Quantum Chemistry 2nd Edition Review - A Bit Less Dry

Quantum Chemistry 2nd Edition Review - A Bit Less DryThe 2nd edition of Quantum Chemistry by Margaret MacQuarrie features important advances and changes. In the first edition, it was said that the writing style of the book was overly formal and that too due to a fact that she had been writing for a long time and is very comfortable with grammar and syntax. I find the new editions to be much more fun and enjoyable.This time around, Margaret MacQuarrie makes the writing much more personal. It makes the book more engaging to read. I found myself flipping pages to see how much I could infer from the text.Also, when you read the book, it feels more 'professional' because of the fact that the authors have been writing for a while. They have learned their lessons and should therefore be more prepared to write a book. The content of the book is still worthy of your attention. It retains the feel of a more theoretical book and can be a little dry at times.As I read the book, I was also remind ed of what I feel about physics in general. There were no easy answers in Quantum Chemistry. Every theory or idea has some weight and complexity attached to it. As we learn more about the phenomena we deal with, the complexity increases.One great thing about Quantum Chemistry is that it makes more sense when you read it from MacQuarrie's point of view and not her popularizers point of view. You get an understanding of her in the sense that the book is no longer a review of her popular works and still very much a work on her own.At the same time, it makes more sense to the layperson who doesn't really understand the theory behind chemistry and physics. However, you still get to learn something in the text. The purpose of the book is to teach you the theories and let you learn about them.In my opinion, this was a much better way to write the book since you learn more when you read from Margaret's perspective. I think that the book is now much more accessible than before.I also like th e book cover of Quantum Chemistry because it speaks for itself. I'm not sure how many people have heard of MacQuarrie but it's worth your time to check out her work.

italki Team Language Challenge Week 4 Update

italki Team Language Challenge â€" Week 4 Update The italki team is taking  the 2015 New Years Language Challenge How much Chinese can they learn in 20 hours? 3 members of the team at italki are taking the language challenge to improve their skill in Mandarin. Each of them will have 20 hours of lessons between January and February. Can you do better than them?  Check out their original Public Video Pledges that they made at the beginning of the Challenge here. Week 4 Updates Week 4 for the Team #italkichallenge is getting competitive! Aimé is about to finish and Josie is doing her best to #support him. #sabatoge #italki #learningchinese #bringit #skype #almostdone A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Feb 12, 2015 at 9:36pm PST Aimé, Intern Week 4 After 4 weeks I have completed 17 hours of Chinese lessons with my teacher Lea. I must say I feel very happy with myself about the progress I was able to make this week. My goal was to be better at comprehending when my teacher asked me questions which I feel like I really improved on. Mind you this is the 4th week of learning the same things but I’m finally catching on to keywords in order to understand questions. With only 3 more hours of lessons left, I feel like I will be able to meet my goal of introducing myself but I highly doubt I can a conversation with a native Chinese speaker. Nonetheless, I am very proud of the progress I have made, especially with my pronunciation even though it still has some improving to do. For this upcoming week, since I’m leaving back to America, my goal is to speak very well in Chinese in my final video to show everyone how much progress I’ve made. Josie, Services Week 4 After 4 weeks I’ve have managed to get 11 hours of Chinese lessons. Unfortunately this has been a tough week for me in regards to the challenge, I was sick the beginning of the week and had to go to Hong Kong on the weekend. I was only able to look at my vocabulary once, which means I did not meet my goals. Seeing as we are halfway through the challenge it’s not looking like I’ll be able to have a 5 minutes conversation like I had originally intend. However if they speak very slowly and we discuss the things I have been learning about then I can do it. This week I need to complete my sessions and study my vocabulary regularly. For the next 2 weeks I need to practice more out loud. I have many friends that speak Chinese so I should practice out load with them even though I get embarrassed. I’m really hoping to get over being embarrassed while speaking Chinese because I know it will help tremendously. Karthik, Data Scientist Week 4 This week was very busy for me so I could only complete 1 session, which gives me 6 hours overall. I had previously set an ambitious goal of 4 sessions for this week but I wasn’t able to meet it. I’m very behind on sessions but I still think I can meet my initial goal. Imagine if I had been taking my lessons regularly! This upcoming week I need to take more sessions! I have to schedule them sooner because the longer I wait to schedule, the harder it is for me to finish sessions. My goal is to take 5 sessions, it’s a lot but I need to step up my game if I want to be successful in this challenge. italki Team Language Challenge â€" Week 4 Update The italki team is taking  the 2015 New Years Language Challenge How much Chinese can they learn in 20 hours? 3 members of the team at italki are taking the language challenge to improve their skill in Mandarin. Each of them will have 20 hours of lessons between January and February. Can you do better than them?  Check out their original Public Video Pledges that they made at the beginning of the Challenge here. Week 4 Updates Week 4 for the Team #italkichallenge is getting competitive! Aimé is about to finish and Josie is doing her best to #support him. #sabatoge #italki #learningchinese #bringit #skype #almostdone A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Feb 12, 2015 at 9:36pm PST Aimé, Intern Week 4 After 4 weeks I have completed 17 hours of Chinese lessons with my teacher Lea. I must say I feel very happy with myself about the progress I was able to make this week. My goal was to be better at comprehending when my teacher asked me questions which I feel like I really improved on. Mind you this is the 4th week of learning the same things but I’m finally catching on to keywords in order to understand questions. With only 3 more hours of lessons left, I feel like I will be able to meet my goal of introducing myself but I highly doubt I can a conversation with a native Chinese speaker. Nonetheless, I am very proud of the progress I have made, especially with my pronunciation even though it still has some improving to do. For this upcoming week, since I’m leaving back to America, my goal is to speak very well in Chinese in my final video to show everyone how much progress I’ve made. Josie, Services Week 4 After 4 weeks I’ve have managed to get 11 hours of Chinese lessons. Unfortunately this has been a tough week for me in regards to the challenge, I was sick the beginning of the week and had to go to Hong Kong on the weekend. I was only able to look at my vocabulary once, which means I did not meet my goals. Seeing as we are halfway through the challenge it’s not looking like I’ll be able to have a 5 minutes conversation like I had originally intend. However if they speak very slowly and we discuss the things I have been learning about then I can do it. This week I need to complete my sessions and study my vocabulary regularly. For the next 2 weeks I need to practice more out loud. I have many friends that speak Chinese so I should practice out load with them even though I get embarrassed. I’m really hoping to get over being embarrassed while speaking Chinese because I know it will help tremendously. Karthik, Data Scientist Week 4 This week was very busy for me so I could only complete 1 session, which gives me 6 hours overall. I had previously set an ambitious goal of 4 sessions for this week but I wasn’t able to meet it. I’m very behind on sessions but I still think I can meet my initial goal. Imagine if I had been taking my lessons regularly! This upcoming week I need to take more sessions! I have to schedule them sooner because the longer I wait to schedule, the harder it is for me to finish sessions. My goal is to take 5 sessions, it’s a lot but I need to step up my game if I want to be successful in this challenge.

The Physics Tutoring University

The Physics Tutoring UniversityPhysics Tutoring UF is one of the most popular Universities in the country. And what better way to help your child and yourself reach their college degree than to enroll them in the Physics Tutoring University?Here at Physics Tutoring UF, we understand that what a parent wants more than anything else is for their child to succeed in their studies. If you are just starting your career in teaching, then don't worry because we have a few easy steps that will help you reach your goals. The first step is to get in touch with your local Physics Tutoring University to see if they have an in-house tutoring program.Once you have found the Physics Tutoring University, then the next step is to sign up as a tutor. For this step, all you need is a valid photo ID with you; as well as your high school diploma. Once you have these two things ready, you can then register with Physics Tutoring UF. The next step is to start with a lesson plan that you can complete on your own.The next step in Physics Tutoring UF is to find a qualified physics tutor who is experienced. The step that you should take is to call around to a number of Physics Tutoring Universities to see if you can get a free lesson plan or perhaps a live tutor session. If you do not get this advice, you will be wasting your time and money and you are definitely missing out on a great opportunity.With the guidance of the experienced Physics Tutor, you can make sure that you have met all the prerequisite qualifications and have completed all the prerequisites for Physics Tutoring UF. If you have any doubts or questions, you can always email the Physics Tutoring University or ask a Physics Tutor to help you out.Physics Tutoring UF also offers free newsletters that help to guide you and provide a good overview of how to go about Physics Tutoring UF. This newsletter helps to make sure that you are able to develop your own teaching strategies, know the curriculum and student habits, as well a s knowing the support you will get when working on your Physics Teaching Aptitude Test.The Psychology Department is another department of Physics Tutoring UF. Here, they will help you formulate a plan for your child to succeed in the real world after you have completed your education.

Barrons SAT Subject Test Chemistry Free Download

Barron's SAT Subject Test Chemistry Free DownloadSo, is Barron's SAT Subject Test Chemistry free download available? While there are different options that you can download, some of them might not be as good as others. If you would like to find out if this website will work well for you, you should look at the free section first.The main section of the SAT that the website is focused on is Algebra. Most colleges use this section in the admissions process to make sure that students have the fundamentals that they need. Therefore, if you are attending a college or university in which they are using this SAT subject test chemistry free download, it might not be worth your time. However, with this website, you will be able to see if they have any sort of database of resources that might help you study for this test.If you happen to be wondering about the resources that Barron's SAT Subject Test Chemistry free download offers, it will give you four of the key ingredients that you need to study. The first one is a review of three of the most common forms of this subject. This includes Gas Law equations, Thermal Equation and Gas Equilibrium. Then, there is an explanation of how many different forms of Potassium Hydroxide and Potassium Carbonate are used in the final grade of the chemistry.Then, there is the calculator for the test Chemistry. This works by giving you a score and you will know if you can take the SAT Subject Test Chemistry online or not. You will be able to use it to practice and gauge your skills with the calculator. Also, if you would like to be able to practice before the actual test, there is a practice test available that you can use.If you decide to buy a book to learn the test Chemistry, then this is the last option that you can do. With this free download, you will be able to get the Chemical Formula Algorithm Review to learn the Chemistry materials. This is an easy review of this mathematical formula so that you will be able to remember the mat erials that you need to learn. It is also easy to read because it has a high-quality print.Now, if you do purchase a study guide to teach you the test Chemistry, then you should know that there are some things that you should look out for. One thing that you need to do is to make sure that the authors of the books are actually professionals in the field. This will help you avoid any confusion that could arise from using the material in a book that is just another marketing product.So, if you are looking for a free SAT subject test Chemistry resource, this is the best one out there. It gives you all the tools that you need to test your knowledge and help you test for success.

Right Communication Its all About the Way You Think - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Right Communication Its all About the Way You Think - Introvert Whisperer Right Communication Its all About the Way You Think Right Communication Its all About the Way You Think Do you think that mental hygiene is important for one’s health and progress? How do you feel about interpersonal communication skill seminars and some other similar ones? No matter what your agenda is on these topics, you can’t deny the fact that they all have a purpose. That purpose is to upgrade our social skills, teach us how to communicate properly and expand our social circle. Surely you’re aware that these things are important in life and that they determine, in a way, how successful a person is. If you’re not quite ready to attend a seminar or a group training regarding communication skills, you’ve come to the right place as here you will get a taste of the lessons taught there. Listen before you speak

The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright

The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright Suzy S. Stage performance is a challenging art form. Whether youre acting out a role in a musical theatre setting, giving a speech in front of a crowd, or even playing a solo at an open mic night, the experience can be nerve-wracking even for seasoned performers. It can be even more anxiety-inducing if youre a perfectionist, as that can breed a fear of failure and from there, performance anxiety can feel even stronger. Performance anxiety (commonly  referred to as stage fright)  can devastate a performer’s career and enjoyment of their craft, but it doesn’t have to  performance anxiety is a normal human reaction and a completely curable condition if given the right resources, patience, and support system. This article is a guide to learning how to overcome stage fright, for anyone who may experience it  musicians, actors, dancers, speakers, educators, and students. If you wish to understand and improve anxiety issues that are holding you  back from giving your  best performances, read on! What is Stage Fright? Lets start with  anxiety, which  is defined as a feeling or worry, nervousness, or unease about an upcoming event. Most people have experienced some level of anxiety before, during, or after a performance, speech, sports game, or test. Anxiety differs from fear in that fear addresses a present threat, while anxiety is typically felt in relation to something in the future. Anxiety is a normal, healthy human experience and, in small doses, is beneficial in making decisions and in achieving peak success. Performance anxiety (stage fright) in particular is nervousness or unease about a specific future event in which you will be required to execute a task, such as a song, a scene, speech, or test and usually when you’ll be in front of an audience. Symptoms may be present during the task, for weeks or months leading up to it, and sometimes after the event is over. So, how do you get over  stage fright? Even most experienced performers feel anxiety, so its more a process of learning how to deal with stage fright. Here  are the steps  I recommend. Knowing if you are truly experiencing anxiety is critically important, as it’s the first step toward understanding and overcoming it. If you have experienced a few or many of the following symptoms before or during a performance situation, you are experiencing stage fright: Excessive sweating (typically in the palms, feet, armpits or face, but could be anywhere) Increased heart rate Chills, hot flashes, or sudden changes in body temperature Shallow breathing, tightness in the chest, or hyperventilation Feeling dizzy Racing thoughts, obsessive fear of failure during the task Inability to concentrate or process logical information Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea Loss of appetite Frequent urge to use the bathroom Inability to make small talk or hold a basic conversation Shakiness, especially in the hands Sensitivity lights, sounds, or textures in the environment As you can see, this list of sensations is not only unpleasant, but makes performing at your best nearly impossible. Fear of failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Look at the list of anxiety symptoms, and make a mental checkmark next to the ones that you have felt during performance situations. Note when it happened, how often, and any other details you remember. Are your symptoms limited to a specific few, or all of them? Are there symptoms you’d like to solve first as a priority, before others? Now go back next to each symptom that you’ve checked, and rate it on scale of 1-10 as to how severe it felt (1 being hardly felt it, 10 being you felt it so much you couldn’t concentrate on anything else). If you are seeing numbers in the 1-4 range, it’s likely that you are experiencing normal, healthy jitters that can actually add to your performance by making you more focused. If you are seeing numbers in the 5-10 range, you are experiencing moderate to severe stage fright  and should read on to discover strategies for improvement. Before you can properly map a route to overcome stage fright, it’s important to know where you’ve been and what has caused stage fright in the past. Let’s look at some of the reasons why you are experiencing stage fright, how they might contribute to your present challenges, and how you can utilize them most effectively. Start by asking yourself some questions about your performing career, starting from the very, very beginning, which might include childhood memories or more recent situations depending on your age. Recall the first time you performed for an audience, formally. Who was there? What thoughts and feelings do you remember? Were you happy with the outcome of the performance? Was it a positive or negative experience, was it stressful or relaxed? Recall the first time you performed and experienced anxiety (if different from above). What were the circumstances? Who was there? Did you practice or prepare, and how much? If different from #1, what do you think sparked anxiety if there were previous performances that didn’t? Recall the next few times that you performed, after #2 above. Ask yourself the same questions and look for patterns. Recall the 2-3 most recent times you performed. How recent was it? Have you purposely avoided performing in recent circumstances due to fear? Were you with a large group, small ensemble or solo? Were there any post-performance experiences worth noting? From the above questions, look for patterns. Are there any pivotal events that dramatically changed the course of your performance history? Are there any key people, venues, or pieces that contributed to where you’re at today? The next step is re-contextualizing key anxiety triggers so that they don’t continue causing problems. Most people can identify one or two key incidents that left a large impact on their self-esteem. Maybe it was a teacher giving an aggressive critique, a family member telling you not to quit your day job, or a performance in which you froze on stage and ran off crying. At the time you may not have realized the impact of this key event, but in hindsight you can see that it has undermined your confidence and affected your ability to perform ever since. The mind is powerful and can distort memories, making them seem bigger and nastier than they really were in real life. As far as exercises that can help you deal with stage fright, this is a great one to try. Pick one of your key incidents that is particularly painful or memorable and jot a few notes about it to the facts: What venue were you performing in? What piece were you performing or practicing? Who was watching? What feedback were you given, either verbal or non-verbal? How did you react? Did you shout, cry, freeze up, or laugh it off? If you responded verbally, what did you say? What did you do after the event? Re-Contextualizing the Event Now let’s bring some imagination to it: sometimes taking the gravity out of a memory and bringing it into a lighter, if not humorous, context can be extremely healing. By re-contextualizing this event, you are not dismissing it or minimizing its impact, but re-framing it in a more positive, lighthearted perspective. By giving your brain a new way to interpret it, you will begin to move past it and no longer allow it to block your present performance opportunities. Jot a few notes in response to the following: If you could go back and re-live this event, what would you do differently? Is there anything positive that has come out of the negative memory? We’ve spent the preceding sections of this guide  processing your past. Now it’s time to move into the present and start thinking about what you can do now, and in the near future, to overcome stage fright. There is no magic formula, unfortunately; you must expose yourself â€" you must perform, perform, perform, and this is known as exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a fancy name for the common-sense approach known as “facing your fears,” a technique commonly used by psychiatric doctors to treat phobias of all kinds. However, there is an art to exposing yourself to your fears, and it should be done in careful, small, planned doses that gradually lead up to a major milestone. Create an Exposure Ladder Exposure ladders are a technique used widely by the medical psychiatric community to treat generalized anxiety, panic disorders, and phobias of all types. An exposure ladder is a list of activities that lead you gradually to a big goal (such as performing on your citys biggest stage, for example), with activities ranked from least to most anxiety-provoking. An individual will work up the steps of the ladder, moving on to the next step only after mastering exposure to the current step with little or no anxiety. You’ll need to create your own customized exposure ladder, starting with #1, which is your first, tiny little step toward performing something that you could handle right now, today, with little or no anxiety symptoms. Then you’ll move on to #2, and so on, gradually making steps more anxiety provoking as you go, until you’ve reached a final step which is your final performing goal. You can make your final step as big or small as you want, just be honest with your true performing goals. One precaution: be careful not to create too big of a jump between steps on the exposure ladder. You can repeat a step as many times as needed, in order to master that level with little to no anxiety. Depending on how often you are working on the steps, it might take months or years until you feel you’ve mastered a step, and that’s just fine. Study the example below to help you brainstorm ideas for your own ladder. Example Exposure Ladder 1. Imagine yourself performing. 2. Perform alone. 3. Record  yourself performing a scene or song and watch it without critique. 4. Perform for  a supportive partner or friend. 5. Perform a duet or ensemble in front of family or friends at an informal gathering. 6. Perform solo in front of family or friends at an informal gathering. 7. Perform a duet or ensemble at a venue that is higher caliber, like a talent show for your class at school, a neighborhood barbeque, or karaoke at a bar. 8. Perform solo within the same circumstances in #7. 9. Perform with a semi-professional ensemble, such as an audition-only community chorus  or  community theatre. 10. Arrange an opportunity to perform solo for your peers or an audience, within the group you’ve identified in #9. 11. Enter a  competition. 12. Continue finding opportunities similar to #11 with gradually higher caliber venues (or even paying gigs!). Once you start working the steps on your exposure ladder, there are going to be successes, and also setbacks. It’s important to arm yourself with relaxation techniques so that when setbacks occur, you have a strategy in place to deal with them  in a healthy way. Try these: Meditation Find a quiet space, sit or lay in a position that is comfortable enough to sustain for 10 minutes minimum, close your eyes, and stop thinking. It’s as simple as that; meditation is simply a state of thoughtlessness. Your mind will wander, and when it does, just bring it back to a blank space. If you can commit to meditation as a daily practice for 10-20 minutes, over time you will be able to push aside thoughts that distract you during performances, including anxious thoughts. Progressive muscle relaxation Find a quiet space and lay down with your arms naturally at your sides and legs fully extended. Close your eyes. Prepare with three slow, deep breaths. As much as possible, focus all of your attention on the task at hand; don’t let your mind wander. Tense your forehead muscle, holding it as tight as you can for about five seconds. As you do this, inhale and hold the breath while the muscle is tense, and then exhale and breathe normally as you let the muscle relax. Enjoy the relaxed position for about five seconds. Repeat the above process with the following muscle groups: your face/cheek muscles, neck muscles, shoulders (pull them up and tight), back muscles (pull your shoulder blades back and in), abs/stomach muscles, arms and hands (make a fist while you do this and tense it all the way down to the fingers), glutes, thighs, calves, and then finally feet. Acceptance is a final and critical step in learning how to overcome stage fright, as resistance will only make a problem grow stronger. It’s important that you stop criticizing or judging yourself for having fears or challenges on stage, as it is one of the most common types of anxiety, and you are definitely not alone! Acceptance is not declaring that stage fright  is “just a problem you have” and that you’ll have to deal with it for the rest of your life. Acceptance is realizing you have some uncomfortable symptoms that are occurring and allowing the process of change to unfold, even if the process is difficult. Acceptance is allowing setbacks to happen, refraining from self-criticism when they do, and celebrating the small successes along the way. Conclusion Public speaking and performances of all types continue to be the number one fear of most adults. By reading this article, you have embarked on a journey that very few are brave enough to take â€" congratulations are due just for starting! Your reading has given you initial tools for understanding what stage fright  is, how you experience it personally, how your past is affecting your present, and  beginning to learn how to deal with stage fright. Performing is one of life’s great joys and you too can enjoy sharing your unique gifts and stories in front of an audience, free of fear, paralysis, or uncomfortable feelings. Don’t give up, and remember that psychological change is a gradual process. Good luck, and happy performing! Readers, what other ways have you learned how to overcome stage fright? Let us know in the comments! Post Author: Erin R. Erin teaches acting, singing, speaking voice, and more in San Diego, CA. She holds a B.A. from University of Minnesota in Vocal Performance, a M.A. in Education from National University, and has been teaching since 2007. Learn more about Erin here! Image credit: Kian McKellar

4 Fantastic Tips for Studying Abroad in Italy

4 Fantastic Tips for Studying Abroad in Italy Mac Are you planning on studying abroad in Italy in the near future?  If so, youre destined to have a wonderful time! In this article, Italian teacher Liz T.  gives you four very important tips for your educational stay in Italy Education in Italy If you have the chance to study abroad while you’re in high school or in college, you should definitely study in Italy! Studying abroad can be one of the most rewarding opportunities of your life; academically, culturally, and socially. Italy has so many wonderful cities  that are friendly to international students, such as Florence, Bologna, and Sienna. Moreover,  the education in Italy is top quality, with accredited schools such as the University of Florence and the University of Rome. Before you solidify your choice  to study abroad in Italy, look over these tips to help you make the most of your experience studying abroad! 1. Learn the Language Before You Go Try and learn Italian  as much as you can at home before you go. If you learn the pronunciation and the sound of the language, youll feel more comfortable as a foreigner. Itd be best to practice speaking, writing, reading, and hearing the language in all platforms. If you need to learn Italian fast, Id recommend consuming newspapers, television shows, movies, and radio broadcasts to get a feel for the language. Vocabulary Its also recommended to find some useful Italian phrases  you can use for when you first arrive. Itll come in handy to  express yourself in certain situations, such as when you visit  banks, laundromats, restaurants, and grocery stores. One great way to practice this vocabulary  is through flash cards! On the plane ride over to Italy you could make yourself some flashcards and test yourself.  The vocab should consist of  basic topics, such as numbers, months, food, colors, parts of the body, and so on. Flashcards are a proven memorization tactic for vocabulary, so make it a habit  to practice them as much as possible. 2. Experience the Culture Although Im sure youll be studying very hard in your classes, don’t forget to experience the arts and culture of the new Italian community youre living in! You should  soak up everything you can; museums, restaurants, theaters anything and everything! Maybe youll discover  some common Italian stereotypes that you only ever hear about in movies. Dont be afraid to challenge yourself and go out, meet new people, and see new places. If you stay in your  dorm room the majority of your stay,  youll miss the chances to hang out  with people your own age. Italy has its fair share of night clubs and bars where young people gather at all hours of the day. It would also be a great idea for you to start conversations in Italian. As an incentive, you  can offer to teach your Italian friend(s)  your native language. There are a lot of  organizations abroad, as well as meetup groups, that specialize in bringing young people together in exchange for learning their language and culture. Its easier to coordinate than you may think! Travel Around Italy is known for it’s food, art, and music youll want to get a taste of all three! In order to get a well-rounded experience, try to travel around Italy as much as possible. Traveling throughout Italy is very easy; the trains run very fast and are quite affordable, flights are pretty cheap, and renting a car is a fairly easy task. Depending where you are, there are many great cities in the North to visit, such as Turin, Milan, Trieste, Venezia to the South Rome, Napoli, Florence, and the islands of Sicily and Sardegna. Each region has its own specialties that youre going to want to experience! See Also: 6 Tips How to Make the Most Out of Your Semester Abroad 3. Adapting to the Culture Living abroad can bring you many challenges if  youre not used to the language, culture, and customs of a new city.  The customs that you practice in your homeland are not going to be the same as they are in Italy. Here are some examples  of Italian customs: Were Closed Businesses, stores, and restaurants are generally  open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then closed until about 7 p.m.  for Siesta time. That means restaurants do not usually serve dinner until  9 p.m. at night! I recommend planning your  shopping in Italy around these Siesta closing times. Telling the Time 24 hours clocks are used in Italy, so  1 p.m. U.S. time would be 13:00, 2 p.m. would be 14:00, and midnight would be 24:00, and so on. Also, in lieu of the time difference, you should  get your body used to  being either six or nine hours ahead of your home country. For Here or To-Go In restaurants, you  wont really see  â€œTakeaway or To-Go orders.  Even the chain coffee shops expect you to sit down and have coffee in the morning. It’s very hard to find a “To-Go” cup on the run. Also, going out to eat can be a long process; to even get a menu,  food, and the bill can take at least two hours, so make sure you plan for this! Seconds Please While food is much cheaper in Italy than in the States, know that portions may not be as big (they have several meals or courses a day, such as antipasti, insalta, primo corso, secondo corso). With that being said, the portions  in Italy are generally bigger than the rest of the countries in Europe. My Brand Your favorite brands, like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Hershey’s Chocolate, or Tylenol may not be available. Its definitely possible to find similar brands, but youll have to search for them in Italian. Plug It In The electric wall plugs are different in Italy. Shocking, isnt it? Youll need adapters to switch the voltage for all of your appliances, like your computer, hairdryer, alarm clock, and more.  Adapters can be very expensive once youre abroad, so I recommend picking up a few in your homeland before you travel. 4. Stay Organized in Italy Make sure you have your finances and documents organized before you go to Italy. Moreover, plan to have your finances covered  during  each  semester youre studying there. The most important things to get are: a current passport and a visa. Documentation Official processes for visas and documents can take anywhere from six to nine  months, so it’s very important to start this process immediately. Youll need original copies, as well as  signed documents of specific items. Make sure you fulfill all of the requirements before you begin travelling. Be warned that the police in Italy  can stop you at anytime to  look at your legal documents. You wouldn’t want to arrive to your program late or be unable to  complete it because you didnt have the proper legal documents sorted out. Finances Italy is currently using the euro, which is more expensive than the U.S. dollar. However, the exchange rates are changing everyday. You may be able to make or lose money depending on the rates. Check to see if your tuition payments are in dollars or euros and spend accordingly. You may need to convert currency  before you start setting up logistics like your apartment, bills, medical needs, and anything of the utmost importance. Heres a huge recommendation in regard to your finances:  keep your bank accounts from your home country and start a new bank account in Italy. This will allow you to have money in both currencies, as well as an Italian debit or credit card for emergencies. Communication Your current cellphone provider will most likely not work in Italy but if it does, youll probably be charged enormous fees. If you have an iPhone, you can try and get it unlocked so that you can  use a different provider or  an Italian simcard.  If you want to tweak your iPhone for this reason, keep in mind that there are risks involved  (damaging your software, losing information, losing warranty coverage, etc.). Another option for your phone is to suspend the service and  only use it for wifi. Or if you dont even need wifi, you can keep your phone in airplane mode (which cuts it off from all wireless activities). Many chatting apps, such as Skype, Viber, or Whatsapp will allow you to text and call others for free or for low prices. If you decide to buy a new phone in Italy, you can get simcards from popular providers such as Orange, Vodaphone, and Movistar. Safe Travels! These are some tips I wish I would have known before studying abroad in Italy myself! I hope that youll take these tips into consideration while youre planning your semester studying abroad. If you would like to learn more about studying abroad, the education in Italy, or for private Italian language lessons, schedule a lesson with a teacher on TakeLessons today! Did you find these tips useful for studying abroad in Italy? If so, please leave a comment below! Post Author:  Liz T. Liz T. teaches Italian, singing, acting, and music lessons in Brooklyn, NY, as well as online.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, RB, and Country. Learn more about Liz here! Photo by FaceMEPLS 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

4 Ways to Put Your Spanish into Action in Your Community

4 Ways to Put Your Spanish into Action in Your Community Suzy S. Want to take your Spanish beyond the books and classroom? Here, Honolulu tutor Jinan B.  offers some ideas to volunteer in Spanish and other ways to share your skills with your community Spanish has special significance in the United States, as it is widely spoken by people from a variety of Hispanic and Hispanic-American cultures. One of the great things about learning Spanish is that you can practice the language and improve your fluency while actively in your community. The following are suggestions for ways to put your Spanish into action to mutually benefit you and other individuals in your community. 1. Volunteer in Spanish Volunteering is an exceptional way to achieve greater fluency in Spanish, because youre practicing your speaking and comprehension skills while helping others at the same time. There is a great need for bilingual English-Spanish speakers to help non-English-speaking native Spanish speakers with navigating a variety of situations in which English is needed. You can also seek out volunteer opportunities working with disadvantaged children, some of whom may be native Spanish speakers or bilingual English-Spanish speakers. A good resource for finding opportunities to volunteer in Spanish is your local government office or public library. 2. Connect with Fellow Spanish Language Learners Another way to participate more deeply in your local community while speaking Spanish is to meet others interested in improving their language skills. This could take the form of a Spanish language meetup group to get additional practice in the language outside of your lessons. You could also use online forums, such as Craigslist, to find an exchange partner to practice with (for example, an exchange in which you converse with your partner in English part of the time and in Spanish the rest of the time). This is mutually beneficial in helping each of you improve your speaking abilities, and you may make a new friend in the process. In any case, you will gain a deeper understanding of the culture and language through this person. 3. Strike Up a Conversation with a Native Speaker An easy way to incorporate Spanish into your daily routine in a community-oriented way is to make Spanish-speaking connections. Depending on the community you live in, this may be as simple as striking up a friendly conversation with Spanish speakers in a business you frequent. Spanish speakers are usually quite friendly and delighted that you are learning their language. Making friends who speak Spanish can allow for many exceptional interactions, in which you participate in cultural exchange and have fun at the same time! 4. Host an Exchange Student or Traveler If you would like an immersion experience and are unable to travel, how about hosting an exchange student or traveler? In exchange for free or low-cost housing, your visitor can verse you in the intricacies of Spanish as you share some of the wonderful things about your culture and location. It is an excellent way to reinforce what you learn in your Spanish class or tutoring  sessions and will make a difference in someone else’s travel and cultural experiences. These suggestions are just scratching the surface of the possibilities available to you for putting your Spanish into action in your community. The rewards are plentiful, for you and for those with whom you interact. As your Spanish improves, you may find even greater meaning in your engagement with the Spanish language. Jinan B. tutors in Honolulu, HI. She is currently an  Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, teaching various courses including  Community Nutrition, Concepts in Nutrition Education, and Advanced Child and Adolescent Nutrition.  Learn more about Jinan here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  Rebecca Demes

Guitar for Beginners 5 New Years Resolutions for Learning Guitar

Guitar for Beginners 5 New Years Resolutions for Learning Guitar Megan L. Make this year your most musical year yet with these excellent new years resolutions for learning guitar for beginners  by guitar teacher  Kirk R. Pick Up Your Guitar Everyday To some this may seem daunting, and to others it might sound obvious. Regardless of which side of that you’re on, getting your hands on your guitar often is an important step in learning, especially when you’re just starting out. This is true in most other areas of study as well, but if you’re learning to walk or learning a language, you have to tools to practice it with you at all times. As a side note here, you can also make lots of progress doing what I call mental practice. The idea is just that you use your analytical and visualization skills to solve problems with your playing without ever picking up your instrument. There are many ways to go about that, but I’ll leave that for a future post! Picking up your guitar often allows your body and mind to create a sense of normalcy while youre playing. When you want to walk somewhere, you probably don’t think about which joints of your legs need to bend and at exactly what time, you just begin walking. Guitar can be much the same! You don’t have to plan long practice sessions everyday. Usually just picking it up and playing through something that you’re working on is enough. If it’s a busy day, it might be only a few minutes, and that’s ok. If you have more time, but not all at once, try a few minutes before school or work and then again between dinner and bed. Figure out what works in your schedule and make it a part of your day! Check out: 50 Little Things You Can Do To Get More From Your Guitar Practice Time Practice With a Metronome Aside from an instrument, the metronome is the most helpful item that a musician can have. If you don’t have one already, they can be found very cheaply. Though I have a few, I most commonly use a metronome app that I downloaded for free. Metronomes can be frustrating little devices, but they will make you a better player. It’s important to remember that they often work like a mirror. If you’re noticing mistakes when you play with a metronome that you didn’t notice before, chances are, you were already making it (or a similar mistake). When you see more mistakes than before, it may seem like you are suddenly less skilled than you thought yourself before, but remember, when you notice mistakes you’re making, you can immediately start working to correct them! Start slowly (slower than you think you need to) and work up to your desired speed a notch or two at a time. This might seem tedious, but it’s a great way to work up to fast speeds in no time. Rhythm is one of the most important aspects of your playing (even more than hitting the right notes!) so if you want to build your skills, a device that helps to keep your rhythm accurate is indispensable. Check out: 13 Guitar Apps We Cant Live Without Learn a Song in a New Style or Genre I’m not suggesting here that you become a jack of all trades sort of musician. I’ve seen many of them over the years, and it seems like very few of them have mastered all, or any, of the styles that they’re playing. What I am saying is learn something in a different style so that you can look at the music that you really want to play with a new and wider perspective. I once spent some time studying with a guy who was experienced in Brazilian choro guitar. He looked at the music that I was already playing at the time very differently than I did. His whole approach was totally different and it forced me to take note of things in the music that I had never payed any attention to before. It’s that sort of experience that will make you a better musician in the long run. If you play mostly rock now, try something classical; learning jazz? Try playing metal. Maybe something less contrasting. If you play folk from tab, try playing folk from sheet music. If you’re used to reading sheet music, try playing from a lead sheet/chord chart. Forcing yourself out of your comfort zone will not only make you a more versatile player, but it will help you improve the way that you play your usual music. Check out: The Big List of Easy Guitar Songs Set Goals Set one goal that seems impossible now and one that you know you can accomplish No matter what kind of successful person you talk to, they will all agree that setting goals is helpful. This is a simple suggestion, but it can take a variety of forms. The important part of this suggestion is to have something that you can keep you eye on for a long time; something that keeps driving you forward, as well as something that is totally achievable and reminds you that you’re making progress. The “reach goal” could be something like a difficult song that you want to learn, or to memorize a certain number of songs. For the easier goal, maybe it’s making a change between two specific chords, playing in front of someone once a month, or to get a song that you’re already learning up to a certain tempo. Whatever you choose for your goals, make sure that they are measureable. If you want to get a song up to a certain tempo, make sure that the tempo is specific: 136 bpm instead of ‘fast’. Check out: How to Learn Guitar: Setting Goals, Staying Motivated, and More! Add Guitar  Exercises to Your Practice Routine This may not seem as exciting as your usual guitar practice, but I would argue that given the right mindset and exercise, it can be as interesting and engaging as practicing music. It might come as a surprise to some (though perhaps I’m wrong) that I’m making a distinction between music and exercises. It’s important to play inherently non-musical exercises, though there is value in exercise-like pieces of music as well. The reason for this is that the goal of an exercise is one of physical movement on the instrument. In order to carefully work on this aspect of playing, we have to take the emotion and desire to make our playing sound a certain way out of the equation. Have you ever noticed that when you start to learn a song that you have often listened to, you usually start playing faster than your hands can really keep up? It’s because you’re used to hearing it a certain way, and your brain is telling your hands to play the way it thinks the song should sound. When you’re using a non-musical exercise to develop skills in your fingers, you don’t have the same sort of drive as learning a song, even one you haven’t heard before. There are probably millions of exercises that you can choose from, but don’t be overwhelmed. Find one that addresses an aspect of your playing that you want to improve. Treat this exercise like weight lifting. First, make sure it’s of reasonable difficulty. You don’t walk into a gym the first day and start lifting the heaviest weights available. Second, when you are comfortable playing through the exercise while focusing on the technical aspects and they all come out as you want them to, don’t abandon the exercise! It’s not meant to be a badge that you earn and display. It’s a regular tool that you use to keep your chops in shape. Once a weight lifter lifts the heaviest weight available, they don’t stop lifting it, but they keep coming back to it, perhaps adding more reps, or just using it to maintain their current abilities. Check out: 3 Simple Guitar Exercises Youll Never Outgrow Did you make any musical resolutions this year? Share them with us in the comments below! Post Author:  Kirk R. Kirk is a classical, bass, and acoustic guitar instructor in Denver, CO. He earned a  bachelors of music in Guitar performance at The College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and he is currently pursuing a masters degree in performance.   Learn more about Kirk  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher