Stanford Offers Free Artificial Intelligence Class Online

Stanford Offers Free Artificial Intelligence Class Online Two Stanford professors have announced that they will offer a free online class on artificial intelligence, according to an article in theNew York Times. Stanford professors, Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig two of the worlds best-known artificial intelligence experts will teach the course. Over 112,000and counting people have already enrolled in the class, which is nearly six times the entire Stanford student body. Students range from high school to retirees, and the course will represent students from 175 countries. Thrun and Norvig said that they will teach this course as part of an education experiment. They are trying to use technology to extend knowledge beyond Stanfords elite student body. The vision is: change the world by bringing education to places that cant be reached today, said Thrun. Stanford will offer two additional free courses. The first will be an introductory course on database software, taught by Jennifer Widom, chairwoman of the computer science department, and the second will be an introduction to machine learning, taught by Andrew Ng. Students will not get grades or credit for the course, but they will be ranked in comparison to other students in the class, and they will receive a statement of accomplishment. Students do not need to pass a test to get into the class. But to keep up, they may need some higher math classes like linear algebra and probability theory. This class is great for any high school student interested in going to Stanford. It probably wont significantly affect your chances of being accepted, but its a perfect opportunity to get on Stanford'sradar and show them youre interested. Even if youre not interested in Stanford, participating in this class can only help your college application. Not many other students will be able to say that they took a class at Stanford. The rapid commercialization of high-speed Internet access has created a new wave of education experiments. Many other professors have recorded their class lectures and uploaded them to YouTube for free. The Stanford courses will be taught in a similar way. The three classes will use streaming Internet video for lectures and interactive technologies for quizzes and grading. Stanford has used this structure to teach smaller groups of students in the past. The professors will use a Google moderator service that will allow students to vote on the best questions for professors to respond to in an online chat or streaming video. They are exploring possibilities to personalize exams to help eliminate cheating. The Stanford professors are hoping to use the Internet and other technological advances to extend education. Ng said that he hopes to see the equivalent of a Stanford computer science degree on the Web someday.

Is It Possible to Speak Russian Within a Few Months

Is It Possible to Speak Russian Within a Few Months Can You Learn to Speak the Russian Language in Just a Few Months? ChaptersHow Long Does It Take to Learn a Foreign Language?The Particularities of Tolstoy's Language Can Make Learning It A Bit LongerImposing Oneself a Rigorous Schedule In Order to Progress Rapidly and EfficientlySome Methods in Order to Progress More QuicklyNumerous scientific studies have been conducted to find out  what is the human being's concentration capacity. Some have found it to be a few minutes, others about an hour, but all agree that this time of maximum concentration is rare and precious.What this makes us understand is that these moments of learning must be used preciously and that it will be necessary to privilege quality over quantity of learning. This means that attempting to cram Russian grammar for 4 hours at a time will probably not produce the same effects as more spaced out learning.The key to success is always to focus on effective methods and not to believe that the more time you spend looking at your books the faster you will progress.Let's take a look at h ow to save time and have more efficiency when learning Russian.Russian sits within the  East Slavic branch  of the Slavic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. The closest relatives of  Russian  are  Ukrainian  and  Belarussian, which you will be able to understand on a basic level after learning Russian.Knowing Russian will make it easier for you to speak any other  Slavic language.For the learner, it will be necessary to become familiar with the Russian alphabet (Cyrillic alphabet), which is very different from the Latin alphabet and writing as we know it. We will need to redouble our efforts as to master the declensions, the tonic accents, or oral pronunciation, which are all difficult and whose phonetics is not always obvious.Did you know that there are plenty of loan words from  Italian,  French  or  German  so you have an advantage if you know any of these languages already? Admittedly those loan words might look a bit archaic as they made their way into the Russ ian language in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the wordWith a little organization, it is possible to find some free time every day to learn Russian.Some linguists of the US State Department have studied language learning and classified languages into five distinct groups, from the easiest to the most complex.Russian fits in group 4, with a learning estimate of  1100 hours (roundabout 18 months of learning at 2 hours a day).This survey is based on a large number of learners and the results are only average. In addition, the required level here is very high, since we are talking about 1100 hours to reach a level close to or even equivalent to speaking Russian like one's mother tongue!Keep in mind that dedicating more time to your studies will speed up your learning, but it isn’t going to happen in a week's time. It is still going to take months, if not years, for you to start to feel comfortable reading and listening to Russian, and probably longer than that until you will spe ak it easily.Imposing Oneself a Rigorous Schedule In Order to Progress Rapidly and EfficientlyIt may make you feel better to hear 1100 hours, but, don't be fooled, learning a foreign language and speaking it naturally requires time - but above all motivation and discipline in learning.In other words, before learning the Russian language, you may also have to learn to learn. As we've already said, to progress in the Russian language requires imposing daily work times (if possible learning Russian every day at the same time to create one's own learning routine) and especially a regular rhythm: ideally every day.See the various Russian lessons London here.If you want to learn Russian easily and efficiently, try the Pomodoros method.The pomodoros method recommends learning for 25 minutes and then taking a break of 5 minutes. Learning during two or three 25-minute periods every day has been proved to be an effective way to ace Russian as quickly as possible.But, again, this must be recon cilable with one's own schedule and one must be aware of one's own ability to concentrate. When the brain requires rest, it is important to take a break and not to solicit more, which would mean that the learning would become mediocre or unnecessary.Some Methods in Order to Progress More QuicklyA Private TutorIf you have the motivation and desire to progress quickly in Russian, then why not take a Russian lesson with a private tutor to speed up the process?Why not just hire a private tutor (Russian course in New York City)?First, the private tutor will help you to ensure you are using a good learning method that will prove successful with you in the long run.A Russian tutor will also have a fresh look at your learning and will deepen certain concepts you have learned on your own.Having a private tutor is also a great way to take  quality Russian language courses and grammar lessons, which learners tend to neglect when learning Russian on their own.An experienced tutor will also be a ble to help you in a crucial way when it comes to pronouncing certain complex Russian words.Know that with Superprof, most Russian tutors offer the first Russian course for free in order to test their proposed method and ensure that it corresponds to what the learner is looking for.Taking Russian lessons is a good way to progress faster.Alternative MethodsMany teaching platforms such as  Babbel offer interactive training to improve someone's language skills. Babbel is a good example of learning on one's own while also using  an effective method that has already proven to be effective when  learning Italian, Spanish, German or French.Being able  to converse with a native speaker in person or via a webcam will also significantly improve your language skills. It is a tool people often forget about but a proven effective way to quickly graduate from a beginner level to an intermediate level or an advanced level. It also gives the student access to Russian culture for those wishing to co mbine linguistics and local knowledge of the country.Our last advice is to indulge in your passion by adding Russian to your film list? For moviegoers, watching a Russian film or a film with Russian subtitles can be effective.In short:There is no one systematic answer regarding how long it takes to  learn Russian, which depends on far too many criteria, such as the learning capacity of the student, the time that will be spent on the learning, or the methods which will be used.It also depends on what level you are hoping to reach. If for some to speak Russian will mean being able to speak fearlessly of world geopolitics with a native, others will probably not have the same wishes and will seek a level that allows them to interact with a native but which will be more restrictive on specialized topics.Nevertheless, to reduce learning time, some things can be done. Make sure to work for short periods but on a regular basis rather than one 2 hour session every week. You will progress fas ter with speaking and what you learn will be anchored to your long-term memory more easily. We recommend reading articles on the forgetting curve and related learning methodologies. It's an effective way to learn how to learn!Taking group courses or individual courses, communicating regularly with a Russian speaker, or using e-learning platforms are all possibilities that will reduce your language learning time and have you speaking Russian faster. This will not replace motivation, which remains the most valuable thing when it comes to learning!????? (Good luck!)

Boost Your Guitar Sound With Dynamics

Boost Your Guitar Sound With Dynamics Maile Proctor When youre learning guitar its important to master the basics, but there are also some tricks you can use to boost your guitar sound. Musical dynamics affect the way you play notes on your guitar. Understanding how to use them can help you sound like a more experienced guitarist. In this guest post from  Will B. from GuitarFella.com, youll learn about dynamics and how you can start using them to boost your guitar sound Guitar dynamics are like a big secret that everyone knows, but never talks about. We could dare to say that playing guitar dynamics is what makes us sound like pros.  All our guitar idols are masters of dynamics and have complete control over this valuable technique. Whats really cool about dynamics, is that with proper application and use, beginner/intermediate players can start to sound like pros. What Are Guitar Dynamics? We define guitar dynamics as the way we perform a certain piece. The attentive way we choose to pick each and every note. Dynamics are essentially the foundation for what everyone calls the feeling. The most common and basic concept of dynamics is how loud or soft we play. If we pick a certain note with more force, it will come out loud and angry. On the other hand, when we pick a note gently, the note will be soft, like a whisper. Imagine that youre having a conversation with someone, you would not speak completely flat. Instead, you might speak softly or yell if you’re angry. We naturally accent certain words and letters by increasing the intensity of speech; the way we do it depends on what were talking about. We whisper when we wish to make a certain statement more mysterious, unofficial, or confidential. The way we talk with others in terms of dynamics, and how loud or soft we speak and which words we accent, is as important as the words we  say. Having said this, imagine that the words are replaced by notes on the guitar. Our playing dynamics define how loud or soft we’ll pick those notes. We get to choose to accent certain notes by playing them louder in comparison to other notes. Dynamics boost guitar sound help us sound more natural. How to Incorporate Dynamics in Your Playing When youre a beginner or intermediate guitar player, you may not play with dynamics, and you may be completely unaware of the issue. If your playing sounds flat, or fellow musician friends comment that you should try playing with more attitude or feeling, what theyre really trying to say is that you should incorporate playing with dynamics into your performance. Exercise 1 The first exercise starts by choosing a single note. Once you have chosen a note, start picking it in any rhythm you find interesting. For example, try picking that note in straight 8th notes. As you pick the note, focus on picking it extra soft. The note should be barely audible. While still picking a single note, try to increase the intensity of your picking hand, and slowly start playing the same note louder and louder. Bring it all the way up, in terms of volume. To do this, you need to pick furiously. Don’t worry, you won’t break the string. The goal of this exercise is to become aware of the volume range in which you pick notes on the fretboard. This range depends on your picking hand technique and the force you apply. Exercise 2 In this exercise, take your favorite scale and play it the way you usually do, probably by going up and back down the scale. Next, try to accent every other note by playing it louder than the notes in between. The pattern should go like this: 1-2-1-2; where 1 is always a loud note and 2 is always a soft sounding note. Once youre able to do this, try playing two notes aggressively and two notes softly. In this case, our pattern is: 1-1-2-2. The goal of this exercise is to practice control over dynamics. Sometimes, we concentrate too hard on which notes are being played, and we completely disregard all the possibilities of how we can play each of those notes in terms of expression. Exercise 3 In terms of playing loud or soft, dynamics can be applied to both rhythm and lead playing. For the sake of this exercise, try to focus on the dynamics aspect when you play your favorite song. Play the song and try picking certain notes or sections louder or softer. Concentrate on incorporating the dynamics, and don’t worry if it feels weird at first. Moving your focus from what needs to be played to how it should be played will be a major milestone in your guitar skills development. Have fun and rock out! Phrasing Dynamics This is an interesting concept thats a bit more advanced, but it’s still important to be familiar with the essentials when starting out. When we play our first improvised solos, we may play all the notes in the same note duration, which is a common mistake for beginners. For example, we might concentrate so much on which notes from the scale we fret in order to play a lick, that we almost automatically pick all those notes in quarter, eighth or sixteenth notes. Usually, we just go back to playing the licks, riffs, and solos in the note duration patterns that feel comfortable. If we want to incorporate phrasing dynamics in our  playing, we need to mix up the note durations in our solo. For example, try to break up a quarter note into two, eighth notes to make it more interesting. Then, we can follow up with four, sixteenth notes instead of playing another pair of eighth notes. This concept follows the same rules we talked about earlier  when we mentioned picking dynamics (picking loud or soft). In order to make our phrases interesting and natural, we need to combine note durations in intricate ways when we compose our licks and solos. If we don’t do that, our solo will just sound like we’re playing an exercise. Conclusion Playing with dynamics should be one of your primary goals from the very beginning. If you consider yourself to be a beginner player, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to think about dynamics just yet. On the contrary, utilizing the power of dynamics early on will help you boost your guitar sound, even if you don’t have the amazing chops yet. Dynamics are the secret sauce, this is what usually comes with years of experience and practice. Over time, we naturally start incorporating dynamics intuitively, but theres no excuse to just skip practicing dynamics altogether. Epic sounding single-note solos, like the ones by John Frusciante, inspire us to work on our own playing dynamics. Playing with expressive dynamics is so rewarding, and once you get the chops down, you’ll be amazed at how tremendously different your playing will sound. Guest Post Author: Will Buckler Will is a part-time guitar tutor in music school. He loves writing instructional articles on how to learn guitar in a fast and effective manner. Will has been a writer and reviewer for GuitarFella for the last year and a half. GuitarFella is a great place to find the latest guitar reviews including electric, acoustic, bass, effects, amps etc. 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

Heart Math Tutoring Celebrates Successful Volunteer Drive! - Heart Math Tutoring

Heart Math Tutoring Celebrates Successful Volunteer Drive! - Heart Math Tutoring Heart Math Tutoring Celebrates Successful Volunteer Drive! Heart Math Tutoring Celebrates Successful Volunteer Drive! September 19, 2016 Many thanks to our volunteers and partner organizations throughout our community for your amazing support to make our volunteer drive a big success! To date we have secured tutors for 550 elementary school students at 12 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools during the 2016/17 school year. We are in great shape to kick off the school year, but we still need additional volunteers to serve 600 students. There’s still time to sign up to volunteer, but we encourage you to sign up sooner than later since students are behind and need tutoring right away. Tutors are needed at Piney Grove Elementary, Greenway Park Elementary and Highland Renaissance Academy. For more information or to sign up, visit http://hearttutoring.org/volunteers/become-a-volunteer/. We’d like to thank companies and volunteer representatives that went above and beyond! The following organizations supported Heart’s 2016/17 volunteer drive by inviting us to lunches, ice cream socials and meetings to give presentations to help recruit volunteers: Barings (formerly Babson Capital Management) Bank of America CHARLOTTE/ONE Charlotte Bridge Club Madison Park Neighborhood Association McGuireWoods Pamlico Capital Patterson Pope Social Venture Partners SouthPark Rotary TIAA Teach For America UNC Charlotte Elementary Education Program WakeCharlotte Community Wells Fargo Several Media Outlets in Charlotte This was the third year that Pamlico Capital and Wake Forest each hosted a luncheon for any guests willing to learn more about Heart’s work. Current tutors were there to share firsthand accounts of the experience. Eric Eubank of Pamlico Capital says, “We look forward to the Heart recruitment lunch each year. Every volunteer we can recruit has a huge impact on a young student, particularly in math â€" an area with significant implications for a student’s ability to thrive in school and in the workforce. Read the full Press Release here. Pamlico Lunch courtesy of Heart Math Tutoring

Popular English Words and Expressions related to Work

Popular English Words and Expressions related to Work Here are some English words and expressions related to work.Work (the job we do) and working takes up a significant part of our day, week, month and years.  If youre still unsure whether to use work or job, learn the difference between job and work.As much as we complain about it the majority of us actually enjoy working. Without it what would we do?We all dream about winning the lotto and perhaps never having to work again but in reality we would miss it if we did not have to get up in the morning and travel to our jobs.God makes work for idle hands is a well known English expression.If you are idle (not doing  anything) it will not last a long time as someone will ask you to do something very quickly!So lets learn some words and expressions related to work. English Words and Expressions related to WORK WORKING SCHEDULE This is the timetable or the duties you have to complete daily. Sometimes it can  be referred to as a roster or more informally as a to do list.ex. When I started my new job my boss  gave me my working schedule. I was working in the mornings from 8 to 1pm from Monday to  Thursday then from 4 pm to Midnight for Friday and Saturday. I only had one day off per week.WORK TO RULE   When the workers are in dispute with their employers and are demanding better  conditions the trade union representing them will suggest that they work to rule. This will put  pressure on the management. Work to rule means working the hours according to your contract but  not doing anything more.ex. We had been in dispute for almost 4 weeks with no sign of any agreement.  Our union then advised us to work to rule. We were not allowed to work overtime and we had to  take our breaks and lunch hour. Everybody left the office at 5 pm every evening. The management  got tired of this after one week and they agreed to most of our demands very quickly.WORKING CONDITIONS one of those expressions related to work that you often hear in the news or read in newspapers. This relates to everything connected with your employment. It covers (includes) issues such as your hours, your holidays, your place of work and how generally you are  treated by the company.ex. My friend got a new job last week. His working conditions were much  improved. He got his own office, he started at 9 am and left before 6 pm everyday.OVERTIME   When you are busy and all of the work cannot be finished in your normal working hours  your boss might ask you to work late for a few days to get the orders completed. This is referred to  as overtime. It is usually official overtime when the boss agrees to it as normally you are paid extra  for working non sociable hours (hours when other people are at home with their families).However, many people work unofficial overtime when they stay late to complete their work and get  no additional pay.ex. I work overtime at least twice a month to get the orders completed. I do not mind as I  get double pay (twice the hourly rate) when I work past 6 pm in the evening. It, however, has to be  approved by my boss otherwise I get nothing. English Expressions related to Work WORKAHOLIC Most people like their work. Some people can do nothing else. They work as many  hours as they can including weekends. They are addicted to their work and we refer to them as  workaholics in the same way as we refer to someone addicted to alcohol!ex. When Peter started his new job he lost interest in everything else. Now he works six days a week and  on his time off he works form home. He is a real workaholic.TAKE TIME OFF WORK Most people in work (a job) get specific days off as holidays. Most people also  work only from Monday to Friday so enjoy the weekends relaxing. These holidays and weekends are  official. Sometimes we need additional time away from work because we are ill or someone close to  us has died or we have some personal issues deal with.   These days over and above the  official holidays and weekends is referred to as time off work.ex. My wife gave birth to our first child.  The boss was very good. He recommended that I take a few days off work to help my wife when  she got out of hospital. This time off work was a real bonus.Other English words connected with work can include:COMMITTED this is an adjective to describe how much someone loves his work and works as hard as  he can to be successful.ex. He is really committed to his work. He always has his mobile phone  switched on and is constantly sending emails to his bosses and their clients.DEDICATED Another adjective similar in meaning to committed. Dedicated means that an individual will do all  that he/she can to fulfil his targets, achieve his goals and will not let anything else get in the way.ex. David was  a dedicated employee. Working at weekends was not a problem for him. In fact he even took his laptop with him on holidays and worked remotely from his hotel.RELIABLE Another adjective to describe that someone can depend on you to do as they promised. In  relation to work it means you will arrive on time, work hard when needed and deliver as your boss  requires.ex. Colin was a very reliable employee. He worked most of his lunch hours and when the boss required some overtime to be done he was  always the first to volunteer (to agree). He was really reliable.TO BE UP TO YOUR EYES IN SMTH   to be very busy doing somethingex. Im up to my eyes in work this week, I have to finish this report before month end.TO BE SNOWED UNDER to have too much work to deal withex. We dont have enough employees in our department, everybody is completely snowed under.

GCSE Grading System - Tutor Hunt Blog

GCSE Grading System GCSE Grading System GCSE Grading SystemSecondary SchoolsFrom this summer the new GCSE grading system will be introduced. This will replace the traditional A* - G grades numbers: one through to nine, with nine being the equivalent of an A*. Initially this new system will only apply to maths and english; but it is expected - perhaps as early as next year - that the rest of the GCSE subjects will also be graded numerically. The motivation behind this change is to drive up standards, though it is perhaps hard to see how a simple change in nomenclature can have anything but an arbitrary effect. The Education Secretary Justine Greening has explained that a grade five will be classified a strong pass, while a grade four will be a standard pass. Direct references with the old system are discouraged, with the exams watchdog Ofqual cautioning against `direct comparisons and overly simplistic descriptions.` This transition to a new grading system has certainly not met with universal approval: NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers) has said the reforms have already created `huge uncertainty.` At the NASUWT` annual conference in Manchester there was general disapprobation over the numerical grades, with many saying it was a confusing system, with uncertain grade boundaries. Paul Daly, a maths teacher from the Whitworth Park school in County Durham seemed to raise some legitimate concerns when he said:`We`re giving (our pupils) mock exams and then telling them `we think that your grade might be a four, or might be a five, or it might be a six, or it could be anything because we don`t know because we haven`t been told anything about grade boundaries. All we know is, compared to last year, the marks are very, very low and very few people are scoring very high marks in the exams.` This is really the last thing pupils need at this very stressful time in their lives. They should have the confidence that they will be graded accurately - or rather, the grade they receive, the accolade that they are awarded with, will be one that they has a clear value attached to it. It would be disrespectful to pupils to ask them to study their very best for two years, and then present them with a grade whose quota is uncertain. Mr Daly went stressed the point further when he said `We still haven`t got our head around what the grade boundaries are because no-one will provide us with any.` We can only hope that these uncertainties have not reached the ears of pupils who are currently studying for their impending GCSE exams this summer. I can well remember how stressful it was revising for so many subjects; and I can be retrospectively grateful that my anxieties were solely concerned with my understanding (or misunderstanding) of my classwork. I cannot recall being concerned that the grades I received would be anything but stark and clear in their classification of me as a pupil. I have always felt sorry for the students who are compelled to trial out a new aspect of the education system. It is likely that for the next couple of years many will have to make do with a mixture of the old and the new; both letters and numbers will measure their academic achievements, as the various subjects gradually adopt the numerical grading system. Candy Mellor, a languages teacher from Marden High School in Tyneside mail centre expressed her displeasure at how the current year group are not ready for the changes:`I feel very sorry for the Year 10s who have only got two years` preparation for this new exam that we`re still learning about. We are making up examinations that we think that it`s going to be like for our Year 10s to practice - but we just don`t know what it looks like. But I can start thinking about my Year 7s, so they`ll get five years` preparation, whereas the Year 10s have got two where we`re still working it out and confused.` A change to any established practice is difficult - in time this new marking system may well prove effective. The Department of Education has beed steadfast in its conviction as to its merits, saying that it would facilitate a `greater stretch` for the academically gifted, while more generally:`These changes will help young people to compete with the best in the world and deliver the skills that employers tell us they need.Nothing has changed with regard to schools being held to account for the proportion of children achieving a strong pass and we are working with Ofqual to support teachers as we implement the new system.` 2 years ago0Add a Comment

Is Online Teaching for You

Is Online Teaching for You Regardless of whether you specialize in the GRE or TEFL, teaching online has quickly become the new frontier for teachers looking to make more money or increase their flexibility. Plus, with companies like online teaching behemoth VIPKID raising nearly $3 billion in funds, it’s pretty obvious that online education has gone mainstream. What does this mean for tutors and teachers? If you are currently a tutor (in any subject), then the world just became your oyster. The barrier to entry into teaching online has never been lower and the available technology + widespread publicity driven by companies like VIPKID means the stigma to learn online has been eliminated. Now is the perfect time to: -Start tutoring from home -Looking into starting your own online tutoring business -Increase your income with some online teaching hours Is it for everyone? Before you start building your home office, it’s important to note that online teaching (and learning) is not for everyone and there are some disadvantages to going virtual. The primary issue is a lack of face-to-face interaction even with the ability to see your student via a screen, there is no substitute to in-person interactions. In addition, if you teach a subject that requires frequent work on a whiteboard or scratch paper (like math or logic problems might), then you will find it difficult to accomplish the same level of instruction online. There is good news, however, as there is demand for online tutors from pretty much every subject: Teach English with VIPKID -Teach science -Teach LSAT The list goes on, but it’s safe to say that even tutors in obscure subjects won’t find it too difficult to find an online audience. How can you get started? Let’s go over a few different scenarios and explore how each can get started with online tutoring. You’re a freelancer looking for your first online student There are a few different channels you’re looking for students but don’t want to work for an established company: -College job boards (both online and on-campus) -Reddit groups like I Need a Tutor -Facebook groups specializing in your subject Note: while it’s my personal opinion that it pays off in the long run to freelance, you may need to offer discounts or promotions when just getting started. You want to work for an established company that provides you with students In this scenario there you would search for jobs through traditional means: -Indeed job board searches -Apply directly to tutoring companies Note: while this is definitely the path of least resistance, expect there to be a trial period where you either have to prove your abilities or build up reviews from students. You want to start your own online tutoring business In this scenario you are really swinging for the fences and will need to combine the go-getter attitude of being a freelancer with the business acumen of an entrepreneur. Unsurprisingly, this is a multi-step process. First, you will need to at least setup a website advertising your tutoring business. The process for this is outside of the scope of this post, but here is good step by step guide from WPBeginner. Second, you need to determine what tools you will use to schedule and interact with your students a good place to start is a free tool like Google Hangouts. Finally, you will need to find students just like a freelancer in the first scenario, but in this case you can use other tactices like paid Facebook and Google ads as you have a website to send them too. In my opinion, new tutors should not try and build a business without first being a freelancer there are just too many moving parts and unknowns that can become overwhelming. The good news is that pivoting from freelancer to business is quite easy once you have a few students as you’ve already accomplished the hardest part of the process! Is online teaching for you? There are two sides to this argument: if you are just getting started with tutoring I’d suggest pursuing online options first I believe that is where the industry is heading and there are an abundance of opportunities. However, if you are already doing in-person tutoring, don’t mess up a good thing and try and convert your students to online OR dump them in pursuit of online learners. Instead, slowly ease your way into the online realm and do a few hours a week online before you consider making the transition. About the author: Quincy is the founder of ESL Authority a site aimed at making teaching abroad (and teaching online) accessible to everyone.

Reasons To Consider Refinancing Your Student Loans

Reasons To Consider Refinancing Your Student Loans Image via blog.denverpost.com The first thing to consider when refinancing your student loan is how much interest am I paying? If your interest rates are higher than 6.5 percent, then it would be smart to look into it. You have the potential to cut those rates in half. According to the washingtonpost.com, who interviewed a couple in debt for $300,000, “The Salvias refinanced their student loans this year through Citizens Bank, slashing their interest rates from about 6.75 percent to 2.35 percent, putting their student loan rate lower than their mortgage rate of 3.25 percent. Their monthly payments dropped by $700. The savings, the couple says, will go toward day care. However, new student loans are not just handed out another reason you have to consider. Secondly, a little thing called credit comes into play. Lenders are more likely to offer you a loan if they see you have a good credit score, a number between 690 and 850. As college students, it is expected that you have a not-so-great credit score. In this situation, a co-signer comes into play. This co-signer can be a parent or another adult who will take responsibility for the loan. According to usatoday.com, “Some lenders, including SoFi and Earnest, have been backing away from credit scores as a basis for evaluating potential customers. Your monthly cash flow, education and employment history are more telling, they say.” Having a stable income compared to your debt is also attractive to lenders. Naturally, if your income is significantly lower than your current debit, it is highly unlikely you will be able to refinance your loan. According to usatoday.com, “Lower your debt by throwing extra funds at your credit card balance, student loans and car loans. Credit card debt in particular can be a red flag for lenders, Passione says. But once it’s gone, you’ll likely have a better chance at a favorable interest rate when you refinance.” Passione, as mentioned above, is CEO and founder of LendKey, which is a refinancing lender. Image via startribune.com In addition to interest rate, credit score, and income, consider your ability to make monthly payments. Not only can your interest rate decrease, but so can the monthly repayment amount. Time period options vary from 5, 10, to 15 years, and so on. For example, changing a 10-year loan to a 20-year loan will drop your payments considerably. Studentloanhero.com suggests: “although your monthly payments will drop, be careful as you might accrue more interest and end up paying more over the long haul.” Furthermore, consider looking for a more flexible repayment plan. Chances are there is one out there that suits your situation better. Compared to a federal loan, private banks offer limited programs. A federal loan, according to studentloanhero.com, offers “great benefits such as Pay As You Earn, Income Based Repayment, and Income Contingent Repayment” Refinancing your student loan might also let you release your previous co-signer. Why is this something to think about though? Chances are that co-signer is one of your parents, and the money-stress between you two has been taking a toll on the family dynamic. On the plus side, without your loan bringing down their credit score, your parents can then invest in a big purchase like a new car or a beach house. And that can benefit you too. Switching to a new bank can also be a reason why you are considering a new student loan. Some banks just do not offer the service some people would like, and there is no problem for changing banks because of this. According to studentloanhero.com, “Refinancing your student loans gives you the opportunity to switch to a new bank that has a great customer service record and better track record working with student loan borrowers. So there you have it. Refinancing a student loan can really ease up the stress in your life after college. Whether the reason is interest rates or monthly payments, there are many reasons why you should consider refinancing your student loan.