3 Kids and Us

Stop Learning Loss: Keeping Your Child’s Mind Sharp Over the Summer Break

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Kids love the months of summer vacation, but sadly, these weeks out of school can be a detriment to their education. Many children suffer from learning loss during the summer; that means they can lose up to two months of academic learning depending on their grade level and the subject. Math learning loss is the most common. So how can you make sure your kids don’t experience learning loss this summer? One solution is summer school. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of summer schooling.

What the Advocates Say

  • Structured learning: Kids need a plan of structured learningso that they retain their growing foundation of knowledge. Many parents would prefer to have year-round school so summer school is a good substitute to help kids stay on track.
  • Extra-curricularlearning: Some kids may be reluctant to take summer school classes. One way you can get round this is to put them into a class that you think they really need and let them pick another one for fun.
  • Start early: It’s best to weave summer school classes into your kid’s lives from the beginning of their schooling. That way it’s a normal part of their routine. If you want to find out more about different types of available summer school programs, check out Cambridge summer school.

What the Opposition Says

  • Summer is for fun: Kids need time to relax and recharge and this is what the summer vacation is for. They need this time for unstructured play, which is just as important as their education.
  • Learning on vacation: Learning isn’t confined to the classroom. Children need different life experiencesto grow into well-rounded adults. Summer vacation is a good time for the family to do things together and some of these things can be educational, like visiting a museum or a day trip to a nature preserve.
  • Letting off the pressure: Kids need a break from school so they have time to be kids. Time at school can be stressful with all the testing and pressure to perform. Why shorten their childhood even more with summer school?

How to Pick a Summer School

If you do decide on a summer school program, you’ll want to pick the right one for your child’s age and ability. Most summer programs are less formal than the regular classroom and kids are taught in smaller groups. The best programs include hands-on learning, sports, field trips and reading and math skills. To make sure your children get the most out of their summer program, enroll them in something they enjoy. For example, if your son is crazy about science but not really sporty, baseball camp will not interest him but science camp will. If your daughter has a talent for learning languages, immersive Spanish classes may be just the thing.

You don’t have to put your kids in classes all through the summer vacation. You could set up a mixture if classes here and there so they get to spend time at home with the family as well as learning.

Going to School to Learn how to Make Beautiful Sound Tracks

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The world of music is huge. We often think about the performance side of music, and not about everything that goes on behind the scenes. But it is particularly behind the scenes that things are really interesting. And the added benefit is that this is where the real security is as well. Performing means getting discovered, and stars can fall as quickly as what they can rise. But if you work behind the scenes, there will always be a need for you. It is not surprise, therefore, that the audio engineering degree is now so popular.

Jobs for an Audio Engineer

If you do complete your degree in audio engineering, then there are lots of job opportunities available to you. This is also because the world of music itself is so vast. You could decide to focus on a particular element of music (production, performance, marketing, talent scouting, and so on), a particular element of sound (live music, television, recording studios, radios, and so on), or even on a particular genre of music (hip hop, rock, classical, and so on). You could even decide to go into teaching!

An audio engineering is not an individualist, however. Rather, you will have to be ready to work with a huge team of other people, something that takes very particular skills. Performing artists, for instance, have been known to develop diva attitudes, which you will have to be able to deal with. Meanwhile, their manager will have a certain sound in mind and shout at you for not producing that exact sound, suggesting that you twiddle different buttons that they know nothing of. Then, there are the groupies who believe everything is absolutely perfect so long as the star agrees. The venue manager who will complain to you about having the bass to loud, the television producers deciding that the sound should echo differently, and so on. Music is an art, and everybody involved, no matter at what stage, will have an artistic mind. And artistic minds can be quite difficult to get along with, something that you will have to learn. Remember that, if you think they are awkward, they will probably think the same about you!

So is it worth it? As a starting salary, you can expect to earn around $45,000, but this can easily build up to a six figure income, as you build a name for yourself. Plus, you can really grow in your career, even ending up as a go to source, perhaps through your own business. Some audio engineers hold copyrights over the work they have done, which in turn means you can earn royalties.

It all depends on which course you complete and where. If you go to a one year vocational college and complete a diploma, you will obviously end up in an entry level position that earns less than that what would be given to someone who has completed a four year bachelor’s degree. Think about where you want to study, therefore.

Great Resources For Online Learning

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If you want to learn something new but don’t have the time to go back to school or college then fear not because the internet has got you covered. The world Wide Web is absolutely jam packed with educational information, forums to discuss what you are learning with fellow students and plenty of media for you to use so that you can gain full education on the internet.

Learning without a formulated curriculum or class structure can be difficult but if you really want to learn about something new or teach yourself a new skill you will need to be very disciplined and make your own schedule to stick to. If you want to educate yourself using the internet then here are some great resources for you to do exactly that.

YouTube

Youtube is absolutely full of educational resources, documentaries, informative videos and even full scale classes which are given by qualified teachers. You will need to resist the temptation to watch videos watch have nothing to do with what you are doing but if you can manage to avoid temptation then you could utilize the brilliant video platform to educate yourself on huge range of subjects. If you are looking to pick up a new skill such as playing a musical instrument or learning a new craft then you can also watch some of the fantastic, step-by-step ‘how to’ guides as there are many on there.

Wikipedia

Be careful with Wikipedia, it does have some absolutely brilliant information but you should always ensure that you have crossed checked the fact which you have learned. Wikipedia used to be able to be edited by anyone and naturally this resulted in a lot of false information being put on the site. The website has changed quite a bit in recent years and now the only people who are allowed to edit the pages are the administrators, with that being said there is still a lot of false information which has not yet been cleaned up.

The Great Courses

Thomas Rollins teaching exert, professor and educational mastermind conceived his idea for the Great Courses after viewing a 10 hour study tape at Harvard University, his plan was to create a compendium of study across a range of courses and that is exactly what he has done with the Great Courses. The Great Courses can be accessed online for a small fee and it features study courses and guides on over 600 different subjects, the courses were put together by over 300 university level professors and it is arguably one of the greatest resources for anyone who is looking to educate themselves to college level.

A great rule of thumb when looking for websites where you can find study resources is to look for the .edu part of the web address, only certified educational institutions can use this in their web address and therefore this site is more than likely going to have legit information on it.

Time to Change Career_ Here Are Some Suggestions For The Number Crunchers

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Many of us simply fall in to a career, often we take what we can get and make turn it into our career rather than seeking it out specifically, many of us may have a particular skill and be able to find a career doing that whereas some of us never really find a career per se, we just take on a  job and see where it takes us. The problem with choosing a career in this way is that we can become miserable down the line, we add responsibilities to our lives like houses and cars and it can be difficult to switch once you have started.

Thankfully, it is never too late to switch careers, it is all about just taking the risk and finding a job which plays to your strengths and will be one that you enjoy. If you are someone who is great with numbers then here are a few job choices which you could look at for your new career.

Tax Accountant

Businesses rely heavily on tax accountants in order for them to stay legal, ensure that they are not paying too much or too little tax and to stay on top of the ever changing requirements of taxation. In order to gain a position as a tax accountant you will need to pass the relevant exams which allow you to practice taxation. You will also need to be an expert in the field of taxation and ensure that you stay abreast of any changes that take place in the law.

Broker

Being a successful stock broker like JP Morgan’s Michael Briese requires that you have strong numerical skills, the analytical ability to process great amounts of financial information such as market movements, forecasts and stock prices and also a great bedside manner. You will be measured heavily on your success and your ability to build and maintain relationships and in return you will be rewarded with a handsome salary and a job in an exciting industry.

Teacher

If you have a strong ability when it comes to numbers then why not put your skills to use as a teacher. Mathematics is often viewed as quite a boring subject by many students and one which is difficult for a great deal of them to truly understand. Math teachers are required to not only impart great math knowledge but also to make learning fun and more importantly, make it relatable for the student. If you think that you have the charisma, the creativity and the knowledge to be able to teach math then this could be a great career choice for you that will be very rewarding personally.

These are just a few of the great careers which you could elect that will allow you to utilize your ability with numbers. The key thing to remember is that it is never too late for a career switch and as long as you are confident that you can do the job well, there should be no fear around leaving that old career behind.

Is the University of North Carolina right for you

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Photo by Jmturner

With over half your senior year behind you, it’s time to get off the fence and figure out where you’ll be going to college in the fall.

Of all the schools you have been considering, the University of North Carolina seems like one of the most appealing.

However, name recognition and the fact you have friends going there are your only reasons for that choice. In order to make an informed decision, you’re gonna need more info than that.

On this point, its always a good idea to ask alumni what they think of their old school. John Bradberry Charlotte NC graduated from UNC years ago, and he is never afraid to promote his alma mater when the subject comes up.

If you need a bit more convincing than that, however, this article will run down why the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill might be a good fit for you.

UNC is considered to be best in Southeast for economics and journalism

As one of the more prestigious schools in the Southeast, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill is well respected for most of its academic offerings, but there are areas that excel over others.

Time and again, past students have lauded UNC for the education they received in economics and journalism.

Course work was harder than many students originally expected, but it resulted in them getting an education that adequately prepared them for the challenges they have faced in the workforce.

It has a beneficial teacher to student ratio

One of the biggest fears of students entering school is that they will be lost in a sea of fellow classmates, thereby inhibiting their ability to learn.

Thankfully, one of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s biggest selling points is its highly beneficial student to instructor ratio.

With a tiny ratio of 14:1, you’ll be able to develop a relationship with professors that may not be possible elsewhere. Just don’t plan on being able to sleep off that 8:30…

UNC provides great value for in-state students

One of the biggest drawbacks of going to a highly touted school are the massive tuition fees. Unlike many of its famous rivals, though, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill is a public school, meaning that fees for in-state students come in at less than $9,000.

UNC makes most of its money off out-of-state attendees, each of whom pay $33,600 for the privilege of studying here.

Its sports program is highly competitive

Like basketball? The UNC Tar Heels are perennial contenders in NCAA Division I Basketball. With alumni like Michael Jordan and Rasheed Wallace having played here in the past, they are committed to recruiting the best players.

It has diverse Greek Life options

Know what you’re doing tonight? If you get involved in UNC Greek Life, you will always have an answer to that question. With 16 sororities and 28 fraternities, there are so many different houses that you are bound to find one that resonates with you.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!