Author Archives: schatzi

The “Perfect” College Essay and Is There Such A Thing?

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Some students have a difficult time starting their college essays. Perhaps, it is a challenge selecting topics or a feeling that their essays must be perfect. The words “perfect essay” are engraved all over the media and Internet. No wonder this task can be intimidating.Once students let go of the idea that their essays must be perfect, ideas flow easier and great stories can be told. Too often, students are inundated with articles about writing the perfect essay, filling out the perfect college application and aspiring to perfect test scores. This, for the most part, is unrealistic and can even hinder creativity. Why is it that colleges such as MIT ask students to discuss a time they failed or Yale asking students how they would like to improve? Perfection is not a requirement and it is from our errors along the way that we grow and learn.

So, dispel the thought of the perfect college essay and begin writing. The goal in college essays is for admission officers to gain insight and learn new information about students that they cannot find elsewhere on the application. Students have unique stories that distinguish them from other applicants. These stories can often times be mundane daily occurrences that don’t demand traveling to other parts of the world. Slice of life stories can be so compelling! Writing about an experience, mentor or accomplishment is valid but students should also include how they were affected by their experiences personally. Including emotional aspects of experiences is a good idea as revealing character traits is something colleges like to see. Admission officers have been known to state that the most difficult thing for them to measure on applications is a student’s character. If a student writes about a person of influence, it is essential that the majority of the essay is about the student who is writing. How does the student emulate admired qualities? Students need to make sure admission officers learn about the individuality the applicant possesses and how they can fit into their campus community.

The college essay should not be an obstacle, but viewed as an opportunity to reveal who you are. Your character and personality should come through in your writing. View this process as an opportunity to be self-reflective. Get over the idea of the perfect college essay. Tell your story in a friendly, conversational, informative manner showing the college why you are a good fit.

Learn to Trade Options More Efficiently

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Are you having troubles in understanding terms and concepts about options trading? Are you trying hard and exerting all efforts that you have but yet your mind cannot absorb anything that you feed in to it about options trading? Are you thinking that your learning resources and materials are not that helpful to you because it does not fit your learning style? If you got yes for all of these, you should continue reading to see how you can learn to trade options.

In education, the highest stage of learning which a learner can reach is known as learning how to learn. In this stage, a learner can effectively learn because he is ready to learn even in his own because he knows his learning strategies which will help him gather knowledge that he needs in matters he is in to. This concept is also adaptable in other fields, even in options trading.

There are many ways to learn options trading. The internet offers wide variety of sources ranging from blogs, group portals, on-line trainings and other sort of things regarding the options trading field. Through this, a trader can choose on what source he will use in order to learn much knowledge as he needs in order to master the trade. But the thing is, does he know how can he learn more effectively?

Based on what theorists and experts in the field of learning suggest, there is a presence of different types of learners, and to simplify those types, they sorted them in to three: Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic. Those who belong to auditory group are those who learn best by listening. Those who are into visual group are those who learn effectively using their sense of sight. And those who are in the kinesthetic group are those who learn through manipulating things.

By knowing this fact, you, as a person who wants to learn to trade options, are also considered learners, and you can determine your classification as a learner. You must reflect on where you learn most. Do you learn best by listening, seeing or doing things? And if you have already answered that question, the next thing is to determine the sources and materials which will best fit your type.

For auditory learners, those sources which are in the form of webinars are effective for you. Upon engaging on those matters, all you need to do is to listen. Webinars is a coined word referring to website seminars, which means as itself, you will have a seminar over the web. There will be a speaker, who is an expert in the options trading field, which will tell you what you must know and surely you will learn from them.

For visual learners, there are a lot of things which are available for you in the form of visual representations and reading materials widely presented in the web. These sources are found in blogs, web discussions and group portals focusing in the options trading field. You can browse them and enjoy the learning experience they can bring to you.

Lastly, for those kinesthetic learners, you must be thinking that your type will experience the hardships in learning this matter, but you will not. Experience, as we all know, is the best teacher. What you should do is to know first the basics and the engage in the trade and the continuing it will be easy for you because as you get into it, your learning experience will continue to prosper.

Learning is for all; no one can stop you as long as you want to learn options. The resources are there, the ways are there, the persons who are ready to help you are there. All you should do is lift a finger and start getting in to it. Start now and continue until you are able to learn to trade options.

Writing, Thinking, and More Writing For Homeschoolers

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One of the primary things that homeschoolers wish they had were good writing tools. There are lots of writing curricula available, but sometimes, good writing skills come just from regular writing! Setting up some regular writing drills does not have to be difficult nor cumbersome, but the key is making it a regular part of the school week.

Writing skills will develop over time, particularly as students gain exposure to ideas and issues that they naturally become more aware of as they grow. But with regular writing and evaluation, homeschool students will develop the ability to “think on their feet,” and be able to coherently develop lines of thought and reason while they are also developing solid mechanics of writing. The more confidence they have in their ability to begin the writing process, the more effectively homeschoolers will write. If they are familiar with writing “speed drills” because they are doing them weekly, then the process of getting started on any writing project becomes far less intimidating and students can increase in skill and talent at the same time.

Assuming that you are using a solid program for teaching foundations in grammar, punctuation and capitalization, begin to incorporate writing into your homeschool daily or weekly routine with fun drills. One such writing exercise that lends itself to a variety of drills is based on the 26 letters of the alphabet. Essentially, students use the letters of the alphabet to compose specific sentences. Time restrictions can be added in order to enhance the analytical thinking skills that will be necessary for standardized writing tests in high school, and timed tests later in college. Drills can even be done in group settings or set up in teams if you work with coop classes in your homeschool program. Once the writing is done, students and parents, or peers, can review the sentences for writing style, grammar corrections, punctuation, etc., thus reinforcing the self-checking and proofing skills that all writers need.

With regular practice, writing becomes far less daunting, and much more effective. It doesn’t take too much time to add this in, but so many homeschoolers struggle over finding the “perfect” writing program rather than just writing! Don’t make this mistake. To increase writing skill – write! Look for supplemental programs and writing templates that make it easier, but work on quick thinking, analytical writing skills too. Even young students will enjoy these and learn much from them!

Making a Good Living As a Professional Coach

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Being a successful professional coach means that you are able to make a comfortable, full-time living from coaching. Most coaches are drawn to the profession because of their sincere desire to help others – and indeed the world needs coaches. After all the time and effort you put into your professional training, don’t forget you need to spend additional time setting yourself up for success by planning and implementing your marketing strategy.

Since many coaches do not have a business or marketing background, getting this type of support and mentoring in your field of specialty is essential in order to become a successful coach practitioner.

Here are Five Steps to Building a Successful Coaching Practice:

STEP 1: Get coaching training

– Select a training program that fits you and delivers on ALL your needs.
– Coaching is a specific methodology and requires specific training, even if you think you already know how.
– Credibility comes from having qualifications.
– Set yourself up for success by doing it “right.”

STEP 2: Choose a specialty and niche

– Your “profession” is your job title, which might be “Professional Coach.” Your “specialty” is your area of focus within your profession, such as “Relationship Coach.” Your “niche” is the specific group of people you help, such as “Relationship Coach for Singles.”
– Choosing a specific niche is much more effective for attracting prospects and convincing them to hire you. Many practitioners struggle, especially coaches, when you resist choosing a niche and try to market to a general, broad audience.
– Be unique, follow your passion, become an expert in your niche.

STEP 3: Design your service delivery system for your niche

– Here is the secret to guaranteed success: Market Research with the people in your niche to learn what they need and want.
– Sell programs, not sessions! Don’t try to market “coaching;” design and market a coaching program tailored to the needs and goals of your niche.
– Provide group services, such as classes, workshops, and group coaching. This is more affordable for your niche and is more profitable for you and leverages your time more effectively.

STEP 4: Apply marketing strategies to develop prospects

– Marketing is simply communicating what you do.
– You can market till the cows come home and not get any clients! The primary outcome of marketing is to develop prospects
– Three primary forms of marketing are:

1. Speaking
2. Writing
3. Networking

STEP 5: Apply enrollment strategies to convert your prospects to clients

– Focus on benefits and results. What will your client “get” and how will their life be different from working with you?
– Build your relationship with your prospective clients by providing and proving your value.
– Do not provide “sample” or “complimentary” sessions. Instead, offer a “[biggest goal or problem] Strategy Session” designed to be enticing to your niche (e.g. “Find the Love of Your Life Strategy Session” for singles).
– Learn and apply strategies for closing, overcoming objections, addressing common questions. Enrollment is a specific skill requiring practice and specific strategies. Once you’ve mastered this skill you will be able to get all the clients you can handle!
– Follow up, Follow up, Follow up. “Your fortune is in the follow up.” This is where most practitioners fall short as most clients will hire you through your follow up efforts, not your initial contact.

Being a Professional Coach is a wonderful way to make a very good living as well as make a positive impact in the world. Building a successful business as a Professional Coach is much easier than you might think if you follow these five steps. If you want to help others and find that your family and friend often come to you to talk about their problems, this growing profession is probably a good fit for you!

Non-Formal Education in the Philippines

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Non-formal Education is one of the means to spread literacy and employable skills to the people and it covers a much larger audience than the formal system. The NFE in Philippines is designed to assist the out-of-school youth and adults who have been deprived of formal education. There may be varying reasons for this.It may include the economic, social and geographical limitations which have hindered the path of literacy and employable skills.

The mission of the NFE program in Philippines is to empower the people with “desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will enable him/her to think critically and creatively, act innovatively and humanely in improving the quality of his/her life and that of his/her family, community and country.”

The main objective of NFE in Philippines is to reduce the number of illiterates in the country and provide them with need-based literacy programmes and also develop basic employable skills.Activities like vocational training, adult reading classes, family planning sessions as well as leadership workshops for community leaders.

This branch of education is looked after by the Bureau of Non-Formal Education which has its history dating back to 1829 when civic educational lectures were introduced in the country.Non-formal education was formally started in 1973 and is now an integral part of the developmental activities.There is a 3-pronged approach in this method which focuses on literacy, continuing education and staff development.

The main thrust of NFE is on the acquisition of skills needed for earning livelihood and to survive the competitiveness in the labor market.The horizons of non-formal education are far wider as compared to the formal system.

NFE reaches out to a greater audience irrespective of demographic characteristics, socio-economic conditions and varied general interests. In a few words, this system reaches out to all those people who might otherwise never get a chance to have any sort of education.

The Non-formal Education Program of Philippines lays thrust on the following aspects:
• Literacy Programs for numeracy and functional literacy of each individual
• Development of Livelihood Skills
• Expansion of Certification and Equivalency Programmes

One of the main aims of NFE is to bring about a decrease in the poverty levels among the communities.To attain this goal, the bureau provides leadership and technical assistance in the implementation of literacy programmes, projects, trainings, workshops etc.This process includes the following features:

Female Functional Literacy & Parent Education: This program majorly involves the mother and provides them with essential skills and competencies to perform better in the fields related to child survival, protection and development.

Literacy Project for Cultural Communities: The target group for this program is that section of the society which is unable to attend the formal education system.This may include the cultural communities in general and also the hill tribes in particular.

Development of Literacy Measures: The Bureau of Non-formal Education in Philippines has developed some literacy parameters through a series of seminars and workshops.At the moment there are seven literacy measures which decide the functional literacy of the target group.This is also accompanied by a Manual of Instructions for using the Measures and its scoring.
Development of Resource Material: It also focuses on the development of the curricula for various levels of literacy and also the resource material needed for the same.This includes booklets, posters and the facilitator’s guide.

Actual Implementation on the Field: This is the most important component of the whole project.Efforts are made to implement the literacy and livelihood development programmes in the actual field with the target group in order to eradicate illiteracy and thereby alleviating poverty.

Thus, the Bureau of Non-formal Education in Philippines works on four major action points – family life skills which also includes health, nutrition, childcare, household management, family planning; vocational skills, functional skills and enhancing livelihood skills.

Writing the Killer Essay for an Exam without Killing Your Roommate

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Many of you are thanking the “test gods” because you just found out that your final exam is a multiple choice with some true and false, but others are down in the dumps because they are having an essay exam. Don’t fret — Professor Cram is here to help you out.

Most people fear the essay exam because they are required to write about things they may not know, but actually the opposite is true. Essays are an opportunity to speak about what you do know. Most essay exams will have several questions to choose from and if you have been attending and participating in class then there ought to be something in the exam questions that you know a little about. Before we start on writing the essay, though, let’s back up a bit and look at how best to prepare for an essay exam.

To properly prepare for a killer essay exam, first review your materials (class notes, textbook, assigned reading) and pick out key ideas, such as areas to compare and contrast or significant events. Take these key ideas and develop outlines for each one, consisting of a thesis statement and at least three to four logical statements that support your thesis statement. Back up each of these statements with supporting evidence. (This may sound like a lot of work but, after all, proper studying is work.) Print these out and use them as a study sheet to review before your test.

Remember, the goal of an essay exam is to find out how well you can communicate your understanding of a particular subject. Many exams are “compare and contrast” varieties, or demand descriptions of certain significant events, but they all want you to take a position and defend it. Success or failure on the test, in turn, depends on how well you defend your statements with supporting evidence.

When the essay questions are passed out during exam time, take time to read through each question and mark the ones you are interested in answering. For each one, write out a quick outline including a thesis statement.

Your whole essay depends on your thesis statement and it should come directly from the question your instructor presented. The opening paragraph should include your thesis, your position, and how you are going to defend your position. It should be a concise version of your outline. Once you have written the first paragraph it is time for the rest to follow.

Take a deep breath and then begin to write your essay according to your outline. It is important to stay focused on defending your thesis statement. Instructors can see right through rambling gibberish. Most instructors already have certain points they will be looking for in your essay, but don’t worry — stick with what you know and can defend.

After you have completed the first draft of your essay, stop and re-read it. Look for fragmented sentences and misspellings, and make your corrections. Add in a few words or statements if you think of more, but remember that a concise well written essay is always better than a lot of ramblings and no support.

The key to writing essay for exams is preparation and a calm attitude. Instructors are not necessarily looking for you to be an expert on the issue but they do want you to present a precise logical answer.

Why Should You Embark on Dove Cresswell’s Dog Training Online – A Dog Training Guide Review

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The Internet has a great arsenal of dog-training guides and systems. However, choosing the right one that will surely train your dog is a bit tricky. It’s just hard to assess which one can really deliver what it claims. The Dove Creswell’s Dog Training Online is just one of the best guides out there. Here are the reasons why you should embark on it.

First reason why you should embark on Dove Cresswell’s Dog Training Online is experience. Ms. Cresswell herself is actually a professional Hollywood North dog trainer. She’s has trained dogs for some Hollywood films like Saved! And Charlie’s Angels and for tons of commercials too. Working with dogs is effortless for Dove that’s why she can provide with good and fast results.

Second reason is reliability and effective training. Dove Creswell’s method is way better that any other dog training guides out there. The method is giving emphasis on the correct training postures and voice commands, which you need learn to be a professional trainer yourself.

Dove Cresswell’s Dog Training Online has 7 complete lessons. This is the third reason why you should try this system. These lessons will give you the information you need effectively get your dog back on track. There’s no unnecessary e-Book page, which makes learning the lessons easy. Dog obedience training, potty training, crate training and numerous good puppy and dog manners can easily be learned.

Dove Cresswell’s method is a step-by-step training that will walk you through each and every step of the process. The fourth reason why you should try this guide. You don’t have to read a number of pages of an e-Book. You can actually watch all the lessons on your computer as often as you need to learn all the techniques, gestures and voice callings to train your dog.

Lastly, Ms. Cresswell has made each lesson for all. You need not to worry if you do not actually have a training experience. With Dove Cresswell’s Dog Training Online, you’ll learn how to treat and train your dog or puppy. This actually saves you hours of time and money taking your dog to obedience class, which are often really expensive. Start seeing results within 15 to 25 minutes, that’s the promise of Dove Cresswell’s method.

While there are so many training guides and systems to look into, Dove Cresswell’s Dog Training Online is sure worth a try. Ms. Cresswell has more than enough professional experience and can provide you with lessons that are easy to follow and understand. No wonder this method is the top training guide out there today.

Writing, Thinking, and More Writing For Homeschoolers

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One of the primary things that homeschoolers wish they had were good writing tools. There are lots of writing curricula available, but sometimes, good writing skills come just from regular writing! Setting up some regular writing drills does not have to be difficult nor cumbersome, but the key is making it a regular part of the school week.

Writing skills will develop over time, particularly as students gain exposure to ideas and issues that they naturally become more aware of as they grow. But with regular writing and evaluation, homeschool students will develop the ability to “think on their feet,” and be able to coherently develop lines of thought and reason while they are also developing solid mechanics of writing. The more confidence they have in their ability to begin the writing process, the more effectively homeschoolers will write. If they are familiar with writing “speed drills” because they are doing them weekly, then the process of getting started on any writing project becomes far less intimidating and students can increase in skill and talent at the same time.

Assuming that you are using a solid program for teaching foundations in grammar, punctuation and capitalization, begin to incorporate writing into your homeschool daily or weekly routine with fun drills. One such writing exercise that lends itself to a variety of drills is based on the 26 letters of the alphabet. Essentially, students use the letters of the alphabet to compose specific sentences. Time restrictions can be added in order to enhance the analytical thinking skills that will be necessary for standardized writing tests in high school, and timed tests later in college. Drills can even be done in group settings or set up in teams if you work with coop classes in your homeschool program. Once the writing is done, students and parents, or peers, can review the sentences for writing style, grammar corrections, punctuation, etc., thus reinforcing the self-checking and proofing skills that all writers need.

With regular practice, writing becomes far less daunting, and much more effective. It doesn’t take too much time to add this in, but so many homeschoolers struggle over finding the “perfect” writing program rather than just writing! Don’t make this mistake. To increase writing skill – write! Look for supplemental programs and writing templates that make it easier, but work on quick thinking, analytical writing skills too. Even young students will enjoy these and learn much from them!

How to Build a Miniature Golf Course

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Miniature golf can prove to be a fun activity for children as well as adults. A person can build a miniature golf course on his own without having to pay a heavy amount. This mini golf course can be built with the help of movable things which does not need a large amount of space and it can be moved from one place to another.

Ways to build a miniature golf course

You can decide the place where you want to set up your golf course. The land does not always have to be completely plain or in level in order to set up the golf course. The region can be a little hilly or rough which will make your game all the more interesting.

You can plan out in advance where you wish to make holes. You can make more than one hole in a single golf course. It is also necessary to decide which items you want to use as obstacles.

You can use your imagination and be creative while creating obstacles for your game. It is a good idea to use an unwanted household item as an obstacle. It will make your game more interesting.

You can outline your miniature golf hole with bricks, so that the ball does not go beyond the level. It is not necessary to make the holes with one particular shape. You can experiment with the different shapes. It is not necessary to make the hole using a simple square or rectangle shape. You can come up with your own ideas and try and make make the game more different and challenging.

As your mini golf course is supposed to be homemade, you don’t really have to have a cement foundation for it. You can create a simple foundation with the help of plywood. You can give it a realistic look by placing a outdoor green carpet over the entire plywood area and attach it with nails. If you want your golf course to be a little rough or add bumps to it then you can place things such as a plastic bowl under the carpet before fixing it.

You can place bricks around the hole for creating boundaries or you can even use paint. This will be a fun activity and your golf course will look unique and customized.

Further you can use any kind of additional stuff to build a miniature golf course. Use your creativity to build different kinds of obstacles. You can also build tunnels with the help of a plywood. Don’t hesitate to try different things. Work hard to make your golf course look unique and attractive.

Therefore, you can build a miniature golf course in these interesting ways. There are no fixed or rigid rules to build a miniature golf course. All you need is a little creativity and thinking. You can ask your kids for some suggestions and they might come up with some unique and interesting ideas.

Changing Your Career Tips and Advice

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Changing careers is a part of life. As young adults we consider what we want to be when we grow up. We might even go through college with that same goal in mind, but sometimes reality just doesn’t live up to our dreams or we find that we are better suited for something else. Invariably through life we have many jobs as we learn and train to become the person we want to be. A change in career can liven up our lives again or bring us to something we like better. There are a few things you might want to consider before changing your career.

Do you find your job dissatisfying? There are aspects of each career you will have that you don’t like. It could be the manager you must deal with, the co- worker, the changing rules, or certain tasks you are asked to perform. There are literally hundreds of reasons you might find your career is in a rut. What you need to ask yourself is if the entire career is the problem or just certain aspects? Consider for a moment that your current career is very rewarding. You are a child psychologist, but there is paperwork that you must do after seeing your patients. This is just part of the job. It may seem like you are in a rut as nothing changes, but really you’ve just lost focus. A lot of individuals who want to change careers tend to find they love their job after visiting a workshop. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective.

If this is not the case then you need to find what you want to change to. You will probably want to take an aptitude test to find out what you like most. Do you like working with numbers, ideas, around people? What are your interests or hobbies? Can these interests become the career change you want?

The next part of the agenda is actually making a move. Fear often holds individuals back when it comes to changing careers. They are too afraid that they will not excel at the new position or that it will not be enough income, etc. There are hundreds of reasons for the fear.

Once you can find the confidence to change careers little will stop you. You will need to look at various areas for the new job. Is where you live going to provide you with the right career change? Do you have to move? Can you afford to move?

Whenever you change careers you need to have the required experience. This can be obtained through volunteering, going back to school, etc. By following some of the questions above you can determine if you are really ready for a career change or just a change of pace.

The fact is it is never too late to change your career. Even if you have a family and a steady life, if you are unhappy with your career you can still change it to find happiness again.