A Student Review of The University of Arizona

A Student Review of The University of Arizona The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Hayden is a Tucson tutor specializing in MCAT prep tutoring, Biology tutoring, Chemistry tutoring, and more. He is a 2013 graduate of The University of Arizona with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Sciences. See what he had to say about his alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Hayden: The University of Arizona is a campus that takes great pride in allowing students to have multiple methods for traveling around campus. During my undergraduate years, I was able to get around campus using both a bike and a skateboard. The sidewalks and roads were recently paved, so I felt welcomed to the campus knowing that our tuition dollars were going toward safe roads. In addition to the slower ways to get around, there are also plenty of parking garages and parking lots for people interested in driving their car to school. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Hayden: I had a wonderful experience with the professors and advisors at U of A. Professors hold office hours every week, and are willing to help you well past their scheduled hours if needed. Advisors are also quick to respond to questions through email, and have hours every day for students to schedule appointments. In classes that have a large amount of students, teaching assistants are also available to help students with any questions when the professor is unavailable. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Hayden: Dorms are located centrally at the university. This allows students living on campus to be able to access all of the amenities available by only walking a short distance. The food options for students are constantly changing, and the campus really displays the opinions that students provide in feedback. The central mall also allows for a variety of activities such as frisbee, running, football, and dog-walking. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Hayden: The University of Arizona is centered around scientific research. There are a variety of buildings and research facilities dedicated to scientific pursuits such as Chemistry, Biology, and Ecology. My undergraduate major was Evolutionary and Ecology Biology with a focus on Biomedical Sciences, and a minor in Chemistry. I chose this major because it gave me a great background on scientific research concepts and also gave me a great deal of medical knowledge. Because I had a scientific major and minor, the university had plenty of resources for me to receive a worthwhile degree in my field. In addition, the dorms for scientific students on campus are located right next to the Science and Engineering Library in the mall. This huge library has a multitude of resources for any scientific field you could wish to study. I highly recommend U of A for students interested in pursuing scientific degrees. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Hayden: Dorm life is a wonderful way to meet new people who share the same common interests as you. In addition, the Greek life approach is all over the campus if you are interested in joining a fraternity or sorority. Overall, there is a multitude of ways that a student at the university can become involved, such as clubs and gatherings. It is a very social campus that feels very welcoming and inviting to all newcomers. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Hayden: I was able to join the Career Center online after graduating. They quickly provided me with a large amount of jobs that may interest me. In addition to the Career Center, many companies will showcase available job opportunities on campus. If you want to earn a little money while going to college, I highly recommend considering the Career Center. They will point you in the right direction. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Hayden: There are two libraries on campus right near the mall, a massive student union, and countless secluded places on campus to rest and read a book or study notes. The University of Arizona is very spacious, which provides a great deal of solitude, even when outside! Also, every dorm on campus has a variety of secluded areas where students can meet up and study using large meeting tables and white boards. You will have no problem finding a quiet place to study on campus. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Hayden: The university is surrounded by Mexican culture because of its proximity to the Mexican border. As a result, there are wonderful restaurants and museums that incorporate the Mexican influence in the area. Since we are located in the Southwest, there is also a large emphasis on desert environments, which is a big theme on campus. The campus is right next to 4th Avenue: a long strip of bars and restaurants that can appeal to any students interests. Events also take place on campus all throughout the week, so there is never a dull moment near the campus. I would say the majority of students preferred to stay near campus on the weekends. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Hayden: The University of Arizona has a very large student population. We are certainly not jam-packed, but during the day, you better be alert when riding your bike! Otherwise, you may take someone out. Because of the large student body, many courses have a very large group of students in the classroom. I will say that I am biased to this question because I am an introvert; I tend to prefer very open and hands-off learning environments. I enjoyed learning at this school since many of my classes took place in large rooms, even auditoriums. The basic classes you take at the university will be held in large classrooms in order to accommodate the large amount of students taking the course. They are very straightforward and do not require a large amount of personal interaction with others. However, there are countless courses that allow students to have personal interactions with both the professor and students in the class. If you are looking to interact with others, you should not have too much trouble finding courses that allow you to interact with other students in the class on a daily basis. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Hayden: My favorite class that I took in my undergraduate years was an introductory Pathology class. In addition to learning a great deal about disease and the body, we were also able to dissect and examine actual diseased organs. Since my professor was a part of the veterinary pathology labs on campus, we were able to see a great deal of bizarre and unusual cases. Combine this with the fact that he loved to show diseases which had a tendency to smell awful, and you were dealing with a class where not many people chose to bring food. Regardless of the stench some days, this class really introduced me to the interactive, medical learning environment that I have always dreamed of experiencing. If you are a student pursuing medical endeavors, you owe it to yourself to try Mechanisms of Disease. Check out Haydens tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Solving Functions Online Tutoring - Maths Tutors

Solving Functions Online Tutoring - Maths Tutors An algebraic function f(x) is written in terms of variables, coefficients and constants. The condition for solving the functions in p(x)/q(x) form is the denominator cannot be equal to zero i.e. q(x) 0. The function can be solved or simplified using different mathematical properties such as multiplicative property, associative property, additive inverse multiplicative inverse and many more. The function f(x) can be assigned different values of x. Example 1: Solve the given function and find the value of x. If f(x) = 7x/ (2x + 10) if f(x) = 1 . Solution: Given is the function f(x) = 5x/(x + 12) and f(x) = 1. 7x / (2x + 10) = 1 Multiplying (x + 10) both sides of the equation. (x + 10) [7x / (2x + 10)] = 1 (x + 10); 7x = 2x + 10. Subtract both sides of the equation with 2x; 5x = 10 Divide by 5 on both sides of the equation. 5x/ 5 = 10/ 5; Hence solution is x = 2. Example 2: Solve the given function and find the value of x. If f(x) = (7x 21)/3x if f(x) = 0. Solution: Given is the function f(x) = (7x 21)/3x for f(x) = 0. (7x 21)/3x =0 Multiplying 3x both sides of the equation; (7x 21) = 0 Add both sides of the equation with 21; 7 x = 21. Divide by 7 on both sides of the equation; 7x/ 7 = 21/ 7; x = 3. Hence solution is x = 3.

5 Things You Need to Know Before Taking Metal Guitar Lessons

5 Things You Need to Know Before Taking Metal Guitar Lessons Megan L. Before you start your metal guitar lessons, be sure to take this advice from guitar teacher  Zachary A. Taking metal guitar lessons at first can seem rather challenging, but learning to play metal guitar really isnt as a daunting of a task as it may seem.   As you continue to read, I will go over few different tips and practices that would be beneficial to know before embarking on your epic journey in learning how to play metal. 1) Finding the way that you learn the best, and sticking to it There is a multitude of different methods to learning how to play metal guitar, and the guitar in general. Find the way that you learn the best, and stick to it. It might take you a few attempts at various methods of practice to achieve this, but it will be extremely worth it. Its important to find the right method that works for you, because when youre trying to learn from a way that doesn’t fit you just right, you might end up getting frustrated and discouraged, which might eventually lead you to give up and lose interest. 2) Practice makes perfect In order to get truly good at anything especially a musical instrument it requires practice and a dedication to practicing. You should set aside a certain amount of time that works with your schedule to practice  daily  what you learn while taking metal guitar lessons. There might be a lot of distractions around you that might interfere with this. (In my case, this would be the television or a good book.) But, you need to shut off all the distractions: turn off the television, put away your cell phone, stop watching silly YouTube videos of cats (no matter how entertaining they are) and practice guitar. It truly is the only way that you will progress as a musician. Everyone seems to want to become a virtuoso musician over night, and, well, this never happens. People who put in more hours of practice than anyone else are the ones who become virtuoso musicians. Its a proven fact. History is the evidence. 3) Listen to the masters Listen to the virtuoso guitar players of the metal guitar like Sinister Gates, Dimebag Darrell, Dave Mustaine, Steve Vai, and saving the best for last Randy Rhodes. You can learn so much from just absorbing all the music that they play. Also, developing an ear for the notes is a priority for successful musicians. Some lucky people have what they call perfect pitch. For the rest of us, myself included, its important to listen and play the song you want to learn again and again. This musician’s ear youll develop comes in handy all the time, even when reading tabs; because tabs aren’t always accurate, and youll have the ability to notice when the notes are incorrect. 4) Don’t limit yourself to only metal music All genres of music are beneficial to you. With a broad knowledge of music, you improve your range, capabilities and diversity as a musician. Every musician out there has had influences that have helped shaped the way that he or she plays. So, even if there are musicians out there that you enjoy and would like to play like, don’t limit yourself to only studying their music. Do some research, and look up who they listened to and who influenced them when they were starting out learning the guitar. Listen to their influences; you should be able to find similarities in their influences with the guitarist that you are aspiring to be. 5) Set Goals!! This is crucial for motivation. Everyone likes success, and when you set goals, you have those times when you achieve success by reaching those goals. Through this success you make progress. To me, there is no perfection, only progress. These five things are just a few helpful hints that will be a great stepping stone to achieve progress at becoming a metal guitarist. Have fun and rock on!  Zachary A. is a guitar instructor in Katy, TX specializing in beginning and intermediate students. He is currently earning a degree in  music theory. Learn more about Zachary here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  kodakhrome

10 of the Top Small Colleges in the U.S.

10 of the Top Small Colleges in the U.S. When high school students begin looking for colleges, theyre forced to prioritize the things they want. A strong athletic program, a hard-to-find-major, or a particular location can all influence a students desire to attend. So, too, can sizefor many students, the choice of big schools vs. small schools is one of the most important factors. While there are reasons to attend a big school and reasons to attend a small school, finding an academic institution that suits your needs is crucial to success in your continued education. For those students looking for a smaller college (perhaps with 5,000 students of less), we present you a list of some of the very best. California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology is a small private university in Pasadena, California. Known for its abundance of Nobel Prize winners and recipients of the National Medal of Science and Technology, the school accepts only 8% of applicants and specializes in engineering and science. Claremont McKenna College Located in Claremont, California, Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts college known for its programs in economics, government, and public affairs. The college accepts only 9.8% of those students who apply to the prestigious school. The school has only been co-ed since 1976. Pomona College Another California school to make the list, Pomona College is located in Claremont and only offers undergraduate education. It is one of the most endowed liberal arts colleges in the United States and accepts 12.1% of applicants. The college is associated with the Say Yes to Education Compact, offering free tuition to inner city youth. Swarthmore College Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it was one of the first co-ed colleges in the U.S. They accept 17% of applicants. The school is part of a consortium with Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College, which provides an integrated library system and gives students the opportunity to cross-register for classes. Amherst College Amherst College is a private liberal arts school in Amherst, Massachusetts. There are 38 majors to choose from, and it is said that students enjoy the open curriculum. Approximately 14% of students who apply are admitted to the school. Bowdoin College Located in Brunswick, Maine, this East Coast college offers a student-faculty ratio of 9:1. Theyve also got a 118-acre coastal studies center on Orrs Island. Bowdoin accepts 14.9% of students. Perhaps best of all, Bowdoin is a no-loan school, meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with grants. College of the Ozarks College of the Ozarks sits in Point Lookout, Missouri and is a Christian liberal arts college. They offer over 30 majors and charge no tuition for full-time students, instead offering a student work program, so its no wonder that admissions are difficultthe school accepts only 9% of applicants. Alice Lloyd College This Pippa Passes, Kentucky college offers 18 degree programs and roughly 20 students to every faculty member. The school has a high percentage of first-generation students, and around 33% of students who apply are admitted. Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is well known throughout the world for its programs in physical sciences, engineering, and biology. The school also boasts a high number of Nobel laureates and National Medal of Science recipients, many Rhodes Scholars and MacArthur Fellows, and Fields Medalists. It is understandably difficult to enrollonly 7.9% of students are admitted. U.S. Naval Academy The U.S. Naval Academy is a four-year school in Annapolis, Maryland, educating officers for commissioning in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. To get in, candidates must be nominated for admission, usually by a member of Congress. Candidates must also be between the ages of 17 and 23, unmarried and childless, and of good moral character. Theyre given applications, standardized tests, physical tests, etc. Only 7.9% of applicants are admitted. While some of these schools may to difficult to get into, they certainly offer some rewarding perks. By planning your strategy for college applications well in advance and studying up on the kinds of things admissions officers are looking for, youll undoubtedly increase your chances of going to one of the top small colleges in the United States!

How to Read Guitar Chords

How to Read Guitar Chords Megan L. If youre beginning to learn how to play guitar, chances are youll want to get started by learning a handful of chords. Learning how to read guitar chords is a great way to get familiar with guitar notation and get used to your instrument. A chord is a group of notes that makes a harmony when played all together. On guitar, you can strum chords to accompany a melody that you or someone else are singing, or more advanced players might incorporate chords with single notes for a more complex sound. Basically, chords are the building blocks you need to have in place in order to learn to play songs on the guitar. How to Read Guitar Chord Charts Guitar chords can be written in a couple of different ways, so don’t worry if you don’t yet know how to read guitar tabs or sheet music. Guitar chord charts, like the one on the left, are easy to read once you learn a few basics. Think of guitar chord charts as a graphic representation of the fingerboard of your guitar.  The horizontal line at the top of the guitar chord chart is the nut of your guitar, the piece at the top where the head meets the fingerboard. Below the nut, each horizontal line represents another fret, which are the wire dividers on the fretboard. The six vertical lines each represent a string, from left to right EADGBE. If you are holding your guitar like you are ready to play, the thickest string, low E, is the string that is closest to the top. As you strum downward, you will hit the A, D, G, B, and last the high E. On this diagram, the three black dots indicate that you will need to press down three strings â€" the D, G, and B strings â€" on the second fret. The numbers at the bottom of the chart tell you which fingers on your left hand you should use to hold down the strings. Your left hand fingers are numbered one through four, starting with your index finger. So lets break down exactly how this chart is showing you to play the A chord. Put your middle finger on the second fret of the D string, your ring finger on the second fret of the G string, and your pinkie on the second fret of the B string. Be mindful to press with just the tips of your fingers so you do not muffle or mute any strings. Strum slowly from the A string down one note at a time to make sure you are fretting each note cleanly and clearly. Congratulations, you just played an A chord! Here are a few more guitar chord charts for you to practice reading: Feeling pretty good about reading guitar chord charts? Awesome! Lets take a look at another way to read guitar chords: guitar tabs. What are Guitar Tabs? Guitar tabs have six horizontal lines, one for each of the six strings of your guitar. The top line always corresponds with your high E (or first) string and the bottom line always corresponds to your low E (or sixth) string. The layout of tablature can be a little tricky at first, since its basically upside down when compared to the actual neck of your guitar. However, this arrangement actually mimics sheet music by representing higher notes higher on the staff than low notes, so if you plan to go on to read sheet music, its helpful to get used to seeing the higher notes higher. Numbers will be written on the strings to let you know which fret to play. For example, if a song calls for you to play the 5th fret on the A string, you will see a number 5 on the second line up from the bottom. If you see a zero, play the string “open,” without holding down a fret. When reading guitar tabs, do so from left to right, like you would read a book. Its important to note that guitar tabs indicate the sequence of the notes but dont indicate the rhythm. Listen to the song youre learning as you look at the tab to get a feel for the rhythm. Unlike guitar chord charts, the numbers on tablature have nothing to do with the number of the finger on your left hand that you should use to hold down the fret. The numbers only refer to the fret where the string should be held down. If you’re getting stuck on fingering for a particular guitar tab, you might want to consult with a  guitar teacher  for help. Now that you know the basics of how to read guitar tabs, let’s look at reading chords. How to Read Guitar Chords in Tabs Chords in guitar tabs are shown as in the diagram at the left, with all the notes stacked on top of one another. Remember, guitar tabs read from left to right, and the note spacing indicates sequence. Stacking the notes means they are played at the same time, and as you know, notes that are played together to produce a harmony make a chord. Based on the guitar chord charts you practiced earlier, can you name the chord shown in the diagram? If you said “C”, you are correct! Now that you know how to read guitar chords in charts and tablature, start practicing your chords and learning songs! There are many songs that can be played using simple, common guitar chord progressions. Once  youve mastered these chord progressions, youll find that your musical repertoire will grow exponentially! For more help learning how to play guitar, taking private lessons from a guitar teacher is a great way to get personal attention. A great teacher will be able to spot your mistakes and show you how to improve. Find your perfect guitar teacher today! 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

Video Understanding Guitar Power Chords

Video Understanding Guitar Power Chords Suzy S. Power chords are easy, fun to play and popular additions to many styles of rock music. But what exactly are they, and how do you use them? Check out this video tutorial from Austin teacher Josh G., and learn a few guitar exercises to incorporate them into your playing! 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 Josh G. teaches music theory and guitar lessons in Austin, TX. Josh earned his music degree with a focus on blues, jazz and classical guitar, and also specializes in rock, folk and pop styles. He joined the TakeLessons team in August 2012. Learn more about Josh, or visit TakeLessons to search for guitar lessons near you!

How to Respond to a Childs Negativity

How to Respond to a Child's Negativity How to Respond to a Childs Negativity School is the worst! I hate learning! Im stupid! I hate homework! If any of these outbursts sound familiar, its understandable that you might feel concern about what is causing your child such anger and frustration and what you can do to change it. Unfortunately, there may come a time in your childs school life that he or she feels upset or negative about school. If you are struggling with how to respondor you share your childs frustrationhere are a few considerations on what might actually be going on and tips on how best to handle the situation. Your child has never felt the pride that comes with achievement. Children who acquire negative attitudes about school might never have experienced true school success. Gaps in their skills have made it difficult to understand homework and solve problems independently, always leaving them feeling inadequate and behind. If this sounds like your child, a conversation with the teacher is definitely in order. There is likely a mismatch in the type of work that is expected of your child and his or her abilities. An individualized tutoring program with Huntington can help your child gain the abilities to complete work successfully, thereby boosting the self-esteem and confidence. Pinpointing the problem is essential. If your child seems generally exasperated by school, it may be difficult to have productive conversations about what subjects are the most stressfuland frankly, your child may simply not be able to offer you the insight you need. So, rather than grill your child for details on what is most difficult, have your child evaluated so that you can gain specific information about his areas of deficiency, study skills and more. Huntington can perform a diagnostic evaluation of your childs strengths and weaknesses as well as a plan of instruction to help your child. With more accurate information about the problems your child is facing, you can develop a plan together to help your child overcome them. Your understanding goes a long way. While your desire to smother your childs cynicism with unbridled optimism is understandable, doing so might exacerbate your child even more. Instead, talk openly about how your child is feeling and the fact that school problems are not insurmountable. Empathize with your childs fear and anger. Explain that you are committed to helping your child not just earn better grades, but feel better about him or herself. Most of all, remember that your childs problems, however big they seem, can be addressed. Problem solving is a tool every child needs. For many children who struggle in school and dont know what to do about it, acting out, giving up and being negative are resultant behaviors. Certainly, it is expected that a child experiencing repeated difficulties with math homework feels great frustration. However, the child who can move past that frustration, to identify specific problems and lay out a plan to address them will successfully avoid the negative bottleneck that prevents so many students from achieving their goals. While academic knowledge and good study habits are certainly essential for school success, so are traits such as resilience, perseverance in the face of difficulty and a good attitude. Help your child learn to understand that negativity only makes problems feel worse. Identifying issues and creating manageable steps to tackle each one is a far more constructive approach that will help your child feel less overwhelmed. Of course, if school is the culprit of your childs pessimistic attitude, dont wait to investigate. Huntington can help you understand what is at the root of the problem and develop a plan to turn things around. Call us at 1-800-CAN LEARN to discuss how to give your child a whole new outlook on school and life.

Why is English Pronunciation so Difficult

Why is English Pronunciation so Difficult Why is English pronunciation so difficult? One of the most confusing things about English is pronunciation. English has a total of 17tk spoken vowel sounds. This makes English  unusual, as most languages have 5-6. Spanish, for instance, has 5 vowel sounds, Mandarin 6, and Portuguese 9.English Pronunciation GuideAnother odd thing is that we  only use 5 letters  a,e,i,o and u to write all 17 sounds. Other languages, like Spanish or French, have 5 written vowels and 5 sounds.But what really makes English pronunciation difficult  is when your native language does not contain one of our vowel sounds. If youre language is like most, you have fewer vowel sounds than English has, which means there are going to be several sounds that youre going to have to learn how to make, but hear as well.A few years ago I did a language exchange with an Argentine friend. Wed speak for 45 minutes in English, then 45 in Spanish. At one point we started talking about pronunciation, and I explained that boo t and foot should have completely different sounds. My friend could not hear the difference between these two sounds, even when I said them one after the other. To an English speaker, there is a very clear difference.How do you learn how to produce a sound that you cant hear? Practice. Youll want to listen to how the sounds are made repeatedly, and get help making them. One of the most important parts of practicing English pronunciation is  learning  what you need to do  emphysically/em to make the sound. Learning exactly where your tongue and lips should be, and how wide open your mouth should be, can help produce that moment in which you suddenly find yourself making a sound you never knew existed. Its an exciting moment in learning!