3 Elements of a Good Tutor Plan

3 Elements of a Good Tutor PlanIt is not uncommon for tutors to give students a tutor plan in order to obtain better results. A good plan has three important elements, but the truth is that only two of them are truly necessary in order to produce excellent results. This article will cover those two elements and also help students to determine which of the three elements is most important to them.First, a good plan should consist of a schedule. Ideally, the schedule should be set up to accommodate individual needs and be flexible enough to adapt as student needs change. A tutor should be flexible enough to adjust their teaching methods in response to student learning. Their ability to do this should be based on their own personal assessment of how student progress will impact student progress.A plan that isn't flexible enough to adapt will produce results that don't match the needs of the student. The student who is struggling will not have the opportunity to improve their scores and may fail the entire test, while a student who is able to focus fully will not receive the best score. Both cases will have a similar outcome; the more flexible the tutor to plan, the better student performance will be.For the most part, a good plan should also include the option of independent study. Many tutors who use a comprehensive plan will include some type of independent study as an element of their plan. While independent study can be quite helpful for students, it is generally best for the student to be involved in the study in order to have the most positive effect.For the most part, independent study is best when the student is self-motivated and self-directed. Some students may be able to provide their own self-motivation, but most can't. Students with a strong desire to improve their scores will often provide the most constructive input and will produce the best results.Lastly, the final element of a tutorplan should be the provision of support in the form of specialize d coaching. Coaching is used to improve the student's academic skills. These can be many different types of skills; however, the most effective coaches have a deep understanding of the skills and experiences of their student, as well as a history of helping students at the same or similar stages of their academic career.In general, a tutor plan will only work if the tutor is well qualified and experienced. Most schools will want a tutor who is at least a master's level. The number of years the tutor has been teaching students is another important factor, since this will affect the students' chances of improving their scores.Tutor needs are very important for student success. Proper planning of a plan can help any student achieve their maximum potential, regardless of the reasons for wanting to improve their scores. A good plan will be one that is flexible enough to include an element of independent study, independent practice, and coaching.

Handy Guide to Your Medical School Admissions Interview

Handy Guide to Your Medical School Admissions Interview Diligent Preparation: The Road to Successful Healthcare Admissions Interviews Preparation is a students greatest ally when it comes to admissions Interviews. A personal interview is the final frontier you must conquer to career entry preparation with a postgraduate medical education. Admissions committees are quite impressed by extensive extracurricular activities and high standardized test scores and GPAs. However, committee members must see candidates with their own eyes in face-to-face meetings to come to their final decision . (Read: Medical School Ranking by Difficulty of Admissions) Chief reason for these personal interviews is that doctors, pharmacists and dentists must have good bedside manner, OTC charm, and chair side demeanor to give patients in distress the best possible care. Superb interpersonal skills are also essential to effective peer collaborations and efficient staff communications. In fact, such skills are so critical that schools use a standardized tool for facilitation of candidate pool elimination called multiple mini interviews. Dental, medical, and pharmacy school interview preparation: the basics Dental, pharmacy and medical school admissions interview preparation is easy if planned well. A common mistake that many applicants make is wasting time to memorize stale replies to common queries. Two examples are, Why do you want to practice medicine? or Why did you apply to our pharmacy program? Rapid delivery of planned replies hurts more than it helps, as healthcare experts quickly recognize staged performances. Thus, your main goal must be to spark conversation rather than elicit memorization. Honing this craft also comes in handy for spontaneous questions. Thus, the best idea is stating general ideas in broad but true terms. In other words, speak like you mean it. Question prediction + proper diction = necessary part of interview preparation With the above goal in mind, its strongly advised to devise questions well ahead of time. Focus on the most likely subjects and make a list of major sub-points. For instance, a good strategy for medical school interview preparation is review why you want to study medicine. Mentally reflect on primary motivations and commit them to memory in a flexible format. Avoid rehearsed lines that are designed to impress but fail to address the real underlying issues. However,   one must never forget to phrase natural responses that sound like normal conversation â€" not defending doctoral dissertations or courtroom litigation. Preparing for surprise questions can be a bit tricky, but the biggest trick is to prevent underselling yourself. For example, an ideal task for great dental school interview preparation is to think of what you will say if asked about Obamacare limits on reasonable and customary orthodontic fees. Still, another excellent study subject for dental school interview preparation is meth mouth, a new sub-specialty developed to treat characteristic oral decay from chronic methamphetamine abuse. If youre asked about something youre unfamiliar about, take a deep breath to collect your thoughts and give the best truthful answer. (Read: Should medical school applicants take MCAT now, before it gets harder?) Interview Guide Its crucial to understand that cramming for final exams is quite different from medical, dental, and pharmacy school interview preparation. Go through the systematic guide below prior to in-person meetings with admissions personnel: Review your list of commonly asked questions and practice answers by speaking aloud. Consult a dictionary to minimize repetition, but dont memorize complete sentences and paragraphs! Jot down knee-jerk responses that require no prior research and then analyze comprehension, precision, correct grammar and concision. Conduct at least some cursory research into the most relevant and latest developments. For instance, healthcare is currently amid a huge paradigm shift from standardized protocols to innovative clinical interventions. Thus, medical school interview preparation should include a basic-orientation to both team collaboration and independent research technologies. Peruse news reports and scholarly publications for controversial topics typically discussed during medical, dental or pharmacy school interviews. Common examples include,   assisted suicide, human clinical experimentation subjects, robotic surgeries and genetic engineering. Get a grasp of U.S. healthcare reform as it pertains to your chosen career path. Competent pharmacy school interview preparation could include an investigation of mandatory Obamacare generic equivalents to proprietary prescription drugs. Likewise, look up new federal regulations that mandate real-time supply chain documentation and create sensations among pharmaceutical distributors. What to do when interview day finally arrives Mild anxiety and jittery nerves are perfectly normal when facing such an important interview. Thats why you must substitute stress with self-esteem with a constant reminder that you did something to be under the spotlight! Stay cool, calm, and collected Never let your guard down while waiting around to be interviewed. Some schools purposely inconvenience or confuse applicants with long waits or vague directions. This is done to observe how well applicants will function under pressure of actual practice on real patients. Practice the Three Ps Be pleasant, polite, and professional. For instance, utilize a firm handshake, bright smile and direct eye contact when you initially meet the interviewer(s). Body language conveys far more candor and volume than impeccable grooming and flawless grammar.  If you must argue your opinion, be polite If asked your opinion about a particular issue, offer polite input only. Should it elicit a strong rebuttal, dont back down. Stay calm and respectfully disagree by supporting your position with proven facts, sound logic, and empirical stats. Quality pharmacy, medical, and dental school interview preparation goes two ways Medical school admissions interviews often conclude when candidates are asked if they have any questions. Many applicants wonder what to say or whether to speak at all. The former approach is preferred to demonstrate interest in their institution. Visit the schools official website to view details about imminent changes with direct impact on your desired program. Avoid generalized subjects like standardized board certification passage and residency placement rates. Instead, pose courteous, yet probing,   inquiries into the newly constructed state-of-the-art simulated training lab, additional specialty concentrations and study abroad.   Niche practice ops like rural healthcare or geriatric clinical internships, are also good topics. We hope this list was helpful starting point for your admissions interview prep. Look, this part of the process is crucial, so its best you dont do it alone. A private, one-on-one Orange County medical consultant will give you an advantage over your peers. Dont wait to call.   (Read: 4 Steps to Assembling a Top-Notch Medical School Resume) All blog entries are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at info@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about.

Finding a Russian Language Tutor - How To Find One

Finding a Russian Language Tutor - How To Find OneIf you are looking for a Russian language tutor, one who can help you in getting rid of the basic vocabulary words and helping you in speaking the new ones, the easiest way to find such a person is by doing some research on your own. In this case, you can get tips and hints from the Internet, from people you know and from other people you meet.Well, there are indeed many ways of finding a tutor, for example you can either try to search the telephone directory or the newspaper. However, with these two options, you may not get to see as many names as you do with the World Wide Web. Moreover, the best way to use the World Wide Web is by searching it through the search engines. And the best part about this is that, using the search engines will bring the entire search to you in just a few minutes, which means that you can already start to talk to your tutor about things that you have to learn or ways to improve your language skills.When y ou search for a tutor using the search engines, there are also many sites where you can sign up to get some training and advice. Of course, for you to be able to use the web-based tutoring system, you first need to become a member of the site. The reason why the site is so popular is because it offers various packages to members which would help them improve their skills. There are numerous training lessons that you can choose from as well as a chat feature for you to communicate with the tutor.With the web-based tutoring system, you will learn to speak the new language while receiving all the necessary resources that you need for the task. You can learn the language without actually having to see a teacher. Of course, if you are only getting a little bit involved with the language, you will still need to find someone to help you as you go along.There are different courses for everyone, so make sure that you read up on all the information and start taking your courses. It's always i mportant to have as much information as possible before enrolling. However, this is also the time when you start to notice that your brain is starting to process the new information. This is why you will need to pay attention while watching the tutors in action.The more you listen to the different information and the more you practice and observe the tutors, the better your learning abilities will become. This is why it is important to be patient while learning the language and the application of the methods. To do this, you will have to spend time and see the results.However, if you think that you need a tutor to get help, there are ways to do so. Of course, if you still don't want to pay the fee, there are still a number of options available to you, like joining a language exchange program or participating in some of the language camps.

Chemistry Tattoo Ideas For Girls - Great Ideas to Get Your Own Tattoo

Chemistry Tattoo Ideas For Girls - Great Ideas to Get Your Own TattooChemistry tattoo ideas for girls are quite common. They can be done in different ways. This article is going to show you some of the best chemistry tattoo ideas for girls that you can use as a basis for your own designs.You could ask the lady who you will be getting your tattoo done with. She could have some great ideas. Or you could talk to her friends of her, in fact everyone that you know. They may have great ideas for you.Whatever you do, you need to make sure that you pay attention to the details of your tattoo. This is very important because sometimes they might be the ones that you are the most afraid of. But if you pay attention to the details, then it will really look cool.It's also a good idea to find out what the cultural theme of the place where you're getting the tattoo done. This is going to help you to see what type of design you need to put on your body.Another way to find out what tattoo you want to get is to find a lot of tattoo ideas. There are plenty of them online. These will come in handy if you don't have any tattoo ideas.Remember to research and see what people think about your chosen tattoo. The internet is a great place to find out what people think. There are some great places to find out what people think.Some of the chemistry tattoo ideas for girls that you can use are very common. These will help you find the perfect design for you.

5 Great Things You Gain From An Online Science Tutor

5 Great Things You Gain From An Online Science Tutor 0SHARESShare Science as such is an amazing subject which is grounded in exploring the realities of the universe and also in experimental terms. If you have the curiosity to know what this universe is made of and how it functions. Then you really tend to take Science and learn its mysteries and for this you need the guidance of an expert. Expertise in the subject like an online Science tutor with his innovative tutoring methods. Some great things you gain from an online Science tutor Curiosity and a temperament to explore things classroom teaching may not expose you to the wonders of Science and it is in a convincing manner. You need more presentations, hands on methods and guidelines to explore the truths of Science. Online tutoring environment suits you better that way. You gain good hold of the values of the subject   and it also through fun learning and innovative methods Improvement in your reasoning and logic Science gives room for independent thinking with experimental value and as such you could think, act, come to conclusions and workout your own methods in understanding Science concepts. Naturally, your reasoning and logic improves and you methodize your thinking process to arrive at scientific truths. This is more feasible in your association with online tutors who provide methods that are learner oriented and personalized Good study methods and an attitude for methodical preparation Though all subjects demand methodical prep and practice for success. Math and Science demand these aspects more from you. Online methods help you with smart strategies and right prep material to equip yourself well in the subject A penchant for extra knowledge The updated knowledge of online Science tutors in all areas help you gain interest in the subject and improve your knowledge with that extra bit of information Guidance for your project and thesis work You get lots of insights about topics and latest projects in Science through online tutors with their upgraded skills in the domains of the subject Tutor Pace has such online Science tutors who help you a great way in exploring the facts of Science. [starbox id=admin]

Italian Vocabulary Learn the Animal Kingdom

Italian Vocabulary Learn the Animal Kingdom Suzy S. Is your child an animal lover? Below, Italian teacher Liz T. teaches a vocabulary lesson on how to name the different types  of  animals in Italian Is your child just starting to learn Italian?  Keeping  a childs attention while teaching him or her a new language can be difficult.  Keep your child  engaged by having him or her learn Italian vocabulary words for  something he or she lovesanimals! Below are various Italian vocabulary words for the most common animals as well as ways to use these vocabulary words in a sentence. As a helpful note, the following Italian vocabulary words are  in the singular form. If you want to change it to plural, dont  forget to look whether it’s masculine or feminine. Italian Vocabulary Words: House Animals from takelessons Practice the sentences below so your child will be able to hold a conversation with another person about his or her favorite household pets. Ho (insert number here) animali. (I have X number of pets.) Io sono allergico a (I am allergic to) Ho una piccolo lucertola. (I have a small lizard.) Ho perso il mio cane. (I lost my dog.) E’ questo gatto in vendita? (Is that cat for sale?) Abbiamo una cucciolata di gattini. (We have a litter of kittens.) Italian Vocabulary Words: Zoo Animals from takelessons Help your child memorize the following phrases before your next trip to the local zoo! Andiamo allo zoo! (Let’s go to the zoo!) L’elefante è grande. (The elephant is big.) Quella scimmia è malizioso. (That monkey is mischievous.) Il mio animale preferito è (My favorite animal is) Non mi piace questo animale (I don’t like this animal) Quanto alto  Ã¨ che giraffa? (How tall is that giraffe?) Italian Vocabulary Words: Farm Animals from takelessons La mucca mangia l’erba. (The cow eats grass.) Animali da fattoria sono cosi carini. (Farm animals are so cute.) Il cavallo fa un suono come questo (The horse makes a sound like this) I polli sono cova le uova. ( The chickens are hatching their eggs.) Mi piace andare a cavallo. ( I like to rise horses.) I maiali cattivo odore. ( The pigs smell bad.) I hope youve  enjoyed learning Italian and practicing these animal names  and phrases.  For a great exercise, bring your child to the closest zoo or farm and have him or her practice naming the different animals in Italian. For more Italian vocabulary words and useful phrases, ask your  Italian teacher. He or she will be able to help you feel more comfortable speaking, writing, reading, and listening about topics such as animals. Post Author:  Liz T. Liz T. teaches singing, acting, music and Italian lessons in Brooklyn, NY.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in vocal performance and has a graduate certificate in arts administration from New York University. Learn more about Liz 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

Exploring Jazz Improvisation Tips for Beginners

Exploring Jazz Improvisation Tips for Beginners Suzy S. Whether you play saxophone, piano, bass, or another instrument, jazz can be a really fun genre to explore! To get started, check out these jazz improvisation tips from Brookings, SD teacher  Carl S   One of my favorite things about making music is jazz improvisation. Jazz style is a lot of fun, but adding improvisation to that is essential. I, like many of my students, was afraid to improvise at first. Here are some helpful jazz improvisation tips for starting out. Before Step One Before anything else, be honest with yourself and identify what level you’re at. If you’re a true beginner, the worst thing that you can do is try to instantly memorize what all of the chord symbols mean. Yes, they are important, but this is not step one. Even if you’re just starting out with your instrument, you can begin by training your ear. Step One The first thing I have a student do is jam out on one note. I set up a play-along track, or even just a metronome, and then I play a measure of some rhythmic idea. Then, I have the student copy me. We repeat this several times, paying extra attention to style and articulation. Then, I expand to playing three note, then five, etc. All students can do this, and it is easy to customize to their needs. Remember to Have Fun! How do you get better between lessons? When I was in middle school, one of my favorite things to do was play along with the radio. I’d play mainstream radio melodies on the saxophone, not even realizing how important this was to my future as a musician. I was training my ear and having fun doing it! Start with Simple Music Theory Once you can do this, it’s probably time to start checking out some chord symbols. A lot of people start with the blues progression, but that’s a lot of fast changing chords for a beginner. I prefer to start with a slower paced AABA form, such as a tune like “Impressions” or “So What”. Learning two scales and having plenty of time to clearly hear the harmony changing makes this transition much easier. The Blues Now’s the time to try the blues. Many band directors will teach you the “blues scale” at this point. While this is a quick fix for band directors to get students to play something for a concert, it is not really considered playing the changes of a blues form. I suggest looking at Jamie Aebersold’s Play-Along Volume 54 “Maiden Voyage”. These books and many other great resources are available at www.jazzbooks.com. This series of play-along books is very well known to jazzers, and there are well over 100 volumes made for all instruments. Check out the third tune called “Bb Blues”. More Difficult Chord Progressions From here, chord progressions get more difficult. The Aebersold books can be very helpful, since they spell out the scale for each chord symbol. At this point, it is very easy to develop a habit of only improvising while staring at the page. Don’t forget to use your ear! Learning Tunes The Real Book Volume I (6th Edition) is available at www.jazzbooks.com as well as many other places, including iBooks. This is a book with hundreds of standard jazz tunes, and there are several volumes and categories. The tempting thing to do is to learn these tunes by reading, however, it is better to learn them by ear. To do this, start by picking an easy tune that’s in the book, find it on YouTube being performed by the original artist/composer, and go from there. Additional Resources Aebersold has created play-alongs for these books, but there is a cheaper and more customizable option. I use an app called iReal Pro, which is inexpensive and always with me on my phone. First, download the app, then add the content, which includes over 1,000 songs. From here, you can transpose, add dozens of repeats for practice, change tempos, etc. This is a lot of information, but if you first identify what level you’re at and keep these jazz improvisation tips in mind, you’ll be gigging like a pro in no time! Carl S. teaches saxophone, music theory, piano, and more in Brookings, SD. He  completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in saxophone performance at the University of Kansas in 2014, and his Master of Music Pedagogy and Performance from Oklahoma State University in 2011.  Learn more about Carl 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  sebastien letellier

How To Read Food Labels

How To Read Food Labels Understanding Food Nutrition Labels ChaptersFood Labelling In The UK â€" The BasicsWhat Is The Traffic Light System For Food?Want To Learn More About Food Labelling?Whenever you go into a supermarket, it can feel like a bit of a mission to navigate the shop’s layout, confusing pricing and offers, all while trying to find a meal that is not only nutritious but won’t leave a hole in your wallet.Thankfully, when it comes to looking out for the most nutritious foods in supermarkets, there is help at hand in the form of food labelling standards in the UK.Although the standards don’t cover every type of food sold in the UK (for example, foods that are sold loose are subject to different labelling standards) knowing how to understand food labels, particularly in supermarkets, can prove really useful if you’re looking to purchase better quality food.Learning how to read food labels can lead to better food choices. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, FotoshopTofs, Pixabay)An indication of the product’s overall nutritional quality ; andWhether there are any allergens present in the food.Food that has been packaged contains a lot of information, which can be really helpful to shoppers who want to make more informed choices about the products they buy.Core Labelling RequirementsOverall, there are a few core pieces of information that you’ll find on pre-packaged foods, including the name of the food, its best-before or use-by date, a list of ingredients, special storage instructions (if needed), instructions on how to cook the food (if instructions are necessary), as well as the country of origin for certain products. This list is not exhaustive, as there are other labelling requirements in addition to the above.The country of origin of a food product should be shown for certain meats, such as beef, lamb, pork, and poultry, and the country of origin should also be displayed on packaging for fish and shellfish, wine, olive oil, as well as honey and any fruit or veg that has its origin outside of the European Un ion.List Of IngredientsOne of the most useful aspects of food labelling regulations in the UK is that, where a product has two or more ingredients, a list of all of the ingredients used in that product must be displayed on the packaging.Importantly, the ingredients in a product are listed according to their weight, so that the ingredient with the most weight is listed first, and the ingredient with the least weight is listed last. This means that, when you’re trying to figure out how healthy a particular product may be, a good indicator could well be the ingredients list.For instance, if you pick up a pack of biscuits, you’ll likely notice that sugar is one of the first listed items in the ingredients list â€" clearly not so healthy.Even looking at the labels of meat-based products can provide a good insight into just how processed those products are. For example if, say, a meat pie only actually lists a low percentage of meat in the ingredients, and other items, such as water o r flour, are listed before the weight of the meat, it may indicate that the food has been highly processed.If you’re looking to buy the healthiest products possible, even pre-packaged products, then it can pay to have a quick look at each product’s label and compare them to see which has less processed ingredients or less sugar than the other.Reduction of high-fat foods is a key part of a balanced diet. Looking at food nutrition labels can also help manage a healthy diet. (Image Source: Public Domain, author unknown, Wikimedia Commons)AllergensAside from showing nutrition information, another crucial aspect to food labelling is that any allergens that are present have to be clearly highlighted and made visible to the customer, and they should also form part of the product’s list of ingredients.There are a number of different allergens that have to be highlighted in this way, with a selection of those being:Eggs;Milk;Peanuts or nuts more generally;Gluten-containing cereals, suc h as wheat and oats; andCrustaceans.As such, if you do suffer from a food insensitivity, for example, if you’re gluten intolerant, having such clear allergen labelling can be immensely helpful when shopping, as you should have a good idea whether a food may pose a threat to you or someone you’ll serve the food to.Of course, there are certain products, such as gluten-free, wheat-free, or egg-free certified goods, which can provide complete peace of mind if you know that you have to avoid certain allergens in foods.Although such products are typically more expensive, many supermarkets have their own dedicated aisles or sections for such dietary-specific goods, so it is certainly one way to make your shopping trip less stressful if you do have to be careful of consuming certain ingredients.Are you looking for nutrition courses UK?What Is The Traffic Light System For Food?Another aspect of food labelling that you may see on products is the traffic light labelling system.Products tha t use this system will show information on the front of the packaging to indicate how much of the following is present in their product:Sugar;Salt;Fat;Saturated fat; andCalories.Under the traffic light system, each of the above features is colour coded based on how much salt, sugar, etc. is present per 100g of product. Red colour coding means that there are high levels of that item in the product, amber colour coding means there is a medium amount present, while green means that there is a low amount in the product.The idea behind traffic light labelling is that it should be easier for consumers to determine how healthy a product may be by displaying such a nutrition label. This, in turn, should help them make better informed dietary choices.For instance, a product that is green for all indicators â€" calories, fat, saturated fat, salt, and sugars, would indicate a much healthier choice than a product that was labelled completely in red. Ideally, amounts with a lot of red on their l abel should be eaten in moderation, or in small amounts. Healthier food choices should help reduce health risks such as obesity, as can measures such as eating the correct serving size.It is worth noting that the traffic light labelling system is not mandatory so not all products will feature it, and there are suggestions that the labelling system is far from perfect at present. Nevertheless, it is a tool that can be used to try and make more informed food choices, when it is available.Ultimately, the best way to make the best food choices is to try and ensure that you consume a balanced diet, by eating a combination of carbohydrates, dairy,   vitamins, healthy fats, cereals, and enough calories to suit your energy needs. Equally, unhealthy snacks and foods should only be eaten in moderation, if at all.Minimising foods like butter can lead to a healthier diet. Checking food labels can also help improve the food choices you make. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, congerdesign, Pixabay)Want To Learn More About Food Labelling?Food labelling in the UK is a wonderful tool for shoppers, as it can help them have a better understanding of what exactly they are putting into their mouths.What's more, effective food labelling can help shoppers to try to make the most informed choices when it comes to the nutritional quality of the products they buy, by letting them know about the kind of nutrients within a product, as well as how much a portion of that product will contribute towards a person's daily caloric intake.While the above provides a brief overview of food labelling in the UK, there is, of course, a lot more to learn if you’re interested in finding out more about food regulations in the UK.This is because different regulations apply according to the type of food sold, and how it is sold - for instance, organic foods have to follow a slightly different process compared to non-organic foods when it comes to food labelling.If you would like to learn more about food labellin g standards or are interested in learning more about nutrition in general and how you can feed yourself as well as possible for the best price, then you could reach out to a food nutrition tutor at Superprof.A nutrition tutor can go through the basics of nutrition with you, whether that involves teaching you about the differences between carbs and fats, or whether that extends to discussing more complex nutritional issues.Superprof has a wide range of tutors available who are happy to provide one on one or remote lessons to help you fill in the blanks when it comes to nutrition and eating well. Just enter your postcode to find a suitable nutritionist near me.Find out how to maintain a good diet as you get older.Discover health tips for pregnancy here.

A Student Perspective on Columbia University

A Student Perspective on Columbia University Philip earned his bachelors degree in neuroscience and behavior from Columbia University. He specializes in psychology tutoring, algebra tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, he shares his experience at Columbia University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Philip: Unlike many urban campuses, Columbias main campus is quite centralized; most of the undergraduate buildings are within a rectangle bounded by 114th Street to the south, 120th Street to the north, Amsterdam Avenue to the east, and Broadway to the west. It really feels like a self-contained, traditional college campus in the middle Manhattans Morningside Heights neighborhood, complete with quads, walking paths, and all the features usually associated with a college campus. While all three of the main freshman dorms are conveniently located within this six-block area, some undergraduate housing (including fraternities and sororities), professors offices, and administrative buildings are slightly farther away. However, all of the resources and facilities you will need as an undergraduate are located within short walking distance to on-campus housing, with the notable exception of the football field and some other athletic facilities. Cars are not only unnecessary for transportation, theyre strongly discouraged. Since Columbia is located in Manhattan, where space is scarce, parking is not provided for students. A student would either have to park their car on the streetwhich is a huge hassle in the short-term, let alone all yearor pay large fees to a parking garage. Fortunately, New York City has a top-notch mass transit system, and the bus and subway systems will take you anywhere you need to go. Bikes are an excellent option, but they must be stored in your dorm room and may prove to be inconvenient for most purposes. If you do choose to bring your bike, bring a quality bike lock and be very carefulbike thefts are very common in this area. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Philip:This varies greatly from class to class. Professors with high-powered research careers tend to be less available for one-on-one contact. These professors often delegate office hours and similar duties to their teaching assistants. However, most professors and some TAs do have regular office hours, but some are available by appointment only. For large classes with a consistently high volume of students (e.g. organic chemistry, biology, science of psychology, introductory sociology), a TA or professor is usually available for office hours every day of the week. Academic advising at Columbia is pretty laissez-faire; it is incumbent upon each student to formulate a strategy for programs and classes, and while each student is assigned an academic adviser, they rarely reach out to you individually. However, motivated students will find that Columbias academic advising offers various specialized programs and resources to help guide each individuals academic future. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Philip:Incoming first-year students at Columbia are required to live in on-campus housing for their first year, with very rare exceptions. While housing is guaranteed for all Columbia College and SEAS (engineering) students for four years, students who opt out of on-campus housing at any point in their undergraduate careers will lose their guaranteed housing, and may not be able to re-apply for housing. For example, if a sophomore chooses to live in an off-campus apartment, they may not be eligible to participate in the housing lottery for junior year. Freshmen are traditionally assigned to one of three residence halls, all conveniently located on the main campus: Carman, John Jay, and the Living Learning Center (LLC). Carman is comprised of four-person suites, with two rooms of two students each. This dorm is ideal for students who want a more lively social scene. John Jay consists of small single rooms, while the LLC includes larger suites of four or more students. There are two main dining halls for undergraduates, both located close to undergraduate dorms. The quality of the food itself is fairly top-notch, although their hours of operation vary from day to day and some students have complained about overcrowding at times. JJs Place, located in the basement of John Jay, is a casual dining hangout open only on nights and weekends. JJs is also included in the meal plan and has been recently renovated. Students can watch TV on flat screens (nearly one per table), play board games or foosball, and enjoy some delicious food. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Philip:I think it is safe to say that most programs of study offered at Columbia College and SEAS meet extremely high academic standards. However, certain programs are especially prominent. Columbia is the site of many seminal experiments in neuroscience, physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and psychology, and the biological sciences department is staffed by some of the worlds top researchers in their field. Columbia Journalism is consistently ranked as the number one graduate school of journalism in the world, and the Pulitzer Prize is determined by Columbia Journalism faculty. The most popular majors include economics/political science, sustainable development, history, neuroscience (my own major), and financial economics. Because of my proximity to excellent neuroscience faculty as well as knowledgeable and motivated students with similar research goals to my own, I have felt very fortunate in the academic and professional guidance I have received as a prospective neuroscience researcher. 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? Philip:There are ample opportunities for incoming freshmen to meet students with similar interests and goals, from NSOP (Columbias week-long undergraduate orientation week), to hundreds of clubs and student groups. While Columbia is home to a dozen or so fraternities and sororities, Greek life at Columbia is less prominent here than at most large universities. However, rush events can be a great way for freshmen to meet other students, Greek or non-Greek. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Philip:Columbias Center for Career Education (CCE) is an excellent resource for students seeking professional guidance, networking opportunities, internship and job interviews, and more. Columbias LionShare website allows students in any Columbia University program to search for internships and jobs in their field. CCE also hosts workshops and classes throughout the school year, from topics such as time management to resume writing. Columbia hosts various job and internship fairs, from industry-specific events to those limited to juniors or seniors. These events are often well-attended by representatives from top employers in every industry. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Philip:Although Columbia has study space in its libraries, residence halls, and other school buildings, it can be very difficult to find a place to study during midterms and finals season, often forcing students to enter and walk around several campus buildings before finding a decent study area. The most common study location is the enormous Butler Library, followed by secondary libraries belonging to the business school, law school, architecture department, and East Asian studies department. Many residence halls have excellent study spaces conveniently located on their top floors or basements, and many dorms have been recently renovated for additional study spaceincluding Broadway, Schapiro, McBain, and Carman residence halls. It would behoove incoming students to scope out lesser-known study spaces through trial and error, and develop a list of go-to study spaces to reduce time spent wandering around the library during finals week. Describe the surrounding town. Philip:Columbia University is located in Manhattans Morningside Heights neighborhood, part of the Upper West Side. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by 125th street to the north, 110th Street to the south, the Hudson River to the west, and Morningside Drive to the east. Morningside Heights is a primarily residential neighborhood populated by students and faculty of Columbia University, Barnard College, Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan School of Music, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Bank Street College of Education. Because of the density of educational and cultural institutions in the neighborhood, Morningside Heights has been referred to as New Yorks academic acropolis, a term that also refers to the areas relatively high elevations. While Morningside Heights is a markedly different kind of setting from the familiar college town, local businesses, landmarks, and place names reflect Columbias strong presence in the community. Popular restaurants along Broadway include Community Food and Juice, Mels Burger Bar, Koronet Pizza, Thai Market, and the famous Toms Restaurant from the TV sitcom Seinfeld. Because of Columbias proximity to the 1 train, students can also explore downtown neighborhoods. A twenty-minute ride from Columbias 116th street station can bring a student to Lincoln Center, where they can watch world class performances. Thirty minutes will bring them to Times Square, and forty minutes will transport them to the trendy neighborhoods of West Village, Chelsea, and Soho. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Philip:Columbias four undergraduate colleges (Columbia College, Fu Foundation School of Engineering, Barnard College, and General Studies) are comprised of about 8,000 students. Class sizes vary, with large lectures in introductory courses, such as General Chemistry or Science of Psychology, often seating 150 students or more. However, most classes at Columbia are smaller than 25 students, and some seminars can be as small as six students. I was generally satisfied by my class sizes, especially in core curriculum classes. The availability of TAs and after-hours tutoring options supplements the already excellent student-faculty ratio. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Philip:My favorite and most memorable class was Genes and Development with Dr. Tulle Hazelrigg. The class size was less than a dozen, and the curriculum was simultaneously challenging and fun. One day after class, Professor Hazelrigg brought us to her genetics lab in Fairchild Hall where we observed some specimens of C.elegans nematodes with the fluorescently marked protein GFP. The nematodes were marked using a technique innovated by her husband, who had won a Nobel Prize just a couple years prior for his pioneering work with green fluorescent protein. While watching the fluorescently-marked nematodes in Dr. Hazelriggs lab, I felt like I had stumbled upon a piece of scientific history in the making. Check out Philips tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.