Reading the Russian Classics

Reading the Russian Classics The prolific Russian literary scene ChaptersThe heritage of ancient RussiaThe modern Russian works and the height of the Russian novelThe 19th century - the golden age for the Russian languageRussian literature in the 20th centuryWhat about Russian literature today?It’s a universally shared notion: Russian pronunciation is particularly charming, especially as concerns the rolling of the ‘r’s!This particular accent is often a delight to behold, even when someone is speaking English as a foreign language.There are many different reasons to learn Russian - a desire to teach the language yourself, plans to travel to Russia, interest is studying in a Russian speaking country, communicating with your spouse’s family in a cross-cultural marriage, expatriation…or a general love for Russian culture.It’s this last subject that we will be talking about today, as we examine Slavic culture via the lens of literature.This journey through time to examine Russia and its Slavic heritage through its favorite authors and book s should at the very least give you a desire to become truly bilingual and read the texts in their original Russian!The modern Russian language began to develop, first thanks to Lomonosov and his grammar, as well as to the works of these authors. The language is an arranged marriage between the popular spoken language and the Slavonic church version and occurred in 1755.It was the first time in Russian history that the national language was standardized!With the opening of the tsars to the rest of the world, many concepts and new technologies were imported from Europe to describe technical or conceptual realities which were hitherto unknown to the Eastern Slavs.With this new knowledge, do not hesitate to test yourself and your language skills in Russia. But first, make sure you’ve taken all the necessary steps to obtain a visa for Russia!Do you want to take Russian language lessons? You can find them on Superprof no matter where you are in the UK. Find Russian lessons London wide or in any city outside the capital.

5 Strategies for MCAT Practice Tests

5 Strategies for MCAT Practice Tests Most authorities on MCAT preparation will agree that one of the most important ways to prepare for the exam is through practice exams and practice questions. However, simply practicing without a formal structure or objective will not result in a significant score increase. Below are five key tactics for getting the most out of your practice as you study for the MCAT. 1. Time yourself Though it may be difficult to complete exams or question sets under time constraints when you first begin your MCAT review, it is vitally important to strictly time yourself while you practice. If you dont time yourself, you run the risk of developing time-wasting habits. When it comes time to take the actual exam, these bad habits can prevent you from having enough time to attempt all the questions on test day. Work on your time management from day one and you can expect that it will become easier to finish the test in time as you get further along in your review process. Here is a great resource to help you manage your time during MCAT prep. 2. Use the strategies that work best for you Review books, professors, tutors, and online sources will all present you with a variety of specific test-taking strategies for the different sections of the test. In reality, almost all of the credible strategies are beneficial, but certain strategies work better for certain people.Use practice exams and questions to experiment with different test-taking methods. At the halfway point of your review period, you should be able to identify the strategies that give you the best results. Spend the second half of your prep period practicing and perfecting these particular strategies. 3. Learn from your mistakes This should form the foundation of your thinking toward practice questions and exams. Use them to not only evaluate yourself, but also to learn. When going over your results, carefully read over every question and answer. For questions you answered incorrectly, spend some extra time pinpointing what facts you need to know to ensure that you dont get that question wrong in the future. Keeping a running list of these facts is extremely helpful, and reading over them in the days leading up to the exam is a high-yield review. Here are some great free MCAT practice teststo help you prepare. 4. Learn from your successes Just like you can learn from the questions you answered incorrectly, you should also make it a point to solidify material from the questions you got right. When reviewing the questions you answered correctly, take note of why the other answer choices were incorrect, and make sure you didnt only get the question right because of a lucky guess. If that is the case, treat that question like you got it wrong and write down the facts you need to know to get it correct in the future. 5. Alter your study schedule based on your results One of the greatest benefits of completing practice sets and exams starting day one of your review is that your results will allow you to continuously monitor and improve your study plan. After each week of your prep period, look back on all the practice questions youve completed. Keep track of your scores for each section (Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning). If you seem to be struggling with one section more than others, devote more time to studying that particular section the following week. Also, take a look at specific subjects within each section (e.g. organic chemistry, thermodynamics, physiology, etc.). Thoroughly assess your performance and alter your study schedule accordingly. With these five tips in hand, you should easily be able to get the most out of every practice question you complete. Coupled with thorough review of the subject matter, you should be well on your way to an excellent MCAT score.

What is Salary Sacrifice and How Can It Save Money - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / What is Salary Sacrifice and How Can It Save Money - Introvert Whisperer What is Salary Sacrifice and How Can It Save Money? Salary sacrificing is a common term you might have come across during your employment. Also known as salary packaging, it’s a popular method of saving money by making purchases from your salary before it’s taxed. Sacrificing your salary isn’t a new concept for employees, but many people are misguided in believing it’s too hard or not worth organising. While there are many myths about salary sacrifice, lowering your taxes and arranging clever payment plans are just some of the benefits employees can profit from. What is Salary Sacrifice? Salary sacrifice is an arrangement between you and your employer, where you can reduce your salary in exchange for the same value in a variety of purchases, known as ‘benefits’. Employers may offer the option of a salary sacrifice to attract new employees or as an incentive to increase productivity. The advantage of salary sacrificing is that it lets you reduce your income before it’s assessed for taxation, allowing you to purchase goods or services that you would normally buy, while reducing your tax bill. Products like cars and computers, as well as services such as childcare or voluntary superannuation contributions can all be salary sacrificed, although they each come with different conditions. How Does It Work? When organising a salary sacrifice with your employer, it’s best to draft a written agreement as it will clearly establish the terms and conditions for both parties. Once agreed upon, your employer will deduct a nominated portion of your income before each pay cycle, which will then be spent on the arranged benefits. The remaining amount of your pay will then be taxed and deposited into your account as usual. Salary sacrificing must be arranged before you begin earning your salary for that payment period and cannot be retrospective. Salary sacrifice normally benefits the employee more than the employer, as the employer will be charged with administrative and other fees. In Australia, your employer must pay Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on certain types of benefits. The value of these benefits will be recorded and will contribute to assessing your Medicare levy surcharge, tax offsets and eligibility for Government benefits. What Can You Salary Sacrifice? Depending on your employer, almost any product, service or purchase can be paid for with a salary sacrifice. Benefits will fall into one of three main categories. Fringe Benefits: This category is for benefits that will appear on your tax summary and which your employer must pay FBT on. It is the broadest category and includes options such as: Salary sacrifice cars Car loans Health Insurance School fees Childcare fees Personal expenses Benefits that are a part of this category, but will not appear on your end of year payment summary are known as ‘non-reportable fringe benefits’ and can include entertainment and car parking. Exempt Benefits: These benefits are associated with providing a useful function to your work. Your employer will not have to pay FBT on these benefits and they will not be recorded on your yearly tax summary. They can include: Computer software Tools of the trade Briefcases Portable electronic devices, such as laptops or phones Protective clothing Superannuation: Salary sacrificed employee contributions to your superannuation will be taxed by your super fund at 15%, which can be much lower than your normal tax rate. Sacrificing into super can also benefit employers, as they do not have to pay FBT on this benefit. Employers are more likely to offer the option of salary sacrificing into superannuation than other benefits, as it is a relatively simple process with fewer fees. Make sure to check with your employer about what benefits they are willing to offer. Salary Sacrificing Your Car Salary sacrificing is one of the best ways to finance larger and delayed purchases such as a car. In what’s known as a novated lease, you can arrange to lease a car of your choice from a car company and have your employer manage payments from your pre-tax salary. A novated lease package on a car can also include running costs such as registration, fuel, maintenance and insurance. Not only does this make owning a new car much simpler and more affordable, deductions for the lease all take place before the final calculation of your tax, allowing you to save money at tax time with a lower salary. Contrary to popular belief, salary sacrificing is easy to set up and can be a great way for employees at almost any income level to save money. Consider talking to your employer today about the possibility of a salary sacrifice. Author’s Bio: This article was written by Daniel Defendi, who writes for Easifleet in Perth. You can catch him on Google+ to discuss this piece. Go to top Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How to Sing Jazz Like a Pro in Five Steps

How to Sing Jazz Like a Pro in Five Steps Sign up successful 2. Remember to Breathe If a singer were a car, breath would be gasoline. The better you get at breathing like a singer, the longer you will be able to sing without taking a breath. To breathe like a singer, stand up straight but not stiff. Place your hands on your ribcage (above your waist) so that your four fingers are on the front of your ribcage and your thumbs are on the back. Take in a slow breath, trying to feel your ribcage expanding outward in every direction. This is how you should breathe when you sing. 3. Speak Easy Much of jazz singing occurs on the same pitches we use when we speak. Thinking of singing as projected singing makes it much easier. Using your “singer breath,” practice projecting words and phrases from a song as normal speech. Now, add the notes back in, maintaining the speech-like quality. Use a mirror to make sure your body and face stay relaxed as you sing. 4. Lift That Palate The soft palate is the squishy muscle right behind your hard palate in your mouth. This muscle moves up and down to seal your nasal tract off from the rest of your mouth and throat. Singers use the soft palate to keep air from escaping from the nose during singing, since singing out of the nose produces a nasal sound quality. To lift your soft palate, pretend you smell something awful but have shopping bags in both of your hands. Practice “plugging” your nose this way without actually touching it. Test whether your soft palate is up by singing a note, raising the palate, and plugging and unplugging your nose with your fingers. If the sound quality changes, your soft palate isn’t all the way up. 5. Exercise Your Weaknesses As you practice jazz songs, you might notice that some parts are harder than others. Study the parts that are hardest. Why are they hard? Are there fast-moving notes? Is there a large leap? Try practicing these parts slowly, taking the words out and using a single vowel (such as ‘E’ or ‘Ah’). Find vocal exercises that address that particular issue, and work them into your warm-up routine. All That Jazz With the right songs and some practice, you can quickly learn how to sing jazz well. Use your new skills to blow people’s minds at open mic night, or just to have fun while you sing along to Ella Fitzgerald in the car. No matter where you take your jazzy abilities, remember the number one rule for singing: have fun! Elaina R. teaches opera voice and singing in Ann Arbor, MI, as well as through online lessons. She is currently  working on a Master of Music at the University of Michigan, and she has a B.M. from the University of Southern California. Learn more about Elaina 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  ataelw

HEART is Semifinalist for Jimmie Johnson Foundations Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Grant - Heart Math Tutoring

HEART is Semifinalist for Jimmie Johnson Foundations Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Grant - Heart Math Tutoring HEART is Semifinalist for Jimmie Johnson Foundations Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Grant HEART is Semifinalist for Jimmie Johnson Foundations Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Grant April 17, 2014 4-17-14 BBHOH SEMIFINALIST Release Charlotte, NC (April 17, 2014) The Jimmie Johnson Foundation announced today that HEART Tutoring is one of the 10 semi-finalists eligible for a $25,000 grant. In all, five grants are available through the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program. A public vote will take place April 17 through 24 to determine the five grant winners. HEART Tutoring needs its supporters to go to www.helmetofhope.org  to show their support by voting. The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program, which began in 2008, allows fans and consumers across the country to nominate not-for-profit (501c3) organizations that support K-12 public education. HEART Tutoring is a math intervention program that provides curriculum and on-site support for volunteer tutors in Title I (high poverty) elementary schools, enabling community members to bring struggling students up to grade level without creating additional work for school staff. More than 120 community members are currently dedicating one hour per week to help struggling students catch up to grade level in math in Charlotte. “Each student assigned with a tutor develops a keen sense of confidence and academic pride as a result of the intensive, targeted and individualized instruction provided by the tutors,” says Regina J. Boyd, Principal at Winterfield Elementary School. HEART currently serves more than 100 students across Winterfield Elementary and Billingsville Leadership Academy and seeks to serve students at Montclaire Elementary and Highland Renaissance Academy, as well, in 2014/15. See more at www.hearttutoring.org. “Providing support for K-12 public education is something that has been important to (Wife) Chandra and I since we started our foundation,” Johnson said. “We are really proud of the work we have been able to do through our relationship with Blue Bunny and the Wells Family (makers of Blue Bunny Ice Cream). Our team had a tough, tough job narrowing the field of nominations to 10 semi-finalists. Now is the fun part â€" watching to see how each group mobilizes their efforts to get out the vote.” In addition to a $25,000 grant, program grantees will receive a Blue Bunny ice cream party and special recognition on Johnson’s race helmet during the Sprint Cup Series race July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To date, the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program has contributed more than $560,000 to 71 different charities. For additional information and to vote for HEART Tutoring, visit www.helmetofhope.org. About the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chandra and Jimmie Johnson launched the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in February 2006. Johnson, the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, drives the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS in NASCAR’s top series. The mission of the foundation is to assist children, families, and communities in need throughout the United States. The foundation has committed more than $6.7 million to various charities. The Foundation currently focuses on K-12 public education. For additional information on the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, please visit www.JimmieJohnsonFoundation.org. About Blue Bunny Wells Enterprises, Inc., maker of Blue Bunny ice cream, is the largest privately held, family-owned ice cream and frozen treat manufacturer in the United States. The company was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, the Ice Cream Capital of the World. Wells produces more than 1,100 ice cream and frozen novelty products, including its signature brand, Blue Bunny ®, super premium brand, 2nd St. Creameryâ„¢, and the iconic Bomb Pop ®. Wells also manufactures licensed frozen treat brands including Yoplait ® frozen yogurt and Weight Watchers ® frozen novelties. Visit bluebunny.com. Contact: Emily Elliott, HEART Tutoring 704.931.3209 elottrn Amanda Prothero, Jimmie Johnson Foundation 704.308.7439 aci Penny Copen, True Speed Communication 704.875.3388 x 810 pnescniom Liz Croston, Blue Bunny 712.548.5522 eob

College Supports for Students with ADHD

College Supports for Students with ADHD If you are sending your teen off to college this August, now it the time to make sure that the proper ADHD supports will be in place when they arrive. Even though your teen is about to gain a great deal of independence, they will likely need help and encouragement to get their ADHD supports in place before college begins. Research campus services with your teen, and help them send emails and make phone calls if they need to schedule appointments. Aim to create a solid plan that covers each of these areas: Academic Accommodations: Think about the academic supports that your teen has accessed during high school. Did they have a 504 Plan, an individualized education plan (IEP), or an informal plan that allowed them to have things like extended time on tests or the ability to take exams in a separate room with no distractions? These accommodations and others are available to college students with ADHD who need them. In order to qualify, colleges require documented evidence of an ADHD diagnosis. At most schools, this means recent results from an evaluation that includes cognitive and achievement testing, as well as an assessment of ADHD symptoms and impairments. Often a signed letter from a pediatrician or psychiatrist is not sufficient. Contact the colleges learning support center to find out about their requirements. Also find out about other academic supports on campus, like tutoring services and writing centers. Encourage your teen to sign up for services when school starts rather tha n waiting until they are struggling. Its all about preventing academic problems before they happen. Medication management: If your teen takes medication to manage their ADHD, find out if the psychiatrists on-campus provide ADHD medication management services. Some colleges and universities require students to see doctors and psychiatrists off campus to have their ADHD medication prescriptions filled. Others require a diagnosis from an off-campus physician before they will begin prescribing medications. The campus medical center will be able to answer questions about the services provided on-campus, and will give referrals for off-campus providers if one is needed. Social Success. All college students, and especially those with ADHD, have more success socially when they join clubs and participate in extracurricular activities. Have casual conversations with your teen about the activities theyd like to participate in on campus. Encourage them to learn about the clubs and sports available at their school. Just dont take over and do the research for them unless they ask for your help (and even then, do the online research together)! Theyll be more likely to join if they feel like participating was their own idea and not something their mom or dad told them to do. Talk about Alcohol. My own research and that of my colleagues has shown that college students with ADHD are more likely to experience problems with alcohol on campus than students without ADHD. Even if students with ADHD drink the same amount of alcohol as their peers without ADHD, they are likely to experience greater negative consequences. Plus, if school is already difficult to manage with ADHD, adding alcohol to the mix is only going to make it harder. Make sure your teen knows the risks, and that their risks are greater because of their ADHD. If your teen isnt going to be receptive to this information coming from you, have them talk with another trusted family member who they look up to, or an older friend, or a therapist or teacher who they respect. Counseling services. If you think your child may have difficulty with the transition to college, help them preemptively schedule a few sessions at the schools counseling center. Counseling center therapists are experts when it comes to the college transition. If your child needs ongoing support, theyll be able to provide referrals to off-campus providers who specialize in ADHD. With proactive supports in place, your child can begin their college career on the right foot and help ensure four years of success. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Students given unconditional offers by universities are more likely to drop out - Tutor Hunt Blog

Students given unconditional offers by universities are more likely to drop out Students given unconditional offers by universities are more likely to drop out Students given unconditional offers by universities are more likely to drop outUniversitiesBack when I was studying for my A-Levels and applying for places at universities, I can recall being somewhat disappointed that my list of choices were so curtailed by my rather lacklustre predicted grades. I was fortunate enough to achieve slightly higher marks than these predictions, but there were of course still only a limited number of universities willing to take me on as a degree student. One of my more academic colleges appeared to have achieved acclaim at his chosen university before he even attended it, having received from it an `unconditional offer.` I had to ask what this meant - all the universities that had been so gracious as to grant me a place to study, did so on the strict proviso that I attain sufficient marks in my A-Levels. I was informed that whatever grades he achieved in his exams, his university would still guarantee him a place on his chosen course. I can recall being filled with envy - here I was fretting and panicking about my upcoming A-Levels, trying to assign enough revision time for each subject, while he didn`t have to worry, having being promised a place however he performed in his exams. I wondered if a pupil had ever dropped out of school after receiving this offer, not even bothering to do any more studying, and perhaps not even attending their exams, utterly nonchalant in the certainty of their future. Of course unconditional offers were only ever given to pupils of exceptional ability, pupils who were certain to achieve an extremely high mark, and unlikely to lose all academic drive just because they had been guaranteed a university place. However flattering and encouraging these guarantees may appear, new research suggests that unconditional offers actually have a negative effect on many students. The Office for Students, the regulatory body for universities and all other forms of higher education, conducted a survey which concluded that students who were offered unconditional offers were more likely to drop out of university, compared to their peers who had a requisite set of grades to reach. The study was conducted in 2015-16, and specifically cited the case of 185 students, who were fully expected to complete their degrees, but somehow ended up dropping out before they completed their courses. All these students had been given unconditional offers for their particular universities. In the past unconditional offers were rarely given, back when I was a 6th form student only one of my peers was granted this guaranteed invitation. Even as recently as 2013 they were seldom offered, with just 2,985 unconditional places been granted by universities across the whole of the UK. It really is astounding that in 2018, a mere five years later, this figure had risen to 67,915 - more than a 20 fold increase. There are concerns that since universities have become `fee paying` institutions, they are now less stringent with their admissions procedures. If a particular course doesn`t attract enough pupils it will soon be judged as non lucrative, and may be withdrawn; and if the whole university fails to bring in enough students it can very quickly lapse into bankruptcy. By granting a student an unconditional offer, universities are increasing their chances of securing payment from this `customer.` Other universities the student has applied to, who have stipulated a grade boundary for admission, are placing barriers between them and the `customer,` running the risk of losing them and their money. It may sound anomalous to term students as customers, but since the introduction of university fees, which now come to an average of £9,250 per year, that is effectively what they are. Whereas in the past unconditional offers were only be granted to the most academically gifted students, and were likely emblematic gesture from the universities, signifying that they were particularly keen for the student to study with them, they are now largely used to attract students onto courses. The danger here is that some students might be enticed onto degrees that are not right for them, something the study carried out by the Office for Students seems to suggest. The chief executive of the Ofs, Nicola Dandridge, recently put out the following statement: `We already know that students who receive an unconditional offer are more likely to miss their predicted grades at school.` `It is a cause of real concern that they are also more likely to drop out of university once they get there. `This is a couple of hundred students per year who have made a significant investment of time and money in a degree from which they are unlikely to benefit. `As our regulatory framework sets out, admissions systems must be reliable, fair and inclusive. What we are seeing here are admissions systems that are not fair, and are not working in students` best interests.` 4 months ago0Add a Comment