How to Prepare for Law School in Undergrad

Prelaw students begin preparing for law school early. Some as far back as high school and middle school. But most don’t start preparing in earnest until their university days, when their professional future and goals are coming into focus. Like many graduate professional programs, law is extremely competitive, academically rigorous and demands a strong spirit. Undergrads who hope to not only get accepted but succeed in the cutthroat world of legal studies need to steel themselves well ahead of time.

To do so requires a balance of cultivating the right skills, pursuing the best opportunities and—as any law school student will tell you—thorough research. 

Develop the “Write” Skills

Being a good lawyer means more than just becoming a brilliant legal mind and rhetorical shark. Those abilities are rooted in specific skillsets law students must develop. Primarily writing and research, but also communication and other soft skills. Critical thinking, analysis, attention to detail and the patience to parse through complex legal documents are all skills that take time and effort to strengthen. Your undergraduate courses will naturally start building on these but make a focused effort to work on the skills you need for law school.

Take courses that require heavy research or long written assignments. Explore research opportunities outside the classroom. Pursue extracurriculars or join clubs that challenge you. For instance, try participating in a debate club or writing contests that puts you in competition with others. Law school will most definitely test your battle skills, too!

Develop the right skills (writing, reading, research, critical thinking, analysis. Take the right courses yes but also pursue the right opportunities, i.e. research, extracurriculars, clubs etc.)

Explore Your Career Paths

There are hundreds of paths within the field of law to choose from, and it is worth thinking about where you want your legal career to take you. Perhaps you already have a destination in mind, or you’re open to exploring the possibilities. 

Whether you have a set career goal in mind or not, it’s worth thinking about why you want to pursue law school. Law school personal statements are powerful tools in your application, and the more engaging your story, the better.

If you’re not sure where to start, many universities have prelaw advisors or prelaw organizations that can help you. This is a prime opportunity to start building relationships with your professors or find a prelaw mentor who can write you a recommendation letter for law school. You’ll also gain access to more opportunities where you can get legal experience, such as summer programs, internships or even volunteering experiences. A prelaw advisor can also point you in the direction of on-campus prelaw clubs or upcoming law forums and events that might interest you.

Connect With Your Major

It might surprise you to learn that law schools don’t have strong preferences for any one undergraduate major. In fact, law schools admit students from almost all backgrounds, and there are actually very few designated “prelaw” undergraduate degrees. 

Some undergrad majors help prepare you for law school of course, such as economics, political science, business and criminology, but there are plenty of law students who come from mathematics, sciences and humanities backgrounds, too. 

The key here is to choose an undergraduate major you can excel in. Law school acceptance rates are hugely competitive, and presenting a high GPA is a must. Law schools want to see that you can handle a rigorous academic courseload, because they won’t take it easy on you. Choosing an undergraduate major that interests you, engages you and challenges you is more likely to mean you are passionate about your learning and earning better grades. This translates better to law school admissions than picking a “law-related” major.

Get to Know the Law

It’s key to research law programs as an undergrad. Not just so you can build a list of schools to apply to, but so you can understand what being a student of the law is like. Law schools encourage potential students to visit and take the campus tour, to connect with current law students and ask questions, and to attend law forums and learn more about the legal profession. All of this research will help solidify for you whether law is the right choice for you, and which programs are your top selections.

Law schools also value applicants who have some experience with the law already. Through internships, job placements or extracurricular activities, you can demonstrate that you have exposure to the profession. Many prelaws find work as paralegals or legal secretaries to gain some experience before applying to law school.

Prepare for the LSAT

If you plan to apply to law school straight after graduating, you should include LSAT prep in your plans. Prelaws often study for and take the LSAT in their final years of undergrad, and the test is not something you can prepare for overnight!

The LSAT, or Law School Admissions Test, is commonly required to attend law school, and is regarded as one of the toughest exams out there. Students can dedicate 4-6 months to LSAT preparation, and this while you need to juggle your studies and keep your grades up. Unless you plan to take a gap year before law school and take the test then, start preparing a solid study plan early.

Structuring Your Essay: Building a Solid Foundation for Coherent Writing

When writing an essay, creating its structure is one of the most important things you will have to do. In fact, the way you structure your essay could affect the way you actually write it. If you don’t plan well, you could end up with a mess of an essay. Hence, here’s how to structure your writing correctly and build a foundation for your essay with the help of an outline.

#1 Know the Basics

First and foremost, you need to know the basics before you start structuring your essay. At its core, every essay can be broken down into three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Each part has its own purpose:

  • Introduction – This is where you introduce your topic and make your thesis statement if you have one.
  • Body – This is the biggest part of your essay where you present your points, explain concepts, make arguments, and so on.
  • Conclusion – This is the final part of your essay where you sum up everything you talked about.

#2 Break Down into Sections

Once you have mentally separated your essay into three main parts, you can further break it down into sections. The introduction and conclusion usually don’t need this because they are relatively short, but you should definitely break up the body of your essay.

Depending on your essay type and the topic you will be writing about, you may want to have more or fewer sections. You don’t need to have subheadings for your sections, but if it is an essay on the longer side, your educator might ask you to add them. You can already name your sections while creating the outline.

#3 Make a List of Points

Before you can structure your essay, you need to decide what you want to write about. This is why you need to make a list of points on the topic that you want to cover in your essay. Just write them all down in a separate list and brainstorm additional ideas if necessary.

You can then review the list to cross out any points that you think aren’t relevant enough to bring up in your essay. You can already group your points to make it easier for you to add them to your structure during the next step.

#4 Fill Out the Outline

Once you have a comprehensive list of points you want to cover in your essay, you can fill out the outline with them. Some points may be more suitable for the first section while others could be more appropriate for the section right before the conclusion.

If you are unsure whether you are structuring your essay correctly, you can get help from a professional writer from the writing service Trust My Paper. They will help you throughout the entire process and give you tips on essay writing.

#5 Use a Logical Approach

The way you structure your structure should be logical – you can’t let it be a stream of consciousness. The way you add points to your sections should make sense. Here are some approaches you can use for structuring:

  • Chronological – Recount events in chronological order.
  • General to Specific – Present points from general to specific ones.
  • Compare and Contrast – Compare or contrast different aspects of a topic.
  • Problems-Methods-Solutions – State the problems, choose the methods, and offer possible solutions.
  • Level of Importance – Discuss arguments based on the level of their importance (more important to less important or vice versa).

#6 Add Details and Specifics

Now that you have a rough version of your outline, you can improve it in different ways. First, add details and specifics to it. If there is a relevant piece of information related to a particular point in your outline, add it in. It’s like a note to yourself so that you don’t forget to write about this information when writing the essay.

#7 Move Around Parts

Another way you can improve your outline is by moving around parts. Once again, it should make sense for them to be structured in a particular way, so only move them if it is logical to do so. Moving around parts can help you create a foundation for a more dynamic and interesting essay.

#8 Remove Redundancy

There may be some things in your outline that are redundant, so just remove them. Don’t be afraid to do so, especially if you have a word limit. You can also remove redundant parts during the writing process. To help you write the essay itself, you can use the Write My Essays AI tool which has a number of features specifically created for students.

#9 Review Before Writing

Before you start writing your essay, make sure to review your outline one last time. Does the structure look logical to you? Are there any other improvements you can make? Are you ready to sit down and finally write your essay?

#10 Adapt as You Go

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to change things during the writing process. You need to adapt as you go. If you are writing your essay and realize that something in your structure doesn’t make sense, you can still change it. Don’t stick to the outline so strictly.

Final Thoughts

All in all, structuring your essay shouldn’t be too difficult if you know what you want to write about. You should simply organize your thoughts and create a backbone for everything else you write. Use the tips in this article to help you structure your essays well.

Benefits Of Keeping A Blog As A Student

For today’s college students, finding ways to hone their skills and connect with others is essential. You might think of blogging as something that people did back when the internet was less sophisticated. And, you may be turning to more contemporary and popular forms of social media, such as TikTok, to connect and hone ideas.

However, building a blog while a college student still has many benefits. From honing your writing skills to creating a portfolio for specific career paths, here are the reasons college students today should consider having a blog

Where To Get Tips On How To Write A Blog 

Before learning some of the potential benefits of keeping a blog as a student, it’s worth noting where you can get help with blog writing and writing in general. Most likely, your school has some sort of writing center that can serve as a valuable resource for basic writing skills. You should utilize this resource whether you’re already a proficient writer or more of a beginner. 

You can also check out notable grammar websites such as Purdue Online Writing lab. And, for learning how to write a blog specifically, check out resources like The Blog Starter

Benefit 1: Build Your Writing Skills

Knowing how to write well is a valuable skill regardless of your major. And, if you are in any field where you’ll often communicate ideas, continually working on being a better writer is vital. If you’re majoring in something like English, communications, philosophy, etc., having somewhere to grow as a writer will pay off.

Even for many science and social sciences majors, being able to present ideas logically and thoughtfully will come in handy, both in school and later on in your career.

Benefit 2: Express Yourself With Less Pressure

Even if you want to build an audience as a writer, a blog is often less pressure than keeping up with a social media account. So, you can think of your written blog as a way to find your own voice and express your thoughts and creativity without worrying about being an influencer. 

While you’ll still want to be conscious of how you present yourself online, you can have a little more fun with things without the pressure of posting multiple times a day. 

Benefit 3: It Can Help Your Mental Health

College is often a fun experience, but it’s also highly stressful for many students. It’s common for people in college to deal with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. The prevalence of mental health issues has increased even more since COVID-19. 

While writing a blog is no substitute for mental and psychical health services from professionals, it can still serve as a healthy outlet to work through some feelings. Of course, if you’re going to use a blog more to express your thoughts and feelings, it might be better to keep it more private. However, you can also use a blog to connect with others going through similar struggles and life phases as you. 

Finally, there’s a chance you could make money off of your blog or use it as a jumping-off point for other career tracks. 

Overall, most people probably won’t see a lot of money from their blog at first. This means it can benefit your life and writing skills without the added pressure of turning the blog into a side hustle.

How To Write A Successful Fiction Novel

Writing a fictional book is a major undertaking that lets your imagination roam as you construct characters and build a different world. There is no exact way to write a successful book, but the tips in this article will get you off and running. 

Have Passion For The Story

Many writers have a list of book ideas that they haven’t developed yet. But go over your list and find one that makes you feel most passionate – start with that novel. 

Most writers do their best work when they are passionate about the story, plot, and characters. In fact, many decide to make it a labor of love and even print and distribute their own novels

Write What You Want To Read

It usually doesn’t work to write a book that you think would be a hit. Or write a novel that you think a relative would like. 

It’s better to think about books, movies, and shows you love. If you love mysteries, then you probably aren’t the one to pen a science fiction novel. 

It also may not be an exact genre, but you may be attracted to certain characters or kinds of voices. So whatever you love, write about that first and foremost. 

Make 3-D Characters

Let’s say you write about an aggressive insurance salesperson who cheats on his wife. This is interesting, but it’s easy to fall into making him a stereotype. So instead, you need to make him into a complex or 3-D character

Describe how he looks and his size. For example, the aggressive insurance salesman is also over six feet tall, weighs 230 pounds, and drives a black Corvette. 

It’s essential to provide visual clues to the reader to develop the character in their mind.

Write Daily

The best writers have an outstanding, dedicated writing habit. This means they write every day. 

How you write is up to you. Some authors have a word count they must hit every day. For example, the rumor is Stephen King composes a minimum of 2000 words daily. 

Other writers are in a writing group. This holds you accountable and keeps you motivated. You shouldn’t worry if the things you write aren’t very good at first, or if you have trouble filling the page. 

Every writer finds that some times are easier to write than others. But there is no doubt – the more often you write, the easier it becomes. 

Introduce Main Characters And Themes

Many writing experts say you should introduce the main characters and themes in the novel’s first part. If you are composing a piece of genre fiction, you should make sure every theme and plot is introduced in the book’s first part, which is usually the introduction. 

Create more themes and characters in the second part. Then, resolve all the mysteries, themes, etc. in the last third. 

Provide Motivation For Each Character

Making real, fleshed-out characters can be challenging. So, as you compose each scene, ask yourself what the character wants at that moment. 

When you understand what the character wants to do, feel, or accomplish in every scene, you will be better able to write in a convincing way that intrigues the reader. 

Carry A Notebook With You

Experienced writers say you should always have a notebook with you. Short-term memory can only retain data for about three minutes. So unless you write down an idea, you could lose your fantastic story idea forever.

Remember these writing tips, and you will be sure to write a successful novel.

4 Ways to Find Writing Jobs on the Internet

Are you having trouble finding consistent writing jobs? Sometimes, being a professional writer can feel like wandering in a desert looking for water. Even for seasoned authors, finding decent freelance writing projects may be tough, and entering the market can be daunting.

So, where can you discover your working oasis if it’s typically dry out there? Continue reading to learn about the top four ways to locate writing jobs on the internet.

1. Classic Job Boards

Traditional job boards are the best place to hunt for a full-time writing career. You may occasionally locate freelance writing work on regular job forums as well. Some examples of online job boards would be LinkedIn, Monster, JOBTOPGUN, or Indeed.

Also, always be sure to create an alert for writing jobs! Writing is becoming increasingly popular as a career now and, for every job ad, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of applications. Apply for opportunities as soon as they become available to increase your chances of success.

2. Make Use of Your Network

While networking within your social contacts may seem like an old-fashioned approach, this is one of the most underutilized methods of locking in writing gigs. Leverage your connections! According to Columbia University studies, most people are connected to at least 600 other people.

It is extremely probable to find someone you know who works in your field. If you don’t, someone will likely be able to introduce you. Begin telling everyone you know about your new profession as a freelance writer and let them know you are open to new clients. You’ll be everyone’s go-to source for material once you’ve distinguished yourself as a writer in your community.

3. Creative Staffing Firms

For authors, creative staffing companies are a great resource. While their job ads are mostly for short-term assignments, they do occasionally offer full-time writing positions. In addition, many organizations choose to fill creative roles with temporary-to-full-time employees. This might be an excellent approach to get your foot in the door of a good firm.

To contract with most creative agencies, you must have some prior experience. Typically, you will apply to the agency. If they want to see your application, you’ll be scheduled for a brief interview with a member of their staff and if all goes well, they will add you to their freelancer database. They will then keep an eye out for opportunities that they will determine will be good for you and your talents.

4. Cold Pitching

An even more old-fashioned approach; become your own door-to-door salesperson! When you cold pitch, you reach out to potential clients with whom you have no prior contact and present them with your services.Cold pitchingis the most effective technique to find freelance writing employment, especially if you don’t have much (or any) experience.

You might also target consumers you know will benefit from your services. For example, if you’re a blogger, it’s rather simple to determine whether a customer requires your assistance. Consider sending them a pitch if they have an inactive blog.

Conclusion

One of the most difficult challenges for authors wanting to be compensated for their work is finding reliable, paid internet writing employment. Most of the time, “gigs” for freelance writing provide nothing more than publicity, which is unfortunately not how to make money as a professional writer.

Finding freelance writing gigs might be difficult, but you get to write the story of your writing career—and with the places listed above, you can help yourself discover (and be hired for!) your next job and find your happy ending.

What Is Academic Writing? Do’s and Don’ts for Students

Academic writing is a formal style of writing that is used by the academic community. For example, academic writing is used by universities and academic journals. If you want to publish your article in a peer-reviewed journal, you should stick with the academic style. Students need to use the academic style when writing research papers, dissertations, literature reviews, essays, and other types of academic assignments.

In the opinion of betterwritingservices.com, the vast majority of American students avoid the stress of writing academic papers and prefer to buy them online from legitimate essay writing companies.

In this article, we will consider some specific features of academic writing in more detail and take a look at the main dos and don’ts of formal writing.

The Key Features of Academic Writing

First of all, academic writing should be unbiased and formal. All your claims must be based on evidence, and you cannot build your arguments around your personal opinions or assumptions. You can make your writing unbiased by presenting research results accurately, acknowledging the limitations of your own research, and addressing opposite viewpoints. The formal style of writing requires you to make your paper consistent in terms of logic and structure. Besides, you should avoid colloquialisms, clichés, and contractions.

Academic writing should also be precise and clear, which means that you must avoid vague phrases and statements that can be interpreted in different ways. Besides, you should avoid words like “perhaps” or “likely” because your arguments should be specific, and you should present them with confidence. We recommend that you read academic journals to familiarize yourself with the writing style and vocabulary.

Last but not least, academic writing must be well-structured and well-focused. Your arguments and all the information that you provide must be perfectly relevant to your general topic. The overall structure may vary depending on the type of paper and word count, but the structure of the content should meet some common requirements so that your paper will be easy to comprehend. For instance, each of your paragraphs should focus on a specific idea expressed in a topic sentence. Use transitional phrases to connect different paragraphs and include transitional words in sentences to indicate the connection between different ideas.

As you can see, academic writing is all about precision, clarity, and credibility. Therefore, you should also select reputable sources. While you might feel tempted to use any sources that support your opinion, you must make sure that your sources are actually credible and relevant. Use your university library and academic databases. Don’t forget to cite your sources according to the necessary citation format.

The Do’s

 

  • Write clearly
    Even though your academic papers might be dedicated to complex topics, you should make sure that they are easy to read. Your readers should understand exactly what you’re saying. Always start paragraphs with topic sentences and keep your sentences brief. Avoid complex terms if you can deliver the same information in a simpler way.

 

 

  • Stay objective
    Academic writing must be based on facts and logic. It should also be precise and not influenced by emotions. You need to present information in an objective and impersonal way. To stay objective, you must only use reliable academic sources and support all of your arguments with data. Avoid clichés because they will damage the overall clarity and make your writing less specific. Besides, you should only write in the third person.

 

 

  • Use various sentence structures
    Academic writing can easily become boring, especially when your audience needs to read the same long sentences over and over again. Moreover, long, overcomplicated sentences may make your audience think that you’re unable to formulate your ideas in an easy-to-understand way. In contrast, if you use short sentences only, you won’t let your readers reflect on the overall meaning, creating a sense of a rush. We recommend that you choose a well-balanced approach, using both long and short sentences.

 

 

  • Use technical vocabulary
    All academic subjects have a certain jargon, and you can use it to communicate your thoughts precisely. However, you should only use specific terms when you actually need them. Don’t try to impress your readers with complex words because this way, you will just make your text difficult to read.

 

The Don’ts

 

  • Avoid a personal language
    Although you may use the first person when writing admission and narrative essays, the use of the first person is generally prohibited in academic writing. Besides, one of your main goals is to stay objective so there’s no place for your personal perspective.

 

 

  • Avoid colloquialisms
    When writing academic papers, you should be especially careful with your word choice. While conversational English enables you to use some slang words and informal phrases, you should never use them in academic writing. We recommend that you read your paper once you’ve finished writing, and replace any colloquial language with appropriate forms.

 

 

  • Don’t use the wrong verb tense
    Students often change the verb tense by mistake, switching from one tense to another, even though different actions may take place within the same timeframe. You should always be careful with the verb tense because it indicates whether something happened in the past, present, or future. We recommend that you always check the verb tense when editing your papers.

 

 

  • Avoid inappropriate fonts and formatting
    When it comes to formatting, you should follow clear guidelines. There are different formatting styles used in academic writing, such as APA, Chicago, MLA, Harvard, and others. Every style has certain requirements regarding margins, fonts, and other details of formatting. Before you start to write your academic paper, make sure to check the rules of the required citation style and determine what fonts you can use, as well as what your headings, citations, and main content should look like.

 

Final Thoughts

Academic writing requires you to stick with the formal writing style and to express your thoughts in the most precise and objective way. All students have to be familiar with academic writing and use it when writing assignments. Even though academic writing is much more difficult than informal conversational English, it’s easy to master once you’ve familiarized yourself with some clear rules. We hope that this guide will help you avoid some common mistakes and write academic papers that will be appreciated by professors.

What Does a SEO Specialist Do?

The age of the internet gave way to a lot of new transformations. Today’s customers connect with brands through websites, social media, video, and more. They’re constantly shopping on their smartphones and seeking customer service through apps and online chat widgets. Modern businesses are responding to the age of the internet with the introduction of new services, updated marketing campaigns, and new strategies for reaching their audience. 

The digital landscape has even opened the door to a new era of professionals, focusing on things like how to make the most of your position on search engines like Google. After all, a higher position in the search engine often equates to bigger revenues and better opportunities for companies that can outrank their competition. Today, SEO specialists can be powerful allies for growing companies. 

What are SEO Specialists?

SEO Specialists are responsible for mastering search engine optimization, the strategy that companies use to improve their position on the search engine rankings. To succeed with this methodology, companies need to know how to use keywords to attract the right audience, build their site’s credibility with backlinks, and even produce amazing content to show thought leadership. Experts who specialize in SEO like Granwehr.com identify the techniques, strategies and tactics required to increase the number of visitors to a website and improve a site’s authority. 

These pros can generate more traffic for companies, which also leads to a better chance of increased conversions. At the same time, an effective campaign in the search landscape can also lead to better reputations for brands. There are different kinds of expert in this arena, but most of them know how to deal with programming so that they can ensure websites are accessible as possible for customers. These employees also know how to write original content for brands, run advertising campaigns to increase revenue, and make technical recommendations to developers. 

Could You Succeed in This Role?

The company or client you work with in this industry will often dictate how technical your job actually is. Some companies rely on their SEO specialist to deal with things like keyword strategies and creating content, but they hire other people to handle user experience updates to the website coding, and work with developers. You might also find that working with some companies requires you to branch out from focusing on the company’s website and search results. 

Many professionals who start off in the world of SEO end up working on things like social media and email marketing campaigns too. They might help to write content for guest blogs so that companies can earn backlinks or assist with creating content plans for things like videos and podcasts. There’s no one kind of person who’s more likely to succeed in a job like this one. However, if you’re planning on taking this route, it’s worth remembering that you’ll need to be committed to constant learning. With algorithms and trends changing all the time, failing to stay ahead of the curve could quickly mean that your search strategies become irrelevant.

How to Study Abroad in the US: Ways in Which Writing Services Will Help You Study

Writing an a+ essay while you are studying abroad is not always an easy task. This is the moment when you could use the help of essay writing service.  Those can provide you with a number of useful tips as well as show you the needed support when it comes to complicated assignments. Are you ready to learn more about essay writing services? Find more details about how an en essay writing service can help you study abroad and a review of APlusEssay service to see if it is a good company. 

How Essay Writing Services Can Help You with Your Studies 

Are you not sure about the top essay writing services being a good idea? It is understandable since there are many places that cannot be trusted with your assignments. 

  1. You can focus on your studies more. It can be hard to concentrate on subjects that are more important to you when there is always a lot of stress out on you when it comes to piles of homework that never end. 
  2. There will be more time for other things. Going to another country to study is always an interesting experience, so freeing your time for other activities will help you explore the new place and feel like a real citizen of this country. 
  3. It will be easier for you to adjust. Living far away from your home can be hard. This is why there is no shame in using the assistance of the experts with all the assignments you have to work on. 
  4. Your grades will remain great. Good grades are always a good motivation to keep studying, and essay writing service will help you with staying on track with that. 
  5. The level of stress will decrease. You should always take care of yourself, especially if you are in a place you are not used to. 

A + Essay Service Review: Is It Really Worth It? 

  1. Affordable professional essay writing service. A+ Essay is a place where you can get a paper for a price that won’t hurt your savings or budget. Here, you can purchase a high-quality paper for sale that will earn a good grade. 
  2. 24/7 help. This reliable essay writing service works around the clock, so you can get answers to any questions and any kind of assistance at any time. Not every essay writing service is ready to offer this feature, so it is definitely a great bonus for customers.
  3. Good reviews and positive feedback. Most clients of this trustworthy essay writing service are satisfied with what they get. If you read their reviews, you will see that most of them are positive. Around 98,5% of customers who have chosen this company have later received great marks. To learn more about the service, you can visit websites that review them and see what they have to offer yourself. 
  4. Great quality of assignments.  Your order will be completed according to all the instructions, which means that a good great is a guarantee. If you are not sure about the quality of the professional essay writing service, you can request samples of papers that will help you understand what kind of quality you should expect from the A+ service. 
  5. Fast completion of the orders. If you have a lot of upcoming deadlines, you should use this service to get done with your papers as fast as possible. A+ Essay offers quick and urgent delivery, and as you can see it from the reviews, those actually work. 
  6. Professional writers who will work on your assignment. With A+ Essay, you get a chance to work with a team of experts who can be called the true experts in this field. If there is something you don’t understand, you can always speak to them and explain your problem. 

Find the Right Assistance with Your Papers Now 

A good online essay writing service will provide you with all the necessary materials and assistance you need in order to keep achieving academic heights. APlusEssay is the top rated essay writing service that would be able to assist you with all kinds of tasks. There are many good essay writing services, and if you are ready to start working with one of them, APlusEssay is a good place to do that. Just keep in mind that it is very important to share your ideas and concerns with the service so they would be able to give you the best solution.

Correct grammar: is it possible in the era of messengers?

Young people communicate through text messages all the time. Many parents try to prevent their offspring from spending too much time online, but it’s hardly going to change any time soon. Another worry that unites preoccupied adults is the kids’ ability to speak and write English properly. The language kids use in their text messages is very different from the language the students are expected to use in their written assignments. So will the future generations learn to write properly or will texting change our language forever? 

One of the most prominent researches in the area was conducted by Clare Wood and Nenagh Kemp at Coventry University in the UK in 2014. While similar studies have been done in the past, it was the first study ever to consider the long-term consequence of frequent texting on the kids’ writing skills. To begin the study, Kemp and Wood asked 83 primary school students, 78 secondary school students, and 49 college students to provide them with all the text messages they’ve sent in the last two days. Consequently, the texts were analyzed to determine how often a particular student uses so-called textisms. After collecting the text messages, researchers asked the students to take several grammar, writing, and reading tests. Besides taking the test at the beginning of the study, the students were also invited to repeat the tests 12 months later. 

The results of the study came as a surprise: there was no correlation shown between frequent use of textisms and poor grammar skills among students. In fact, young people who used textisms more often performed even better than their peers and showed more improvement over the course of a year. While that was true for middle school and high school students, college students who used more textisms did achieve worse results than their colleagues, although the correlation was quite weak. 

So are fluent texters actually better at writing than students who don’t use textisms? It is still quite early to draw such conclusions. However, many scientists have their theories regarding the positive (or at least neutral) effect of texting on writing proficiency. 

According to John McWhorter at Columbia University, we shouldn’t be surprised by the results of the study. He claims that texting has nothing to do with proper writing. Instead, it’s a “spoken” language. Just like no one talks like they write their novels or essays, we aren’t supposed to use the same structures in texting and other forms of writing. One might argue that people used to write letters to each other and still used proper English for interpersonal communication. But texting has its own norms and culture. With texts, we can communicate through writing just as fast as we can communicate through talking. That’s why it calls for innovative language structures. Texting requires a language that is concise and expressive at the same time, which can be achieved by emojis and abbreviations. Punctuation or capitalization, on the other hand, are not helpful at all. 

The authors of the research support McWhorther’s claims and suggest that texting should be viewed as a new way of interaction with the language, not a threat to the old ones. Kemp says that texting can be considered as an additional literacy skill since it’s essentially expressing what you would say in speaking in the written form.

Interestingly enough, there’s also a plausible explanation of why texting has a more positive influence on younger children than on college students. When kids are learning how to write and how to text, they get familiar with the language by playing with it and finding different ways to express their thoughts. Abbreviations and symbols such as emojis are not exactly new kids have always been using them in their written notes and letters. Wood also brings attention to the fact that the majority of texting abbreviations are phonetically based. Therefore, by using them, children are practicing phonics a skill of understanding the relationship between sounds and letters that is widely taught in primary classrooms. So when children write “2” instead of “to/too” or “cya” instead of “see you”, they are unintentionally learning about the connection between sounds and letters that represent them.

If playing with the language really leads to better spelling and grammar among young people, it makes sense that college students who use textisms wouldn’t show as much writing improvement as middle school and high school students. That is because when we get older, we don’t see texting as a way to play with the language and find creative ways to use sounds and letters anymore. When we are adults, we don’t see it as an experiment, but merely a social norm and a way to fit in. 

So as long as the schools keep teaching children formal writing and grammar skills, grammar nazis can stay calm. Although most of the kids seem to understand it without further assistance, teachers should specifically mention when you have to follow all the rules and when it’s not that important. And if your children are struggling with grammar and writing, don’t blame texting. Instead, check out pendrago review that will help them become successful students and proficient writers.

How to Ace Your Upcoming Entrance Exam

The months leading up to your entrance examination could be the most pivotal of your life. After all, these months will require intense preparation and determine how well you do on the tests. These months are also the difference between smooth sailing on the test and abject failure. There are certain strategies you can use to ace the exam and get into the school. Here are the strategies and guidelines that you should follow.

Finding the Right Study Materials

It is almost impossible to ace an exam without careful preparation. That preparation starts with having the right study materials to help you gain all the insights you need about what will be on the exam. The first step to prepare for your test is to research the materials needed. You can even search for people who have successfully passed the test and ask them. You also have the option of asking teachers and other instructors who are familiar with that test. For example for the Praxis, a test you must pass to be licensed to teach after completing your college education, you can use Praxis Core Writing Practice tests. This type of smart preparation will put you ahead of the curve when it comes time to complete everything successfully.

Creating a Study Schedule

Cramming has been proven to be a colossal failure when it comes to passing and retaining information for tests. Your best bet is to space out your study schedule to learn as much information as possible, and you get the benefit of retaining all that information for your eventual courses. Focus on creating a schedule that is actionable and maintainable. It’s no use scheduling 18-hour days when you know you won’t be able to keep up with a grueling schedule. It is all about having something that won’t burn you out before the test. It would help if you also left ample time in that schedule for breaks and to clear your head.

Motivating Yourself

The schedule you got there won’t be enough. You also have to keep your study motivation levels up during those times when you’re feeling discouraged. Doubt and discouragement can come in many times during the process of studying for the test. You will question yourself and think about what could go wrong. This is where having a good group of people around you to help you prepare for the test comes in.

Getting a Social Group

Finding people who are also studying for the test can be the difference between success and failure. Since you are all working towards a common goal, you’ll be able to lean on each other during those times when one of you is feeling down. It is also a great way to learn new strategies from each other to help with preparations. If you have a good study group, you will end up being more effective than going at it alone. However, the opposite is true, and a bad study group can pull you down like a giant anchor weighing down a ship. The key thing to do here is to find a good group and provide value to them.

Be in the Best Condition Possible on Test Day

All your preparations mean nothing if you don’t show up ready to go on test day. Doing meditation the night and morning before taking your exam could potentially put you in the right mental state to be focused and confident during your exam. Another factor you should think about is your diet and exercise routine. Finally, the most important thing is to get enough sleep the night before you take your exam. It will keep you mentally ready and alert to do your best.