Evil Twins

As a private tutor, I tell my students to focus on the positive, while still working on the other stuff, and sometimes I have to remind myself to do the very same thing.

The past fall/early winter was a very busy season for me, with clients working on academics as well as applications to new schools or college, and all the standardized tests those entail. It was wonderful and gratifying and now all my lower and middle schoolers know where they are going next year and the high school seniors are finally finished with their college applications. Yay team!

The fact is, however, that part of my work also involves writing - and I did not do that. Yes, I was busy, but I still had the time. I started my next article after the holidays, but I didn't like it, so I erased the whole thing. I wrote something else, still didn't like it, so I stopped. I turned my attention to other things, updating my website, researching new material, watching too much TV....all the while knowing I needed to post something, keep in touch with my readers, get my name out there, etc. But as time passed it got harder and harder; there was so much more work to do, any momentum I had was gone and I thought "Who really cares what I have to contribute anyway?"

Does that sound at all familiar?

I sometimes suffer from PROCRASTINATION, and its partner in crime, PERFECTIONISM. The combination can be debilitating to students, and heartbreaking to parents. It leads to late homework, missed deadlines, anxiety attacks, bad grades, worse confrontations, and an overall sense of uselessness and despair. The only strategy I have seen work is one that involves going against the saying "focus on the big picture." In my case, I have always looked at the pixels instead: the next few steps, or in some cases, just one baby step, in order to work my way out of a "P&P" funk. It's what I help clients who are caught under the same double-edged sword do as well.

If you have an overwhelming amount of homework to do (whether or not you've been putting it off), then the mountain of books and papers facing you can look like Mt.Olympus. Instead of taking in the whole, take out one assignment. Is it due tomorrow? OK, that goes in one pile. Not until the following day? That's a different pile. Next week, but requires preparation? Again, another pile. Notice as you sort and separate you have created much more manageable groups of work to do, each with their own priority and timeline. Let's say you have a geometry test or a pop quiz coming up (that you shouldn't know about but do), and you are terrified because you haven't studied? Then by all means start studying! - but don't think of the entire cram session; focus on one subject at a time - special right triangles, or circles, etc. Find a study partner - someone who will study with you, not distract you - and you will be all the more productive.

For the SATs, ACTs, or any other standardized test, you will need to learn vocabulary, re-learn some math and practice, practice, practice. As I say to every single one of my students, vocab is the easiest thing to learn and the last thing anyone does. Why? Because there are so many darn words! It's overwhelming. So break them up. One word a day. Five. During a commercial break of you favorite TV show. Make it a competition between you and your friends. Whoever learns the most words every week gets an iTunes gift card. Whoever learns the least has to buy someones else a Starbucks card.

Please note: the last two paragraphs are about what you can do. The words "can't," "should," and "should have" have no place here. Ever.

About perfectionism: having to do it exactly right, or not at all. It is a hideous trap, and it is also a lie. Nothing we do will ever be perfect, and unfortunately for some of us, we end up feeling like nothing will even be good enough. Eventually we give up altogether. Personally I have come to the conclusion that "perfection" is actually the domain of the divine, so there is no need for me to set such an impossible standard for myself. I still strive for it, but I will never reach it - and that's okay. It doesn't mean I stop working.

Also, to say "it's not perfect so I won't try" is a complete cop out. It's an excuse because I am scared, or overwhelmed, or I just want to go to bed...to procrastinate some more. See how those two Ps work together? Evil twins, they are.

The fact is, the "P&P" trap doesn't make the work go away, it just makes us feel worse. "Do you know how much I have to do now?" is a common refrain. "Yes, the same amount you will have to do tomorrow, but there will be more of it." So take some baby steps, give yourself a break (but don't take a break!), and do your best. "Perfect" is useless. That pile of work still looks like Olympus, but none of us are gods, so we can just do the work, one...human...step...at...a...time.

Alexandra Zabriskie has worked as a private tutor on standardized tests and academics for over a decade. An Ivy League graduate and New York City native, she knows what it takes to succeed, covering everything a student needs from A to Z.

To learn more, go to http://www.atoztutor.com

The Benefits of Enrolling in Nursing Schools

With the increasing demand for nurses, nursing schools have become popular. If you are considering the possibility of enrolling in one, it is important to understand some of the benefits associated with such a move. Ideally, these are as highlighted below.

Excellent Opportunity to Get Employment
Other job sectors have built a reputation for laying workers off at alarming rates but this is not the case in the medical industry. In fact, the industry is experiencing a shortage and according to statistics by 2020 there will be a shortage of over 300,000 nurses. By choosing to enroll in the medical industry therefore, you increase the possibility of getting into stable employment.

Impressive Salary
While the salaries vary in accordance to the geographic location and credentials, in most cases they are impressive and especially among students who have gone through reputable schools. It is one of the best ways to earn a salary that can support comfortable living. For instance, in the US the average salary is $64,000 and expected to grow in the coming years.

Meaningful Career
This is an ideal choice for individuals looking forward to establish meaningful careers and this is because nurses are always on the forefront of important healthcare initiatives. These include providing comfort, support, advising patients, delivering effecthve treatment and dealing with different types of conditions. This means that those who choose to pursue this career stand a better chance of impacting the lives of other people.

Chance to get into the Working Industry Fast
Unlike in other careers, those who join nursing schools get an opportunity to start working sooner. This is because students with 2 years or 4 years degree can start working. What is more, because the courses can be completed fast, students also get the chance to lower the costs they spend on education because they don't have to contend with borrowing large sums of money.

Now that you understand some of these benefits, it is advisable to look at some of the things you need to consider when choosing nursing schools.

• Specialties: You have to look at the programs offered before enrolling to ensure they have something that is of interest to you.
• Location: Search with specific location that sits in well with your schedule and plans in order to ensure that you are not inconvenienced.
• Size: There are those who prefer to choose small schools while others opt for large institutions. Therefore, determine what is going to work best for you.

Find Nursing schools in New York to help you succeed in your career. Visit nursing schools directory to check top Nursing schools in San Antonio.

Physical Therapy Education

Most people talk about keeping fit and undergoing therapy of different types but no one talks about giving therapy education. If the thought has ever crossed your mind, let's look at some of the things that can help you make up your mind fully about it. We will look at what it really means to be a physical therapist.

Physical therapy varies the world over, in great proportions too especially in the conditions treated and the level of independence in practice. You just have to see the variation across the world from the name only. Some refer to it as physical therapy, other like physiotherapy. These are the people who deal in are`s such as wound care, geriatrics, respiratory, orthopedics, home care, neurology, pediatrics, sports and more.

People undertaking physical therapy educations are educated in comprehending the interaction of your body parts. The hands on approach that they are taken through start with examining, diagnosis and treatment of the current problem. You are then taught how to take care of yourself through exercises and using your body appropriately to acquire strength and motion while you avoid injury.

Modern physical therapists offer aid to everyone from infants to elderly on every part of the body. They are also advising on the appropriate posture and motion of the body in our work places, treating injuries, consulting on fitness and administering physical therapy even in the homes. There are no limitations. Once you complete your education, you can practice anywhere, anyhow.

A career in therapy can be very rewarding. According to trusted sources on salary reviews the average salary to be expected by a typical physiotherapist in the United States is $75,000. It is now common to find therapists able to command salaries in six figures especially by individuals who are involved in other activities bar the patient treatment. These activities could be teaching or owning a clinic.

There are too may good schools offering physical therapy degrees but the most important thing is to ascertain that the school you are considering to join is accredited in your region. Entrance into a physical therapy program is very competitive and in some instances demands a mark higher than one required to join a medical school though every application process is different in different regions.

Job description includes helping rehabilitate patients such as the accidents victims and people with disabling ailments such as low back pain and heart disease, fractures, head injury and cerebral palsy.

Find Physical therapy schools in San Diego to help you succeed in your career. Visit schools directory to check top Physical therapy schools in Philadelphia.

Ensure Quality Learning

The most important thing about being a student is that it is a time of life when one can devote oneself pretty much entirely to something that is really interested for oneself. To gain greater success in formal education, the acquisition of knowledge is emphasized. One of the keys to successful learning is using the "organizing and transforming information strategies". It includes rearrangement of materials, highlighting the important points, drawing pictures, diagrams and charts. Students need to prepare a list of errors they have made, record of their marks and all drafts of their assignments. To familiarize themselves with memorizing strategies, they need to make sample questions, using mental imagery and reciprocal teaching; when one student teaches another or a small group of students. Preparing a time management schedule and sequencing steps allow them to monitor their progression when concluding a problem or performing a given task. These strategies are helpful for them to focus more on their overall goals and objectives.

Self-reflection provides a path which directs their learning into the peak of success. Self-reflection includes self-judgment, self-reaction, self-instruction, self-reinforcement, and task analysis. Self-judgment is the evaluation of the students' own performance against some standards. They also search for causes of errors and attempt to solve their problems. They have to ask themselves to consider the following; Did they accomplish what they plan to do or were they distracted? Did they plan enough time or did they need more time than they thought? Under what conditions did they accomplish the most work? Self-instruction is based on how students instruct themselves. It affects their ability to successfully implement their strategies. Self-reinforcement is based on monitoring motivational pattern that includes competence of students to perform the task, importance of the goals for them, praise and criticism. Task analyses assist them in achieving their goals and make that vision into the reality. It is the analysis of how a task s accomplished, including a detailed description of task and element durations, task frequency, task allocations, task complexity, environmental conditions and any other unique factor involved in or required for one or more students to perform a given task.

One reason why students don't carry out the required standard is lack of systematic plan and good strategy to follow that plan. All it takes is thorough planning for seeking assistance and structuring of the physical study environment. Imitation of exemplary models, seeking social assistance from peers, teachers and parents help them to make learning easier. Environmental structuring strategies i.e., selecting or arranging the physical retting, eliminating or minimizing distractions, break up study periods and spread them over time help them to overcome learning difficulties and achieve required standard.