Colleges Offering Tuition Guarantees

Colleges Offering Tuition Guarantees In attempts to attract prospective students, many colleges across the nation are promising incoming freshmen that their tuition rates will not rise during their four years in college, according to an article in The US News World Report. All public universities in Illinois and several other public and private colleges throughout the nation are locking freshmen tuition rates. However, these schools are raising separate fees such as housing, meal plans and other various costs. Also, these colleges are increasing the tuition rates that each incoming freshmen class will pay, without changing the tuition for returning sophomores, juniors and seniors. Students and parents will save an estimated $5,000 by attending a four-year college that locks tuition, according to the article. Colleges are implementing these tuition guarantees because they are in strict competition with each other to boost enrollment. When colleges compete over students, costs tend to decrease. Students and parents still need to pay close attention to college tuition rates because most universities revenues are down due to the tough economy. Some colleges are luring freshmen in with tuition locks and guarantees; however these colleges are dramatically increasing the tuition rates for each incoming freshman class. Some of these tuition spikes are so significant that students and parents actually pay more for attending a certain college that boasts tuition guarantees. Students and parents need to closely analyze the tuition and other costs of attending college because financial administrators at colleges can skew the tuition and other costs. Universities will offer tuition guarantees and large amounts of financial aid to appear cost-effective. However, students can still overpay for college, compared to other schools. The US News World Report stated that the public universities in Illinois are very affordable because they are not deceiving students with their tuition guarantees by overinflating tuition. Traditionally, these tuition guarantees only apply to four-year degrees. Students who attend college for five or more years will not have their tuition locked after their fourth year.

Regrouping decimals

Regrouping decimals Decimals numbers representation is one of the most useful notations in math. In a decimal numbers the decimal dot is used separate the whole number part and the fractional part. The first number next to the decimal point is called the tenth place value. The second number next to the decimal point is called the hundredth place value. The third number next to the decimal point is called the thousandth place value and so on. Example 1: Show the place values and grouping of the digits in the decimal number 23.45? Solution: Here the number 23 is the whole number part. Where 3 is the ones place and 2 is the tenths place. The whole number part is separated by the fractional part by a decimal dot. The tenth decimal place value is 4. The hundredth decimal place value is 5. The number 23.45 can be grouped as the following: 23.45 = 20 + 3 + dot (.) + 4/10 + 5/100. Question: Multiple choice question (Pick the correct option.) What is the answer for the addition of the decimal number 2.3 + 4.5? a) 6.0 b) 6.5 c) 6.8 d) None of these. Correct answer: option c .Here the two decimal number 2.3 and 4.5 are to be added. First add the tenth decimal place values this gives 3 + 5 = 8. Now add the whole number part which gives 2 + 4 = 6 Now grouping the two decimal number gives: Answer: 2.3 + 4.5 = 6.8

Singing Tips for Seniors Taking Voice Lessons Later in Life

Singing Tips for Seniors Taking Voice Lessons Later in Life Suzy S. Think its too late for you to learn how to sing? Here, Hayward, CA teacher  Molly R.  explains why its actually a fantastic time to start up lessonsas well as some helpful singing tips for making the most of them Im 70. Is it too late for me to learn how to sing? As a voice teacher, I get inquiries from singers of all walks of life. Its actually pretty surprising to me that more people think its normal for a 3-year-old (!) to take private voice lessons, yet its completely out of the question for someone 60 or older. Many older people may find themselves retired and looking for a new hobby, so singing lessons are a wonderful choice. One 72-year-old gentleman I work with is excited to finally have this time for himself, and has even joined a community chorus! Another senior lady tells me she loves her lessons because she gets a chance to revisit the songs she loved while growing upincluding many by the great crooners. Are you an older adult thinking of taking voice lessons? Good for you! Know that you are definitely NOT too old to sing. Here are some helpful singing tips for older vocalists: Keep a positive attitude, no matter what anyone else may say. There are plenty of super seniors out there who are still singing! Look at musicians like Sir Paul McCartney, Shirley Bassey, and Dolly Parton, to name but a few. They clearly love what they do! If you enjoy the process of creating music, that is really all that matters. Consider taking regular weekly lessons, even if you dont have performance aspirations. Why? Its good for your whole body!   Singing has been proven to fight depression, and even assists with certain ailments, like high blood pressure and asthma. Work with your teacher in finding the repertoire that is right for you NOW.  Your voice may not be as strong as it was in your youthbut what is? All muscles lose some elasticity as we age, but please dont let that hold you back. Men may find that their voices are higher, and women may find that their voices are now considerably lower, due to drastic changes in hormones. Embrace the changes. There is plenty of compelling music for you to sing! Take it easy on yourself, as far as practicing goes. Since you are doing this for your own personal enrichment, you dont need to worry about daily practice sessions. And if you cant commit to weekly lessons, you can easily make progress even if you attend two lessons a month, and vocalize three to four times a week. And finally Consider using your voice as a way to make friends, and even perform! Many older people may find themselves bored and a little lonely. A few of my older students have made community choruses a part of their lives, now that they finally have the time to pursue more of their passions. Some are even trying karaoke nights for the very first time! As a older adult, you have had more life experience, and that alone will make your performances that much more compelling. Isnt that what great singing is about, anyway? Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013. Learn more about Molly  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

5 Wise Tips When Pursuing the Career of Your Dreams - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Wise Tips When Pursuing the Career of Your Dreams - Introvert Whisperer 5 Wise Tips When Pursuing the Career of Your Dreams If you loved the work you do now, you likely wouldnt be so keen to leave it behind to follow your passion. According to Forbes, more than half of all workers today would love to give their notice and do something they could truly enjoy. So why dont they? Why dont more people wave goodbye to their 9-to-5 and head off for a rendezvous with their dream career? This is a great question and one that will likely produce different answers depending on who you ask. But here, it doesnt matter what other unhappy people decide whether to stay or go. What matters is what YOU decide to do. You only live once, so why not go for it and spend your career years pursuing the kind of work you love! It may not be easy, but it sure will be worth it, and these five wise tips will help you along the way. Tip 1: No regrets is ALWAYS worth the work involved.   One thing that likely keeps many unhappy workers glued to their dismal desks is the ever-present threat of failure. In fact, many unhappy workers say one of their greatest fears is layoffs! This will never be you once you decide to pursue the career of your dreams. However, there is no guarantee you will succeed, either. This is why being an entrepreneur requires bravery. You are an adult, launching a new venture with your eyes wide open to both the potential risks and the possible rewards. Most importantly, you are an adventurer through life who is determined not to ever be haunted by the dreadful what ifs. You are not the one who will spend their final days wondering what your life would have been like if only you had tried that-thing-you-never-tried. So while there is no guarantee of success, there is absolutely a guarantee of personal growth, self-empowerment, newfound wisdom and courage, increased resilience, unexpected wonders and a whole new way of looking at the world that can only be yours when you take the reins of your own life. Tip 2: You calling the shots turns the Whys? Into Why Nots!   Maybe you used to be (or are now) one of those restless, dissatisfied, frustrated workers who looks at your companys upper management and thinks how differently you would do things if you were in their shoes. Now, in choosing to pursue the career of your dreams, you are freeing yourself to do those things differently! For instance, if you want to partner with a local school or charity to produce stadium blankets for student fundraising or young people in need, you dont need to run your idea by anyone but yourself to get approval. You can do good AND advance your career and feel really good about doing it. In the same way, you are free to partner, collaborate and co-create with like-minded others, sharing your followers and creating more success for everyone involved. When your attitude turns from a fear-based why? to a brave and adventurous why not! anything becomes possible. Tip 3: Avoid skeptics like the plague.   If your best friend told you she was super sick with the flu, you probably wouldnt beg to go over there and see her, right? When you decide to really go for it and pursue your dream career, it is well worth treating anyone who is a skeptic or outright pessimist like they are covered in flu germs. It really just isnt worth it to spend time with people who will knowingly or unwittingly undercut your courage right at a moment when you are at both your most hopeful and youre most vulnerable. Otherwise, well, sometimes skeptics do have a point. Well, yes, that is risky. Of course, you might fail. Yup, it is expensive to buy supplies and maintain an inventory and build a website and do marketing and print business cards. Sure, you are using your whole life savings to pursue your dream career. But you know what? That is why not everyone does it! The ones who dont do it will never know the joy and triumph of realizing that you can actually earn a living doing what you love. The ones who not only dont do it themselves but tell others they cant do it either will never know they are wrong. And these are not the folks you want to keep company with anyway. You the soon-to-be-success need and deserve to surround yourself with other dreamers and brave doers like you. So (at the risk of overusing an already overused cliche), just do it! Tip 4: Stay flexible always.   If you start out pursuing what you think is your dream career and one day get waylaid by your real dream career while en route, you wont be the first or the last. Sometimes you think you know what you really want and you are right. And sometimes what you think you want is just a pale imitation of something else you encounter during the journey. Either way, it is critical to stay flexible during your adventures. If you discover something that is clearly a better fit, jump on it. After all, that is why you started out on this journey in the first place, isnt it? Tip 5: It is fine to keep your current life and pursue your dream too.   Maybe you are no longer single, childless and footloose and overall, you are happy about that. But you still have unfulfilled dreams tugging at you anyway. This is okay. In fact, it is more than okay. You can still pursue your dreams. It might take a bit longer or require more strategizing, but if you look closely enough, you can find a way to, bit by bit, day after day, pursue your dream career while keeping what you love about your current life too. Mori V. Brockbank is a high school counselor by morning, a volleyball coach by day, and a motivational/sports blogger by night. Her passion for empowering and strengthening others flows within her work and writing. Go to top CAREER ACCELERATION Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Getting a Student to Understand Geometry

Getting a Student to Understand Geometry Getting a Student to Understand Geometry As parents, you know Geometry can be quite complex and sometimes your child can get lost when trying to remember terms like congruent triangles, quadrilaterals, and theorems, just to name a few. It's easy for him or her to confuse one of these terms with another or simply have problems grasping the concepts. While it's true that every student has strengths and weaknesses, he or she will need to be able to shine in all subjects in order to do well in school. The good news is that, if you notice that your child is struggling with Geometry, there are things that you can do to help: Spend extra time on difficult-to-grasp material Geometry is about figuring out the position, shape, and size of forms and using the information to solve problems. Learning the basic principles of this discipline, however, involves a great deal more memorization and repetition than many other types of mathematics. If your child can't sort out which rules apply to a given situation, you're already fighting a losing battle. By taking extra time to go over the concepts and to then ensure that your student understands how to use them in a problem-solving capacity, you will keep him or her from falling behind the rest of the class. Find extra problems for him or her to solve and test their skills! Missing a day can hurt hire a tutor! Inevitably, your child will get sick or have a doctor's appointment and miss a day of class. While you may not think that's a big concern (it was just one day, after all), a lost day can actually have a big impact on your child's understanding of the subject matter. Geometry concepts are built upon each other throughout the year, so if your student misses a key lesson he or she may fall behind. Unfortunately, many teachers just won't have the time to really review the material as fully as your child might need in order to truly grasp what that they missed. This leaves your child responsible for catching up, which could be problematic if he or she is having trouble comprehending the subject already. If this happens, a geometry tutor can get your child back up to speed and bridge the gap of that missed material. The moment you recognize that your child struggling is the moment you can step in and help him or her to succeed. By taking some extra time to go over the key concepts of geometry with your child and hiring a tutor when they are falling behind, you can ensure that he or she gets the assistance that they need.

Learn English Agreeing and disagreeing in English conversation

Learn English Agreeing and disagreeing in English conversation Agreeing and Disagreeing in English can be difficult for many English language learners because it has an unusual grammar structure. However agreeing and disagreeing is an important part of learning a language. So Im going to break down grammatically how to agree and disagree in English and then show you how to ask and state your opinions.How To Agree In English:Positive Sentences (+) I think that Macs are better than PCs. To Agree with this sentence: I do too.Me too.So do INegative Sentences (-) I dont think that Macs are better than PCs. To Agree with this sentence:Neither do I.Me Neither.How To Disagree In English:Positive Sentences (+) I think that Macs are better than PCs. To Disagree with this sentence:I dont. (You can add Oh, Really, Thats interesting, Wow to the beginning to add emphasis) Really, I dont!Negative Sentences (-) I dont think that Macs are better than PCs. To Disagree with this sentence:I do! (You can add Oh, Really, Thats interesting, Wow to the beginning to ad d emphasis) Wow, I do!How to Agree with a to be statement (am,are,is)Positive Sentences (+) I am hungry! To Agree with this sentence:Me too!I am too!So am I.Negative Sentences (-) Im not hungry yet. To Agree with this sentence:Neither am I.Me neither.How to Disagree with to be statement (Im not, isnt, arent):Positive Sentences (+) Im hungry. To Disagree with this sentence:Im not. (You can add Oh, Really, Wow, and other expressions for emphasis: Really, Im not!)Negative Sentences (-) Im not hungry. To Disagree with this Sentence:I am! (You can add Oh, Really, Wow, Huh, and other expressions for emphases: Huh, I am.)How to Agree with Can:Positive Sentences (+) I can speak Spanish. To Agree with this Sentence:So can I.Me too.I can tooNegative Sentences (-) I cant Speak Spanish. To agree with this Sentence:Neither can I.Me neither.How to Disagree with Can:Positive Sentence (+) I can speak Spanish. To Disagree with this Sentence:I cant.Negative Sentence (-) I cant speak Spanish. To Disag ree with this Sentence:I can.

The Perfectionists Guide to Improving Your Accent in a Foreign Language

The Perfectionists Guide to Improving Your Accent in a Foreign Language The Perfectionists Guide to Improving Your Accent in a Foreign Language Dont listen to the naysayers, the haters and the skeptics.Forget the Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys.You can sound exactly like a native speaker.Its possible for a language learner to be mistaken for a native.All it takes is practiceâ€"the right kind of practice.Of course, an accent isnt the end-all, be-all of foreign language learning.Grammar, vocabulary and communicative skills are arguably more important. You can be understood and respected while still having an accent.But theres nothing cooler than speaking with the tone, rhythm and pronunciation of a legit native speaker.Its guaranteed to impress natives and fellow learners alike. Why Improve Your Accent in a Foreign Language?Getting rid of your accent and sounding more like a native is the key to fully being understood.Theres a very social aspect to language that should not be ignored. While it may seem cool to know one or more foreign languages, the goal of language is communication. Sounding more like a native enables sm oother conversation, since the listener wont be straining to make sense of your words.Getting your accent to be not just intelligible but also  perfect  will put natives even more at ease, as they wont feel like theyre speaking with a foreigner as much. (Not that theres anything wrong with being foreign, but people might not be sure if you fully understand them or have anything in common with them.)An accent requires a deeper knowledge of not only the grammar and rules of the target language but also of the customs and culture. Theres a famous Czech proverb: “You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.” Its no coincidence that this proverb exists. To speak like a native, you must step into the shoes of a native speaker.A deeper knowledge of the accent will help you understand natives better. Many language learners find themselves overwhelmed when they step out of the classroom and meet honest-to-goodness native speaker s for the first time. The language can sound so different when natives are speaking a mile a minute, dropping syllables and blurring words together. To get your own accent just right, youll have to study the way natives speak, which in turn will boost your comprehension, big time.At times, speaking a foreign language can feel more like a performance. In fact, thinking of it in this way helps you overcome your fears, shyness and self-imposed boundaries, which set you down the path to sounding more like a native speaker. Integrating artistic disciplines such as music and theater along with some basic language learning concepts can drastically improve the way you speak. Again, youll put yourself in the shoes of a native speaker. Play the role of someone who lives in the language. Then project that voice out into the world when youre speaking.In the end, language is more about communicating effectivelyâ€"practice is more important than the theory for all practical purposes.The Perfectio nists Guide to Improving Your Accent in a Foreign Language1. Listen, listen, listenThe most important skill you have to master in order to improve your accent is listening.Careful listening will help you get the language “in your ear.”It will help you to better distinguish all the phonemes, or distinct sound units, of a language, giving you an overall familiarity with the language.Before you can speak fluently in a foreign language, its important to be able to break it down into its distinct sounds. The first time you come into contact with a new language, a whole conversation may sound like one big run-on word. However, with time and with more exposure, youll start to hear syllables and words.Obviously, the most fruitful way to listen to a language is to be surrounded by it constantly while having little to no contact with your native language. This forces you to listen because your native language cant be used as a backup to get you out of a situation that you dont completely understand. Your brain goes into survival mode and youll be compelled to use that language to buy food, locate the bathroom and get back to your house or hotel.Realistically, not everyone has the luxury of living abroad and being fully immersed in their target language, but thats no longer a deterrent. YouTube, language learning podcasts and internet radio are great resources to utilize. Before you know it, youll be listening to your target language every day.Never let the room be silent. When youre working, exercising, showering, cooking, washing the dishes, you name itâ€"have something playing in your target language.  Its always a great idea to listen to one of these resources while doing menial tasks around the house such as cleaning or cooking. The foreign language becomes the background noise that youll slowly grow accustomed to.2. Teach your mouth and tongue the right movesOnce youre able to distinguish the basic phonemes of your target language, its advisable to immediately start learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Any dictionary for any languageThis is a systematic method of phonetic notation that makes reading foreign words much easier because every sound has its own character. This can be learned through IPA charts and apps. The IPA Phonetics app is very beneficial because it allows you to hear the sound of each letter and it shows you a close-up video of the mouth and lipsâ€"not only can you hear the sound, but you can see how the sound is made. Both of these are very important to getting the correct accent.Aside from listening and watching this app, its helpful to practice these letters on your own in front of a mirror. Are your mouth and lips making the same movements as the app? How are these movements different from those in your native language? Becoming conscious of these can help you distinguish your native accent from the foreign accent, making it easier to pick up the new foreign accent.3. Do a sound checkOnce you get down the basic mouth and lip movements, its time to focus on pronunciation as a whole. This means putting all the individual sounds you learned with the IPA together. Its advisable to practice words and phoneme combinations that differ from the combinations in your native language. However, this is not enoughâ€"you have to focus on articulation and the tone of voice.Getting the  vowel sounds down pat is key to any authentic-sounding accent. Most constants are the same or at least very similar across languages, but vowels are tricky. Practicing getting vowel sounds correct greatly improves your accent. Listening to vowel sounds in your native language and comparing them to your target language is a surefire way to distinguish your native accent to that of your target language.As silly as it may sound,  tongue twisters immensely improve your accent because they focus on a certain phoneme thats said in various words across a sentence. Tongue twisters are tricky to say correctly in your own native language, so practicing them in your target language helps you learn and get used to these difficult sounds.Reading out loud and recording yourself helps you track your progress. This exercise is twofold. You practice both speaking and critical listening. There are many foreign-language and dual-language books which are excellent sources for practicing. Some of these books are also sold as audiobooks so you can listen to the audio version and compare it to your own practice recording.Another interesting fact is that accents are closely connected to the culture. Trying to get into the mindset of the culture does wonders for your accent.For example, have you ever noticed that a Midwestern American accent sounds rather flat, much like the flatlands that surround them?Have you ever noticed that the Russian accent is in the back of the throat, as if its too cold to let the words out so they stay warm back there?Did you ever notice that the romantic French language seems to speak w ith the lips always ready for a kiss?Noticing these little nuances and applying them to your language learning helps bring your language to life and improve your accent when speaking.4. Make a sweet playlistAfter getting down pronunciation, youll notice that every language has its own melody. The words are spoken in a certain rhythm with emphasis and stresses in places much different than those in your own native tongue. Building up a music library gives you access to music that brings this out. Not only will it help you learn new words and sentence structures, it loosens you up, making it easier for you to achieve the accent of your target language.Singing songs in your target language in your favorite genre is a great way to start. The basic rhythm of these songs will be somewhat familiar to you. If its music you already love, then youll identify with it right away. This creates an emotional connection and makes accent practice much more enjoyable and memorable. Youll probably be mumbling the lyrics to yourself next time youre wheeling your shopping cart through the grocery store.Singing along with a song also helps you imitate the sounds being sung. Once youre more advanced, rapping is an incredible way to practice improving your accent. Like tongue twisters, rap tends to be fast and with all the rhyming it can be a challenge to learnâ€"but it provides immense benefits.When singing its important to be emotionally presentâ€"feel the rhythm and become part of the song. Focus not only on the music of the song but on the music of the language. Singing helps you exaggerate this, which improves your accent.5. Act out the role of a lifetimeLastly, every language has its own mentality.This mentality forms the culture which affects the language. So, why not become an actor?Act out the language! Embrace the emotions that are shown or not shown. Language isnt just wordsâ€"gestures, expressions and body language play a huge part in unspoken communication. Embracing the se help you to break free of your own native language and culture, allowing you to enter into the world of your target language. This is the only way to truly speak like a native.Practicing reverse mimicry is an acting technique that helps improve your accent. This is when you speak your native language in the accent of your target language. With this, youre practicing the accent without any of the worrying that may come along with speaking in your target language. The accent is much easier to achieve in this manner. Once you realize that youve got the accent down while speaking in your native language, its an easy transition to use it when actually speaking in your target language.Dont forget, speaking a language is a means of interacting more effectively with native speakers.The less you sound like a foreigner, the more easily youll be understood.On a more personal level, achieving a foreign accent helps you sound more confident and fluent, thus making it easier for people to enga ge in conversation with you.Despite this, you should never be ashamed of where you are in learning a foreign language.Even if youre a complete beginner and are worrying about your rough accent, get out there and try your best!Start practicing a foreign accent at the beginning of your language learning journey.You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! And One More ThingUnlike many traditional language programs, FluentU exposes you to a wide variety of speakers, accents and dialects in your target languageâ€"all of which can only improve your own speaking skills and confidence. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, de finition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

italki internships Thanks Simone!

italki internships Thanks Simone! Did you know italki has a great internship program? We are always accepting interns from diverse backgrounds, speaking any language. Today we said goodbye to Simone, our intern from Italy who is heading back to finish up his studies at his last year in university. He left us with a great story about his experiences these past 3 months as well! We wish you all the best with whatever the future has in store for you Simone! Simones last lunch with the italki team! Its been a pleasure and an honor. Have a safe trip back to Italy! #italkiinternships #italki #italkiofficelife #Shanghai #Chinesebanquet #lunch #drinkingbaijiu A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:05pm PST italki internships Thanks Simone! Did you know italki has a great internship program? We are always accepting interns from diverse backgrounds, speaking any language. Today we said goodbye to Simone, our intern from Italy who is heading back to finish up his studies at his last year in university. He left us with a great story about his experiences these past 3 months as well! We wish you all the best with whatever the future has in store for you Simone! Simones last lunch with the italki team! Its been a pleasure and an honor. Have a safe trip back to Italy! #italkiinternships #italki #italkiofficelife #Shanghai #Chinesebanquet #lunch #drinkingbaijiu A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:05pm PST