How Can You Keep Your Kids Safe At School?

As parents, sending our kids to school each and every day can be one of the most emotionally challenging things we do. We give up control of who we love the most, and sometimes there are serious dangers associated with the school environment.

These risks can start as soon as our kids get on the school bus. The school bus, particularly if your kid rides one that’s older and has fewer safety features, can be dangerous. 

Then throughout the day, there are a number of other possible risks, from dealing with bullies at school to the precautions kids with food allergies need to adhere to.

While as parents school might make us feel nervous, we do have to realize that teachers and administrators are doing their best to make it a safe environment.

Even so, are there things we can also do as parents?

School Bus Safety

If your child rides the bus to and from school, this is a good place to start focusing as far as helping to improve their level of safety. 

Work with your child, particularly if your child is younger, about how to be safe at the bus stop. This includes ensuring that you’re always on time, so no one is rushing. Rushing to the school bus can increase the likelihood of accidents. 

Your child should always stand at least three “giant” steps from the curb while they wait for the bus, and younger kids should have supervision until the bus arrives and they’re safely on.

Children should not ever walk behind the bus, and your child should learn that if they drop something, they should tell the bus driver before they try to pick it up. 

Other school bus safety tips that are important for kids to learn are:

  • Kids should always wait until the bus stops, and the doors open all the way before they approach to get on or stand up to get off. 
  • Teach your kids to use the handrail as they’re getting on and off the bus.
  • Don’t let your child have any hanging objects such as drawstrings when they’re getting on or off the bus. 

Learn the Procedures at Your Child’s School

Every school will have its own safety and emergency procedures and guidelines.

As a parent, learn what these are and regularly check in to make sure there are no changes or updates you need to be aware of. 

When you’re familiar with this information, you can then go over it with your child and make sure he or she will feel confident if certain situations arise. 

Your goal in helping your kids learn how to take proper safety measures should be encouraging them to be active, and take an active role in their safety instead of one that’s passive. 

Teach Your Kids When to Speak Up

Even the best teachers and school officials don’t see everything that might be happening. As a parent, your role in keeping your kids safe involves teaching them how to speak up when they see something that’s not right. 

Speaking up doesn’t mean tattling, and there are ways you can work with your child to differentiate these situations.  

Talk with your child about behaviors that aren’t safe or are unacceptable, and how to approach someone in charge when they see these things happening. 

If your child tells you something that seems especially harmful or dangerous, go directly to school officials. 

Be a Safety Advocate

Being involved is critical to make sure your child has a good school experience. 

As a parent, there are ways you can advocate to make the school environment safer for everyone. 

While many schools may have plans in place for certain situations, these may be in need of an update, or they may need improvements, and you can play a role in whether or not that happens. 

Ask school officials whether all staff have been trained in crisis response, and whether or not the emergency or crisis plans are reviewed and updated every year.

Talk to school officials about how they decide what’s developmentally appropriate for kids as far as crisis training. Has the school done a full risk assessment to determine and address what their vulnerabilities might be?

How does the school identify and deal with potential threats, including threats of violence from students, parents, or other people directly associated with the school?

Encourage Open Communication with Your Child

The more openly and honestly your child communicates with you, the more you will know about what’s going on at school. You’ll also be able to identify any red flags before they become larger problems.

A few tips for good communication with your kids include:

  • Don’t make your child feel judged for sharing their feelings. In younger kids, you can help them learn the right words to express what they’re feeling. 
  • Work with your child on problem-solving skills. 
  • Be honest when you communicate with your child if you hope for your child to do the same. 
  • Simply be available and willing to listen, whenever it’s needed. You can’t always schedule a time or structure time for a conversation. Your child will talk when they want to and are ready. 
  • Show your child you’re actively listening to what they’re saying.
  • Learn how to read body language and facial expressions. 

Keep Your Child’s Records Up to Date

Your child might have an allergy or health problem, and the only way for the people at the school to know that is if you communicate with them. Regularly check-in to make sure your child’s records are accurate and complete. 

Speak to teachers, the school nurse, and anyone else who’s relevant about what your child’s needs are and how you handle their mental or physical health conditions. 

It’s scary to let go of control as a parent, but there are things you can do to facilitate a safe school experience for your child through your active involvement. 

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Career Choices if You Love the Outdoors

Do you hate the idea of being cooped up in an office all day? Do you instead long to spend most of your time in nature? This might feel incompatible with settling down and getting a “real” job, but having a career doesn’t always mean you have to spend all your time in meetings and sitting in front of computers fiddling with spreadsheets. There are plenty of exciting jobs that maximize your time in the outdoors. In most cases, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree at minimum.

Think About Funding

Education can be expensive, so you need to start thinking about how you will pay for it. If it’s a graduate degree you are after, you should focus on programs that offer fellowships, assistantships or other opportunities for funding. If you’re entering an undergraduate program, you may have to take out student loans unless you have substantial savings. Even if you qualify for federal student loans based on need, these might not be enough. You can also apply for private student loans. Over the last decade, a number of private lenders online have made the process easier.

Strengthen Your Science Skills

Most of the career path jobs that you do outdoors are in the field of science. If you’re a high school student, you’ll want to get a good grounding in biology, chemistry and your other science courses. If you’re an adult who is considering a career change, you might want to look into taking some college courses to brush up. If your degree is another field, such as the humanities, you may have to take a number of courses to get the foundation you need.

Research

If you’re entering college as a freshman, you don’t have to decide immediately what you want to study, but it will be helpful if you go in with some idea. If you’re an adult making a career change, you need more certainty. Among the opportunities are biologist or wildlife specialist, botanist, park ranger or conservation scientist. If you’re more interested in growing things than studying things that grow, you might be interested in farming. While this can seem like an old-fashioned job, there are opportunities in smaller-scale sustainable and organic farming, providing high-end produce to farmer’s markets and restaurants. There are also jobs that may not be specifically focused on the natural world but which include a substantial amount fieldwork in the outdoors. For example, as an archeologist, you’ll spend a lot of your time digging outside.

Get in Shape

If you already love the outdoors, it’s likely you are already in decent shape, but if you aren’t, make this the incentive you need. You don’t need to be able to run marathons to work outdoors, but you’ll be much more comfortable in your outdoor job if you maintain a minimal level of fitness. Depending on the field you work in and your specialty, you might need to be prepared to do some hiking. Other jobs, such as farming and archeology, may require bending and squatting along with some upper body strength.

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Five Benefits of Creating a Virtual Learning Environment

Which one do you prefer? A virtual classroom or a traditional classroom? If you have many life commitments, a virtual learning experience is the best choice to further your studies. If you are yet to make this decision, too, here are five benefits you can expect from virtual learning.

  1. Convenient

A classroom setup operates within limitations of its location and time. That is, if you are not in class at a particular time and place, you cannot take part in the lesson. Yet, a virtual learning environment breaks such barriers. Learning can happen anywhere. Then, with various digital tools, you can record and replay the lesson at any time you want. For example, a virtual classroom at Roehampton University is possible on a desktop, laptop, or smartphone as long as one has access to the internet. Hence, this convenience means that a virtual classroom will have more participants, from all walks of life.

  1. Flexible Schedules

A virtual learning environment is flexible. You can take the lesson during a tea break or lunch break. Better still, participate in an education conference in your working hours. That way, your colleagues can take part in the class. This flexibility works best for students who also juggle work, family, and studies. In contrast, you can only attend a classroom set up at the stated lesson time.  

  1. Better Knowledge Retention

Most virtual lessons are in the form of short study packs with measurable goals. Plus, they are quite interactive. Meaning, you can switch back and forth to an area you have any learning difficulties. That is, you can bookmark the lessons you need to focus on some more. Then, the software uses your experience to sets up more practice exercises. In turn, it assists you to grasp the concepts faster. In the end, you understand and keep knowledge in a virtual learning setup better than in a classroom setup.

  1. Instant Feedback

Have you submitted your test online? You get your final score instantly. Plus, the evaluation comes with links to further resources. The same applies once you complete a topic. You can grade the issue depending on how well you understood it. That way, the learning platform will set for your reminders and goals on what you need to emphasize on. In a physical classroom, one tutor may struggle to give feedback to more student queries. For he has a packed course to deliver in a limited time to deliver his lesson.

  1. Better Engagement and Participation

Physical lessons allow for interactions through class groups and presentations. But a virtual learning platform raises the stakes even further. You get to chat with colleagues as you work on your assignment or project. Then, liaise with your supervisor to get clarification on any instructions that seem unclear. You get to do this at any time and place that is convenient for you. In the end, you will share, connect, and learn from your classmates in ways that are not possible in a physical class setup.

Conclusion

A switch from a physical classroom to a virtual learning environment can seem daunting at first. For you have to be tech-savvy to keep up with the digital tools. Yet, once you master the ropes, nothing can stop you from excelling in your studies. Try virtual learning today.

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TOK Essay Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students

TOK essay is an independent research work, the purpose of which is to systematize, consolidate, and expand a student’s theoretical and practical knowledge on a particular topic. Students can choose a topic independently or from a list of numerous options the teacher proposes. The volume of this paper is usually 1600 words. 

The main task of the author of the TOK paper is to demonstrate the level of scientific qualification and ability to independently conduct scientific research and solve specific scientific and practical tasks. This scientific content has an internal unity and reflects the progress of the selected topic development. Arguments and counterarguments form the basis of the essay. They allow expressing the author’s position and drawing reasonable conclusions.

Writing a TOK essay is not easy. The student must be able to formulate the purpose of the research, draw up an outline, conduct a bibliographic search using modern information technologies, etc. If you have difficulties completing the assignment, you can always contact professional writers and buy a tok essay online. The speed and quality of work will please you. However, if you want to cope with the task yourself, read the step-by-step guide below and learn how to write an excellent paper in just 5 steps.

Writing a TOK Essay in 5 Easy Steps

The execution of the TOK essay can be conditionally presented in the form of 5 interconnected stages. Each is described in detail in the following sections.

Justification of the Topic and Purpose of the Work

The first stage includes justification of the topic and purpose of the work. Choosing a topic is an essential point. The success of the essay largely depends on this. To make the right choice, it is necessary to pay attention to the scientific and practical relevance of the topic, required literature availability, materials for implementation, etc.

At the beginning of the work, it is essential to imagine the general result of the research, that is, its purpose. In addition, specifying the general purpose of research objectives should also be performed.

Determination of the Research Objectives

The second stage allows for determining the objectives based on the main purpose. It is important to think over the paper structure and outline. The outline should reproduce the work’s main content and structure – the form of its implementation. 

Analysis of Literary Sources 

The third stage includes the processing and analysis of literary sources. First of all, you need to study the literary sources and compile a bibliography. Bibliographic directories, reference catalogs, and library catalogs (both alphabetical and systematic) represent a good basis for an independent search of literary sources. Try to give the most important attention to periodicals, magazines, and newspapers. They often include the latest results of scientists’ research.

TOK Essay Writing According to the Structure

The TOK essay consists of an introduction, several paragraphs, a general conclusion, and a list of sources used. In the introduction, it is necessary to justify the choice of the topic, reveal its scientific significance and relevance, highlight the history of its study, as well as note controversial and unresolved issues of the topic.

The main body of the work consists of several paragraphs. Therefore, you should alternately provide arguments and counterarguments with examples here to support the stated position.

In the conclusions, try to concisely state the research results, recommendations, and suggestions for their practical use. Complete the work with a list of used literature.

Paper Proofreading and Preparation for Submission

The TOK essay is drawn up, reviewed, and prepared for submission to the teacher at the last stage. Found errors are corrected. Formatting of the paper according to the requirements takes place.

TOK Essay Writing Algorithm

The TOK essay writing process can be presented in the following sequence:

  1. Selection and justification of the topic;
  2. Identification and selection of literature on the topic;
  3. Clarification of the purpose and objectives of the research;
  4. Studying and summarizing the literature on the topic;
  5. Drawing up a preliminary work plan;
  6. Presentation of the text according to the structure of the paper;
  7. Conducting experimental research, summarizing its results;
  8. Formulation of conclusions and recommendations;
  9. Drawing up a list of used sources.

Concluding Remarks

Thus, a TOK essay is a work that allows a student to develop practical skills in scientific work, reveal the level of knowledge in a particular specialization or field, demonstrate the ability to think independently, as well as make generalizations and conclusions.

The process of writing a TOK essay involves several stages. The quality of the paper is significantly influenced by the skillful use of available theoretical and practical material. The selection of data, their critical understanding, and processing are critical in preparing and writing a TOK essay. Apply the tips provided in the article and cope with the assignment successfully!

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8 Hour Custom Essay Writing Service: Why Do Students Order Their Papers Online?

On the internet, you can find many companies like 8 Hour essay writing service that offer paid assignments done by professionals. Such services offer quick delivery and good quality, so often it is recommended for students to order their papers from them if it is too hard to deal with all the tasks. 

So can you actually trust such companies as 8HourEssay.com to do your papers? Here on this page, you can find more facts about such services and why students order their homework with them.

Essay Writing Service: Reasons Why Students Get Their Homework on the Internet

There are many services that offer top quality and low prices, but can they actually be trusted? Many students are spending their money on getting their papers done by the essay writing service. Are they actually as good as promised? Here are some of the reasons why young people are using their assistance: 

  • It helps to save time. With the help of a writing service, you don’t have to spend all of your free time on homework since it will be done by the best experts. Instead, you will be able to do things you always wanted to but couldn’t. 
  • Papers will be highly graded. When students decide to buy their assignments with the online help, they trust their homework to the professionals who will be able to do the task on the highest level possible. This way, students will get much better grades and will be able to improve their GPA. 
  • It’s cheaper than hiring a tutor. Of course, tutoring services are often one of the most effective ways to achieve academic heights, but it can be pretty expensive as well. Online homework help is affordable and cheap, so students will not have to spend all their savings on it. 
  • New knowledge and skills gained from the best experts. Whenever you get an assignment written in perfect American or British English, you can be sure that it is done correctly. With trustworthy specialists from 8HourEssay.com, you will learn about how to do different types of papers and complete them with ease. 
  • You will be get done with all your assignments quickly. When you buy a paper online, you can manage all of the essays in short terms. You can just ask the writer to write your essay by a specific date, and you will not have to worry about deadlines anymore.
  • Students will be able to handle even the hardest assignment like a dissertation or any other college assignment. The reliable essay writing service will know how to do even the most complicated task. You will not have to stress out about difficult papers that will take too much time to complete.
  • Less stress. Everyone knows how stressful school can be. This is why when you decide to turn for help to the writing services, you can decrease the amount of stress in your life and get enough rest.

Deal with Your College Assignments with Ease 

Many students are complaining about their homework since there is often not enough time for anything else. This is why one of the best solutions is to turn for help to the professional writers from USA and UK. 

There is a variety of services that are rated as one of the best, including Rushessay and 8HourEssay.com, that will write your paper fast. Just send your “Help me with my homework” message to the support team, and they will assist you with your assignment right away.

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When To Start Preparing Your Child For College: The Earlier The Better

Yes, some parents are starting the journey to higher education when their kids are still in elementary school. Are they crazy? No, they understand that a good education starts with a foundation created when they are young.

Though there are great public universities and the more you put into an education the more you get out, it does pay to go to upper echelon schools. Getting into MIT is not easy, for example, so you need to start the process early. Take a look at Going Ivy to get an idea of what is required.

Take advantage of a child’s ability to learn at every stage of the learning process and you will put them on a path to academic success. 

Here are some tips on how to start your child’s higher education while they are young without burning them out.

 

Make learning fun

When learning feels like a chore, then the battle is already lost. Kids should be excited to learn and develop a curiosity about the world around them that lasts a lifetime.

Share your own passions with your kids to let them know that learning doesn’t stop as you get older. If they see you diving into a subject you are really interested in then kids will follow with their own interests. 

Another way is to always look for opportunities to learn about the world around them. When out on a walk, encourage them to find some bugs on the way and then talk about what the bug does and why it’s important for them to exist. Talk about the weather and how it works. Kids love understanding how the world works and this will foster a curiosity in many other areas.

 

Don’t put pressure on grades

Their grades are obviously important but the act of learning has a greater impact on their future. If you put pressure on them to get good grades, it makes learning stressful for them.

They should be rewarded for getting good grades but more importantly rewarded for learning. The grades are just a way of understanding what areas your child needs to work on and not a way to prove their worth.

Lighten up the pressure and let them learn and enjoy the process without the added pressure to perform.

Good grades are important but more when they get to middle school, not so much in elementary.

 

Find your child’s learning style

There are three main types of learning styles: kinesthetic, auditory and visual. Find the one that your child most responds to and focus their learning there.

For instance, kinesthetic learning is where kids learn from being active rather than listening or reading. They learn by doing and while moving around. If your kid has trouble sitting still then he or she is likely a kinesthetic learner. Don’t try to make them learn in another way as it will have the opposite effect. 

Visual learners will need to see something to learn from it and likewise auditory learning requires hearing it. 

 

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Changing Career at 40 – It’s Not Too Late

Just because you are 40 or over, this does not mean that you have to stick with the same career for life. It’s entirely possible to move on if you are prepared to plan carefully and put some hard work in. 

There are several things that you need to do if you want to change careers when you are 40 or over. Actions you need to take include checking with experts such as onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au, to find any additional training you may need. You also need to think about why you want to change careers and what you want to achieve. 

Why do you want to change careers? 

If you are feeling trapped by your current career, or are simply no longer motivated, you need to understand why. This is important as you have to make sure that any career choices you make help to address the issues that you have. 

For instance, you may relish the idea of being more creative or you may want to have more responsibility. The things that excite or interest you should form the central part of any career path that you take. 

What achievements would you be proud of? 

Most people like to have something they can be proud of at the end of the day. You need to decide what would give you a sense of pride. You may decide that creating unique designs is appealing, or you may like the idea of helping someone to deal with their problems. Whatever you focus on needs to give you the pride that you are seeking. 

You should also make sure that these factors are matched to your skills. After all, if you have no artistic flair then interior design is unlikely to be a good career for you, no matter how much you like the idea of it. 

Be prepared for hard work 

There is no doubt that retraining for a new career, once you have reached middle age, is not easy. If you need to learn new things in order to change career, you should be prepared to put in a lot of effort. 

Of course, many employers are happy to take experience into account as well as qualifications. This means that some of the skills that you already have may be transferable to a new career. 

The value of networking 

One of the best ways to start on a new career path is to use the network of contacts that you have. They may have valuable advice that you can use. They may also know of opportunities that you can take advantage of. It’s also worth trying to expand your network, by attending events in the local area, or online networking sessions. 

Do you really want to leave? 

This is a question that only you can answer. You may think that you have decided that you definitely want to move on from your current career.

However, the situation may change if you speak to your boss about your thoughts. If you are a valuable member of the team, they may be prepared to give you what you need in order to make your current role more satisfying. If this happens, you may prefer to stay where you are. 

It’s clear that it’s not too late to change career, even if you have reached the age of 40. You just need to plan and train effectively. You also need to make sure that a change is really the best option for you. 

 

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Benefits of documentation and creative writing

Writing is often deemed as a cathartic activity. For young adults and teenagers, writing is arguably one of the best activities one can indulge in.

It doesn’t matter what sort of writing or reading you’re into; what matters the most is that you’re making an active endeavor to integrate this activity in your lifestyle and daily activities. To help you get there, or to provide more momentum, this segment is directed towards highlighting the many benefits that this activity brings for the user!

Simply speaking, the benefits and advantages of these presents are endless. However, we’ve highlighted the top few ones that we believe are the most influential. 

A subtle form of therapy  

There are several studies and research done on the matter of reading and writing, especially when done by young individuals. The general conclusion that the bulk of the authorities arrived at stated how writing could be a form of therapy for young kids. 

This is primarily attributed to the fact that writing enables self-expression and acknowledgment of how you’re feeling in the present moment, which can often lead to self-actualization. 

Helps improve vocabulary

We’ve all been there. Once you get the hang of writing, you’ll want to get better at the craft. To help you get there, users often integrate a thesaurus into their daily reading.

By writing daily or indulging from time to time, you’re paving the way for an improved vocabulary, which will also carry over to your speaking spills. 

Fuels imagination and creativity 

Writing is a continuous process. Once you get into the groove, the collective process of writing can help you be more elaborate with your thoughts. If done consistently, various patterns of thinking can inculcate creativity in an individual.

Furthermore, this also triggers the subconscious mind to actively seek out more connections in the real world so that you can write about it. Long story short, writing is a great way to increase your imagination and creativity, especially when it comes to the arts. 

Asserts self-confidence  

Writing is also reputed to assert self-confidence in young adults. This is because writing gives the user a voice that they can assert and acknowledge. For a lot of individuals, this can help build self-confidence down the road.

This can go a long way and can help individuals aspire for more down the road. Programs such as Immerse education often lookout for individuals who are good with words and are confident in their abilities. 

Encourages empathy 

When writing, users are often encouraged to put themselves into their character’s shoes. This helps build empathy and makes individuals more accepting of others and accepting diversity. 

This is an attribute that should be encouraged in all. Writing is one way you can go about it. 

Conclusion  

The countless benefits that writing offers are priceless; you can’t put a tag on it. Regardless of your age, this is one activity that you should actively seek out and engage with if you want to keep your mind young and fresh.

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Everything You Need to Know Before Choosing to Default on Your Student Loan

Once you take out a student loan, the only way out is to repay it. Defaulting on the loan will only bring negative consequences to your financial life. However, is it possible for borrowers to default and get a reprieve for their actions?

Some people believe it’s possible. In fact, a sizeable number of borrowers have already defaulted on their loans as a way of protesting the worsening student loan crisis. Others have done it hoping to clear the debt through bankruptcy. Regardless of the reason, defaulting on loans come with serious negative consequences, which is why it’s crucial to understand you are about to get into before going down this road.

This article examines the student loan crisis, what protesters are saying about it, and how defaulting on your loan can affect your finances.

Do the Pros of Defaulting Student Loans Outweigh the Cons?

Student loans are at an all-time high—$1.56 trillion—and this is from about 45 million Americans. However, Forbes says at least 1 million graduates default on their federal student loans every year. On the other hand, Brookings Institution predicts that around 38% of those who enrolled in college between 2003 and 2004 will default their loans by 2023.

This begs the question, at what point is one considered to be a defaulter or a delinquent? For federal student loans, delinquency occurs after missing a single payment and becomes defaulted 270 days after the missed payment. For private lenders, the rules vary. However, the timelines are much shorter. For instance, you’ll be considered a defaulter on a CommonBond student loan three months after missing a payment

Many borrowers who end up defaulting on their loans do so because of financial constraints. This is in addition to a lack of basic money management skills. Having said that, some borrowers make a conscious decision to default as a way of protesting the industry. According to Lee Siegel, the increased default rate is an indication of the need to change the current system of higher education and lending. The author adds that this move would expose the Department of Education and the collection agencies as greedy vultures. 

He continues to say that this may force the Congress to think of a certain universal education tax which would make college education affordable. Siegel and millions of Americans consider the student loan system to be an immoral one. In fact, several student loan activists label this as “economic terrorism.” According to them, a mass default seems to be the only way out. 

However, as much as a mass default would attract massive attention, its feasibility is questionable. This is because to default means putting the borrowers’ finances at risk; in fact, their finances will take a serious hit.

Student loans aside, some borrowers default on other payday advance loans to wipe their debt by reaching a settlement with the lender. The latter is difficult to achieve with a student loan, but that’s not to say it’s impossible.

If you choose to reach a settlement, some debt collectors and private lenders may agree to settle should you default. A collector may agree to a certain reduced sum if you have a private student loan.

However, there’s only so much time for a private lender to seek legal action. In fact, the lender cannot seek legal redress to collect once the statute of limitations expires. 

While defaulting on private student loans might seem like a great idea, chances are you’ll have to make several appearances in court. Even worse. you may not get a favorable outcome. It’s wise to seek alternative strategies such as repayment assistance, forgiveness, or student loan discharge.

Why Defaulting on Student Loans May be a Problem

It doesn’t matter what your thoughts are about college costs or the student loan industry at large, you’ll have to deal with numerous negative consequences should you consider defaulting. Remember, private lenders can sue you and demand full repayment.

On the other hand, the federal government has several ways of collecting. They include:

  • Blocking you from ever receiving financial aid in the future.
  • Preventing you from selling or buying real estate.
  • You can lose eligibility for forbearance, deferment, or any other repayment plan.
  • Demanding full and immediate interest and balance repayment.
  • Suing you for any costs associated with the collection process.
  • Garnishing your wages, Social Security benefits, and tax refunds.

These are just some of the methods the federal government may use to pursue you. In addition to these consequences, your credit will take a massive hit due to the lender reporting your missed payments to credit bureaus. This will stain your credit for at least seven years and will affect your financial future, considering the poor credit status you’ll get from this situation. Loans will carry high-interest rates, that is if you can qualify in the first place.

Also, if a cosigner helped you to get the loan you defaulted on, their credit will suffer negative consequences.

Therefore, before you take the step to default on your student loan, take the time to understand the negative consequences of waiting on the other side. This applies to both you and anyone else on the debt.

Strategies to Use to Repay Your Student Loan

No one defaults on purpose, especially with the knowledge of the negative consequences that will follow. The problem is finances are probably tight, which means paying bills and keeping up with monthly payments is almost impossible. Are you already a defaulter?  Consider loan consolidation or refinancing. Research different student refinance rates that meet your needs for terms and rates to help you get back on track with your payments.

On the other hand, if you’re still paying off your loan, but having a difficult time, consider various strategies to help manage your debt so as to avoid missing payments. If you have a federal student loan, take a look at these repayment plans:

  • Extended repayment – This plan lowers your monthly paymenhttps://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loansts, which means your repayment period will go up to 25 years.
  • Income-driven repayment plans – With these plans, you can adjust your monthly payment to 10, 15 or 20 percent of your discretionary income. 
  • Graduated repayment – This plan will lower your monthly payments and later increase them and spread them throughout 10 years.
  • Forbearance or deferment – This will only be possible for those who qualify. For instance, you could be going back to school or be in great financial hardship.

Pausing or lowering your monthly payments gives you more room to breathe financially. As a result, there’s no need to worry about defaulting on your student loan or denting your credit.

Federal student loans offer multiple options for repayment options. However, private lenders don’t offer such flexibility. Nevertheless, you can still find some who can let you pause your payments through forbearance or deferment. It’s important to first consult your lender on whether they allow such benefits before defaulting.

Student loan refinancing is also a worthy consideration, regardless of the type of loan—federal or student. By refinancing, the lender may lower the interest rate, thereby saving you money. Furthermore, you also have a chance to choose new loan terms.

Keep in mind, this option is only available to borrowers with solid credit. If you don’t have it, consider getting a cosigner. In addition, you’ll lose federal protections if you choose to refinance federal loans, a risk you may not be ready to take.

Regardless of which loan you’re repaying at the moment, there are ways you can use to repay them. They may be burdensome or seem unfair, but managing your debt will help you overcome this burden fast and without going into default.

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Harvard Essay Formatting and Style Guide for Students

Harvard Essay Formatting and Style Guide for Students

Essays are hard enough to write to begin with, but writing it according to the Harvard Essay format is a whole other beast on its own. If you look at any Harvard Style sample paper, you will realize that it is not just a matter of stringing a couple of sentences together in paragraphs, the structure takes on a life of its own. 

From the cover page to the final page, everything has a place and a specific format in which it has to be written. Regardless of how difficult or technical the Harvard formatting rules are, getting to know it is non-negotiable. 

If you want to enter any major university, admission essay topics for Oxford University, for example, all require a Harvard essay format. It might seem tedious and unnecessary, but it gives a certain distinct appearance to all their essays which is professionally pleasing. 

Whether it’s controversial topics or anything general, handle it with professionalism and never make biased statements or write something that’s offensive. Choosing the right topic is a gamechanger. 

The cover page

The Harvard formatting style requires a very specific format for the cover page or title page. If you look at a Harvard sample paper, you will notice a couple of things. Firstly, the title is always written around the middle of the page in All-caps. 

Secondly, the name and surname of the author are written in small letters three lines below the title. Thirdly, there is another four-line gap and from here you start to write the class, the name of the professor or lecturer, then the name of the school, thereafter comes the city and state and lastly the date. 

Each of these entries is always written on their own line. Once all this info is put in the right order, you can move onto the actual essay.

Putting things in paragraphs

As a novice or an expert essay writer, it sometimes becomes unclear where you need to split your paragraphs. With Harvard formatting, paragraphs also need to adhere to a certain structure. This can be either difficult when your ideas are complex, or it can take the thinking out of your paragraphing and guide you with ease. 

According to the Harvard writing style, the first section is supposed to be captivating and entertaining. It should capture the reader and lead them to want to read further. From there Every paragraph’s first sentence should tell the reader what the paragraph is all about. 

The rest of the paragraph should support the opening statement and the last sentence should summarize what the whole paragraph stated. If the writer wants to highlight certain points or add a bit more structure, he or she can make use of subheadings to introduce subtopics. These subheadings should always be written in italics though. 

Citing and technical formatting in a Harvard Essay

There are many citing formats around, but it makes sense that a Harvard essay would use the Harvard style for in-text references. 

When an author’s work is cited, the author’s surname and initials are used, as well as the year of publication and the page that was referenced. The full citation with the books title and publishing details are then written at the end of the essay in a separate section. 

When it comes to the technical formatting, it is very rigid in what is expected. The essay should always be written in Times New Roman at size 12. Double spacing is always to be used to make the text easy to read and the left-hand margin should be smooth. 

If you struggle to keep to the formatting style, you could always make use of an online essay helper or customessaymeister.com. This will ensure that your essay adheres to the quality that a Harvard essay requires. There isn’t much room to change to the format since it is a format used for the highest quality of essays. 

Transitioning between paragraphs

As mentioned earlier, the Harvard formatting style requires a certain structure to the paragraphs. Putting it all together can become tricky, but on the other hand, when your paragraphs fit into this structure, then you know that your ideas are solid. 

This makes it easy for the reader to follow your train of thought and easier for you to get your message across. 

Generally, a Harvard paragraph has three sections, namely a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a closing sentence. 

The closing sentence is dual purpose as it serves the function to summarize what the paragraph was all about and then also introduces the next paragraph. This affords your essay an easy flow and logical order that the reader can follow. 

To conclude

If you are serious about your academic writing, then you don’t have much choice in the matter. At first, the format is tedious and you will often become frustrated at the rules that you have to follow, but with everything new, it becomes easier as you practice. 

In the end you will come to appreciate the effort that it took for you to master the Harvard formatting style. Your essays will take a step up in terms of its professionalism, purely based on the aesthetics of your paper. When your essay looks professional, it almost also testifies of the quality of the content of your work as well. It testifies of your character and the effort that you put in. 

Author Bio:

Michael Turner is an academic writer helping students with their thesis, dissertation, and college essays. His has a tremendous level of writing skills and loves to share his expertise with budding writers. In his free time, he unwinds by doing yoga, cooking and playing ukulele.

 

 

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