6 Common Questions About Beginning Guitar

6 Common Questions About Beginning Guitar Megan L. Thinking about taking guitar lessons? Its one of the most popular instruments for beginners! While its pretty easy to pick up the guitar and start plucking, if you really want to master the chords and songs you hear from your favorite artists, working with an experienced guitar teacher is important. Here, Brooklyn guitar teacher Amit P. discusses six of the most common questions new guitar players have before starting lessons 1. Am I too young or too old to start learning how to play the guitar?   Progress in music is all about determination. As long as you have your heart in it, age is never a problem. Ive taught students who were 6 years old and students who were 50+ they all rocked! Its always the right time to start playing. 2. Do I have to practice 5 hours a day for the rest of my life? Well, in a perfect world all of my students are free of school/work/social life and they are practicing 10 hours a day. However, if you take lessons on a regular basis and practice your material an hour a day, youre on the right track. Most of the concepts we cover in the lessons are practiced through a song that incorporates the material, which makes practicing a very natural process. For example, if you want to learn how to play with a guitar slide, we can play Red Hot Chili Peppers Scar Tissue. 3. Should I start by playing classical guitar or electric? Anything works, just remember its important to get used to your instrument. Younger students often have a hard time with the weight of an electric guitar; others might have trouble with the size of a classical guitar. At the end of the day, you grow accustomed to your instrument and not the other way around. The more time you will spend with your guitar, the more comfortable you will feel. 4. I only play rock/metal/jazz/polka, why do I need to study other musical styles? Lets be clear here: music is music is music.  Exposing yourself to new music keeps your muse and brain hungry and constantly developing. Thats how great new music is created! 5. Is it true that guitar players cant read music? Nope, reading notes is extremely easy. Written music enables us to: (a) preserve music that was never recorded, (b) play any written piece whether it was written for 5 cellos and a trumpet or a piano, and (c) better understand the music we make and come across. It is just as important (and easy) as learning how to read. 6. How can I be the best guitarist I can be? Do I need expensive gear? All you need is your instrument, patience, and maybe a metronome as well. Its all about practice. Playing guitar pays back the time youve invested in it; its that simple. The more you play and practice, the better you get. Having great teachers is a tremendous help along the way, but the key ingredient here is you *Its all in your hands.* Amit P.  teaches bass guitar, songwriting, and  guitar lessons  in Brooklyn, NY. He has been teaching for 15 years and he joined the TakeLessons team in August 2013. Amit specializes in teaching many genres of music, from country to metal. Learn  more about Amit  or  search for a teacher  near  you! 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 You might also like The Secret to Playing Guitar 10 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners This Summer [Infographic] Why Your Lead Guitar Technique May Be Boring Your Audience Photo by David Masters

Whats Holding You Back

Whats Holding You Back Suzy S. Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at TakeLessons? For our student counselors,   its a life of chatting with students and teachers, and helping musicians of all levels take that first step in setting up lessons! A lot goes into the process discussing your needs and goals, and determining which teacher will fit those needs best, all to ensure you have an excellent experience. So whats holding you back? Here, TakeLessons student counselor Dylan M. offers some practical advice to overcoming your lingering reservations: Before you begin your list of excuses for not taking music lessons right now, think about this: Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson would have never made a successful career for themselves had it not been for overcoming obstacles.   Unfortunately, too many of us choose to let these obstacles overcome our own success. Doubt can be the treacherous monster holding back those of us seeking musical experiences. As a student counselor with TakeLessons, I have helped students over the hurdles preventing them from taking the first steps on their musical journey.   So ask yourself: whats holding you back? Price, time, location and skill level are among the most frequently-used reasons for not taking lessons.   If cost is your primary deterrent, we hear ya. Tough economic times may mean cutting corners somewhere, but there are ways to reduce the cost of lessons. Just remember: Mistakes can be costly, but music is priceless. If youre worried about time and location, there are numerous plans you can get set up on.   We also offer different programs that allow for flexibility, if you need it.   These programs allow you the time you need for lessons and the time you need for your everyday life.   And if studios are too far, why not have one of our instructors come to you instead?   Taking lessons at home is exciting and convenient. We also offer online music lessons as an option now! One piece of advice to take to heart: dont ever feel like youre not good enough to take lessons.   The amazing thing about music and taking lessons is that its available to any age and any skill level.   There is always room for improvement, and were here to help you progress and become a better musician! Dylan M., TakeLessons staff member and blogger Ready to sign up for lessons?   Search for a teacher near you, and get started today! Photo by loveiswritten.

Learn to Draw Anime Like a Professional.

Learn to Draw Anime Like a Professional. A Guide to Anime Drawing for Beginners. ChaptersThe Anime Art Style.Animating Your Anime Character.So, you are one of the millions of anime fans around the world. You’ve seen the classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop. You’ve been inspired by the manga of Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, and Dragon Ball. And you love the work of Studio Ghibli, Toei Animation, and Kyoto Animation.Yet, you feel as though your love for anime and manga needs to find a new outlet. You’ve exhausted nearly everything that Crunchyroll or Funimation has to offer â€" and your parents have told you off for watching too much Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. You want to get a bit more creative.That’s easy enough.Japanese animation â€" the thing we know as anime â€" is one of the most distinctive styles on the planet, recognisable at all times. And to replicate this style â€" and to add elements of your own creativity â€" is merely a case of breaking down its elements. And, ultimately, practising hard.If you can imagine yours elf as a character designer for Gainax, creating some of the most popular anime characters of the future, or producing a new anime series all by yourself, it’s that last point that’s going to matter. You ain’t gonna get anywhere without putting a lot of time into it.If you’re not this serious, then you have it easier. If you have just watched Death Note, Code Geass, and Mobile Suit Gundam and want to try to replicate these images yourself, then let’s get going.Let’s see how to begin to draw like a Japanese anime master. But you can read all about anime here - or about our favourite characters in anime! Cartoon Network shows a lot of anime in the UK. Image from Wikipedia NanaJapanese Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EllyJapanese Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoJapanese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MelanieJapanese Teacher £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YukoJapanese Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JamesJapanese Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PippaJapanese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarikoJapanese Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Anime Art Style.We’ve said that the Japanese animes have one of the most distinctive styles in global pop culture. You’d know almost immediately that any of the characters from a manga series or from any anime shows are from this particular style.This applies right across the board â€" from Hayao Miyazaki to Osamu Tezuka, from Yoshiyuk i Tomino to Akira Toriyama. Whilst all of these artists have very different styles, many of the features of their work are similar. And it is these features that you’ll need to get to grips with if you are going to be an anime or manga artist yourself.But what is it that defines these artworks? Let’s take a look.Find out about some of the most popular anime series!The Big Hair.Now, you’ll find very few anime characters that do not have incredible hair. This will usually be big, unconventionally coloured, and will change quite dramatically from scene to scene.Apparently, the ‘wow’ factor of anime hair comes from the importance of the cover illustration in marketing manga books to kids. The most eye-catching, intriguing, and dramatic were the comics most likely to sell.As a result, the whole anime industry started competing in terms of hair â€" just for the sake of making a striking cover.The Important Features.All good, but the thing you are asking is how to best to render this yourself in your own drawing.In short, you’re aiming for spikes, primarily, and you’re aiming for any style that will make the character look cool, interesting, or exciting.And then you have to think about how this hair is going to move from frame to frame. Because anime hair moves a lot â€" and it expresses a lot through its movements.Finally, you need to consider seriously the colour that you are giving to your character’s hair. Different colours have different symbolic meanings related to the nature of the character.In this way, blue is the colour of peace and calm â€" or of coldness. Red is the colour of passion and aggression. So, think about this before you give your character’s hair a colour. It’s not just random!The Large Eyes.Perhaps the major characteristic of Japanese manga and anime is in the eyes. You’ll have noticed this well enough yourself.In anime, all of the character action takes place in the eyes, which are usually oversized (although, with Miyaz aki, they are not so much). They are given an emotional range and depth that is really quite striking for a single aspect of the cartoon face.The history of anime owes this particular characteristic to Osamu Tezuka, often referred to as the ‘god’ of anime. His series back in the sixties â€" most famously Astro Boy â€" shaped the way that artists have drawn their characters ever since.This is consequently where you will need to pay most attention when you are drawing your own anime characters.Read about the Japanese culture of anime whilst you are here!Gender.But remember that what is important here is that female characters often have different shaped eyes to the male ones. Compare Sakura, from Cardcaptor Sakura, to Goku from Dragon Ball. Whilst the female characters usually have wide, round eyes, the males get something of a more aggressive look through the use of straight lines. These convey something of determination, focus, and aggression.However, in moments of confusion, na ivety, or surprise, regardless of the gender, the eyes open wide. The iconic 'magical girl' anime, SakuraEmotion.The animators of the best anime series pay a lot of attention to the emotional range and depth with which they endow their characters. Anime characters should not just be empty shells that speak â€" as they often are in western film. Rather, they should have a realistic and engaging development, as well as an incredibly likeable side.When drawing your anime characters then, you need to be able to give them a range of different emotions. And you’re going to be doing this through the eyes, through the movements of the hair, and through a series of recognisable tropes from which you will be borrowing.The eyes, as we have said, are the important bit â€" and some psychologists have argued that this is because, in Japan, the eyes are, outside of anime, the centre of emotional expression. Across the range of emotion, you’ll need to create a different eye.Emotional Tropes.Yet, the eyes work in tandem with the wide range of tropes used throug h anime to express different emotions. There is one for pretty much everything, from embarrassment to arousal, from intensity to confusion.In panic, characters often lift off the floor and their facial features disappear. When angry, the characters are drawn surrounded by black lines. And when in pain, parts of a character’s body will swell or will have a crossed plaster.For more of these tropes, check out Morisaki Norimi’s ‘How to Draw Manga’ series.You’ll have to get used to these. But, ultimately, you will be able to use them with surprising and hilarious effect.Moe.There’s one final thing to consider in relation to the emotional capacity of the character. That’s moe, a Japanese slang term referring to the feeling of affection â€" or attraction â€" to a particular character.You’ll have noticed that many of the characters from anime â€" particularly the ‘magical girl’ category of character â€" are unbelievably cute. This is deliberate, and this is what is known in Japan as moe. It’s deliberate because it is a useful tool in making anime popular. Cuteness sells. Think of Pikachu’s shape and smile â€" this is moe. Or the large of eyes of many female anime characters.One of your characters from your own anime will benefit from sharing some of these features.Animating Your Anime Character.All of the above holds well enough for manga characters. But whilst manga is the still, page-based version of this most famous of Japanese artistic styles, anime requires some movement. It is animated after all.For any of you that have tried to produce animations yourself in the past, this complicates things a little. Obviously.Yet, you’ve chosen a great style with which to practise your animation. Because anime uses one of the simplest styles of animation around.Back in the day, in the earliest moments of anime, animators such as Tezuka were looking for cheap and quick ways to animate their characters. This, apparently, was due to his working with a g roup of inexperienced staff â€" on a tight schedule.However, the animation technique stuck. And this, again, has become one of the most characteristic features of anime. You can't create anime if you can't draw manga!‘Limited Animation’In comparison to Disney’s ‘full animation’ techniques, anime has traditionally done something a little bit different. And this is all down to the things called ‘cels’.Cels, used up until the beginning of this century, are transparent sheets â€" or celluloids â€" upon which a frame of the animation is drawn. These need to be pretty much unique, as they are things that tell the story.Whilst ‘full animation’ would use something like eighteen different cels a second in their animations, limited animation used much fewer â€" say eight, or even less.Whilst the animations themselves were consequently not as fluid, this didn’t really matter. Because, the idea went, if you suggest that movement is happening, the audience will receive that impression. And more cels just means more work.Consequently, Japanese animation was much more cost effective. Because whilst Disney would produce, say, twenty thousand cels per half an hour episode, limited animation cut that to about two thousand.So, sit yourself down. Just another 1999 frames to draw!

Online Essay Writing Assignment English Writing Online Tutorpace

Online Essay Writing Assignment English Writing Online Tutorpace Essay writing assignment is the assignment given in almost every English class be it school or college. Every essay writing assignment is different and has its own requirements. Usually the essay writing assignment is given with a topic, format in which the essay needs to be presented and guidelines such as the minimum number of words required. The student needs to keep in mind all the given requirements and make sure the essay writing assignment is submitted before the deadline. Meeting the deadline is as crucial as presenting a good essay for the given assignment. The topic of the essay writing assignment can be of different kinds. For example descriptive, narration or argument. For any given discipline the student needs to follow the instructions to finish the assignment. Some examples of essay writing assignment are as follows. Favorite holiday destination. The importance of recycling. The necessity of protecting the plants and animals in the nature. The effect of Global warming. Embracing cultural differences in the society. In any essay writing assignment the student needs to analyze the given topic and form an appropriate thesis statement. The student needs to use reliable sources to construct the following paragraphs and explain in detail the given topics. In the main paragraphs the students need to use their thoughts and ideas on the topic and present a meaningful essay. Then the last step is the conclusion of the essay. In the conclusion the student needs to conclude the given topic.

Cooking for Students

Cooking for Students How Can You Combine a Student Lifestyle and Cooking? ChaptersThe Most Popular Student RecipesThe Best 15-Minute RecipesWhy Should Students Cook at Home?How to Cook on a Student’s Budget“Food, to me, is always about cooking and eating with those you love and care for.” - David ChangSweet potatoes, broccoli, peppers, chickpeas, goat’s cheese, capers, when it comes to ideas for recipes, there’s no lack of ingredients available. However, most of us rarely put together a simple, quick, or gourmet recipe.Students, be it through their lifestyle, budget, or equipment, are the first to stop cooking properly. Most students are happy to order a takeaway since it saves them time.However, cooking can become a real pleasure and cost less. You just need to know how to make a good flan, bechamel sauce, or carpaccio like the pros. We’ll explain everything here.In this article, we're going to look at the most popular student recipes, quick 15-minute recipes, why students should cook for themselves, and how you can cook on a student's budget. Ready? GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Most Popular Student RecipesWhen you’re a student, you tend to opt for quick and easy recipes that don’t need a lot of equipment or cost a lot. You’ve got to find easy recipes that are tastier and won’t break the bank.Getting a cookbook or going online is a great way for students to discover new recipes. (Source: Bru-nO)Sweet potato fries are a great fit for this criteria. In fact , you just need to cut sweet potatoes into fries, put them on a dish, a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, 35 minutes at 200 °C, and you’re done.The same is true for traditional recipes, which can be made with ingredients found in the fridge and add a bit of spice to your diet.A cheese and ham toasty or croque-monsieur?You can replace the ham with salmon and the cheese slices with cream cheese and there you have it, a dish that’s healthier, original, and just as good as the original.When it comes to the top student recipes, there are also desserts like the famous chocolate mug cake. This is more or less melted chocolate that can be made in a mug in three minutes thanks to a microwave.How is that possible?You’ll see.Put 40g of chocolate and 40g of butter into the bottom of a mug and melt it all in 30 seconds in the microwave. Mix it and add 30g of sugar and an egg, then add 20g of flour. Cook this for 40 seconds in the microwave, and you’re good to go! Here’s a chocolate cake that’s delicious and perfect for students.The Best 15-Minute Recipes“One of the most meditative times of my day is when I'm cooking.” - Gabrielle BernsteinAs a student, you’ll be busy. Coming home after a few lessons, a short lunch break, or having to make your meals early in the morning all mean that you need simple and quick recipes.Avocado toast is a quick and easy recipe that anyone can do. (Source: Einladung_zum_Essen)So why not set a time limit and make recipes in less than 15 minutes?Challenge accepted!You’re probably familiar with avocado toast, the new trendy dish. With good reason! It’s tasty, healthy, and easy to make. To make two slices of avocado toast, you’ll need:BreadAn avocadoSalt and pepperAnd that’s it!You need to cut half an avocado or spread it on a slice of toast, season it, and you’re ready to go. This recipe can be improved with a poached egg or some lemon juice to stop the avocado darkening. Far from some dishes that can take an hour to pre pare!Matcha tartlets are quick and easy to make. Matcha is also a trendy ingredient because it’s full of nutrients and antioxidants.To make 20 tartlets, you’ll need:80 grams of almonds30 grams of pistachios30 grams of grated coconut15 pitted dates2 tablespoons of matcha tea powder1 tablespoon of coconut oil150 grams of 0% yoghurt20 raspberriesAll you have to do is mix the dates, matcha, pistachios, coconut oil, and grated coconut together and make small moulds out of the resulting mixture. Put these into the fridge and then remove the cases from the mould and garnish with yoghurt. You can do this in ten minutes and it’s much better than a crumble!You can also make a grilled cheese sandwich in a frying pan, one-pot pasta, or tomato and mozzarella omelette!What do you need takeaway for?Why Should Students Cook at Home?We tend to forget that when we’re students, we still need to eat right. It can be tempting to get a takeaway.You can get food delivered by bike now, too. (Source : Couleur)While a cheap takeaway may seem like a bargain, it’s actually more costly than just making your own food. When you cook at home, you pay much less for ingredients, can make much more food, and eat better. Additionally, when you get a takeaway, you don’t really know what they’re putting into your food or the nutritional value (or lack thereof).  That said, the food is good, comforting, and convenient. This is probably down to the great amounts of oil, butter, and salt that are often found in takeaways.These ingredients in large quantities aren’t great for your health or your figure. That’s why you should make the most of cooking at home since you can make whatever you want in accordance with what you want to eat. It’s not that easy finding a good takeaway if you have any dietary requirements, but at home, you can easily manage what goes into your food. More pepper, fewer green beans, lots of spinach, whatever you fancy!Let’s not forget that cooking can be a gr eat way to relax and share meals with the people you love, whether you’re on a student’s budget or not!How to Cook on a Student’s BudgetIt’s a fact that cooking on a student’s budget can be difficult. However, there are a few useful techniques that you can use to make cooking much cheaper.Whatever your budget is, you can still make some good food. (Source: JESHOOTS-com)For example, cooking large quantities allows you to reduce the cost per meal.Don’t feel like eating the same thing for every meal?You can also freeze meals to eat later on, which means you won’t have to run to the supermarket after class.It might be worth heading to the market before it closes as vendors will be looking to get rid of the stuff they haven’t been able to sell.Markets are good as they usually have seasonal produce that costs a lot less than mass-produced products that have been imported. Peppers in summer, squash in winter, doesn’t everything taste better when it’s in season. This is because:Seasonal products have more flavourSeasonal products correspond to our bodies needsSeasonal products are cheaperSeasonal products are ecologicalTo get the most out of these ingredients, there are plenty of recipes that can work with a student’s budget. For example, one-pot pasta is great for students. You just need to throw all the ingredients into the same pan.For example, for two servings of vegetable pasta, put 1.5 cups of pasta in 3 cups of water, then add all the ingredients you want (cherry tomatoes, seasonal vegetables, bacon bits) and let the boiling water do the rest. Once there’s no water left, you’re done!Lookup for a cooking class London on Superprof and start cheffing.The same is true for avocado toast, ham and boiled egg, gazpacho, etc.  Cooking as a student is very feasible. With the right techniques and ingredients, everything is possible.If you still need help with cooking, then you should consider getting help from a private tutor. On Superprof, there are tutors offering classes in a variety of subjects and skills.When it comes to tutorials, there are three main types: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.When you get face-to-face tutorials, you can expect to pay more per hour than the other two types. That said, you'll get tailored tuition from them in accordance with your abilities, learning objectives, and budget.Online tutorials are similar but the tutor isn't in the same place as you. Your tutor will teach you remotely using a webcam and a programme like Skype.Group tutorials involve several students being taught at once. Since you're one of several students, the cost of the tutorials is shared amongst the students in attendance, making them much cheaper. You can always get a few friends together and learn to cook together.At the end of the day, since each type of tutorial has its advantages and disadvantages, it's up to you to pick the tutor and tutorials that work with your learning objectives and budget.So are you ready to start learning how to cook?

More than a Signal Deconstructing the Value of an MBA Degree

More than a Signal Deconstructing the Value of an MBA Degree GMAT MBA Admissions Blog I have an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. This is a top program and I’m proud of having been accepted to and graduating from it, but it did cost me almost $150,000 in direct tuition. So, do I think it was worth it? I think so, but I’m not always sure. It’s perhaps a more complex question that requires consideration along multiple dimensions. In this article, I’ll explore the value of an MBA. In general, on average, how much is an MBA degree worth? That seems like a specific question to which there should be some specific answers. This article by Balance Careersfocuses on applying a financial lens to the question. Here, you’d try to weigh two years of forgone salary and the direct cost of the MBA program against the increase in salary you’d earn after you have an MBA. So, let’s assume you make $75K per year, and the MBA itself will cost you $50K per year. It’s a two-year program. This means you are giving up $150K in salary over the two years. And the degree itself will cost you $100K. Obtaining your MBA just cost you $250K, and you now need to compare that to the increase in salary you’ll experience from having the degree. The article above provides example differences between pre-and post-MBA salaries and it seems like the difference is about $12,500 on average. Now, let’s use a little GMAT math. How long will it take you to pay back your MBA in this scenario? $12,500 per year * 20 years = $250,000. It will take you 20 years. That is a long time. You might argue that a $12,500 increase in salary is less than you’d expect. But I’d point out that many MBA programs cost much more than $50,000 per year. I think pursuing an MBA based on a pure, realistic quantitative financial analysis can often be a tough sell. To convince yourself pursuing an MBA makes sense, you need to believe the degree will create opportunities that you can’t necessarily build into a financial model, but which represent substantial upside for your career. But before we explore this idea further, I think it’s important to understand the fundamental nature of an MBA degree. What does an MBA provide? Obviously, an MBA is a master’s degree in the administration of business. But an MBA degree is not like a veterinary, medical, or nursing license that functions as a very real barrier to entry into a career. You cannot be a vet, a doctor, or a nurse without having a VMD, MD, or RN degree. Acceptance rates into vet and medical school programsare low, from 10 to 30%. Pass rates for the licensing exams (medical boards, NCLEX, etc.) that come after these academic programs reflect yet another barrier to entry into these careers. But if you aren’t concerned about the rankings or prestige of the program from which you graduate, you can get an MBA. Some MBA programs have acceptance rates near 100%. In other words, if you have a VMD, an MD, or a RN, that without a doubt means something very specific and will create new career opportunities for you. An MBA is very different. Having an MBA does not, generally, automatically mean you can do any specific job that someone without an MBA can’t do. This is because an MBA doesn’t always provide very specialized business skills. Although it’s an advanced degree in the study of business, some students enter MBA programs from completely different professions (e.g., teachers) and are as much being introduced to various business topics as they are building advanced knowledge about those topics. Yes - others do have lots of previous business experience, and they pursue more advanced knowledge in targeted areas. Either approach to an MBA can make a ton of sense, but it’s important to recognize the difference between the two and understand your unique situation. The value of an MBA depends very much on your personal situation and how you plan to use the degree. The degree itself doesn’t necessarily offer any new career opportunity to you. Should you get an MBA? This is a personal question. It really depends on your situation. I think individuals generally pursue an MBA for one or more of the following reasons (though I’m sure I might be missing one or two): To “signal” that they are accomplished and intelligent professionals by associating themselves with an MBA brand To explore switching careers and take a break from your current one To obtain specific new positions at their current employer or in related industries To create “option value” and in a general sense, make themselves more marketable because they have “advanced” business skills To build a network of like-minded, successful peers To work on a specific business or project idea To build management, communication, and leadership skills To build specific more technical business skills (e.g., marketing, finance, product management, search engine optimization, etc.) Some of these are, I think, more dangerous than others to rely on in understanding whether an MBA would be of value to you. For example, I would argue that, because anyone can get the letters “MBA” next to their name if they want to (i.e., by applying to and attending an unranked GMAT-optional MBA program, for example), just having an MBA doesn’t signal all that much. But, if you’ve attended a Top 10 MBA program, that’s a clear signal. An MBA from a top 10 program clearly tells future employers and business partners that you are credible, competent and talented (on some level). The same goes, maybe, for the top 20, or even 30 schools. But at some point, if you go to say, Michigan State for your MBA (~$50K per year tuition) because you are hoping to send a clear signal that you are talented, that is simply not as valuable a signal as spending $55K to get an MBA from UCLA. It’s important to be realistic about the brand you are buying into and the signal you think you are se nding. How can one get the most value out of a decision to pursue an MBA? I think a better reason to obtain an MBA is because you have specific plans you would like to test. You want to start a project or a business in the process of building new more general business skills. In this Poet’s and Quants article on the value of an MBA, a self-made millionaire who doesn’t have an MBA offers valuable advice on getting an MBA. Brian Wong, CEO and Co-founder of Kiip, a mobile advertising company, says “if you’re pursuing an MBA for a “safety net” or in hopes that it will give you “direction,” you’re doing it all wrong….my whole point is, I don’t want you to take an MBA for all the wrong reasons…don’t do something for some weird backup plan… Do something for an intention and I think you’ll get way more out of it.” I think that’s good advice. I would recommend not forgetting about the value of the brand and the signal when choosing where to get an MBA. Try to identify a school that helps you learn new things, where you can work on or build something or explore a specific new career, and that signals to others you are a valuable potential employee or business partner. One way to increase the value of your MBA is to reduce its direct and indirect cost. One of the biggest “costs” is foregone salary of stopping your career for two years. If you consider an online MBA, you don’t have to stop working.10 years ago, when perhaps the first few online MBA programs were being launched, the schools offering them where generally not very reputable, and you might be in danger of wasting a lot of money and time. But in 2018, many very reputable MBA programs are offering online programs taught by the same professors. They provide the same MBA degree and same brand recognition. For example, Indiana University’s online MBAis ranked #2 by US News, and its full-time program is in the top 30. In this article, the Mason business school at William and Mary makes the point that in 2018 university reputation outweighs any stigma associated with choosing to do your MBA online.I agree. In sum, the value of an MBA is highly dependent on your personal situation, why you are going and what you do when you are there, and of course, also on where you go to obtain your MBA. About the Author Mark Skoskiewicz is the founder of MyGuru. For more information on our GMAT tutoring options, click here.

English Listening Exercise A Fast TED Talk

English Listening Exercise A Fast TED Talk I really like using TED talks for listening exercises, mostly because theyre really interesting (for both me and the people using them as exercises, I suppose). What I like about this one is that, besides telling an interesting story, Damon Horowitz, a Google employee, entrepreneur, and philosophy teacher at San Quentin State Prison, tells his story really fast. Im guessing most ESL/EFL students will have to watch the video below twice.Why should you listen to Damon?Damon Horowitz is a philosophy professor and serial entrepreneur. He recently joined Google as In-House Philosopher / Director of Engineering, heading development of several initiatives involving social and search. He came to Google from Aardvark, the social search engine, where he was co-founder and CTO, overseeing product development and research strategy. Prior to Aardvark, Horowitz built several companies around applications of intelligent language processing. He co-founded Perspecta (acquired by Excite), was lead arc hitect for Novation Biosciences (acquired by Agilent), and co-founded NewsDB (now Daylife).Horowitz teaches courses in philosophy, cognitive science, and computer science at several institutions, including Stanford, NYU, University of Pennsylvania and San Quentin State Prison.Watch the video, then see if you can answer the questions.Where does Tony live?Whose gun did they have?What did they originally intend to do with the gun?Punk. He took some money ____ ____ ___ _____, thatll ___ ___.Lets __ ____.Sorry, ___ its worse ___ ___ ____.I want __ ___ what  _ ____.In that moment, ____ __ __ ____ by Tonys name.

Three Key Ways to optimise how the Brain Learns

Three Key Ways to optimise how the Brain Learns Guest post by David Morgan. Children spend so much of their life in a classroom. The average person spends fourteen thousand, one hundred and forty-five hours of life at school! But there are a few key ways that help the brain learn more easily and make that time better spent: 1. Prioritizing play Learning is optimized for children and many adults in an active, play-based learning environment. I think we would all agree that boredom is the death of learning! When schoolchildren are actively engaged in completing a learning task, it is more likely that the knowledge acquired will be retained by the brain. Numerous pedagogical studies have proven this principle over the years; trawl through your search engine to find many pages of relevant results! Children that are primarily kinaesthetic learners should have an extra emphasis on this kind of active learning, though all learning styles can benefit from it. 2. Shrinking Stress If boredom is the death of learning, then stress is the enemy of education. Neurologically, stress elevates your levels of cortisol and adrenaline which in turn reduces peripheral brain activity. You may have heard of this effect before: when the brain interprets there being a threat or risk of some kind, it shuts down all higher functioning and addresses the stressful situation at hand through the classic fight, flight or freeze response. All kinds of knowledge acquisition involve higher brain functioning, so any activities which create anxiety in the classroom environment will actually prevent learning. If a child is overly anxious, then it is important to focus on increasing his or her confidence through short learning exercises where failure is an unlikely outcome. 3. Mobilizing Emotion Emotion is one of the most prominent players in memory creation. In fact, selecting which memories to retain is one of the crucial roles of our emotions. As you might expect, when your emotions are disengaged, memory retention is much reduced. In an interesting paradox, the standard Victorian method of creating an atmosphere of fear or punishment in the classroom would have reduced the ability of the students to perform due to stress, but counteracting that, it might have helped them remember some knowledge taught. As a rule, however, scare tactics in the classroom are unadvisable! Positively enforced emotions lead to optimum performance AND good memory retention. David Morgan is Managing Director of Oxford Learning Solutions, creators of the Easyread System, which teaches struggling learners how to read. Easyread specializes in cases of dyslexia, highly visual learning styles, and auditory processing deficits. Find out more at www.easyreadsystem.com and follow the latest literacy news at www.facebook.com/easyreadsystem