Friday, March 27, 2020

Learning to Define Polar Chemistry

Learning to Define Polar ChemistryIf you're new to the world of science and want to learn more about how to learn polar chemistry you should consider taking a class in polar chemistry. It is important that you learn polar chemistry, because it is a bit of a mystery. You may wonder why polar chemistry is so difficult to understand, but the simple answer is that polar compounds are so weird and complex that they just don't fit into any textbook or chemistry classroom.Polar compounds are compounds that have been split apart by ultra-violet light. The light causes the molecules to separate from each other at their atomic level. Polar compounds have different molecular structures. You can even have polar compounds that are connected by their molecular structure like an ice and a rock.You can think of polar chemistry as being like ionic, polar chemistry, but instead of ions (charged particles) all of the molecules have to be charged. In ionic, polar chemistry, you need ions in order to stu dy. Ionic polar chemistry is very important for many applications, so it's a good idea to get a good amount of exposure to it.It's quite possible that you might find a good course in polar chemistry in your chemistry classes. You'll probably find the hardest classes to find, however. These classes are going to be very hard to learn because they tend to have so much theoretical and experimental work involved. This is a big part of the reason why polar chemistry is so difficult to understand.There is no perfect course in polar chemistry. While there are several different courses that can help you learn polar chemistry, none of them are designed to be easy to take. If you want to learn polar chemistry, you have to get a little experimental and put in some time.Polar chemistry has been around for a long time and there are still many textbooks available today that will help you to learn this. I'm not suggesting that you purchase one of these textbooks, because that would take up valuable room in your room and you can do much better with a few books.Polar chemistry is a lot of fun, so if you want to learn about this subject, it's just a matter of getting out there and learning it. You can even take a course that teaches you some ways to apply polar chemistry to your own projects.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Will the LSAT Become Optional for Some Students

Will the LSAT Become Optional for Some Students If you plan to practice law one day, you are probably very familiar with the LSAT, which is administered to students who are seeking admission to law school. The LSAT is well known for being difficult and stressful, so students are often advised to begin studying several months before their test date. The LSATis, in short, an unavoidable challenge. But change may soon be in the works. Recently, the American Bar Association announced that it would allow law schools to admit up to 10% of their incoming classes without an LSAT score. This means that some students may be accepted based solely on their admissions essays, GPAs, recommendation letters, and other aspects of their application packages. This change is a positive one for students who struggle with test anxiety, as well as for students who cannot demonstrate their full potential on the LSAT alone. But perhaps youre wondering why the American Bar Association has altered its policy. Why is the LSAT now optional for some students? Decreasing enrollment In recent years, a decreasing number of students have applied to and enrolled in law school. Increasing the flexibility of law school admissions processes (i.e. making the LSAT optional) may help to encourage a greater number of students to apply to these programs. Still, at least 90% of students will continue to be admitted to law school on the basis of their LSAT scores. (Remember that the revision permits up to 10% of admitted students to omit the LSAT not 10% exactly.) At this point, law schools can choose whether or not they will admit students without first reviewing their LSAT results, and some schools will likely decide to leave their application process unchanged. LSAT advantages Though the LSAT is admittedly challenging, there are a number of reasons to take it anyway. For example, independent scholarships sometimes rely on this test score when awarding financial aid. If you find yourself struggling in your LSAT prep, you may consider seekingan LSAT tutor. An LSAT score will also allow you to pursue admission at any program that interests you, while students who do not complete the exam will be limited to only those schools that choose to admit 10% of their class without it. Most importantly, prospective students who opt against the LSAT may face increased competition for only a few spots.This may be able to help you grasp how the LSAT is scored. In addition, studying for the LSATcan help to prepare you for the academic realities of law school. For instance, sitting for the LSAT can allow you to demonstrate to your prospective schools that you are prepared to work hard to achieve your educational goals even in the face of an intense challenge. LSAT prep can also enable you to hone your analytical and logical thinking skills, as well as your close reading abilities. These free LSAT prep toolscan help you in your studies. Perhaps we are beginning to move toward new law school admissions practices, including a fully optional LSAT. Perhaps not. Ultimately, it is a wise idea to prepare for any admissions exam that you may face. And before you count on a school allowing you to apply LSAT-free, be sure to double-check the programs specific admissions procedures.

Leveraging Your Teens College Counselor

Leveraging Your Teen's College Counselor Your teen might be vaguely aware of the counseling office at his high school, but less aware of what the staff in this office does to help students prepare for the college search and application process. Here are a few tips to share with your teen to make sure he is taking full advantage of the counseling offices services: Visit early. Too often, teens make the mistake of visiting their counseling office as juniors but not before. Freshmen and sophomores would be wise to drop in early to talk about their goals (e.g. their dream colleges and careers) and what it will take to reach them. The goal-setting process can be impactful, inspiring students to work hard and stay motivated. Learn about on-campus college visits. The high school guidance counseling office frequently arranges college visits right on campus. Teens who are in the know can take advantage of this and learn about colleges that they might not otherwise hear about or be able to visit in person. Take advantage of nearby college fairs. If there are college fairs in your area, the counseling office will be the first to have information. This is another great way to learn about a variety of different colleges and universities without having to travel to them. Teens can start exploring options and get a feel for what different types of colleges are all about. Talk about the SAT and ACT. The counseling office keeps students informed of upcoming SAT and ACT test dates, registration details and sites in the area. Counselors can also advise students on how the exams are structured, their similarities and differences, and which exam might fit them best. Prepare to be successful in college. Theres preparing to apply for college and then theres preparing for college-level academics. The counselors at your teens high school are trained to educate teens about what the high school-to-college transition will be like so when they set foot on a college campus as freshmen, they feel ready. Learn about financial aid. One of the biggest areas of concern for parents and teens regarding college is the cost. The counseling office is an invaluable source of information for families and can share more about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), how to find and apply for scholarships, and so much more. Stay apprised of college-related activities all four years. Arguably the best thing about the counseling office is its commitment to keeping students and parents informed about all events, to-dos and deadlines. Every school is different, but this office helps students register for college and career exploration web resources (e.g. Naviance), set academic goals, explore careers, gather valuable information about colleges and the application process, and much more. At Huntington, we encourage high school students to make the most of the resources at their disposal that will help them make plans for college and achieve their dreams. The counseling office is there to advise students on choosing classes, but they can do so much morelike provide information about college admission tests and registration, support students on their journey to college, and offer information for students and parents about paying and planning for college. Huntington is also here to assist you. Contact us to learn more about how we help teens succeed in high school and get ready to do the same in college: 1-800 CAN LEARN.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Keith Boeckner Award 2019

Keith Boeckner Award 2019 Im proud to be this years Keith Boeckner Award winner for my contribution to the English Second Language community in Quebec, Canada. The award was issued by Société pour le perfectionnement de lenseignement de langlais, langue seconde, au Québec (SPEAQ). Heres a list of other winners of this award. See my other awards here. In the the photo below, thats me with my wife Helen Hefter and M. Karl Subban, the keynote speaker at this years SPEAQ Conference and the father of the famous hockey player and philanthropist. It was taken on November 21, 2019. Nicholas Walker (me), M. Karl Subban, and Helen Hefter at SPEAQ 2019 He spoke about his career as a teacher and principal and how he has learned to emphasize potential as the most important characteristic of every student. He quoted Henry Adams, Teachers affect eternitythey can never tell where their influence stops. Keith Boeckner Award 2019 I met Joan Beckner, wife of the late Keith Boeckner and the co-founder of SPEAQ. She was very warm and interested to learn about my work on automatic formative evaluation of writing. She said that her late husband was a prolific materials developer and innovator in ESL, having developed the first computer lab for ESL in Quebec. She also told me that the first SPEAQ Conference was held at Ahuntsic College. It was organized during a postal strike, so all promotion of the conference was word-of-mouth. Who knew? Meeting Joan and Karl Subban and receiving the award in such august company were great honours, for which I am very grateful. Please follow and like us:

7 Strategies for Taking Timed Exams

7 Strategies for Taking Timed Exams When you're taking timed exams, the clock is ticking. If you don't answer all of the questions within the allotted time period, it can mean the difference between a pass or fail. Here's 7 strategies to help you beat the clock. Keep Track of Time Wear a watch and use your time wisely. Count the number of questions and divide the number of minutes by the number of questions. This way, you'll be able to gauge how much time you can spend on each question. For example, if it's a two hour test with 60 multiple choice questions, you've got two minutes to answer each question. Do the same thing for essay questions. Even though some questions may be tougher than others, it should even out. Answer the Easy Questions First Skim through the test and answer all of the easy questions first. If you don't know the answer, cross out the answers that you know are wrong. Don't waste time trying to figure it out and move on to the next question. Sometimes, the answer will pop into your head a few minutes later as you read other questions. Mark the question with a star and come back to it later. You just may have a decent amount of time when you finish the test to go back and answer it correctly. Setting Tasks in the Right Order If you're taking a reading comprehension test, read the question first and then read the story or article. With this order, you'll be able to find the answers as you read instead of having to go back and read the passage again. Reserve the Last Five Minutes Mark your answers in the test booklet. Save the last five minutes of the test to transfer the answers to the answer document. Five minutes should be enough time for you to ensure the answers in the booklet correctly match the answer document. Stay Focused Even though you're watching the clock, don't obsess about it. Avoid daydreaming, and don't watch other test takers to see where they are in the test or wonder what they're doing. Stay completely focused on the mission and task - to complete the test within the allotted time. Be Prepared Being prepared is more than just having enough pencils. Be sure to have studied and reviewed both the topic and questions from previous tests, even if you feel that you know the subject well. You'll feel more confident and likely score better. Energise the Brain Taking timed tests is a workout for the brain. Be sure to eat a good breakfast and drink water before the test. Both food and water energize those brain cells. With these 7 strategies, you'll be both mentally and physically in prime shape for the marathon of a timed test. Pace yourself and stay focused.

5 Tips for the Integrated Reasoning Section of the GMAT

5 Tips for the Integrated Reasoning Section of the GMAT If you are applying for admission to a graduate program such as an MBA, you are probably going to have to take the GMAT exam, Graduate Management Admission Test. This computer adaptive test is designed to find out what your skills are in certain areas like verbal, reading, writing, quantitative and analytical. There are some tips that may make taking this part of the GMAT a bit easier. The Integrated reasoning section is fairly new to the GMAT as it was just introduced in 2012. This part of the exam is to test your skills when it comes to evaluating data that is shown to you in different formats from different sources. There are a total of 12 questions in the integrated reasoning area that are broken down into four categories: multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, table analysis and two-part analysis. Time management is important- While there are 12 question in this section, many of the questions will have 2-3 individual questions of their own. Also, you don't get partial credit in this section at all. Because of these two facts, you need to use your time and use it wisely. If you absolutely cannot answer the last statement in enough time, you are better off just guessing and moving on to the next question. Learn graphs and learn them well- If you are not a natural math whiz, you are going to have to learn all you can about graphs. Two of the best resources for learning graphs are the Economist Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. Both of these resources will have a graph or two scattered in each issue. Locate the graphs in these resources and figure out how to interpret them into context. Grasp the concept of reading comprehension- Most of the integrated reasoning section of the GMAT involves know exactly what the question asks as well as how to actually solve the question. You can't solve the question if you don't understand what the question is asking. It is important that you don't get wrapped up in the details but instead understand what the chart or table is actually presenting. Read the titles and captions first since these are what the question works off. Think of this section as an open-book test- One of the most common mistakes test takers make in the integrated reasoning section is that they use the wrong information due to a slight understanding of the information presented. The information you need to solve these questions is right in front of you on the screen, you just have to know where to find it. Consider what the question is actually asking you and then think about which part of the passage or which chart, graph or table gives you the important information you will need to answer the question correctly.

6 Healthy Halloween Treats

6 Healthy Halloween Treats Image via countryliving.com While many of us may be a little too old to go out trick or treating, we are still able to celebrate to our ghoulish hearts’ content. This simply means making some adjustments to the goody spread that you have laid out for all of your ghostly companions. Check out these easy to create, delicious, and super cute healthy Halloween treat alternatives! They are the perfect excuse to host a Halloween party. 1. Jack-o’-Lantern Fruit Cups Image via Beachbody.com These smiling jack-o’-lanterns are adorable and so easy to create! Simply slice off the tops of some navel oranges, scoop out the pulp, use a paring knife to cut out jack-o’-lantern faces, and fill with favorite mix of berries or grapes! 2. Spider Eggs Image via beachbody.com These deviled eggs are  extra yummy and creepy-crawly! All that you have to do is whip up your favorite deviled egg recipe (try these hummus filled eggs which are lower in fat than the traditional deviled egg recipe) and add the creepy toppings. To make eight scary spider eggs, cut 12 black olives in half vertically. Place one half in the center of each  egg to form  the body, and then slice each remaining olive half  into four  sections to create  legs. 3. Banana Ghosts and  Orange Pumpkins Transform regular bananas into spooky ghosts with chocolate chip eyes and mouths made from chocolate covered raisins. Make a pumpkin patch out of peeled clementines, navel oranges, or tangerines and just use a sprig of celery  in the center as a stem! 4. Apple Bites Image via forkandbeans.com These apple bites are silly, healthy, and easy to make! All that you need are several green apples, nut butter, sunflower seeds, several strawberries, and a batch of homemade googly eyes (these are optional but definitely transform the treats; check out the vegan recipe from forkandbeans.com). To create these ghoulish apple bites simply cut the middles out of each quarter of the apple to create a mouth. Dont worry about perfection because you are filling this gap with nut butter anyway so if you cut too deep, you can always just cover it. Coat the inside of the gap with a filling of some nut butter. Place four sunflower seeds on the top of the mouth for the teeth. Place one sliced strawberry inside the mouth for the tongue. Lastly, attach each eye above the mouth with a dab of nut butter to stick. 5. Spiders On a Log Image via chelseasmessyapron.com These are essentially ants on a log, but with some spooky Halloween flare. All that you have to do is spread peanut butter on some celery sticks and then press in two dark chocolate chips. The spider “legs” are just  dark chocolate that you can pipe on with a plastic bag (cut off the very tip). 6. Halloween Oatmeal Bats These bats are healthy “chocolate” energy bites finished off with dark blue tortilla chips sticking out. Not only are they sweet and spooky, they pack a ton of superfood potential that will keep you feeling full and energized. Try out this recipe from chelseasmessyapron.com. Ingredients -1/2 cup creamy peanut butter -2 Tbsp honey -1/2 tsp vanilla extract -Pinch of salt, optional -1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked -1/2 cup Rice Krispies cereal -2 Tbsp dry chocolate pudding mix, or cocoa powder for a healthier treat -2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips (or dark, or carob chips), optional -Broken blue tortilla chips -20 eye-decorated candies Instructions •In a medium-sized bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla and salt. Microwave for 15-20 seconds and stir until combined. •In that same bowl, add in the oats and Rice Krispies cereal. Stir together until completely combined. •Add in the pudding mix or cocoa powder. •Add in the chocolate chips if desired. •Form a ball with the mixture around the broken tortilla chips (helps them hold their place). •Then using a drop of honey, attach the eyes to the front. •Store these bats in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the fridge.