Afraid of Phone Calls Here Are 8 Steps to Help You Beat Your Phone Phobia - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Afraid of Phone Calls Here Are 8 Steps to Help You Beat Your Phone Phobia - Introvert Whisperer Afraid of Phone Calls? Here Are 8 Steps to Help You Beat Your Phone Phobia Many introverts prefer text messages, social media, or email when contacting friends or customers. They have some time to think about what they’re going to write. They can restructure and revise all the information they’d like to provide. Finally, if nothing comes to mind, they have the option of responding with a simple “OK”, a gif, or a meme.   All of this with the added bonus of feeling safe and secure. Unfortunately, phone calls don’t offer the same luxury, and this can leave everyone, including introverts, feeling vulnerable or nervous. If you have an important phone call coming up, especially a business one with someone you dont know, there are a few things you can do to take the edge off. 1. Calm Yourself First Introverts often deal with anxiety surrounding social situations. Instituting a calming routine can help ease the jitters and switch the mind into a more social mode. Many introverts find that meditation helps. Clearing your mind, fully relaxing, and taking a few deep breaths can help you tamper down some anxiety. When you’re wound a little less tight, it’s easier to focus on the task at hand with a clear mind. Do whatever it is you do to relax or clear your mind â€" even if it’s a leisurely walk. 2. Write Notes and Take Them With You You might be worried that you’ll bungle something up or forget to mention something important â€" especially if you’re calling about a job interview or something equally as meaningful. Write notes about all the things you’d like to discuss, and keep them in front of you. If you’re not sure what to say or if you’re worried about something in particular, you’ll have a reference sheet. 3. Make Sure You’re Comfortable â€" Physically and Mentally Since a phone call can be done alone, there’s no reason to get all dressed up. If you’re most comfortable in your pajamas, take the phone call in your pajamas. Don’t wear a belt that digs into you or shoes that pinch your toes. Physical comfort can help promote mental comfort. Make the call from a place where you feel secure and wear something cozy. Calling someone in your pajamas might be a bit more difficult if you are in the office and have to make a business call to a client. However, even at work you can probably find that little corner behind the coffee machine that is both quiet and out of your coworkers earshot. If it is currently occupied by your introvert colleague, consider going to the bathroom. No worries, it turns out that 3 out of 4 people take their phones to the bathroom, so you will not look weird. If you cant do that either, just leave the office and talk on the corridor, or in front of the building. You will feel less stressed knowing that there is nobody there listening to your call. 4. Practice What You’re Going to Say Sometimes, saying the actual words aloud may help. You won’t be self conscious about the way you phrase things, the volume of your voice, or your intonation if you’ve said the same thing a few dozen times. Run through your talking points until you get tired of them. Memorize them so well that you could recite them in your sleep. Repetition will help dull the words down, making them less uneasy to say. This is helpful if your phone call is to place a counteroffer on real estate or request a promotion â€" situations in which you may need to project confidence. 5. Make a “Mock” Call to a Friend Doing something the second time never feels quite as stressful as it did initially. One smart way to relieve the stress connected with making a phone call is to make a “mock” one before the “real” one. Call a friend, a family member, or a coworker â€" someone you are comfortable talking to over the phone. You can just chat for a minute or two which will help you unwind and get into the phone conversation mood. Even better, if your mock caller is aware of your phone phobia, you might even practice the “real” phone call with them. Regardless of what you choose to talk about, typing in the phone number, hearing the ring tone, and then having to start the “mock” conversation will make it so much easier for you when you are starting the “real” one, two, or three minutes later 6. Utilize Your Energy Move around a little bit. Use your hands. Make facial expressions. Pace around when you’re on the phone. If you get nervous energy that builds up in the moment, use that energy as you talk. It won’t get pent up and affect your phone call. There’s nothing wrong with fidgeting â€" the person on the other end of the phone won’t see you. If you have nervous energy coping mechanisms, remember that you’re free to use them however you see fit. Phone calls offer a unique kind of privacy that might even be better than having a conversation in person. 7. Visualization May Help If your nervousness surrounding phone calls stems from the fact that you cannot see the person or let their physical cues and nonverbal communication shape the conversation, visualize the person. If you’re paying attention to the tone of their voice, it’s easier to imagine what they may look or the way they’re sitting. If you can picture yourself in front of the person and doing so would ease your anxiety, allow yourself to. Pull up a picture of the person if that aids in your visualization. 8. Give Yourself a Reward There are two reasons why you should schedule a reward for after your phone call. The first is that a reward is a motivation to do something successfully. You’re giving yourself an incentive to do something you don’t really want to do, which makes getting through the process a little more exciting. The second reason is that you’re building a positive association with something that makes you uncomfortable. Over time, when you reflect on the reward at the end, it might dull your unease with speaking on the phone. Plenty of people, introverts and extroverts alike, aren’t big fans of phone calls. If you work at improving your ability to speak on the phone little by little, things will become easier over time. Try utilizing as many techniques as possible to increase your chances of success. Audreys Bio: With over 9 years of experience working with customers, Audrey Robinson knows a thing or two about overcoming the fear of approaching and talking to the people one doesnt know. Currently supporting Maxo, phone communication experts, Audrey might often be found online, sharing her business tips with others. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

The Best Websites for Free Online Yoga Courses

The Best Websites for Free Online Yoga Courses Where Can You Find Free Online Yoga Lessons? ChaptersCan You Get Free Yoga Lessons?Yoga Online: Discover Yoga in Your Own HomeFind Online Yoga TutorialsThe Top 5 Online Yoga Channels“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mahatma GandhiYou’ll need an indomitable will if you want to do yoga, especially in the UK where it’s becoming increasingly popular.As a result, you can find yoga classes all over the country. Tonnes of people are using yoga to manage stress and personal yoga classes are great for those who like to learn at their own pace.There are a lot of benefits to learning yoga. Whether you’re a budding or experienced yogi, you can find the perfect yoga website for you and your needs! CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teacher 4.89 (9) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GenYoga Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JulieYoga Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AliceYoga Te acher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LauraYoga Teacher 5.00 (6) £70/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UndramYoga Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LottieYoga Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCan You Get Free Yoga Lessons?Yoga is like yin and yang, it’s the union of your body and mind. There are so many benefits to yoga:Increased flexibilityA yoga session includes the recommended amount of daily exerciseMore definitionCombat stress and anxietyImprove concentrationImprove your self-confidenceYoga, meditation, and relaxation all go together. (Source: janeb13)You can enjoy all these benefits without spending a penny. You just need to know what you have to do and you can learn all this through free videos online! There are a few places you can go:Free videos from a yoga instructorFree videos explaining yoga poses and asanasFree videos for beginners or videos on how to improveBrowse free yoga websites which explain how to d o yogaDownload videos that show students how to achieve mindfulnessOf course, you can’t enjoy all the benefits of yoga without regularly doing it. Even occasionally practising yoga will help you alleviate a bit of stress.During your yoga classes near me, you’ll quickly see that it’s quite a simple activity that only requires a yoga mat.You’ll need discipline to do the poses and be able to move fluidly and serenely. A yoga class, even the free ones, generally include several different parts:Breathing exercisesStretchingMeditation and concentration exercisesPosesWhere can you do yoga?Almost anywhere!However, some places are better than others:Yoga centresYoga studiosYoga schoolsDistance yoga coursesYoga villagesYoga housesYoga associationsYou can play free videos wherever you like! Of course, there’s nothing better than learning how to do yoga from the comfort of your own home, with a flexible schedule.In this article, we're going to explain why getting free yoga classes in your own home is great.Yoga Online: Discover Yoga in Your Own HomeThe first advantage of free yoga websites is that you can do yoga anywhere, any time. Whatever your reasons for doing yoga at home, you can:Ease tension and relieve back painStrengthen your spineTone your musclesImprove your flexibilityRelax your whole bodyMeditate with those around youLet go by controlling your breathingYoga videos can help you learn yoga anywhere you can get internet access. (Source: SadahamYathra)Yoga can also help you do sport. If you’re sick of group classes where nobody knows what’s going on and there are new students every session, you can choose which yoga video you want to follow as you do your daily exercises. You just need a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, and an internet connection, of course.Yoga videos are usually presented by a yoga instructor who’ll offer something like:A sequence of posesDynamic yogaA variety of different yoga exercisesBreathing exercisesPrenatal or postnat al yoga, to strengthen the bond between the mother and the child.There’s something for everyone. Keep in mind that you need to be in decent shape even for beginner classes.Are you a complete beginner?It might be worthwhile looking at some free classes before you start. There are plenty of great YouTube channels that could help you find something perfect for you:Start learning at your own pace.Learn more about yoga for pregnant women.Do yoga to lose weight.Whatever your situation, you just need to look for a good tutor, free or otherwise!Some people do general yoga classes in groups before deciding to find their ideal tutor online. This can work for a lot of people and they can enjoy their yoga exercises even more. It can even help you lose weight!What other advantages could there be to doing yoga online?Find Online Yoga TutorialsThe best way to learn yoga for free, as we said, is with online videos and YouTube is the best place for online videos. Just type the yoga pose that you w ant to do, the name of a tutor you like, and you’ll find plenty of free videos.Being able to do yoga anywhere means that you can fit it into a busy schedule. (Source: jesslef)There are plenty of different types of yoga videos on YouTube as well as on specialised sites:Introductory yoga classesGeneral explanationsLessons focusing on a certain poseGood practices and advice for doing yogaIf you want a full yoga class lasting between an hour and an hour and a half, go to free specialised yoga websites. These are normally run by:Local yoga associationsPassionate yogisAvid tutors looking to share their knowledgeIf you already know how to do a sun salutation, the most common yoga pose, you might be interested in the range of different yoga available online:Hot yogaRaja yogaCasa yogaHatha yogaHindi yogaThere are videos showing anyone how to do yoga, pranayama techniques, and even videos on how to do certain asanas such as:Fish PoseBakasanaNaukasanaLotus positionVakrasanaTraditional yoga c lasses combine yoga and meditation with muscle toning exercises, stretching, and relaxation. The same is true when practising yoga at home: you can get private yoga tutorials from a tutor who may teach you one or several following types of yoga:Kundalini yogaIyengar yogaYoga NidraMantra yogaEach technique focuses on a particular part of the body and a particular energy. That’s why your mind and body need to be in sync and you need to focus.Some sites offer an entire week of classes for free before you have to pay for them.On Superprof, many of our tutors often offer a free taster session or trial period before you start paying. You can check out each tutor’s profile to see what qualifications and experience they have. At the end of the day, your goal is to find a tutor who’ll help you gain self-confidence, improve your well-being, and help you to relax.Discover everything you need to know about taking yoga classes online...The Top 5 Online Yoga ChannelsTo learn yoga, there’s nothing better than finding a great teacher with plenty of videos. When it comes to yoga videos, YouTube is the place to go. The best thing? It’s completely free. Here are our top 5 yoga YouTube channels.There are lots of yoga poses to learn. You should start with the easier ones. (Source: photodeinym)Tara StilesTara Stiles has plenty of great yoga videos on her YouTube channel. She’s good in front of a camera and even developed her own style of yoga, Strala yoga.She has plenty videos lasting around 30 minutes as well as shorter videos for anyone with a busy schedule looking to fit in a quick session. Videos focus on both the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga.There are also specialist videos on prenatal yoga.Yoga with TimIf you’re looking for some free resources, check out Tim’s channel. Tim Sensei has series for beginners all the way through to experts and even has month-long series so that you can watch a different video and do a different sequence every day of the month.You can choose the video based on what your goals are. If you want to strengthen your core, there’s a series on that.Looking to improve your balance?No problem!ManFlowYogaWho said yoga was just for women?Certainly not ManFlorYoga, one of the most popular YouTube channels at the moment. You’ll find videos for beginners all the way to experts that you can do in sports halls, on the beach, or even in your living room.Of course, there’s nothing to stop women watching the videos and doing some of the poses they see.Ekhart YogaEkhart Yoga’s YouTube channel is full of free videos for you to enjoy. Of course, the aim of this channel is to encourage you to go to the website and pay for the subscription.Their site has yoga classes for children, which could be great for doing with your little ones.Ali Kamenova Interval YogaAli Kamenova is one of the more dynamic yoga channels you’ll find online. She’s combined vinyasa and interval yoga and the result is a fast yoga style that ’s somehow still healing.There are videos for different levels as well as a good variety of videos in terms of length. Check it out!Finally, in addition to YouTube channels, don’t forget that the internet is full of other digital resources for learning how to do yoga. Are you ready to find inner peace and start thinking more like the most famous Tibetan in the world, the Dalai Lama?Then check out this article about taking yoga classes with a private instructor at home...

6 Biggest Career Money Mistakes Introverts Make - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 6 Biggest Career Money Mistakes Introverts Make - Introvert Whisperer 6 Biggest Career Money Mistakes Introverts Make Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Want to Step Up Your ACT Test Prep Read This First

Want to Step Up Your ACT Test Prep Read This First Struggling with your ACT test prep? Tutor Pace can help. Our ACT test prep makes you achieve your desired high scores to get into your dream colleges. ACT test prep: The secret of our ACT test prep To ace the ACT exam, you need to master different subjects. We fulfill your needs by giving you math, English, science, and writing experts. The exciting part? Our experts are available 24/7 to meet your needs. Whether day or night, we have you learned all the time. Just tell us exactly when you need help and we will give you our tutors right away. Don’t know where to begin your ACT test prep from? Don’t fear when Tutor Pace is here. Our experts plan your perfect study routine that ensures your overall improvement. Get easy ACT test prep resources like worksheets, practice tests, and modules to master the ACT subjects. Learn in our interactive virtual classrooms that are full of fun tools. Learn interactively using whiteboard and live chat. Solve questions in real time using whiteboard. Receive regular feedback and give messages using live chat. Work with our ACT subjects experts in one-on-one private sessions. Want to prepare for specific ACT subjects? We’ve got you covered. Our ACT test prep lets you master particular ACT subjects. These subjects include writing, English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Diagnose your current skills using ACT practice test. Map your weak and strong areas with your daily routine. Receive regular reports of your performance directly from our expert tutors. Another exciting part? You get all these things on a tight budget. Our ACT test prep is all for your needs and pocket. When our competitors charge heavily, we charge as per your budget. Click  here  to know more about our different ACT test prep plans. Introductory Plan:Get five ACT sessions for 49.99 $ only. Recap Plan:Receive 15 ACT sessions for 99.99 $ only. Best Value Plan:Get 20 sessions for 149.99 $ only. Advanced Plan:Receive 25 sessions for 199.99 $ only.  ACT reading: How to ace the ACT reading section with top score? ACT reading section consists of four passages having 10 questions in each. You need to answer all questions in just 35 minutes. That gives you nearly one minute for two questions, considering you’ll utilize some time in reading the passages too. Tutor Pace’s ACT reading experts suggest sticking to one strategy throughout. This will help you manage your time better in the section. Don’t rush through reading the passages. That won’t do any good. Instead, you will end up re-reading the passages, thus wasting a lot of time. Our ACT reading tutors recommend you to time yourself while reading. You can do this in your practice tests. Start by allotting four minutes to each passage. That totals 16 minutes for reading all the four passages. Then, you are left with 19 minutes to answer the questions. First go for this strategy and see what the output is. Over the time, you can practice speed-reading and can try reading a passage in just 3 minutes. This way, you’ll have more time to work on the questions. Don’t stress out on reading the passages too fast. That would only eat up your time. Always try to spare that one last minute for marking all the left answers. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers, right? So, don’t leave any question. Mark all of them. According to our ACT reading experts, a student should first pick the right passage for reading. The ACT reading section tests your understanding in different fields like natural sciences, social sciences, prose, fiction, and humanities etc. So, it is important to pick the most comfortable topic first. Scan the passages in one-go quickly and pick the most comfortable one. ACT reading requires you to have good functional vocabulary. Try to find the contextual meaning of any new word that you come across. You’ll expand your vocabulary this way. The ACT reading section requires you to be well read. The section throws different types of text at you. To understand these texts well, read as much as you can. Begin by reading quality material for example, New Yorker magazine or novels by Kazuo Ishiguro, Tom Sharpe, and many others. Enjoying whatever you read and spare at least an hour for reading daily. ACT mathematics: What strategies our ACT mathematics tutors have come up with? Time and again, our tutors have come up with new techniques and strategies for maximizing our students’ scores. This time, our ACT mathematics experts have come up with great math strategies. You can follow these strategies to get high ACT mathematics score: #Target your potential score Aim for hitting a specific score in the ACT mathematics section. You will get more focused toward your ACT test prep with it. Work on new tricks and shortcuts that’ll let you solve the questions quickly and easily. If you’re counting on math, you’ll have to solve maximum possible questions. An average score of 23 won’t be good enough for you. However, if you’re counting on other subjects, a score of 23 will be good. Know what you want beforehand. #Lessen the usage of calculator ACT mathematics tests your basic arithmetic skills of multiplying, adding, dividing, and subtracting by means of calculations. So, train your brain to do such simple calculations. Don’t rely too much upon your calculator. Moving fingers through calculator’s buttons does take time. If, by any chance, you hit a wrong button, you will end up wasting more time. #Trap those soft targets The ACT mathematics section consists of all levels of questions. Find and solve the questions that look the simplest to you in first-go. As you move further, the difficulty level increases. So, it is important to solve maximum questions that appear earlier. Needless to mention, it should be done as quickly as possible. #Mark your answers carefully Often, students write full solutions only to mark incorrect answers at the end. This happens because students get overwhelmed with the answer options. Often, one of your solution values (not the final answer) is present as an option in the paper. On seeing the option, students get too excited and mark the value as their answer. This way, a correct response becomes an incorrect one. Beware of situations like these. They eat your ACT mathematics score. These strategies can work only when you have great subject knowledge in the first place. Firstly, work on your subject knowledge and then, utilize these strategies to get the most out of your efforts. Get Tutor Pace’s 24/7  ACT test prep    right now!

The Long Awaited Arrival of a Students Honest Review of The Standardized Test

The Long Awaited Arrival of a Student’s Honest Review of 'The Standardized Test' ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog As a rising senior in college, I have had my share of first hand experience with standardized tests. Through elementary, middle, and high school, students in my state (like most states) are required to take assessment exams. When I had finally suffered through my last of those, the SATs and ACTs were right around the corner ready to greet me with open arms. I, on the other hand, wasn’t sure I was quite as ready to accept the challenge. Even now, it seems as if new variations of standardized testing are being created yearly. Although a lot of controversy has surrounded the validity of this method of evaluation, for better or for worse, this is our country’s preferred approach. Instead of fighting it, I learned how to live with it. And this is an evaluation of my experience. Hopefully, if you yourself have not yet experienced the SATs and ACTs, or other similar standardized tests, this article will help ease your fears and confusion. PRELIMINARY ADVICE Any standardized test comes with a few absolutes: you have a limited amount of time to complete the exam; the subject area is large and broad; multiple choice is more than likely involved, and you are in a controlled environment. Study and prepare accordingly. Research the format of the test before test day so that there will be no surprises. Arrive prepared with pencils, erasers, water, and a calculator. I always felt better when I knew I had everything I may need. Also take a sweatshirt; you have no idea what temperature the room will be. These tests are usually scheduled for early morning. If you’re not a naturally early riser, get lots of sleep the night before, at least eight hours. THINGS I’VE LEARNED THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU AND YOUR SCORE Take the practice version of the required standardized test (e.g. PSAT for the SAT). It seems like an unnecessary evil, but trust me, it will help you. Instead of paying to take the SATs three times, I believe you can pay less to take the PSATs once, the SATs twice and end up with the same score. Experiencing a similar environment with less pressure allows you to focus more on the content of the test and allow your mind to subconsciously get used to the time crunch, material, and format. As we’ve all heard many times, practice makes perfect. Take the standardized test more than once. If at all financially possible, do it. I took the SAT, was fine with the outcome, but decided I could do better. With the SATs, you receive a breakdown of your overall score. This way, I was able to see which areas in particular I was weaker. Then, get help. I then worked with a tutorto improve on these specific subjects. This was much more helpful to me than if I had studied for the entire test before taking it because I didn’t waste time going over what I already excelled at. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and taking the SATs the first time can spell out exactly what you need to work on. An important thing to master when taking these types of tests is to complete each section. Don’t get stuck on one question. Although this is good advice for any testing situation, it is even moreso necessary in regards to standardized tests. It is easy to get anxious when you see something you don’t know. If it’s multiple choice, first eliminate any answers you know can’t be true. Among the remaining possibilities, take a [hopefully] educated guess. But whatever you do, don’t dwell. Answer the question, and move on. Circle all the ones you weren’t sure about and if there is time, go back and see if you can figure them out. There may have been an answer hidden later in the test or your brain may have retrieved some previously forgotten information. Lastly, focus. When you walk into that testing room, know that for the next few hours, this is your sole job. There should be no wondering if someone has texted you, no looking around the room for potential boyfriends/girlfriends, no planning out the next weekend with your friends. Those few hours will go by and then you won’t have any more time to do what you came there to do. These tests are important, and someone has paid for you to be there. Take advantage of it, think positively, and know that concentration is necessary to achieve the desired score. THE ACT The ACT is a relatively new test that colleges and universities, especially in the Midwest and Western states, are adopting to replace the traditional SATs. The ACT is offered across the country, and currently, most schools are accepting either test score as appropriate academic measurement. When I was deciding whether or not to take the ACT along with the SAT, it was still fairly new, especially to the East Coast. The main difference is that the ACT has a Science section, which the SAT does not. It was also to be believed that the ACT had a less strenuous and shorter Mathematics section. It was another standardized test that I didn’t want to take, but I was intrigued because Math was my lowest score on the SATs. The ACT was certainly the better test for me. The science section contains graphs and articles that one must analyze and interpret, along with requiring a basic knowledge of scientific concepts. Although subjectively the Math section did not seem easier or much shorter, I did score considerably higher on that particular area. I used my scores on the ACT for every college I applied to and was happy I took the chance and signed up for this newer version of standardized testing. I would recommend the ACT to students who struggle with math concepts and/or excel at science. Many people shy away from the scientific aspect, but it is mostly a test of logic and interpretation. Especially if you are unsatisfied with your performance on the SATs, give the ACTs a chance. About the Author Morgan is a graduate of Boston College and has worked with MyGuru for the past three years. Check out our home page for more information on standardized exam tutoring and helpful study materials!

SAT and ACT Prep Course Benefits

SAT and ACT Prep Course Benefits The SAT and ACT are arguably the most important exams in a high school students life. It pays to prepare! But heres something to keep in mind: there are several must-haves when it comes to effective preparation and many teens are ill-equipped to approach the task correctly on their own. Here are seven reasons to enroll teens in an SAT/ACT prep course: To work with skilled teachers. Find a well-designed exam prep course that is taught by an experienced tutor. Ideally, that teacher will have significant SAT/ACT exam prep experience and great training and hold state certifications. Teachers like this know how to help students succeed on the SAT/ACT. To get an organized study plan in place. The problem with students studying on their own for the SAT/ACT is that they might be spending too much time on one area and not enough on another. Its natural for students to want to focus on subjects they know well, but no two students should study exactly the same way. A customized exam prep course will ensure each students needs are met and goals considered. To get a clear picture of each exams structure. Before a student dives into studying, its important to understand how the SAT differs from the ACT, especially if that student plans to take both exams. Organizers of SAT/ACT prep courses can also guide students toward the exam that fits them best and aligns with the preferences of the college(s) to which theyre applying, if applicable. To customize their study plan. Great prep courses start with individualized study plans that are created based on students practice SAT/ACT scores. This initial assessment identifies students strengths and weaknesses on the exam(s) they are taking. A customized study approach and schedule is more likely to help students improve where they need to improve. Students rarely need to study the same amount for all exam sections, after all. To learn trusted test-taking skills and strategies. The SAT and ACT are not structured or scored the same. A quality exam prep program will guide students through good strategies for answering different types of test questions, knowing how each type is graded. To improve speed. Theres no getting around it: students dont have the luxury of time during the SAT and ACT. These exams are timed and students are expected to move quickly from question to question. Too often, students struggle with this aspect of these exams. A good prep program teaches students to improve their speed and become adept at narrowing down answer choices fast so they make the most of their test minutes. To get actual test-taking practice. An initial practice test is important to ensure students focus their studying on the right areas, but prep courses usually incorporate multiple practice tests into their curriculum. This is valuable, as practice tests get students comfortable with the structure of the SAT/ACT and give them the opportunity to practice those test-taking skills. Whether your teen is taking the SAT or ACT for the first time or has taken these exams before and wants to boost those scores, Huntington can help. Call us to learn more about our proven approach and to find the Huntington SAT/ACT prep program nearest you: 1-800 CAN LEARN.

To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate The Choice Should Be Yours

To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate The Choice Should Be Yours specialedpost.org A lot of people cringe away from talking about their opinions on vaccines because it can become a very heated subject, especially if you are against them. Vaccines scare the crap out of me, and while I’m not saying that you shouldn’t get vaccinated, I hope this article will make you stop and think before just letting some doctor inject something into your body. I’ve never been the type of person who just goes along with something without question. While this isn’t always the best of qualities, I always liked finding things out for myself instead of just going with what the majority was saying, even when I was very young. The main thing that triggered this attribute was an incident that happened to me when I was thirteen. When I was twelve, I went to the doctor for a check-up before my family and I were going to move to Malaysia for a year, and they told my mom about a new vaccine called Gardasil. image via videodemonews.wordpress.com Gardasil is used to prevent four types of human papillomavirus (HPV). This is supposed to help with certain types of cervical cancers and genital warts. Sounds good right? One of my mom’s very good friends has cervical cancer, so she was quickly convinced by my doctor that I should get the vaccine. It comes in three doses, which should be given over six months. The doctor then explained that only girls between 9-26 were  eligible  to get it  (guys can get it now as well, but this was when the shot first came out.) The fact that the shot was new and that only a certain age range could get it freaked me out a bit, but I didn’t want to get cervical cancer so I allowed the nurse to administer the first dose without much fuss. The shot was probably one of the most painful shots I ever experienced, and I couldn’t move my arm for two days. I decided to consult Google about the vaccine, and found out that there were many horrible side effects associated with the shot. I can’t find the exact one that I was looking at when I was twelve, but according to this article: ‘“Between May 2009 and September 2010, 16 deaths after Gardasil vaccination were reported. For that timeframe, there were also 789 reports of serious Gardasil adverse reactions, including 213 cases of permanent disability and 25 diagnosed cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome,’ Judicial Watch reported.” Other side effects include, seizures, speech problems, paralysis, short term memory loss, blindness, Guillian Barre syndrome, Pancreatitis, Ovarian cysts, and though it may protect some cervical cancers, you can still get it because there are over 100 types. No one is warned about the side effects; they are just bullied into vaccinating their children, and if they don’t they are seen as “bad parents.” image via voices.yahoo.com So after reading up on what the shot could do, I didn’t want to continue the sequence. We went to Malaysia and then when we came back to the states, I had to go in for another check up. I told my mom again that I didn’t want the second shot, which I had mentioned about a dozen times on the ride to the doctors office. She assured me that it would probably be too late anyway, since the series was supposed to be completed within six months. This made me relax. At the very end of the check-up the doctor told me I would be getting three vaccines, Tetanus, DTaP, and the second Gardasil shot. Before I had a chance to protest, she was out of the room, telling the nurse to get them ready. I looked to my mom, telling her that I didn’t want the Gardasil. She hesitated, because she knew I didn’t want it, but she wanted to keep me safe. When the nurse came in, I told her I didn’t want the Gardasil shot, but the nurse told my mom  that the shot was already filled and we would have to pay for it either way so I might as well get it. The nurse didn’t look at me when she replied, even though I was the one who told her that I didn’t want it. I pleaded with my mom, who was caught in a tug of war. I started spurting out how the shot was bad and had killed people, and the nurse laughed and told me that the shot was good for me, and that I shouldn’t believe everything that I read on the Internet. She tried to lunge at me with the shot, but I spun out of the way; I wasn’t going down without a fight. She told me that if I didn’t cooperate, then she would have to get back-up. I told her I would cooperate for the other two vaccines, but not for the Gardasil. The nurse went on to ration with my mom, pretending like I didn’t exist. After two more failed attempts of her trying to administer the shot, she got three more nurses to help her. Two of them grabbed my legs and the third pinned me down to the table, as I screamed for them to stop. It was my body, and therefore my decision, but they didn’t care. My opinion didn’t matter because to them I was just some stupid kid who was probably afraid of needles, and who was disrupting the flow of their day. They injected all three shots into the same armâ€"which they weren’t supposed to do because Tetanus and Gardasil are both very painful and should have been put into different armsâ€"and then patted themselves on the back for giving me the vaccines. One of the nurses who held my leg jokingly said that she would have to put me on her calendar for when I got the third shot because I was a workout. I could have punched her. image via www.macquirelatory.com The doctor came in and gave my mom a card for a psychiatrist who specializes in helping kids get over their fear of shots. That’s the part that angers me the most. I wasn’t scared of the needles. Sure, they aren’t exactly my most favorite things in the world, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that I didn’t want the poison of Gardasil in my body, but they thought I was stupid for thinking medicine could hurt me instead of help. I was treated like I wasn’t a person, like I wasn’t capable of having my own thoughts because I wasn’t eighteen. As I was writing this and revisiting this memory, I almost cried, because it still holds such an impact. I was forced against my will to get something that I didn’t agree with, and that is wrong. The thing is, a lot of people never question shots, because they’ve never had a reason to. Max Meyer, a second year business management economics student at UC Santa Cruz, said, “since vaccines are tested, they are more than likely going to help each person instead of harming them.” I’m definitely not saying that vaccines are bad; I do agree that they can do a lot of good and have helped prevent diseases from spreading. I do, however, think that we ourselves should know more about the vaccines we are getting. Calvin Sainz, a third year neuroscience student at UC Santa Cruz, said “if there was a way for people to want to infect others, they could just tamper with the medical vaccines at the free clinics, so they can be scary.” A main controversy that gets brought up when it comes to vaccines is whether or not they can cause Autism in children. Mary Medeiros, a second year MCD biology student at UC Santa Cruz, said “ a lot of people think that vaccines cause autism, but I don’t believe that at all. Vaccines help prevent diseases, and if you don’t vaccinate your children, they can die at a younger age.” Meyer agreed with Medeiros in saying that vaccines don’t cause autism, that he knows of. This is one of those things that you will have to decide on your own. I think it is important to vaccinate children, though I think that they give too many vaccines at once and therefore autism can be a factor. image via snarkecards.com Basically what I want you to take from this is to know you have a choice, and you should never let someone bully you into doing something that you don’t want to/don’t feel comfortable with. I have now switched to a new doctor, who will listen to me, give her opinion, but also respect mine and not make me feel bad if I don’t want to do something. Have a story to share? Get your voice out there on the Vaccine Freedom Wall.

Charlie Hebdo Killed For a Cartoon

Charlie Hebdo Killed For a Cartoon image courtesy Mirror.co.uk January 7th dawned over Paris 11th district as a grey, rainy Wednesday much like any other. At about noon this illusion was shattered by two men in black balaclavas as they rushed into the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, assault rifles drawn. On this particular Wednesday the staff of the paper were having an editorial meeting, the only time that the entire staff is present in the office. The attackers shot as many as they could, before fleeing into the street and letting loose at a police officer. As he lay writhing in agony on the ground, begging for mercy, they shot him again in the head. The attackers then fled the scene, shouting Allah Akbar. Hours later another member of the cell shot a jogger in Fontenay-aux-Roses. This accomplice shot a police officer the following day, while the manhunt for the Charlie Hebdo attackers was ongoing, and concluded his spree on the 9th by taking hostages in a kosher supermarket. Meanwhile the first two terrorists had occupied the offices of a signage production company. The French police forces formed a cordon around both locations. No innocents were harmed during the retaking of the signage offices, but several were killed or wounded when GIGN, RAID, BRI, and other elements of the French police stormed the supermarket. image courtesy Sky News one of the shooters shouts We have killed Charlie Hebdo, God is great! Within France some are calling this event our 9/11. The attack has brought the issue of Islamist extremism to the forefront of the conversation. It also prompts serious questions about how far European societies should go in accommodating the growing Muslim minorities that live within their borders. The United States has a culture of not just welcoming, but assimilating immigrants which reaches back to before the founding of the republic, and even we have trouble with homegrown Islamic terrorists. In Europe on the other hand, Muslims often do not assimilate into their host societies for a variety of reasons, some of which are beyond their control. As a result a great many have become part of the poverty-stricken underclass of Europe. Poverty breeds isolation and anger, emotions which seek an outlet like lightning seeks the tallest building. Occasionally bubbles of violence will rise up from this group and burst in the public consciousness, such as the occasion Michael Rigby, an off-duty soldier and father of a 2-year old child, was hacked to death and then beheaded in broad daylight in London as revenge for the British presence in Afghanistan. It is undeniable that the tremendous upheaval caused by the Bush Administrations ill-planned wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is feeding into the phenomenon of Muslim poverty and disenfranchisement in European countries to create deadly violence. It is also undeniable that racism and an attitude of alienation have contributed to this poverty. I think we can all agree that it is a new age, and that western countries must stick to their values and remain tolerant and welcoming and accepting. Only through welcoming diverse cultures can our nations continue to stay competitive and remain leaders of the world.We must strive to stomp out discrimination and racism as best we can. All human beings have potential for goodness and greatness, regardless of their religion or gender or skin color, and societies that embrace that ideal will do better than societies that do not. But there is another side of the story, and I think that side is best expressed by the mayor of Rotterdam, an ethnically diverse city in South Holland. Mayor Aboutaleb took office in 2008 over protests from the right that he was a Moroccan-born Muslim and had dual citizenship with that country. Despite this he won the election. In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shooting, he delivered a message to Islamists that closely mirrors my own feelings on the subject: “It is incomprehensible that you can turn against freedom… if you don’t like freedom, for heaven’s sake pack your bags and leave. “There may be a place in the world where you can be yourself, be honest with yourself and do not go and kill innocent journalists. And if you do not like it here because humorists you do not like make a newspaper, may I then say you can fuck off. “This is stupid, this so incomprehensible. Vanish from the Netherlands if you cannot find your place here. All those well-meaning Muslims here will now be stared at.” image courtesy LiveLeak Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam This was not the politically correct thing to say, but it was the correct thing to say. The other side to this story is that when people decide they do not like our societies, to the point that they will commit or encourage others to commit violence against that society, then they should not be allowed to stay. If you disagree with the actions of France or the US or the UK, you can vote to change the government, speak out, or leave. If you decide to pick up a gun and murder people, or chop an innocent persons head off, then there is no place for you in western society, and you made a mistake in coming here. If you think you agree with the moral or religious basis for the shootings, then ask yourself, what have they achieved? Despite losing almost all of its staff, Charlie Hebdo is still in print. In fact, this weeks issue will feature yet another depiction of Muhammad. Instead of the usual circulation of tens of thousands of copies, this newest edition has a print run of millions. We in the west pride ourselves on our progressiveness. On our forward thinking nature. On our tolerance. Our prosperity. Our freedom. But if we take those things to mean we should do nothing in the face of this tribalistic violence, then we will lose all of those things. As a student of history, I do not buy the clash of civilizations model. As romantic as it might be, I think at our core most humans want to live together in peace, and most humans really dont give a damn what god their neighbor prays to as long as he keeps his parties quiet and returns the things he borrows. However I also think that there are certain individuals that will never live in peace with the rest of us, and we should not tolerate them, regardless of the ideology they hide behind. It would be a grave mistake to assume our multicultural values mean that we cannot draw the line somewhere. There is nothing- no legacy of oppression, no religious principle, no amount of suffering, that could ever possibly justify these cold-blooded murders. The killers are the second lowest form of human beings. The worst kind of human beings are the people who find excuses for what they did, because in seeking to defend what they see as persecuted individuals seeking righteous payback, they are undermining the very foundation of what allows us to be a prosperous, thriving, multicultural, free and tolerant society in the first place. These terrorists did not attack soldiers. They did not attack politicians. They did not blow up a weapons factory or a barracks- they shot up an office full of cartoonists, because one of them drew something they thought was insulting. We must insist that freedom of speech take precedence over protecting the feelings of the religious. Why? Because the freedom of speech is definite and concrete and solid. We can easily agree on its definition. Meanwhile, sentiments can change, and if we decide that not offending the religious is more important than free speech, it gives the religious license to decide what they define as offensive, thus giving them legal authority to censor an entire nation. We are not going back to that. Humanity lived that way for thousands of years, and that time is over. UC Santa Cruz seems to nurture, among other things, a particular flavor of leftism that enjoys hearing the victim narrative and sympathizing with the downtrodden, even when that narrative doesnt accurately describe the events it is applying it to. The story of the colonialism is told over and over again like a gospel: oppression against those of color and those who practice non-western traditions, destruction of their societies, rape, pillaging, murder, subjugation and etcetera. This is supposed to justify current terrorist attacks as the west getting its comeuppance for centuries of evil deeds. Ask these same people if they think an eye for an eye is a good creed to live by and most of them will give you an emphatic no without experiencing any sense of irony whatsoever. A friend of mine is taking a course entitled Feminism and the Global South, and recently heard Professor Arondekar make the argument that the reason attacks like these take place is because of the imperialist actions taken by the US and its allies in the wake of 9/11. Once again, the implication is that we deserve these attacks. That they are somehow just repayment. I wonder what the families of the dead would think about that hypothesis. The bottom line is this: if an immigrant comes to the west and finds that he or she cannot handle living in a society that holds freedom of expression as a basic right, the answer is not to maim and murder, the answer is to buy a plane ticket and go home.