to continue class conversations over lunch after class is over. Greek life is not very prominent on campus; they exist, but they operate largely under the radar. Much more popular are Princetons eating clubs, social organizations which 70% of students join. Eating Clubs are either sign-in or bicker clubs; sign-in clubs allow you to join by simply putting your name on a list, while bicker clubs ask you to go through a process like a sorority / fraternity rush. Most students join eating clubs in the second half of their second year, but you can continue to join in later years (which means you can switch your eating club or change to another dining option at the beginning of any semester). Students dine in their eating clubs and attend social events there in the evenings, but only a few officers live there; evening events are usually open to non-members as well. Each of the eating clubs has its own reputation and they become a crucial part of many Princeton students identities. But its perfectly possible to be very happy at Princeton without being a part of an eating club as well. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Laura: The Career Center has an active presence on campus, but I never used them because professors did such a fantastic job helping me make my post-graduation plans. I went on to a Ph.D. program, and my advisors in the English department walked me through every step of the process, helping me select schools, write personal statements, and decide which school to accept. (I went on to an English Ph.D. program at Harvard.) But my friends who did use the Career Center found them generally helpful, and they continued to receive help after graduation, both in compiling resumes and recommendations, and in being put in contact with alumni in the field. Many companies from across the country recruit directly on the Princeton campus and there are regular careers fairs which allow you to talk to lots of different possible employers. Its also worth noting that Princeton has an incredibly strong alumni network that helped many of my friends get amazing internships and interviews in their chosen field. Princeton alumni are passionate about their school, and they come back, year after year, for Princetons elaborate three-day reunion celebration every May. Because of this loyalty and love of Princeton, alumni are almost universally eager to help undergraduates and recent grads succeed in their chosen field! VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Laura: There are lots of different places to study around the Princeton campus. Dorm study rooms are well-maintained and generally include some kitchen equipment for snacks, residential colleges and eating clubs have small libraries for quiet study near the dorms, and the Frist Campus Center, though loud, offers a large array of dining and caffeination options. Princetons main library is Firestone; while the main reading-rooms get quite crowded around exam-time, there are always enough working spaces on lower floors of the library, which still have natural light thanks to skylights. Seniors are also able to request carrels in Firestone, where they can store books for their senior thesis and where they can study; these are quite cramped, but they do ensure a quiet working space at all times! You can also choose to study in one of specialized libraries (East Asian studies, Architecture, Art, Engineering), many of which are quite beautiful! VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Laura: The area of Princeton immediately around campus is beautiful and exquisitely maintained with expensive restaurants and shops, four ice cream / fro-yo shops (Princeton students consume a lot of ice cream!), and a hotel. Because the restaurants immediately around campus tend to be expensive (Panera is the best inexpensive dining option), students generally walk down Nassau Street to access an array of less expensive dining options a bit further from campus. Very few students have cars (its hard to get on-campus parking before senior year) and buses are available, but not super easy to use, so students tend not to leave campus very often. Some students get frustrated by the town of Princeton, but for the majority of students, life happens almost entirely on campus. For those who do want to get away from campus, it is definitely possible. A train, affectionately known as the Dinky, runs directly on to the Princeton campus and connects students to the NJ Transit line. In one hour, a student can get to the Newark airport or to New York City itself! Most students go to New York at least a few times during their four years at Princeton; the residential colleges organize sponsored trips to New York to see Broadway shows and operas at an extremely reduced price (bus transport included), and classes sometimes take their students to the city for field trips (usually plays / operas or museum visits). A few students make New York a more regular part of their social life and visit the city more often. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Laura: Princeton has around 1,300 students in each class (5,300 undergraduate students total), plus 2,500 graduate students. For me, this was the perfect size; large enough that I continued to meet new people from my class through the end of my senior year and small enough that I constantly ran into people I knew as I walked around campus. Because there are so many more undergraduates than graduate students (and because grad students generally live on the far edges of campus), Princeton truly feels like an undergraduate campus. Class sizes are excellent at Princeton. Most of my classes were small seminars (averaging 10-15 students), some were small lectures (30 students), and a few were larger lecture courses. Lectures in the humanities are rarely larger than 80 people, though science courses can be larger. But every course has a small section / discussion component called a precept, which will allow you to ask questions and discuss the material from class. The precept system worked very well for me; I often had professors running my precepts, and the few graduate students who taught my precepts were generally good. (A graduate student will never teach a lecture or a seminar at Princeton.) VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Laura: One of my most memorable class experiences was an intensive sequence of courses aimed at freshmen called the Humanities sequence (HUM 216-219). Over the course of two semesters (technically four classes), we read the great books of Western Civilization, from the ancient Greeks to the end of the nineteenth-century, working closely with five top professors from different departments each semester. The course was interdisciplinary, asking students to think in terms of history, literature and philosophy, and brought together a fantastic group of students who were eager to immerse themselves in the best works of the human mind. Because the workload was so intense, the group coalesced into a social as well as academic community; many of my closest friends at Princeton came out of this course. By the end of the term, we made class t-shirts with pictures of one of our professors on the front, with the motto: T.K. Rabb [the professor] is our philosopher-king. Crazy nerdy, but very fun. I also have to mention Chemistry 207 (Advanced General Chemistry) a course that I took to fulfill my science requirement, which ended up being an extremely enjoyable course. The class combined intense academic work with consistently amazing demonstrations; the professors joked that they tried to orchestrate at least one explosion per class. They also periodically tested the validity of popular movie scenes etc.; one day, we tested whether a person could really outrun a burning fuse by going to the back of the chemistry building, having one student volunteer dress up as Zorro (complete with black mask, black hat, and sword) and then run as fast as he could alongside a trail of gunpowder. And Zorro won! Check out Lauras tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Italian Words for Family How to Talk About Family Members in Italian

Italian Words for Family How to Talk About Family Members in Italian Sign up successful Review the helpful Italian phrases and words below, so you’ll be able to hold a conversation about your family in Italian! How To Talk About the Family in Italian First, check out this slideshow to learn the various terms for the different members of your family. Notice that the article changes depending on the gender of the noun. Here are some additional words for the family in Italian that will come in handy: il marito (husband) la moglie (wife) il fidanzato (fiancé) la fidanzata (fiancée) il cognato (brother-in-law) la cognata (sister-in-law) il suocero (father-in-law) la suocera (mother-in-law) Did you know that in Italian,  i parenti  means relatives, and not parents? This  false cognate  is often misused by Italian beginners.  The correct word for parents is:  i genitori. And a more casual way to refer to your parents is i miei. Now that you know the words for family members in Italian, lets go over how to discuss your family in conversation. A common question when learning about someone’s family is who’s the oldest and who’s the youngest. Below are some useful Italian phrases  to correctly answer this question: maggiore or più grande (the oldest) minore or più piccolo (the youngest) di mezzo (the middle) If you ever need to describe your marital status, you can use the following terms: sposato/a (married) nubile  (single) dicorziato/a (divorced) separato/a (separated) vedovo/a (widowed) SEE ALSO: How to Learn the Italian Alphabet Grammar Tips for Describing the Family in Italian When having a  conversation about your family, there are some important grammar tips you must keep in mind. When referring to a single member of the family, dont use the definite article. For instance,  tua sorella is correct, and  la tua sorella is incorrect.  If there is more than one member, you should use the definite article as you would normally. For example,  le tue sorelle. This rule, however, becomes null if the single family member you are referring to is modified in some way (for example, with an adjective, a prefix, suffix, or if the possessive is loro). In these cases, use the definite article. Here are some examples: il mio caro cugino (cugino is modified by the adjective caro) la mia bisnonna (nonna is modified with the prefix â€"bis) il mio fratellino (fratello is modified with the suffix -ino) la loro sorella (sorella is used with the possessive loro) In addition, when using terms such as mamma and papà, if you use the article (i.e. la mia mamma / il mio papa) it has a more affectionate meaning. If you use it without the article (mia mamma / mio papà) it simply expresses the relationship as your mother or father. RELATED: 50 Interesting Facts About Italy Practice Using Italian Words for Family Members Now that you know several words for the family in Italian, you can practice by creating sentences using the vocabulary. See the  example below to help get you started: La mia famiglia è molto grande. Mia madre ha sette fratelli, e ho molti cugini. Non ho sorelle, ma ho due fratelli minori. I miei genitori sono sposati da 1979. Adesso ho anche due cognate. Non ho ancora nipoti. This translates to: My family is very large. My mother has seven siblings, and I have lots of cousins. I don’t have sisters, but I have two younger brothers. My parents have been married since 1979. Now I also have two sister-in-laws. I still don’t have nephews or nieces. With these Italian phrases and words in your vocabulary, youll be well-equipped to describe your family in  Italian. If you need more help, try working with an  Italian tutor to improve your conversational skills! Post Author:  Nadia B. Nadia B. teaches Italian in New York, NY. She graduated summa cum laude from New York University, with a double degree in Italian Language and Literature and Classical Music Performance.  Learn more about Nadia 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

SAT Spotlight- Current Vs. Redesigned SAT

SAT Spotlight- Current Vs. Redesigned SAT SAT Spotlight Current Vs. Redesigned SAT The College Board will roll out a totally redesigned SAT in spring 2016. What exactly is changing? Heres a side-by-side comparison: Current SAT Redesigned SAT Total Testing Time 3 hours and 45 minutes 3 hours without essay 3 hours 50 minutes with essay (optional) Components Critical Reading Writing Mathematics Essay (required) Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Reading Test Writing and Language Test Math (calculator and No calculator) Essay (optional) Section Length Reading Writing Essay Math Total 67 questions 49 questions 1 question 54 questions 171 questions 52 questions 44 questions 1 question 57 questions 154 questions with Essay Important Features Emphasis on general reasoning skills Emphasis on vocabulary, often in limited contexts Complex scoring (a point for a correct answer and a deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores) Emphasis on reasoning. Clearer, stronger focus on the knowledge, skills and understandings most important for college and career readiness Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone and impact Rights-only scoring (a point for a correct answer but no deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores) Essay Required and given at the beginning of the SAT 25 minutes Tests writing skills; students take a position on a presented issue Optional and given at the end of the SAT (colleges determine whether they will require the essay) 50 minutes Tests reading, analysis and writing skills; students produce a written analysis of a provided source text Score Reporting Scale range: 600 to 2400 200 to 800 for Critical Reading 200 to 800 for Mathematics 200 to 800 for Writing Essay results scaled to multiple-choice Writing Scale range: 400 to 1600 200 to 800 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 200 to 800 for Math 2 to 8 on each of three traits for Essay Essay results reported separately Subscore Reporting None Subscores for every test, providing insight for students, parents, admission officers, educators, and counselors