tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64073366545448327812024-03-04T22:15:33.639-08:00The official blog of Victory Step - SAT/ACT Prep in Dallas-Ft. Worth Metropolitan AreaWelcome to the official Victory Step blog. What’s this blog all about? In a nutshell, it’s about SAT/ACT, college, and education in general. Of course, what makes this blog really exciting is YOU — so join the conversation!Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-41260847599076981712013-01-11T10:18:00.000-08:002013-01-11T10:18:01.885-08:00Confused on a Higher Level!
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<b>Confused on a Higher Level<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZGIW-8xzkmNa-XTVc7btL3L6XN1W65YJ9q7LIorTPEX4NER0OZ37fqp-5n3sqgRbJyHZF5lvlHzQTcNptmakoEVF0o7rxIjRpMf8XYmOJWaH6zeGYDx8sF9xgkGSzC5lhCCJFZ5Blu63/s1600/kid_math.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZGIW-8xzkmNa-XTVc7btL3L6XN1W65YJ9q7LIorTPEX4NER0OZ37fqp-5n3sqgRbJyHZF5lvlHzQTcNptmakoEVF0o7rxIjRpMf8XYmOJWaH6zeGYDx8sF9xgkGSzC5lhCCJFZ5Blu63/s400/kid_math.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My high school chemistry teacher’s office door was
covered with signs and pictures. Most of them were nerdy chemistry jokes or
Star Wars paraphernalia, but there was one quote in particular that stood out:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>We have not succeeded in answering all
our problems—indeed we sometimes feel we have not completely answered any of
them. The answers we have found have only served to raise a whole set of new
questions. In some ways we feel that we are as confused as ever, but we think
we are confused on a higher level and about more important things.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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I passed this door almost every day, but for some reason
this ironic, somewhat depressing quote is the only sign I still remember.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I just looked up this quote, and it turns out that it
comes from the introduction to a textbook called <i>The Workshop Way of
Learning</i>, written by Earl C. Kelley in 1951. The sentiment, though, is eternal,
and it reflects exactly what it’s like to have just graduated from college or
high school.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There’s no question that I learned a lot in both high
school and college. Still, a lot of the time, it seemed as if the more I
learned, the more confused I became. For every book I read, there were ten more
books I needed to read to understand it. It was only late in my college career
that I gained any sense that I was making progress.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I hadn’t answered all of my problems, and I was confused
as ever, but I was finally confused on a higher level. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It turns out that most of the great thinkers in history
were deeply confused about almost everything. It was their knowledge of this
confusion that made them great, in fact. Albert Einstein once said, “As our
circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding
it.” Shakespeare wrote in <i>As You Like It</i>, “The fool doth think he is
wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” Real knowledge is knowing
what it is you’re ignorant about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This may actually be something helpful to remember as you
study for your SATs. However well you do on the test, however much you feel
like you know or don’t know, the test is not a compendium of all knowledge. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or maybe you won’t find this post helpful at all. I know
it sounds kind of preachy, and I know that I don’t have any real authority to
tell you how you should learn. But maybe you’ll get something out of it
eventually, if not now then a few years down the road. Who knows.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-25023701063221155242013-01-03T10:04:00.001-08:002013-01-03T10:04:36.079-08:00New Year’s Resolutions
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwv5sntc7P8gZ7pZBgdh6ysqr0KL0IW8M7as_hMrlQfaxddpN8eo6jVsaxzkzrK2KCWO0af4otQBodEa3HHIjxQYQtjGaqftjQLoRDX_FvMbpVkCEspXprrFR8hu-a1hqx2_xr6fCXt38/s1600/New-Years-Day-College-Bowl-Games-Betting-010113L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwv5sntc7P8gZ7pZBgdh6ysqr0KL0IW8M7as_hMrlQfaxddpN8eo6jVsaxzkzrK2KCWO0af4otQBodEa3HHIjxQYQtjGaqftjQLoRDX_FvMbpVkCEspXprrFR8hu-a1hqx2_xr6fCXt38/s400/New-Years-Day-College-Bowl-Games-Betting-010113L.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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So the world didn’t end after all, and 2012 is over. By this
time next year, you’ll probably be halfway through with your first semester or
trimester of college, taking a well-deserved Christmas break. By January 1,
2014, you’ll be resolving to fix all the things that didn’t go well and pursue
more aggressively everything that made you happy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I obviously don’t know what your first year of college will
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I can tell you what I would tell myself if I could go back to that first year
of college.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those of you taking that next big leap to college, here
are a few things that I hope will happen to you in 2013. May you…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Change something fundamental about yourself, even if you
change it right back in a month. </b>This could be as simple as your fashion or
your diet, or as complex as your ethical assumptions. When I was a freshman, I
was a vegetarian for a few months. Some people I know took salsa dancing
lessons. Other people reconsidered their religious beliefs or attended
protests. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Learn to enjoy writing papers. </b>No matter what you
study in college, you’ll be writing more papers than you ever wrote in high
school, and most of them will be held to a higher standard. Paper writing
doesn’t have to be a chore: it can be a tool for organizing your thoughts and
expressing yourself to a wider audience. If you treat papers as an opportunity
to have a meaningful conversation about something you care about, Sunday night
deadlines won’t be quite so nerve-wracking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Read a book that will change your life. </b><i>Invisible
Man</i>. <i>A Brief History of Time</i>. <i>Infinite Jest</i>. <i>The Signal
and the Noise</i>. At some point during your freshman year, you will read
exactly the right book at exactly the right time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Take a class in something you couldn’t care less about. </b>For
me, an English major, this class was Physics. If you’re an engineer, it could
be a class in English Literature or Gender Studies. It’s amazing how two seemingly
unrelated disciplines shed light on one another. Worst comes to worst, you can
now speak with more authority about why you completely dislike an area of
study.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Think about publishing your work. </b>Seeing your work in
print is exhilarating, even if it only appears in a college newspaper or an
underground rag. That being said, there’s no reason not to try sending a paper
or poem you’re proud of to the Yale Review, just to see what happens. Not to
mention the fact that a publication looks really good on graduate school
applications.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Hate everything for a little while. </b>Just for a little
while. Moments of existential crisis prove that you’re really learning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-48747418628707971182012-12-10T13:02:00.000-08:002012-12-10T13:09:15.316-08:00Five Intelligent Ways to Get Lost on the Internet <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO5mf_HZ-lav05ooVFsKdyOXTeQy3sEW5-gDnW8Vl3lw3InZtXuRDaP1ai42HrMZdf_t8AkEJZwW3ofl6I-ElJk-b-A7O0C_VYzxH3sV64g0V3E5m4VLaIucqzbnwZZcXdi3D21NCXVkx/s1600/simpsons-waste-time.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO5mf_HZ-lav05ooVFsKdyOXTeQy3sEW5-gDnW8Vl3lw3InZtXuRDaP1ai42HrMZdf_t8AkEJZwW3ofl6I-ElJk-b-A7O0C_VYzxH3sV64g0V3E5m4VLaIucqzbnwZZcXdi3D21NCXVkx/s400/simpsons-waste-time.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s my official message: don’t waste time on the
internet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, even while I’m writing this sentence, I have up
four irrelevant tabs, along with itunes. I’ve spent more time on Facebook
today than I’m willing to admit to myself. And I know for a fact that I will
be back on Facebook before this post is over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone needs a break from work sometimes, and the infinite
procrastination potential of the internet can be too tempting to overlook. The
question is, then, how do you use an internet break productively?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are five websites which are educational and
informative, but also interesting enough to give you the kind of break you
need. Some of these are more popular than others, and you may be familiar with
one or more of them. Hopefully this list will lead you to something both fun
and helpful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Open Culture<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.openculture.com/"><b>www.openculture.com</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This website has a little bit of everything culture-related:
interviews, full movies, online courses, art news, audiobooks, and more. You
can find a musical collaboration between Kurt Cobain and author William S.
Burroughs, a conversation between Quentin Tarantino and Howard Stern, a video
based on a poem by Charles Bukowski, or a real-time simulation of births and
deaths in the United States. If you have any highly specific
interests—classical cinema, science-fiction, modern jazz—or if you’re hungry to
learn more about culture, this site will keep you occupied.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Lumosity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.lumosity.com/"><b>www.lumosity.com</b></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you someone who prefers to take a break with games
instead of text and videos? Try Lumosity, which features games designed to
boost specific intellectual abilities. Lumosity will try to get you to take a
“course,” which “assigns” games according to your apparent skill level.
Unfortunately, you can only get so far in a course without paying a fee.
Fortunately, most of the games by themselves are completely free. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Real Clear Politics<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/">www.realclearpolitics.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s something for those people who don’t care so much
about art or memory-boosting, but who know more about the members of the U.S.
senate than they know about their own family. Real Clear Politics compiles
political opinion and editorial pieces from all major news sources across the
country. It’s a great way to check the pulse of the nation, to keep yourself
informed, and also to make yourself really angry when you encounter an opinion
with which you disagree. The site itself is pretty poorly designed, but its
disorganization is helpful, in a way. It forces you to glance at articles and
opinions you would never encounter otherwise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Radiolab<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.radiolab.org/">www.radiolab.org</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Radiolab is a science-based radio show on NPR, so not
surprisingly the most interesting feature of the Radiolab website is its
podcasts. Although the radio show is an hour long, the podcasts are broken into
ten minute segments for the benefit of the efficient procrastinator. If you’re
not already familiar with Radiolab, it’s far more entertaining than whatever
you imagined when you read “science-based radio show.” The hosts, Jad Abumrad
and Robert Krulwich, do captivating and innovative things with audio while
telling fascinating-but-true stories about science: a crustacean which can see
thousands of colors invisible to us, a 27-year-old man with no concept of
language, a computer program which may prove that we are near the end of
science.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Open Yale Courses<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
oyc.yale.edu<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This one is more of a time commitment than the others. Yale
University has posted several of its lecture courses on this site for free.
Each lecture is approximately an hour long, and each course is approximately 20
lectures. Still, if you have the time, you may be surprised at how engaging
some of these lectures are. My personal favorites are the Civil War course with
David Blight and the American Revolution course with Joanne Freeman: Blight and
Freemen are powerful speakers and they tackle their subjects with the kind of
detailed knowledge I’ve never seen in a history class before. If history isn’t
your thing, there are also courses on physics, economics, music, architecture,
religious studies, economics, psychology, and more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So next time you find yourself surfing aimlessly, try out
one of these sites. Even if you don’t like them, maybe they’ll lead you to
something else that’s both entertaining and educational. At any rate, it’s
probably a better use of time than Twitter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a great day! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-46788021773744628312012-11-27T07:08:00.002-08:002012-11-27T07:08:27.577-08:00A Thanksgiving Poem about Test Prep
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
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Be thankful for questions whose phrasing provides</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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the answers to earlier questions inside;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
for topics you’re certain will improve your score<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
because you reviewed them an hour before;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
for the lightness of traffic, a moderate wait,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and the timer beginning a little bit late;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
for problems you know how to do in your sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be thankful your neighbors don’t make a peep;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
for a pencil that’s sharp, a bubble that’s black,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and a polymer chair with a comfortable back;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
for writing the ultimate word of your essay,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
just as the proctor says “Pencils away.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be thankful for turkey and rolls on your plate,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and for holiday blog posts, one week too late.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From all of us over at Victory Step,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
may your holidays function like SAT prep:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
may they be easier than they appear,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and be they the gateway to a very good year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-49397397661892669402012-10-31T07:50:00.001-07:002012-10-31T07:53:19.457-07:00Halloween<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ps5-1R1caDqndWDJhwHH6Kh2NUPQJhrlDAirmcRdoRS6UuQgErChhXDBBltiQYtAe2jIqWc3rdGtgnaCI27poYzm6BxjdOF4LKdYHGdX0QECB48NnFU2MDNyWNQ5xtqNOlP40q2nVOD-/s1600/halloween6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ps5-1R1caDqndWDJhwHH6Kh2NUPQJhrlDAirmcRdoRS6UuQgErChhXDBBltiQYtAe2jIqWc3rdGtgnaCI27poYzm6BxjdOF4LKdYHGdX0QECB48NnFU2MDNyWNQ5xtqNOlP40q2nVOD-/s400/halloween6.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">About Eric Rosenbaum:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"> Eric Rosenbaum is a blogger and is currently pursuing </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="background-color: white;">his </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">M.A. in Humanities at University of Chicago. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend, I went to a Halloween party for teachers. My
girlfriend, a middle school teacher for Chicago Public Schools, was my ticket
inside that chamber of secrets. While at the party, I couldn’t help imagining
how my younger self would react to being surrounded by costumed teachers. Throughout
middle school and high school, I was very interested in how my teachers saw me,
or how teachers saw students in general.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, I was excessively nerdy in middle school. But I’m
willing to bet I wasn’t the only person who has wondered how teachers speak
about them behind their backs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a particular policy at my school which made my
desire to know the inner minds of teachers that much stronger. Once a month,
all teachers gathered in one classroom to discuss students’ progress. I never
learned exactly how those meetings functioned. In my head, I imagined the
teachers deconstructing each student individually, meticulously uncovering and
sharing each of their faults. Every time they met, I wondered if they had a
picture of me on a bulletin board, my transcript projected on a screen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not that, at that age, I idolized my teachers or put
undue emphasis on their estimations of me. More than anything, it was the
mystery of those closed-door meetings that I found intriguing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I found myself at this party, surrounded by teachers in
costumes. There was a Joker, a Dr. Who, and a Binder Full of Women. There was a
guy dressed as Avril Lavigne with his girlfriend who was dressed as Skaterboy.
One person came in street clothes, but wore a chicken hat. Another person came
as a chef, carrying a loaf of sourdough bread which was eventually eaten by the
other guests.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some conversations circled around school. At least at the
beginning of the night, when I was just trying to get to know people and the
only tool in my conversational arsenal was, “So you’re a teacher?” But for the
most part, nobody was interested in talking about work. And when work problems
did come up, they were almost always about administrators or other teachers.
Students were universally loved, but they were not the main topic of
conversation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a lesson I’ve had to learn repeatedly in my life
after college: the people who ran the world were never as interested in me as I
thought they were. Of course, teachers do care tremendously about their
students, and they spend many hours a day, before, during, and after school,
trying to help them. But they are far less critical than I imagined when I was
younger. Those closed-door meetings which, in my imagination, were so
reminiscent of a scene from <i>The Wire</i>, were probably nothing more than
simple planning sessions in which a few persistent problems met practical
solutions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe nobody reading this blog ever had trouble convincing
themselves, like I did, that their mistakes were not remembered and recorded by
their teachers. And I hope everybody realizes that their teachers are human
beings with personal lives outside of work. But if anybody out there has
similar worries as I did, take it from someone who has been there—teachers have
Halloween parties too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-29153384110006308252012-10-22T13:36:00.001-07:002012-10-22T13:36:20.559-07:00Why Do I Need to Study Science?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnQd6uDxpk7phV_iJy_CRNXHP0KAwe78wnSklnkJ4LlMtHHXL3WBrUY0dwqtcfdw1bXg9jYdqNXNjci3shyRmeUEU8pepvMGz2567pzDvMZCEXS3wCYn5-7AFuTMuACjCEHkeRFTHH5Yl/s1600/B60D48FA11F64F798369609882C46239.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnQd6uDxpk7phV_iJy_CRNXHP0KAwe78wnSklnkJ4LlMtHHXL3WBrUY0dwqtcfdw1bXg9jYdqNXNjci3shyRmeUEU8pepvMGz2567pzDvMZCEXS3wCYn5-7AFuTMuACjCEHkeRFTHH5Yl/s400/B60D48FA11F64F798369609882C46239.gif" width="322" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most people will never become scientists. Most people will
never need to know how many protons are in an atom of Neon or what the
atmosphere of Venus is made of. Unlike English, which is everywhere, and math,
which is a fact of life, science is a specialized skill useful to only a small
percentage of us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>So why study science?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fact is, the material you learn in a typical science
class isn’t physics or biology. I mean, you do learn that stuff (at least I
hope so), but that’s not necessarily what science class is for. In science, you
learn certain analytical skills which a math class can’t cover. Math teaches
logical skills, or how to get from A to B when A and B have already been given.
Science teaches analytical skills, or how to construct an argument in the real
world where questions and answers aren’t always so clear. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fundamentally, science class teaches how to look at a sea of
chaotic information and make something coherent of it. Today, you watch a ball
roll down an incline 20 times with 20 slightly different results, and from
those results you create a hypothesis and a useful data set. Tomorrow, you are
figuring out how many widgets your company should buy based on 20 different
past experiences.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “science” section of the ACT test is a more distilled
version of what science class tries to teach. For the ACT, you don’t actually
need any outside knowledge about science. What you need is a deep understanding
of analytical thinking, including the ability to read and produce charts and
graphs. If somebody hands you a collection of data about, say, owl mating
patterns in the American Northwest, you should be able to understand the
information, find potential flaws in the information, and make some basic
predictions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The scenario in which you’re handed a random collection of
data is less far-fetched than it sounds. Maybe more than any other time in
history, the world demands that we all be able to process large amounts of
data. Buying a hamburger means considering calorie count, environmental impact,
and workers’ rights, not to mention price. Experts make graphs out of
everything, from politics<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> to sports<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> to pop music<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. Everybody has constant easy
access to up-to-the-minute stock quotes, on-demand weather reports, and breaking
news. This information can be a boon if it’s used correctly, but it’s also easy
to get lost in the sheer immensity of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, as important as these abstract skills are, the
actual information you learn in science class is useful too. This is an
exciting time for science. Fundamental laws of physics are being questioned.
Rovers are making miraculous landings on Mars. Cures for major diseases could
be right around the corner. And almost every professional field now has some
scientific component. In politics and law, issues like global warming and
health care technologies are pressing. In business, tech companies are king. In
the arts, more and more artists are blurring the line between science and
creativity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Science is becoming more and more important in the 21<sup>st</sup>
century. But even if you know that you’ll never be a scientist (as I did in
high school), the skills attached to science continue to be indispensable. The
best professionals, citizens, and consumers of our lifetimes will be the best analytical
thinkers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/12/the-five-charts-that-explain-the-year-in-politics.html">http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/12/the-five-charts-that-explain-the-year-in-politics.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/11/sports/basketball/nba-shot-analysis.html?ref=multimedia">http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/11/sports/basketball/nba-shot-analysis.html?ref=multimedia</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <a href="http://entertainment.time.com/2012/10/18/an-open-letter-to-rihanna-please-stop-the-repetition/?iid=ent-main-lede">http://entertainment.time.com/2012/10/18/an-open-letter-to-rihanna-please-stop-the-repetition/?iid=ent-main-lede</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-77090155417807326572012-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:002012-10-16T10:00:31.090-07:00Victory Step's Newly Renovated and Interactive Website!
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6YstwfJt5tFyal_9X1lDwZYx6krMnV9q62E9G679oMHbwEdlC0rytselIYRvD4-N_O0AwsFOMmSBsFsHLnh2ELRPubFS4kZnbFxQXhmH9t-87-Nu5LXnVrGrtn_5tLBuSa17P1hhy5by/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-16+at+11.59.21+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6YstwfJt5tFyal_9X1lDwZYx6krMnV9q62E9G679oMHbwEdlC0rytselIYRvD4-N_O0AwsFOMmSBsFsHLnh2ELRPubFS4kZnbFxQXhmH9t-87-Nu5LXnVrGrtn_5tLBuSa17P1hhy5by/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-10-16+at+11.59.21+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Afternoon Routine<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a long day of class, I always go through a certain
routine:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1) Facebook<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
2) Check email<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
3) Catch up on my favorite blogs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
4) Back to Facebook (what is
something happened while I was gone?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then I pause. There’s so much internet left to explore,
but when my favorite sites come up dry, it’s hard to know where to turn next.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why not go to victorysteponline.com?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know what you’re thinking. After you sign up for your
Victory Step class, what good is the Victory Step website? Unless you really
like reading the “About Us” page, what could victorysteponline.com possibly
offer?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the past year, that’s exactly the question the people at
Victory Step have tried to answer. The old Victory Step website was a simple
tool—like a hammer or a protractor, good for solving specific problems quickly.
But a website should be more than that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A website should give you options. A website should be easy
to use. A website should be fun. A website should be an integral part of your
learning experience. A website should never waste your time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Diving In<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The primary goal of the new site is to make it easier for
you to learn. It offers information about your instructor, online materials, a
message system, and more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But in order to benefit from the improved
victorysteponline.com, first you have to enroll. This means (in case you
couldn’t guess) clicking the big “Enroll” button in the very center of the screen.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “Enroll” page gives you two options: a big button labeled
“Private Tutoring,” and a search box under “Find Classroom Courses.” Say you
click “Private Tutoring. The site takes you to a list of our 1-on-1 tutoring
plans, along with important details like total number of hours, price per hour,
and what need the plan meets best. Or say you enter your zipcode into the “Find
Classroom Courses Box.” The site ranks classes by proximity to your location
(if you click on the class address, it even gives you a map), along with type
of class, duration, and price.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s the spirit of the new site: simple, informative, easy
to use. Of course, if you want to know more about the company, maybe because
you haven’t totally made up your mind about Victory Step want to compare
prices, there’s plenty we’d like to tell you. Just click around. But if you
just want to get in and get out, the website won’t stand in your way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What Now?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you enroll, the site will ask you for a password. This
password is the key to what the site is really about. Start the experience by
logging in—just click the blue “log-in” button on the upper right side of the
screen, then type in your email address and password. This will take you to
your Dashboard, where you will see the title and description of your class
sitting there. Click on it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome! The dashboard is excited to see you. After your
warm feeling subsides, check the toolbar to the left. You’ll see five tabs: Welcome
(where you are now), Students, Documents, Schedule, and Message.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “Students” tab gives you a list of the other students
enrolled in your class, and the “Message” function allows you to send a message
to any of these people. The “Schedule” tab, predictably, shows you your
schedule. All of these options were lacking from the old site.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “Documents” tab is my personal favorite. Now, for the
first time, your tutor or teacher can send documents, videos, or other files to
the whole class. Tutors and teachers will try to take advantage of this
function from now on, since the sharing of these texts can improve the
classroom experience in ways that were never possible before. This is one way
that the website not only improves on the old site, but actually improves the
classroom learning experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Questions? Just ask!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We want victorysteponline.com to be easy to use, but we also
understand that there are always problems. Another one of the most important goals
of the new site is to make it as easy as possible for you to contact us. That’s
why there is a phone number and “Contact Us” box at the bottom of every screen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The new website is not just a collection of information for
us to write and you to skim. It’s a conversation. We really want to hear what
works, what doesn’t work, and what could be better. We are always looking for
new ways to improve.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We really want to make your learning experience as easy as
possible. Unlike many other Dallas test prep companies, we understand that the
internet isn’t just a chalkboard. Just as Victory Step’s classes are not just
one-way lectures, the website is not just a forum for us to say something so
you can listen. The website is a dialogue, and we hope it’s a dialogue that you
will enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> Victory Step Test Prep </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <a href="http://www.victorysteponline.com/">www.victorysteponline.com </a></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(800) 570-3652</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-64435816194220387662012-10-15T08:49:00.001-07:002012-10-15T18:55:30.862-07:00The Next Step for Victory Step <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK7i0vSL7gm5zapKr5KfdB5Uc-CUuBzDE4dJTpCXmkr1L0DSW7dr_ABBEvtuwh3YFDLqFI6JUIVhglmq9frbAd4sqrVlmU2AfKY7ND_-caL3NlYvh8bQaJ5DLrRCzmCZA3HEjDalnuOVo/s1600/student_HS_group_Sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK7i0vSL7gm5zapKr5KfdB5Uc-CUuBzDE4dJTpCXmkr1L0DSW7dr_ABBEvtuwh3YFDLqFI6JUIVhglmq9frbAd4sqrVlmU2AfKY7ND_-caL3NlYvh8bQaJ5DLrRCzmCZA3HEjDalnuOVo/s320/student_HS_group_Sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">About Eric Rosenbaum:</span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"> Eric Rosenbaum is a blogger and is currently pursuing </span><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">his </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">M.A. in Humanities at University of Chicago. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Next Step for Victory Step<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking back at the success of Victory Step after only two
years, founder and CEO Varun Tewari is pretty happy. His organization has
tutored hundreds of Dallas-area high school students, many of whom saw dramatic
improvements in grades and test scores. And Victory Step has received outspoken praise
from parents and students alike, for its quality, price, its communicativeness, and its results.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But Varun still sees a lot of progress to be made. His
three-year plan, which he designed alongside his management team and by taking advice from VC firms, will take the Victory Step model in new directions. The plan,
when it goes into effect, will give more students access to the program and
provide new resources for everybody. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The new frontier—or one of the new frontiers—is the internet. In designing an internet campaign, Varun wants to learn
from, but also improve upon, online options offered by competitors. Victory Step
will eventually offer online classes and digital homework assignments. “If someone
in Oklahoma, California or any other state wants to take an SAT class, we want to be able to offer it for a
very reasonable price.”, says Varun. Their new website, to be launched this week, is another leg of this strategy, and is designed to make
it easier for students and tutors to communicate with each other and share
documents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With online classes, more people than ever before will be
able to receive help from Victory Step, but they are not the only way to expand
access to resources. Varun and his team also plan to create new Victory Step locations to
widen the company’s physical presence. Currently, Victory Step has offices in
Dallas, Irving, and Fort Worth. Within three years, they plan to open up offices
in Houston, and in Virginia and California as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Varun also wants to reach outside of the company’s offices
and place tutors directly inside schools. “We have been talking to different
schools right now,” Varun says. “Nothing has been set yet.” Having locations
inside schools will be much easier for students, because they will no longer
have to worry about the commute from school to the Victory Step office.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If everything goes according to plan, Victory Step will no
longer be a company only targeted at high school students. Within three years,
Victory Step wants to begin classes for the GRE, MCAT, and LSAT exams, among others. The Curriculum Director of the company has been busy developing a lesson
plan for these tests. Adding college-level tests to the Victory Step curriculum
is yet another way to expand access to Victory Step.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The three-year plan is only part of an even longer, more
ambitious plan for Victory Step. Ultimately, Varun would like to set up whole
schools under the Victory Step banner; he would like to advertise more widely,
for instance in television spots; and he would like to offer more free classes
for low-income students.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is another reason the expansion of Victory Step is
good for its current students: the bigger the company gets, the more people it
will need to hire. “Whenever we have classes we talk about jobs, and I always
put that out there: maybe if you’re in college and you have a really good SAT
score, you can come work for VS,” Varun says. “We prefer smart people with degrees. So
that’s your motivation. Finish college. Get it done with, and then come find
me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-47441849206439908322012-10-09T06:54:00.001-07:002012-10-09T06:54:21.986-07:00Why Do I Need to Study Math?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbB7dzL7GR873mdrdQs3VT-gDVqpJu9dx8NxApeWbHTuhTLXvkTTSIvMZHHeCH_YyIBJ8M8xfH3W5hkwsMQCT5TPENdKhWRA7lQquJpfYoklBF93eSEW_SKXp7QVEpfwGzZ17UhNIMyiw/s1600/Blog+Math+Pizza+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbB7dzL7GR873mdrdQs3VT-gDVqpJu9dx8NxApeWbHTuhTLXvkTTSIvMZHHeCH_YyIBJ8M8xfH3W5hkwsMQCT5TPENdKhWRA7lQquJpfYoklBF93eSEW_SKXp7QVEpfwGzZ17UhNIMyiw/s400/Blog+Math+Pizza+.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<b>Why Do I Need to Study Math?</b></h3>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As long as I’ve been in school, people have told me I needed
to study math. It never made sense to me. I mean, it would make sense if I was
an accountant or an engineer, but I had always been an English person. My dream
job was to be an author. What author ever needed calculus?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, on Thanksgiving during my freshman year of college, my
parents asked me how many potatoes they needed for a recipe. The original
recipe—which served about twenty people—called for something like eight pounds
of potatoes. We only needed sixteen servings. I figured a potato weighed about
half a pound. So that’s sixteen potatoes in the original recipe. And the
adaptation is sixteen out of twenty, which is three fourths, and three fourths
of sixteen is….<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I did the math in my head, slowly, I could feel my family
looking at me and at each other. Even though I eventually got the right answer,
the judgment came fast. I was a good student, and of course my parents knew
that. But math is almost universally, almost unconsciously, seen as the definitive
sign of intelligence. There is a reason that the name “Einstein” has become
synonymous with genius.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Last week I wrote that grammar is a “code” of the adult
world, a way of letting people know that you’re educated. That’s true. However,
in my experience, people are pretty willing to let grammar rules slide—when you
see enough inter-office emails, you’re bound to catch a few dangling
participles or subject-verb disagreements. Arithmetic mistakes, on the other
hand, can really stand out. Most people will never know if you write a mean
essay, but messing up a simple arithmetic problem can be a public
embarrassment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s not all. Even though when I was first starting
college I couldn’t imagine why an English major would need math, it turns out
math is incredibly relevant to literature, and becoming more and more relevant
as time goes on. Revolutions in computer science, astrophysics, and neurobiology
have inspired a lot of young authors to write about these topics, challenging
their readers and their critics to follow their mathematical language. The
novelist Don DeLillo claims that his fiction is inspired by mathematics books<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. The Pulitzer Prize
winning poet Rita Dove was inspired by her father, a research chemist who
helped her with math problems<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. And Pulitzer Prize winner
Cormac McCarthy has been said to know more about math than many professionals<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In fact, mathematics is relevant to all kinds of
disciplines. Businesspeople obviously use math on a day-to-day basis. Some of
the most influential painters and sculptors use complicated calculus and
physics in their works. Architecture and music are essentially math by another
name. Some of the greatest philosophers in history were mathematicians or used
math in their writings, including Plato, Aristotle, Rene Descartes, and Bertrand
Russell.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course, we do live in the age of calculators and the internet,
and those tools will be useful for solving almost any arithmetic problem that
comes your way. The point is, you just never know when you will have to dredge
up differential equations or trigonometry. It’s better to have the knowledge
prepared than to need it and not have it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The mathematicians are inheriting the earth. It wouldn’t
hurt to be one of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://quomodocumque.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/don-delillo-to-david-foster-wallace-on-reading-math/<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Ratiner, Steven and Rita Dove. “A Chorus of Voices: An Interview with Rita
Dove.” <i>Agni</i> 54 (2001): 175.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/02/12/cormac-mccarthy-on-the-sante-fe-institute-s-brainy-halls.html<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-6638545382761499832012-10-01T12:39:00.000-07:002012-10-01T12:39:34.999-07:00Why Do I Need to Study English?
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9KjOY17eC8YhMvIU7mjvMpF8FS8OZB9mVGP60xJL2OflphrXGYOdngPISofDzItFMEI4O45u897VCYHIBAxquUeuFFw8irzih_UOoUqCLDT6TWFtokoeH8f-F98kNoPXLFETOW-Zcfiz/s1600/english-class-rules.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9KjOY17eC8YhMvIU7mjvMpF8FS8OZB9mVGP60xJL2OflphrXGYOdngPISofDzItFMEI4O45u897VCYHIBAxquUeuFFw8irzih_UOoUqCLDT6TWFtokoeH8f-F98kNoPXLFETOW-Zcfiz/s400/english-class-rules.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 19px;">Why Do I Need to Study English?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Below are some excerpts from job descriptions I’ve come
across in the last few years:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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From a consulting firm: <b>“Requirements
include highly sophisticated writing and editing skills.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
A teaching job: <b>“Qualifications include
superior writing and editing ability.”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Healthcare: <b>“Demonstrated
written and verbal communications skills and strong analytical skills
required.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Among a list of qualifications for
a marketing position: <b>“Well-developed ability to write and edit copy.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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In fact, it’s rare to see a job application which doesn’t
ask for some kind of demonstration of writing ability. You think colleges
really care which fictional character most influenced you? Not so much. College
statements of purpose, like cover letters for job applications, exist to give
the application reviewer an opportunity to evaluate your skills as a writer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t mean to overstate my case here. You don’t have to be
William Faulkner to get into college. And of course employers look for other
qualities besides writing ability: talent and experience, for example. While basic
writing skills—like the ability to construct effective paragraphs, use
punctuation correctly, and employ a wide vocabulary—are rarely enough by
themselves to make somebody stand out to an employer, the lack of these skills
is definitely a dealbreaker. Businesses know that it’s hard to do well in any
field without speaking the language of public life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s not at all fair that making a positive impression means
mastering grammar rules that were written centuries ago. In a fascinating book
about the difficulties of teaching, <i>Other People’s Children</i>, Lisa Delpit
tells the story of an Alaskan middle school teacher trying to explain to her
students why learning the rules of conventional English is so important. Making
a distinction between her own classroom and the world around it, she says:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We listen to the way
people talk, not to judge them, but to tell what part of the river they come
from. These other people are not like that. They think everybody needs to talk
like them. Unlike us, they have a hard time hearing what people say if they
don’t talk exactly like them. Their way of talking and writing is called
‘Formal English.’ We have to feel a little sorry for them because they have
only one way to talk. We’re going to learn two ways to say things.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Personally, I think this teacher
is a bit too hard on the promoters of Formal English. I have to admit that I
myself am one of “these other people” who make judgments based on speech, but
that doesn’t make me closed minded or oppressive—at least I hope not. The
essence of this statement, though, is absolutely right. We all have a hard time
understanding speech and writing that flouts Formal English. As arbitrary as
some of the rules may be—although many of them are not arbitrary at all—knowing
the rules of Formal English is like a badge which proves your belonging in a
club of professional English speakers. It’s a club in which you have to renew
your membership every day, but it’s also a club that’s very worthwhile to be a
part of.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6407336654544832781#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Delpit, Lisa. <i>Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom</i>.
New York: The New Press, 2006. (41)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-38660579355465556962012-09-25T08:52:00.002-07:002012-09-25T08:52:03.726-07:00How to Write Well Quickly
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1Sg8YwkrcNAZyQ-_5qGJiiqA_s8M1ca-D9E3_5B-t4mpRt0fnHLUJnxjkbqbyOvmQAGae8wCUpzWDQrNURk8fnRlcvqdONl7MMlxOxHpamHjzDYV-mQ3hMk1yk18ooUnH4vD7ySKQtmk/s1600/285365_f260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1Sg8YwkrcNAZyQ-_5qGJiiqA_s8M1ca-D9E3_5B-t4mpRt0fnHLUJnxjkbqbyOvmQAGae8wCUpzWDQrNURk8fnRlcvqdONl7MMlxOxHpamHjzDYV-mQ3hMk1yk18ooUnH4vD7ySKQtmk/s320/285365_f260.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing a
paper is hard enough, but writing a whole paper in twenty-five minutes can seem
like a nightmare. On the SAT, it’s not enough to be a great writer. You also
have to be able to think quickly and avoid distractions. The best way to
prepare for the writing portion is to practice, practice, practice. But
practice aside, here are four tips which could alleviate some of your stress
and maybe earn you a few extra points.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Editing is Everything. </b>Of
course, editing is the last part of the writing process, but I mention it first
because it’s <i>so</i> important to remember that the best writing is actually
done in editing. You’ll maximize your score if you <i>go into</i> the exam
expecting to spend a large chunk of your writing time in the editing phase. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Knowing that you will have time to
edit gives you the chance to put your ideas on paper without having to
deliberate for fifteen minutes about your first sentence. On top of that, it’s
only in editing that you can step outside your own head and start to imagine
how your sentences will sound to others. If you don’t understand your own
writing when you read it back, how can you expect your readers to understand it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b>“As Abraham Lincoln Said…” </b>You
may have heard this one before, but it’s still good advice: go into the exam
with a little bit of Abraham Lincoln already in your back pocket. Or Albert
Einstein. Or your sixth-grade English teacher. The point is, you know that the SAT
wants you to back up your claims with specific examples from history or from
your life; why not come to the test with examples at the ready? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Remember, the essay readers don’t
care what examples you use, they care how well you construct your sentences and
paragraphs to get your point across. Coming to the test with examples in mind
isn’t a form of cheating. It’s a form of thinking ahead. It saves you time
during the exam, and you end up with a stronger paper as a result.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Start with an Outline. </b>As
far as the outline goes, the important thing is that you have one—it doesn’t
really matter what it looks like. It may seem like you don’t have the time in a
twenty-five minute period to write a complete outline, but believe me: having
an outline makes the writing portion of the test that much easier. In my
experience, the five-part structure is a great model: introduction, three body
paragraphs, conclusion. Three clear body paragraphs is a solid amount of
writing for a twenty-five minute period. It’s enough space to build an argument
but not so much space that you run out of things to say. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But no matter what outline
structure you use, introductions and conclusions are key. The specific
arguments of your essay should be mentioned in your introduction, and the major
themes should be represented in your conclusion. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And how do you make sure your
introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion relate to each other? You guessed
it: editing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b>Talk to Yourself (But Not
Literally). </b>So you’ve brought your Abraham Lincoln, you’ve written your
outline, and you remember to leave time to edit. What about the actual writing?
Strangely enough, this is the easy part. You make clear arguments every day
without even thinking about them. Really, all it takes to write well is to
forget you’re writing at all—to tap into your everyday eloquence. One way to do
this is to imagine explaining your essay to an invisible audience, preferably
someone you trust.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There’s no such thing as a magic
formula for writing a great SAT essay. But if you come to the test prepared
with examples, write a solid outline, treat your argument like a conversation,
and remember to edit, you can’t go too wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-44777255320538597372012-09-17T20:28:00.002-07:002012-09-17T20:28:55.489-07:00Why are standardized tests so important? (SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc.) - Part 2
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why are
standardized tests so important? – Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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As an SAT
and ACT tutor I've encountered many
students who think that college entrance exams are truly evil, or are
government conspiracies, or are more painful than root canals. While I can
definitely sympathize with these beliefs - it wasn’t too long ago that I was a
High School student who clung to similar theories - I've come to really
appreciate in recent months the logic of standardized tests (for instance the
SAT and ACT for undergrads, and the MCAT, LSAT, and GRE for grads.) More and
more I understand the role they serve in the admissions process. Obviously,
they give institutions a concrete, although imperfect, measure with which to
group students. But I also appreciate the linearity and innate logic within the
exams. Indeed, to be perfectly honest, I've developed an admiration, that's
spilled over into love, for standardized tests. Like many whirlwind romances, I
never anticipated this fiery passion I'd develop. We started out merely as
unknown acquaintances -then they charmed me and stole my heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Now give me a
moment to explain myself. It may seem odd that I've developed a love for
inanimate objects that I hated not too long ago. So I'll explain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I truly enjoy teaching the ACT and SAT, and I
find it fulfilling to impart knowledge to others. Whenever I'm teaching, I feel
like I'm improving the world in my own little way. So in this respect, it makes
sense that I've grown to like the SAT and ACT in part because they've been the
subject matter of my teaching. It's like the experiments with the rats - rat
hears bell at feeding time - bell is associated with food. So under this
theory, teaching is interesting to me - therefore the SAT and ACT become something
I like.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Still though,
I think there are innate characteristics that I enjoy about the ACT and SAT.
Here are the big ones: firstly, they are more or less predictable - the more
practice tests you take, and prep sessions you complete, the more familiar and
predictable the exam becomes. In time, you can see these tests tricks coming
from a mile away. Improving then is simple - the more you study, the more you
understand the test.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Furthermore,
while I think the SAT and ACT each have their own shortcomings, they do a
fairly good job accomplishing what they say they do, something I can appreciate
about anyone or anything. They DO give colleges a crude approximation of a
student’s level of understanding of some basic academic concepts. Students who
get 10’s, 11’s, and 12’s on their SAT essays (out of 12 points) are generally
better writers; they show a greater proclivity for language and writing, and
will probably have an easier time in college classes. Students who score well
on the Math section similarly show a mastery or a competency in basic algebra
and geometry that will serve as a vital foundation for college level
mathematical thinking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Importantly,
standardized tests don't exactly convey true intelligence; if they did, how
would an almost instant jump in scores afforded by prep classes be possible? A
few tutoring sessions and classroom lectures can bump a student’s overall SAT
score by more than 200 points. Also many variables - like amount of sleep
before test day, level of distraction, blood sugar levels, etc. - wildly affect
performance. Neither do the SAT and ACT measure interpersonal intelligence,
diligence, or study habits, factors perhaps more important to college success
than reading and writing skills. Again though, they do offer a <i>crude</i> approximation of college
readiness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
So they're
easy to master, if you put in the time, and yet they're still useful for
colleges.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Can there be
an easier set up for students? A test that is at first difficult, but can be
understood by anyone who puts in the time, and yet that is still viewed as important
by the gatekeepers of your future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
So while the
SAT is an imperfect exam, it's not a bad deal for students, if you weigh it all
out. Plus I find it fun (does that make me a nerd?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, a student hoping to gain admission into a competitive
college, or pay for college with scholarships, must understand the realities of
a situation, and prepare for the realities, ideal or not. There are definitely worse things in life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-83664515161044808862012-09-11T12:53:00.002-07:002012-09-11T12:53:24.913-07:00Why I like working for Victory Step!
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nFy8MfnRQ9I9TcP3m-CkO1LiKKVhcJ8qNSzBqRz0KBcI4LjOdDKpMR2pwdpBr1_QXCOmLzAae9NA0aXxW_LEEnN-aGLiq24946hyGPA0p4S_3KPi9dT21bWgtqmroZ1xHj0etjx8bRQz/s1600/VSpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nFy8MfnRQ9I9TcP3m-CkO1LiKKVhcJ8qNSzBqRz0KBcI4LjOdDKpMR2pwdpBr1_QXCOmLzAae9NA0aXxW_LEEnN-aGLiq24946hyGPA0p4S_3KPi9dT21bWgtqmroZ1xHj0etjx8bRQz/s320/VSpic.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>I've held jobs or internships pretty consistently since I
was about 16 years old. I've gained life experiences in all of them. Each work
environment has improved my abilities as a person in some way or another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be honest though, more often than I'd like, I've found
myself poorly positioned in these jobs on the tedium vs. reward continuum. Many
of these jobs or internships have been way more boring and difficult than
they've been useful in my financial or intellectual development.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I analyze my time at Victory Step, I realize that it's
been these past <i>mixed</i> experiences
that have given me a greater appreciation for the work environment at this
company. I'm also in a skilled position, doing something useful in the world,
and using my talents as a test taker and teacher to help students. I enjoy my
job now, and I like my boss a lot. But like many, I haven't always been so
lucky.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first "real" job was at Genghis Grill (before
that I'd spent summers answering phones and filing documents at my Mom's office.) It had been one of my favorite restaurants as
a kid, mainly because they offered the colorful Jones sodas, and created what
seemed to be a fun and exciting dining environment. Now while I sometimes
enjoyed my time during my shifts, mostly in getting to know the various interesting
personalities of my bosses and coworkers, I was naive to assume that working at
a "fun" restaurant is just as exciting as eating at a "fun"
restaurant. I worked as a host, and was charged with taking customers to their
seats. It was fun to people watch, and I developed a deeper understanding of
just who Genghis Grill's customers are. When I wasn't bored to tears rolling
silver wear or cleaning tables, I entertained myself thinking and observing<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, not all was sunshine at Genghis Grill
Mongolian Grill. As a host, I was the lowest paid staff member in the
"front of the house" as this was the only job available to someone
under 18 who can't, according to state law, serve alcohol. I made seven dollars
and something per hour even though I often did all of the same work that the
servers did - taking drink orders, delivering food, bringing condiments, etc.
And because I made a lot less money doing essentially the same amount of work,
I was supposed to be given a small percentage of the tips that waiters received
each night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first I was not diligent in following up on and
collecting these tips. I thought that they were automatically added into my
bi-weekly paycheck. After my first two paychecks, I did some calculating and
realized that the tip outs weren’t being included. I went and talked to one of the managers only
to find out that they were kept in the back office (duh!) - even though no one
had told me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We went to the back, and he forked a small pile of cash over
- something like 30 or 40 dollars, which by my figuring was about 250 dollars
short. I talked to another manager, who had nothing to tell me. <i>That’s all the money that’s there. Thats
your tip out. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Cooooool</i>, I thought. Not only am I doing a server's work for a
host's pay, the one financial perk of the job is getting stolen from me. From
then on out you can bet I picked up my tips diligently after every shift! Still
I felt wronged and taken advantage in a way that didn’t go away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later, I figured out who ended up stealing the money. There were
three or four managers who had access to the back office at different times so
it was impossible to conclusively point the finger at anyone. Yet I talked to a
few other employees and we all concluded the same thing: it was probably "Steve."
Although personable, Steve was a sketchy guy and I found out that other
employees had noticed first hand money getting "lost" when he was in
charge. I personally knew he had more or less flexible morals after the first
or second day I was working for him,
when he told me got kicked out of High School as a ninth grader for beating a classmate to within an "inch
of his life" for making fun of him for being a "white boy." I
also once heard him conducting a drug deal on the restaurant's phone. He was an
entertaining coworker, if lacking in moral scruples.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My time with the managers at Genghis Grill contrasts greatly
with my time working for Victory Step. Varun (Victory Step's Founder) has been an excellent boss, and
embodies important traits that my manager at Genghis Grill was lacking. Importantly,
after working closely with Varun for over a year and a half, I know that he
brings integrity into everything he does. He has a very well defined moral
compass when it comes to his employees and clients, and will always go the
extra mile to make a customer satisfied; he expects the same of his employees. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike the managers at Genghis Grill, Varun pays his
employees fairly and treats us with respect. Not to sound corny, but he also
cares about us as individuals. I was very sick not too long ago and he insisted
on finding a replacement for me for one of my shifts, even though I told him I
could make it. He's just a generally decent guy, which makes a huge difference
in a boss.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also think his integrity and high expectations shine through
in the whole Victory Step experience. As I said, we always give 110% to deliver
on what we promised, as there's no gimmicks or shortchanging in our results. I
can appreciate Victory Step so acutely because it compares so favorably to the
subpar places I've worked at before. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-9790077693619860982012-07-30T21:24:00.002-07:002012-07-30T21:24:23.297-07:00Why are standardized tests (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT) so important? – Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6rgfWlwgVa0Y2KRMm1T0YTNwb1uKYuxnI5y9ygPm5CTWu1KqWV0TBU6q-tun1_KPd6wNbKvo8JZsibiBXfhn2q1ivgpYC_6DHvUKxK_L3kyvKdXRKvI_9_vIpAsLyCW26FrHVeQeTa2P/s1600/6a00d8341c03bb53ef00e5527fd8328833-500pi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6rgfWlwgVa0Y2KRMm1T0YTNwb1uKYuxnI5y9ygPm5CTWu1KqWV0TBU6q-tun1_KPd6wNbKvo8JZsibiBXfhn2q1ivgpYC_6DHvUKxK_L3kyvKdXRKvI_9_vIpAsLyCW26FrHVeQeTa2P/s320/6a00d8341c03bb53ef00e5527fd8328833-500pi.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Every
college application stands as a balance between concrete and subjective –
between hard, impersonal facts, and individualized expression of creativity and
intellect. The admissions essays, personal statements, and letters of
recommendation comprise the subjective aspects of an application. They can be
wildly different for each student. For instance, one student writes about her
time volunteering in China; while her classmate talks about why he thinks the
Jersey Shore corrupts America’s youth. In both cases the student puts forward
an individualized expression of self. A short, hopefully well-crafted essay gives
an admissions officer a chance to appreciate a student’s unique personality and
gifts. Idiosyncrasies, unique talents and experiences, passions and dislikes,
all dance from the page of the essay into the minds of admissions staff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately
in college admissions, as in life, time is limited. Most admissions staff can’t
give much time to delving deeply into the individual personalities of applicants.
There are just too many applicants at most competitive institutions. While Tommy
may be the special-est snowflake on the snowman, his individuality and
creativity will only be contemplated for a short, pre-allotted time frame. The
same time frame each applicant at a specific school is given by the admissions
officers. College admissions is a numbers game, and Tommy only gets 5 to 20
minutes, on average, to woo an admissions officer with his artistic brilliance
via his essays and personal statement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The level of
special attention Tommy gets is further dictated too by his test scores. If the
average ACT score for a college is 27, and Tommy has a 19, his essay will be
hardly considered, if at all, despite the possible brilliance of his essays. In
this case, his concrete parameters fall too far out of line to make him a
viable candidate. He won’t be able to “write himself in” to this particular
college. Thus no matter how much his mission trip to Arkansas changed his views
of the world and the universe, he probably won’t be able to overcome the hard
parameters put in place by the college. Thus an ACT or SAT score that falls in
line with the average at a specific institution is vital to be considered at
that college. Your artistic brilliance won’t be important if you don’t have a
sufficient standardized test scores. Your objective measures need to be up to
snuff to let your creativity shine through.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the next
installment I’ll look at the shortcomings of the SAT and ACT, which actually
highlight why they’re so important.</span></div>Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-66959418962641859412012-07-10T08:56:00.001-07:002012-07-10T08:59:18.787-07:00The Beauty of The Victory Step Curriculum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PVnMjjETPPkGvleI_2EFnaFI7gSnWaqphT_n2_W2P94lmGST2y2HHLpwDPOz2i5QrG7kgxSUSgSmk9-xUf7qs4ZB59SW0ePOaInNOfuPZNRtRoTrYTCRWEriDzIXr7O93EfkxVxGa1ZT/s1600/Victory+STep+Curriculum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PVnMjjETPPkGvleI_2EFnaFI7gSnWaqphT_n2_W2P94lmGST2y2HHLpwDPOz2i5QrG7kgxSUSgSmk9-xUf7qs4ZB59SW0ePOaInNOfuPZNRtRoTrYTCRWEriDzIXr7O93EfkxVxGa1ZT/s400/Victory+STep+Curriculum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the next two weeks I begin teaching two new 6 week Victory Step SAT
Classroom program classes. This will be around my 20th time to work through the
six-week class with a group of up to ten students, and will mark somewhere
around my 75th time of going through the curriculum because of past private
tutoring students.<br />
<br />
Going through the curriculum this many times, certain things start to stand
out. Yes, the built in cheesy jokes are just as cheesy, or cheesier than ever,
and I pretty much know how to solve every question in my sleep. I also know
which questions students are going to have problems on, and I have developed a
really good sense of the correct pace to take in moving through the different
sections.<br />
<br />
Most strikingly, I have developed a deep appreciation for the logic of the
course itself. The course is broken down into five sections of curriculum, each
covering in different proportion the three sections of the SAT - Critical
Reading, Math, and Writing. The course moves from easier concepts to more
difficult ones, and keeps a good balance between Math and English to keep the
students from getting bogged down.<br />
<br />
Even better, the curriculum truly covers about 98% of EVERYTHING you will need
on the SAT. In a simple 6 week course you are reviewing nearly everything that
you will ever encounter on the SAT. That's pretty cool to me.<br />
<br />
An important thing to note about the SAT is that it is a repetitive exam. That
is, there is a finite number of concepts that the exam tests. Thus achieving
mastery, and the underlying strategy of the Victory Step curriculum stems from
exposing the student to the different problem types and gaining an
understanding of them.<br />
<br />
At this point in my knowledge of the SAT, I don't approach individual questions
as individuals, but rather iterations of a subset of specific problems. I'm
like a Law Enforcement officer who’s learned to spot patterns in speech and
action that give clues to underlying behavior. I can simplify a specific
situation into the question that it is asking or testing me on.<br />
<br />
Being an expert on the SAT isn't about becoming a better person, a smarter
person, or a super person - It's really only about gaining a deeper
understanding of the SAT, its quirks and its traps. The more you practice and
immerse yourself in the SAT, the greater your ability to understand the way the
test functions. The Victory Step curriculum exposes students to the underlying
logic and "traps" of the SAT questions. The student learns of the
concepts tested, how they're set up as traps, what concepts to use to
understand the traps, and then avoid them.</div>
<span style="color: #666666;">
- Devan E</span>Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-36556293308397075492012-05-11T08:37:00.001-07:002012-05-11T08:37:31.762-07:00Summer with Victory Step<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Summer is
almost here! It’s time to relax, hang out with friends, catch up on sleep, take
a trip or two, and enjoy yourself before a stressful senior year. But what
about that pesky SAT next fall and
the college applications which come after it? While they may seem far away
right now, separated from the present by innumerable long days on the beach,
there are many ways you can prepare now for the academic stresses of next fall.
Here are a few tips for the summer before senior year that will help you get
ready for the Fall SAT and college
applications.</div>
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<b>1. Create a reading list</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Between the long days on the beach and the long flights, summers
are the perfect time to catch up on reading. While reading anything is a step
in the right direction, now is also a good time to challenge yourself with a
classic. These books will help you learn new vocabulary in context, provide
possible examples for the English AP or SAT
essays, and maybe even spark an interest in a certain author or genre. Here are
some books that my friends and I read in late high school or early college that
we enjoyed and thought important:</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you like science fiction, there are plenty of great
dystopian novels to read which are very engaging including works by Kurt Vonnegut,
Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell. Classics such as Mary Shelley’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frankenstein</i>, Frank Herbert’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune,</i> or Italo Calvino’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Invisible Cities </i>are also great if you
want to immerse yourself in alternate worlds.</div>
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If what you’re interested in is stories of growing up and/or
adolescent rebellion, there are Victorian novels such as George Eliot’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mill on the Floss</i>, mid-20<sup>th</sup>
Century novels like Ken Kesey’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Flew
over the Cuckoo’s Nest,</i> Jack Kerouac’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On
the Road</i>, and Sylvia Plath’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bell
Jar</i>, or more recent works such as Dave Eggers’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.</i></div>
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If you are interested in war literature there are many great
books written about World War I or Vietnam which would help expand
your understanding of these moments in history. Good places to start would be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All Quiet on the Western Front, The Things
They Carried, </i>or any poems by Wilfred Owen.</div>
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Lastly, if you just want an exceptionally well-written novel
to introduce you to a new way of seeing history, the world, and the English
language, you can’t go wrong with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vile
Bodies, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Things Fall Apart, Mrs. Dalloway,
Howards End, </i>or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Remains of the
Day.</i></div>
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Any of these books, plus many more like them, will help you
keep your mind engaged in critical reading over the summer, build up your
vocabulary, and hopefully provide ideas and characters that stick with you.</div>
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<b>2. Start thinking about your college application</b></div>
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Although application due dates are still half a year away,
now is a great time to be giving thought to how you are going to construct your
application and who you’re going to send it to. If you haven’t already started,
now is the time to write that short-list of potential colleges. It is also the
time to start thinking about that dreadful application essay and perhaps even
to write a few drafts. Starting this essay now will help keep you from having
to write it at the same time as other school work and will give you the
opportunity to have other people proofread it long before it’s due. When it
comes to college essays, lots of time and plenty of eyes are the keys to an
effective essay. </div>
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<b>3. Take lessons with Victory Step!</b></div>
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The summer before senior year is a great time to prepare for
the Fall SAT or ACT because you
are not busy with lots of other school work and have time to devote to lessons
and practice. While many of you will have taken the SAT
or ACT for the first time during the spring of Junior year, now is a good time
to focus on what areas can be improved to ensure the best possible score on
your applications. At Victory Step, we provide private tutoring throughout the
summer that will target your individual needs and work with you in a fun and
relaxed way to make your application as strong as possible. </div>
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We understand that it is summer, but a little preparation
now when you have free time is a lot better than scrambling to get things done
during Senior Year. Have a great Summer, but don’t forget to read and plan
ahead!</div>Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-84024368405713306762012-05-08T07:35:00.000-07:002012-05-08T07:35:42.216-07:00Victory Step Scholarships: A Focus on Affordability for Every Student<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-ySF5N41Z9k73tkr88m1CTK0bngyGmgdzQ6oCSI0_b-rkd8j5xppQrBYo4dvjMSHUtX5t3Nqpf8eADbLDe01ygVQlZTjk32hjiQyVQ_NrIGUGEertojFvodkJ47YmIIEzsV7dSZpIeIl/s1600/laughing+student.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-ySF5N41Z9k73tkr88m1CTK0bngyGmgdzQ6oCSI0_b-rkd8j5xppQrBYo4dvjMSHUtX5t3Nqpf8eADbLDe01ygVQlZTjk32hjiQyVQ_NrIGUGEertojFvodkJ47YmIIEzsV7dSZpIeIl/s400/laughing+student.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
If you are considering Victory Step for your student’s test preparation, you have probably checked out the prices available from a number of companies in the area. With prices ranging from merely expensive (You’ll only need to take out a second mortgage!) to outright absurd (Please sign over your second-born child to pay for the first-born.), Victory Step already has the competition beat as far as pricing goes. Add in an awesome referral program that pays you for introducing your friends to our program, as well as some amazing instructors, and Victory Step seems like the obvious choice for any parent concerned about score improvement and affordability.<br />
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However, for some students, the costs of preparing for their tests can still seem insurmountable. At Victory Step, though, we pride ourselves on sticking to all of our founding principles, especially our financial principles. We strive to ensure that every student has the opportunity to prepare for the SAT and ACT with the best instructors, regardless of ability to pay. With this in mind, we offer qualifying students scholarships to cover the costs of preparing for their exams. This way, students who otherwise could not afford adequate test preparation have the chance to show their best work on the test and get the recognition they deserve from colleges and scholarship-giving organizations.<br />
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If you are interested in seeking one of these scholarships, you will need to get some basic financial information in order. Once you have done that, give us a call (855-773-7744) and let us know that you are interested in Victory Step’s scholarship program. We would love to have the chance to help your child become one of our new students.<br />
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With the economy still struggling and the costs of a college education ever on the rise, parents and teenagers across the country are seeking ways to save up for an education. Saving on your test preparation without sacrificing quality can be just a few dollars more to put towards your dream school!Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-30930618923981860802012-03-26T12:59:00.003-07:002012-03-26T13:04:12.154-07:00Victory Step's Private Tutoring Programs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D29kOcu52E6ogznnatM4yCY4zYhDFEspspNjPa_Ei3vtypE4eFWFLoOFVNZVRXYOmKqBaqc9yZbpYBDEaRBJ9L_xtx_idxmq9wRVqElpikOTdiuatUJvqdU5Q3VT4znoJSaVZIfApy27/s1600/Private+tutoring+Victory+Step.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D29kOcu52E6ogznnatM4yCY4zYhDFEspspNjPa_Ei3vtypE4eFWFLoOFVNZVRXYOmKqBaqc9yZbpYBDEaRBJ9L_xtx_idxmq9wRVqElpikOTdiuatUJvqdU5Q3VT4znoJSaVZIfApy27/s400/Private+tutoring+Victory+Step.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724299085802094818" /></a><br /><br />Victory Step Test Prep and Tutoring offers private tutoring for the SAT, ACT and Academic Subjects in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metropolitan Area! Private tutoring is offered to our students in the form of one-on-one setting, or a small group setting (1-3 students), based on what the client desires, with our highly trained instructors. Victory Step's programs are designed to offer exclusive attention and training to clients that prefer private settings to classroom instruction for SAT/ACT prep. The private tutoring sessions are specially designed to achieve maximum efficiency and output from both students and instructor. Call us or visit us online to register for one of our private tutoring programs.<br /><br />Website - <a href="http://www.victorysteponline.com">www.victorysteponline.com</a><br />Phone - 855 773 7744Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-27539445272771075762012-03-20T17:34:00.000-07:002012-03-20T17:35:43.363-07:00An Easy Way to Practice Critical Reading: NewspapersOne of the cornerstones of a good education, whether in high school preparing for the SAT, in college, or after college, is the ability to read, comprehend, criticize, and discuss a variety of written material. As a tutor, English student, and self-proclaimed literature nerd, I am often asked for reading suggestions that will help students practice their critical reading skills without suffering through those boring SAT passages. Practicing SAT Critical Reading sections is useful for building endurance, testing comprehension, and providing examples of test questions, but the skills used in understanding those sections can be practiced using a variety of writing genres not found on the SAT. While the best practice is simply to read as much as possible from different sources and difficulties, today’s students usually don’t have the time for the 19th Century masterpieces of French, Russian, and British literature. <br /><br />Luckily (while I do love a great novel) it is not as important what you practice reading as how you read it. What is essential is to use the same critical reading strategies used on the test: focusing on understanding rhetorical devices, comprehending argumentative strategies, discovering new words or new meanings for familiar words, and developing an ear for tone. Reading any text in this manner will reinforce the skills important to any humanities education or fulfilling life of reading.<br /><br />That being said, certain types of reading material work especially well for practicing specific Critical Reading skills. Many high school students struggle with understanding the argumentation of passages on the SAT, often because students are more used to reading novels in their English classes and not this type of non-fiction. Many questions on the SAT rely on understanding why an argument is structured the way it is; questions often ask how a certain example adds to the passages main idea, how the author of a passage discusses an argument made by an outside source such as a previous study, authority, or hypothetical objection, or what would most undermine (or strengthen) one of the author’s arguments in the passage. To make things more difficult, the SAT expects students to recall these argumentative details clearly when they answer the questions. Without extra practice, students are likely to have difficulty with these types of passages. While any work can be read with an ear to argumentation (even novels are constantly putting forward a series of arguments), there is one type of writing which works particularly well for encouraging all of these skills: newspaper articles.<br /><br />Now I know a lot of families no longer subscribe to physical papers, but there are many (often free) professional news sources online which provide great practice in understanding the workings of argumentation such as The Washington Post or The Guardian (UK). Articles are often the length of an SAT passage and written to express either a single viewpoint of the author or to summarize the opinions of various authorities, political figures, celebrities, or otherwise noteworthy people. In reading any news article, it is necessary to understand what main idea the author is trying to communicate to the reader and how the examples used convey that message or conflict with it. Many students struggle with types of questions which involve understanding how a passage’s main idea conflicts with an argument presented by a figure within the passage such as that of a scholar or social group. It is also important to think critically about the strength of the ideas expressed and question what information would be needed to strengthen or weaken the argument, much like on the SAT. Instead of having questions available to test information recall, each passage can be tested by attempting to summarize it afterwards without referring back to the article. Much like the Victory Step strategies strive for being able to read the passage once and not look back at it for all of the answers, each newspaper article is essentially written in a way that asks its reader to be able to remember and summarize the article to someone else if asked about it later. While this is difficult at first, as it is with students practicing their focus and recall on SAT passages, it becomes easier with practice. Lastly, each news article encourages its reader to compare its argument, examples, and findings with other articles about the same range of subjects, whether in the same paper over different days or in different papers. This mirrors the layout of the SAT’s two-passage questions where it is necessary to identify the main ideas of each argument and figure out the key points on which they differ. <br /><br />Newspaper articles make great practicing material. Not only do they encourage the same type of critical thinking necessary for the SAT, but they are plentiful, quick, and constantly updated. Reading a few articles every few days provides an easy way to practice SAT skills without having to take out a practice test or having to worry about running out of reading material. Who knows, maybe those articles will be more memorable than the SAT passages and you’ll get to learn something new about the world while you’re at it.Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-24796571008342716732012-03-09T12:08:00.003-08:002012-03-09T12:13:46.163-08:00Playing the Waiting Game: Exercising Patience While Looking for Admissions Decisions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_r4EhtVxlaEuwjmN-iM0jc48m7xsuDjwflvuSWu-O24ILs6xLj0vJgkxuVPDwNzT6LvSN_wm5BjSHsLnWJB3tHjyR-csmT75vh8CEXts1hnW8f97gzHWAjlQLetYyv-omwWNLlzPHGVO/s1600/frustrated.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_r4EhtVxlaEuwjmN-iM0jc48m7xsuDjwflvuSWu-O24ILs6xLj0vJgkxuVPDwNzT6LvSN_wm5BjSHsLnWJB3tHjyR-csmT75vh8CEXts1hnW8f97gzHWAjlQLetYyv-omwWNLlzPHGVO/s400/frustrated.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717993133992231826" /></a><br />Almost every prospective college student goes through this: You turned in your application materials, you paid your fees, you maybe even visited the campus once or twice. Now what? It’s time for you to play the waiting game, the most excruciating weeks and months of your life while you wait for an admissions committee in some far-off locale to decide the fate of your future. You must be asking yourself: Did I get in? Will Harvard take me? Maybe Stanford? What about Baylor? Or will they all just be rejections, like a big pile of collegial coal?<br /><br />This time can be distracting for a student, especially with senioritis setting in by now. It’s tempting to spend all day waiting for the mailman, checking your inbox, or twiddling your thumbs as you stare intently at the phone. Surely the mailman could make two deliveries today, right? What about the website? Maybe it will update after their office closes. Maybe the email got lost in my spam folder.<br /><br />But no matter how terminal a case of distracted senioritis you get or how frustrating the wait is, this is when you most need to knuckle-down, because no matter the admissions decision, you won’t be going anywhere if you fail your final high school classes. So how do you focus on the next four months of your life, when the next four years and beyond hang in the balance?<br /><br />1. Limit temptation. Set a time every day when you will check your school’s preferred method of communication, whether that is email, a website or snail mail. Limit yourself to that once daily check (or twice if the mailman came later than you thought he did), but no more after that. This takes a lot of self-discipline, and it might even require you limiting your computer time to make it easier, but it’s better than driving yourself crazy with obsessive checking.<br /><br />2. Take care of business. You’re getting into one of the busier parts of the semester, with tests, papers and projects starting to come up in the next few weeks. Keep yourself distracted from waiting on admissions decisions by throwing yourself into your school work. If you’re one of the rare students that do not have anything due sometime soon, get a jump start on projects that will come up later in the semester, especially if you would otherwise procrastinate. That way, once you have your admissions decision in hand, you will have already done your projects and papers, and you can sit back and mellow into that lovely senioritis.<br /><br />3. Develop a new hobby. Part of the college experience is trying a bunch of new things: hobbies, looks, interests, majors. Why not get a jump start on it by working on some new hobbies, or rediscovering old ones? This will distract you from that ever-tempting mailbox. It might also help you meet some new people once you get to college. So if you’ve never learned to cook before, now is the time, before you’re stuck eating ramen in the dorms!<br /><br />4. Spend quality time with friends and loved ones. No matter how much you and your friends say that you will all go to the same school, that you will all hang out when you’re on break, that you will always be as close as two peas in a pod, college usually doesn’t work out that way. You’ll meet new people, develop new interests, and have different experiences, and that will change you. You may still spend time with your friends, but you’ll never be as close again as you are now, so make the most of the time you’ve got with them now. Similarly, your parents probably see you growing up before their eyes, leaving home, going away to college, getting a job, starting your own family… and so on. Taking some time to talk with Mom and Dad each day will help them cope with the fact that you’re not just leaving but that you’re growing up.<br /><br />Simply by keeping yourself distracted from this all-important question, you’ll be able to focus much more on those things you have to deal with right now: school, chores, and life.Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-55023725135111488012012-03-02T21:20:00.002-08:002012-03-02T21:20:53.857-08:00We Are Helping Students Everyday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibybtfDN6BP_l5sd3Txy38KFSsVlRC60gsTNtdy8XjCzBzFDCyDsbFavC-pTl0wJEoIVkHcvJk8DIEOvPEVBpyZ3J0N1ZIbTCop_0CQSkHOtikU7jwI1jWzbRkz_JxWV69mo0-hU-68_bK/s1600/Victory+Step+Marketing+11.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibybtfDN6BP_l5sd3Txy38KFSsVlRC60gsTNtdy8XjCzBzFDCyDsbFavC-pTl0wJEoIVkHcvJk8DIEOvPEVBpyZ3J0N1ZIbTCop_0CQSkHOtikU7jwI1jWzbRkz_JxWV69mo0-hU-68_bK/s400/Victory+Step+Marketing+11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715536521255379874" /></a>Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-3486762035864254522012-02-04T12:26:00.001-08:002012-02-04T12:30:49.700-08:00My Perspective as a Tutor - Devan Earle (Instructor)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QWoEVlthSf7S7QMwLIvJnejG4vidyCYcFEGfOubZ-karmta8iS6MghvH3lKyOvU6fUo_ynYgoVs0SDUwe70SBMU-sZoaX66_-Bik3JwwfCfmPldRUZIvX-l6r1bUoFWsEadeyU7NJN4l/s1600/iStock_000013179933Small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QWoEVlthSf7S7QMwLIvJnejG4vidyCYcFEGfOubZ-karmta8iS6MghvH3lKyOvU6fUo_ynYgoVs0SDUwe70SBMU-sZoaX66_-Bik3JwwfCfmPldRUZIvX-l6r1bUoFWsEadeyU7NJN4l/s320/iStock_000013179933Small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705380640678866914" /></a><br /><br />My Perspective as a Tutor<br />By Devan Earle<br /><br /><br />If you turn on the news today, all you see about education in the United States is turmoil, inefficiency, and chaos. Many 24 hour news stations would have you believe that indeed, tomorrow, high schools around the country will simply DISAPPEAR.<br /><br />And though it's clear to see that these trumped up claims and sensationalized stories are just that, sensationalized, there are a lot of troubling facts pertaining to the state of education in this country. Fewer than 50 percent of high school students go on to graduate and that rate is much lower in some poverty-stricken areas, and also for young men and minorities.<br /><br />This inadequate educational system stands in stark contrast to the fact that all scholars and pundits agree that the key to a thriving and prosperous country rests on a well-educated populace. Our economy is increasingly moving away from production and manufacturing and towards a high tech information based economy which relies on skilled workers.<br /><br />Personally, I have many ideas on how to shape the educational system in America. Unfortunately though, I am just a lowly college student and a SAT tutor; no one has consulted me lately about the state of educational decline in the United States. As a tutor though, I do have the ability to positively affect the lives of my students, and as the sayings go, change starts with the individual, and be the change you want to see in the world.<br /><br />As someone who graduated from a DISD public school, went through the college admissions process not once, not twice, but three times, and who has attended two different universities in 2 different states, I have intimate knowledge about the state of being a High School and College student in the 21st century. For instance I know that many High Schools do not adequately prepare their students for the grueling process of college admissions and that many parents are (rightly) confused and overwhelmed by the whole ordeal.<br /><br />When I tutor then, I try to shed light on, or be a resource for, the process of college admissions, and the steps that go along with it.<br /><br />Importantly too, I take the opposite tone from those too-perfect, make-up smattered 24 hour newscasters. I am not panicked or apocalyptic in my approach to education. These attitudes are not helpful for the college admissions process (or in life for that matter). Instead I work with students at whatever ability level they're at, and with whatever set of goals they have, to do the best I can to prepare them for the SAT, for college, and for life. Whenever I can sprinkle in anecdotes from history, psychology or philosophy I do so, because I believe in the importance of being a well rounded and well educate individual. So while the college admissions process is something to take seriously, it's not something to FREAK OUT about. Many conceptions I've had about the whole process have been shattered as I've moved through my college career. Importantly: just because you don't get into THAT school doesn't mean you won't be happy or successful. Also important: just because you get into THAT school, doesn't mean that you will be happy and successful. I know that this a perplexing time for our country, and even more so for our youth and young adults, but if you're worried about the college admissions process, you're taking the right first step by signing up with Victory Step Test Prep & Tutoring. In case of emergency, identify the exit rows, put on your mask before you assist those around you, and sign up for a classroom or private tutoring program at Victory Step Test Prep & Tutoring. Oh ya, did we mention the Kindles?!Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-2772319038704842142012-02-01T06:42:00.000-08:002012-02-01T06:43:30.337-08:00Practice, Practice, Pracitce!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokt2huwxCpYI8i2BQOeebW_fk7sO9NbYGiwBivEzX1V7eCKEfCqdxEjaIJeg5fg4ofbA38tMowVFvfRd8on1vXQwqgAIATT6MDCdbWI6qRDy2gSKrijnxMa1RanxEy5HQpbyKNHez98Ls/s1600/iStock_000015308859Small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokt2huwxCpYI8i2BQOeebW_fk7sO9NbYGiwBivEzX1V7eCKEfCqdxEjaIJeg5fg4ofbA38tMowVFvfRd8on1vXQwqgAIATT6MDCdbWI6qRDy2gSKrijnxMa1RanxEy5HQpbyKNHez98Ls/s320/iStock_000015308859Small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704177877993205826" /></a><br />Nowadays, for better or worse, most colleges require prospective students to submit standardized test scores as a part of their application. More often than not, this test is the SAT exam; however, some of the same strategies used to practice for the SAT can be applied to just about any other test you’ll ever take. The most important strategy, though, is always practice; but the question is, how should you practice?<br /><br />Even though the College Board says there is no way to really “study” for the SAT, practice, as with everything else in life, really does make perfect. In this case, practice begins by learning the material in school, in your math and English classes. Even though the SAT tests your critical thinking skills, you’ll still need to start learning those skills from your school work.<br /><br />If you understand the concepts behind the SAT math and have honed your critical reading and writing abilities, you have developed the strong basis needed to ace a test of critical thinking. These are all skills that you need for the SAT, for college and for the rest of your life, but you can only acquire proficiency over them with years of practice at school.<br /><br />No matter how good you are at school, though, the SAT can trip you up if you don’t know how to find the real answer, or some shortcuts or strategies to move through questions more quickly. After all, the SAT is a timed test, and high scores inevitably rely on how fast and accurate you are. Much of this is based on really understanding the ways the test is designed to confuse you. At Victory Step, we help prepare you for this reality of taking the SAT by teaching you to avoid common pitfalls, such as not answering the real question, and by showing you ways to save yourself time answering each question. In doing this, even if you’re not always sure of how a problem works or what a word means, you can figure it out on the spot and earn that all-important point. We also provide you with intelligently created homework and practice problems that will help you hone your skills.<br /><br />Finally, there is nothing that can prepare you for the SAT as well as taking the SAT itself. That is why most students take the test two or three times before they are finally pleased with their scores, or before they realize their true potential. Even taking practice tests at home cannot really simulate the experience of taking a test in a crowded classroom on a Saturday morning for four hours. You need to prepare yourself for the conditions of the exam- like the noise from other test-takers and the hunger that inevitably sets in by section 8.<br /><br />Because we at Victory Step recognize this, our program offers you the opportunity to take four practice SAT exams, giving you a feel for not just the material tested, but also the conditions you will face when you really take the test. This removes morning-of jitters, prepares you for the less-than-ideal conditions of the actual exam, and helps you learn to work against the clock.<br /><br />As you can see, a lot goes into making yourself ready for the SAT, but most importantly, it’s practice, practice, practice!<br /><br />Toni Whalen<br />SAT/ACT Instructor<br />Victory Step<br />toniwhalen@victorysteponline.comVictory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-49538613612745217152011-12-30T10:47:00.000-08:002011-12-30T11:07:48.521-08:00Victory Step's Newest Test Prep Center in Fort Worth!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuJo6NPjZ3B1egCVGOmQrODCH5UZPdITztmcUCfBnBQV4u57vSx4M8fe9fkW16Oy1x56Eu3gLRo0YUUETqhk43-aziJteOCzLeGqEH_E7Q26iuqUeemiGPLkAuf08q0QOVrPRzN-Y88L3/s1600/Victory+Step+Fort+Worth+Office.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuJo6NPjZ3B1egCVGOmQrODCH5UZPdITztmcUCfBnBQV4u57vSx4M8fe9fkW16Oy1x56Eu3gLRo0YUUETqhk43-aziJteOCzLeGqEH_E7Q26iuqUeemiGPLkAuf08q0QOVrPRzN-Y88L3/s320/Victory+Step+Fort+Worth+Office.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691995948600213634" /></a><br />In keeping with our company’s goal of helping every student reach their full academic potential, we here at Victory Step are opening our new office in Fort Worth on January 2, 2012! We hope this new location will help us reach out to college-bound students in Fort Worth and surrounding areas.<br /><br />These are some of the high schools our new location will be catering to:<br />- Eastern Hills High School<br />- Dunbar High School<br />- North West Christian Academy<br />- Nolan Catholic High School<br />- Arlington High School<br />- Kennedale High School<br />- Temple Christian Schools<br />- Arlington Martin High School<br />...and many more!<br /><br /><br />The new location will offer the same excellent services as our Dallas and Irving offices, with private instruction and group classes available from our highly qualified, caring instructors, at the same affordable prices. Click here to look at our upcoming class schedule at our Fort Worth Center - <span style="font-weight:bold;">http://www.victorysteponline.com/SAT_Schedule.html</span>. <br /><br /><br />As always, we encourage our clients to share their experiences and success stories with friends and family, and to take advantage of our Refer ‘n’ Win program. With the opening of our new location, more students than ever before will be able to improve their standardized test scores!<br /><br />Take a step toward your bright future today!<br /><br />Victory Step In Fort Worth<br />5601, Bridge St, Suite 300,<br />Fort Worth, 76112Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407336654544832781.post-11297785863703124942011-12-26T14:59:00.000-08:002011-12-26T15:10:40.011-08:00Managing Anxiety is Important for Success!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMZ4Nio77jBbPJOftyfwqZzXtjqmKJgr7fBC9e5SLaQiQrb42huHyTMLzYbvre_V-bl_8gKWFeE_-ZPWLUSvG7zxjgKvSGExZUGA61sLtvIvau1vtuu-GoTRJ3idsOnBTQPTn1UeHmtC1/s1600/iStock_000012992870XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMZ4Nio77jBbPJOftyfwqZzXtjqmKJgr7fBC9e5SLaQiQrb42huHyTMLzYbvre_V-bl_8gKWFeE_-ZPWLUSvG7zxjgKvSGExZUGA61sLtvIvau1vtuu-GoTRJ3idsOnBTQPTn1UeHmtC1/s320/iStock_000012992870XSmall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690578408212880082" /></a><br />As students, tests always seem to be waiting for us on the horizon. Never does much time pass between tests for various classes; as soon as one is finished the studying for one, three, or five more has started. They are unavoidable in any class and help students and teachers assess both the understanding of materials for the class and a variety of skills relevant to higher education and the real world work environment. These skills include the abilities to prepare a schedule for studying, to balance studying for different classes, to manage time effectively during a test by assessing knowledge learned and questions best left skipped, and to control the anxiety that comes with important events and deadlines. With a test as important as the SAT, all of these skills are challenged even more as many students find themselves studying without the familiar classroom resources and as the importance of getting a great score increases test anxiety.<br /><br />This anxiety over the SAT was the subject of a recent <a href="http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/13/my-view-when-a-deadline-isnt-a-deadline/?hpt=hp_bn2">CNN Schools of Thought blog</a> debating the merits and challenges of getting extended time to take the SAT. The option is certainly a necessity for some students, it is a valuable tool for students with documented physical and mental disabilities, but a small percentage of students suffering from test anxiety have also qualified for a 50% or 100% increase in time for the SAT. While test anxiety is a real problem for many students, additional time may not be the answer for students seeking to perform well in college. <br /><br />Managing anxiety is as important for success in college as it is in high school and on the SAT. For many college courses, tests become even more central to grades as the importance of homework grades declines. Being able to perform well on these tests means learning and practicing how to deal with the anxiety that comes from high-pressure situations. Thankfully, that learning process is started early in any student’s education; by the time the SAT rolls around during junior or senior year, students have had ample opportunities to practice taking tests in their classes. <br /><br />It is important to realize that these tests are not there only to cause unnecessary stress for students or to provide an endpoint for the material of a course, but exist as an integral part of the learning process. Tests do not exist purely to assess how well a student has mastered information, but to reinforce that information and the skills that accompany these stressful situations. Tests help students learn; they create organizational patterns of information and provide an opportunity to strengthen the neural pathways used in recalling information. Properly preparing for a test reinforces good study habits in addition to the material covered on the test, and trying to harness test anxiety into productive testing energy is a skill which every test provides a new opportunity to hone. <br /><br />The best method for reducing or controlling test anxiety is not to rely on extended time, but to practice managing that anxiety while taking tests. This practice can occur throughout high school during tests or in a prep class for the SAT. Practicing specifically for the SAT (or any other standardized test) helps create reasonable expectations for performance on the test by providing opportunities to take the full test under ideal conditions, the results of which can be compared and used to predict the score on the actual test. In addition, they provide a chance to get used to the time constraints of the test. Being able to accurately predict performance and manage time on the SAT are the best ways of reducing the anxiety that comes with a test of this importance. The best way to reduce test anxiety is to bring to every test in high school the preparation, focus, and intensity which you would use on the real SAT.Victory Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04758670586508908948noreply@blogger.com0