Some students find writing a horrible task, mostly because they don’t know where to start and fail to organize properly. Experts at a leading writing service have provided some practical tips to help improve your grades.

Review Instructions Carefully

All academic work and tests come with precise instructions and grading rubrics. Failure to follow instructions is likely the leading cause of unneccesary grade reductions — not poor writing itself.

Instructions will differ from one paper to the other. They will capture the kind of formatting required, language to be used, length of your paper, and reference materials to be used, among others. If the paper fails to meet these standards, your score will be low. In case instructions provided are not clear, you are required to seek clarification before starting. Commencing work following the wrong instructions will only lead to failure.

PRO TIP: use the grading rubric and instructions as a checklist which you mark off once your paper meets each requirement.

Plan things out

Develop a plan that captures your introduction, body, and conclusion of the paper. Planning involves creating an outline for the task ahead. The outline should capture the order of points or ideas, materials to refer, and different sections based on the expected structure of your paper, among other writing elements.

An outline or plan ensures that you do not repeat any idea and thus render some of the sections of your work redundant. You also have an overview of the ideas you have to discuss in the paper. The plan alerts you in case you miss the point.

Look at Writing Samples

Gather quality samples of the type of paper you are writing and use them as reference points. Sample papers on just about any topic are available online, but ensure they are good quality — poor quality samples may affect your performance.

A word of warning: DO NOT COPY SAMPLES WORD FOR WORD! This is called plaigiarism and is a serious offense in school. Your work must be your own.

Set aside distractions

Create an environment where you can work without disruption or disturbance. The library is one of the best places to work on any paper because you are forced to focus on what you are doing.

If you prefer to work at home, switch off anything which distracts you, such as the television, radio, or cell phone. Some people do well with something on in the background, but others cannot handle it — which sort of student are you?

Use Quality Reference Materials

The strength of the ideas you discuss in the paper will depend on the quality of reference materials you’re using. Look for high-quality reference materials from different sources, including the library, reputable websites and academic databases. Your teacher will usually recommend reliable reference materials to help you. Using inferior references, such as Wikipedia, usually leads to rejected papers or failing grades.

Avoid procrastination

Plan your work and time in a way that allows you to meet the submission deadline. Failure to meet the deadline comes with penalties, some of which are punitive. Thus, develop a schedule that will enable you to complete the paper before the deadline to provide enough time for editing.

Edit Your Work

Spare some time at the end of your drafting stage to edit the paper. Editing helps to eliminate little errors that are overlooked the first time you write something. If you are doubtful of your editing skills, get a friend or tutor to help (or even a parent).

PRO TIP: Finish your draft, then don’t look at your paper for several hours before you edit. This will help you look at your work with a fresh set of eyes.

Get help

Some instructions or topics will be difficult to handle, no matter how much you try. You are allowed to seek help from different places to avoid compromising on your grades and performance. This help should come from a person who understands the topic and will not mislead you.

Consult your teacher regularly in the course of writing. Most teachers relish the chance to assist you whenever you are stuck, and this shows you are a motivated student. Your teacher knows what he or she is looking for from the assignment, and is therefore one of the best sources of writing help with your school work.

Also, there are professional writing assistants who are trained in different areas and ready to offer tips and examples whenever it is required. You have to pay for their help, but they should NOT write your entire paper for you — that is cheating!

As the old saying goes: There is more than one way to skin a cat. Of course, you won’t actually need to skin any cats in the medical field, but the old wisdom still applies. As you consider your future after high school, you need to be aware that there is more than one road that leads to your destination. In this article, we will take a brief look at four of those paths that lead to careers in the medical field.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

For those who want to go into nursing, this is almost a requirement. You can choose to get an associate degree in nursing, but students with a BSN are usually going to be preferred. Johns-Hopkins and Duke University are known for their excellent BSN programs, but there are many potential options. The only downside is that you can expect to spend four years in school and this education will not be cheap. Your student loan debt will be significantly greater with a BSN, so you’ll need to get a job lined up as soon as possible after graduation. The most important qualities for a BSN student are critical thinking, professional conduct, and communication skills.

Associate Degree in Medical Assisting

An associate degree in medical assisting prepares students for careers in places such as hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, and medical offices. As you might guess from the name, this degree will prepare you to be an assistant to some other medical professional. This might sound kind of lame but bare in mind that you can always obtain additional certification at a later date. This degree gives you an excellent way to earn a living in the meantime. This degree takes only 1-2 years to obtain, so it’s a good option for those who are in a hurry to get out in the field and gain experience. You can get these kinds of degrees online with relative ease, but it’s probably not a good idea. In terms of education costs versus earning potential, this is a very good choice.

Healthcare IT Professional

If you want to get into the medical field, but don’t want to deal with blood, pus, and other such unpleasant things, you might consider a career in healthcare information technology. Hospitals are required by both law and common practice to keep records of virtually everything. This practice is unlikely to change anytime soon, which means that there will always be a significant demand for this kind of work. Educational requirements for this field are much less stringent than other medical professions. An associate degree in any IT-related field (medical or otherwise) should be sufficient. However, those who are considering this career should take at least a few medical courses to make themselves a more appealing hire.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Becoming an EMT is a much more hardcore option than the others, but it has several advantages. First of all, EMTs don’t have to worry about long-term care, making the job a little easier. As an EMT, your job would focus on rapid and efficient stabilization treatment. However, you also have to be able to handle the trauma and stress that naturally come with an emergency. Not everyone can handle this kind of thing, which creates more opportunities for those who can. You will only need about two years of school, and the pay is moderately good.

The above is only a small sampling of the many jobs that make up the medical field. Before setting your mind on any one profession, it pays to do your research and make sure that you have chosen the place where you will do your best work. We hope that this article has inspired you to do exactly that, and we wish you success in whatever career you choose.

If you’re graduating high school in the next year or so and are continuing your education, you’ll want to develop some good habits now before you start. Check out this article with some great habits you can start now to prepare!

Are you just about to graduate high school and panicking about what you’re going to study? Are you a person who loves science and solving problems? There are so many career paths to pursue—it’s no wonder you’re still undecided. But luckily for you, there are quite a few career fields that use science and problem solving all the time. Here are just three of these career fields you should consider:

Public Health

Public health is an excellent field to be in if you like to study science and solve problems. Jobs like occupational therapy, nursing, working for the health department, and working for water treatment facilities all fall under the public health category. If you choose this career path, you will need to study sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, and even human anatomy. These are all important areas of study because careers in public health all deal with the safety of people, animals, and the earth.

To get an entry-level job in public health, you’ll need to get a bachelor’s degree in an area such as public health, environmental science, biology, or engineering. You will find that each of these degrees requires a lot of science and some math in order for you to graduate. However, if you really want to move up in this field, you should consider going to graduate school to get a master’s degree in public health (MPH) or, if you really want to move up, your DPH (Doctor of Public Health) or PhD degree.

Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is a job that is easily forgotten in a world with so many cars and roads. Oftentimes, we forget why a road curves the way it does or why a stoplight is placed where it is. Civil engineers are responsible for designing roads, bridges, railways, parking lots and more so that transportation can run smoothly every day. According to NJIT, some civil engineers apply their knowledge of science and technology to fix and improve many facets of transportation, such as dangerous intersections or unsafe bridges. Knowledge of various sciences (such as physics and physical science) and types of math (such as geometry and calculus) are all useful in these situations.

There are lots of specialty areas you can focus on in civil engineering, such as environmental engineering, architectural engineering, and engineering project management. A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering can get you general civil engineer training and some education in these specialty areas, but getting a master’s degree in civil engineering (MSCE) will help you to focus more directly on them and allow you to move up into more management positions (such as being an engineering manager).

Marine Biology

Marine Biology is a very fascinating field to study. According to EnvironmentalScience.org, the job of a marine biologist is to study the ocean and its inhabitants to make sure that everything is working together. They are responsible for researching and discovering new species of plants and animals as well as coming up with solutions to problems like species extinction. Making new discoveries is just one of the experiences you will have working in this field. If you love the ocean, animals, and science, then becoming a marine biologist may be what you are looking for.

To become a marine biologist, you don’t necessarily need to get a bachelor’s degree in marine biology. Some examples of good degrees that can help you get into marine biology are biology, zoology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. A bachelor’s or master’s degree can usually get you a decent job doing marine biology research, but if you want to pursue your own independent research, you should get a doctorate degree.

Science keeps the earth working and its inhabitants safe from potential harm. Whether you are figuring out a career path or simply love science, use this list as your guide. Find a specific area of study, then decide the career of your choice.

Still can’t decide what you want to study? Check out these other college major ideas.

Preparing for exams can be stressful. After all, there is a lot of material to learn and remember for the test. Doing your best is important, especially for finals or AP exams that carry a heavier weight on your academic record. Here are three time-tested tactics to help you master exam season.

Make a Study Schedule

When it comes to studying, scheduling your time is a must. Otherwise, it is too easy to put off studying until the last minute. The flip side of that issue is that you might worry that you have to spend every waking moment studying. There is a balance to be had, and building a study schedule will help ensure that you have enough time to review everything while still having time for guilt-free fun.

To make a study schedule, start from your test date and count back to today to determine how many days are left. On a calendar, block out any events or commitments that you already have, like classes, work or extracurricular activities. Then, break the subject down into individual topics and schedule specific topics into each study day. Alternatively, you can use an online tool or mobile app to create a study schedule.

Study Smarter

There are two main types of studying: passive and active. Passive studying involves activities like reading, highlighting or copying notes–essentially any activity where you are taking in the information that you are trying to learn. Active studying requires you to recall information without it being in front of you. This is the more effective method of studying as it reinforces neuron connections in your brain.

There are a lot of active studying techniques. Some common ones are drawing mind maps from memory on a piece of blank paper or using flashcards and practice tests. A practice test will help you identify any major weaknesses that you might have so you can study smarter. Instead of continuing to review everything, you can spend the rest of your study time focusing on any material that you are weak on.

Beat Test Anxiety

A major obstacle preventing a lot of students from doing their best on exams is test anxiety. One of the most common tips for reducing anxiety is to start studying early, which a study schedule will help with. It is also important to remember that a test does not define you nor dictate your entire academic future. Applying positive thoughts to the exam scenario can help alleviate some exam anxiety.

There are many resources available to help with reducing anxiety, including guided meditation. You can find resources online or through your school’s counseling office.

Applying these tips to your next exam preparation routine can help you excel and achieve your academic goals. Make sure to devote enough time to studying for the best results.

Resources:

• Top 10 Best Study planner apps (android/iPhone) 2019
• 5 Strategies to Help You Prepare for the GED® Math Test
• Guided Meditation for Test Anxiety

One of the biggest challenges regarding going to college is figuring out how to pay for it. For most teens, this means student loans. And unfortunately, this can also means living with massive debt for many years. Now, you can avoid this by going to more affordable trade schools (with great-paying jobs) or becoming a YouTube star so you can just pay your tuition all at once in cash (yeah, right), or you can just get smart about the whole deal and strategize.

OneClass has put together a massive infographic with a lot of great tips for avoiding the stress of student loans once you graduate. Its below…and is worth the scrolling to read all the information so you can have a debt-free future while still getting a great education.

College is something that a lot of people do, but it isn’t for everyone. If you choose to take this path, it will be a time in your life between high school and your career. This can be a time of confusion, but it can also be a great time to learn and meet new people.

All in all, college is going to be a lot of work. It is much different than high school, and it is vital to prepare for it so that you do well. If you are nearing the final years of high school and planning to further your education, this is a good article for you to read. Here, we are going to discuss five habits you can use right now to give yourself a head start in college.

Develop Time Management Skills

Time management is something that a lot of college students struggle with. This is partly because students are on their own a lot, but it is also because classes are structured very differently. Unlike high school, your teacher won’t remind you every day about an assignment that is due. It is your job to figure out when things are due and when you are going to have time to work on them. StraighterLine explains, “You need to establish your priorities. School needs to be a primary concern, not a secondary one. You also need to sleep and be healthy in general.” Without time management skills, college can quickly become overwhelming and stressful.

Learn to Study Properly

Learning to study is another important skill that you need to learn before heading to college. Above-average students may not have had to study much in high school, but a lack thereof in college can be devastating to your grades. Studying will be necessary, so make sure that you learn how to have a productive study session with minimal distraction.

Stay on Top of your GPA

Unlike high school, your teachers won’t be as lenient with your grades. At the end of the semester, your grade is your grade, and your teacher won’t give your bonus points just to help you out. Start off the year right and keep your grades up because it will be hard to catch up if you let them drop early on. GPA Calculator explains, “staying on top of your GPA in college is also important for other reasons. If you land a scholarship or grant that depends on you to maintain a GPA above a certain threshold, then not meeting your GPA requirements could mean you lose your financial backing for college.”

Learn to be independent

College is going to be a time where you spend a lot more time alone than you did in high school. You will need to learn to take care of yourself in various ways. Stay on top of your mental and physical health, get sleep, eat healthily, learn to do laundry, etc. There might not be anyone there to help you, so you should learn to be independent so that college isn’t a total shock. That, of course, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check up with your parents here and then. Being so suddenly disconnected from familiar surroundings can be shocking, and keeping in touch with loved ones can be a huge help.

Beat procrastination

With so much free time in college, you might feel like you have a lot of time to lie back and relax. In reality, any event that you have downtime you should probably take a look at upcoming assignments. Use your time wisely and don’t put things off until the day they are due because it causes a lot of stress and even low grades.

Hopefully, reading this article has given you a better understanding of the ways that you can get a head start for college. Even if you were the smartest person in your high school, there will be a plethora of people just as smart as you in college. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel as highly about yourself. You just need to prepare to work harder and continue to be the best student that you can.

As you head off to high school, you can’t believe you have four more years of school. It seems to stretch on for an eternity. You’re bright and have big ideas. You tend to think outside the box. The thought of being tied down to the same routine is frustrating. For someone who wants to spread their wings and move on more quickly in life, it can be tough to wait it out in senior high. However, you don’t have to follow the traditional path. Be a mover and a shaker. Some students have graduated high school before they’re 13 years old. By graduating from high school early, you can get a jump on college and even work.

How are Students Graduating Early from High School?

Students are earning their ticket out the door earlier by planning ahead. They’re organized. They talk to their academic advisers to find out how many credits they need to complete all of their course requirements earlier than the norm. To reach their goals, they have to be really motivated. Every period is filled, eliminating study halls. Independent studies, online courses, and summer school provide students with more opportunities to shorten the length of their stay in high school.

Many choose to graduate a semester early. Others manage to shave off a year. Jennifer Lawrence, the movie star, managed to graduate at the top of her class after only two years in high school. Actor Penn Badgley really broke the mold. At the age of 14, he completed his high school requirements by passing the California High School Proficiency exam. He was so fired up about pursuing an acting career that he enrolled right away in college.

Graduating early from high school can be even easier if you are homeschooled, because you can work ahead.

Why Do Students Choose to Graduate Early?

Students who choose to graduate early typically have big goals for the future. They know exactly what they want to get out of life and they are eager to move on. For some, they simply just don’t like school. They’ll do anything possible to finish their requirements early to get out in the real world. Others are bored by traditional schooling or are so advanced that they are ready for higher learning. Online schools allow students to proceed at their own pace, which means the truly motivated can easily get ahead in their studies.

What Options are Available to Advance for Students Who Don’t Graduate Early?

The fast track out of high school isn’t for everyone. However, students still have options that can help them to get a kick start to college while they are in high school. Taking online college courses, college courses that are offered through their high schools, and advanced placement classes can help them to earn college credits.

Earning credits in high school is also possible through dual-enrollment, where you are still in high school (public, private, or home school) and take community college classes — even for free in many cases! So you could do finish your AA while still in high school, thereby getting two years of college without paying for them–and then graduate with your Bachelor’s in only two more years because you finished all your prereqs while getting the AA. SWEET!

Graduating from high school early is not all roses. We know of a couple of extremely bright kids with good upbringings who graduated high school early, but were unfortunately introduced to drugs and other harmful things by their community college student peers. Being immature and freer from parental and teacher supervision (in college you are on your own), they fell prey to the peer pressure, and to this day are suffering from their bad choices–including substance abuse, suicidal tendencies, and even imprisonment. So make sure you are mature enough to handle life outside of high school because it can be a jungle out there.

We all love having fun after a full day of hitting the textbooks in school, but this is not always possible when we have assignments to complete and exams to pass that are just around the corner. Some tasks may be easy when you are discussing them at school, but they prove to be more difficult when you are tackling them on your own at home. Things just get very boring. Well, we are going to give you 5 study tips for when your homework is very boring.

Before we get into these 5 study tips, first a suggestion for Spanish-speaking students. You can avoid many of the frustrations of trying to figure out boring homework on your own by checking out https://www.rincondelvago.com/, where you can interact with other students from all the basic levels of study. You will find case studies, revision materials, and more stuff jst for students on this site, and thus make learning a but funner. Maybe one day they will develop an English site, but if you speak Spansih check it out.

Making your study environment at home a space conducive to concentrating can prevent that boring homework from becoming an uphill task that drains you all the time. Trying to motivate yourself by focusing on the big picture of what you will gain after studying well and completing your homework will help you keep focused, despite having the urge to do other things—like checking your Snaps for the 1000th time today. Here are some of things you can try to keep you interested and able to study for a long time even if your homework is boring.

1. Listen to some good music

Music has a way of relaxing your mind, and if you listen to some cool music that you like most, it can help keep your mind alert. Boring homework can make you lose interest in reading, but by listening to music, you are stimulated and this can help you pay more attention, which helps you to understand what you have just read. Keep the volume at a reasonable level so you can focus on what you are studying, but feel free to get up every while and dance around on a break!

2. Use the Pomodoro technique

This technique helps hold you accouontable and focused on what you are doing. The Pomodoro technique (pomodoro is “tomato” in Italian) involves setting a timer for 25 minutes, in which you study without stopping until the alarm goes off. After that, you can take a five-minute break to relax. After four of these 25/5 periods (which equal two hours of pretty steady work), you can then take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. You should utilize your break time by doing something that will help your get your mind off your studies. Stretch, eat a snack, check your phone, etc.

There are many free apps with Pomodoro timers, just search the App Store or Google Play.

3. Study with a friend over FaceTime or Skype

It can help to do homework with a friend. With FaceTime or Skype, which are easy and free to chat with, you can study with someone else at any time. Your friend may understand the parts that are hard for you, and you can also help them out with the parts that are challenging for them. You should, however, get someone who encourages and helps you to concentrate on your studies, and not someone who distracts you with a bunch of gossip or showing you the latest memes instead of getting to work.

4. Get a parent involved to help you

Getting help from a parent can sometimes help in keeping a positive attitude toward your studies. Not always (we get it), but give it a try. Do not feel shy to ask for their assistance when your homework gets hard or boring for you. You can discuss your problems, and chances are they can help you to reason out the concepts that you do not understand. The key here is to understnd they have not been in school a long time, so you have to show them patience because they might not understand modern schooling methods. They are, however, very experienced–which counts for a lot!

5. Sketch or use toys or other objects to help you understand concepts 

The last of our study tips is to use toys and other objects to understand concepts. This works because it makes the words on the page more real by putting them into the real world as opposed to just in your head.

By taking some paper clips, a few coins, and whatever else you have lying around and using them to demonstrate the important points of what you are studying, it stimulates your mind, encourages creativity, imagination, and expression of feelings. Sketching can also be useful in simplifying complex ideas into something that your mind can easily remember. Your memory can remember a sketch or an image much easier than some random fact, and this is much more entertaining than reading endless paragraphs of text.

Do you have any more study tips for boring homework? Share below!

Do you find yourself dreading essays and putting them off until the last possible moment? While not everyone loves writing, you can certainly make things easier for yourself. An excellent essay won’t just impress your teacher and peers, and it will also help build your confidence. Here are some tips on how to write a killer essay.

1. How to write a killer essay rule#1: nail the thesis

The first step in how to write a killer essay is to come up with a compelling thesis. All essays need one. This is the statement at the end of your introduction that you seek to support by the end of your essay. It’s not like proving the existence of Bigfoot, but it does involve having supporting arguments through evidence — like verified research you can cite. If your essay is research-intensive, it helps to gather your evidence BEFORE doing your thesis. Should you find anything that strongly refutes your argument, you need to revise it.

2. Know how to structure it

An improper structure keeps many essays from being neat and organized. There are four major types of essays: descriptive (which uses expressive language), narrative (where the writer recounts an experience), persuasive (where you need to make an argument and back it up), and expository (which delves into a specific topic). When you’re assigned an essay, make sure you understand what kind it is. A narrative essay can be made engaging by starting in the middle of the action and going backward to establish how you reached that point. A persuasive essay should outline your points in the beginning and explain them one by one. Read examples of each type of essay to understand structure better.

3. Make it flow

Great writing is all about the flow. For how to write a killer essay, there should be a clear connection between each sentence and paragraph. Choppy writing makes essays challenging to read. You should consider each point you present and whether it appears naturally. If it feels out of sync in any way, consider revising it.

4. End it strong

A compelling essay keeps the reader’s attention from beginning to end. While it might be easy to rush through the conclusion, you need to nail the landing for a great essay. Go back to your thesis, discuss your supporting arguments in your thesis, and think of an excellent final statement which reiterates your thesis.

No one is born knowing how to write a killer essay. It’s a talent that is developed through practice and patience. When you understand the fundamentals of essay writing and know how to formulate your arguments, you’re already on your way to success. Take this advice to heart and go into your next essay with newfound motivation. Remember not to procrastinate and be consistent with your work on it.

References:

• 8 Tips for Great Essay Writing | Oxbridge Essays
• The 4 Different Types of Essays | Word Counter
• Essay Tips: 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay