7 Scientifically Effective Techniques for More Productive Study Sessions

Learning can prove to be both a rewarding and testing journey as students must delve into diverse courses and meet performance standards regularly. While learning is expected and studying has been widely accepted as the best way to go about this journey, learning how to effectively learn has been a topic that is not as clear.Some students fall victim to late night cram sessions, while others space out their studying across multiple days. Regardless of the amount of time spent studying, many students may still find that their mind is adrift and may even encounter anxiety or lack of self-confidence in difficult areas. Fortunately, research has found a number of ways to successfully learn new material, leading to not only high grades, but an enduring knowledge base. 1. Space study sessions out and study before bed. While cramming is a popular occurrence throughout the nation, it is definitely not the most effective or recommended way to study! It drains energy and doesn’t lead to lasting learning outcomes. It has been shown that spreading small chunks of learning material out over the course of several days can lead to greater retention of the information. Studying a little bit right before bed has also been shown to be helpful. Research shows that the mind strengthens memories while sleeping, improving recall ability the next day. 2. Take breaks while studying and move around. It has been researched that taking short study sessions of 30 minutes to an hour are more effective than studying for hours on end without breaks. Getting up to move around can be helpful with blood flow and act as a means of recharging, helping with energy and concentration. 3. Use Mnemonic devices Whether it is by using lists, songs, short poems, or memorable phrases, mnemonic devices help you to memorize information by associating it with other easily understood ideas. This can come in handy for learning terms and concepts. Take some time to find creative phrases or ideas; though they may be a bit bizarre or foreign to others, they will greatly improve recall. 4. Highlighting, re-reading, writing and summarizing. Writing out important notes has been shown to be more effective than typing them because it is more of an active process. Research also shows that summarizing notes and sections that you have read helps to solidify the information. Truly contemplate and elaborate how and why what you have read is important. Also, determine how new information relates to old concepts. 5. Visualization. Studying can be an opportunity to use your creative an artistic side. As you are studying the material, visualize the concepts or specific areas. Come up with scenes or scenarios in your mind that directly relate to the material. For example, if you are studying historical events, visualize what the environment and people of the time would have looked and acted like as well as the actions and activities of key figures. 6. Physical and environmental control. Make sure that you eat throughout the day. Healthy diets consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole, grains, healthy fats (nuts, fish, olive oil), lean protein, and non-starchy carbohydrates like sweet potatoes aid in energy levels and overall brain health. Consuming plenty of water and even the appropriate levels of caffeine found in coffee and tea can also improve focus. Research also shows that temperature control should be considered. Make sure the room isn’t too warm but also isn’t unbearably cold either. 7. Practice Testing Test yourself after each study session. You may do this by developing questions over the material or simply quizzing yourself using practice exams in the book or online. Asking a friend to test you is also helpful. You can also teach or tutor the material to a friend in order to truly deepen and validate your understanding. Written by Alecia Hyatt, an InternChoosing where to go to college is an incredibly important decision. Make an informed choice by talking to current students on ourmentorship platform. Access 60,000+ successfulcollege application filesuploaded by college students (they get paid when you view them). is a community of students helping students. Our goal is to bring much-needed transparency to higher education.

Who to Ask for a Grad School Recommendation Letter

Who to Ask for a Grad School Recommendation Letter Recommendation letters are a non-negotiable part of every graduate school application. Nearly all applications to graduate school require at least 3 letters of recommendation from individuals who can discuss your competencies in a coherent way and recommend that you be admitted to graduate school. Many students find that it is not difficult to select one or two people to approach for letters of recommendation. Others arent sure of who to approach. Who Is the Best Choice?   Who can write the best letter? Remember the main criterion of the letter of recommendation: It must provide a comprehensive and positive evaluation of your abilities and aptitude. It should not be surprising that letters from professors are highly valued by admissions committees. However, the best letters are written by faculty who know you, from whom you have taken multiple classes and/or have completed substantial projects and/or have received very positive evaluations. Professors provide insight into your academic competencies and aptitude as well as personality characteristics that may contribute to your potential to succeed in graduate schools, such as motivation, conscientiousness, and timeliness. Should You Ask Your Employer for a Letter? Not always, but some students include a letter from an employer. Letters from employers are useful if you are working in a field that is related to that which you intend to study. However, even a letter from an employer in an unrelated field can be useful to your application if he or she discusses skills and competencies that will contribute to your success in graduate school, such as the ability to read and integrate information in order to draw conclusions, lead others, or carry out complex tasks in a timely and competent fashion. Essentially its all about spin- spinning the material so that it matches what committees are looking for. What Makes for an Effective Recommendation Letter? An effective recommendation letter is written by someone who meets some of the following criteria: Is aware of your field of interest and the schools you are applying to.Is able to evaluate your performance in your field of interest.Is able to discuss your personal characteristicsIs able to discuss your capacity to work with othersCan discuss your leadership skillsCan evaluate your level of professionalism (e.g., punctuality, efficiency, assertiveness)Can discuss your academic skills- not simply experience, but your potential to succeed in graduate-level studyEvaluates you positively relative to othersHas some recognition and whose judgment is highly valued within the field.Has the skills to write a helpful letter. Many students become nervous when they see this list. Remember that no one person will meet all of these criteria, so dont fret or feel bad. Instead, consider all of the people who you might approach and attempt to compose a balanced panel of reviewers. Seek individuals who will collectively fulfill as many of the above criteria as possible. Avoid This Mistake The biggest mistake most students make in the recommendation letter-phase of the graduate school application is to fail to plan ahead and establish relationships that lead to good letters. Or to not consider what each professor brings to the table and to instead settle for whoever is available. This is not the time to settle, choose the easiest path, or be impulsive. Take the time and make the effort to consider all of the possibilities- each professor you have had and all persons you have come into contact with (e.g., employers, internship supervisors, supervisors from settings in which you have volunteered). Dont rule anyone out at first, just make a long list. After you have created an exhausted list, rule out those who you know will not give you a positive recommendation. The next step is to determine how many criteria those remaining on your list might fulfill- even if you have not had recent contact with them. Continue evaluating each person to choose potential referees.

Development, experience and completition of distance learning course Essay

Development, experience and completition of distance learning course - Essay Example Distance learning broadens ones capacity of thought and it helps one to have the zeal to find out knowledge and meet concepts individually. Throughout this program, knowledge gained was through observation, experimentations, research, and experimentations. For application of knowledge, one had to be keen on observation to ascertain the truth value of existing knowledge because not all knowledge is necessarily. Observation was of great help since they aided one to have a clear insight of the real world in relation to the theoretical knowledge. There was also a broader experimentation of various phenomena. The experimentation method helped one to be sure and to prove true or disapprove the hypothesis that were covered the common knowledge. This also helps in distinguishing fallacies and general knowledge which have not been verified. In most cases, one had to conduct research to find out the cause and effects of certain phenomena so as to come up with effective conclusions and deductio n. Also, experiences that one gained from interacting with various issues and challenges also helped one to unlearn the previous knowledge and to learn new ones. All these experiences and concepts defined one journey of learning throughout the entire period of the distance learning program. Throughout this period, ones performance was not good throughout. At some point the performance was good and at other times, the performance was averagely low but at the end of the entire program the overall performance was marked by distinction. This was because of one’s capability of adapting to the system and one’s ability to adjust to the environment and to the course requirements. There were times when there were courses which required one to carry out laboratory tests and some required one to conduct research. In the event that one was to be at the laboratory to conduct the experiments, it was difficult to make clear observation and to draw the right conclusion as there was no body to offer explanation to what was going on. Research that needed one to go to the community to find out the aspects of various phenomena also was marked with various challenges. This is because the community was not ready to give proper information and those who did gave irrelevant information that led to an irrelevant conclusion. This impacted negatively on the overall outcome of the result. However, studies which required observation and the critical analysis of books and just the general study of concepts were of great advantage to my performance. It was a great experience to read through books and to learn new concepts that were brought forth. These conceptions helped in dealing with the fallacies and the misconception that the society has had for a long time. The tangibility of the knowledge gained through literature enabled one to be a student of high aptitude and acuity of performance. For learning to be effective, it has to be maintained, retained, and one has to continu e with the search of knowledge. To enable one achieve these, one has to study widely. It is through study that one’s knowledge and concepts get challenged. Wide reading helps one to have different perspectives and approached towards something. This gives one the authority to speak on an issue from an open minded view. Wide study also keeps one relevant to the changing times, for example, science keeps on

Are terrorists ideologically driven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Are terrorists ideologically driven - Essay Example Though their tactics may be similar, the objectives and targets are very different. This discussion will explain the reasoning for terrorism using Al-Qaeda and the IRA as models for the ‘new’ and ‘old’ types of terrorism and illustrates the differences. It will also delve into the psyche of the terrorist so as to gain a better understanding of why an otherwise rational individual would offer themselves as a martyr for an ideological cause. According to U.S. President George Bush, the Islamic terrorists ‘hate us because of our freedoms.’ This, of course, is faulty, simplistic reasoning much the same as the logic he used to promote his ‘Global War on Terrorism’ which has served only to increase terrorist attacks. The U.S. approach to terrorism is examined and explains how the Bush administration policies and actions have encouraged a worsening of what was previously an unacceptable global situation. Most terrorists feel that they are doing nothing wrong when they kill and injure people, or damage property. Most seem to share a feature of a psychological condition known as anti-social personality disorder or psychopathic personality disorder, which is an absence of empathy for the suffering of others – they don’t feel other people’s pain. However, they do not appear unstable or mentally ill. Someone who is mentally ill may want to commit an act of terror, but as most terrorism requires cooperating with others, this makes it less likely that a mentally ill person will actually carry out such an act because of the difficulty they have in working with others. Terror groups usually dislike or distrust those who wish to join them, who appear to be unstable. â€Å"It is very rare to find a terrorist who suffers from a clinically defined ‘personality disorder’ or who could in any other way be regarded as mentally ill or psychologically deviant† (Silke, 1998). It is

Barney's Entanglements with Various Aspects of Property Law Essay

Barney's Entanglements with Various Aspects of Property Law - Essay Example First his son Opie had used the property as collateral for a loan, and with a payment default the property was being pursued for foreclosure by the lending party. Next Barney finds out that Ernest had been squatting on that property for about two decades, and claimed ownership for that reason. First Barney’s ownership claim on the property is legitimate, under the principle of law called â€Å"joint tenancy with right of survivorship†. The case’s citing this principle is valid, and that Barney had legal right to the mountain property as alleged. The interesting aspect of this principle of law is that when a partner co-owner dies, the law’s operation automatically grants full rights of ownership to the remaining co-owner, with no regard to the power of a will to subvert that operation (Farlex, 2012; James T. Blazek & Associates, 2000). Opie was able to use the land, meanwhile, as collateral on the strength of his stake on this property, from a will by Barne y. There is some legal opening for Barney to explore this aspect of joint tenancy law in order to contest the legality of Opie’s use of the land as collateral for the failed loan. Meanwhile, Barney’s larger problem seems to be that Ernest had usurped the land, and may have legal ground to stake the claim to that land and retain ownership. As the case states, Ernest’s possession of the land is uninterrupted for two decades, is notorious, and for that long period of time uncontested. Under adverse possession law, where usual limitation statutes for contesting ownership is seven or twenty years, Ernest may have a case for claiming legal ownership of the land (Cornell University Law School, 2010). As a lawyer my advice would be for Barney to weigh how much the property means to him versus how much his relationship with Opie means. He can pursue a case contesting the legality of the use of the land as collateral, but there is the matter of Ernest having probable vali d claim to the land that complicates things. Barney here is stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one end he is being pursued by the lender who wants to foreclose. On the other Ernest had laid claim to the land. There seems to be no easy way out of this. The mountain property maybe a lost cause (Cornell University Law School, 2010; Farlex, 2012; James T. Blazek & Associates, 2000). II. The Beach Property The town authorities cited eminent domain as the primary law principle that justified their appropriating Barney’s property for use to develop the beach front into the Nickelodeon facility that Barney thought so little off. Now eminent domain is a power of the state and of the governments, in this case of the county government, to do such appropriating of private property for particular purposes, but it is not clear in the case that the town itself was the acting developer, or whether the town was citing eminent domain in order to profit a private developer who may be the real owner of the resort. There is the element of eminent domain that the land appropriated must be for the use of the public. In this case, while the resort is supposed to be for the general public, it might be a privately owned enterprise, in which case the use of eminent domain may not be applicable, or valid. There is a case to be made for contesting the right of the town to take away Barney’s beach property, on the basis of the use of eminent domain as the primary excuse is an invalid interpretation of the eminent domain doctrine. In fact, the literature lists exactly

The Powers of the Core Executive

The Powers of the Core Executive My chosen question shall see me discuss how the reform of the British State affected the power of the core executive. I shall be focusing on key themes such as looking into the concept of the core executive and how its seen to have traditionally operated, including the Westminster model. I shall discuss debates into the relationships and powers within the core executive, focusing directly on Thatcher v Blair. I will go onto discussing the reforms within the British State, explaining what they are and how they operate, and how they affect the core executive. I shall look at the different perspectives of the contemporary core executive by looking into the hollowed out and differentiated policy systems. Lastly I shall look at contingency core executive model before concluding. ******Concept of the core executive and traditional perspectives of its operation ie Westminster model†¦.. What is the core executive? The core executive is at the very centre of British government. It covers the very complex web of institutions, networks and practices surrounding the Prime Minister, cabinet, cabinet minister as well as committees and the less formalised groups. Smith.J.M (1999). It focuses on roles not just structures; also it has to be ready to react at all times as certain incidents such as the London riots would have caused a reaction within the core executive. This is known as fire-fighting, managing a crisis suddenly sometimes a matter of life and death. POLITICS AND GOVERNENCE pg 96. The treasury is always within the core executive, as every time it agrees to commit resources to a specific area its denying its resources elsewhere. Therefore the treasury maintains a structure of balance within the core executive. POLITICS AND GOVERNENCE IN UK PG 116. Westminster Model is seen to be an organising material, one which is built on the assumption that there is parliamentary sovereignty. It is argued that the Westminster Model was failing due to the reform of the government and as a member of the European Union. Smith.J.M (1999). It is a dominant figure over the central government, with its governing party mainly in the House of Commons. The main characteristics of the Westminster model apart from parliamentary sovereignty are that the cabinet ministers have collective responsibility, party discipline maintained and voters are offered a choice between parties, GOVERNENCE PG 48. ******Debate over relationships and power in core executive- cabinet v PM v Presidential style government, maybe utilising Thatcher and Blair example†¦.. There is an on-going debate over relationships and powers within the core executive. Along with this are the different styles of government which every leader adopts to their own personal style. The main figure head is the Prime Minister, in which all policies have to be passed and accepted before they take their place within society. The Prime Minister also represents the country during international debates and relations. The Cabinet is another prominent figure within the core executive it tends to consist of around 20-23 ministers, each is appointed by the Prime Minister themselves. The Cabinet helps with government business such as public expenditure and constitutional issues. The Cabinet is strongly supported by the Civil Service. McEwan.N (2004). The Prime Minister V Cabinet debate has gone on for many years and shall continue to be seen as a battle between two important figure bodies. Relating strongly to the circumstances and the resources that are available at the time, may determine who may take the leading role. Prime Ministers are dependent on the support of the cabinet and without the appropriate team work wouldnt be a successful unit. Blair V Margaret Thatcher. Its believed that the resignation of Margaret Thatcher was forced upon her as she failed to recognise her dependency on colleagues within the core executive. This was due to her ignoring pleas and views from colleagues during a recession and unpopularity in the polls. During 1980 and 1990 Thatcher was seen to be a strong figure but this started to deteriorate rapidly causing more resignations under her such as John Major. THE CORE EXEC IN BRITAIN PG 102. Tony Blair did follow some traits left behind by Margaret Thatcher, but he also introduced significant changes to the way in which the government was run. Blair and Thatcher between them are the two longest serving prime ministers in the last hundred years. Thatcher when in government instituted reforms within British government, as well as opening up economic and global competition. BRITISH POLITICS PG 302. *****Reforms in the British state, what are they? What has been their effect? How have they affected the core executive There have been many reforms within the British state over the years, with each prime minister bringing in reforms that they believe are needed at that time. Margaret Thatcher had big involvement in the reform of the central government when she was in power. Thatcher wanted to reduce the size of the state by reducing the amount of civil servants. This was mainly due to privatisation; thatcher believed that by reforming the central government it would become more efficient and better value for money. CORE EXEC PG 200. With many new reforms being introduced this brings implications to the core executive such as resources and relationships, and how they are utilised. Thatcher wanted to increase the power of authority and was committed to ensure that the reforms she brought in wouldnt be easy to reverse. CORE EXEC PG 212. Tony Blair was known to be trying to adjust the way in which the core executive was set up, after Margaret Thatcher. With the British state being a parliamentary one the core executive works within a parliamentary framework. The core executive has lost power, due to the reform and the movement of powers within the core executive. It is believed by Rhodes that the differentiated polity has had a great impact on the core executive making it more about co-ordination rather than direction of power. PAGE242. A key issue that comes out of this is that the ministers within the core executive can identify what needs to be done to improve British society, but its whether they have the approp riate resources to do so. *****Different perspectives of the contemporary core executive ie Rhodes hollowed out model and differentiated polity and Richards and Smiths dependency/resource exchange and contingency core executive model†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ There are different perspectives of the contemporary core executive; I am focusing on Rhodess hollowed out and differentiated polity models. Rhodess Differentiated Polity model is one of the most complex attempts at providing a contemporary organising perspective on the British system of government. There are many key strands to the differentiated polity including policy networks, power dependence, governance, intergovernmental relations and a hollowed out state. GOV AND P.P IN UK PG 20. The hollowing out of the state is the most important aspect of the differentiated polity model. The hollowing out of the state summarises many changes which have taken place in the British government. GOV AND P.P IN UK PG 26. Rhodes 1997 states that central government authority has been reduced and dispersed:- Upwards to the supranational level. Outwards through privatisation and market testing. (Core executive.) Downwards, through the creation of quangos and agencies. British government is seen to be hollowed out from the top as a result of our membership with the European Union. A few factors that are seen to be responsible for hollowing out are globalisation, Europeanization, internationalism and privatisation. Privatisation can benefit the government such as it helps raise a lot of money, which can be then spent on public expenditure. It also encourages private investments as well as reducing power of trade unions. Globalisation and its causes are hard to identify and it has many levels. Consequently its brought down to economic, social, political and scientific developments in which people associate globalisation. GOV PUB POL UK PG 126, Prime Ministers and Cabinet officials believe that globalisation has changed politics and made it problematic. ******Conclusion†¦..

Italian Neorealism

In the period between 1943 and 1950 Italian cinema was dominated by Neorealism which became the most significant film style of post-war Europe. Formation began back in 1936 when propagandists opened modern Cincitta studios and the film school name ‘Centro Sperimentaledi Cinematografia’. Along with the opening of schools such as this was a movement that placed a group of cinematographers under full-year contracts, among them was Carlo Montuori who used his classic techniques in creating ‘Bicycle Thieves’ (1948) one of the most well known films produced during the Neo-Realism movement. Perhaps also one of the most influential directors was Roberto Rossellini who directed Rome Open City at the end of WWII. Many directors and influential films such as this began to change and shape the way Italian films were made and what their relation to society was like. The neorealist style was developed by a circle of film critics that revolved around the magazine Cinema, despite a severe lack of funds and equipment the Neorealist film makers sought to reveal truth of the everyday life. Filming outdoors in natural light and starring nonprofessional actors, it was a return to the Lumiere ethic of framed reality. NeoRealism became a style of film which was characterised by stories that were set amongst the poor and working class people. Realism would always be emphasized, and performances were mostly constructed from scenes of ordinary people performing fairly uninteresting and everyday tasks, completely derived of the self-consciousness that a trained actor would usually produce. The films would generally feature children as the major role but they were usually more observational rather than engaging. The film makers were heavily influenced by French poetic realism which was a stylised and studio bound movement that recreated the realism of society. Elements of neorealism can be found in the films of Alessandro Blasetti and the documentary-style films of Francesco De Robertis whose films Toni (Renoir in 1935) and 1860 (Blasetti in 1934) were two of the most significant precursors of the neorealism movement. There are a few aspects that make Italian Neorealist films unique; they would use nonprofessional actors for there raw awkwardness and everyday habits, capturing the reality of their poverty and desperation. The film makers would shoot scenes on location and mostly in poor neighborhoods or the countryside, with the plot surrounding life among the impoverished and lower class. The films theme mostly handled the difficulty of the economy and struggling moral conditions of post-WWII Italy while reflecting the changes in the Italian persona and the conditions of everyday life. What has become one of the best known Neorealist films is Roberto Rossellini's Rome Open City (1945), the film includes many of the characteristics of NeoRealism. The film contains a strong resistance towards conventional principles therefore showing an anti-establishment and revolutionary attitude. Just weeks after the German withdrawal Rossellini shot Rome Open City, this shocked and excited the film world because the film entails of the film was not expected. They had an extemporaneous, documentary quality enhanced in the early era by the materials from which they were made–war-time film stock, cobbled-together equipment, non-professional actors, and location shooting. Open City is a good example of this early period in neorealism. Rossellini helped Italian neorealism to develop as a particular form of cinematic expression during the period when Italy was ruled by authoritarians. Rossellini would rewrite the scripts according to the (nonprofessional) actors feelings and history. The regional accent of the area, dialect and costumes were shown in the film how they were in real life. Truffaut (one of the major figures of The French New Wave film movement) wrote in his 1963 essay titled Roberto Rossellini Prefers Real Life, that Rossellini's influence in France particularly among the directors who would become part of the nouvelle vague (new wave movement) was so substantial that he was in every sense â€Å"the father of the French New Wave†. The opinion that Rosselini’s work had become the introduction to a new style of film was enforced by many of the up and coming directors of the time and his work is still appreciated in the modern film world. When the economy began to improve and the rate of unemployment decreased people found Neorealism discouraging and began to favor light hearted American films which involved positive outcomes and happier endings than what the Italian people had come to know, with this change in favor came the end of the NeoRealism Era. Nevertheless Italian NeoRealism was essential to Italy’s film industry at the time the war ended and while Europe was recovering from the war. Its impact on modern film has been monumental, not only in Italian film but also on French New Wave cinema, and ultimately on films all over the world.