Why Students Hate Taking the Exam?

Procrastination is the longest four-letter word in the dictionary. We're all guilty of it from time to time. We set out to clear the old inbox or clean the garage out and, lo and behold, that 1970's television mini-series starring Lee Majors and Rip Torn that we haven't seen in years comes on the tube. We're lost for the day. One thing finds its way to another and, soon enough, we're knee-deep in popcorn and comfy pillows instead of being knee-deep in clearing the garage of stuffed animals and toys we saved from the 1950's. On the other hand, who knows, one can never be entirely certain that Hula-Hoops and Slinky's won't come in handy some day, can they?

The tendency to procrastinate is bred into us at an early age. We can't be blamed for it. Like procrastination, Americans and Westerners in general have an excellent propensity to seek and assign blame. This also is bred into us at an early age. The dog ate my homework. Need I say more? So who can we blame for teaching us to both procrastinate, and, well, blame people for our flaws? The public school system, that's who. You wouldn't be saying the dog ate my homework anywhere else, would you? When all else fails, blame Government operated agencies.

So how does the public school system teach us to procrastinate? With loathsome practices such as homework, long-term projects (like the dreaded science project), and oh yes, the universally hated Final Exam. Why put off today what you can still put off tomorrow? Because you can, that's why. At the very heart of it, this is what procrastination is, putting off priorities to do more urgent things like watching cartoons, playing games and listening to music. School not only allows for procrastination it encourages the practice of putting things off.

How so you ask? Because by design, teachers and courses put things off for days, often months, and then reward you for hurrying to get them done. They introduce us to principles like end of the term exams, 'long-term projects' and 'quarterly grades'. All things that seem far off and distant. Harmless even, until, that is, the due date arrives, sped up as if delivered via a time machine that only devious educators hold the controls.

One day you're watching Spongebob Squarepants with 7 or 8 weeks until your science project is due. Your final exams are getting close and the next thing you know, it's midnight, and you're tracing a human heart out of the dictionary and copying words like aorta that make no sense to you. You have to do it, so you can turn something in the next morning as a science project to avoid getting a zero (even though your planned project was to create a working volcano with exploding lava). So what does all of this flurry of activity get you? A C+ for a grade, that's what, because at least you turned something in and showed some effort. Effort in the school system equals average. That's why we have so many career shoe salesman and burger flippers in this world. And the Good Lord knows we need designer shoes and cholesterol in a wrapper, right?

Next thing you know after you 'complete' your makeshift project, you're cramming because the exams you've ignored all year are upon you, and there's no more putting studying off. Cramming means: "To force, press, or squeeze into an insufficient space; stuff," or "To study hastily for an impending examination..." Only in America would we use a term that means squeezing knowledge into a brain with insufficient space when it comes to studying for an exam. So you've been rewarded with an average grade for simply trying, at the last second, to put something, anything together to keep yourself from being grounded because of your science project. So how does this cramming thing work out?

Well, while taking your science exam, you put down answers like aorta and pulmonary valve because they come back to you from places you don't even recognize. Cramming flashbacks fill your mind with things like 'Big Bang Theory'. Now, you're pretty sure that's a TV show or something, but isn't it a relevant science term too? Before you know it, you get a C on your final exam, even though you ignored it for most of the term, until the last second. That, coupled with your C+ from your science project, and all of the A's and B's you received on your daily work that you were forced to pay attention to every day (which make up 80% of your grade) give you a B- on your report card. You're not only spared a grounding from your parents, they buy you a toy or give you $5 for getting good grade.

Do You Need To School Time Clock Software?

Private businesses primarily use employee time clock software to keep track of regular and overtime hours worked for payroll purposes. But time clock software isn't limited to just private business. Non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and educational institutions all use time clock software to track time spent on different projects and activities. This article will focus on how schools use time and attendance software to solve a variety of time tracking challenges. I've talked to a lot of schools about their time clock needs over the years and I've come to realize that in most cases, schools use time clock software for three reasons.

Simplify Employee Payroll
One reason schools use time clock software is to track hours worked by non-salaried employees. Much like private industry, they do this to make payroll processing more efficient. Schools need a time tracking solution for bus drivers, custodial workers, food service staff, administrative employees, and even for teachers that may get paid an hourly rate for after school programs. Schools want to keep staff accountable for their hours worked, and staff know they're getting paid accurately because their punch times are being impartially recorded. An efficient method for going from time card to paycheck makes punch clock software the best choice for keeping track of hours for payroll processing.

Track Student Workers
Another reason schools use time and attendance software is to track hours for student workers. These may be paid student workers or just volunteers that need to keep track of their hours for other reasons. These are usually part-time workers and the department roster changes every semester, which is easy to handle with time and attendance software. We see this a lot with our colleges and universities. Reports of student work hours can be sent to the payroll department for paycheck processing each pay period, or hours for the entire semester can be sent to the appropriate monitoring department to confirm the minimum threshold of hours worked has been met for financial aid obligations. Punch clock software helps get student workers paid in a timely manner and holds them accountable for hours worked.

Report Classroom Hours
The third reason schools turn to time clock software is to log the number of hours spent in the classroom by students. We see this a lot with our technical and adult education schools that require minimum classroom training hours for certain technical fields. It also helps instructors keep up with attendance requirements since students just punch in as they enter the classroom. Weekly status reports can help instructors identify attendance problems before they get out of hand. Time and attendance software is invaluable for tracking hours spent in learning labs by students as required under their IEPs or tutoring requirements. Punch clock software is a great tool for tracking student learning time in and out of the regular classroom.

Where to Find Student News

Student news and other events are usually found in official school publications that are written for the students by the students themselves. These may be in the form of newsletters or broadsheets that are published and distributed among the students and faculty. Technological advances have allowed these publications to take student news a step further by allowing them to publish their news reports and opinion articles online through websites dedicated to student publications.

Going Online

School papers are a source of news and information for students and since they are written by the students themselves, other kids can relate to the articles they read. Publications like these are usually considered extracurricular activities, but for some schools it's a part of a journalism class offered as an elective. Traditionally, student publications are circulated on a monthly basis, but school newspapers have now reached cyberspace and budding journalists can now deliver fresh student news sooner. A couple of website hosting companies have branched out to hosting news sites for schools giving them a full-functioning website where student reporters can upload their articles, photos and videos of newsworthy events concerning their school or school district. There are different web design templates that give these sites personalities that are appropriate for their level. These sites are becoming more and more popular as more and more students have access to the internet using their home computers and even their mobile phones. Online newspapers are an important tool in developing the student body's awareness of what is happening around them.

Responsible Journalism

Student journalism is a very important part of the academic experience. Students get to exercise their right to free speech and they get to learn about the responsibility that goes with this right. This helps kids learn the value of responsible journalism at an early age and it gives students a venue to express their opinions about issues that concern their generation. Publishing these news stories and articles online stresses the need to be responsible with the information we give out since online newspapers are available to a wider demographic and anyone can view the articles posted on the site. Faculty advisers need to be vigilant to make sure that their students understand their rights, as well as their responsibilities as student journalists. Teaching kids to write and read about important issues helps them grow into better adults who are more aware of what's happening in the world today.

How to Prepare to Get A College Degree Online

If you are working and are planning to obtain a college diploma, it is best that you consider enrolling for an online college program. The benefit of getting your college education far outweighs the disadvantages. Imagine being able to study at the comfort of your home or job site. Aside from that you are able to study whenever you want to and wherever you want to. All the lessons as well as the study materials are provided online in the world wide web so there is no need for you to carry around heavy textbooks. However, online college schooling may sound pretty simple and easy but there are needed preparations that need to be taken care of if you want to be successful in your online studies. It is necessary for one to have time management skills along with self discipline to be able to accomplish a given task for a certain amount of time. People who have no self discipline, lack of willingness to study and those who would rather party all night or spend their free time doing other things rather than study would likely not succeed in online study programs.

Once you've decided to get into an online college program it is necessary that you know what course you want to pursue. There are so many students who end up switching to another course after spending 2 years in college simple because they are not anymore interested with the course they are presently taking up. Many online college courses do not honor credit transfer that is why being serious and being sure about the course you will be enrolling in is very much important. Once you have enrolled in a certain college degree program it is necessary that you see to it that are willing and interested to finish what you have started so as not to waste money and time.

The preparation for getting a college degree online is not just focused on effective time management but it also pertains to one's finances. Some online degrees may be a lot cheaper than taken in a conventional way. However, there are also certain college degrees online that are too expensive than taken in a traditional classroom-setting that is why you have to be emotionally, physically and financially ready to face the challenges ahead in taking online college degrees.

Another important thing that you need to do is to check the accreditation of the educational institution that you are planning to enroll in. Before you pay for your tuition fee be sure that the school you are enrolling in is actually accredited. Not only that but you also have to do your research in checking out the quality of education being offered by the institution.

Seven Steps to Improve IELTS Exam Writing

Step One: Identify the Different Tasks

The Different Types of Task One in the IELTS Writing Exam

Task one of the IELTS writing exam can be separated into two key types. Static tasks, which are tasks that have only one time period; and change over time tasks, which have two or more different time periods. Then, task one of the IELTS writing exam includes different types of charts, which should all be looked at to be well prepared. The most common ones are: tables, pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, process diagrams, and maps. Finally, with task one of the IELTS writing exam, you need to use different types of language depending on whether the task consists of numbers, percentages, or steps in a process. Therefore, there are three key dimensions of task one of the IELTS writing exam:

1. static or change over time

2. type of chart

3. numbers or percentages

Identify the Different Types of Task TWO in the IELTS Writing Exam

For task two of the IELTS writing exam the two key elements are the TOPIC and the TASK. In theory, the topic could be almost anything. Although many topics are on the following subjects: education, crime, society, media, transportation, environment, and technology. In addition, many of the past topics seem to be recycled, so if we look at many of the past topics that have come up in the exam, we have a reasonable chance that we will have thought about that particular topic.

Next comes the TASK. I have identified that the task is almost always one of the following three tasks: an argumentative essay, a both sides and opinion essay, or a two question essay. I have talked about these three essays at length on my website. I have observed that about 30% of candidates on any given exam day seem to fail to either understand the topic or identify the task. In this case many people are failing, not because of their English ability, but because of their poor IELTS ability, or ability to know how to respond to questions in the exam. Note that not only your task score will be lower if you don't respond closely to the task, it tends to affect everything. For instance, you might use a lot of academic vocabulary, but if it is off-topic you won't get the full value for it.

Step Two: Read Lots of Samples for Each of the Different Tasks

Reading samples of different IELTS tasks can help you appreciate the differences between each type of task as well as help you learn the language and structure that is required for each particular task. Not every sample will be an accurate response to the task, even if it is written by a native English user; so a little caution is needed. The key point is to read lots of different samples and learn from them. To read samples go to my website and click on the links under Task 1: academic report writing and Task 2: essay writing.

If you would like to practice your essay planning please join my blog or facebook page, you can see the addresses for these in my author's PROFILE.

Step Three: Learn How to Structure your Report or Essay for Each of the Different Tasks

Structuring your tasks well is important to score well on one of the four key grading criteria Coherence and Cohesion. In addition, it also helps you score well on the other three grading criteria. Your Task Response score is enhanced because it is easier for the examiner to assess whether you have responded to the task and topic if you have structured your ideas logically. In addition, errors with vocabulary and grammar may be less serious if the examiner already knows your key point and therefore can guess what you mean, despite their being an error with language. In other words errors are more serious when the examiner is lost and has no understanding of what you are saying.

You can view the structure of the three main types of task two essays on my website.

Step Four: Practice Writing Each of the Different Tasks

In order to fully appreciate the different types of tasks in the IELTS writing exam you should practice writing as many different types as you can. This will help you remember the structure and language that you need to complete these tasks, help you improve your writing in general, and also alert you to any areas of uncertainty for completing the task. To illustrate this last point, imagine you are writing an argumentative essay and then you realize you don't know how to write the last paragraph. In this case you could read same samples or models and see how other authors completed these essays. In this case we should summarise our main arguments and then give our final opinion. We should also send a signal to the examiner that we are summarising our main arguments by starting the paragraph with words such as "In summary" or "In conclusion."

Step Five: Have Someone Check your Tasks

After writing your writing tasks it is best to try to get someone to read them and get some feedback. Most English learners don't seem to like to do this with their classmates, but I would say it has merits. Everyone has different areas of expertise and it can be a good learning exercise for students to check each other's writing. Another choice is to hire a private English tutor and get them to read your essays and give feedback. online editing IELTS essays service. I can correct your IELTS essays for a modest fee.

Step Six: Learn From the Feedback on your Tasks

If you do get your essays corrected by another student or a tutor, it is essential that you pay close attention to the feedback and learn from it. If you have made errors with the task response (for example you wrote an answer that was off topic) or you didn't structure it well, then you should think about what you did wrong in the planning of your essay. Perhaps you rushed to start the essay to quickly or just didn't read the question carefully.

Step Seven: Rewrite Tasks to Avoid Repeating the Same Errors

Sometimes, the best way to make sure you avoid repeating the same errors is to rewrite the same task, using the feedback from your marker to make sure that you are able to correctly produce a response to a particular type of question or task, before moving on to conquer the next type of task. This is especially true if your exam date is a long way off.

Get Certified First Aid Training Online

Life is full of surprises and certainly does not surprise any good. We face certain situations in life where every second is important and the small steps taken at the moment can change the outcome of one of many lives. Medical emergency is an example of this situation. This situation usually arises when medical help is not being accessed. For example, a man down with a stroke at the fair. If immediate steps are necessary not followed, the individual may suffer permanent damage or even death. Basic knowledge about how to deal with someone who suffers a stroke comes in very handy at this stage. And this "knowledge base" called also can be a lifesaver.

These things do not happen every day but when they do occur, usually only a matter of seconds is important. To get a clear idea about the first aid procedure is very easy these days. You can register with the help of online training courses. The courses are widely available online and make life easier for many people. Training program online help can be found in abundance through the internet. However, you need to make sure that you choose one that provides the appropriate tests and certificates. This certificate will come in very handy in the workplace.

If you would for any online course, make sure you go to one that is in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. HIPAA first aid training courses are equally popular through the internet these days and can be accessed easily. Because the program that complies with HIPAA, you can be sure that the procedures are standardized and taught during the program in accordance with medical norms.

Any first aid HIPAA training course will teach you to deal with a number of situations that may fall under the category of medical emergency. A basic skills that includes the treatment of cuts and bruises from minor injuries, strains and sprains, minor burns, fractures, etc. HIPAA training courses in first aid also includes a more serious medical emergencies such as heart attack, stroke, seizures, near drowning, shock, poisoning , heavy bleeding, etc. If you can equip yourself with knowledge, you will be more than ready to take a medical emergency that might arise from situations that are known or unknown.

Eight Things You Must Know About First Aid Training

First aid training equips you with knowledge on handing the initial stages of injury or illness. Training will include life saving techniques and treatment of illnesses and injuries. First aid training is not just for medical professionals.

CPR certifications and first aid training is mandatory for many jobs today. You can be well prepared to handle any emergencies at work or home. You will learn how to save the life of a person who is critically injured by stabilizing his condition and assist with recovery before medical professionals arrive to take over.

Here are 8 things you must know about first aid training -

   1. A few simple measures are enough to provide effective first aid treatment. Though all of us know the basics of cleaning a cut or applying a bandage, it is imperative to learn the appropriate method and initial treatment options as an invasive procedure could be risky if not handled in the right manner.

   2. First aid course training is for everyone as we cannot determine when and where first aid may be urgently required. These courses are offered by commercial providers and by community organizations like St. John Ambulance and Red Cross.

   3. The two major types of first aid courses include Emergency Aid for Appointed Persons course and the First Aid at Work course. The first course teaches you the basics and provides knowledge on how to manage critical conditions such as severe bleeding and heart attack. There is no formal assessment for this course.

   4. First Aid at Work course is a three day course that offers a comprehensive first aid lesson. Candidates here are assessed formally by assessors who are approved by Health and Safety Executive. After completing this course, you will receive the three year valid certificate by the training organization.

   5. Some of the common areas covered by first aid course include ailments such as choking, emergency action planning, control of bleeding, child resuscitation, shock, scalds and burns, sprains and breaks, child medical emergencies, unconsciousness and recognizing conditions like meningitis.

   6. Work place related risks that can be managed effectively after completion of first aid training course include shock, bleeds and wounds, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, unconsciousness, scalds and burns, seizures, breaks and sprains, poisoning, choking, employer's risk assessment, record keeping and accident reporting.

   7. For sports organizers, first aid course training will include concussion, joint dislocation, shock, unconsciousness, blocked airways, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and sprains and breaks.

   8. Advanced first aid courses equip you with knowledge on moving people who are seriously injured, manual handling, defibrillation and advanced life support such as administration of medical gases like Entonox and oxygen.