Transformations of Function: Causes of Disease

Transformations of Function: Causes of DiseaseTransformations of function and disease are often inextricably linked. Unfortunately, transforming a function into a disease often is not as simple as one might expect. The transformation may seem inevitable, but it often has to be initiated by individuals who have the experience, knowledge, and means to make it happen.Transformation of function is often associated with the aging process. Aging is a complex process that produces breakdowns in functions that make people function differently. This means that there will be gaps in function that can lead to disease.Just as aging creates gaps in function, so too does the aging process reduce functionality. For example, once a person has reached their mid-fifties, their ability to digest food has greatly diminished. Aging and functioning are often closely linked, because both are processes that become progressively more difficult over time. A person's age can help determine what degree of deter ioration of function that they will experience.Replacement of the function is another cause of disease. Certain types of cancer, for example, produce function from malfunctioning in other functions, making it a disease that produces functional breakdowns in the body.Transformation of function in a person is also seen in the elderly. As the aging process alters and defies the normal aging pattern, the functions of older adults change and the diseases that stem from them change.These problems occur because there is no longer a continuity between functions. It is important to note that the transformation of function is not always a cause of disease. Instead, it can sometimes be a symptom of a disease that is already present. There are many examples of transformation of function that could lead to the development of a disease.If you find that your health care provider is not clear about your symptoms, please seek out a health care specialist. We are all at risk for the transformation of a function that takes place in our bodies, and it is necessary to understand how it works and to be prepared to address it as a part of a proper diagnosis.

Our Advice for Learning to Write in Chinese

Our Advice for Learning to Write in Chinese Become a Master of Writing Chinese Characters Chapters Learn the Chinese Alphabet and its English Translation Learn to Write in Chinese Chinese Writing: Techniques for Learning Chinese Characters Learn to Write in Chinese with CalligraphyFor those who use the Latin Alphabet on a daily basis, learning to write Chinese characters can be really complicated.  While China has made efforts to make the language more accessible to those in the West, it still remains a challenge for anyone wanting to travel to China, participate in foreign exchange programs, or work in China.In addition to all the available Chinese textbooks, you can find plenty of resources for learning Chinese on the web from lighthearted videos on YouTube to websites focusing on mastering the Chinese language.There’s a common myth that you can define a student’s level in Chinese by how many different traditional Chinese characters they know. This means that a lot of students are preoccupied with learning as many Chinese hanzi characters as they can, often at the e xpense of learning the other aspects of the language.However, that doesn’t mean you can ignore it altogether, either. Let’s have a look at some of the best ways to learn, memorize, and write Chinese characters... NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChinese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Learn the Chinese Alphabet and its English TranslationWhen we say “learn the Chinese alphabet”, we don’t really mean it in the same way as you’d learn to recite the alphabet in English, Spanish, or French.While the writing system inspires very few people, China's landscapes are worth learning the language for. (Source: Zhang Kaiyv)Chinese uses ?? hanzi (or Han characters) to write and the writing system operates in a completely different way to the Latin Alphabet we use to write (which can make finding Chinese vocabulary in dictionaries quite complicated).The Chinese writing system is around 4,000 years old and originated from a traditional writing system which was subsequently simplified by the Chinese government in order to improve literacy in China and make the language more accessible to foreigners.Today, the traditional system of characters which represent Chinese words and phrases is only used in specialized newspapers, magazines, and old books on Chinese literature. It’s solely used by the literate elite, knowledgeable linguists, and is associated with good taste, good manners, and a high social standingThe biggest change to came when the Mandarin Chinese language was standardized by the People’s Republic of China. This had an effect on both Japan and Singapore, too. While Chinese was ignored by foreigners despite how many people speak it, Mandarin Chinese started becoming more attractive to foreigners when the Pinyin romanization system was created in the 1950s.The system created by Zhou Youguang was created in order to bridge the gap between Chinese characters and the Latin Alphabet. While based on other older transcription systems, it has far outperformed them in terms of utility and popularity.Having broken down the barriers to entry, learning Mandarin Chinese became much more popular than it had ever been and Confucius Institutes were created all over the world.  Thanks to Pinyin, Chinese and its system of tones became much easier to understand thanks to putting simple diacritic marks over the tops of vowels.  Writing was also standardized across Chinese provinces. Chinese is written and read from left to write.Whether you’re looking to travel to China , participate in a Chinese language exchange program, or start a career in China, learning Mandarin Chinese through the Pinyin system can make your first steps a little less daunting.Find Mandarin lessons London and other major UK cities on Superprof. Learn to Write in ChineseIf there’s one word to describe how foreigners feel when it comes time to learn how to read and write in Chinese it’d be “intimidated”. With over 5,000 official characters (not to mention older characters and special characters), learning to read and write in Chinese might sound like an almost impossible challenge.If you learn how to write in Chinese, you'll inevitably know how to read in Chinese. (Source: pixabay.com)For those brave enough to tackle it, they’ll have to put in a lot of work at home in order to master:Memorizing the charactersThe pronunciation of the charactersThe meaning of the charactersIf you want to learn to read and write in Chinese, you’re going to need to learn the basic rules that you have to apply to every stroke of every character in every text.Firstly, you need to fully learn your first characters before you even consider moving on to more complicated characters. This will help you to avoid confusion and getting mixed up when it comes to reading the characters.Secondly, it’s imperative that you learn the association between each character, its shape, and its meaning. This can help you better understand the characters as well as giving you technique for remembering them better.Finally, you’ll need to focus on the pronunciation of each character. Each character in Chinese has a particular tone associated to it that you’ll need to learn as they completely change the meaning.It should be noted that when learning to write in Chinese, the methods used by the language schools, Confucius Institute, and inter-cultural associations should be seen as a sign of the quality of their teaching.There are a number of kinesthetic approaches are currently very po pular since they can help students to memorize characters much more quickly than some of the other methods.  It can often be effective to learn characters in order of difficultly and treating each character as an independent entity. Learning Chinese characters using these methods can speed up the learning process. Chinese Writing: Techniques for Learning Chinese CharactersChinese characters are the cornerstone of learning the language that was standardized by the People’s Republic of China in 1956.  If you want to learn how to write Chinese characters, you’re going to have to follow a number of rules which, after regular and frequent practice sessions, will make learning these characters much easier.If you learn around 5,000 characters, you should be able to understand around 80% of the newspaper in China. (Source: pixabay.com)To start, you'll need to know what a radical is. Each Chinese character is made up of anywhere between 1 and 20 radicals. To understand just how important these are, you should know that it’s impossible to look up any word in a Chinese dictionary without having an understanding of the radicals that make up the Chinese character you’re looking for.Chinese characters are written within an invisible square whose limits must always be respected and are made up of 8 fundamental strokes that define how each hanzi is to be written. Whether the movement is straight, curved, or broken, the orientation of each stroke is predetermined by a set of rules.In fact, this set of rules and the stroke order that helps define the balance of each character has been around for a few thousand years.  When it comes to learning how to write the Chinese hanzi characters, there’s a hierarchy with three main steps that you need to follow:Firstly, you need to respect the visual aspect of each Chinese character. This is done by paying particular attention to the radicals.You need to be able to memorize, place, and accurately reproduce all the key elements o f each Chinese character together.These key elements (of which there are over 200) can be subsequently used to create further Chinese characters with similar meanings. Learn to Write in Chinese with CalligraphyIt’s not uncommon for Chinese artists to have sleepless nights fretting over a particular curve on a hanzi character they’ve written.  This is just how serious Chinese calligraphy is. It’s the pinnacle of written Chinese both in terms of artistry and technique.If you think calligraphy is beautiful, you should check out Chinese calligraphy! (Source: Miguel Á. Padriñán)Chinese calligraphy or ?? is one of the human race’s oldest art forms. It brings together both lovers of Chinese culture and lovers of traditional art.  It’s also a way for you to learn more about Chinese writing without having to lock yourself in a classroom and listen to a long and boring lecture.Without going into too much detail about spirituality, the bond between the body and the spirit, and how it all comes together in this art form, Chinese calligraphy can also be a great way to learn more about how Chinese writing is put together.Given how much Chinese calligraphy focuses on the action of writing, the quality of each stroke, and the technical aspects of writing, it can be an invaluable tool for anyone wanting to better understand the Chinese writing system.Of course, you can learn to read and write Chinese without mastering the complexities of Chinese calligraphy as not all of the same rules are followed in everyday Chinese.  Calligraphy is a useful learning tool when it comes to focusing on the order of strokes which you need to be familiar with before you put pen to paper.By leaving your pencil case in the draw, you can learn a lot about Chinese writing through calligraphy. However, you should also consider taking Chinese lessons London - or whatever city you live in, or private tutorials if you want to also be able to speak and understand Chinese.The spoken Chinese l anguage, after all, can be as beautiful as the calligraphy that’s used to represent it on paper.

How to Play Ukulele Easy Chords to Get You Started

How to Play Ukulele Easy Chords to Get You Started Sign up successful Ready to learn your first chord? Great! First step: grab your ukulele. Next, hold down the bottom string on the third fret with the ring finger of your left hand. Finally, strum. Congratulations, you just played a C chord! Heres what the chord chart looks like for the C chord you just played: Chord charts are always written such that the bold line at the top represents the head of the ukulele. The vertical line on the far left represents your top string, the G string, while the line on the far right of the diagram represents the bottom string, the A string. Each horizontal line represents a fret. Some chord charts also include numbers, like the one above. The number on the diagram, three, represents which finger on your left hand should be used to fret that particular string. In this case, the chart indicates that you should use your third or ring finger. The left hand fingers are numbered one through four, starting with the index finger. Many chord charts dont include finger numbers. Once you get more comfortable playing ukulele, you will likely find you no longer need to see instructions for fingering on the left hand as it becomes more natural to you. If youre having trouble learning chords from charts, you might want to check out some video tutorials or schedule private lessons with a ukulele teacher. More Chord Charts Now that you know how to read a ukulele chord chart, here are some of the basic chords that you will need to know in order to start learning songs: When youre just getting started, focus on learning two or three chords and switching back and forth between them. One very common sequence of chords is C, D, and G. First, practice switching between the C and D. Next, try switching from D to G, and then from G to C. Get even more out of your practice time by adding a metronome to the mix. Start slow, maybe at 60 or 70 beats per minute. Practice switching between C, G, and D chords while staying on tempo. Try to play each chord for four beats and then switch as smoothly as you can to the next chord. Once you get comfortable switching chords at a slow tempo, start to increase the speed of your metronome in increments of 5 or 10 more beats per minute. Once youre able to change chords with confidence, youre ready to start learning some easy ukulele songs! 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

The Value Of College Degrees

The Value Of College Degrees There has always been much debate on how valuable a college degree is. Some are convinced its a waste of money and time that could have been spent working and earning income. Others say its a necessary education experience that will give one a competitive advantage. A recent study was conducted by the College Board the same company that creates the SAT claiming that a college degrees value is growing, according to an article in The New York Times. Workers who had college degrees made more money and were more likely to be employed, according to the study, Education Pays: the Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. Workers who had bachelors degrees in 2008 earned a median income of $55,700 in 2008, which was $21,900 more than workers who only had a high school degree. The study also found that in recent years, women aged 25-34 with bachelors degrees earned 79 percent more income than those with only high school degrees. Men earned 74 percent more. Compared to 10 years ago, women earned 60 percent more and men earned 54 percent more. The study also considered the cost effects of student loans and not earning income for the first four years after college. It took college graduates 11 years of working to reach the accumulated wealth level of high school graduates, assuming an average of a 6.8 percent student loan interest. A college degree helped workers during the recession as well. The unemployment rate for college graduates 25 and older was 4.6 percent and 9.7 percent for high school graduates. Consistently over time, unemployment rates are about half for college graduates, Sandy Baum, an author of the report told The New York Times. And jobs began recovering for college graduates about a year and half ago. While its easy to find a college grad whos unemployed, youre statistically much less likely to be in that circumstance if you have a higher level of education. The debate has gained steam with the recent spike in tuition costs, which are now rising faster than the rate of inflation. However, most economists agree that a college degree will pay for itself. In general, college is a good investment, but there is great variability in outcomes, Robert Lerman, an economics professor at American University told The New York Times. A significant minority of college graduates dont earn as much as those with less education. And all is not lost if you dont go to college. There are other routes to improving your earnings, for example, credentials that demonstrate mastery of an occupational skill like plumbing. The study also found social benefits for acquiring a college degree. People with college degrees are more likely to vote, exercise, volunteer and have health insurance pensions. Also, people with college degrees are less likely to smoke, be obese or have low-birth-weight babies. However, many believe that having a college degree cannot cause these social benefits. There is rather just a strong correlation.

Are Online Assignment Services Necessary Tool for Getting Top Scores

Are Online Assignment Services Necessary Tool for Getting Top Scores Assignment services are necessary tool for estimating students ‘performance and understanding of subject areas.   Students feel overdosed when they are held up by lots of assignments in a short spell of time. They cannot forgo assignment grades also as it is necessary for their final scores in subjects. Why to concentrate on assignments? Concentrating on assignments is necessary for a student to remember the facts he has gone through in his class hours and also to pick out the areas which he has not understood. Further, it improves his memory power, writing skills, organizing capabilities and time management. Top 5 Education Apps To Learn #Science With Ease https://t.co/AEwQAsDn4x pic.twitter.com/38TxGZpnHQ â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) January 14, 2016 Why students find assignments boring and tiresome? When students lack in the knowledge and fundamental skills of a subject, they are not able to connect the threads the teacher highlights in the class and thus are not able to manage their assignments. Some assignment help services is necessary for such students . Tutor Pace awards them with best services through tutors who are adept in writing assignments for various subjects and are capable of training the students in the same. Benefits of virtual assignment services Students need assignment help for Math, Science and other tough subjects with personal care and individualized solutions to come up in their assignment work. Online writers and tutors give their best in this scenario with their tips, sample writings, research material and completed write ups with plagiarism free content. Their help is the exact one for students who need proper direction for assignment writing. Tutor Pace’s tutors offer their best assignment help for all subjects and they also render proof reading and editing for write ups of students with tips for embellishing the writings. Their subject knowledge and screened expertise pave way for excellent scores in assignments and boost the writing skills and techniques of students for better performances in future. College assignment helpâ€" gives out splendid last minute benefits College work is a tedious one for the fact it demands lots of research and time from students which they are not able to afford. They naturally present assignments which are poor in quality with less references and examples. College assignment help from virtual platform drives away such menaces for college students with clean write ups in first grade quality that are done in adherence to the guidelines and expected reference styles. Those who wish to get assignment writing help can gain the same via Skype, chat or mail and improve their writing abilities. Conclusion Thus dealing with assignments through online help is beneficial in many ways since students are able to get right instructions about writing assignments, gain help for researching the material or secure completed assignments with proper explanations.

A Student Review of Stanford University

A Student Review of Stanford University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Lindsey is a New York City tutor and 2011 graduate of Stanford University. She holds a Bachelors degree in English and Italian and tutors many subjects, specializing inLiterature tutoring, Public Speaking tutoring, Italian tutoring, and others. Check out her review of Stanford University: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. How urban or rural is the campus? Did you feel safe on campus? Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Lindsey: Stanford Universitys campus is gorgeous! It is full of greenery year-round, and it has a nice balance between more modern-looking buildings (on the Science and Engineering Quad) and the classic sandstone quad. It is in a suburban environment, near the city of Palo Alto, and it is incredibly safe. Most students bike, because the campus is so large that walking is time-consuming. However, from my sophomore year onward, I actually walked everywhere, and I enjoyed it! Stanford University also has a free bus service, the Marguerite, to take students to the far reaches of campus and nearby places (such as downtown Palo Alto, the Caltrain station, Stanford Shopping Center, and a local Target/Walmart/grocery store). Freshmen are not allowed to bring cars, but after that, students may pay for parking permits; restrictions and prices depend on where you park on campus. I had a car my junior and senior years, and it made life a little more convenient, but it is definitely not a necessi ty. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Lindsey: They are wonderful! My experience was consistently that the academic staff at Stanford University wanted to see me succeed and be happy, and they were willing to help however they could. Teaching assistants were approachable, and they acted as good intermediaries between students and any particularly intimidating professors. Honestly, I did not find my freshman (general) advising to be useful, but I know most of my friends did. My major advisers were fantastic, and I am still in touch with both of them. I would encourage students everywhere to form close bonds with their major advisers, as well as their favorite professors! VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Lindsey: Stanford University makes a big effort to create community on campus, especially for freshman and transfer students. Something like 95% of undergraduates live in campus housing, and there are a wide variety of options. Freshmen mostly live in all-freshmen dorms, though there are several cultural theme houses that house freshmen and upperclassmen. As a freshman, you are guaranteed to have a roommate; there are no singles. Room size and number of roommates varies based on your dorm and your room in the dorm. I had one roommate in a teeny tiny room, but they have since remodeled the dorm and made the freshman rooms bigger! In upperclassmen housing, there are plenty of options for getting a single room. Dorm staff are generally incredible people who make a big effort to get to know their residents and plan fun activities. In freshman dorms, especially at the beginning of the year, these activities are usually focused on helping students get to know campus and the surrounding areas (for example, a scavenger hunt in nearby San Francisco). Most dorms also host at least one event per year, and some upperclassmen houses host at least one per quarter. There is not a huge Greek scene at Stanford University, but there are a handful of fraternities and sororities. There are tons of opportunities for socialization! All dorms have common areas and lounges (most including a television and/or some kind of table game like pool), and these serve as gathering places for residents to socialize informally. Somehow, hallways also end up getting pretty crowded late at night with people just hanging out and taking a study break. Stanford University also has tons of clubs, from sports, to dance, to arts. I made some very close friendships through my extracurriculars, and I would recommend that everyone join at least one student group. All dorms are associated with a dining hall, and the food quality is pretty high. There has been a huge push for a wide variety of healthy options, including Kosher and Halal main dishes at every meal. There is also at least one dining hall that is completely nut free for students with nut allergies. All dorms also have laundry facilities (sometimes shared with nearby dorms), and laundry is free for students! VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Lindsey: Stanford University is gaining a reputation as a science and engineering school, and for good reason. Those departments have superb faculty, do interesting research, and have tons of money. They definitely get the most attention, and that attention is well deserved. However, this sometimes overshadows the quality and variety of Stanford Universitys humanities and social sciences majors. I double-majored in Italian and English: Creative Writing, and I felt incredible support from my departments. Both Italian and English were consistently bringing in world-renowned guest speakers, had ample money available to support undergraduate research, and had a distinguished (yet accessible) faculty. What I liked best about being in two comparatively small departments (I was one of two Italian majors, and one of about 30 English majors) was the amount of personal attention and support I got. All my professors knew me by name, understood the body of my work over the course of four years, and knew how to challenge me. They found creative ways to help me get academic credit for internships, and they helped me navigate the web of paperwork when I needed to transfer credits from abroad. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Lindsey: I wish I had taken advantage of the Career Center before my junior year! Though it definitely does skew toward finance, consulting, and technology jobs, they have tons of resources for nonprofits, education, and other fuzzy fields. They hold career fairs frequently, at least every quarter, as well as on-campus recruiting sessions. In addition, they have consultation services, such as resume and cover letter review, and they maintain an online database of job and internship postings. I found my first job out of college through them! I would highly recommend that all freshmen meet with a career counselor at their career center, even if they do not know what they want to do after college (I did not until my junior year!). VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Lindsey: There are many places to study on Stanford Universitys campus, from big libraries (that can get a bit over-crowded, especially on weekends) to small, quiet subject libraries (I loved studying in the art library, because it was always empty!). The historic Green Library is beautiful, and it has a secret reading room at the very top (the Bender Room), that is great for quiet, individual work. There are ample group study spaces, but you need to reserve most ahead of time. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Lindsey: Sadly, Palo Alto is not really a college town. Though the campus is maybe a mile away, it is not integrated with Palo Alto at all, and students often do not need to leave (campus has almost everything you need). Palo Alto is pretty expensive, and it does not have too many places that offer student deals, but I did enjoy going there to study from time to time, for a change of pace. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Lindsey: Stanford Universitys undergraduate population is small (for a university so large)around 7,000, I believe. Most of my classes were small, which is more typical for the humanities. I loved the small class size, and even my big lecture classes never had more than about 200 students. All those big classes also had required sections, with approximately 10-12 students. Stanford University feels like a small place, and you can easily find yourself taking classes with the same students all four years. However, if you branch out and take a course outside your major, you will meet tons of wonderful, interesting new people! VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Lindsey: Oh goodness, I will never forget this! While we were reading a series of Arthurian myths for freshman English, one of the professors compared himself to Lancelot, and his wifes ex-husband to poor Arthur, who had Guinevere stolen away from him! Check out Lindseys tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

The ACT and SAT What Should You Do With Your Scores

The ACT and SAT What Should You Do With Your Scores ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog College admissions tests are hard! No matter how well you prepared for them the first time, you may not have gotten the score you wanted on your first try. Many people retake the tests at least once in order to learn from their mistakes and improve their scores. It's definitely a good idea to take either test up to 3 times- a higher standardized test score can play a fairly big role in your college admissions results, so don't feel like you have to accept the first score you get. On the other hand, everyone has their own limitations, so there's no point in taking the tests over and over again if your scores are not significantly improving.Once you've taken the test a few times and gotten a score that you're happy with, you might be wondering what to do about reporting that college admissions test score. Both the ACT and SAT allow students to choose which scores are reported, so no university will have to see a score that you don't want them to see.However, both tests also offer students the ability to choose a few universities to automatically send test scores to while they are taking the test. Think carefully about whether you want to do this before you go into the test, because you can't un-send the scores once you have filled out that opt ion on the test. If you automatically send your scores each time you take the test, then your colleges of choice will see every score you receive. Sending later will cost you more, but it will also give you more control.If you do hold off on sending your scores, you will be faced with a choice: should you only send in your best scores, or should you choose to send more? Naturally, you want any college that you are applying to to see the highest test scores you received. But depending on your other application materials, it may actually be in your best interests to send in a lower score as well.Sending in an early test score and a later, better score shows colleges that you care a lot about college admissions and will work to improve yourself. There are situations in which it can be beneficial to send this message, especially if your high school grades are not as good as they could be. Demonstrating to colleges that you have taken multiple standardized tests and improved your score w ill signal to them that you are planning to take academics more seriously from now on.If you have a good college counselor or guidance counselor, it might help to discuss this decision with them. And regardless, remember that your test scores are only one part of your college application-- your admission will depend on the full portrait that you paint of yourself!

How to Find Scholarship Money-Even for the Average Student

How to Find Scholarship Money-Even for the Average Student How to Find Scholarship MoneyEven for the Average Student Are scholarships only for outstanding students and stellar athletes? Definitely not! If you have written off scholarships because your college-bound teen isnt at the top of the class, think again. There are many scholarships for students with varying skillsets and different backgrounds, but not necessarily the highest GPAs and SAT/ACTtest scores. According to sources such as Scholarship America and Scholarships.com, students can receive scholarship support from all kinds of sourcesfor their creativity, ability to overcome adversity, or efforts in extracurricular and volunteer activities, for example. Where should your teen look? Here are a few tips and suggestionsas you and your teen embark upon the scholarship search: Start with the guidance counselor. A great place to begin the scholarship search is at the guidance counselors office. Many guidance/college counselors maintain a list of local and national scholarships and can quickly tell you what scholarships your teen may or may not be eligible for. In addition, the guidance counselor will have information about different types of scholarships at the colleges and universities in your state or region, as well as directions on how to apply. Keep in mind that guidance counselors may be your best source for information about local scholarships or foundations. Tip: Ask the guidance counselor how to stay up to date on new scholarships and deadlines. Many high schools maintain an online database of scholarships. Look at your states Department of Education website. Obviously, all states offer financial aid, but many states offer scholarships or other types of stipends. While the colleges to which your teen applies often handle the application process for such aid, your states Department of Education website is a great source of information. For example, in Colorado, the College Opportunity Fund is a stipend available to all students going to college in the state. In Michigan, the Michigan Nursing Scholarship awards scholarships to residents who pursue nursing degrees. The state of New Jersey offers several types of scholarships for state residents pursuing different fields of study. Tip: To find your states department of education website, visit www.ed.gov/about and click on State Contacts. Then, search for scholarships. Colleges financial aid departments can also point you in the right direction to learn more about state funds and scholarships. Ask organizations where you work or volunteer. Employers are an excellent resource for scholarships, especially bigger corporations. Some companies award scholarships to employees or dependents or employees, but many others do not require applicants to have any connection to the company. Check out some of the organizations in your area as well as larger national corporations that might offer scholarships. Examples include U.S. Bank, Microsoft and Walmart. Tip: Your employer or your teens employer (if your teen has a part-time job) are a great place to start. Consider scholarships for students of certain heritage or background. Many scholarships support specific individuals, such as women or students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Nonprofit organizations such as the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the United Negro College Fund award funds to thousands of students each year. Tip: A scholarship search engine can help you locate scholarships for which you might be eligible based on your personal characteristics. Check out nontraditional sources of scholarship revenue offered in your state. Programs such as Georgias HOPE Scholarship program open doors for students without perfect GPAs. Students with a 3.0 GPA are eligible as well as students who come from home study programs, and they can receive funding toward college degrees and technical certifications or diplomas. Floridas Bright Futures Scholarship program offers scholarships to students who have achieved at least a 3.0 GPA (for Florida Medallion Scholars, or a 3.5 GPA for Florida Academic Scholars) and completed a minimum number of service hours. Tip: The scholarships mentioned above are both Lottery scholarship programs, which a number of states also have. Research whether your state offers a similar program that is funded by state lottery revenues or other funding sources, such as tobacco settlements or turnpike revenues. Use scholarship search engines to aid your search. One of the best ways to round up a list of scholarships for which your teen is qualified is to use a scholarship search engine. These tools help students create a detailed student profile and narrow down a list of scholarships that fit that profile (eliminating any for which they do not meet the criteria). Tip: Reputable search engines include scholarships.com, scholarshipexperts.com, fastweb.com, and the College Boards Scholarship Search Tool. Although there are thousands of scholarships out there, it can be discouraging to see scholarship after scholarship restricted for high achievers with exceptional grades and test scores. Never fear: there are many scholarships for students with other skills, traits and interests. Encourage your teen to put effort into the search and he or she may be surprised by the number of scholarship options available. Here are a few more tips to help make your child's college journey more affordable. And of course, dont forget to enter Huntingtons College Scholarship Sweepstakes. Huntington awards a $500 scholarship each quarter to a college-bound high school student. Simply submit your information via text message on behalf of your student. Learn more at www.huntingtonhelps.com/contest.

Can I get a job teaching in Japan if I dont have a college degree

Can I get a job teaching in Japan if I don’t have a college degree With college tuition costs soaring worldwide, many people don’t have the time (or money) to earn a college or university degree. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean your lack of a degree is an automatic barrier to teaching English abroad. In fact, we wrote a blog post listing countries that don’t require a degree to teach English - many of which offer a ton of well-paying English teaching jobs. With the good news out the way, let's break the bad news to you. Japanis not one of those countries. Cue sad violin music. By and large, your college major is unlikely to have any bearing on whether you land an English teaching job in Japan. Your degree doesn’t have to be in English, education or linguistics, for example.But an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in any field is still a hard requirement for English teaching jobs in Japan.. Can I get accepted into theJET Program without a degree? We’ll keep this short and sweet. You can’t land a job as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programwithout a degree. Bummer! Is there any way to find teaching work in Japan without a degree? As a rule of thumb, reputable private ESL schools and language centers in Japan do require, along with native-equivalent English proficiency, an undergraduate degree. The same goes for international schools in Japan (except the requirements are even higher here, and typically include a teaching license and classroom experience). Why’s this? Well, it comes down to visa eligibility requirements. The Specialist in Humanities visa for English teachers in Japan require applicants to hold, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. Exceptions to this rule are incredibly rare and are usually reserved for highly experienced ESL instructors. So if you have the experience but not the degree, all is not lost - and an ESL certification like a TEFL will certainly help bolster your application. So, what are your options if you’re dead set on Japan as your teaching destination of choice? 1. Try teaching English to Japanese students online. How does the life of a digital nomad, traveling the length and breadth of beautiful Japan, sound to you? If exploring the world of remote work is something you’re down for, then select online English teaching companies catering to Japanese students will hire online ESL teachers without a degree. 2. Try volunteer teaching in Japan. There is some demand for volunteer English teachers in Japan, not least in some of the bigger cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Numerous non-profits are in operation across the country, that will offer free accommodation, a modest stipend and a flexible teaching schedule to international volunteers. You in? Go Abroad is our go-to source for great volunteer teaching opportunities in Japan. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. 3. Try a working holiday in Japan. Are you aged between 18 - 30? How about being a citizen of one of the following countries: UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany or Austria? Then you’re in luck - your country has a reciprocal visa relationship with Japan! This means you could be eligible for something called a Working Holiday Visa, which lets you stay and work in Japan anywhere from six to 18 months. This way, you could start your job hunt for a full or part-time English teaching position in Japan, either in advance or when you arrive. Again, check out Go Abroad for more info on working holidays in Japan. Note:This isn’t an option that’s open to US citizens, but you could still be eligible for a student work permit for Japan if you’re currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. Word of warning re. getting a teaching job in Japan while on a tourist visa: This one almost goes without saying, but it’s also illegal to teach in Japan while you’re on a tourist visa. Commenters on online teach abroad forums and subreddits could encourage you to enter Japan on a 90-day tourist visa, start your job hunt from there and transition to a work visa later on. Aside from the obvious risks (not finding an employer willing to sponsor you, being unable to rent an apartment, needing to return home when your three-month tourist is up without a whole lot less money in your bank account), heading to Japan on a tourist visa with the intention of looking for a job is actually illegal. The Japanese government are increasingly looking to crack down on these sketchy job-hunting tactics so we strongly advise you not to go down this route.