Education | Adequate Learning

How to Edit Your Research Paper

Okay you’ve written the first draft of your research paper. Now you’re ready to get in and get it polished to the gem it deserves to be. Editing and polishing are the final steps for any academic paper. Your final paper will sparkle using these editing tips.

Cut Up Your Draft

Don’t shred it. Cut your draft into paragraphs. This serves two purposes. First it allows you to arrange and rearrange the paragraphs to find the most logical order. Second, it allows you to see and craft each individual paragraph.

Add and Delete Material

Once you’ve rearranged your paragraphs, you can see areas that need more substantiation and other areas that have too much information. Fill-in and delete material to achieve optimal balance.

Survey

Look over the paper with an eye for transitions. How does one sentence lead to another? How does one paragraph lead to another?

Pairing the Introduction and Conclusion

Read over the introduction and conclusion. Do they link or refer to each other? Does the introduction tell the reader what they are going to learn? Does the conclusion recap the points of your paper? If not go back and rewrite.

Read from the Bottom Up

Proofread your paper by reading the paper from the bottom up. Reading the paper in this way, allows you to focus on the words and punctuation, rather than what you meant to say.

Review Your Citation Style

Finally review your citations and be sure that you are using the correct style.

Okay, you’re done. Do you see the sparkle?

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Academic publishing, Paragraph

Power Reading for Textbooks

Studies show that reading retention varies widely from student to student. The difference between readers who retain much of what they read and readers who don’t—isn’t how well they read, but how intentional they read. Intentional readers utilize the SQR3 method. In other words, they:

first survey the material,
ask questions before they read,
read the text,
recite what they read,
and finally review all that they’ve read.

Survey the Material

Look over the chapter or chapters you are assigned to read. How are the chapters laid out? Are there section and subsection headings? Read the summary and questions at the end of the chapter. Surveying the material in advance prepares you to get the most meaning from the material.

Ask Questions

In each section or subsection ask yourself some questions before you begin to read. What is the dominant point? What examples or evidence support this point? By asking the questions before you dive into reading, you set your mind up to find the answers. When your mind has a task to do, an answer to find, it keeps the solution in memory.

Read

Now read the section, looking for and noting the answers to your questions. Take notes. Writing also cements knowledge into memory.

Recite

After you’ve read the material, summarize what you’ve read. What were the main points? What were the examples and evidence that supported the points? Was there a chain of events that lead to a conclusion?

Review

The final step is to go back and highlight the most important points and expand your notes.

In the beginning, it takes practice and repetition to follow the steps in order. Over time, it becomes second nature. When it does, you’ll find your study time is cut in half and your reading retention more than doubles.

Filed Under: Education, How to Study Tagged With: Reading, Reading comprehension, Textbook

Know Your Learning Style

Did you know there are styles of learning? While you may not have heard them referred to as ‘styles,’ you know instinctively how you learn best. Most of us have a dominant learning style, ( a way you learn best) and supplement our learning with the other styles. What are these styles? The three basic learning styles are: visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners.

Visual Learners

Visual learners have strong spatial skills. They see and remember sizes, shapes, and three-dimensional depths. They have a discerning eye for aesthetics and visual media. You might be a visual learner if you:

Love language that is ripe with imagery.
Keep journals and take notes.
Need to see what you are learning.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners learn best by listening to oral explanations. Their brains are tuned to record and process information that they hear. They often have a wide vocabulary and are able to make oral presentations with ease. You might be an auditory learner if you:

Read aloud to cement an idea or concept to memory.
Hum or talk to yourself in idle moments

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners are hands-on learners. They learn best by doing. They are often agile and well coordinated. Their ability to learn is determined by how involved they can physically be in the process. Many performers and athletes are kinesthetic learners. You might be a kinesthetic learner if you:

Have difficulty sitting still and would rather be tinkering with something.
Use your hands, as well as, your words to explain something.
Are uncomfortable in learning environments that rely totally on lectures.

While most of us have a dominant learning style, we often flex to other styles in specific situations. Knowing your dominant style and in what situations you flex to other styles will help you choose educational opportunities geared to your strengths and styles.

Filed Under: Education, How to Learn Tagged With: Learning, Learning styles

Various Types of College Work Placement

Many of us fear the outcome of higher education at any age but the good news is there’s a wealth of available resources, including college work placement. Obtaining temporary work experiences during college can help people achieve personal growth as well as resume building. Students having multiple work experiences during their completion of university studies may attract attention from employers who are searching for applicants to fill long-term positions upon graduation.

Some “able-bodied” and physically challenged students alike may find it acceptable to work via businesses and organizations. But nonprofit agencies will provide the actual job opportunity to students while they attend school. These agencies are responsible for student compensation, rather than the businesses themselves.

Travel-hungry students can opt for impermanent employment experience overseas. Naturally, this means applicants must first be able to acquire a foreign work license in order to attain a job position. Organizations including CIEE and BUNAC can help overseas-hopefuls to get their work permits and can assist these students in locating temporary jobs abroad. Although there aren’t innumerable opportunities for people without work permits, there are a handful of companies that may offer them in addition to the job itself for the right candidates.

Some campuses may offer college work placement as an inclusive part of the learning experience in higher education. As a result, grade-point average can be partially affected by the student’s quality of work performance. Temporary project-based work is usually unpaid, while longer-term work lasting up to a year typically compensated. In this case, students attend classes around their work schedules. Please note that attendance status must remain at full-time. Otherwise, financial aid can be reduced (if applicable).

Merely because students are working on campus via an internship, working temporarily abroad, or participating in a cooperative education or work-study program it’s important to exercise professionalism when applying. Don’t be surprised if prospective employers require an interview, cover letter and resume since the same things are necessary.

Filed Under: Education, Teaching Methods Tagged With: BUNAC, Employment, Work experience

Repaying Your Student Loan Expeditiously

With only a six month window between graduation and the end of your grace period on student loans, you need a good plan in place to ease the transition into making regular payments on your debt. Rather than wait until a week before the payments are due, it’s a good idea to be proactive long before you graduate. Start with the good old fashioned resume. You should have that created by the end of your junior year. As you gain experience, you’ll add line items. But the basic layout decisions should be made earlier, when you’ve got more time to dedicate to making your resume look good.

With your resume stored on your computer, begin the job search long before graduation. June marks the time that the vast majority of grads hit the job market. Don’t swim with the other fish; swim ahead of the school! Even landing an unpaid internship prior to graduation is a huge win, as these positions often turn into solid job offers. If the internships aren’t coming your way, remember that networking while on a university campus is essential. There are few places where such large amounts of talent are gathered to help you succeed in finding a career. Tap into all channels that you can find.

By being aggressive long before you’ve graduated, you’ll set the ball in motion to make your career earnings come your way sooner than others, who may be relegated to more menial jobs while they search for a great job. Keep acting like a student; be thrifty. Every dollar has a cost behind it when you’ve got student loans to pay. Keep interest payments as low as possible; consider a debt consolidation service to manage your outstanding loans in one place. And most important, when you come into extra money, use it to immediately make an advanced payment! Pay your debts before you spend on frivolities.

Filed Under: Collaboration, Education Tagged With: Debt consolidation, Loan, Payment

The Environmental Impact of Urban Sprawl

Urban sprawl – or the moving of people out of urban areas and into the suburbs – is taking its toll on the environment. That’s not good news to the people who want to care for and protect the planet, and it’s also something that city officials and architectural engineers need to consider. If there are ways to plan cities better, so that people stay in them instead of spreading out, then that’s something that has to be carefully looked at and addressed. In short, it’s better for people to live closer to one another, and leave areas of empty land for cultivation of crops and other things.

If you live in the suburbs, you have to drive farther to get to the city, so you’re putting more pollution in the air by using your car or truck more frequently. The land use is dramatically increased that way, and there are fewer people per square mile, so the use of the land is extremely inefficient compared to what you would see in urban areas, where taller buildings can house many more people per square mile. The animals and plants and wildlife that resided in those wide open spaces are also displaced, so they have trouble finding food and knowing where they should be going next. They end up getting killed by humans, or they get into trouble because they get too close to humans.

There’s not really a winning situation for animals and people where urban sprawl is concerned, but property management techniques can help. Sprawl can be prevented in some cases, but proper planning and correct land use both have to be addressed. If you’re looking for help with urban sprawl, Oceanside Property Management is a company to talk to. There are many property management companies around, and they share your concern about the environmental impacts of urban sprawl.

Filed Under: Collaboration, Education Tagged With: Environment, Urban area, Urban Sprawl

Transitioning Education

Transitioning education can be a difficult challenge for some because there is a lack of expectations for a student. There is always fear of the unknown, and it is definitely present during this change. There is a nice surprise for many though as they realize that work load is not as difficult as once assumed, and therefore the transition is met with some immediate ease. However, there is an aspect of this transition that many students may struggle with. For instance, if high school student is beginning his or her first year of college, there is stress and excitement for the new situation. The student quickly realizes that the work load is nothing like that in high school, but that there is not a teacher saying when everything is due either. The other thing that students notice right away is that they need to be much more responsible for themselves. Many students are shocked by the quick dismissal they receive from college professors when it comes to tardiness, absence, or late assignments.

This is especially common for students that are entering into college at the community college level. Instructors are helping students to break the mold from being used to having a teacher and parents tell them what to do all the time, and they are focusing on making the student take ownership of their own actions and work. This means that all the consequences that come for a student are of no fault but of the student. This is the most challenging aspect for the transition from high school to college. For many though, this is a great way to get into a situation where students are excited about exercising their independence and look forward to, and embrace, the new freedom and responsibilities. Those that have this mindset will have great success. The others that struggle with the independent nature of college tend to have a more difficult time, and even wonder if college is for them.

Filed Under: Collaboration, Education Tagged With: Community college, Education, United States

Musings on School and the GMAT Prep Course

The GMAT test, I found out, is something that you have to pass, and get a good score on, to get into an MBA program. Though I’m not completely sure that this is something I would want to do, still the thought of the test bothers me. Sure, it makes sense, but it just takes me back to the days of SAT. It was such a pain! With the GMAT, your score is taken into huge account when applying to MBA programs. If you’re not one of the highest scoring for the program that you want, you might not get into that program.

For some people, this is a fun challenge. Those are the people that go into this field. I’ve realized with my musings that this is probably not the best course of action for me at this time. Though it would be fun, if I do end up going back to school, I don’t think I’ll be pursuing an MBA any time soon. I may take a few business courses, but overall, I don’t think that this is the path for me. I do have to say, though, that I completely admire the people who do go through this. Testing is just not my thing — I’ve done it enough, I don’t feel the need to do it again.

Recently I got thinking about school. Though it may seem a little silly, I started wondering if it would be worth it to go back, and take some business classes. After I looked into it, I realized that if I wanted to go very far with business, I’d have to take the GMAT test. Though there are options for a GMAT prep course, to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of testing. I get scared when it’s time to take a big test like this. The GMAT test, I found out, is something that you have to pass, and get a good score on, to get into an MBA program. Though I’m not completely sure that this is something I would want to do, still the thought of the test bothers me. Sure, it makes sense, but it just takes me back to the days of SAT. It was such a pain! With the GMAT, your score is taken into huge account when applying to MBA programs. If you’re not one of the highest scoring for the program that you want, you might not get into that program. For some people, this is a fun challenge. Those are the people that go into this field. I’ve realized with my musings that this is probably not the best course of action for me at this time. Though it would be fun, if I do end up going back to school, I don’t think I’ll be pursuing an MBA any time soon. I may take a few business courses, but overall, I don’t think that this is the path for me. I do have to say, though, that I completely admire the people who do go through this. Testing is just not my thing — I’ve done it enough, I don’t feel the need to do it again.

Filed Under: Collaboration, Education Tagged With: GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test, Master of Business Administration

Independent Learning

Different people learn in different ways. This includes those that tend to have a higher learning success rate because they are in a brick and mortar environment. There are those, however, that do quite well in a virtual or online learning environment. For those learners, completing their education through online schooling or a university the online environment is a comfortable way to gain the necessary education for their future goals. For those that thrive in a teacher led environment, there are still many options that are not just limited to a classroom. There have been many advancements in education, and the improvements have led to an awareness for the need for differentiated presentation.

The key to learning, in any environment, is to be an independent learner. The independence that a learner brings to their education, is the strongest tool that a student could possibly have. The reason for this is because once a student reaches a certain level in their education, teachers tend to provide less and less guidance for completing assignments. Being an independent learner will help students find the motivation to do the tasks necessary in order to succeed in their schooling tasks. The other benefit to being an independent learner is that this type of mentality carries over into the career, or future academic endeavors, once the academic goals are completed. These type of people tend to be driven, and goal orientated, with good time management skills.

Independent learning is something that can be gained or learned. If a student wants to be able to have creativity when presented with new tasks, or think outside of the box, then they find that they need to take the first steps in becoming independent. For starters, getting past the fear of failing or not being successful has to be overcome. Many teachers want to see different ideas, and those ideas are usually greeted with positive reaction even if they are not the quality of what others present. Independent learners exhibit a strong tendency to be unique, and therefore to emulate that trait is a big step in changing.

Filed Under: Collaboration, Education Tagged With: Distance Learning, Learning, Student

What Receiving a Higher Education can do— for You

It’s time. Sure, you’ve received your high school diploma, but you’ve been working at the same retail establishment for over 15 years and you need a change. Is higher education really the answer and if so how do you get started?

Good news. These ideas will help you to see more clearly why college or the university experience will be one of the best decisions you can make.

Get a better job. The most obvious reason folks go back to school, but it’s a good one. And in this economy, why not get a step ahead of the rest?
Understand life. Get a better understanding of how the world works, how it’s changing, and what’s opening up for the future.
Learn something new. Take a class in something you’ve been dreaming about for years. Maybe you’ve always wanted to be a public speaker and start your own self-help business, perhaps you’ve always loved math but never made is past college algebra and you’d love to teach.
Increase your self-esteem. Whether you learn online or offline, you will find that you feel better about yourself because of what you’ve been accomplishing.
Meet new people. Connect with them and after graduation, assist them in their job pursuits as they assist you in yours.
Learn how to better balance your time. If you’re a bit disorganized now, suit up for the college life of homework, tests and assignments that come in daily, weekly and monthly chuncks.
Rid yourself of any prejudices. In college, study is made of all the variables and you are able to take a second look at your long held beliefs.

Know that getting a degree is more than receiving that coveted piece of paper. And that’s as it should be. Through the higher education experience in which you have participated you will have learned more about yourself, about others and about the world.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Higher education