Mirror Formula

Mirror Formula Mirror Formula (Concave Mirror) Mirrors are a part of our life! It is quite natural for all of us to look at ourselves when we pass across a mirror. As common as it is to find a mirror or to look at our image, the science behind the mirror is actually fascinating. The mirrors which we use in our daily life are the flat or the plane mirrors (they are not curved), and any object in front of it appears exactly the same size in the mirror. The distance of the objects image is also formed exactly at the same distance behind the mirror as the distance the object is in front of the mirror. This phenomenon is explained by the laws of reflection. Laws of reflection applies to both flat mirrors and curved mirrors. The reflection of an object in a curved mirror forms an image which is not necessarily located at the same distance as the objects distance. Also, the image size is not necessarily the same as the objects size. However, these details can be estimated by using the Mirror Formula. In order to understand the mirror formula, let us first take a look at how an image is formed in a concave mirror. Curved Mirrors: The basic curved mirrors can be considered as a part of the spherical mirrors. It appears as though a spherical mirror has been sliced thus forming the two basic types of curved mirrors. When the inner curved surface is silvered to form a reflecting surface then it is the concave mirror, and when the outer surface of the curve is silvered to form a reflecting surface, then it is the convex mirror. The two basic types of curved mirrors are: i. Concave Mirror: A mirror that is curved inward and has a center that goes inward. ii. Convex Mirror: A mirror that is curved outward, and has a center that comes outward. What is a Concave Mirror? A Concave mirror is a mirror that is curved inward, and hence has the center that goes inward. A simple way to remember this is by taking the word cave from concave, and think that concave mirrors cave inward, just like you are looking inside a cave! For a concave mirror, the inner surface of the curve is silvered so that it forms the reflecting surface. In order to understand reflection upon a concave mirror, there are important terms to be understood. Center of Curvature: Considering that a concave mirror is actually a part of a sphere, the point which is the center of this sphere is known as the Center of Curvature C. Principal Axis: The line connecting the center of the sphere and the center of the mirror is the known as the Principal Axis. Vertex (or Pole): The point where the Principal Axis meets the mirror (the reflecting surface) is known as the Vertex or the Pole of the mirror. The vertex can also be defined as the center of the mirror taken geometrically. In the figure on the right, it is represented by the letter P. Radius of curvature: The distance from the center of curvature to the vertex is known as the radius of curvature, R. Focal point: The midpoint between the center of curvature and the vertex is known as the Focal point F. Focal distance (or focal length): The distance from the mirror to the focal point is known as the Focal distance, f. The Law of Reflection: Our eyes make it possible to see everything around us. But then why in dark, any object even in front of our eyes is not visible? This is because of the absence of light. When light falls on an object, it is reflected back and this reflected light rays reach our eyes and hence make the object visible to us. The Law of Reflection explains this behavior of light, and this law can be applied to both plane mirrors and curved mirrors. The ray of light that approaches a mirror is known as the Incident ray. The point at which the light ray strikes the mirror is known as the Point of Incidence. The ray of light that returns back from the mirror is known as the Reflected ray. At the point of incidence, the line drawn perpendicular to the surface of the mirror is known as the Normal line. The angle formed in between the incident ray and the reflected ray is divided by this normal line, and therefore 2 angles are formed. The angle formed in between the incident ray and the normal is known as the Angle of Incidence, and the angle formed in between the normal and the reflected ray is known as the Angle of Reflection. The Law of Reflection states that when a light ray reflects off a surface (flat or curved), then the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection Reflection in a Concave Mirror: The law of reflection of light is applied to both flat mirrors and curved mirrors. The reflection law helps us to determine the location of the image for a particular object. This image location is observed as the point where all the reflected light rays appear to be diverging. It is not an easy task to use the law of reflection in a curved mirror and estimate the image location. In order to do this, the normal line which is the line drawn at the point of incidence perpendicular to the curved surface must be drawn and then the law of reflection must be applied to determine the image location. The 2 rules which help us find the image location in a concave mirror are: i. If any incident ray travels parallel to the principal axis, then after reflection on the concave mirror its reflected ray will pass through the focal point. ii. If any incident ray passes through the focal point, then after reflection on the concave mirror its reflected ray will travel parallel to the principal axis. Characteristics of Image formed in Concave Mirrors: In order to determine the size of the image, orientation, location and the type of image formed by the reflection of the object in the concave mirrors, ray diagrams were constructed. Using the ray diagrams, the characteristics of the image for a certain object location can be described. Some of the important characteristics that are commonly analyzed from ray diagrams are: Location of the image relative to the objects location. Orientation of the image whether the image is upright or is inverted. Size of the image relative to the objects size whether it is reduced, magnified or is the same size as the object. Type of image formed whether the image is a real image or is a virtual image. There are 5 general locations where the object is placed, and with respect to these locations the characteristics of the image are observed. Location 1: The object is placed beyond the Center of Curvature If the object is placed beyond the center of curvature C, then the image will be formed at a location in between the center of curvature and the focal point. The orientation of the image is inverted, and therefore in this case an inverted image is formed. The size of the image is reduced, which implies that the image formed is smaller in dimensions than the objects dimensions. The type of image formed in this case is a real image. This is because the light rays converge at the image location due to which a real image is formed. To observe this practically, a sheet of paper can be placed at the location of the image and it will be observed that the replica of the object (reduced in size) would appear on the paper. Location 2: The object is placed at the center of curvature If the object is located at the center of curvature C, then the image is also formed at the center of curvature. The orientation of the image is inverted, and therefore in this case an inverted image is formed. The size of the image is exactly the same as the size of the object. Therefore the object and image have same dimensions. The image formed in this case is a real image as the light rays converge at the location of the image. This implies that the formed image can be practically observed on the sheet of paper when the paper is placed at the image location. Location 3: The object is located in between the center of curvature and the focal point If the object is located in anywhere between the center of curvature C and the focal point F, then the image is formed beyond the center of curvature. The orientation of the image is inverted and therefore in this case an inverted image is formed. The size of the image is magnified in this case. This implies that the formed image will have dimensions greater than the objects dimensions. The image formed in this case is a real image. This is because the rays of light converge at the location of the image and therefore the image can be practically observed on a sheet of paper when the paper is placed at the image location. Location 4: The object is placed at the focal point If the object is located at the focal point, then there is no image formed. This is because the rays of light from the focal point (which also happen to be the objects location) will reflect upon the mirror and will neither converge nor diverge. After reflection, these reflected rays travel parallel to each other and therefore no image is formed. Location 5: The object is placed in front of the focal point If the object is placed anywhere in front of the focal point, then the image will be always formed on the opposite side of the concave mirror. The orientation of the image is upright, which implies that the image is not inverted and is upright just like the object. The size of the image formed in this case is magnified. This implies that the dimensions of the image are greater than the dimensions of the object. The type of image formed in this case is a virtual image. This is because the rays of light after reflection upon the concave mirror diverge. In order to get the point of intersection of these diverging rays, the reflected rays are extended backwards and this takes us behind the mirror. This point of intersection of the reflected rays is the image location and since it is formed behind the mirror, hence it is a virtual image. In this case there will be no image formed on the sheet of paper as light does not actually pass through the location of the image. Mirror Formula: Ray diagrams are extremely helpful in trying to understand and to determine the location of the image, its orientation, size, and the type of image formed. However, the ray diagrams do not give us the numerical details such as how far the image is located from the object etc. In order to find the numerical details we use the Mirror Formula. Mirror Formula: 1/f = 1/do + 1/di Here f = focal length do = object distance di = image distance Sign Convention: f = positive, if the mirror is a concave mirror (it is negative if it is a convex mirror). di = positive, if it is a real image located on the same side as the object. di = negative, if it is a virtual image and is located behind the mirror. Magnification formula: The ratio of the height of the image and the height of the object is equal to the ratio of the image distance and the object distance. This equation is known as the Magnification equation. Magnification, M = hi/ ho = - di/do Here, hi = image height ho = object height di = image distance do = object distance Sign Convention: hi = positive, if the image is upright (this also implies that the image in the concave mirror is virtual) hi = negative, if the image is inverted (this also implies that the image in the concave mirror is real) Example: A 3.00cm tall lamp is placed at a distance of 26.4cm from the concave mirror. The concave mirror has a focal length of 15.00cm. Determine the image distance and the size of the image. Given information: ho = 3.00cm do = 26.4cm f = 15cm If the focal length of the concave mirror is 15cm, then it implies that the center of curvature which is double the focal length is at 30cm. From the given object distance and focal length, we can observe that the object is actually placed in between the center of curvature and the focal point. Applying the Mirror Formula we have: 1/f = 1/do + 1/di 1/15 = 1/26.4 + 1/di This implies: 1/di = 1/15 1/26.4 Taking the common denominator we get: 1/di = (26.4 15)/ 396 1/di = 11.4/396 So, di = 396/26.4 == di = 34.7cm (approximately) This implies that the image distance is 34.7cm Now, to find the image size we use the Magnification equation Magnification, M = hi/ ho = - di/do This implies: hi/ 3.00 = - 34.7/ 26.4 hi = - 3.94cm (approximately) Therefore the size of the image is - 3.94cm (negative value implies that the image is inverted). Magnification, M = hi/ ho Hence, M = 3.94/ 3 = 1.31 (nearly) Now, from the calculated image distance, di we can observe that the location of the image is far beyond the center of curvature and this fits in perfectly well with our above mentioned Location 3 - the object located in between the center of curvature and the focal point. Also, we can observe that the image formed is magnified and since it is inverted it is also a real image!

5 Tactics to Reduce Anxiety at Work - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Tactics to Reduce Anxiety at Work - Introvert Whisperer 5 Tactics to Reduce Anxiety at Work Feeling anxious at work can bog you down and decrease your productivity. You can spend hours dealing with symptoms of stress, which push back your deadlines, allowing additional work to pile up around you. It is a vicious cycle that many people on the workforce face on a daily basis. What can you do to relieve your anxiety at work? To relieve stress at work, take brisk walks around the office on your break. Limit your caffeine, increase your water intake, and improve your diet. Keep the temperatures cool to increase productivity and reach out for help in meeting your deadlines.   Exercise to Improve Your Mood One of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety at work is through exercise. Studies have proven that bodies in motion reduce stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline and stimulates endorphins, your body’s natural mood elevators. According to the Mayo clinic, even half an hour of activity 3-5 days per week can make a lasting change to your mood. Take brisk walks on your breaks to clear your head so that you can return to your task with a renewed focus. Even a short walk can improve your mood for several hours. Add moderate exercise to your routine for long-term effects that will not only relieve your anxiety over time but help you gain confidence for success. Be Upfront and Honest About Your Work Deadlines Many who suffer from anxiety aim to please at all costs. They will often agree to tasks and deadlines even if there is little chance of them being completed. The stress from the new work can make things worse, especially if you know you’ll have to apologize when it’s late. If someone asks you for help and gives you a deadline, be upfront with them. Explain what it will take for you to finish the project and negotiate a better timeline. While the deadline might not change, you may be given extra help on a task in order to complete it. Limit Your Caffeine While caffeine can increase your energy levels, letting you stay focused for longer, too much can mimic the symptoms of stress. If you suffer from anxiety, experiencing shaky hands or an upset stomach from your daily coffee may trigger everything that makes you worry. While you don’t have to cut caffeine out completely, understanding your body’s reaction to it and moderating it to healthy levels can help substantially. Waiting an hour before your first cup and reducing your intake to 3-4 cups per day will teach your body to run on its own energy, reducing your cortisol levels. Try to replace the extra coffee with water, which can reduce your stress as your body hydrates. Maintaining a healthy diet will also improve your mood over time. Keep Cool When Working Hard If your job requires a lot of manual labor, Quality Air recommends using ducted air conditioning or fans to help keep areas cool. A study conducted by the University of Chicago has shown that when temperatures rise above 80 ° Fahrenheit (27 ° Celsius), productivity in the workplace goes down by 4% per degree. Many people experience more anxiety when they are hot and uncomfortable. Consider approaching your manager or HR department to see if they can implement areas to cool your workplace to both relieve stress and improve productivity. Explore Mental Health Resources Though it can feel vulnerable to open up and share that you’re experiencing stress at work, the symptoms are more common than you think. Many managers and supervisors have dealt with anxiety either in themselves or with another worker. Be open and honest with them and let them know what you need to decrease your stress. Often, even small adjustments can make a big difference. Many companies offer mental health resources to employees who suffer from an anxiety disorder. They have direct numbers with counselors you can call or set up an appointment with a professional in your community. These are often available free of charge to help you through your stress. Talking face to face with a professional therapist can relieve a lot of worries. While it might not take away your stressors, you’ll learn new methods of handling your anxiety for the future. About the Author: This article is written by Luci Aldrin, a part time blogger and full-time mother to an energetic toddler. She currently Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!   Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Representing ratios

Representing ratios Ratio is the quantitative comparison between quantitates or numbers. Ratio is a very commonly used operation in mathematics. Ratio helps in solving questions related to comparisons, proportions and many more. The symbol of ratio is :. For example, a / b can be written as a : b. Here a / b is fraction form and a:b is the ratio form. The simplification of ratio is writing the given ratio in the most simplified from possible. Example 1: Are the ratios equivalent? 6 children want cookies and 9 children want cupcake. 8 children want cookies and 4 children want cupcake. Solution: Here for the given question the ratio is between the numbers of children preferring cookies and cupcakes. The first ratio given is Number of children preferring cookies: cupcake = 6: 9 Simplifying the ratio (as 6 and 9 have 3 as the common factor) gives 2: 3. The second ratio given is Number of children preferring cookies: cupcake = 8: 4 Simplifying the ratio (as 8 and 4 have 4 as the common factor) gives 2: 1. Therefor the two ratios are not equivalent. Question: Multiple choice question (Pick the correct option.) What is equivalent ration to 3: 9? a) 1: 3 b) 2: 3 c) 1:3 d) None of these. Correct answer: option a. Explanation: Here the given ratio is 3: 9. It can be further simplified as 3 and 9 have a common factor 3. Therefore dividing 3 and 9 by 3 gives 3: 9 = 1: 3. Hence the ratio 3: 9 :: 1:3.

What is it Like to Attend Haverford College

What is it Like to Attend Haverford College The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Celine graduated from Haverford College in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in History. She is currently a tutor in Washington D.C. specializing in SAT prep tutoring, Reading tutoring, French tutoring, and more. See what she had to say about 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? Celine: Haverford College is located about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia in the residential area of the Main Line. It is surrounded by several colleges, including Villanova University, Rosemont College, and Bryn Mawr College. While the area is residential, there are coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores and a shopping mall within walking distance. One can also walk to the regional train station or to the trolley to go into Philadelphia. The various options of public transportation allow those students who do not have a car or bike to be able to leave campus and get what and where they need. Car sharing programs are also available on campus. Safety at Haverford and outside the campus is not a concern. As a student at Haverford, I always felt very safe and felt comfortable walking around campus at night alone. Nevertheless, Haverford has a strong campus security system and students can call for an escort to be accompanied when going to another location on campus at night. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Celine: Professors, academic advisers and teaching assistants are all extremely available. In addition to having office hours, they will work with students to meet at a mutually convenient time. A large portion of the faculty and administration lives on or near campus, which facilitates their availability to meet with students. Some professors will even make their home phone numbers available to students. If the class is small enough, professors may even elect to have the class in their house. At Haverford, teaching assistants are only assistants. They neither teach courses nor grade exams. They serve as tutors and sometimes will help professors grade homework. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Celine: One of the great things about Haverford is that 98% of students live on campus all four years. This fact makes socialization very easy as you can meet with friends on campus right before class or on the weekend to watch a movie or to go into Philadelphia. However, you dont have to go off campus to have fun on the weekends. Since the school has over 145 clubs, there is always something to do on campus. Students have the option of living in a dorm or in an on-campus apartment. Freshmen live with their Customs group and Customs people, upperclassmen who serve as mentors to the freshmen and support them as they transition into college life. Freshmen and all students who live on campus (except those who live in the apartments) must be on the meal plan, which provides access to dining services at both Haverford College and Bryn Mawr College. Unlike most universities, neither Haverford nor Bryn Mawr outsources its dining services to outside organizations. All meals are prepared at the respective college. The Bi-College Dining Services goes to great lengths to accommodate students with special dietary needs or allergies. Other food options at Haverford include: Lunt Caf (open in the evening), the Coop Baristas Nook (open all day) and the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship (CPCG) Caf (open in the afternoon). 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? Celine: As a small liberal arts college, Haverford is very unique in that its students do not have to major at Haverford. They can also major in any program offered by Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore College and take courses at the University of Pennsylvania. This arrangement allows Haverford to offer a wide selection of majors and programs of study while maintaining its small size. At Haverford, students can major in various subjects in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Some students also decide to design their own major if their area of study is not available at Haverford, Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore. During their senior year, all Haverford students, including those who major in the sciences and mathematics, write a thesis. After considering various majors, I ultimately decided to study History at Haverford because I am interested in public policy and the study of the past is necessary for evaluating current situations and how to best improve them. With support from both the Political Science and History departments, I then wrote my thesis on how former President Bachelets election had the possibility of closing historical divides in Chile. 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? Celine: While Haverford is a very friendly campus, it is easier to meet people and make friends when one joins a club. While I had made acquaintances in my classes, I ultimately joined the Crew team to explore a sport I had always wanted to try and to meet more people. Through the crew team, I not only achieved my goal, but I also was able to meet other people, some of whom I am still friends with today. There is no Greek life at Haverford. Haverford is also unique in that it has one of the oldest honor codes in the country. The Honor Code, which guides academic and social life, is based on the principles of trust, respect and concern for each other. These principles are illustrated in several ways. For example, at an academic level, professors expect that students will not cheat and will respect themselves to provide an honest portrayal of what they learned in class. As a result, students take un-proctored exams, have closed book exams, and self-schedule their end-of-course exams. Furthermore, the Code encourages an environment were cutthroat competition is not the norm. At a social level, the Honor Code supports an environment where all students feel comfortable to express their opinions in a respectful manner and will not be judged for having a particular opinion. If a student observes an incident (either social or academic) where the Code is not being followed, that student is expected to confront their peers. Anoth er unique piece of the Code is that students write it. Each year, during Plenary, students discuss and revise the Code and vote on it. Based on the Quaker tradition of consensus, this vote is not a simple majority 2/3 of the student body must vote to ratify the Code. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Celine: Haverford has several student support services that are very supportive and work with students to meet their needs. In addition to the Career Center, students can receive support from the Deans Office, the Womens Center, and Counselling and Psychological Services, amongst other offices. The Career Center makes an effort to connect students with alumni who have a career that students are interested in. In addition to having opportunities for on and off campus recruiting, the Career Center hosts an externship program twice a year. In this program, alumni host students for a period of one or two weeks in their current position. The externship gives students an opportunity to see what the real world looks like in their area of interest. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Celine: Students tend to study in one of two libraries: Magill library and the White Science library. While both libraries are open to all students, easily available, and spacious, they provide opposing studying environments. Magill is very quiet while the Science Library is more social. Magills architecture is gothic while the Science Librarys is modern. If a student wants a guaranteed sport for quiet study, he/she can reserve a carrel at Magill. Students also study in the Whitehead Campus Center, Lunt Caf, and dorm lounges. In addition to Magill and the Science Library, Haverford has the Astronomy Library, the Union Music Library, the C.C. Morris Cricket Library, and the word-renowned Quaker and Special Collections, which is open to students and researchers alike. All of Haverfords libraries are part of a larger Tri-College library system shared with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges, and Haverford students have full borrowing privileges in all three campuses. 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? Celine: Haverford College is surrounded by the towns of Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Ardmore. Suburban Square, the United States first shopping mall, is located a short walk from campus in Ardmore, and offers various dining options, a Trader Joes, an Apple Store and other retail stores. Additional restaurants, coffee shops, grocery and retail stores, and a movie theater are a short distance from campus. King of Prussia, one of the largest malls on the East Coast, is also 20 minutes away. Students can also take the trolley and regional rail, both run by SEPTA, to go into Philadelphia. In addition, students can use their own mode of transportation or use PhillyCarShare to get off campus. Students tend to try to get off campus at least once a week. However, where they go and what they do usually depends on the amount of work the student has! VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Celine: Haverford has about 1,200 students on campus. The largest classes tend to be the introductory classes and have a maximum of 80 students. As a freshman, my largest class, Calculus I, was about 75 people. Despite the large class size, I had an opportunity to develop a relationship with the professor by attending his office hours and group study sessions. Not all my freshman classes were so big. I also took courses my first year that had about 10-15 students. My smallest class at Haverford was made up of five students. I was generally pleased with the typical class sizes since professors of even the larger classes made an effort to get to know their students personally. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Celine: As a sophomore, I took an introductory history class of about 65 people. I met with the professor to discuss his comments from the essay he had just returned. In grading the next essay assignment, the professor commented on how I improved in the areas we discussed and referenced my last essay. I was both touched and taken aback by the fact that after grading 130 essays, the professor could remember my weaknesses on the first essay and how I had improved on them in the second one. Check out Celines tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Yale University A Student Interview

Yale University A Student Interview The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Aisha specializes in ACT tutoring, SAT tutoring, and GRE tutoring. She is a 2013 graduate of Yale University where she earned her Bachelors degree in English. Check out what she had to say about her time at Yale University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options at Yale University. Aisha: Yales campus is a pretty small community with the majority of classes taking place within the radius of the residential colleges. The transportation is pretty thorough, but many students also prefer to travel by bike. The Yale shuttle system provides free transportation to Yale students at predetermined locations around campus. Between walking and taking the shuttle, most students have a pretty easy time getting around. The times that having a car might be helpful are those when you might be taking a large shopping trip (Ikea or groceries) or attending an off-campus event. Luckily, there are regular shuttles out to the athletic fields for games and tailgates and to my knowledge, Yale still provides individual rides for those students riding outside of the route or times of the basic shuttle. For students who wish to be more mobile, Yales campus has Zipcar, a ride-sharing program that allows users to rent a car by the hour. Additionally, a decent number of students do own bikes with convenient bike racks located across campus. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Aisha: One of my greatest regrets about my time at Yale was that I didnt make better use of the professors/TAs with whom I had contact. Some of the more tenured professors didnt particularly like to meet with undergrads, but it is required that all professors teaching an undergraduate class hold office hours weekly. By and large however, I found most professors to be very flexible and willing to meet to discuss class material, assignments, or their general knowledge about the field. TAs were by and large the same, also holding office hours each week. I think that the biggest barrier to availability at Yale was the intimidation factor. I often felt like I wanted to further discuss a concept or idea, but had a hard time approaching professors to articulate those thoughts. Once I broke through that barrier, however, I found that I got a lot of support and engagement from all staff I encountered. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Aisha: Yales Residential Colleges are meant to be like mini-communities within the larger Yale College family. As freshmen, most students live on Old Campus, a space entirely comprised of freshman dorms. On Old Campus, the opportunities for socialization are plenty as students meet up in rooms and common rooms for movie nights, study nights, parties, and other gatherings. Additionally, all students are assigned a Freshman Counselor (FroCo for short) who is responsible for welcoming a group of students within their college. This FroCo lives in the freshman dorms (in a suite with other FroCos) and is there to help resolve roommate conflicts, assist with lockouts, and generally help freshmen get acclimated to freshman year at Yale. FroCos also hold various social events meant to bond their cohort and sometimes the entire freshman class within that college. Once a sophomore, students move into their residential colleges where they will spend the rest of their tenure at Yale (assuming tha t they dont move off campus). In each college, students may find a dining hall, a library, multiple common rooms, and student rooms. A lot of organizations meet in these spaces and students share opportunities to congregate with others. Most colleges hold study breaks where off-campus food is brought in and shared for free as students come down to chat and take a break. Additionally, residential colleges hold many dances and other events that allow students the opportunity for dorm-related engagement. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported at Yale University? Aisha: If I had to name the most common programs at Yale, I would say that the economics and political science programs are some of the largest. Additionally, I would say that the sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) are pretty well represented, with a large number of students choosing those majors as well. I chose to study English at Yale and took a lot of classes in Religious Studies. I actually arrived at Yale ready to take the pre-med track and began with taking sciences. After a few terms, however, I started to realize that my high school education hadnt prepared me for the vigor of the program. I believe that I could have completed it, but it would have taken 100% of my energy and focus. While figuring this out, I took some great English courses that really invigorated me and I loved the types of conversations we were having about literature. I ultimately decided to declare that as my major, as it was truly where my passion was, and I havent looked back since. There are a pre tty large number of English majors at Yale so I would definitely say we were pretty well supported. I got a lot of one-on-one support from my chosen advisor for my senior thesis and the department was great about answering questions and clearly communicating requirements. 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? Aisha: Yales Residential College system is a great way for freshmen to make friends. In addition to those in the suite youre assigned to, there are plenty of activities planned within the college aimed at bonding freshmen together. Additionally, if a student joins any clubs (there are activity fairs at Bulldog days and recruiting early first semester), they will absolutely make friends from various colleges of various ages. I will say that the ease with which one makes friends freshman year really depends on the person. Outgoing people who are willing to try anything and are always interested in going out will likely make friends more quickly. But those who are more reserved will also find others with common interests, the length of time it takes being determined by how out there you put yourself. I would say that Greek life plays a sizeable role in Yales social scene, but it is by no means the monopoly of social interaction on campus. I personally was part of Greek life at Yale, and it definitely helped me to make female friends a lot quicker. I definitely had historically struggled with bonding with other girls, so the recruitment process and the subsequent years in my sorority definitely defined a lot of my experience. There is a pretty solid contingent of students participating in Greek life, with many sports teams aligned to certain fraternities. What Ive heard from my friends who didnt participate in Greek life is that they almost never noticed it. While it was the center of my social life, my suitemate who seldom attended Greek events had a really robust social life based on activities, independent friendships, and other organizations she had joined. I would say that Greek life definitely has a presence and will introduce you to a lot of the campuss athletes and movers and shakers, but what you get from it really depends on who you are as an individual. How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services? Aisha: Many very large companies, primarily finance and consulting companies, recruited on Yales campus pretty frequently. For those seeking internships as undergraduates and hoping to secure employment before graduation, this process is pretty effective and provides structure for an otherwise chaotic time in the lives of undergraduates. As far as our Career Center goes, I felt it was a mixed bag. Someone from the Career Center came out to talk to my sorority about resumes, which was really helpful, but I often found some of their information sessions and resources to be a bit superficial (wasnt telling me the real nitty-gritty of what I needed to know to succeed in any given industry). When I graduated, I was pursuing a career in public relations and unfortunately didnt find the career resources at Yale very helpful. I will say that the alumni database proved to be helpful as it enabled me to make connections with former Yalies already working in the field. It took a lot of independ ent research and networking, but I was able to secure some internships and finally a job post-graduation. Unfortunately, there were many things that I didnt know about PR at the time and I found Yales lack of Communications program to be a large barrier to understanding the reality of what I was entering into. I think that was where Yale could have done better to improve career prospects for humanities majors. Better resources to help students discover new careers and understand the reality of their careers of interest would definitely be a helpful improvement. How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Aisha: There were two main libraries at Yale, Sterling Memorial (known as the stacks) and Bass Library. Bass was by far the more crowded of the two, as it had several group and individual study rooms. They also had a caf that enabled students to stay longer and get some real work done. The stacks were definitely quieter, with sixteen floors of bookshelves and various cozy nooks and crannies on each floor. As for the dorm lounges, I would say that varied by residential college, but they all had several common rooms (some had movie-screening rooms, others a dance studio, etc.) in addition to the common spaces within each suite. Describe the surrounding town at Yale University. Aisha: New Haven is definitely an interesting little metropolis outside of Yales campus. Many stores are located centrally on campus (bookstore, restaurants, shopping, etc.), and within driving distance there are various bigger stores like Walmart and Ikea. As far as the social scene of the town goes, there are various haunts that students frequent, the most popular being Toads Place and Box 63. There are several clubs that Yalies attend (primarily for private Yale events) and far more bars and restaurants to meet depending on the night of the week. Students seldom ever leave the walkable campus for a social life, as its pretty robust and insular amongst Yalies. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Aisha: Yale has a total of about 5,500 students, and I believe that you often feel the smallness of that number. Once you find a niche within Yale, you get to know pretty much everyone within your peripheral circle of social interaction, including those people you know from your academic department, extracurriculars, and athletics. The class sizes really vary by subject and popularity. Chemistry lectures had close to 100 people and so did some of the bigger, more popular humanities classes, but the size barrier was remedied with discussion section, which broke the class up into smaller groups. Overall, I found class sizes to be pretty reasonable. The popularity of the class often mandates size restrictions, so my advice would be to apply early for anything highly rated! Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most. Aisha: One of my favorite classes at Yale was Milton, taught by Professor John Rogers. He is a captivating speaker, an excellent Milton scholar, and an engaging and approachable professor. I think my most memorable experience was the time we spent reading and dissecting Paradise Lost. My high school education didnt include too many of the classics pre-1800s, so I was blown away by the level of analysis, reflection, and discussion surrounding one work of literature. I found myself voracious for learning, reading 100% of the assignments each week, taking extensive notes with highlighted questions, and always having something to ask or say in discussion. It was truly one of my favorite experiences at Yale because it was the class that made English click for me as a major. I finally felt at home. Check out Aishas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How Technology Can Support Childrens Education

How Technology Can Support Children’s Education Todays students are digital natives who have never known a life without computers and the internet. As we all know, technology (in the form of cell phones and social media) shares blame for distracted students and many other problems. But technology also has all kinds of advantages for teachers as well as parents and students. Here are several ways technology can enhance your childs education: Your child can dig deeper into any topic. Theres no denying that one of the greatest benefits of living in the digital age is that students can fairly easily track down information on anything. Library resources are available online and anecdotal research is at students fingertips. If your child wants to know what a village in Peru looks like, all he or she has to do is look up images online. When your child isnt certain how to complete that algebra problem (and neither are you), a quick internet search will likely point him or her to a website or video that can help. Theres an app for everything. If your tech-savvy child doesnt embrace the paper planner, there are lots of other digital tools that might be of interestfrom to-do list apps (e.g. Remember the Milk or Todoist) to full-blown homework/planner apps (e.g. iStudiez Pro). For the child who needs something to keep lots of ideas, notes and brainstorming in one place, tools like Evernote are worth a look. Bottom line: technology has opened the floodgates for creative people to invent useful digital tools. Digital learning means high engagement. Educators often argue that one of the best things about the infusion of technology into education is the greater variety of learning experiences. Passive learning wherein students listen while teachers lecture is a thing of the past, and difficult topics can now be taught more easily using rich media. There are lots of interactive games and tools to help your child practice concepts taught in class. Your childs education is certain to be richer because of them. Your child can stay on top of school work more easily. Many school districts use learning management systems where teachers share homework and updates and students can access their attendance records as well as grades on assignments, tests, projects and quizzes. These systems foster collaboration and help students stay connected and improve their performance. Lastly, a few words of caution regarding technology use. While the internet is the curious childs best friend and has dramatically expanded opportunities for independent student research, it can be a big distraction. Use good judgment when establishing family rules for technology time and usage limits. Its also important to encourage your child to talk with teachers about high-quality, reliable resources when researching online and make sure you reinforce school rules regarding ethical internet usage. Technology has changed every industry, including education. If youre ever unsure how your child can get the most out of technological tools, reach out to his or her teachers for guidance. They can advise you on the best ways for your child to use technology to make new discoveries and boost his or her education. About Huntington Huntington 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 succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2018 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

Podcasts for Students Series Introduction

Podcasts for Students Series Introduction Improving Academic Performance In this series of blog posts, we’ll explore how podcasts can help students improve their academic performance and prepare for successful careers. We all know effectively managing your time is a key component of performing well at work and in school, and podcasts are an excellent way to learn new things while you are exercising, walking to class, or on the bus. Podcasts obviously cover a wide range of topics. Apple’s “categories” of podcasts include: arts, business, comedy, education, games, government, health, kids and family, music, news and politics, religion, science and medicine, society and culture, sports, technology, and TV/film. If you’re a student trying to identify ways to perform better in high school, college, or graduate school, you’ll probably find most relevant podcasts in education, or maybe health or even business. Here are a few different “types” of podcasts I’ve identified that could be particularly useful to students. Podcasts about productivity, health, and wellness provide foundational ideas for performing at a high level. These types of podcasts might provide you with ideas about time management, note-taking, having more energy through better nutrition, the benefits of mindfulness, setting goals, etc. A good example of to this category for me would be The Getting Things Done Podcast by David Allen. I read David Allen’s book by the same name, Getting Things Done, about a decade ago. It explores how to be more productive and less stressed through better note taking, organization, and use of to-do lists. I have been a die-hard believer in the importance of getting tasks out of your head, into a note-book, and onto a to-do list ever since. Allen and a co-author, Mark Wallace, have recently published a book that covers similar ideas and concepts aimed at teenagers (i.e., students) called Getting Things Done for Teens. Podcasts about specific topics can help you reach specific academic goals. You’ll find lots of podcasts about specific issues facing current or future high school, college, or graduate school students. There are podcasts about college admissions strategies and the application process, preparing for standardized tests, and more. With these types of podcasts, you are obviously learning about specific situations in which you may currently or will soon find yourself. An example of this type of podcast would be The College Essay Guy Podcast, described as a practical guide to college admissions. Podcasts about history, politics, economics, science, medicine, etc. can help motivate you and make you more curious and interested in different types of courses. Here, the idea would not necessarily be that you are going to study for your history of Rome final by listening to the History of Rome podcast by Mike Duncan (although you probably could, as it’s a somewhat thorough but also entertaining exploration of the history of Rome). Instead, this category of podcasts might pique your interest or curiosity and give you more context about a topic you are learning about in class. Simply by having more general background knowledge about a topic and having listened to it talked about in an entertaining way instead of a typical academic way, you may find yourself more interested and thus more likely to perform well in the class. For example, Malcom Gladwell is the author of several very popular books (including one, Outliers, that explains success as a function of a person’s environment along with personal motivation, drive, and effort that might be particularly interesting to students. It was in this book that he popularized the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert at something). He has a podcast called Revisionist History that explores a variety of historical events from a different, often very interesting and unexpected angle. After listening to any one of these episodes it’s hard to not be at least a little more interested in the topic covered than you were beforehand. Here’s how to “use” podcasts. Podcasts are much less useful if you don’t act on or even remember what you are listening to. Podcasts about productivity tend to be chock full of useful ideas to try that will help you become more organized and use your time more efficiently. But you must remember those ideas if you plan on testing them out. I recommend taking simple notes during or immediately after each podcast episode. Then, make sure you somehow transfer the ideas onto a to-do list of some sort. The note-taking and to-do list building tool that I use most often is called Evernote, but simple pen and paper or any number of competitors to Evernote can help you capture and organize information. In our next article in this podcasts series, we’ll explore podcasts about productivity in more detail.

italki is migrating our data to a new system! What it means for you

italki is migrating our data to a new system! What it means for you On Monday, January 18th, the italki website will be undergoing  maintenance  approximately 5 hours and 20 minutes (From UTC 00:40 to UTC 06:00). We apologize for the inconvenience, and want you to know that this interruption is necessary to implement several important changes to our data infrastructure. As we make changes to make our site function better and faster (as well as making it prettier and more user-friendly) we are also improving the infrastructure behind the site. After this change, you can look forward to the following enhancements to the site: Our database infrastructure will be improved, meaning faster and more reliable performance from the site. Future maintenance and changes to the database infrastructure will not interrupt your access to the site. Overall, the system will be more resilient,  meaning the site will be significantly less likely to experience interruptions. Our data  will now be housed in two separate places, allowing us to continually improve the performance of the site and service without interrupting your ability to schedule sessions and access your data. This will translate into faster implementation of the changes and improvements to the site, and should make your italki experience faster and easier. We are constantly trying to improve the system, and there are loads of cool new things coming italki that will make your learning easier and more fun (at least from the technical side, as we havent discovered technology to download vocabulary and speaking practice directly into your brain yet). Thank you for bearing with us, and if you have any concerns or questions during this maintenance period, our support staff are standing by to help. Please use this form to create a service request, or write to our support staff directly:  support@italki.com. italki is migrating our data to a new system! What it means for you On Monday, January 18th, the italki website will be undergoing  maintenance  approximately 5 hours and 20 minutes (From UTC 00:40 to UTC 06:00). We apologize for the inconvenience, and want you to know that this interruption is necessary to implement several important changes to our data infrastructure. As we make changes to make our site function better and faster (as well as making it prettier and more user-friendly) we are also improving the infrastructure behind the site. After this change, you can look forward to the following enhancements to the site: Our database infrastructure will be improved, meaning faster and more reliable performance from the site. Future maintenance and changes to the database infrastructure will not interrupt your access to the site. Overall, the system will be more resilient,  meaning the site will be significantly less likely to experience interruptions. Our data  will now be housed in two separate places, allowing us to continually improve the performance of the site and service without interrupting your ability to schedule sessions and access your data. This will translate into faster implementation of the changes and improvements to the site, and should make your italki experience faster and easier. We are constantly trying to improve the system, and there are loads of cool new things coming italki that will make your learning easier and more fun (at least from the technical side, as we havent discovered technology to download vocabulary and speaking practice directly into your brain yet). Thank you for bearing with us, and if you have any concerns or questions during this maintenance period, our support staff are standing by to help. Please use this form to create a service request, or write to our support staff directly:  support@italki.com.