A Nuclear Chemistry Test - Takes the First Step

A Nuclear Chemistry Test - Takes the First StepIf you're considering taking a nuclear chemistry test, you'll find a lot of misconceptions about the subject and they can seem quite intimidating. However, these tests are actually quite simple and can provide you with a wonderful opportunity to explore the world of nuclear science.The true nuclear chemistry test can be taken online from the comfort of your own home. What's great about this is that you don't have to spend the money on travel expenses or transportation costs. With just a computer and internet connection, you can take a nuclear chemistry test right from your computer screen.Depending on the level of understanding that you've got about the topic, you may want to prepare a little while before taking the test. You might want to review all of the materials that you need. If you find that you need more background information or study materials, don't worry about it too much - you can always search for more materials on the inte rnet.The test is not the same thing as the nuclear physics test, which is a very advanced subject. In this test, you'll be exposed to real, scientific principles, and will need to comprehend these principles in order to do well on the test.Understanding these concepts is important when you're doing the test, because you'll be asked to use a lot of your reasoning skills in order to analyze the test. In fact, the best way to go about the test is to study the material and get more familiar with it. This way, you'll be able to move ahead and know the material better.Another thing that you should remember when preparing for a nuclear physics test is to make sure that you have enough time. Time is an important element in tests like this, and if you don't have enough time, it can actually do more harm than good. Be prepared, and you'll be successful.It's a great idea to take an online nuclear chemistry test, and you won't have to pay anything out of pocket for it. It's also a good idea to practice before the test, so that you're ready to get on with the real test.

A Day in the Life at Boston University

A Day in the Life at Boston University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Lena is a Boston tutor specializing in Psychology tutoring, Essay Editing tutoring, Biochemistry tutoring, and more. She graduated from Boston University in 2012 with a Bachelors degree in Biology. Check out her review of her alma mater: 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? Lena: Boston University is located in the heart of Boston. Fenway Park, the Charles River, and Kenmore Square are a short walking distance away. I would describe the campus as very safe with many resources that provide around-the-clock protection for students. The university has its own shuttle bus system; however, the iconic T Train is a very reliable transportation source. Cars are entirely unnecessary as the T, and readily accessible cabs, will take you anywhere you need to go. Many students bike from place to place as well. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Lena: Classes can be quite large at Boston University, and this can be intimidating. However, professors and TAs are very helpful. Academic advisors are always available and willing to discuss your academic career during and after your time at the university. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Lena: Boston University has many dining halls throughout the campus. Each one is unique and equally delicious. Boston University also has a variety of living situations, ranging from dorms to apartments. Living in the Boston University dorms really did spoil me a bit. The John Hancock Student Village is honestly the best dorm living I have ever experienced. Everything is new and up to date, and the maintenance staff is very responsive to any problems there may be. The security at each dorm is another plus when living in the city. 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? Lena: I studied Biology at Boston University. Other popular and well-known colleges at the university include the School of Management and the School of Communications. Each college was very well represented and supported. The university also provided multiple study abroad opportunities crafted for each area of study. I personally studied abroad in Ecuador with the Tropical Ecology Program. 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? Lena: Although freshmen dorms are not the nicest of the dorms at Boston University, the experience is truly extraordinary. The bonds made during those first semesters are strong. If that is not enough, there are hundreds of different university groups and activities where you can meet people. I was also a member of TriDelta while I attended Boston University. If you decide to join in on Greek life, it is very prominent. However, I never felt that you would have to be a part of Greek life to be social. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Lena: There are many recruiting events and networking events sponsored by the university. Also, Boston is home to a large amount of colleges and universities that open their recruiting events to everyone. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Lena: There is one major library called Mugar. It is very large and I never had a problem finding space. Each university building has multiple study areas that are accessible to everyone. The George Sherman Union is a large area that includes many spaces to sit and socialize, or to study, and includes a few options for food. 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? Lena: As I said before, Boston University is in the heart of Boston. There is always something to do. Whether it is sponsored by the university, or entirely unrelated to anything in school, there is never a dull night. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Lena: The student body is very large. This can seem intimidating. I battled with the decision of attending a smaller school. I ended up choosing Boston University because of the amazing opportunities the university applies to its students. I learned to love the large student body and could not have seen my undergraduate experience any other way. The average class size when I first attended was 19. However, it really depends on what you are studying. Most introductory classes are quite large. My Introductory Biology class consisted of about 200 students. As you increase in specificity or difficulty, the class size decreases. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Lena: I have to say my first memorable experience at Boston University occurred before I was an official student. I attended the Accepted Students Day and was being shown a presentation on the study abroad experiences at Boston University. As a small town girl, realizing I could live in some of the most remote places in the world and call it school was incredible. My mom said that I had the biggest smile on my face during the presentation. Check out Lenas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Help Your Child Master Essential High School Study Skills

Help Your Child Master Essential High School Study Skills Study skills high school students need to be successful may come easily to some and may be harder to manage for others.Understanding that your studentmay require more assistance in managing high school study skills is a great first step to helping boost academic performance and future work habits. Even if your high schooler is earning great grades you may want to implement these essential study skills as a way to build a strong foundation for college or career. There are certainstudy skills high school students need to be successful. Sharing these tips with your child is a great first step to creating effective study skills in high school. Make a schedule Creating a personalized study schedule should be the first thing your child does at the beginning of each semester. This may change weekly or monthly but having a general studying schedule outlined will help with planning ahead. This schedule should build in time around extra-curricular activities, athletic practices, and after school jobs. Trade your time If unexpected events arise that impact the study schedule encourage your child to trade time instead of simply missing a study session. Find ways to adjust the schedule. Many students find that using one of the three weekend nights as a reserve study session provides enough time to make up missed studying. Create an organizational system No two organization systems for studying are alike. Some students prefer organizing everything digitally on a laptop or tablet, others rely on a folder and binder system, and some may choose hanging file folders in a caddy for organization. Give your child the freedom to find a system that works but provide support in creating the structure. Help your child identify better ways to organize and encourage maintenance off the organizational system. Plan ahead Your child should review the to-do list, assignment schedule, and studying schedule regularly. Flagging or highlighting important or upcoming assignments eliminates the urgent response of missed or forgotten work. If your child does forget or miss an assignment it should be completed immediately along with adjusting the standard study schedule so no other assignments suffer. Set your own deadlines Even though each assignment comes with a built in deadline from a teacher students should work to set their own deadlines. These personal deadlines help prevent procrastination and allow for extra time in case an unseen event arises and your child needs more time to complete the work. Teachers will appreciate the effort students have put in to completing work in advance of the set deadline. Plan for review Your child should find time in the weekly study schedule for a brief review of previous coursework. It should cover all the work already completed and give your childan opportunity to look forward to future work. This review will help to remind students of what has been learned and how it connects to upcoming assignments. Find a friend There may be times that your child needs to study with peers or work on classroom assignments. Encourage your child to choose classmates with successful study habits. Having friends to study with is beneficial as long as their habits dont get in the way. Work with the teachers Your childs teacher works as instructor, facilitator, and cheerleader. Work with the teachers to ensure the study schedule is followed and work is being completed. Teachers want their students to succeed and feel accomplishment. Contact your childs teachers as soon as you discover a problem that needs to be addressed. Do you have any other study skills high school students may find useful? What have you found that works best for your family?

Distracted Driving Teens with ADHD

Distracted Driving Teens with ADHD For teens, passing a road test and receiving a drivers license are exciting milestones. As drivers, teenagers gain the freedom and autonomy that they crave, and their parents are happily released from their carpooling duties! While there are many positives that come with driving, there are also significant risks that cant be ignored. It is widely known that newly licensed adolescent drivers are at high risk for motor vehicle accidents. In fact, the risk of being in an accident is almost 3 times higher for teenagers than it is for adults over the age of 20.1 This risk explains why insurance rates are much higher for adolescent drivers, and why many states have graduated driver licensing programs in place (e.g., driving is only allowed until 9pm, no passengers are allowed in the car, etc.). Texting and using a cell phone while driving only compound these risks, and cell phone use accounts for 10% of all fatal car accidents.2 Despite laws in many states banning text messaging while driv ing, over 44% of teens say that they still text and drive.3 While the risks are already high for teen drivers, they are even greater when ADHD is added into the mix. The cognitive skills involved in driving a car are the very skills that are impaired in kids, teens, and adults with ADHD. ADHD is associated with deficits in the executive functioning skills responsible for staying focused, planning ahead, managing emotions and impulses, and reacting quickly to changes in the surrounding environment all of which come into play while driving. With this in mind, its not surprising that the rates of car accidents, speeding tickets, and other traffic citations are even higher among teens with ADHD than teens without ADHD.4 Recent studies using driving simulators have found that teens with ADHD had difficulty staying in their lane and driving at a consistent speed. In simulator tasks that included texting, both the teens with ADHD and the teens without ADHD drove more poorly but the texting-related impairment in teens with ADHD was significantly worse than in the teens without ADHD.4 Knowing that driving risks are higher for teens with ADHD, parents are encouraged to take extra steps to help their adolescents develop safe driving skills. Effective treatment with ADHD medication improves teen driving. ADHD medication has been shown to improve teen driving skills during driving simulator tasks. If your teen takes medication for ADHD, require them to take their medication consistently once they start driving. Teach your teen about the risks of driving with ADHD. Feeling invincible is a hallmark of the teenage years, and many teens with ADHD underestimate the negative effects that their ADHD symptoms have on every day activities including driving. Make sure your teen is aware of the increased risks that come with having ADHD, and the reasons why his or her driving will become even more impaired if he or she texts or faces other distractions while driving. Lack of sleep will impair driving abilities. The effects of sleep deprivation on driving performance are profound, and under extreme conditions can be as impairing as alcohol. Poor sleep also negatively impacts ADHD worsening the symptoms of inattention and impulsivity, and slowing down reaction times. Mix poor sleep, ADHD, and driving in teenagers and the result is a very risky combination. Encourage your teen to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night, and when he or she cant, consider not allowing him or her to drive that day. Develop your own house rules around driving. Many states limit the time of day when teens can drive and the number of passengers allowed in the car. While these limits are protective, teens with ADHD may need even more stringent rules. If you think that your teens ADHD symptoms are interfering with his or her driving ability or he or she is not demonstrating the level of maturity needed for safe driving, then create your own driving rules. Consider requiring more practice driving hours than what is mandated by state law, not allowing friends in the car even after the state-based limits have been lifted, limiting driving to short distances and only on weekdays during daylight hours, and having your teen use an app that reduces cell phone distractions while driving. Create a driving contract. Work with your teen to draw up a driving contract that outlines driving rules that you can both agree to. Whenever possible involve your teen writing the actual contract. Your teen will be more invested and respectful of the contract if his or her input was valued when it was created. ADHD symptoms pose a serious risk for teen drivers, but there are steps that parents can take. Encouraging your teen to take his or her ADHD medication daily, get good sleep, and work collaboratively to develop driving rules and a driving contract, can help keep your teen safe on the road. 1 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality facts: teenagers 2015. Arlington (VA): The Institute;http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/teenagers/fatalityfacts/teenagers 2 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2017). Traffic Safety Facts: Summary of Statistical Findings. Washington D.C.: NHTSAs National Center for Statistics and Analysis; https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/812_381_distracteddriving2015.pdf 3 Olsen, Shults, Eaton (2013). Texting while driving and other risky motor vehicle behaviors among US high school students. Pediatrics, 131, e1708-e1715, 4 Narad et al. (2013). Impact of distraction on driving performance of adolescents with and without ADHD. JAMA Pediatrics; 167, 933-938. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Chemistry tutor in Stamford, CT

Math/Chemistry tutor in Stamford, CT Meet our new Tutor Ms. Rachelle G. She lives in Stamford, CT and specializes in chemistry, elementary math, reading, elementary science, computer basics, language art, spelling. Her entire life Rachelle has wanted to be an educator. She successfully tutors kids in elementary and middle school in all subjects. Tutoring is something Rachelle is very passionate about and her goal is to help kids be the best students they can be. Rachelle excels in math and science. She is in all honors classes and is currently taking AP Physics 1 and AP US History. Last year Rachelle took AP European History. She has a GPA of 4.0. Rachelle has a lot of experience working with kids. She has been volunteering at her local pre-school and this past summer, she worked as a day camp counselor for kids ages 5-10. This past year Rachelle tutored kids at her school in Chemistry and Algebra 1. Rachelle and other Tutors at TutorZ.com are here to help your kids develop good study habits and succeed in school.

Breakfast of Corporations

Breakfast of Corporations Photo courtesy of Pixabay. Before the rise of the agriculture industry and the subsequent dictation of breakfast food staples by corporate America, Americans relied on local food sources, namely local famers, and fresh, unprocessed foods that were seasonally available. The idea of breakfast foods held no significant meaning, as this could range from meats such as eggs or fresh beef, to local fruits and raw (unpasteurized) milk, unlike the vast array of processed pop tarts, breads and cereals with a sprinkling of artificial vitamins we consume today. So why the shift? According to author and food historian Andrew F. Smith in AlterNet, Cold cereals are an invention of vegetarians and the health-food industry, first through Kelloggs and then through C.W. Post, which steals all of Kelloggs ideas … These companies realized early on that people like sugar, and kids really like sugar so they shifted their sales target from adults concerned about health to kids who love sugar. Its a thoroughly American invention.  In fact, John Kellogg,  Michigan Seventh-Day Adventist physician and anti-masturbation activist,  originally invented breakfast cereal in 1894 to provide patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan with an anti-aphrodisiac meatless breakfast. Sugars were then added shortly afterward by his brother and partner in order to drive sales, while other companies soon followed suit in the creation of breakfast. Bagels and cream cheese remained foreign until the 1970s, and donuts were considered a dessert food until Dunkin Donuts labeled it a breakfast staple in the 1950s. Cheerios werent released by General Mills until 1941. Even yogurt,  worth over $4 billion as a health food even today, didnt give rise until the 1970s and was typically, as it is today, loaded down with more sugar than one should consume in an entire day. Pit this against traditional yogurt making, which in Greece was made using leftover raw (full-fat) sheeps milk from making cheese; there was no pasteurization, added sugars, corn syrup, or removal of fat. Yogurt was simply yogurt. Even orange juice, which seems innocent both in name and packaging, can provide a harsh lesson in the realities of industry labeling and marketing. What began in the 1930s as a health beverage has never truly been much more than fructose, chemicals and sugars in a bottle, with each serving containing about eight teaspoons of sugar, or almost as much as a can of soda (ten teaspoons). Additionally, major orange juice companies such as Tropicana store the juice in giant tanks and remove its oxygen, allowing the juice to keep for up to a year without spoiling. Since this process strips the juice of its flavor compounds, the companies then proceed to hire flavor and fragrance companiesthe same companies that create perfumes for brands such as Dior. They then create flavor pack formulas composed of chemicals not found in nature and that are geared to different palates. For instance, ethyl butyrate, a chemical in the fragrance of fresh squeezed orange juice, is added to many North American orange juice companies packs, since its a taste that Americans seem to prefer. Ask yourself why, like most people, you drink orange juice, Alissa Hamilton, agriculture expert, urges in Squeezed: What You Dont Know About Orange Juice. You probably say the reason is that it is good for you, or that it is high in vitamin C, or that you grew up drinking it and like it. If so, then I must frankly tell you that, when it comes to orange juice, you are acting like a robot. Hamiltons words ring true, not just in the world of orange juice drinkers, but in the world of breakfast (and most food) in America. The simple fact remains that most packaged, processed foods are the children of corporate monsters, designed to drive sales through catering to Americas sweet tooth; their nutritional value is null and void, and the advice Ive seen given by nutritionists to eat a donut rather than go without breakfast is absolutely cause for alarm in a society with unfounded obesity levels. But what about all those studies showing how slimmer individuals eat breakfast, and all the advice telling us well crash and burn if we skip it? Most studies of this nature are large, observational studies that rely on associations between habitual breakfast eaters and obesity with no cause and effect. Association studies contain many assumptions and downfalls. For instance, we can view the results of an observational study highlighting how breakfast-skippers typically weigh more than breakfast eaters; what this type of study doesnt take into account is the daily eating habits of the breakfast-skipper versus the breakfast-eater. The breakfast-skipper may be the type who skips breakfast regularly only to indulge in a Snickers bar at 11 a.m. and a lunch of McDonalds a few hours later, followed by fried chicken in corn oil and boxed, processed mashed potatoes for dinner, while the breakfast-eater may consume a breakfast of free-range eggs with a side of fresh fruit, a lunch consisting of a green salad with chicken, and a dinner of salmon and vegetables. This is simply incomparable: there is no doubt in anyones mind that the breakfast-eater will be healthier and thinner, yet this does not mean that eating breakfast is a  requirement  for health or that we should be eating donuts for breakfast if we have the option of eating nothing. However, at the end of the day, society only sees Breakfast-Eaters Weigh Less and Are Healthier, while they pull up to Dunkin Donuts. For those worried about weight gain from not eating breakfast, lesser known studies, such as the 2002 study by the  North American Association for the Study of Obesity, found that in a group of participants of breakfast-eaters and non breakfast-eaters, eating or not eating breakfast had no effect on their weights. There was no difference between groups (non-breakfast eaters vs. breakfast eaters) in amount of weight lost (34 vs. 32 kg,  p  = 0.14) or in duration of weight-loss maintenance (7.7 vs. 7.9 years,  p  = 0.29). Furthermore, there was not a significant difference in self-reported energy intake between groups, the study claimed. Many are also concerned that skipping breakfast will cause weight gain due to the myth that eating more meals increases metabolic rate, and therefore increases fat burn. A study on meal frequencies and the Thermic Effect of Food published in 1997 found,  Studies using whole-body calorimetry and doubly-labelled water to assess total 24h energy expenditure find no difference between nibbling and gorging. This reiterates that there is no difference between whether one consumes many small meals throughout the day or instead consumes 2-3 larger meals on the amount of energy our bodies use in a given day. Packaged food companies simply spread the myth that we need to eat six to eight times a day in order to drive sales, since most Americans dont have the time to cook or prepare for many meals a day and therefore rely on processed bars and shakes. However, weight loss and weight gain arent the only concerns accompanying skipping breakfast; many individuals eat the donut (or other sugary substitute) in fear of a blood sugar crash or low energy throughout the day, as propagated by food corporations and the government. On the contrary, the human body is an amazingly efficient organism, and would not have survived and adapted were this information even partially correct. Martin Berkhan of LeanGains cites how, It would take no less than three days or  84 hours of fasting  to reach blood sugar levels low enough to affect your mental state; and this is temporary, as your brain adapts to the use of ketones. During  48 hours of fasting, or severe calorie deprivation, blood sugar is maintained within a normal range; no measure of cognitive performance is negatively affected. Studies also show a lowered metabolic rate only after 60 hours of fasting, and some actually show a rise in metabolic rate when fasting. According to an article by Berkhan, this increase is between 3.6 percent-10 percent after 36-48 hours. Berkhan discusses how this would have been advantageous from an evolutionary perspective, seeing as an increased metabolic rate (and increased epinephrine and norepenephrine) would have sharpened the mind for kills and the search for food. Here we can see the fears regarding skipping breakfast, or any meal, are nearly completely unfounded and based on corporate interests to sell more product. Now many individuals argue that (considering conflicting studies) any food can be horrible, and therefore continue to eat processed, packaged foods in defiance of science not knowing the answer. The bottom line one many do not want to hear is that sound nutrition relies on simple, whole foods in their natural state. This includes foods that do not need to be processed, flavored with artificial flavors, have sugars added, or fat removed. Ancestral dietary habits practiced before the mass production of staple processed foods hold the key to health and nourish the body with foods it recognizes, not mere chemicals and sugars dressed up in pretty packaging. On that note, we need a national movement to truly educate the population, not just educate it in a way that turns profits. We need chemical orange juice to become an orange, for veggie chips to become fresh vegetables, and for yogurt to become actual yogurt free of sugars and corn syrup.  We need breakfast staples, and all meals, for that matter, to move from packaged and sugar-laden to fresh and in their natural state. We need to skip the donut.

Spiral-bound Success How to Organize a Foreign Language Notebook in 8 Simple Tips

Spiral-bound Success How to Organize a Foreign Language Notebook in 8 Simple Tips How to Organize a Foreign Language Notebook in 8 Simple Tips When you hear the notebook, what do you think of?Romance?Drama?A shirtless Ryan Gosling?Well, were here to forever change the meaning of the notebook. Thats because its time to start your own thats specifically for language learning.Sure, it might not have washboard abs, but it can still give you the feels.Language notebooks are your own personalized repository of all the most valuable knowledge you gain on your road to fluency.Language textbooks  are great, but theres nothing quite as individualized as your language notebook.So why not fall in love with the best notebook of all? Why Use a Foreign Language Notebook?One key reason to use a foreign language notebook is because writing things down makes them easier to remember. As PBSs NOVA Next reports, taking notes with pen and paper helps improve students conceptual understanding of the material they jotted down.For language learners, the benefit of using a foreign language notebook to aid memory are obvious. It could improve your retention of vocabulary words and help you better understand grammar rules. Thats a lot of awesome packed in one little notebook!Second, maintaining your own reference resource is often more useful than relying on outside materials. After all, its customized to you, so it should be easy for you to use. Plus, you can use your notebook down the road if you forget the language at some point.Additionally, using a foreign language notebook is a good way to track your  progress  and help keep you motivated. Nothings better than seeing how far youve come! That way, you never feel like youve reached a  language learning plateauâ€"you have evidence to prove youre moving forward!Setting goals is also helpful because it keeps you continue along at a good rate. One study out of Harvard indicates that goal setting can increase both motivation and achievement.  In your language notebook, you can set these goals so that youre always accountable to yourself.Finally, you can use your foreign languag e notebook to target specific errors you need to correct. Errors in language learning  can build over time if you let them. However, since a notebook is more personalized than other resources, you can use it to target these errors. For instance, if youre struggling with one particular verb conjugation, you can dedicate several pages to explaining it and listing conjugation charts.Resources to Help You Organize Your NotebookStarting a language notebook from scratch can be daunting. Luckily, there are some resources out there that can help.Weve found some specially-formatted notebooks available for purchase that can take some of the guesswork out of your layout. We also came across a couple of great videos of how some language learners created and organized their own personal notebooks.Our hope is that these will be an inspiration to you as you start your journey. Let them help you figure out what will and wont work for your own notebook.DEBON A5 Vocabulary NotebookIf you want to main tain a language notebook but dont have the artistic eye, you might try this notebook. Its organized with spaces for Todays Top 5 Words, Todays Top 5 Sentences and Grammar/Phrase/Usage Notes.This sort of notebook is terrific for more advanced students who study new vocabulary and phrases daily. Its a useful way to keep track of the new words and phrases you hope to add to your vocabulary.MochiThings Language Learning NotebookMochiThings provides another notebook option specifically for language learners. This notebook is formatted with unique line spacing meant to give you room for your target word/phrase, its pronunciation and its translation.This is useful for students of all levels who are looking to expand their vocabulary. Since you can easily note the pronunciation and translation of any word or phrase, it can be like your own personal dictionary/phrasebook.Language NotebooksThis YouTube video will give you some helpful tips on crafting your own language notebook. Perhaps more importantly, though, itll give you a guided tour of the YouTubers beautifully crafted language notebook.If youre looking to embark on creating your own notebook from scratch, this is a good option, particularly for visual learners. Theres no better inspiration to craft your own notebook!Abigails Language Notebook Collection 2017Abigails video offers a guided tour of a different layout of a language notebook. This YouTuber employs some topnotch color coding to compose word lists, so this is great if your primary goal is to learn more vocabulary.What layout works best is a matter of personal opinion, but this will certainly give you some ideas!How to Organize a Foreign Language Notebook in 8 Simple TipsNow its time to start considering your organization. Here are some simple tips to consider.1. Develop logical sectionsDeveloping logical sections is an important component of a successful notebook. This will make it easier for you to navigate and cut down on wasted time and space.Some p ossible sections you might want to include:goalsgrammarvocabulary (with example sentences)idioms/phrases you hearThese sections might vary based on your personal preferences, but theyre a good jumping off point. A goals section will help you remember what you want to work on and help keep you focused. Grammar pages will help you refer back to key rules.Vocabulary pages are a helpful way to learn new vocabulary or reinforce vocabulary you already learned. Having a section for words and phrases you hear is useful because you can jot down things you dont yet know and then look them up later. Then, you can work on learning these words and phrases.To determine what sections are best for you, take some time to brainstorm what things you need to work on, what reference materials you want handy and what would be fun to include (maybe a list of Spanish books, songs or podcasts you need to look into?).2. Dedicate enough space for each sectionLeaving enough space for each section will help ens ure you dont need to cram too much information into one page or (gasp!) have to start a new notebook from scratch.How much space you need depends on your organization. For instance, if you organize your vocabulary words thematically (i.e., medical vocabulary, business words), youll likely need a page or more for each major theme. If you want to include verb conjugation charts, these also take a lot of room.The trick is to consider your page layout ahead of time in order to estimate how much room youll need. You might even separate sections like grammar and vocabulary into separate notebooks to allow yourself more room to spread out.3. Use sticky tabsSticky tabs are any organization junkies best friend.Sticky tabs protrude from a page so you can easily label and find any section. You can put them at the top, the side or the bottom of the page depending on your design aesthetic. You can label them if you desire, or leave them blank.Using sticky tabs will make it easy to flip between s ections, which is important when you want to add information or refer back to a section. Sticky tabs can make your notebook infinitely more useful by shaving time off from having to thumb through pages.Plus, they look super professional and polished, so looking at them is pretty satisfying.4. Color codea lotColor coding is more than just prettyâ€"it can also communicate key information at just a glance.Whether you use colored pens, highlighters or a combination of both, color coding will make your notebook more visually appealing and easier to use. You can color code parts of speech or use different colors for words in your native language and target language.Abigails YouTube video  above is an excellent example of how to use color. She uses a wide variety of highlighter colors to differentiate between words and even indicate the meaning of color names.Regardless of what scheme you choose to use, you might want to jot down your color coding key early in your journal to refer back to until you get the hang of it.5. Make your notebook visually appealingThe more visually appealing your notebook is, the more fun itll be to use.Dont be afraid to use drawings to represent word meanings. As you draw, think about the word to help reinforce it. Not only will this make your notebook more interesting to look at, it can also help you associate the word with its actual meaning rather than the English translation.The Language Notebooks video above is a great example of adding visual appeal. The formatting of pages varies a great deal to increase the aesthetic, and varied typography choices keep it interesting.6. Include details that will help youWhat information is important to include in a language notebook varies by learner, so you should consider what details will help you most.For instance, you might include examples of how to use grammar rules or vocabulary, you might note the part of speech for vocabulary words or you might include pronunciation hints.Remember: this n otebook is yours and yours alone, so always do whats best for you.7. Leave wide margins so that you can add informationYou never know when you might learn new information about a vocabulary word or new tricks to internalize a vocabulary rule. You might even find an example sentence you want to add to a definition of a word youre having a hard time remembering.Since theres no telling what might come up, its best to be prepared! Leaving wide margins will give you the extra space you need to add this information without having to start a new page from scratch.8. Do a test pageA test page may seem like an unnecessary step, but it can save you headaches down the road.Doing a test page will save you the trouble of redoing the journal or having to rip out the page if you realize your scheme doesnt work.Test pages work well when planning the main body of your notebook. Theyre particularly useful for very visual pages, like thematic vocabulary pages, especially if you intend to have several similarly formatted pages.To start, consider what you want on the page. For instance, you might be planning on including vocabulary words and drawings, or you might want verb conjugation charts.Try blocking off the space on the page that you would reserve for each component. Once youre done, look over it carefully. Does it work? What areas could be improved? Do you need to change the spacing? What colors might work better?Once you see the page youve imagined, it will be much easier to see what does and doesnt work before you commit to a language notebook full of similar pages.Even once your notebook is full, it still isnt over. Theres always another notebook to fill with fun language learning!And One More ThingNow that you have a beautifully organized new language-learning notebook, its time to start filling it! Start learning with FluentU and youll be packing away the knowledge in no time.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of wha t you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.