Studying in the United States is an exciting experience filled with many opportunities that you may not find or may have difficulty finding elsewhere. As your time in the country winds down, you may be worried that you haven’t gotten the most out of your study abroad experience. To ease your mind, check out the following three things that you should do before your study abroad experience ends:
 

1. Find a mentor

It’s often said that, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Knowing the right people can be essential to advancing your career, which is why it’s important to make connections while studying abroad in the U.S. Set a goal to find a mentor—someone whose career you would like to emulate or who has connections in the area you are studying. Your professors are a great place to start. You might also find a mentor in a guest lecturer who has come to speak to your class. Whoever it is, reach out to him or her to meet outside of the normal classroom setting, if possible. Set up a time to get coffee or lunch, and tell your mentor about your career goals. He or she will likely be able to offer helpful advice as you pursue that path. It’s also key to keep in touch with your mentor, even after you leave the United States.
 

2. Check out other academic areas

You may have already chosen your area of study, or you might have a career path in mind, but it doesn’t hurt to see what else is out there too. If the university where you are studying is particularly well known for a specific discipline, attend a lecture about that topic. Many universities have important guest lecturers or professors who are the top experts in their respective fields. Even if you aren’t pursuing that field as a career, it can be a unique opportunity to sit in and listen to an expert speak about the material he or she knows best.
 
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3. Look for opportunities outside class
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It’s easy to stick to the comfortable schedule of going to class and then back to your apartment or dorm, but you could be missing out on a world of other opportunities that await you. The U.S. is a leader in many areas, and innovation and research often happen at the university level. You may be exposed to some of that research through class, but you also may not be. If you aren’t, or if you just want to learn more, look for opportunities outside of class to get involved with such experiences. Don’t limit yourself to what’s available on campus—ask your professors if there are opportunities off campus that you can also pursue.
 
The most important advice to keep in mind is to look for opportunities everywhere you can. U.S. universities are busy, exciting places with much to explore. It can seem overwhelming, but if you do your research, you’ll find many beneficial and interesting experiences.
 
Catherine Martin is a contributing writer for UniversityTutor.com, the world’s largest global marketplace for finding independent tutors.

Exactly what’s meant by “education” will bring different answers from different people, even professional educators. Teachers and instructors are always looking for better ways to communicate lessons to their students, while tightening rules and testing requirements make this even more difficult. The real key to streamlining the process and promoting both student and educator development is providing a good experience that engages your class. Here are some simple strategies to make that happen.


Make the Classroom a Playground

This doesn’t mean giving up control, but you don’t want to see your students yawning and staring at the ceiling, either. Most students, even in corporate training and college-level courses, aren’t a whiz at academics and become quickly bored with plain facts and simple tasks. Both children and adults need to be stimulated to stay focused and retain what they learn. The best learning experiences allow for a little participation and fun. Think of ways to provoke discussions or introduce a little bit of gaming and competition. You could try role-playing, peer reviews, and contests to make learning more entertaining.


Balance the Classroom

There’s no single method that will work effectively for all of your students. For example, some people are naturally good with numbers and others will struggle with mathematics all their lives. Sticking to a single plan, even one that embraces the majority of students, will leave a few people falling behind even if they excel in other areas. If you make note of each individual’s progress, you can use the people with advanced skills to support those who are struggling. Create mentorship programs or additional training exercises, and look for creative ways to explain what you’re trying to teach.


Teach Life Experience

One question you’ll hear over and over in certain courses of study is: “But when will I use this in real life?” Have a definite answer to that question. Don’t provide vague generalizations, but have real experiences to draw on, whether it’s your own or things you’ve learned online. You could do “career days” where you bring in guest speakers from certain professions to talk about what they do. Get some current career data to talk about what kind of jobs you can get from knowing biology or algebra, what these people do, what they make, and what kind of education is needed. Help students focus by getting them to think about their own futures.


Talk about Your Expectations

Start your classroom semesters by telling students what your expectations are on coursework, behavior, processes, participation, and so forth. Explain why this lesson plan is important and what they should gain from it. Don’t hesitate to reiterate these underlying lessons or ask for feedback. There should be open communication between you and your students for a good relationship, but also strict policies that must be followed for everyone’s mutual benefit. Think in terms of not just providing knowledge, but encouraging cooperation and diligence.


Use Technology

Today’s generations are or have already grown up with technology, and they’re comfortable using it. Introduce technology to your classroom so that they’ll learn from it. For example, more schools are using basic 3-D printers to teach real-world concepts of math, design, and user testing. You’ll find many e-learning platforms that can instruct students right at the keyboard and even track performance to identify strengths and weakness. Virtual or augmented reality systems create an immersive, interactive environment that not only helps to learn and retain facts through personal experience, but adds an element of gamification that makes learning fun.

These basic strategies improve the teaching environment and take some of the pressure off of you by inviting engagement. The better you can manage student attention, the easier your job will be.

Dixie Somers is a freelance writer. Find Dixie on Facebook.

A university education is every person’s dream. It is where your life goals and success start taking off. Unfortunately, it is also the same place where great dreams and aspirations die a quick but painful death. Having to fend for college tuition is usually more than most students and even families can handle. Thankfully, someone thought of student scholarships. But, with the increasing number of students facing financial difficulties, scholarship bodies are more meticulous in their awarding. Only the best and most deserving students with the best applications get considered.

How does a student make sure that they stand out and improve their chances of getting a scholarship?  By writing mind-blowing essays and following scholarship guidelines, and by using tools that improve readability and help you reduce your chances of making a mistake. You will definitely need a great essay to fend off the competition and any of these tools will be handy in helping you achieve that.


Tips for Writing the College Application Essay

Any essay is best written by you. Even though hiring someone with experience and a professional touch might be a good idea, it loses the personality and emotional appeal. With this tool, you can be able to create an essay that is not only great but also one that stands above the rest. It is simple to use and the tips are laid out in a simple and easy to understand manner. Even for first-time applicants. With up to 10 tips on writing a college application essay, you will find all the information you need to draft a winning essay and application for college.


Statement of Purpose.com

The most significant part of your application is the statement of purpose. It tells the admissions board who you are, why you chose them and what has influenced your career path among other very important snippets of information. It is the one thing that any applicant does not want to go wrong. And yet, most find themselves in that same predicament. However, this does not have to be the story of your life. With statementofpurpose.com, you can be able to understand what this part entails, what is expected of you and also get the guidelines that would help you nail the application. This is a tool that will literally take the intimidation out of essay writing and make it easier and fun.


Story2

You have the story of the ages.  If only the board could sit down and listen to you, you know you could sell it. But they can’t. You have to write it down. Don’t let your story lose its authenticity and ability to capture whoever reads it. Story2 allows you to recreate your story in writing. With the help of this highly intuitive and pragmatic tool, you’re able to get step-by-step processes that help to transform your story into a winning college admission essay.
Through the platform, you’re also able to save time, build connections with readers and other college applicants and find great topics for your essay. You’ll also be able to enjoy the support of professionals in case you run into hitches.


Essay structure

Even with a great story and impeccable writing skills, it is important that you follow the given structure and format of essays. It gives those that are going to read your essay an easy time and shows adherence. Instead of having to go through the countless images that will probably mislead you or are hard to understand, you can refer to essay structure for simple but detailed information on what goes where and how.
With side notes and easy to understand pointers, you will not only be able to know how to structure your content to make it engaging and give it a flow, you will also be able to get important tips on what goes to the body, what the conclusion entails and also vital compositions of your introduction.


Assignment masters
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What if you’re not a great writer or storyteller? Does that mean that your college dreams go down the drain? Not really. Essaydot can be of great help. You get to link up with great and well-seasoned writers that understand the demands of college essays. All you have to do is tell them your story and they turn it into an essay. Even if you don’t have a captivating story, the writer you pick can come up with one.
There’s no doubt that the transition into college is one of the most dramatic and significant. Having a scholarship definitely makes it easier and worth your while. With these tools by your side, you can rest guaranteed that your essays and applications stand a higher chance of being approved whether your scholarship application is sports based or acting and drama based.

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Hillary Hope has many years experience as a careers advisor and after reaching a senior level left to pursue her passion for sharing her knowledge. She is now a freelance writer.

 
Knowing how to speak more than one language can be a true boon to your education and professional life. It expands your horizons considerably and allows to communicate with so many more people than you would otherwise. As an ESL (English as a second language) student, you can make a huge splash in American colleges and universities. Here are five reasons why ESL students can thrive in US universities.

1. International relationsA key aspect of education is well-roundedness. In order to get the most out of a college education, a student must be willing to take chances and communicate with as many groups of people as possible. An international relations masters online can be a great help to ESL students. They can learn all about diplomacy, politics, and human rights and how they affect our world.


2. Cultural perspectivesIf English is not your first language, it's likely that you were raised in a culture unlike the one in America. By coming to a US college with English as your second language, you can give American students a new perspective on other cultures and how they differ from their own.


3. AssimilationSpeaking the same language as citizens of another nation is a great way to become assimilated into that culture. As an ESL student, you can communicate with American students who speak English as their first language and find yourself more drawn into their culture. You can also share your own culture with them.


4. Bring others togetherAs an ESL student, you can be something of a bridge between cultures. You're likely to know people who speak English as their first language and those who don't speak English at all. You can help them communicate by acting as a bridge for communication between the two. You can also help them learn each other's language.


5. Teach othersWhen you get a good grasp on English, you might want to share it with others. Tutoring for non-English speaking students to understand the language could put you in high demand around campus. You could very well start a network of ESL students teaching other ESL students.
We hope this gave you a good understanding of how ESL students can thrive in US colleges. By mastering another language, you can make a profound impact on your education. You can also make a huge difference in the lives of others along the way, one word at a time.

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Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.

Fluency is one of the grading criteria in IELTS speaking. It largely affects how you express ideas and indicates whether you can effectively deliver information to others. First, check out our The IELTS Speaking Test: Fluency and Coherence to learn what it is and how it is marked. Then, let’s take a look at the factors affecting fluency in IELTS speaking as well as several useful tips for improving your language fluency.


Too Much Stress

Test day is always stressful. Facing an examiner in speaking test is even more stressful. Actually, a little bit of stress helps you to focus and do better in the test. However, too much stress is a negative factor because it may lead to speaking too fast or too slow or repeating the questions in your own words. Examiners are very likely to have trouble in understanding your message, which will definitely lower your grade.


Too Much Self-Correction

Some students correct their mistakes from time to time. Once they notice the wrong use of words, sentence structures, or incorrect grammar, they will immediately correct the mistakes by repeating what they have already mentioned. It is also a sign for examiners that your language lacks fluency and your speaking skills are not well-developed. Therefore, an appropriate way to deal with mistakes is to forget them, focus on what you should say next, and try to avoid mistakes.


Unfamiliar Topics or Questions
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Another factor that affects the fluency in IELTS speaking are unfamiliar topics and questions. It is a common problem in the speaking test, especially in part 2 and part 3. Take the following part 2 topic as an example: describe a time that you forgot something important. Students are likely to get nervous if they have not prepared this topic before and they cannot recall any related experience at that moment. Some of them will make up a story in order to answer the question, which requires them to think and speak at the same time and may result in having long pauses, speaking too slow, and repeating information.

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Tips:


Practice

The key to success is always practice. Practice helps you to avoid mistakes and get used to use the language. Take advantage of resources like IELTS practice tests to simulate the test day experience.


Get Familiar with Questions

Though it is impossible to prepare all the topics and questions, you can practice with past IELTS speaking questions to learn the question types and find the best way to answer these questions. Set time limits just like the real test. Find a partner to practice (one acts as the examiner and the other answers). Record your answer and listen to it.


Balance with Other IELTS Prep

Don’t overwhelm yourself by only practicing speaking. Mix it up with IELTS Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 prep, and be sure to take mental breaks!


Relax and Be Confident!

The last but not least, do not panic when facing the examiners on test day. By this point, you’ve practiced and studied hard. Just believe in yourself and do your best!


About Kuangyan

Kuangyan creates IELTS blogs at Magoosh. She is passionate about language education and has a MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from New York University. Kuangyan has experience of teaching English both in China and in US. In her free time, she drinks mocha, does yoga, takes photos and travels to different places to explore the exciting world.

This post originally appeared on the Magoosh IELTS blog.