Finding a Chemistry Tutor in San Diego

Finding a Chemistry Tutor in San DiegoWhen you are looking for a chemistry tutor in San Diego, you will be happy to know that there are a few options. There are various colleges that offer this type of tutoring service. You just need to pick the one that is the best fit for your needs.If you are not yet sure about which school to select, you can visit your local library and peruse the books that have been written on the subject. This will give you an idea of what kind of tutor you will get. Once you have decided, then it is time to fill out the online application form. Be sure to include your full name, your home address, phone number, your age, and when you would like to start your tutoring program.It is important to get your contact information right since this is how your teachers will be able to reach you. Fill out the forms completely so that the teachers and your teachers can find you.After you have submitted your application, a teacher will call you to set up an appointment fo r you to come to the school. Make sure that you bring a list of questions that you want answered and your schedule to make sure that you have enough time to complete your work.Once you have scheduled your first appointment, you can feel free to make other plans for your tutoring appointments. Make sure that you let the teacher know if you have other commitments or if you would like to cancel your first appointment.If you are unable to get the time off that you need, it may be in your best interest to make available scheduling appointments during the times that you normally work. This way, you will not lose out on the income that you would otherwise earn. If possible, set aside a few hours each day so that you will have more time to complete your work.Always keep in mind that being a tutor is a lot of work that has to be done in a certain amount of time. You need to be very careful when scheduling your appointments and make sure that you do not over extend yourself. You should rememb er that you will not make enough money with a chemistry tutor in San Diego.If you want to learn how to become a tutor in San Diego, there are a lot of options available. You should make sure that you do all of your homework in order to find the perfect school for you. The good news is that there are a lot of options available so that you will not have any problems finding a tutor in San Diego.

New Years Language Challenge Video Pledges (Part III)

New Years Language Challenge Video Pledges (Part III) See Who’s Taking this Year’s Challenge If you are taking this year’s challenge we’re  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge.Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And don’t forget to sign up for yourself, and get 2015 of to a great start! This is  the second blog listing of New Years  Language Challenge Video Pledges.  Watch the videos from the previous posts below. Weve had so many that its better to just make multiple posts so they dont get too long! Part I Here Part II Here Iván Vallés Pérez  from the Spain is learning  English Iván is a data analyst and is taking the challenge  because he wnats to improve his English fluency. His goal is to be able to speak to English speakers without any problems and is committing to taking two 1 and 1/2 hour sessions per week for the Challenge! Please cheer him on here. Holly from the United States is learning French. Holly is going to graduate school in Paris  next year, so she wanted to improve her French as quickly as possible.  Her goal is to speak with a native french speaker for 1 hour a week for the next 6 weeks.  We wish her the best in the challenge and hope she finds her experience in Paris to be very rewarding.  Cheer her on! Amy from China is learning French and Portuguese. Already fluent in English and Chinese, Amy has been taking French for a year and wants to add Portuguese to her repertoire as well. She wants to to be able to speak in French for 30 minutes with a native speaker without frustrating the other speaker.   With regards to Portuguese, she has the same goal but only wants to speak for 5 minutes.  Wish her luck! Mr. Coffee from France is learning English. Mr. Coffee wants to improve his English over the next 6 weeks.  He hopes to come as close as possible to being able to speak like a native English speaker.  English is certainly not an easy language to learn so we wish him all the best in his  endeavors.  Cheer him on! Zhang Drawping from China is learning English Zhang Drawping (who also goes by the name of P!nk Zhang) hails from Shenzhen, China and is a Product Designer for Fisher Price. She wants wants to improve her English over the next 6 weeks. As you can tell from the video, she already speaks very well but still feels like she can speak more fluently as she needs to use her English for work. Her goals are to improve her confidence and fluency. Please everyone cheer her on for this challenge! Aravinth from India is learning German Aravinth is starting from scratch and speaks no German and he hopes that this language challenge will give him the ability to reach A2 level German and the ability to understand very basic German conversation. Were always impressed with challengers who begin a new language from scratch! Send him some words of cheer her on as we all know how hard it is to learn a new language from scratch Pierre Bredel from Brazil is learning French and English Pierre Bredel should be given a medal. This is his 3rd consecutive Language Challenge. Hes finished and made Public Video Pledges for the past 2 challenges as well. Hes continuing with his English and French studies and hoping to bring both languages to the next level. Send your words of encouragementto Pierre and wish him the best! Nancy Wang from the United States is learning Chinese Nancy is another past winner of our previous Language Challenges. She actually participated in our 2014 New Years Language Challenge (view her 2014 Public Video Pledge here)and won that and is now taking her Chinese to the next level by taking on this years challenge. Shes at a solid intermediate level and wants to improve her natural speaking and listening ability as well as her self-confidence speaking Chinese. Give her some words of support here! Click here to view her 2015 New Years Challenge Public Video Pledge here Lauren from the Barbados is learning Korean We got our first Video Public Pledge from Barbados! Lauren is learning Korean because shes always wanted to learn the language but has never really gotten around to it. Another very important reason is that she really wants to understand her Korean dramas (and not wait until the English subtitles are added). After the Challenge she also hopes to be able to have a conversation in Korean. Cheer Lauren on here by commenting on her Notebook entry! AndrewR756 from the United Kingdom is learning Russian and Vietnamese AndrewR756 wins the award for most unusual language pair that he is learning for the Challenge Russian and Vietnamese. Hes going to be doing this as well as an hour of listening each day. He also pledges to do an after video once the Challenge is completed. Were all rooting for you! If youd like to send him some words of encouragement, please comment on his Notebook entry here! Mulliro from Brazil is learning Russian Mulliro is a Community Tutor on italki and teaches Portuguese As you can see and hear in his video, he already speaks at a basic level but he really wants to bring up a level. but hes also taking the Challenge to really improve his Russian. Please cheer him on by leaving a comment on hisNotebook entry here! Maxine from the United States is learning Spanish Maxine has always wanted to learn Spanish and will be travelling to Spain in May. Her goal is a very practical one she wants to be able to use Spanish when she travels to Spain in bars, restaurants etc Shes picked some very popular teachers so she will try to fit in as many sessions as she can when they are free. Please  cheer her on! Tom from the United States is learning Italian and Russian If you need some inspiration on learning a language, you need to watch this video. Tom is a Polyglot and this is his 4th straight Language Challenge where he is now taking on Italian and Russian. As he states in his notebook entry, For the previous ones, I have improved my french and Norwegian. (Norwegian) The previous challanges have helped me alot to speak more quickly, travel in europe, and find friends I otherwise wouldnt have met at all. Tom is one of those inspirational challenger that you aspire to be. Please cheer him on for this challenge! Hes only learning 2 languages this time around ?? New Years Language Challenge Video Pledges (Part III) See Who’s Taking this Year’s Challenge If you are taking this year’s challenge we’re  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge.Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And don’t forget to sign up for yourself, and get 2015 of to a great start! This is  the second blog listing of New Years  Language Challenge Video Pledges.  Watch the videos from the previous posts below. Weve had so many that its better to just make multiple posts so they dont get too long! Part I Here Part II Here Iván Vallés Pérez  from the Spain is learning  English Iván is a data analyst and is taking the challenge  because he wnats to improve his English fluency. His goal is to be able to speak to English speakers without any problems and is committing to taking two 1 and 1/2 hour sessions per week for the Challenge! Please cheer him on here. Holly from the United States is learning French. Holly is going to graduate school in Paris  next year, so she wanted to improve her French as quickly as possible.  Her goal is to speak with a native french speaker for 1 hour a week for the next 6 weeks.  We wish her the best in the challenge and hope she finds her experience in Paris to be very rewarding.  Cheer her on! Amy from China is learning French and Portuguese. Already fluent in English and Chinese, Amy has been taking French for a year and wants to add Portuguese to her repertoire as well. She wants to to be able to speak in French for 30 minutes with a native speaker without frustrating the other speaker.   With regards to Portuguese, she has the same goal but only wants to speak for 5 minutes.  Wish her luck! Mr. Coffee from France is learning English. Mr. Coffee wants to improve his English over the next 6 weeks.  He hopes to come as close as possible to being able to speak like a native English speaker.  English is certainly not an easy language to learn so we wish him all the best in his  endeavors.  Cheer him on! Zhang Drawping from China is learning English Zhang Drawping (who also goes by the name of P!nk Zhang) hails from Shenzhen, China and is a Product Designer for Fisher Price. She wants wants to improve her English over the next 6 weeks. As you can tell from the video, she already speaks very well but still feels like she can speak more fluently as she needs to use her English for work. Her goals are to improve her confidence and fluency. Please everyone cheer her on for this challenge! Aravinth from India is learning German Aravinth is starting from scratch and speaks no German and he hopes that this language challenge will give him the ability to reach A2 level German and the ability to understand very basic German conversation. Were always impressed with challengers who begin a new language from scratch! Send him some words of cheer her on as we all know how hard it is to learn a new language from scratch Pierre Bredel from Brazil is learning French and English Pierre Bredel should be given a medal. This is his 3rd consecutive Language Challenge. Hes finished and made Public Video Pledges for the past 2 challenges as well. Hes continuing with his English and French studies and hoping to bring both languages to the next level. Send your words of encouragementto Pierre and wish him the best! Nancy Wang from the United States is learning Chinese Nancy is another past winner of our previous Language Challenges. She actually participated in our 2014 New Years Language Challenge (view her 2014 Public Video Pledge here)and won that and is now taking her Chinese to the next level by taking on this years challenge. Shes at a solid intermediate level and wants to improve her natural speaking and listening ability as well as her self-confidence speaking Chinese. Give her some words of support here! Click here to view her 2015 New Years Challenge Public Video Pledge here Lauren from the Barbados is learning Korean We got our first Video Public Pledge from Barbados! Lauren is learning Korean because shes always wanted to learn the language but has never really gotten around to it. Another very important reason is that she really wants to understand her Korean dramas (and not wait until the English subtitles are added). After the Challenge she also hopes to be able to have a conversation in Korean. Cheer Lauren on here by commenting on her Notebook entry! AndrewR756 from the United Kingdom is learning Russian and Vietnamese AndrewR756 wins the award for most unusual language pair that he is learning for the Challenge Russian and Vietnamese. Hes going to be doing this as well as an hour of listening each day. He also pledges to do an after video once the Challenge is completed. Were all rooting for you! If youd like to send him some words of encouragement, please comment on his Notebook entry here! Mulliro from Brazil is learning Russian Mulliro is a Community Tutor on italki and teaches Portuguese As you can see and hear in his video, he already speaks at a basic level but he really wants to bring up a level. but hes also taking the Challenge to really improve his Russian. Please cheer him on by leaving a comment on hisNotebook entry here! Maxine from the United States is learning Spanish Maxine has always wanted to learn Spanish and will be travelling to Spain in May. Her goal is a very practical one she wants to be able to use Spanish when she travels to Spain in bars, restaurants etc Shes picked some very popular teachers so she will try to fit in as many sessions as she can when they are free. Please  cheer her on! Tom from the United States is learning Italian and Russian If you need some inspiration on learning a language, you need to watch this video. Tom is a Polyglot and this is his 4th straight Language Challenge where he is now taking on Italian and Russian. As he states in his notebook entry, For the previous ones, I have improved my french and Norwegian. (Norwegian) The previous challanges have helped me alot to speak more quickly, travel in europe, and find friends I otherwise wouldnt have met at all. Tom is one of those inspirational challenger that you aspire to be. Please cheer him on for this challenge! Hes only learning 2 languages this time around ??

Going Off to College Setting Up a Budget - TutorNerds

Going Off to College Setting Up a Budget - TutorNerds How to Set Up a Budget for Going Off to College Many recent high school graduates are getting ready to go off to their first year of college. In addition to the academic and social transition students will face, they will also need to start managing their money. This will be a big difference for kids who primarily had their money managed for them by their parents during high school. Some students may have had a part-time job where they began to learn the value of a dollar and how much things cost as compared to how easy or difficult it is to earn that money. Either way, its important for college kids to set up a budget so they can manage living expenses, additional university fees, and student loans. 1. Personal Banker Most college students don’t speak with a personal banker, but theres no reason why they shouldnt. Almost every bank will offer personal banking services, and some bankers specialize in student bank accounts. In some cases, full-time students will be able to avoid certain fees that other customers have to pay or may be able to get a minor line of credit even though they dont currently have a credit history. Whether students speak to someone at the bank on campus or open an account with a nationwide bank or credit union, its a good idea for them to sit down and have a discussion about how to budget, where they can save money, and how to avoid having a large credit bill. 2. Living Expenses Its a significant change when students move out of their parent’s house and into a college dorm or student apartment. Most young adults won’t realize the extent of the different bills they have to pay. For instance, in addition to dorm or apartment fees, students will have to pay utilities, buy groceries, and pay for things like new clothes and shoes, and other non-academic expenses. Its essential for students to inquire whether or not utilities and Wi-Fi access are available as part of their rent (as would be common in a dorm) or if they need to pay it separately (as would be common in an apartment). Students can sit down with their parents and make a list of each item and how much they think it will cost so they can set a basic budget (READ: 5 Things to do Before You Go Off to College). 3. Pocket Money Most students want to have a fair amount of pocket money because having a little bit of extra cash can make the university experience a lot more fun. For instance, students will need money to go out for coffee or to the movies with a new friend, go on a vacation during a break, or just have a little extra to spend on the weekend. However, many students dont know how much things cost and where they can get the best deal. Although many adults budget their extra cash by the month, its a good idea for college freshmen to set out their budget for the week until they see how much they spend and on what. 4. A Part Time Job Vs. a Savings Account Another thing students should think about is whether they will be living off a savings account or working at a part-time job during the year. New college students find it extra challenging to work and study during the semester, but many students will rely on that cash to survive. Other students may be able to work full-time during the summer and winter break periods and put that money into a savings account to live on during the rest of the term. If students are working a part-time job, its essential that they calculate the amount of tax that will be taken out (probably 10%) before they make their budget. 5. Comparing Prices One thing that can be helpful is for students to start learning how to compare prices. For example, buying coffee at a coffee house vs. making coffee in the dorm might be a difference of $50 at the end of the month. At student wages, it could easily take an entire day to make 50 bucks. Some price comparisons will be relatively small while others will be much larger, such as student loan interest payments that will commence upon graduation or living expenses. When students learn how to compare prices appropriately and make the most frugal choice they’ll be more likely to be able to start managing a budget on their own (READ: 10 Reasons You Need a Summer Tutor). Get a leg up on college with the help of a private Orange County college tutor from TutorNerds. Call us today for more information! All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Do Celebrity Endorsements Help Win Elections

Do Celebrity Endorsements Help Win Elections Photo courtesy of Scripps Howard Foundation Wire To no surprise, the majority of Hollywood supports our current administration. George Clooney, Eva Longoria, Ellen DeGeneres, and Tom Hanks have already met the maximum donation to the President’s campaign, and they are just a few to mention. But, celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, and Donald Trump are strong supporters of Governor Mitt Romney and have also donated to the governor’s campaign. Once the celebrity reaches this maximum donation, they usually take to their social media accounts to endorse the candidate. Donald Trump is notorious for doing such things. Trump makes it clear he does not agree with President Obama’s policies and reaches out to all of his 1.7 million followers. In some cases however, celebrities can hinder a candidates chance at winning an election. In 2000, Cher was at an Al Gore event advocating views about the Middle East that did not coincide with Al Gore’s views. Eva Longoria caused an uproar amongst countless women when she re-tweeted the message: I have no idea why any woman/minority can vote for Romney. You have to be stupid to vote for such a racist/misogynistic tw-t. Although celebrities do not win a candidate an election, they definitely influence it. For example, everyday over 1.7 million people see what Donald Trump tweets. Sometimes these tweets spark great conversations, conversations a person wouldn’t be having if the subject had not been breached. In America, we are obsessed with Hollywood. We know where celebrities live, who theyre married to, and their favorite things to do on the weekend. So why wouldn’t people want to know who their favorite celebrity is voting for? Knowing this may not sway one person to vote one way or another, but it certainly could validate who they are voting for.

Virtual English Classes - Tools to Make Learning Possible

Virtual English Classes - Tools to Make Learning PossibleAs virtual classrooms and virtual schools become more popular, we are seeing more schools being established with virtual English classes. The idea is to provide students with the experience of being at a traditional school, but without the costs or the time commitment of going to school every day. Virtual classes and schools give you the same benefits as regular classes do while providing some of the same challenges that a regular classroom has to face.One thing you can do is build up a system where teachers who teach at the class can hire teaching assistants who will be able to work part-time as well. This way you can have the convenience of having a regular teaching staff in place, but they don't have to stay in one place for very long. You also don't have to worry about any of the additional expenses that go along with a full time teaching staff.The one other thing that you can do is offer a virtual class in your own home th at will be tailored to cater to what you are looking for in an English class. For example, you can set it up to offer a lesson based on story time, or you can offer an hour or two every evening for a fun activity. This type of service is often best suited for people who don't have much experience with teaching, but who want to get started with teaching English in their home.You can also offer online teaching in an effort to give those people who are already familiar with English the opportunity to get more experience with English. This can be a great way to give them the confidence to move from teaching someone at a university to teaching someone in a private home. If you offer the online course online and have them work from home you can be sure that they can offer it to as many people as possible, and that they can reach everyone that needs this type of service.Another way to make the most of virtual learning is to add a virtual chatroom to your online lessons. This way you can ta lk to the students in their own language while working with them on the computer. This way you can really immerse yourself into what is going on with the students, and really get to know them.Web-based learning is just one of the things that you can do with virtual English teaching services. You can also use a Webcam to bring the students into the classroom. This gives you a better opportunity to get down to business with the students and give them some homework assistance while you get your lesson underway.These are just a few of the options that you have to keep your classroom and virtual English learning courses effective. Don't feel like you have to limit yourself to a certain type of curriculum in order to keep your students satisfied and coming back for more.

Can You Really Benefit From a Paid Tutor Time Pay Online Course?

Can You Really Benefit From a Paid Tutor Time Pay Online Course?The best option for you to prepare for your chosen career as a college teacher is to pursue a paid Tutor Time Pay Online Course. The advantages of this course are many; for example, you can easily get the instruction you need from tutors in your own hometown.In this course, you will study techniques to improve your ability to provide quality instruction. You will also learn how to interact with students in ways that will encourage them to want to continue studying. Some of the lessons that you will learn are:This course will teach you all of the techniques and methods you need to avoid being drawn into the conventional classroom atmosphere. These include:It will teach you how to manage your students better and let them know that you care about them. For instance, if a student gets a question wrong and you tell him to just look it up on the internet, he may feel embarrassed and may even think you do not like him, and he w ill probably not be willing to attend another class with you. On the other hand, you may not tell the student how much you like him, or how much you appreciate his problem solving abilities.Your students will be encouraged to participate actively in class activities, and they will notice your genuine concern for their welfare. In turn, you will be able to communicate your own concerns more effectively with them, and this will help in developing a close relationship between teacher and student.The real world has a lot of challenges that many teachers face, and students are no different. You will learn how to avoid facing these difficulties, as well as how to deal with situations when students get frustrated or need more guidance.You will learn what you need to do in order to cope with these factors and learn how to effectively communicate with your students. As a result, you will be more successful than ever before. Make sure you join a Tutor Time Pays Online Course today!

My Experience at Cornell University

My Experience at Cornell University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Meghan received her Bachelors degree in English from Cornell University in 2013. She is a Boston tutor specializing in Writing tutoring, SAT prep tutoring,ACT prep tutoring, AP English tutoriing, and many other subjects. Check out her review of her school: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Meghan:Cornell is located in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and it is a fairly rural campus. It is approximately four hours from New York City, and the closest metropolitan area, Syracuse, is a little more than an hour away. However, Ithaca itself is a rich little city. It boasts more restaurants per capita than most large cities, and it has numerous concerts, cultural festivals, and events. The buses in Ithaca will take you anywhere you need to go on or off campus, and bus passes are free for freshmen. Many upperclassmen have cars. The campus is quite large, so a bike is certainly a nice addition, but everything is within walking distance if you invest in a good pair of shoes and a very warm winter coat! I always felt incredibly safe in Ithaca. I spent a lot of time running by myself and never felt uneasy. The campus is covered in Blue Light emergency phones in case of any incident, and, generally, the city of Ithaca is filled with friendly peoplecollege students and localswh o would help out a stranger at the drop of a hat. The area surrounding Cornell is quite residential and fairly quiet. VT:How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Meghan:I was consistently impressed with the willingness of my professors to devote extra time and energy to helping me succeed. My academic advisers were not always the most helpful, and I ended up finding much more comfort in talking with my class professors when I needed advice. Professors are almost always on email, and, in my experience, have been very willing to look at drafts of papers, offer study tips, and help with general college questions, like selecting courses for a new semester or deciding on a major or minor. It was amazing to me how much my professors cared about me, as well as how interested they were in my academic work throughout my undergraduate career. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Meghan:Dorm life at Cornell is pretty spectacular. All the freshmen live together on north campus in a wide variety of dorms. There is an all-girls dorm, a dorm with mostly singles, a dorm with mostly suites, and dorms featuring more classic doubles. There are two dining halls within walking distance of all of the freshman dorms, and the food is greatI still miss it! You can always find a good array of healthy options, as well as vegetarian/vegan meals and cultural foods. Plus, Cornell makes its own ice cream, which all the dining halls carry. The dining halls are not limited to serving meals, and they actually offer lots of opportunities for social activities, ranging from movie nights to video game competitions to fitness classes. Each dorm also has its own weekly events that offer an opportunity to get to know people beyond your floormates. I cannot say enough about living with all the other freshmen your first year; it really helps you make friends and start to feel at home! VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Meghan:I studied English and minored in Music, and found a lot of support for both programs. The English major is very flexible, and I had a lot of freedom in choosing courses that were interesting to me. I chose to complete an honors track in the subject, which allowed me to take some graduate courses and challenge myself at a higher level by writing an honors thesis. I always found support from both my professors and the Academic Dean during these endeavors. Currently, Cornell is building a new humanities building, and I love to see such an assertion of the continued investment in liberal arts disciplines. For a big research university that is understandably focused heavily on engineering and science, Cornell really does a great job continuing to build their humanities programs. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Meghan:Because of the north campus living center, I found it fairly easy to make friends despite being a somewhat shy freshman! I also recommend joining several student clubs and activities as soon as you get on campus. There are so many to choose from, and each offers a great group of supportive people with similar interests who will more than likely become your friends. Cornell is very community-oriented, and there are plenty of ways to make the huge campus seem a little smaller through clubs, activities, and organizations. Despite its large size, by senior year, I never walked anywhere on campus without seeing someone I knew. Greek life is very popular at Cornell, but it does not define the social scene of the campus. A third of Cornellians rush, and most of my friends who did found it fun and rewarding. Outside of social fraternities and sororities, there are also professional and service groups that many students find engaging. I chose not to rush, but I did sing in the Cornell University Chorus and an all-female a cappella group, After Eight. I was also a member of the Concert Commission and played on an intramural soccer team. All of these activities allowed me to meet a huge number of people and really enjoy my time outside of class. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Meghan:Cornell is incredibly helpful regarding career services. They host a huge number of workshops on interviewing and resume building, and they even offer one-on-one services for mock interviews or cover letter writing. Several times a year, companies come to campus for various job fairs or graduate school fairs, and there are always many reputable companies at these events. Oftentimes, companies specifically send Cornell alumni to represent them at such fairs, which provides a really helpful low-stress way to connect and have a conversation with a representative for a company in which you might be interested. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Meghan:With more libraries than you can count on your fingers, Cornell always has room to study. One of the libraries is open 24 hours, all year round, and each dorm has designated study spaces and lounges. There are also coffee shops and open spaces all over campus that are available for group work and individual study. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Meghan:I expected Ithaca to be a little bit boring sometimes, being such a small town in rural New York, but I can truthfully say that there was never a time in four years when I felt bored there. Cornell itself is a huge campus featuring giant plantations for running, hiking, or enjoying the scenery, as well as frequent sporting events, exhibitions, and musical or dance events. Beyond Cornell, though, the town of Ithaca is a special place that students should definitely take advantage of. There are several fun museums, an incredible farmers market on the weekends, and really great, interesting restaurants to try. (An all-vegetarian restaurant? Thai cuisine? Tapas? It is all there!) Cornell has its own little town known as Collegetown, which features the incredible sandwich shop, Collegetown Bagels, as well as many bars and restaurants. Students often do stay close to campus, but the center of Ithaca offers more places to eat, shop, and learn, and buses make it easy to get there. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Meghan:Cornell is bigit is about 14,000 undergraduates, so campus is always bustling. However, within that giant number, students are divided into seven different colleges. This allows you to get that small school feel of having a designated quad and buildings that are generally close to each other, while enjoying the benefits of a large institution, such as having thousands of courses to choose from each semester. As an English major, my major courses were always fairly small, ranging from six to thirty or so students, but I did take courses in science and math that were larger lectures of a couple hundred students. These large classes featured once a week discussion sections that divided the class into groups of 15-20, which offered a space to ask questions and work through problems without having to raise your hand in a giant lecture. I loved going to a big schoolthere are so many opportunities for research experiences, plus lots of extracurricular activities to choose from. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Meghan: My junior year I chose to pursue an honors track within my English major, which required writing a thesisa multi-chapter scholarly paper that would take up much of my time and focus throughout the coming year. My favorite professor had already committed to advising another students project, but made me a few recommendations. I emailed Professor Wong based on these recommendations, and, after I explained my project to her, she agreed to be my advisor. I had never taken a class with her, and she knew nothing of my work, but once she agreed to advise me, Professor Wong worked tirelessly to make sure my project was absolutely the best it could be. She pushed and challenged me, offering me difficult reading and making me question my own assumptions about what made good scholarly writing. We met once a week and, though she scheduled the meetings to last an hour, would often go much longer as we worked through the specific issues at hand. She always made sure I left with a huge to d o list and never let me settle for a sub-par chapter, or even a sub-par paragraph. In the end, I worked so hard to produce a paper I was truly proud of, and I earned Summa Cum Laude on my project. It is an understatement to say that Professor Wong helpedin truth, I could not have created such a strong paper without her. She pushed me beyond doing good work into doing my best work, and I learned from her to never settle for less than that. I learned the value of devoting myself entirely to a singular project, as well as to working through the times when it seemed I could not figure out where to go next (or the times when I just really wanted to go to bed). She encouraged me to set my own deadlines and stick to them. I learned a lot more than how to write an honors thesis from her, and I am so grateful. The reason this story stands out to me is not only because she was a great adviser, but because she was a great adviser when she did not know me at all. She agreed to devote hours of her time over the course of an entire year to helping me pursue the academic project I had chosen, even without a personal connection or an experience in a class. She took me on and believed in me on the sole information that I had a goal and I wanted to make it happen, and any professor willing to do that, especially for an undergraduate, is a truly special addition to a university. Check out Meghans tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.