Month: September 2021

Categories
GCSE

7 Great Apps for Students

Reference Resources:

  1. Oxford Dictionary of English

One of the most useful applications to have in your pocket is the Oxford Dictionary of English. No classroom is without one and thanks to this app, no student’s pocket need be without one! Carrying the physical version around is just simply impractical.

Accomplishing Tasks:

  1. Microsoft Office

Now part of Microsoft 365, a subscription-based service, software stalwarts like Word, Excel and Powerpoint are available in App format. This makes creating, editing and finishing documents on the go very easy. Collaboration functions mean that multiple people can contribute to the same document, perfect for group projects.

 

  1. Evernote

All smartphones will come equipped with a note taking app but they are generally limited in their ability to sync with other devices and in the case of Evernote, the ability to scan handwritten notes straight into the app.

 

  1. Mathway

Struggling with equations? Mathway is here to help! It will help solve any mathematical problem for you, but will also guide you through the solution to help you better understand it. Mathway is a math tutor in your pocket. A scanning ability lets you photograph your working and Mathway will recognise it.

 

Organisation:

  1. Google Drive

If you’ve got a Gmail account or any other type of Google login then you’ll be able to utilise their Drive system. Upload documents, images, videos and more. The free version includes up to 15 gigabytes of storage space, which will be more than enough for most students. For those studying multimedia courses you can upgrade to 100GB for £1.59/month or 200GB for £2.49/month.

 

  1. Class Timetable

Keep track of you classes or lectures in a simple, visual way with Class Timetable. This app shows your day at a glance and, tilt your phone sideways, shows your week in an instant. Tasks lists can keep track of assignments and paid features include notifications and export functionality.

Student Life (University):

  1. Circle of Six

Circle of Six helps to keep you safe. Two taps within the app lets your chosen six people know where you are and how they can help. Stranded after a last bus, stuck in an awkward date or in any situation where you don’t feel comfortable, Circle of Six is there to help. More than 300,000 users in 36 countries use it and the United States Air Force advises all its cadets to download the app.

Optimising Apps with Private Tutors and Academic Mentors

At Think Tutors we are at the cutting edge of education and technology, utilising a wide variety and apps and resources to maximize our interactions with clients and students. We have found that scheduling and organisation are two key skills that our tutors have helped students to develop, which is essential for their success both now and at university. If you are interested in discussing how our tutors, mentors, and educational directors can assist your child with improving their skills in these areas be sure to get in touch.

Categories
University Admissions

University Applications

The Application

Applications open in September for the follow academic years entry. So, to apply for a course starting in September 2022, you need to be applying in the next few months.

 

To start off the process, your child must create an account on the UCAS website which consists of 5 main areas:

 

  • Personal Details
  • Indicated courses they wish to apply for
  • Full details of the qualifications, including previous and ones currently being studied for
  • A personal statement of up to 4000 characters
  • An academic reference from a teacher, tutor or professional contact – if your child is applying through their school, their teacher or tutor will be able to provide this.

 

Hopefully your child will already have an idea of what they want to apply for and where, and will have attended a few open days during Year 12.

How to Excel at Your Personal Statement

The personal statement requires careful work and is a vital part of the whole application. Ultimately, it’s your child’s chance to convey their ambitions, experience and skills. The same personal statement is used for all of their applications, so if your child is choosing a variety of courses, it’s worth ensuring it contains common themes and experience that can relate to all of them. Remind them to include reasons why they’re applying, such as what interests them, their ambitions and what makes them a suitable candidate.

 

Don’t forget to proofread and edit the personal statement – it usually takes several drafts to get them right. For tips on how to write a personal statement, visit the UCAS page: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/when-apply/how-write-ucas-undergraduate-personal-statement.

 

We highly recommend working from start to finish with our private tutors and academic mentors. Our team has been drawn from many of the best universities in the world and have extensive experience in assisting students in their efforts to gain admission to the universities of their choice.

Deadlines

There are several deadlines for application submissions, which are listed on the individual courses description on the UCAS website, so make sure these are checked to avoid last minute panics or disappointment.

 

The final deadline for all submissions is 15th January 2023; this sounds a long way off but it will be here before you know it. It’s best to get the applications in as early as possible.

 

If you’re applying to Oxford or Cambridge (Oxbridge) or to read a dentistry, medicine, or veterinary medicine/science course, the deadline is 15th October 2021. Please note, that the Oxbridge application system follows a slightly different procedure, which will be covered in our next news bulletin. Likewise, for more information about the services that we offer around applying for oxford and applying for Cambridge do contact us: many our private tutors and academic mentors have studied at Oxbridge and are well equipped to help you.

Institutional Decisions

Once your child has submitted their application to UCAS, they’ll need to wait for each institution to make their decision. The UCAS Track portal will keep them updated and notified of any correspondence for their chosen institutions. It’s important to note that applicants are unable to reply to any offers until a decision has been made from all of the institutions.

 

Institutions will make one of three decisions:

 

  • Offer a place – either conditional or unconditional
  • Invitation to interview before making a final decision
  • Advise of an unsuccessful application

 

A conditional offer will have stipulations that will need to be met for the place to be guaranteed – such as final grades in certain subjects.

 

An unconditional offer will have no conditions attached and is usually only given if the grades required are already in places (such as if one is applying after the final exams have been sat, during a gap year).

Responding to Offers

As stated, your child can only respond to offers made once they’ve heard back from all of their chosen institutions.

 

Then, they must select the following:

 

Firm Choice – which should be their first choice course.

 

Insurance Choice – a course they’re keen to study but which has a lower offer requirement than their firm choice.

Next Steps

Unfortunately, it is then a waiting game until results day in August to establish which place will be guaranteed (unless of course they have an unconditional offer).

 

We will publish more on what to expect after receiving your grades later in the academic year.

 

Check out this BBC Radio 5 interview for some further tips: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05gtvtv?utm_content=buffer75548&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Academic Mentoring

It’s never too late to hone your creative skills, learning techniques and hone your learning styles with a view to building your confidence and improving your application. Our academic mentors, private tutors, and university mentors can assist you at any stage in your application, leveraging our expert experience to help you realise your goals.

Categories
GCSE

Different Types of Learning Styles That You Should Know

Introduction to Learning Styles

There are three different categories that student learning styles fall into. These are Visual Learners, Auditory Learners and Kinaesthetic Learners. These learning styles were pioneered by educational theorist Nick Fleming, who formulated a VARK model of Student Learning.

 

Keep reading to learn more about the different learning styles you should know about.

Different Learning Styles

According to Nick Fleming’s VARK Model of Student Learning, the four types of learning styles are Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing Preference and Kinesthetic (these four combine to make VARK). This model acknowledges that all students have different ways of processing information (‘preferred learning modes’). These learning modes have a big influence on a student’s behaviour and learning and can benefit the student’s learning experience when matched up with strategies to help the student learn.

 

You may be wondering, what is my child’s learning style? You can find out more about the different learning styles, as well as the different methods of learning below.

Visual Learners

Visual learners are those who prefer to see things in order to process and learn them. They may remember and subsequently be able to recall information through sight. They may benefit from the use of visual methods such as images, maps or graphics to understand the information presented to them.

 

Learning methods:

 

  • Highlighting information on a page
  • Using graphics such as charts, graphs and diagrams

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners are those who prefer to hear and listen to things in order to process and learn them. They would benefit from listening and speaking to understand information which is being presented to them.

 

Learning methods:

 

  • Repetition
  • Mnemonic devices
  • Recording and listening to your notes

Kinaesthetic Learning Style

Kinaesthetic learners are those who prefer to experience things in order to process and learn them. They are ‘tactile’ learners and may benefit from figuring things out by actively handling them. They work best through touch, motion and movement.

 

Learning methods:

 

  • Using real life case studies to help understand concepts
  • Using photographs that illustrate the concept

Different Methods of Learning: Conclusion

We all have different ways we learn and it’s important to cater to the different methods of learning and to understand which of the  four learning styles your child works best under. The different methods of learning are based on each individual’s cognitive and environmental strategy as well as experiences they have had. Understanding your learning style takes into account all these factors.

 

The VARK model for learning styles is the most accepted understanding for the different ways we learn as it acknowledges that we all have different approaches to processing information.

 

We adapt our teaching and work with our students in a way that they learn best, in order to help them achieve their full potential. Contact us to find out more about our bespoke tutoring.

 

We offer tutoring for a range of different subjects and can also provide  mentoring, online tutoring and residential placements. If you want to discuss the advantages of homeschooling please contact us.

Categories
A-Level and IB

Top Tips for Efficient Exam Preparation

Take Regular Breaks

Parents can find the process of encouraging their children to study quite frustrating. Some children do just need guidance in how to manage their time effectively. Many young learners can also benefit from a short break before their revision begins. Going straight from a Friday in the classroom to a Saturday morning revision session isn’t always the best idea. A short break can help refresh their mind before revision begins in earnest.

Minimise Distractions

The revision workspace should be quiet, tidy and free from distractions. Mobile phones and televisions can really impact the effectiveness of revision. If they struggle to work alone, allow them the freedom to meet friends and work together.

Make a Revision Plan

A proper revision plan that sets out subjects that need to be covered is vital and offers the best opportunity for a parent to have a positive impact on their child’s studying. Not all young learners are natural project managers so an adult’s influence at this stage in the process can be important.

 

Topics that need the most work should be prioritised. By knowing what needs to be covered, and for how long, your child will use their time more effectively and achieve more. Mixing up textbook revision with past papers offers a good change in pace. Starting with single questions rather than the whole paper is sensible, along with sticking to the time limits set for the questions.

 

On the subject of time, revision sessions should be no more than 90 minutes and an allowance for treats between sessions is a good idea. Revision should be recognised as a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line.

Stay Healthy

Eating and drinking well during revision will make all the difference. Staying hydrated is key to keeping mentally alert, and nutritious meals will help boost your energy levels. Also, don’t forget that time off to meet friends or play sport, allows a child to unwind and stay healthy. With lots of time sat down behind a desk, physical activity offers a welcome break and getting the blood pumping around the body helps deliver more oxygen to the brain, reducing tiredness and increasing productivity.

How can Think Tutors Help?

It’s also important to find out what study methods work for you – be that notes, diagrams, voice memos, or flash cards. If you would like to learn more about how a professional tutor or mentor can help you through revision, please contact us.

Categories
A-Level and IB

How to Write a Good Personal Statement

Personal Statement Structure and Format

When it comes to structure and format, it’s important to remember that you only have 4000 characters and 47 lines to work with, so each paragraph must have both purpose and meaning, and include all the vital information. With qualifications, interests, experience and motivations all important to cover, how is it best to format your personal statement?

 

Sandwiched between an introduction and conclusion should be the majority of your content. We suggest starting with a paragraph on what is most important, your academic achievements, before explaining your hobbies and interests outside the classroom, followed by your experience if you are applying for law or medicine.

 

Some students have found arranging their personal statement in a past-present-future style offers an effective structure. In this method, the introduction describes why you have decided to study your course (past), the main body considers your current interests and motivations (present) and the conclusion summarises why you are looking forward to enrolling (future).

How to Begin a Personal Statement 

The introduction (along with the conclusion) is often considered the hardest part of writing a good personal statement. Whilst UCAS’ ‘Killer Opening‘ recommends starting with the main body, we advise students to start with whatever they are comfortable with. If you are not sure – try writing the main body first, then tackle the introduction and conclusion.

 

The perfect opening paragraph is original, avoids clichés, and confirms to the admissions team why you are a serious candidate. Mind mapping during the planning stage is ideal for this. With your course title in the centre, consider what particular modules you are drawn to and why you are enthusiastic about studying this course.

Concluding a Personal Statement 

Alongside the introduction, students often struggle writing an effective conclusion. A final chance to impart the admissions team with a lasting impression, the conclusion is a perfect opportunity to drive home the most important points in your application.

 

The best conclusions offer a clear snapshot of what you want to gain from your time at university, and come full circle from the points you established in your  introduction without adding any new information. Consider you are most looking forward to? Why this course in particular? And, most importantly: Why is this course right for you?

Tips on How to Make a Personal Statement Stand Out

There is not just one method to make a personal statement stand out  – as long as it covers the key questions within the general structure of an introduction, main body and conclusion, it can be highly successful. However, here are some general tips to ensure your personal statement is the best it can be:

 

  • Write in the first person, only using ‘I’ when you really need to.
  • Be informed. Research the course you want to study, and even try and speak to someone who is currently studying it so you have a clear picture of what you are applying for.
  • Avoid clichés, as well as words such as ‘fascinated’ and ‘passionate’.
  • Be prepared. Make a detailed plan and mind map to improve your structure and ensure you are covering everything you need to.
  • Don’t worry about the word count too much with your first draft, it’s much easier to take words out than put them in.
  • Draft, re-draft, and draft again.

 

When you are re-drafting, consider these key questions:

 

  • Have I repeated myself?
  • Is this cliché?
  • Is my wording consistent?
  • Does this sentence serve a purpose?

 

Above all, remember, be clear, concise and direct.

 

There are a lot of resources online to help you with your personal statement, from UCAS’S personal statement tool, to The Complete University Guide’s tips page. At Think Tutors we’re expertly equipped to consult on personal statements (at any stage in their creation) and we have a strong track record of bringing out the best in each and every applicant. Please contact us to find out more.

Contact Think Tutors 

From taking the first steps of writing, to polishing your final draft, this blog has covered the key steps for making your personal statement as good as it can be. For more information on Think Tutors services such as A-Level tuition and University tuition please contact us.