Archive for August, 2011

25
Aug

The Best Courses to Prepare for College

Going to college is an exciting stage in the life of a teenager filled with the anticipation of being away from home and independent for the first time. One aspect of this process includes meeting the academic admission requirements. College preparatory classes help students who choose the college track to take the classes needed, no matter which type of college or university you decide to attend.

English

In addition to mandatory freshman and sophomore English classes, four additional semesters in language arts sets high school students on a college track. College prep English course options are plentiful, depending on the school you attend. Language arts classes that best prepare students for college include an array based in literature. World, American and British literature courses help college-bound students develop literary analysis skills befitting a college freshman.

Science

Most schools have only a limited number of science classes available. To fulfill most college and university requirements of four years of science, students may end up taking all the science classes offered at their school. Biology and chemistry not only fulfill college admission requirements for science but meet the lab requirements as well.

Social Studies

When your educational path is college-oriented, eight semesters social studies classes are required. Gone are the days when social studies classes consisted only of U.S. and world history. Social studies classes also include world geography, and most high schools have a civics requirement for graduation. College-bound students also have social studies options that include psychology and sociology.

Foreign Language

One area in which state schools and elite universities differ in admission requirements is foreign language. Most colleges and universities require students to have at least two years of the same foreign language, but Ivy League institutions such as Princeton expect their incoming freshmen to have four years of the same foreign language. Meeting this requirement for college admission is open to whichever languages you can take in school, such as Spanish, French and, in some schools, German and Latin.

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19
Aug

How to Outline English Papers

As stated by “REA’s Handbook of English Grammar, Style, and Writing,” proceeding without an outline is like navigating a new city without a map. Unfortunately, most students new to essay writing are unfamiliar with how to outline an English paper. Students who neglect to use an outline often produce rambling, Faulkner-esque essays. Taking an hour to gather your thoughts and write an outline can save time writing the essay and lead to a better grade.

Acquaint yourself with an outline template. The Owl at Purdue states that most outlines use Roman numerals for essay sections (introduction, main points and conclusion) and, in descending order of specificity with indentations, capitalized letters, Arabic numerals and lowercase letters.

Start with the introduction. Include a fact or statistic to introduce the essay, or include background information on the issue or author discussed. At this stage in the writing process, listing the specific quote or tidbit of information is not necessary. Simply note its inclusion in the outline. State your thesis and list the three main points of the essay.

Outline the first theme of the essay in two or three words. For example, write “capitalism” if the topic of your paper is discussing themes of Ayn Rand’s book, “Atlas Shrugged.” List (as Arabic numerals within the template) three or more ways the book supports this theme, like “Dagney Taggart’s refusal of government assistance.” Because you will elaborate on these points upon writing the essay, keep the outline’s description of these points to one sentence. Repeat this process for the other two themes.

Gather supporting information. Go to the library, search the Internet or use your textbook to find credible sources that support your points. Color-code your themes to make the process easier: delegate one theme, “capitalism” in yellow, “individualism” in green and “objectivism” in blue. For all supporting quotes or page numbers, highlight it in a color that matches the theme to which it corresponds for easier reference.

On the outline, determine which point should be bolstered with the sources found. For example, the book’s metaphor for socialism found in the passage describing moldy government-subsidized soybeans would be placed in the theme, “capitalism” under the point, “Government failures.” Under this point (as a lower-case letter within the template), write the page number of the passage or write a short description of the source.

Write points for the conclusion. Dirk Siepmann, author of the book “Writing in English,” recommends using the conclusion to express outcomes of the issues discussed in the essay and give statements regarding open ends and unanswered questions.

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09
Aug

How to Pass Aptitude Tests

Potential employers, educators and other organizations provide aptitude tests for potential candidates. These tests gauge the intelligence and skills of the taker during a specific amount of time. Most aptitude tests are not completed in the allotted amount of time, but participants are expected to complete as much of them as possible. The tests are on general or employment-related topics and include multiple-choice answers. Participants take these tests on a computer most of the time, but some take it on paper using a pencil.

Discover what will be included on the aptitude test you will be taking. You can do so by simply asking the administrator what is on the aptitude test. Do research to determine sample questions for the type of industry you are taking the test for. You can also find sample aptitude tests that you can take to determine your strong and weak points. Do this daily until it is time to take the aptitude test.

Study sentence structure and basic English writing formatting for paragraphs, essays and speaking. Pay attention to how each sentence flows and the correct way of speaking without using slang or uncommon words. Verbal ability questions determine the participant’s grammar, understanding of analogies and ability to follow instructions. These tests help employers determine how proficient you are in communication. Data checking tests require participants to search for errors specifically for clerical-type jobs, and this study method is common for this section.

Practice basic and advanced math that includes charts for the numeric ability tests. These tests are generally basic, but they may include some advanced math and charts. Brush up on things you learned in high school and take time to learn new things that may have been confusing to you in the past.

Read instruction manuals for basic appliances around your home and search online for manuals for products you do not own. Following recipe instructions can also be beneficial to studying for this test. Abstract reasoning portions of the test have questions to determine your logic and solutions to questions. These questions determine your intelligence and ability to learn new things.

Reassess your personal knowledge concerning physics for the mechanical reasoning test. These tests assess your mechanical knowledge concerning topics including inertia, force, energy and friction. Study books about the movement of the human body and books about how magnets work. Utilize the time until your test to study and understand physics terms and how they apply to everyday life.

Study electronic diagrams concerning your chosen field of work if you plan to become an electrician or enter a mechanical field. Fault diagnosis questions determine how participants find issues and fix problems concerning electronics or mechanics.

Research the field you plan to enter and the company you wish to work for. Break the job title down and determine your expected duties. Work sample tests include scenarios of work situations and conflicts and how well the user can handle it. Knowing and understanding your potential job responsibilities will prepare you for this portion of the test.

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