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If you don’t use it, you lose it! That statement might be a little dramatic, but it is important to keep your brain active, especially in the summer months when you may not have any classes to attend. It’s very easy to spend the summer relaxing at the beach or playing sports, but it’s also important to give your brain a little workout now and then. Of course, the best option is to meet with a tutor regularly during the summer to stay sharp, but here are a few suggestions besides that one. If you want to have fun this summer, but don’t want to let your brain hibernate, read further.

Have Fun With Puzzles
A great way to get your brain some exercise when you have a little down time is by doing some fun puzzles. Crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles, or other types of puzzles can be a fun diversion that will keep your brain nice and healthy. Sudoku puzzles (and other types of logic puzzles) are especially useful, as they require you to think very thoroughly and logically. Best of all, these puzzles are completely portable- you can sit on the beach or by the pool and relax while doing a few of them! It’s also a swell way to avoid boredom on long car rides during vacation trips, so keep that in mind as well.

Play a Few Video Games!
I know what you’re thinking. “Video games? How are those good for your brain?” Well, it all depends on what type of game you’re playing! Many puzzle, strategy, or role playing games require quite a bit of critical thinking skills! Video games can be a fun platform for learning, but even if your game isn’t directly related to any of your class work, you still may be giving your brain a good workout! Plus, you’d have a hard time finding a video game that requires less brain activity than watching television does.

Write, Write and Write Some More
The summer months can be a wonderful time to do a bit of writing. Whether you want to keep your blog updated with all your latest thoughts and the major happenings in your life, or you prefer to spin a story web in the style of fiction, you really can’t go wrong with taking the time to put some thoughts down on paper. Writing about, well, just about anything can be a great way to sharpen your English skills and express yourself all at the same time. Best of all, many types of writing will help you to stay in touch with your creative side. Creativity is often an under-appreciated part of learning, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted!

There are many ways to keep your brain busy during the summer; these are just a few ideas. No matter what, make sure that you’re doing something to keep your mind active during the next couple of months…you’ll be glad you did when the next school year rolls around!

Since many students are heading off to college for the first time in a couple of months, it seems like a good idea to mention a few things that you’ll want to remember when you’re moving into the dorms! As your school will be your new “home away from home”, you’ll want to make sure you have everything you need with you, so you’ll be prepared for college success!

5. Plenty of Notebook Paper!
Why do you need so much notebook paper? Because you’ll have to take lots (and lots) of notes to succeed at the college level! Many students don’t rely too much on note taking in high school, either because the material is very easy, or they don’t have a lot of classes where the teacher lectures extensively. In college, this will change very, very quickly. If you want to keep up, you’ll have to take good notes, so that you can review the material again later!

4. Phone Numbers and E-Mail Addresses!
One of the determining factors of whether or not you’ll do well in college is whether or not you’re happy while you’re there. That’s why it’s a good idea to stay in touch with friends from back home, as well as family. Doing so will help you to avoid being homesick, which can only lead to problems! When you’re happy where you are, you’ll find yourself putting forth a much better effort, so don’t forget to stay in touch with friends and family to avoid homesickness!

3. A Sturdy Backpack!
College textbooks aren’t just expensive; they’re also very heavy! Since you’re going to be lugging those monstrosities all over campus, you’re going to want a nice, comfy, sturdy, dependable backpack. After all, you don’t want to be the only one who shows up for Literature class without their textbook! Even your tutor can’t help save you from the wrath of your professor, if you leave important class materials in your dorm room (all the way across campus!).

2. A Computer!
If possible, it’s a great idea to bring a computer with you to school. Sure, there are computer labs, but they can be quite busy, and very inconvenient as well. If you have a big paper due and need to get some work done, it’s nice to be able to shut the door to your dorm room and get your paper completed without the distractions you may have in a busy computer lab. Also, if you bring your computer, you can use it to e-mail family and friends, as well as do all sorts of research on the internet! You can even use your computer to work with your online tutor!

1. Your Work Ethic!
Academics at the college level can be very intense. That’s why you’ll have to bring your “A” game (no pun intended) if you’re going to emerge from the experience with your degree a few years down the road. College is a lot of fun, and you’ll probably have a great time, but don’t forget your primary purpose! At times, you’ll really have to buckle down and focus on your work, so be prepared to do so!

It’s sad but true: we all make mistakes. I, of course, am no exception, and although I’ve done a pretty good job during my school career, I do wish I had done a couple of things differently. Here is another edition of “Tales from the Classroom”, with the top 5 mistakes I made while I was in school.

5. I Worried Too Much About the Little Things!
In school, especially once you reach junior high and high school, it can be easy to spend a lot of time worrying about your appearance, your reputation, or what the cute boy or girl with the locker next to you thinks of you. My experience has now taught me that, while it’s important to take pride in your appearance and get along well with others, it’s not worth it to agonize over who will ask you to the dance! All of that ends up taking care of itself if you simply be yourself! You’ll have more fun and be more successful if you just be yourself and let the rest fall into place!

4. “Cramming” for Exams…
This is one of the worst things that high school and college students do, and I was no different. Studying for a huge test the night before and staying up until 5 a.m. won’t get you many A’s on test day! Instead, study your material on a daily basis, with regular cumulative review sessions. Ask your tutor for even more study tips!

3. I Skipped Breakfast Too Often!
This may seem like a joke, but it’s a pretty serious matter! It’s important for students to be well-fed before a long day of learning! I remember waking up late and having to rush to school, skipping breakfast in the process, many times. However, on those days, I found it hard to concentrate in the hours before lunch, as my stomach was grumbling and all I could think about was how hungry I was! Get your day off to a good start, and you’ll be a better learner!

2. One Word: Procrastination.
Too many term papers, book reports and assignments I had over the years suffered and never reached their full potential because I waited too long to start on them! As you get into high school, teachers will start giving you long-term assignments and projects to test your responsibility level. Pace yourself on these huge tasks, get homework help ahead of time and work on big assignments little by little! There’s nothing worse than having to read a whole book the night before class, or rushing through a term paper! You’ll get a better grade and save yourself a whole lot of stress if you get your work done early.

1. I Didn’t Want to Ask for Help!
I don’t know if it’s a macho thing or not, but for a long time I refused to ask anyone for help. Occasionally, I’d raise my hand or approach the teacher’s desk to ask a question, but more often than not, I would stubbornly work for three times as long to figure out a problem myself instead of just asking! Now, I’ve had the experience of working with a tutoring service, and I understand the importance of asking for help! I never would have gotten through calculus without it…at least, not with my sanity intact! If you want to succeed, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

We talk a lot here about how students can sharpen their educational skills in the summer months, but it’s important to know that teachers can do the same thing, so they’ll be not only rested and refreshed, but also ready for the next school year. Here are some handy tips for teachers who don’t want to be rusty when fall comes.

Learn a Few Things Yourself
One of the best ways to become a better teacher is to keep learning yourself! By taking up a new interest, reading books or studying new things, you will keep your own brain active and come across tidbits and experiences that will help you in the classroom. Being a lifelong learner is a great way to avoid stagnancy in your life and your career, and there’s nothing worse than a stagnant teacher who has given up on introducing new ideas to the classroom!

Incorporate New Things
In keeping with that idea, make sure you pull out those dusty old lesson plans this summer and change a few things up. It can be easy to fall in love with the way you do things and become reluctant to get out of a comfortable rhythm, but teaching the same lessons each year is also a very easy way to become burned out! You definitely don’t want that to happen, and students can tell the difference between a teacher who is bored with their work and one who is excited to teach something new. Since your students will take an attitude similar to yours, incorporate some new material to your lessons that you can get excited about!

Do Something Completely Different
I know that I advocated working on new lesson plans and learning new things, but it’s also important for teachers to get completely away from their work for a while. Many teachers like to do this by taking a part-time job, going on a vacation, or just by relaxing! Really, the choice is yours, but make sure that along with doing necessary things to get ready for another school year, that you also take a little time just to recharge your batteries.

Take a Few Classes
Summer can be a great time for teachers to further their education. For instance, you can take a class or two towards your Master’s degree, or even a class or two on new technology that you can incorporate in your classroom. There are also ways you can enhance your classroom experience by taking courses specifically geared towards your subject- for instance, art teachers can take a class in photography or advance pottery, and music teachers can brush up on their knowledge of a particular instrument. These are all great ways to accumulate some new knowledge into your teaching routine. Also, by becoming a student again, even for a little while, you can get back in touch with what it’s like to be on the other side of the teacher’s desk, which is truly a valuable perspective to keep in touch with.

One of the hardest problems to overcome, especially in high school and college, can be having to work with people in the classroom that you don’t necessarily get along with or have much in common with. Since education, much like many areas of life, requires teamwork to succeed, it’s important to overcome these differences in order to achieve your goals.

Any student who’s attended their fair share of days in the classroom has worked with teachers that they didn’t always see eye to eye with. However, it’s important to remember that your teacher is on your side- he or she wants to see you succeed! After all, it’s their job to help instill you with knowledge and foster your learning experience so that you’re ready to progress with your education. Even though you may have different personalities or ideas on how things should be done, you should never doubt the fact that your teacher wants you to do well.

If you think about it, your teacher and you are really a team of sorts. After all, it’s hard to think of too many things in life that we do completely on our own. You may be working on your homework on your own (unless you work in a group or with a tutor, of course), or preparing for and taking tests on your own, but your teacher is helping to guide you and instill you with the knowledge you need to succeed in these situations. Often times, they are guiding you through the proper steps to put your best foot forward. It’s hard to imagine how learning could take place without the guidance of teachers.

Similarly, your tutor and you form a team as well. An online tutor or tutoring service is there to help you reach your goals. The reason that these resources can be so helpful is that tutors have been students themselves, and have learned techniques that can help you retain the information you need to know, which is a powerful advantage in the classroom, indeed! There are methods for everything- performing in sports, playing an instrument, cooking a dish- and learning is no different!

Finally, it’s important to work well with your classmates. You will find that as your education continues, you’re required more and more often to “team up” with classmates to work on projects and other assignments. Unfortunately, you’ll also find that you won’t always see eye to eye with the students that you’re working with! Perhaps you’ll have other ideas of how things should be done, or maybe you’ll find that they want to work less hard than what you’re accustomed to. Regardless of the differences, it’s important that you overcome them for the common good of getting a great grade.

Group assignments and projects aren’t just a way for the teacher to frustrate you. They’re a simulation of what you will go through often in your future career, as well. In most jobs, you’ll be required from time to time, or even constantly, to work well with others, regardless of your personal feelings toward one another. You’ll be often asked to work as a team with them, with your boss, or with customers as well. That’s why it’s important to learn teamwork early in your education!

Teaching can be a difficult career, there’s no doubt about it. However, there’s also very few careers out there that are as satisfying and rewarding as teaching. That’s why, each year, some of the best and brightest students in the country choose teaching over many other career options, many of which would be much more lucrative. Here are the reasons why many students feel that teaching is the best job in the world!

5. Camaraderie Among Educators
There’s a special bond among teachers, or even between anyone involved in educating young people, such as professors, administrators, tutors, faculty and coaches! There’s something about the practice of dedicating your life to improve the future of the youth that brings people together, and helps you to form bonds and friendships that last a lifetime. There’s also no better way to be involved in a community than to educate its young people! For this reason, teachers are among the most well-known and beloved people in any community.

4. Great Benefits
Much is made by the comparatively low salary of teachers compared to other college educated workers, but teaching does have great benefits. Teachers qualify for great health insurance, and many states offer other benefits, such as tuition forgiveness or reimbursement for teachers that go on to work in certain areas or teach certain subjects. You can’t beat that!

3. Two Words: Summers Off!
What else can I say? Even though teachers do spend a lot of non-school days working on lesson plans and other tasks, it’s still worth mentioning that they receive summers off, and get a few weeks off during winter holidays! This is also great for teachers with families, as they will usually be free to spend time with their school age children when they aren’t in class!

2. Doing What You Love
All the salary, benefits, and time off in the world wouldn’t matter if teachers didn’t simply love their jobs. One of the sadly overlooked aspects of careers is figuring out whether you would enjoy your work or not. After all, even with a good salary, it’s not a whole lot of fun to spend all day Sunday dreading the beginning of another work week. Simply put, if you love your career, you’ll be a much happier person. Imagine being excited to go to work, instead of wishing the morning would never come! Teachers love their jobs, which makes all the hard work worth it.

1. You Can Really Make a Difference!
Along with getting enjoyment out of their jobs, teachers also feel a fulfillment that very few other careers can give you. Watching a student who had previously struggled start to find his or her way and really succeed is an experience like no other, and it’s what keeps teachers coming back to teach year after year. When your working days are retired and you reflect back on all the time you spent on the job, will you feel as if you accomplished something important? Teachers never have to ask themselves such questions, as their job is among the most important in the world!

It’s not uncommon to hear a student say that they simply don’t do well on tests. Most times that you hear this sort of statement, it’s not in reference to any particular class at all. Instead, it’s meant to mean any kind of test for any kind of class.

Since tests are a fact of life for students and aren’t going anywhere soon, it’s important that students learn proper test taking techniques. After all, tests determine large portions of students’ grades, and in some cases, determine the whole grade for a particular class! With so much riding on getting a proper education, it becomes very clear that test taking skills should be a top priority for any student! Here are a few tips on how to perform better during tests.

Take a Deep Breath!
The vast majority of students who have trouble with tests are experiencing problems because of the amount of pressure associated with taking them. There’s no question that even thinking about taking a test can make even the best student’s palms get a little sweaty. However, this just means it’s even more vital to relax. Try to find some relaxation methods that work for you. This can be as simple as taking a deep breath or as complex as learning different meditation techniques to be used before an exam. I knew a student in college who did this, with great results.

Since all people are different, find out what works for you. One thing you shouldn’t do is put extra pressure on yourself. Try not to keep looking at the clock, and try to clear your head of anything but the work at hand! Trust in your own knowledge and you’ll be fine!

Let the Teacher Know
If you have trouble with specific types of test, especially if it’s related to a learning condition or learning disability, it’s important to discuss this matter with your teacher! Teachers don’t want to see you fail, they want to see you succeed, so if there are certain issues that are keeping you from doing better on tests that have nothing to do with the material itself, they will want to know. Often times, certain changes can be made to exams, such as allowing students to take them in a room by themselves, or taking oral exams instead of written exams, and these changes can make all the difference.

Make Sure You’re Prepared
One of the best ways to relieve test day anxiety is to know that you are absolutely prepared for that exam. This will give you the confidence you need to approach the test in a calm manner. If you know that you didn’t put the time in that you should have while preparing for a big exam, it’s only natural that you’re going to be nervous and on edge during it! However, if you’ve done your homework, so to speak, and studied with a tutor or worked on your own, you’ll be much more confident and focused heading into the exam.

Many students are graduating high school and getting ready for college at this time of year, and next year’s seniors are likely whittling down their short lists of possible colleges and universities. This makes it a particularly opportune time to highlight just a few of the many wonderful institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Whether public or private, large or small, there are many great places for the leaders of tomorrow to develop the experience, critical thinking skills and training they will need to live wonderful, productive lives. Today, we will explore a few examples of great schools of all types.

Before we get to the colleges and universities we’d like to talk about, let’s cover the last several articles that you may have missed. Recently, we discussed why students shouldn’t take the summer off from learning, how to find great books for summer reading, and how to use the internet to help foster learning and growth. Also, we talked about how summer jobs can help students in and out of the classroom, how to incorporate different cultures into lessons and schoolwork, and a few suggestions of great books to reading to toddlers.

Now, let’s get on with our list of top 7 liberal arts colleges and universities that you may want to consider!

1. University of California-Berkeley (located in Berkeley, California)

This public university has a rich tradition for students to aspire to- after all, eight Nobel Prize winners are faculty members. Degrees from bachelor’s all the way up to doctoral level degrees are offered at the University of California-Berkeley, and the campus is located close to San Francisco, which provides easy access to many cultural opportunities for students. The university offers a lot of financial aid, helping to keep the indebtedness of graduating students fairly low, especially for such a high quality institution.

Wheeler Hall, University of California Berkeley

The University of California-Berkeley provides a great place for students to learn and have fun, as Cal sports teams are always among the best whether they are men’s or women’s sports. Between the wonderful academic programs and the great setting of the college itself, this university is always a top choice for graduates.

2. New College of Florida (located in Sarasota, Florida)

New College of Florida, or NCF, is consistently in the top few (or at the top of) public value colleges year after year. A demanding academic program and affordable tuition help to attract students from Florida and beyond, and the system of “academic contracts” that students enter into allow them to become more focused and accustomed to working close with faculty members.

Jane Bancroft Cook Library, New College.

An NCF education seems to encourage further learning for graduates, as well. NCF is always among the top colleges in terms of graduates who go on to earn a Ph.D. The campus is located along the Gulf of Mexico in the area of southwest Florida, and provides easy access to Sarasota and Tampa, where art and culture await for NCF students.

3. Loyola Marymount University (located in Los Angeles, California)

Loyola Marymount University, founded in 1911, is a great school for academics that isn’t quite as hard to get into as some other top universities, but still provides challenging coursework for students. Consistently ranked as one of the top colleges in the west, Loyola Marymount University is also rated as one of the top 10 most beautiful campuses by the Princeton Review.

Ethnic diversity is also a source of pride for Loyola Marymount University, as the campus is known as a very culturally diverse one. Loyola Marymount is also a progressive school- for instance, the law school is the first in the state to require pro bono work.

4. Grinnell College (located in Grinnell, Iowa)

Grinnell College is located in the heart of Iowa, and offers small class sizes (most classes have less than 20 students) and a campus with a true “community” feel. Grinnell isn’t just a place to feel like home, but also a place to succeed academically, as it is ranked among the top private colleges in the entire nation. Of course, Grinnell is not just a place for great academics, but also a very physically fit college. One-third of Grinnell students compete in intercollegiate athletics.

Financially, Grinnell is a great school as well. Grinnell has the 7th largest endowment per student among all public and private higher learning institutions in the United States, and is devoted to making sure that all students get the financial aid they need to attend. Best of all, parents can send their kids to Grinnell without worrying about crime or big city distractions.

5. Rice University (located in Houston, Texas)

Rice University is the most prestigious college of the south, and is known as a school where students will learn to be independent, critical thinkers through rigorous academics and thought-provoking coursework. Rice offers a variety of great academic programs and is known as a school that churns out some of the country’s most promising young people.

Rice University Campus.

However, even though Rice is a private school, this type of value won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Actually, Rice has the lowest tuition of private schools that are highly selective, and guarantees to meet the entire amount of demonstrated need for any given student for four years. This kind of financial aid allows Rice’s students to enjoy the lowest debt burden among highly selective institutions.

6. Amherst College (located in Amherst, Massachusetts)

Amherst College is noteworthy for its interesting approach to education requirements, as students at Amherst are generally free of pre-conceived requirements and are more or less free to chart their own educational voyage. Students enjoy this philosophy nearly as much as they enjoy the generous financial aid packages that Amherst offers, making the college accessible to all different types of students. Speaking of “all different types of students”, Amherst is also known as a very diverse campus that prides itself on its multicultural appeal.

Amherst College Campus.

Variety isn’t just found in the composition of the student body, but also in the many organizations available to join, which number over 140 in all. Amherst has been around since 1821, and the faculty and students alike take pride in the college’s great traditions and history.

7. Cornell College (located in Mt. Vernon, Iowa)

Cornell College is located in the heartland of the country, and provides a surprisingly progressive outlook on education amongst a traditional midwestern backdrop. Cornell is notable not just for its relatively high admissions standards and great academics, but also because it is one of only a handful of colleges that has students take only one course at a time.

Cornell College Campus.

This scheduling, sometimes known as block scheduling, allows students to fully immerse themselves in any given subject for a complete month, before moving on to another subject the next month. This allows students and faculty alike to focus on mastering one subject at a time, and provides everyone involved with opportunities that other colleges can’t provide, such as being able to spend a class abroad or take class trips. The college, which is often confused with Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, is also notable for its beautiful campus and location in a charming Iowa town.

These are just a few of the many wonderful colleges and universities that today’s students have to choose from. It’s definitely true that if a student chooses one of these fine institutions, they simply can’t go wrong!

For many students, a summer job is a no brainer, since they have more available time in the school year and would like to make some extra cash. However, what many students don’t realize is that there are many other benefits to a summer job besides just the paycheck. Here are some ways that a summer job can actually help students perform better in the classroom.

Developing Responsibility
One of the best aspects of summer jobs for students is that they allow students to develop a high level of responsibility. A summer job encourages a different type of responsibility from what is typically required in school. After all, no one is forcing you to work, unlike school, which is mandatory for most young people. No, working a summer job is usually a choice made by the student based on the fact that they will benefit from their own hard work. Just making a decision like that shows maturity on the part of the student!

Of course, a summer job will teach a student as much, if not more, than school will about being on time, working hard to get tasks done, and working with their peers under the supervision of an authority figure. Once learned and practiced, these skills will carry through to the school year and help the student perform better than ever!

Learning on the Job
A great way to develop learning skills is to simply keep learning, and a summer job helps students do precisely that. Sure, most summer jobs aren’t overly complicated, but they do involve doing new things that the student usually hasn’t done before, and learning to do these things in a way that is pleasing to supervisors and others. Even the simplest job will require at least some degree of learning, which will likely be more learning than the student will have done at the beach!

Real World Experience
Often times, students complain about school, wondering, “What does all this have to do with the real world?” A summer job is a great way to answer that oft-asked question. After all, once school is done, students will have to migrate to the work force, where if they don’t complete their education, many of the same not-so-glamorous jobs will await for them. When I worked at my first fast food restaurant, I had fun working with friends and made some extra money, but I also immediately realized the value of education! After all, I didn’t want to be doing work like that for the rest of my life!

Through getting a taste of the work force, students will realize the value of an education in a totally different way. Once they see that their hard work in school will eventually have very tangible rewards, they may find themselves more motivated and reinvigorated going into the next school year.

No matter how you slice it, getting a summer job is a great idea for any student. Just make sure that there’s still time to meet with your tutor!

With schools having students from all different backgrounds and cultures, it’s important for teachers as well as other students to celebrate the diversity that’s found in the classroom these days. Sometimes, it can be difficult to know how to help students embrace the diversity of other children’s backgrounds, and it’s certainly hard to figure out how to fit such a lesson like that in between multiplication and gym class! These tips provide helpful and easy ways to include multicultural learning and appreciation in your classroom without it being overly forced or out of place.

Use Holidays as a Platform to Teach Multiculturalism
While you can take a break in your summer vacations, taking out some time to study good books would not be something much hard. Some schools are rather conservative about celebrating holidays that are based on specific religions, but if you’re not able to have a celebration for a holiday, perhaps a short time spent explaining the holiday, its significance, and what is done during it would be a good idea. If it’s allowed, a little celebration during a specific holiday is a great way to get the students’ attention, while providing them with a tangible crash course in a different religion or ethnic background. Simple foods, games and other traditions can be utilized on a holiday to help students embrace different cultures.

Show and Tell, Multicultural Style
Show and tell is a game that usually is reserved for younger students, and this version would also work well with them. Instead of simply having kids bring in objects from home, try to get them to bring items that are significant to their cultural background. This can be a great way for students to open up with each other about their backgrounds, as well as a way for them to appreciate each other’s heritage. Of course, you can also provide information to go along with what the students say, or ask questions that lead to more information or discussion from those sharing.

For older students, this game can work as well. In fact, older students may be more able to really identify with and speak about their backgrounds than their younger counterparts. Their parents are also more likely to trust them with important family items or antiques. Just make sure you don’t tell them it’s “show and tell”! Also, as the teacher, you can bring in items that you find that represent different cultures, and plan a short lesson around them.

Find the Culture in School Subjects
Finally, it’s important that teachers today look for opportunities to talk about important social and cultural issues. For certain teachers, like history and social studies teachers, this can be easy. For others, it can be more difficult, but is still possible. Math teachers can discuss the backgrounds of important mathematicians, music class is a great place to explore different cultural sounds, science can easily be a platform to talk about the scientific contributions of many cultures, and so on. This is something tutors can do, as well.

As you can see, if it’s truly a priority to you to talk about many different cultures in your classroom, it’s something that you can do. If you make an effort to include an appreciation of differing cultures as a lesson that is learned in your classroom, your students will be much better for it.