What is it Like to Attend Johns Hopkins University

What is it Like to Attend Johns Hopkins University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Ashlee is a New York City tutor who specializes in many subjects including Pre-Calculus tutoring, Statistics tutoring, and French tutoring. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2011 where she studied Psychology and French Literature. 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? Ashlee: The undergraduate campus at Hopkins, Homewood, is like a little oasis in the middle of Baltimore. There are many transportation methods, including public buses, the free Charm City Circulator, the Hopkins JHMI (which runs back and forth between Homewood and the Med School campus), Zipcars, taxis, etc. I personally didnt have a car or bike at school, but I did have a Zipcar account, just in case I needed to go somewhere. Some of my friends had cars, but it wasnt a necessity. The campus itself is safe, as is the nearby area, but you have to remember that JHU is located in Baltimore, which is an urban environment, and so you should be aware of your surroundings, lock your doors/windows if you end up living in a row house, lock your car, dont walk home late by yourself, etc. I personally had no problems during my time in Baltimore, but it never hurts to be aware of your environment! VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Ashlee: As with many schools, some professors are more available than others. I was lucky in that the vast majority of my professors and teaching assistants were readily available to meet, and all held regular office hours. Professor office hours tend to be under utilized by students, and so I would suggest stopping by, introducing yourself, and asking questions about the material. The TAs are very helpful, and I found that they are sometimes able to better explain the material if youre super confused, since theyre still close to the learning process. The academic advisors vary in how often you will see them or interact with them. My academic advisors were a little bit more hands off, but they would respond to emails in a timely manner, and were definitely willing to meet if you felt as though you had to meet in person. Professors, TAs, and academic assistants all tend to be available, but it is really up to the students to take advantage of this availability! VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Ashlee: At JHU, you live in campus housing during your freshman and sophomore years. I personally lived in AMR 1 during my first year, and Homewood during my second year. There are a variety of different dorms for each year, which allows you to have the dorm experience that you would like. Freshman year, students live in AMR 1, AMR 2, Building A, Building B, or Wolman. The AMRs are traditional dorms, with shared bathrooms for the hall. I chose to live in the AMRs because I wanted that traditional dorm experience, and because they were considered the more social dorms, as you were constantly running into different people in the halls and bathrooms. Buildings A and B, and Wolman are more apartment/suite style, with a couple of shared rooms sharing a bathroom and kitchenette. Many students in the AMRs, and Buildings A and B eat at the FFC (Fresh Food Caf), which is the dining hall. Many of my friends in Wolman tended to cook, as they were not located as nearby the FFC as the other dorms. Sophomore year, students are offered the possibilities of living in Charles Commons, McCoy, Homewood, and the Bradford. Although the suites vary in the number of rooms, Ill describe the room layouts that I most often saw. Charles Commons is the newest dorm, with most suites being made up of four single bedrooms, two shared bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchenette. There is a small gym with cardio equipment. Many people choose to live in Charles Commons, as its very centrally located. McCoy is more similar to the layout of Wolman, with two shared bedrooms or one shared bedroom and a single, with a bathroom and a kitchenette. Homewood, where I lived, is apartment-style. My apartment was three single rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living/dining area. However, Homewood is a little bit of a walk to parts of campus like the gym, as it is toward the south end of campus, but it too has a small gym. Bradford also is more apartment-style, with a few single rooms being connected by a common living area and kitchen area. 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? Ashlee: Many students, including myself, enter JHU as a pre-med, studying some sort of science. For pre-meds, Neuroscience was a popular major, as was Biology, Chemistry, etc. I entered JHU as a Neuroscience and French double major, but once deciding that I didnt want to go to medical school, tried Mechanical Engineering with French, and then finally Psychology and French, which are the degrees in which I received my Bachelors. I chose to study French because I have been taking French since the 3rd grade, and didnt want to lose the language. I was lucky, in that I tested into a high level of French, so I was able to take very interesting literature classes, and didnt have to take grammar-based classes, which also made it very quick for me to fulfill the requirements. Psychology, which is a very popular major at Hopkins, is well supported by the university. There are many opportunities to get involved in research, and the classes cover many different topics. The various Engineering ma jors are also very popular and well supported. Biomedical Engineering is the only major that you must independently apply to. Other very popular majors are International Relations and Writing Seminars. 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? Ashlee: I found it very easy to meet people and make friends as a freshman, especially during the various Orientation events. I also met many people in the FFC and just walking around the AMRs. Social life at JHU is really what you make of it. There are many people at JHU that are very social, but there are also people who spend the vast majority of their time in the library. Luckily, everyone knows that work comes first, and so it is completely possible to have a social life, but still do well academically. Greek life is fairly popular, with 4 Panhellenic sororities, 11 fraternities, and 7 multicultural sororities/fraternities. I was in a sorority, and found it to be an amazing experience that allowed me to meet some of my best friends. Greek life at Hopkins is definitely not the stereotypical Greek life, with the sororities and fraternities usually having some of the highest GPAs on campus, with average GPAs higher than the JHU average. Many Greeks not only socialize together on th e weekends and at mixers or date parties, but they also study together throughout the week and for exams. There are many friendships that span between the sororities and fraternities, so you dont have to worry that youll lose friends if you join different organization. I highly recommend that students join Greek life, as the majority of the people I know from Greek life found that it is a wonderful support system, both socially and academically. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Ashlee: I personally never used the Career Center, so I cant weigh in on that, but I have friends that had varying success with going to the Career Center. Many reputable companies recruit on campus, during well-attended job fairs, with many students successfully acquiring jobs! VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Ashlee: Hopkins recently opened the Brody Learning Center, which is a study space, and looks beautiful! The MSE library is also a very popular spot, as is the Hut (Hutzler Reading Room, in Gilman Hall). Around midterms and finals, the study spaces are always crowded, but its possible to get a spot. My favorite spot to study was the Hut, as there is a lot of natural light. Im sure that I would have also loved the Brody Learning Center, had it existed a few years ago, which also has a lot of natural light. The dorm lounges are nice, with all of them having couches, and most of them having TVs. 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? Ashlee: JHU is located in the city of Baltimore. I personally adore the area near JHU, which is called Charles Village, the Inner Harbor, Mount Vernon, Fells Point, Fed Hill, Hampden, and Towson. There are many safe and quirky neighborhoods throughout Baltimore, and each has their own charm! Baltimore has fantastic food, concerts, sports (Go Ravens!), dancing, an aquarium, museums, shopping, etc. There are many things that you can do throughout the city, as well as many events that happen on campus. Many students do go downtown to the Inner Harbor, whether to sightsee, go to the aquarium, or to go to the various stores in the area. There is a water-taxi that will take you to the surrounding neighborhoods in the area, which is always fun. Powerplant Live, a concert venue, is also located downtown. The Walters Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art (which is located on the south side of campus!) all have fantastic exhibits. You can also easily visit Fort McHenry if youre a history buff. Some students stick to the campus, but many students immerse themselves further into Baltimore, which I found to be a wonderful experience. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Ashlee: The student body is fairly small, especially in comparison to a larger state school. I believe the undergraduate student body usually is approximately 5,000 students. Class sizes vary drastically, with some pre-med requirement classes, like the introductory sciences, having a couple of hundred students in a lecture class, with seminar classes being as low as 5-10 students. I definitely enjoyed the smaller classes more than the larger lecture classes, but thats because theyre more interactive than a class like General Chemistry 1. Class size also depends on which major that youre in, with classes in subjects like languages and writing being smaller, and sciences and math being larger. The upper level classes tend to be on the smaller side. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Ashlee: A class that I greatly enjoyed was Introduction to Engineering, which is a class that Engineers usually take during their first semester. The final project consists of building a spaghetti bridge using only raw spaghetti and epoxy. It was such a fun experience, and the hands on nature allowed me to really learn the concepts that we had been discussing. Another memorable experience was my French thesis, which is required for the French degree. I initially doubted that I would be able to write as much as I did, but the process was clearly laid out, and I found myself having no problem. The thesis is written entirely in French, and it is such a satisfying experience to take it from the seed of an idea, to handing in a 70-page thesis that I was very satisfied with. These are just two of my experiences, but I had many more positive experiences than I can even explain. I loved my time at JHU, and religiously attend both Young Alumni Weekend, in the Fall semester, and Homecoming/Alu mni Weekend, in the Spring semester! Check out Ashlees tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How to Take Advantage of Online Tutoring

How to Take Advantage of Online Tutoring Online Tutoring is the order of the day and you need tutoring for all subjects one way or the other. Hectic schedule and very high tutoring expenses make learning stressful. Online Tutoring is at its best with its flexible and effective tutoring methods in imparting education. Getting tutoring help for difficulties in education has become a daily routine like eating and sleeping. Still, the question remains what you should do to get effective online tutoring help for deriving maximum benefits with ease. Here are a few steps for Online Tutoring Step 1 for online tutoring. Search internet thoroughly for online tutoring. Pick out the best online tuition providers who would offer fine solutions for all your educational troubles. Online tutorials that accord with your timings and learning pace are the best to help you improve your learning with ease. Card Step 2 for online tutoring Choose online tutoring with care. Check whether he is screened by the online tutoring site with proper background check. A certified tutor with proper exposure and experience in the field would understand your struggles instantly and would come out with suitable remedies. Step 3 for online tutoring Talk to the tutor and explain your difficulties. Be frank and express your requirements and expectations. Raise your doubts and try to spend quality time with the tutor. Once you develop a rapport with your tutor, learning becomes an easy process for you. Step 4 Keep your queries ready before the scheduled time and make use of the time to the maximum by focusing on targeted areas in the subject. Avoid beating about the bush and focus on the topic without diversion in the virtual learning atmosphere. Step 5 Share your files and docs with your tutor for homework problems to gain good end products. You could even be familiar with the courseware you are going to learn so that you could stay in tune with the tutor’s ides and get unto them with ease. Step 6 Above all, you should be clear about the subject you want help. Suppose you find difficulties in Algebra, you need to seek specific help in the subject from an expert tutor in Algebra. Take care of your priorities and schedule accordingly with a subject tutor. Card Step 7 The best fact about online tutoring is its flexibility in timeline and adaptability with your learning pace. Arrange your tutoring sessions before hand and gain tutoring from your favorite tutor without waiting in the queue. Step 8 The major thing you need to do is keep your computer and tech tools intact and start with your learning process at once. Interrupted relays in virtual learning would spoil the spirit of learning. Confidence and motivation are important facts in e-learning process. Step 9 Specific minutes for single questions help you a lot in online tutoring. When you have a single problem or two in Math which you find difficult to cope with, you could seek help accordingly through live chat help and pay off only for these queries. It is effective in the sense that you do not waste time on long tutoring sessions and get help for those specific questions which you find difficult. You save money, time and you are satisfied with explanations which are to the point. Step 10 While seeking homework help online for a subject, send your queries and specifications clearly to make the tutor understand your requirements without any misconception. State the deadlines correctly to get right replies on time with proper explanations. 5 Common Problems Faced By Students In eLearning And How To Overcome Them eLearning Industry All these steps make you gain online tutoring with ease from tutors. Learning itself is a systematic approach to an idea or truth explained by a subject. If you follow systematic approach in seeking help from an online tutor for any subject, your work becomes easy and effective.

5 Guitarists You Should Be Listening To Right Now

5 Guitarists You Should Be Listening To Right Now Sign up successful St. Vincent Indie darling Annie Clark performs under the name St. Vincent, combining angular guitars and synths with her angelic vocals. Her raw, noisy shredding style attracted the attention of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, who she collaborated with on the album Love This Giant in 2012. Clarks solo work is also quite stunning, and her live shows are not to be missed! Benjamin Booker Born in Tampa and raised in New Orleans, Benjamin Booker is here to show that good old fashioned rock and roll is alive and well. Inject Chuck Berry with a healthy dose of punk rock, add in smoky vocals, and you get Booker. In the past, Booker has toured with artists like Jack White and Courtney Barnett. His first album is due out in August 2014, and based on what weve seen from him so far, we can expect great things to come from this young, soon-to-be-famous guitarist. Sam Bean Sam Bean releases his tender acoustic compositions under the name Iron and Wine, sometimes playing solo and at other times with the accompaniment of a full band. Bean has drawn comparisons to artists ranging from Paul Simon and Nick Drake to Elliot Smith. You might remember hearing his music before in the movie Garden State, or on TV shows like Friday Night Lights and House. Chelsea Wolfe Chelsea Wolfe is an eclectic musician, and in recent years she has released music that ranges from droning metal to delicate folk. No matter what genre she works in, Wolfe brings an interesting ear for composition and an unforgettable voice. She recently collaborated on a song with proggy-metal trio Russian Circles and joined them on tour. If you love experimental music, Chelsea Wolfe is an artist to watch. Is there anyone we missed? Tell us about your favorite famous guitarists in the comments below! Ready to improve your own skills on the guitar? Find a guitar teacher near you!   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

Blues Guitar Basics How to Play a Blues Shuffle

Blues Guitar Basics How to Play a Blues Shuffle Sign up successful Step 1 The blues shuffle is made up of eighth notes alternating between a long and short note. The long note falls on the beat. The shorter note is in between and comes in on the upbeat. You are playing an eighth note triplet but leaving out the middle note. Simple as that. The easiest way to get a feel for the rhythm is to play along to a recording or with your guitar teacher. Mute your strings at first so youre not worried about playing specific notes while you get the rhythm down. Listening is important. After a few attempts at playing it slowly by yourself you can speed it up and play with confidence. Then you have it locked in. Like riding a bicycle, over time the rhythm will become automatic for you. Step 2 Most Blues songs are 12 bars long. Try playing through this example in A Major using the IV chord, V chord, and the I chord which are: D, E, and A respectively. Step 3 Now that youve got the rhythm, you will start to notice it and identify it in songs you have heard for years in jazz, blues, and rock.  Blues guitar inspired songs to check out include: “ Texas Flood” by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, “Rockin’ Me” by The Steve Miller Band, “You Shook Me” by Led Zeppelin, and “Something To Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt. Now that you know how to play a blues shuffle, youll be able to learn these tunes in a snap! If you want to take it to the next level and solo over a blues shuffle, its easiest to work off the pentatonic scale for the key you are playing in.  You can’t hit any wrong notes with pentatonic scale shapes. You can also use your ear to throw in blue notes using a blues guitar scale shape.  To find the key of the song look for the key signature on the sheet music or use your ear. While sight-reading music is a handy skill to have, I prefer to use my ears, as it is quicker for me. Find what works best for you and enjoy playing the guitar! For more tips on mastering the guitar, why not sign up for lessons with a private guitar instructor? Your guitar instructor will be able to give you the personal attention you need to reach your musical goals. Search for a guitar teacher now! James W. teaches guitar, singing, and acting  lessons in Jacksonville, FL. He specializes in teaching pop, rock, and modern country styles. James has been teaching for 10 years and joined the TakeLessons Team in 2010.  Learn more about James  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 Kristina Servant

What are the Benefits of Circuit Training

What are the Benefits of Circuit Training Circuit Training: A Fun and Dynamic Workout ChaptersCircuit Training: A Total Body WorkoutLosing Weight and Gaining EnduranceToning Your Body and MetabolismCircuit Training: Sessions that are Always DifferentCircuit training - if you’re not an avid gym goer or athlete, this type of body workout probably doesn’t ring a bell. Relatively new and very efficient, this method combines the best of strength training and resistance training in order to deliver results such as lowering bodyweight, body fat and reinforcing all muscle groups.Between weight lifting and cardio workouts, it can be hard to determine what kind of workout routine will help you reach your personal goals either at home or at the gym. While there are many other methods you can try, circuit training can leave you feeling toned in your whole body through a high intensity, dynamic program.Superrpof invites you to discover what it’s like to train in a “circuit,” a method that can be great for those looking to toss out repetitive and boring training methods a s well as those looking for a total body workout. Not only does circuit training allow you to increase your muscular endurance on the long term, but also to help you achieve the body of your dreams!Get yourself a personal trainer near me now. Circuit training plans take your general fitness goals into mind CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teach er 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCircuit Training: A Total Body WorkoutAt this point you may be wondering, what exactly is circuit training? Chances are, if you’re doing research into the best methods for fat loss or to burn calories, you’ve probably come across HIIT, or high intensity interval training. A HIIT workout is similar to circuit training, except for the fact that the exercise moves done in circuit training are completed without a rest break in between each move but, rather, a longer rest break at the end of each circuit.The objective of circuit training is similar to all types of interval training, which is using both your lower body and upper body to exert a large amount of force in short, intense intervals. Generally, each exercise move is completed one after the other where each move should be completed at about 30 seconds without rest time.Comparing circuit training to traditional types of weight training or bodyweight exercises, you can see it has many advantages including:A fitness program that is accessible to all levelsGetting a full body workout in about 30 minutesTraining exercises that improve your general healthTraining workouts that are always varied and funLittle to no gym equipment needed (like kettlebell, dumbbell, medicine ball, etc)Great for combining with other sports activities (swimming, rock climbing, etc)One rule you should always stick to, not just when you do a circuit workout, is to make sure to adapt the weight, cardio and strength exercises to your level. Also, keep in mind that circuit training will giv e you the best results when you define an objective for your own personal fitness goals beforehand.What are you waiting for? Now that you’ve seen the workouts that circuit training has to offer and whether you’re doing aerobic exercises, squats or push ups - try some out today!Losing Weight and Gaining EnduranceCircuit training is a workout method that works for three principal aspects of the body: to lose fat, gain muscular endurance and for weight loss. While circuit training helps to burn fat, losing weight through this method can also mean gaining flexibility and improving your cardiovascular health.Weight is often something that people pinpoint when they start their fitness journey, whether that be through starting sports with a community team or through an exercise program with a personal trainer near me. Losing weight, however, should be associated with building muscle and improving cardiovascular fitness instead of just with beauty standards.Circuit training allows you t o lose weight because each session allows you to burn calories through cardio and weight exercises. This is the reason why many people turn to circuit training as a way to lose weight and, simultaneously, get fit. Achieving these fitness goals cannot, of course, be possible without also making sure you eat a balanced diet that is low in fat. While an intense workout, circuit routines are also highly adjustable to each personAnother advantage of participating in a circuit training program is that, in losing weight, you will also be able to increase your endurance - something that you use on the daily. Increasing your endurance in a cardiovascular exercise-based program doesn’t simply look like one that involves running. A cardio workout is anything that gets your heart pumping, which can mean exercises like lunges, pushups, biceps or bicep curls, and burpees.Each session in circuit training will put your respiratory system to the challenge by working for your major muscle groups through a fat-burning, cardio exercise. Completing these body weight exercises in short, intense bursts with no recovery time in between them will help your heart get stronger.Finally, the last benefit you can expect to gain through circuit training is toning your body by gaining muscle. Whether you use lifting weights, a barbell or just the wei ght of your own body, completing anaerobic and aerobic exercise moves in this interval style will lead to a gain in muscle mass as well as endurance.Whether you’re working on your glutes, triceps or whole body, circuit training will allow you to become more athletic, have a better heartbeat and make your body feel like its functioning at its best. If you’re looking to be in great physical health in the long run, don’t hesitate to start trying circuit training!Toning Your Body and MetabolismEngaging in a fitness program like circuit training will give you benefits that might lead you to believe that it’s only great for short term goals like getting your summer body ready or helping you lose weight quickly. However, this method is meant to be implemented to help your health on the long term.In fact, because the workout involves repeating exercise moves in an explosive manner, it is a great way to train your muscles and ligaments. Contracting and expanding them rapidly can help you build up your endurance in everything from your shoulders to your hamstrings.If you’re already the type of person that completes body workouts for weight loss or muscle gain, you can also integrate circuit training if this method interests you. This is a great way to add some variety into your normal workout routine and work more areas of your body.If you’re at the beginner level, meaning that you have been leading a mostly sedentary life, here’s an idea of what a circuit can look like in a circuit training session:Knee ups (or jogging in place)Butt kicksPushupsJump ropeCrunchesYou can complete these exercises five times, repeating each move for 30 seconds straight and having a 45 second to 1-minute break at the end of each circuit. If you’re interested in introducing some other moves, you can try exercises like: plank, jumping jacks, burpees, lunges with weights.If you’re at a more advanced skill level and you’re wanting to focus on gaining muscle, here's an idea o f what a circuit can look like:Bench pressSquats with weightsDeadliftShoulder shrugDumbbells shoulder pressRowingAgain, you should complete 5 circuits in total by repeating each exercise for about 45 seconds straight, one after the other. Your rest break should be anywhere between 45 seconds to a minute, depending on your body. If you’d like to add some other moves to your workout, you can try rolling crunches, elastic pull-ups or standing push-ups.There are many things you can do to make sure you get the most out of circuit training. One example is to make sure that you feel comfortable in your environment, completing your workouts either with friends or alone depending on your individual preferences. Another example is to find your motivation, in other words, what will get you moving each day.One of the most important things you can make sure to do, besides practising good form and performing a cool down after each session, is to take up your exercise program at a regular and co nstant rate. Combined with eating right, working out at the right pace will help you feel better both inside and out. Vigorous workouts should always be followed with rest and plenty of water!Circuit Training: Sessions that are Always DifferentNow that you’ve learned everything there is to know about circuit training, the only thing left for you to do is choose which type you prefer. If you’re objective is to lose weight, the kinds of exercises in your circuit will be more simple but efficient in burning a lot of calories. Boxing moves, cardio, squats and pushups, the outcome will most likely be the same: to sweat!No matter who you are, all sides of the gender spectrum seek to tone their body with the help of sports activities. In-circuit training, you can be sure to accomplish this through exercises like triceps dips, squats and more. The great thing about circuit training is that, while giving you muscle gain and increased endurance, you’ll always be able to vary the exercises in your circuit - adapting them not just to your individual goals but also how you feel day to day!

What are the new features on the Virtual Writing Tutor

What are the new features on the Virtual Writing Tutor Hooray! The BRAND NEW version of the (now) award-winning Virtual Writing Tutor is finally here. It has taken almost a year to add new features and update the code, but it is finally ready. It is a whole lot faster, and there are some very cool new features, too. So, what’s new? Self-scoring IELTS Academic Writing Tasks 1. Try each of the 5 self-scoring academic writing test tasks. The VWT automatically scores your essay on the IELTS 9-band scale. It’s experimental, but it represents a breakthrough in the provision of formative feedback and the use of artificial intelligence for the VWT. It employs what I call Latent Essay Feature Analysis (LEFA) and Model Essay Proximity Scoring (MEPS). Simply put, it uses high-scoring model essays to evaluate a students essay. How? First we extract and measure a range of latent features from a model essay,: the organization, cohesion devices, vocabulary choice, and writing quality. Those measurements are stored in the database as a series of targets. When a student submits an essay on the same topic, it measures those same features and generates a proximity score. How close is the submitted essay to the ideal essay? The feedback and band scores tell you how close you are to the ideal. Self-Scoring Pen Pal Exchange 2. You can set up a pen pal exchange so that students can get meaningful practice developing their basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) while communicating with pen pals in the same class, in the next class, in another college, or at a university on the other side of the planet. Tasks are self-scoring, and it’s 100% secure because the teacher decides who can join the exchange. Learn how to set up your own pen pal exchange. Hypertext Narrative Creator 3. The Hypertext Narrative Creator has been completely updated with Node.js. It is super-fast now! Students can create a Choose Your Own Adventure interactive story and export it to a blog using HTML, JQuery, or an iFrame. Students who create a hypertext narrative for their ESL course benefit from the automatic summary of field-related vocabulary use, target structure use, error count, and count of the number of sections and images in the HTN. Teachers can use the automatically generated feedback to inform their evaluation of students hypertext narratives. Essay Outliner 4. The VWT Essay Outliner guides students through the essay outlining process of opinion, argument, and prioritized list essays. By answering questions and filling the blanks, the student can learn to outline as a skill. The system generates and stores essay outlines for the student to print or modify. The Virtual Writing Tutor Blog 5. Visit the blog for free stuff and ideas. I announce new features, discuss research that interests me, and give away English Second Language learning materials that I have created, share glossaries, and IELTS and TOEFL resources. Check out the free board games and card games. Essay Exchange Forum 6. Post essays to the forum to get feedback from the community. When I have time, I give feedback on the essays posted there. Active community members also give feedback. Feedback and Texts 7. Review your feedback and links and recover the texts you checked in the past. When logged-in members check their writing for errors, the system keeps a copy of their text and their feedback from the grammar checker. Error Correction Games 8. Play a correction game with errors from your own essays. The ultimate review activity! When you check your text, the system isolates and saves sentences with errors to your profile. Then, you can practice correcting your sentences at random. In fact, there is a second error correction game you can play with over 1000 random sentences I have collected. Word Counter 9. Count your words. It is not complicated. The system counts your words, sentences and paragraphs. You can get encouraging messages from Voot, our friendly little robot, too. Just turn up your volume and click on him. Grammar Check 10. Check your grammar. I keep adding rules to detect common errors that I find in my students writing and in forum posts. People seem to like what it can do. Check out these grammar checker testimonials. Check Sentence 11. Check your sentence length, variability, and the strength of your claims. Varying sentence length makes writing seem more dynamic. Punctuation Checker 12. Check only your punctuation. Sometimes, you just want to know if your commas are in the right place, if you have avoided run-on sentences, and if you have a comma splice that needs fixing, right? Use the punctuation checker for that. Essay Checker 13. Essays need to be checked carefully for a range of potential essay writing problems. There is a lot to learn about good essay writing. Here is some step-by-step essay writing advice if your are interested. In the meantime, the system will check your essay for the following: · Sophistication Vocabulary profileAcademic vocabulary profileLexical density · Writing skill CohesionSentence length and varianceEmotional engagementArgument strength · Tone check Cliché checkConversational vocabulary checkExclamation check · Grammar check Grammar, spelling and punctuation checkError analysis · Length Paragraph count250-word minimum350-word minimum450-word minimum700-word minimum · Task success IELTS Academic Writing Task-2 Rubric TOEFL Independent Writing Rubric 14. Check your writing for the following: · Vocabulary profile · Cohesion · Sentence length and variability · Grammatical errors Essay Scoring Rubrics 15. Use rubrics to score and a voice recorder to score and comment on a student’s or a peer’s essay. The system allows you to coach instead of just correct. Vocabulary Checker 16. Check the sophistication of your general vocabulary and academic vocabulary. Paraphrase Checker 17. Avoid plagiarism by checking your paraphrase against the original. The system scores your paraphrase and lets you know if you need to paraphrase some more. Target Structure Checker 18. Check a text to see if it contains a list of target structures. Three settings allow for case-sensitive, case-insensitive, and lemmatized target structure checks (which means any conjugated or derivations of base forms). Cohesion Check 19. Check your text for cohesion words: coordinators, subordinators, and transition words. Checking for these words will help to determine how cohesive the text is. Transition words are organized into functional categories. Bar graphs show which transitions you are using the most and which you have neglected to use. Dictionary 20. Look up words in the Cambridge dictionary. Samples 21. Test the system with a sample of a first-person text. 22. Test the system with a sample academic opinion essay text. Spell Checker 23. Check your spelling. Speech Recognition 24. Use speech recognition instead of typing. Text to Speech 25. Hear the text-to-speech pronunciation of your text. This useful when preparing for orals, especially when your oral has words with silent letters in them. There is no reason for students to mispronounce a word again. Text-to-Speech MP3 Download 26. Download an MP3 of the text-to-speech pronunciation of your text. Use it to rehearse for an oral. Download the DOC file 27. Download your text as an MS Word document. Please follow and like us:

Beijing International Education Exchange

Beijing International Education Exchange Beijing International Education Exchange Beijing International Education Exchange Center (BIEE) is a not-for-profit and direct subsidiary of Beijing Municipal Education Commission (BMEC). BIEE is committed to the internationalization of education in Beijing. Its mission is to serve educational institutions in Beijing with professionalism and efficiency. BIEE is an important platform for international education in Beijing. In accordance with the overall plan of education reform in Beijing, to meet the needs of the changing College Entrance Examination and to improve English education in basic education, BIEE plans to hire 50 full-time foreign English teachers to work in Primary and Middle Schools across the Beijing area. In 2017, BIEE provides vacancies in 50 public primary and secondary schools located in 7 districts in Beijing. The schools’ locations vary from urban to suburban areas. Upon applying candidates will be asked to name their top choices of school in order of preference. To learn more about the schools, click here. You can find frequently asked questions here. See our document checklist for more information.

Yang Guang Qing International High School of Beijing

Yang Guang Qing International High School of Beijing Yang Guang Qing International High School of Beijing Yang Guang Qing International School of Beijing is a private boarding school, accredited by the Ministry of Education in Manitoba, Canada and in partnership with the Great Lakes College of Toronto to run and offer two curricular tracks and diplomas. YGQ is a dynamic school that focuses on wellness, student led seminars and project based learning. Our school is located in Yizhuang a suburb of Beijing. Mission Statement YGQ inspires passionate life-long learners and global citizens. YGQ Core Values ?Discover and embrace your inner passion. ?Collaboration to push boundaries and reach beyond your true potential. ? Empowering students to realize their dreams. ?Your contributions impact the world around you. ?Empathetic learners who recognize and honor each others feelings. ?We respect ourselves, each other and our environment. ?Nurturing the whole person. Vision YGQ will empower students to navigate their own educational journey. View our Brochure