How to Teach Russian

How to Teach Russian The Guide to Teaching Russian ChaptersHow Can You Choose the Price of Your Private Russian Tutorials?How to Prepare Russian TutorialsWhere Can You Find Students for Private Russian Tutorials?Which Platforms Can You Offer Private Russian Tutorials On?“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” - Albert EinsteinIn England alone, there are 11.7 million children in primary schools and secondary schools.  This is a lot of potential students to learn Russian. But teaching languages isn’t necessarily easy.As a private tutor, you’ll need to decide what kind of tutor you’ll be, find students, prepare classes, etc. Each learner is different so your job is to ensure that your foreign language instruction is appropriate to what they're studying, the curriculum, or the language skills they want to acquire.In this article, we're going to look at teaching Russian as a second language. Of course, a lot of the advice here could also be applied to other languages such Mandarin, Latin, or English tutoring services.Get to s ee the different Russian courses London available here. LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Can You Choose the Price of Your Private Russian Tutorials?One of the trickiest things, when you’re a private tutor, is choosing how much to charge for your tutorials.There are a number of factors to consider when deciding what to charge. (Source: PublicDomainPictures)You don’t want to put potential students off with rates that are too high and nor do you want to undercharge for your services and end up without enough money to pay rent.Fortunately, private tutors can use a number of different criteria to help them decide upon their rates:You level in Russian: Are you bilingual or closer to a B2 level? The higher your level, the higher you can potentially charge for your classes. A native speaker could charge more than someone who's only studied for a year.Your experience: What qualifications do you have? Have you already taught before? Did you spend time in Russia perfecting your spoken Russian? An experienced tutor can charge more than a new tutor. In fact, a qualified teacher could ask for more than someone who's fluent in the language if they've got the right teaching skills.The competition: How much do Russian tutorials cost in your town? It’s better to set your rates in accordance with what everyone else is charging. Really low rates will look suspicious and students will go elsewhere if you choose really high rates.The students’ levels: Whether you’re teaching beginners, intermediates, or experts, exam prep, adult classes, or groups of children, you can’t charge the same for different levels. The preparation time is different for different levels. Generally, the higher the level, the higher the rates and you can't charge a lot if you're just helping out with homework and some basic vocabulary. However, if you're helping someone go from an intermediate level to fluency, you'll have to charge more to cover the costs of preparing the lessons.The cost of living in your town: Those in London can charge more than elsewhere in the UK since the cost of living is so high, for example. Check the market. A language course in one town may be cheaper than another. Also, language tutors in different areas of town will charge different rates for their private tutoring.The service: Intensive classes, group classes, one-on-one tutorials, conversation classes, online classes, depending on what you’re offering, you can change the rates accordingly. You can also offer trial classes and discounts for block bookings. No two language lessons are alike. A conversational lesson doesn't take as much prep as helping an undergraduate with their exams.Don’t forget to take your expenses for materials and travelling into consideration.  As a private tutor, you’ll also need to be self-employed so make sure you set yourself up in order to pay taxes on your earnings.How to Prepare Russian TutorialsThere are a number of well-structured ways to learning a language. Students will need to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, Russian grammar, Russian pronunciation, and all the different aspects of the language. It's down to the tutor to plan their lessons.Even if you're a Russian native speaker, you have to prepare your lessons. (Source: TeroVesalainen)A Russian tutor can’t show up empty-handed or with nothing prepared.  An hour of tutoring usually requires at least an hour of preparation, especially when you’re first starting out. You need to tailor each lesson to the student and offer content that’s in-line with their level and how they learn.After a few years of experience, you’ll have built up quite the collection of useful resources to use in class and preparing personalised tutorials will become second nature to you.  However, a good tutor will always be looking to update and adapt their resources to make them as effective as possible.  That’s why the very first lessons are hugely important because they’re an opportunity to meet the student, get to know them, find out what their level is, and discover how they like to learn.It’s important that you and your student sit down and outline some achievable objectives that you’ll help them meet.When you’re at home preparing your lessons, you should:List the lesson objectives.Under each objective, list the activities.Find useful and interesting resources to use.Prepare the exercises that you’ll use.It’s recommended that you plan every part of your lesson.  Finally, don’t forget that your lesson needs to be planned in terms of timing. For example:10 minutes reviewing the previous lesson: this will allow you to see whether or not the student has assimilated the new knowledge and give you an opportunity to go back over it.20 minutes of teaching the new topic.20 minutes of exercises.10 minutes of review.Don’t hesitate to create revision worksheets and resources for your student to use between lessons.Where Can You Find Students for Private Russian Tutorials?If you’re going to teach private Russian tutorials in person or online over Skype, you’ll need to find students.Your next student may be closer than you think. (Source: PhotoMIX-Company)As a private tutor, you need to learn to find potential students, manage your reputation, and, in short, network.  To find new students quickly, you don’t need to have studied at a business school.Networking can be done with just the people around you. Start by asking friends and family. If you’ve decided to become a private Russian tutor, talk to the people you know. Even if nobody you know is interested in learning Russian, they might speak to other people about it.Word of mouth can work really well when it comes to finding your first students.  Don’t hesitate to spread the word on social networks and look for Facebook groups of people wanting to learn Russian.Of course, if you have students, you should ask them to mention you to their friends and family, too.  Don’t forget to look around your neighbourhood, too. Work often comes up in discussions and a conversation with your neighbours or family will often get them talking about your classes.Don’t hesitate to tell them that you’re teaching Russian private tutorials. The more people that are aware of your line of work, the more likely you are to find students for your tutorials.You should also visit local businesses and leave some ads in your local baker, chemist, or fruit and veg shop.  You can also place ads in places where students regularly frequent: libraries, university campuses, colleges, secondary schools, primary schools, and also in cinemas, music schools, horse-riding clubs, etc.You can also ask in language schools or centres in your neighbourhood and see if they have a Russian course.Which Platforms Can You Offer Private Russian Tutorials On?By using different methods, you can find students more easily. Make sure that you use the internet.  Over 80% of the UK uses the internet. It would be a shame not to reach this huge market of potential Russian students.In addition to networking, there are plenty of online platforms for finding students. (Source: Free-Photos)There are plenty of tutoring platforms where you can place an ad for your tutorials as well as classified ad sites such as craigslist. Specialised sites are arguably the best place to start, though.MyTutorTutor HuntFirst TutorsUK TutorsThe Tuto r WebsiteTutorfairEvoTuitionTutorfulThese are all sites where tutors can put together a profile and advertise their work as a tutor. Some are free, some take a commission per class, and others charge for membership.  On Superprof, the students pay once they’ve found their tutor. The Russian tutor earns the full amount for their tutorial.However, tutors can pay to boost the visibility of their profile in the results in order to help them find more students.  You can offer the first hour of tuition for free, offer webcam tutorials, private tutorials, or Russian academic support.To really get the most out of being online, you need to make sure that you have a presence.  Hopefully, that makes things a little clearer when it comes to teaching private Russian tutorials. Don't forget that you if you know how to speak multiple languages, there's nothing stopping you from becoming an English tutor or a French tutor, either. You can provide language courses in any language if you've got the skills.

Thesis Writing English Writing Online Tutorpace

Thesis Writing English Writing Online Tutorpace A thesis is a statement placed as a premise in an argument and it should sum up what the essay is about. A good thesis statement contains a part which the writer desires to argue and also states how it is going to be argued in a succinct manner. Usually the introduction is closed with the thesis statement in short essays. The thesis should not be a question or a list of facts but it should be a claim that could be argued. Further, it should be clear, specific and strong. Example: Green house effect and global warming should not be considered as serious issues. This thesis is just an opinion, but not a debatable argument. Hence this is not a strong thesis. On the other hand, the following thesis on the same topic provides a claim and argument. Example: Green house effect and global warming should not be considered the most significant issue of modern times because planet earth periodically undergoes cycles of cooling and warming from time immemorial and the spells of rising temperature are beyond human control since the changes are part of the natural cycle. A thesis should be concise since it is central to the whole essay and it should be defended with evidence. Moreover, it provides a quick preview of what the writer is going to say about the topic discussed and it organizes the building blocks to be used throughout the essay. The writer considers the thesis as a tool to maintain the focus on the topic and to provide the unifying thread to the argument. As for the reader, the thesis becomes a map and helps the reader to distinguish the main ideas and engages his/her attention to details. Therefore, a thesis should be debatable, apt and easily identifiable.

4 Mnemonic Devices for Elementary Students

4 Mnemonic Devices for Elementary Students Using mnemonic devices is an excellent way to help elementary students learn and retain important information. If youre not already familiar, these are memory devices that rely on language or numbers as a strategy to trick your brain into remembering facts. The mnemonic device that begins with Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November... for example, can help students remember which months have 30 days and which have 31. Types of mnemonic devices for elementary students include rhymes, acronyms, mini-stories, and associations. Looking to use mnemonic devices to enhance your students learning? Here are four mnemonic devices for elementary students: Mnemonic device #1: rhymes For some students, it can be far easier to remember lyrics than facts from a textbook. Rhymes are great mnemonics in part because theyre closely connected to songs and often include catchy wording thats easy to recall. Teaching your student common rhyming mnemonics can help them remember key facts that will be useful throughout their education. Examples of rhyming mnemonic devices include: A rhyme to help with a common spelling confusion: I before E, except after C, or when sounding like A, like in neighbor and weigh. A rhyme for remembering Alaska and Hawaiis statehood: 59 was the date when Alaska and Hawaii became new states. [RELATED: How to Enhance Your Students Experience with Literature] Mnemonic device #2: acronyms An acronym uses the letters in a specific word to form a new keywordsuch as NASA or ATM. Remembering the keyword can help your student to recall each aspect or step in a group or concept. During a test, for example, knowing that the terms theyre trying to remember begin with certain letters can help jog their memory and relieve test-day stress. Examples of acronyms that students may encounter include: The helpful way to remember colors in a spectrum in order is ROYGBIV, which stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. HOMES can help you remember the names of the five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. [RELATED: Keep Calm and Study OnHow to Avoid Homework Meltdowns This School Year] Mnemonic device #3: mini-stories This strategy uses a silly sentence to help students remember a concept. Each first letter in the phrase corresponds to an aspect of the concept they need to remember. Similar to acronyms, the difference between the two lies in the phrase itself. Acronyms are almost exclusively a single word or a very short word grouping. Mini-stories, in contrast, include wording that appears as a short sentence. Examples of these mini-stories include: Never Eat Sour Watermelon, which can help children remember north, east, south, and west. Roman numerals are often difficult to recall, but the phrase I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk can help students remember this key: I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, and M=1,000. A common math mnemonic is King Henry Died Drinking Chocolate Milk, which corresponds to kilo, hecto, deca, deci, centi, and milli in the metric system. Mnemonic device #4: associations Associations rely on the connections we make between sounds, letters, and word meanings. It makes a match between words that start with the same letterfor example, students can remember that Memorial Day happens during the month of May because the two begin with the letter m. To remember the homonyms principal and principle, for instance, students can remember that a principal is your pal, but a principle is a rule. [RELATED: How Parents Can Help Students Setand AchieveAcademic Goals] While there are common mnemonic devices students can use, students can also develop their own phrases and connections based off of items that pertain to their everyday life. Encourage your student to identify aspects of their studies that they find challenging and to create associations that may help them better recall the facts. You and your student can use a keyword that needs to be remembered and make an acrostic poem out of it, or you can think of visual or verbal personal connections related to a word. For more help with mnemonics, ask your childs teacher for ones that they use in class, or any others they might be familiar withespecially in the areas that your student struggles with or that require more memorization skills. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

6 Fun and Unique Ways to Learn Music Theory

6 Fun and Unique Ways to Learn Music Theory Suzy S. Staring at the Circle of Fifths and memorizing key signatures isnt the only way to learn music theory! Here, Brooklyn, NY teacher  Liz T. shares some creative ideas to revive your learning Music theory is a very important part of your musicianship, whether it be mastering ear training, harmony, or sight reading. No matter what instrument you play or what styles you enjoy, those who learn music theory grow further as musicians. A solid knowledge can help you improve your performance, technique, composition, and analysis of music! For some, learning music theory can be very dry, or perhaps even overwhelming at first. Fortunately, it doesnt have to be all about sitting down with a theory book and memorizing scales, chords, and key signatures. There are many other interesting ways you can improve your musicianship. Here are some ideas to try that incorporate both learning and having fun! 1. Learn to play other instruments If you’re a singer, then learning the piano is vital to becoming a well-rounded vocalist. And if you’re a pianist, then being able to sing comfortably will improve your piano skills, believe it or not! The more instruments you know how to play and read the music for, the easier it will be for you! You can also try learning an instrument that plays in bass clef if you play an instrument in treble clef, to work on those transposing skills! 2. Listen to new material I recommend attending many concerts of vocalists, choirs, orchestras, and big bands, to train your ear on what all the different voices and instruments sound like. The only way to really develop your musical ear, and to start working toward perfect pitch, is by listening to the different instruments. 3. Analyze your favorite songs If you’re up for the challenge, find the sheet music for one of your favorite songs, and analyze it. For example, what are the tempo markings? What key signature is it in? Are the chords major or minor? Then, I dare you to sing the song only in solfege, not the lyrics, on the correct pitches. This is going to improve your theory and musicianship immensely! Even if you think it’s time consuming, it is very good practice. As a performer, knowing the music youre singing or playing inside and out is key! 4) Find visuals If youre a visual learner like I am, consider placing music theory posters around your music room, or somewhere you can always see them. There are also clocks that represents the Circle of Fifths (like this one); every time you look at it, you will start to memorize the key signatures! 5) Incorporate movement I encourage dancing and movement when learning music theory, especially with my younger students. This can really help you gain a sense of musicality and feel the rhythm in your body. Freeze dancing, ballet, tap, zumba, and yoga are all great ways to be lyrical with your body. And by dancing regularly, your body will begin to internalize the rhythm automatically, so that when it’s time for sight reading and performing rhythms it’s going to second nature for you! 6) Try composing a song I also encourage you to try composing music on your instrument! Write your own chord progressions, melody, and rhythms without thinking too much about it, and remember that its okay to start simple and to make mistakes. Just write whatever comes to mind. Then start to analyze what you have just written, and you may be surprised with the masterpiece you have created! I highly recommend trying out these ideas as you learn music theory they are fun, creative, and much more hands-on than staring at a book! Liz T. teaches online singing, acting, and music lessons.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, RB, and Country. Learn more about Liz here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  blog.asianinny

5 Ways Introverts Can Develop Their Executive Presence - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Ways Introverts Can Develop Their Executive Presence - Introvert Whisperer 5 Ways Introverts Can Develop Their Executive Presence Executive presence refers to a person’s ability to win the confidence of those around them. A person with executive presence is someone who is confident and clear-sighted even under pressure, assertive, has impressive communication skills, and an appearance that stands out. All the qualities mentioned above are typical of extroverts. They are naturally bursting with self-confidence, are communicative, and have no difficulties standing out. Does this mean that introverts can’t have this much-desired trait? The answer here is “no.” By employing the right strategies, introverts can build and amplify their executive presence. Here are some of the most useful and effective tips and techniques to achieve this: 1.       Be more self-aware when communicating with others Whether you’re speaking with your co-workers, supervisors or managers, clients or customers, and other people in the company, be more self-aware. This means listening intently to what the other person is (or persons are) saying. And before responding or talking, think carefully about what you will say. Make sure that what you will say addresses the situation and will contribute to its resolution or clarification. This is something that you have to practice when sending emails, text, and direct or private messages to your colleagues, senior executives, clients or customers as well. Read their messages thoroughly before responding. Ensure your responses are well-thought out and appropriate to the issue at hand as well. 2.       Know and be honest about your weaknesses Practicing self-awareness will help you improve your communication skills. This quality can also help you get to know your strong points and flaws which will allow you to work on your genuineness and interpersonal relationships. When you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses and are honest about them, you let others know what you can and can’t do. They will, then, have an easier time understanding your situation. In addition, by knowing your shortcomings, you can connect with yourself and, at the same time, build your own authentic voice. Although you may not be as outgoing as nor stand out like extroverts, people will still notice your executive presence when you have a sincere and genuine personality and voice. 3.       Be prepared to speak up Although talking in front of a group may make you feel uncomfortable, if you want others to notice your executive presence, you need to start finding the courage to speak up whenever you have the chance.   You will find doing this easier if you prepare well before a meeting or gathering. Once you know the schedule and agenda, get ready days before the meeting. Go over the outline of everything that will be discussed and anticipate the questions that may crop up. Come up with the best answers and be as detailed as possible.   When you have spent enough time studying, collecting your thoughts, and preparing for this meeting, you will have an easier time contributing and speaking up. You will feel less intimidated and you will be able to grab every available opportunity to let your executive presence shine through. 4.       Practice making eye contact If you’re still not confident about speaking in front of others or even initiating talks with others, work on making eye contact first.   When you look people in the eye, you effortlessly establish a personal connection with them. This also creates rapport immediately. The next time you meet them, you will feel more at ease with smiling at them and, eventually, talking to them. Keep in mind that making eye contact is something better than initiating forced, shallow conversations with your co-workers or managers. Your eyes can convey genuine interest in others even if you can’t say it out loud. And this will help you build your executive presence even more. 5.       Constantly improve yourself Lastly, don’t stop finding ways to improve yourself. Learn from annual performance reviews and appraisals. If you need more explanation or feedback, ask your supervisor or manager. Capitalize on your strengths and improve upon your perceived weaknesses. There are various courses that you can take up to boost your growth and leadership potentials as well. You will acquire the right skills from these programs designed to help you achieve your dreams of becoming a (better) leader.   Being an introvert should not stop you from climbing the ladder of success and gaining the respect and admiration of others. By developing the right skills, mindset, and behaviors, you can build your executive presence and be a major influencer.   AUTHOR BIO With over 20 years of experience in B2B marketing, Annick Nuyens first worked in the hospitality service industry and then moved to the knowledge industry. She currently works for Informa in the Dubai office, where she oversees marketing for public and in-house training courses, conferences, exhibitions and managed events across the Middle East and Africa. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Você sabe o que quer dizer norrau

Você sabe o que quer dizer norrau Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.netOntem falei com a minha mãe ao telefone e a nossa conversa fez com que eu me lembrasse de uma das situações mais embaraçosas que eu já tive em toda a minha vida. Estranhamente, ninguém presenciou o momento no qual me senti envergonhada, foi mesmo uma daquelas situações de vergonha alheia tão grande, mas tão grande, que eu nunca mais esqueci.A frase da minha mãe, que fez com que eu me lembrasse desse momento vergonhoso, foi a seguinte: Filha, eu posso ser velha, mas com a idade vem o norrau, né?  Se você não sabe o que a palavra norrau  significa, respira fundo e vem comigo. Prometo, você vai rir horrores da minha cara no fim.Tudo começou quando eu era criança. Nessa idade, vamos aprendendo palavras e posteriormente descobrindo como elas são escritas, qual o seu verdadeiro significado, quando devem ser usadas e afins. Eu deveria ter uns 8 anos quando ouvi a palavra norrau  pela primeira vez da boca da minha mãe, durante a minha ad olescência procurei em diversos dicionários a bendita da palavra e nunca encontrei. Cheguei a achar que a minha mãe tinha inventado a palavra, porque se ninguém mais usava e não estava em nenhum dicionário, só essa razão me parecia plausível.Certa vez perguntei à minha mãe se a palavra era em Português, ao que ela respondeu que não se lembrava, que lhe tinham ensinado que norrau  era o mesmo que ter conhecimento ou ser expert e que ela usava a palavra partindo desse pressuposto. Eu não fiquei satisfeita, nunca consegui satisfazer a minha curiosidade, mas esqueci o assunto. Pelo menos até o dia em que este assunto vem atrás de mim.Eu devia ter uns 19 anos e estava dentro de um ônibus, viajando de Vila Real para o Porto (em Portugal), quando, de repente, olho pela janela e vejo um prédio, coberto com um painel fazendo publicidade à uma empresa de construção, com a seguinte mensagem: Know-how? Só a empresa X é que tem!Li mentalmente, li em voz alta, li com o meu melhor sotaque de Inglês, li com o pior sotaque possivel. Fiquei sem palavras. Até hoje não entendo o motivo que me fez ler e reler uma mensagem aparentemente simples tantas vezes, mas se não o tivesse feito nunca na minha vida saberia que norrau, contra todas as hipóteses do universo, era a forma distorcida como alguém ensinou a minha mãe a dizer know-how.Durante algum tempo fiquei incrédula, depois finalmente entendi que era mesmo isso e que não adiantava eu me sentir envergonhada por ter dito norrau em diversas conversas na minha vida. Quem entendeu sabia melhor que eu, quem não entendeu e fingiu que tinha entendido foi simplesmente estúpido e, estranhamente, ninguém jamais perguntou o que era, portanto, ou sabiam ou fingiram que sabiam. Porém, a partir desse dia, no qual finalmente descobri como escrever e o significado daquela palavra que a minha mãe usava tanto, nunca mais fui capaz de dizer  know-how  de ânimo leve.

Volunteer Recruitment Tools - Heart Math Tutoring

Volunteer Recruitment Tools - Heart Math Tutoring Volunteer Recruitment Tools Volunteer Recruitment Tools July 10, 2018 Tutors and Partners, Please help spread the word about volunteering with Heart! The tools below may be useful. Heart Recruitment Kit This Word doc includes newsletter blurbs and email templates suitable for publicizing to your contacts or within an organization. Heart Math Tutoring Volunteer Flyer This downloadable flyer shows the who, what, when, where, and why of volunteering. Volunteer Videos Share the 11 minute overview or 90 second clips with volunteer, donor, and general information. Include Heart in your social media profile usingthis twibbon. Most importantly, share the signup link www.hearttutoring.org/become-a-volunteer. Heart is working to recruit tutors to serve 1100 students in the 2018/19 school year. Thank you for your support! The Heart Team

5 Educational New Years Resolutions - by TutorNerds

5 Educational New Year’s Resolutions - by TutorNerds 5 Educational New Year’s Resolutions The New Year is just around the corner and it’s a popular tradition to make a resolution or two. This is an especially good idea for students in high school. Almost all of us have a few bad habits here or there and January 1st is a good reminder to make a change. Resolution #1 â€" Get organized! Organization is the key to staying sane as a full-time student. Spending a few minutes each week to keep things organized and up to date can be a huge blessing later on. â€" Keep your electronic planner up to date â€" Clean and organize your study area â€" Make a list of all your assignments along with the due date and keep them in a conspicuous place (READ: How to Balance Sports and Academics) Resolution #2 Get some help! If you have been struggling with math for the last few years, now is the time to call an Orange County academic tutor and get some help. You may wish that you did this two or three years ago but theres no time like the present to make that one tough subject a little bit easier (READ: 10 Study Tips From an Irvine History Tutor). Resolution #3 Get ready for the future! If you are a freshman or sophomore in high school, 2015 would be a great time to start thinking about college prep. Many juniors and seniors find themselves so stressed out with the multiple academic obligations that occur as an upperclassman. Make it a point to avoid this stress by planning for your future. â€" Take a PSAT practice exam (with the help from one our Southern California PSAT tutors) â€" Start researching potential colleges and universities â€" Think about what you might like to major in once you start college â€" Arrange to take SAT or ACT prep classes this summer â€" Take a class in essay writing over the summer so that youre prepared well in advance Resolution #4 Be a part of your community! Many students become overwhelmed with the amount of volunteer hours that they must complete in order to both graduate high school and successfully enter college. January 1st is a great time to sign up for a volunteer or community service program and get some of those hours out of the way. Take some time to think about something that you enjoy so that the time goes by faster. Choose an amount of hours, for example 40, and pick a date for completion, for example July 1st, 2015. Make it a resolution to finish all of these hours by the completion date, and make the next academic year easier than this one (READ: Getting Your Community Service Credits). Resolution #5 Look for a life balance! Many students spend between 8 and 12 hours a day focusing on school and other college prep activities. Although it’s very important to spend the appropriate amount of time on these worthy tasks, it is also important to just enjoy being a teenager. Some students are already overwhelmed at this point in the school year; their best resolution would be to give themselves a school/life balance. Arrange to do something each week with a friend, Such as going to see a funny movie or spending some time at the beach or at your favorite coffee shop. Enjoy an hour talking about something other than school and just let yourself unwind for a little bit each week. Many stressed out students find that yoga or meditation can help them get through the difficulties of the college preparation process. Put an alarm on your phone to remind you to sit down for 10 to 15 minutes each day and meditate or simply relax. Whether you need to get serious about school or learn to relax a little bit, make at least one New Years resolution that will benefit your education and yourself in some way. Heres to an excellent 2015. Happy New Year! All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by TutorNerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about.