Guitar Exercises Building Finger Strength

Guitar Exercises Building Finger Strength Suzy S. Forget bicep curls for guitarists, its all about finger strength! Improving your dexterity and finger strength is one of the top ways to really step up your playing. Here, guitar teacher Brian H. tackles the common question, How do I get a good sound, and build finger strength at the same time? Frustrated with your sound?   Youre not alone. You might know how to play your favorite song, but the sound is not as clean or clear as you hear on the recording. This is a common concern for beginner guitarists, and it can be corrected with a few simple exercises. In most cases, the problem stems from poor finger placement with your fretting hand, and let’s not forget one of the weaker fingers like the pinky (4th finger). Sometimes we favor the stronger fingers and make it a habit of not using the weaker ones. Fortunately, you can fix this problem by going back to the basics 1. Learn the basics right and you will go far. Let’s start by using the first string, the first fret, and the first finger (index). Place the first finger next to the first fret, so close that you are just about touching the fret. You will produce the best sound by staying very close to the fret. The further you go away from the fret; the note might give you that annoying buzz sound. This is because it is harder to press the string down when you are not right next to the fret. 2. A tip for the tip of your fingers. Now that you are next to the fret, you need to use the correct part of the finger. When you are playing open string chords (first position), riffs, licks, or soloing, using the tip of the finger will help you develop a quality sound. 3. Building those finger muscles is as easy as one, two, three, four! Using the first string, place the tip of your finger next to the first fret. Now pick that first string. Each finger will follow; second finger and second fret, third finger and third fret and the fourth finger and fourth fret. Make sure to pick each note slowly and with a steady beat. Now pause, and then go from the fourth finger and fret to the third, second, and end at the first finger and fret. You can use the same pattern with the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth strings. Keep a slow, steady beat so that each note will sound clear. When that feels comfortable, progress to a medium then fast tempo. Practice all of these steps and you will be on your way to getting a good sound and building finger strength! Join the TakeLessons community and receive exclusive updates, expert advice, tips and more!  Sign up for email updates here! Brian H. teaches bass guitar, guitar, music performance and music theory lessons to students of all ages in Glastonbury, CT. Brian has had 25 years experience playing in rock/pop bands, and currently performs classic rock to today’s rock with Enny Corner. He joined the TakeLessons team in July 2012. Sign up for lessons with Brian, or search for a teacher in   your area today! Photo by Jonesemyr.

5 Ways to Tailor Your Workspace for Success - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Ways to Tailor Your Workspace for Success - Introvert Whisperer 5 Ways to Tailor Your Workspace for Success Introverts in the workplace can feel like a fish out of water. American workplaces are often filled with commotion, talking, and a general acceptance of outspokenness that can drain even the most well-adjusted introverts. You might even start to feel that your personal workspace isn’t giving you what’s required to balance your needs with the interpersonal connectedness required by your job. Struggling to be introverted in an extroverted work environment isn’t fun. So, before you do something that makes someone feel you are antisocial or shy, try a few of these strategies to create a workspace that fosters creativity, boosts productivity, and delivers a necessary element of quiet. Create Your Own Privacy Many open office plans have low cubicle walls or wide openings that can allow others to pop into your space without any notice. Try creating a sense of privacy without being too obvious. Build a shelter with a freestanding bookshelf or large potted plants. You can also mount a coat hanger to one side of your cubicle to create a makeshift curtain by merely hanging your jacket up every morning. If there isn’t any way to build your own privacy, talk to your supervisor to see if a move could be set in motion. Relocating to a cubicle that’s up against a wall can give you some security at least on one side. This might be just enough to provide you with a sense of privacy so that you can concentrate and work a bit more like yourself. Enjoy Lunch at Your Desk Introverts need their lunch break to recharge and restore balance. Instead of dodging others in the breakroom, consider eating alone at your desk. While some people think that a table for one sounds awful, one research study found that the types and amounts of food you eat are influenced by who is around you at mealtimes. So, eating alone might be better for your soul and your waistline. To get the most out of your time noshing at your desk, consider doing weekly meal prep or subscribing to a meal delivery service. Meal services send you the foods you need to prepare healthy meals at home. Many of these services offer options for special diets, such as low carb, gluten-free, or heart healthy. You should also pack healthy snacks like fruits and veggies in small jars. Keep them on your desk so that you can grab them quickly. These options give you more control over what you’re putting in your body than running through the line at a fast food restaurant or eating from the vending machine. Increase Workplace Wellness You want to keep your introverted creative juices flowing and your brain power fully intact throughout the day. This means you need to make sure your physical health is just as cared for as your personality type. Along with creating physical and symbolic barriers, try to set up your workspace in a way that promotes health. Be sure to take a few breaks throughout the day to get up and move. Consider apps like Stand Up! or Awareness to be sure you get enough activity and rest from the computer throughout your day. Too much sitting can be tough on your back and bottom, but staring at a computer for eight-plus hours each day can leave you with digital eye strain. Your posture is essential for workplace wellness, too. Sit up straight and ensure that you’re not holding too much tension in your neck or shoulders. Add in Some Comfort The sterile look of a cubicle can leave just about anyone lacking creativity. To help bring bits of home to the office with you, add a few pictures of your favorite people or pets to your desk. If a particular scent calms you, try adding an oil diffuser or candle to your workspace. Another excellent idea is to keep a roller ball dispenser of your favorite calming essential oils handy and place them on your wrists or temples throughout your day. Music can offer a fantastic escape for introverts. Pop in a set of earbuds or wear headphones to buffer out the commotion of the office. Have fun with your playlist and choose songs all introverts should have â€" some of which even tackle the subject of being introverted. Try Flexible Work Space and Hours If you really struggle to find balance in your workspace, consider changing your hours, if possible. Coming in an hour earlier or staying an hour later than co-workers might be enough of a buffer to keep you productive. You can also practice an hour of power to kickstart your day and get moving in the right direction. Consider reserving community space, like a conference room, when you know you have looming deadlines. Book a place for an hour and take work with you that you can do without your desktop, or travel light and bring your laptop and a notebook. Introverts aren’t necessarily shy or antisocial. However, they can suffer from being over-stimulated in a world that seems to cater to their extroverted counterparts. Try these strategies to find the balance you need in your workspace. Author Bio:   Sam Bowman is freelance writer and introvert who enjoys getting to utilize the internet for community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore. Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

5 Career Tips for Introverts in IT - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Career Tips for Introverts in IT - Introvert Whisperer 5 Career Tips for Introverts in IT Kayla Matthews May 7, 2018 Career Development No responses Go to top There are many people with savvy and brilliance in the IT field, though they might find themselves inhibited in their careers and networking by introverted tendencies. Not everyone can exude charisma and extroverted tendencies spontaneously, which is entirely OK. Introverts should not be expected to transform their personality for a job, but there are some tips they can heed to elevate their standing in the IT field better. 1. Work to Exude Confidence Extroverts tend to receive more credit than introverts often because they tend to be better at garnering attention. Without becoming an extrovert, however, there are several ways that introverts can make their presence known. Specifically, eye contact, straight posture and a head held high are signs of confidence that can go a long way. Research shows that non-verbal communication plays a significant role in how people perceive you. As a result, doing some seemingly minor things like smiling more can help introverts appear more social and willing to engage. Another benefit is that by smiling and acting in a better mood, you very well may become in a better mood, which has ample health benefits. In a field like IT, where many professionals spend ample time in front of the computers, coworkers will take notice when someone uses their time away from the screen to show confidence and amiability. 2. Articulate Your Knowledge Introverts sometimes make the mistake of speaking too quickly, in fear that the substance of their words does not warrant additional time. Get out of that mentality and work on paying attention to your voices tone, articulation and tempo. Although words are only a portion of our communication with the world and co-workers, being able to relay words without rushing them is a skill that requires practice. Fortunately, introverts can join organizations such as Toastmasters to practice speaking in front of an audience. They will aid in finding the perfect balance in your tone and general articulation. Even if an IT professional does not have to speak in front of large audiences now, the skill is useful for conversations in general. Down the line, they may receive an invitation to host a TED talk, as many IT professionals have in the past. In that case, being able to articulate your knowledge is extremely useful. 3. Become a Temporary Introvert Although expecting an introvert to become an extrovert in every facet of life is unrealistic, introverts are capable of at least temporarily assuming some extroverted aspects. Even if its just for a few minutes a day, practice more socially extroverted tendencies, like engaging in office conversations and asking coworkers questions about their weekend or work at hand. No one is asking that you bug people incessantly with banter â€" since there are aspects of extroversion and introversion that are too much â€" though devoting at least a few minutes to extroversion can be beneficial in cultivating relationships. IT professionals can view this period of temporary introversion as a nice reprieve from isolation in front of a monitor. Work breaks, after all, have been proven beneficial to health. Next time, make your break and opportunity to engage with others, even if briefly. 4. Network with Industry Experts Even if you and your coworkers have different interests, there is at least one thing you have in common: the desire to share IT information. This topic provides a great way for introverts to become more engaged with their co-workers while also learning from others’ experiences. Whether youre venting about relatable IT research stories or discussing ways to improve a trending skill, you can boost your career by simply listening to professionals’ in the field. 5. Participate in Company and Industry Events The IT field is ripe with industry events, where you can parlay your passion for IT and other topics into networking opportunities. Computer science extends beyond a single industry, making the eclectic nature of IT a great one for honing in on specific topics and finding relationships as a result. Even introverted individuals can light up upon learning something new about a hobby or passion, an experience that you can have with others as well. Although introversion can prove to be an obstacle when trying to advance your career in IT, there are a variety of opportunities that enable you to exude confidence and network with savvy. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How To Get Over Problems With Ease Through Online Homework Help

How To Get Over Problems With Ease Through Online Homework Help Homework is an important component of curriculum. It tests one’s understanding and memory of classroom learning. Students have many problems in doing homework. Online Homework Help is a good source for gaining basic skills. Clear understanding of the topics along with timely submissions. Though homework forms a strong part of academics, many shudder at the very thought of it. Since it is time consuming and voluminous with hectic schedules. It may not be the cake of everyone and hence we need to understand. We need to understand how to approach homework and what common problems one has in doing homework. Why homework is important? Homework in all the subjects is important for the reason that it helps one recollect what he has gathered in his school hours and how far he is able to recollect them. It helps a student realize the level of his comprehension and the missing links he comes across in his conception. Moreover, homework lends the practice for a student to update his knowledge, skills and ideas about any topic. It is really essential in the sense that it provides a link between school and home for students in the matter of studies. 9 Ways To Save Money This School Year Common problems a student faces in homework doing A student finds his homework tough and beyond understanding when he is not able to conceptualize what the homework task is exactly about and what are requirements expected of him The student may be sick for a long time having missed many classes at school The student could have incurred deviations like friends or domestic disturbances that could have pulled him out of the track His dislike for the subject also forms a major reason which can be attributed to many causes like classroom atmosphere, approach of the teacher, peer complex and so on Natural inability to understand a subject is also there in many cases How to get over homework problems with ease? As parents are the first teachers, it is the normal tendency of a child to express his problems to the parent to seek an outlet and get feasible remedies.   It can also be the advice of a teacher who could suggest possible methods to overcome struggles in homework doing for the kid. More than that, you have many sources like private tutoring and online tutoring to help a child complete his homework on time and with success. Online Tutoring â€" 25% Discount Applicable For All Packages https://t.co/lE22JuuM6T â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) February 8, 2016 Why online homework help is preferable? Online tutoring portals offer homework help which is preferable for various reasons. The time flexibility and comfort of home stand above all the benefits you gain from seeking help online for your homework. One can get personalized attention and specific answers for his targetted questions through online homework help.   For example, when you sit with an online Math tutor for solving a Math homework query, he shares the interactive board with you to solve the problem. Both of you work step by step together and he pinpoints where you miss and what you need to learn. Such a learning environment adds to your confidence and learning skills. It definitely strengthens your basic skills and thus timely completion of homework is possible for you. Online help for homework relieves one of mental stress and strain and helps easy agenda of homework tasks with successful results. It is through the most favored technological medium which is preferred by students who are computer savvy these days. You have the benefit of checking your answers as well. Tutorials like Tutor Pace offer dedicated services in this field to help students complete their tasks with ease through cloud based technology. Top 5 #Education Apps To Learn #Science With Ease https://t.co/AEwQAsDn4x â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) February 8, 2016 One can maximize his knowledge and improve skills in any subject through his association with online tutorials for homework help.

8 Critical ACT-Math Strategies

8 Critical ACT-Math Strategies ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog In this post we'll share 8 strategies for improving your score on the ACT-Math section. We have worked with hundreds of students, and these ideas are almost always helpful.These strategies are written ina “top 8” list format, but they aren’t necessarily in order. Depending on the student, any given strategy might be more or less effective. 1. Write all over the test booklet. Nothing you write will be scored, but this will have a huge impact on your score. This includes writing equations, drawing diagrams, and labeling angles or lengths when applicable. 2. Use the answers to plug into the question when possible. This is additional information they don’t expect you to use. Always start with the middle answer (C). Even if you do know how to work out a problem, this method, when combined with process of elimination, may be faster. 3. Don’t always go in order. Answer the easy questions first. Don’t fall into the trap of “doing the more difficult problems first, while I still have time.” Remember, you are trying to get as many questions correct as possible; that’s what earns you a high score. So, make sure you answer everything correctly that you know how to answer correctly, which means you should feel free to skip questions if you can’t think of how to even approach them. While the questions generally go from easy to hard, this isn’t always the case for your mathematical background. Circle the questions numbers that you skip to make it easy to return to them. 4. Re-read the last sentence of the question before answering to avoid simple mistakes. 5. Assume nothing. This often comes up in geometry questions. If you have a triangle that looks like a right triangle and would be easy to work with as a right triangle, you might be tempted to assume that it’s a right triangle. While that assumption might help you get the right answer, it could be a trap, or just a fluke. There must be information provided in the question that would allow you to know that the triangle is a right triangle. 6. Answer all the questions (with just a little bit of thought, even if you’re pretty much lost or completely running out of time)! There is no penalty for guessing. You can, at times, squeeze out 1,2, or even 3 additional points from simply making sure you leave nothing blank. Let me repeat. Don’t leave anything blank. Leave 60 seconds to randomly choose answers if you have to. But, even if you’re very short on time, thinking about the question just long enough to make a decent guess is much more beneficial than guessing completely at random. Think about it. With four possible answers, you have a 25% chance of getting the answer right by guessing randomly. If you can just eliminate two answers, your odds of success double. In other words, even if you don’t have time to start plugging in possible answers and checking to see if they’re right, the first step of the process of elimination can still help you get points. 7. Make abstractions concrete. Math tends to be difficult for many people simply because it’s so abstract. You can’t often touch and feel math. So, making something somewhat abstract more concrete can be a powerfully way to understand and comprehend. Think of how a grade-school teacher tackles division. It’s hard to really understand what 12 divided by 3 means until the teacher brings in twelve cookies and doles them out evenly to three students. ACT-Math questions can sometimes be made much more concrete by subbing in example numbers for variables. Learn to recognize when this is possible. 8. Proactively (and strategically, and calmly…) manage your time. On ACT-Math, you have 60 seconds to answer 60 questions. That’s one minute per question. Running out of time is one of the most common issues in this section. Many students feel they can do almost all of the problems, but they just can’t do them fast enough to score well. So, time management is a critical skill if you want to score particularly well. Managing your time is really just about knowing how often to look at the clock. If you look too often, you’ll distract yourself with the pressure it suggests. If you don’t look often enough, you’ll find yourself without enough time to finish a section, forced to guess more often than you should. Really, you just need to find some balance. Don’t let yourself give in to thoughts like this: “I’ve spent 1 minute and 28 seconds on this question, so on the next question I should spend 32 seconds to make up for the extra time.” This is at worst counterproductive and at best unnecessary. Questions don’t always take the exact length of time you might expect. That’s OK. However, you must remain aware of the clock so you don’t completely lose track of time. The goal is to know at a few checkpoints in a section whether you’re ahead, behind, or right on schedule so you can modify your strategy accordingly, possibly by making more estimated guesses or skipping more time-consuming questions. (Of course, if you have extra time, you can check your work more carefully.) In our next post, we'll address perhaps the single most powerful strategy. The process of elimination.

LSAT Tip of the Week Logical Reasoning Practice Question #1

LSAT Tip of the Week Logical Reasoning Practice Question #1 LSAT Law School Blog This week, we will go over a practice problem from the Logical Reasoning Section of the June 2007 LSAT. Section 3, Question 1: Situation: Someone living in a cold climate buys a winter coat that is stylish but not warm in order to appear sophisticated. Analysis: People are sometimes willing to sacrifice personal comfort or pleasure for the sake of appearances. The analysis provided for the situation above is most appropriate for which one of the following situations? (A) A person buys an automobile to commute to work even though public transportation is quick and reliable. (B) A parent buys a car seat for a young child because it is more colorful and more comfortable for the child than the other car seats on the market, though no safer. (C) A couple buys a particular wine even though their favorite wine is less expensive and better tasting because they think it will impress their dinner guests. (D) A person sets her thermostat at a low temperature during the winter because she is concerned about the environmental damage caused by using fossil fuels to heat her home. (E) An acrobat convinces the circus that employs him to purchase an expensive outfit for him so that he can wear it during his act to impress the audience. A good plan of attack for logical reasoning questions is a simple one- read the question, identify what question type it is, plan out the answer in your head, then proceed to look at the answers. Go ahead and make an attempt at this and then come back here and we will step through how to get to the correct answer. Solution: First, we can determine that this is a “must be true” question type- so we must find an answer choice that has the same logic pattern as presented to us in the question. The logic pattern boils down to trading one thing (comfort) for another (appearance). First, let’s take a look at option (a)- here we have someone buying a car despite having public transportation. There is no sacrifice here that involves comfort for appearance, therefore we can eliminate (a). Option (b) is choosing a car seat where you sacrifice safety for comfort and colors, which can seem tempting but is not the exact fact pattern that we are looking for- so we eliminate (b). Option (c) is sacrificing pleasure (of their favorite wine) for appearance (to impress the guests). This aligns exactly with the logic pattern we are looking for, so we can state (c) is the correct answer. Let’s go through the other options just to make sure though. Option (d) sacrifices comfort (lowering thermostat) for the sake of t he environment- this does not fully align up with the fact pattern we are looking for. So, we can eliminate (d). In (e) there is the sacrifice of money for appearance, and again this may partly align with the fact pattern, but not completely. Therefore, (e) also holds to be false. Therefore (c) is our correct answer since there was a sacrifice of comfort for appearance- just like in the original question. If you’d like more practice, here are a few more logical reasoning example questions from AdmissionsConsultants.

?? How Increasing the Amount of Natural Light in Your Home Can Benefit Your Children

?? How Increasing the Amount of Natural Light in Your Home Can Benefit Your Children How Increasing the Amount of Natural Light in Your Home Can Benefit Your Children Incorporating Natural Light Into Your Home Can Benefit Your ChildrenNatural light has a whole host of benefits, including the ability to improve moods and boost vitamin D absorption. But, with technological advancements meaning there are fewer reasons for children to spend time outdoors, therefore, it might be time to consider how you can increase the amount of natural light in your home.Getting kids to play outdoors isn't always easy, especially when there are video games to be played and television shows to watch. But, when they are regularly exposed to less and less natural light, this can lead to serious health problems â€" both mentally and physically. In fact, natural light is so important to health that Regulation 8 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 makes it a legal requirement for all establishments â€" including schools â€" to encourage natural light wherever possible. However, it's not just schools that should be concerned with the amount of na tural light they let in, but also family homes, too. In this article, we will be sharing some of the main benefits that natural light can have for our children. It can improve their moodAs parents, you'll be familiar with the morning grumble when you're trying to get the kids out of bed but having ample natural light in their room and around your home can ensure morning moods don’t last. Natural light is a powerful resource for boosting your mood and therefore encouraging positivity â€" so much so that a recent study by Maruani and Geoffrey found that bright light is an effective therapy for individuals suffering from depression. This is certainly an important finding given that NHS statistics for 2017 reported an increase in mental health disorders in children aged 5â€"19 years old, bringing the total to 12.8% for that year.Additionally, there is evidence that UV rays from the sun can stimulate melanocytes â€" the cells responsible for the dark pigment in your skin â€" these cells also encourage endorphin production, leaving your children feeling good more often. So, if your child spends a lot of time cooped up in their room, you'll need to ensure that there is enough natural light coming through their windows. If they have an attic room that doesn't currently have sufficient lighting, getting a set of roof windows can be a fantastic solution. As well as maximising the amount of natural light your little one is exposed to, these also provide great ventilation which is said to be beneficial for your mental health. Plus, roof windows can be fitted with blackout blinds, putting you back in control of when it's bright or dark in your child's room.Help Get Better SleepAs with waking them up on a morning, getting your kids to sleep at night can certainly prove a stressful experience. But natural light has been found to solve some of these issues too and can help enhance sleep quality.Light dictates our circadian rhythm â€" the hours we spend awake and asleep â€" and can have an impact on everything from our metabolism to our body temperature. And, when we aren't exposed to enough of it, our body decides its own pattern to follow which is based on genetics might not be quite right for optimal functioning. If your child struggles to sleep on a night, it may be because he or she is not being exposed to enough natural light and therefore their body is deciding the sleeping and waking hours for itself. When natural light is readily available during the day, it can solve problems of insomnia at night by resetting the body and helping it to regulate patterns of sleep and wakefulness. Sleep is key for growing minds, click here to read our article on how sleep can affect academic performance It can boost their productivity and learning developmentWhether they're struggling to get through their homework or are trying to concentrate on their recreational hobbies, like reading, natural light can drive motivation and help your children to get through more and with a better focus. This is because humans are designed to function at their optimum levels during daylight and to sleep when it is dark.So much research has been done around this topic, with many studies indicating that bright light could have an effect on the ability for us to learn. This was supported by a 2018 study by Soler et al, who found that rats had better cognitive functioning when they had been exposed to daytime light each day. The results of studies like these indicate that when light is removed or not available in the correct quantities, it can disrupt normal functioning and interrupt your child's productivity. Help to promote healthy physical growthNatural light from the sun emits vitamin D, which is key for growth, calcium absorption, and promotes healthy bone development. It also makes your body more able to fight off any illnesses and diseases, including cancer and heart disease. This means that it's important to try and get your kids to spend as much time outdoors as possible.Similarly, exposure to natural light can help your child to regulate their body weight, as the blue light emitted by the sun has been found to cause the fat cells beneath the skin to shrink. This is supported by a report published in the Nature Research journal which suggested that sunlight may be directly related to weight loss. Natural light is crucial for us all, especially children in their early years of developing both mentally and physically. It's important that your kids spend time out in the fresh air, but also that your home invites enough natural light to benefit them, too. Consider the benefits I've la id out above and introduce some more light for happy and healthy kids! Written by David Knight from expert roof windows suppliers Roof Windows 4 You, He shares some of his insights from his many years in the industry surrounding the benefits that incorporating natural light into your home can have for your children.

Harvard Bound Kumon Dual Program Completer Gives Advice on College Admissions Process

Harvard Bound Kumon Dual Program Completer Gives Advice on College Admissions Process Harvard Bound Kumon Dual Program Completer Gives Advice on College Admissions Process Less than six percent. That’s the overall acceptance rate into Harvard University each year. And it’s not just Harvard. In fact, all eight Ivy League schools have an acceptance rate below 15 percent. So what’s the key to helping your child not only get into their dream school, but one of the most prestigious in the country? Let us introduce you to Kumon Alum Stephanie Zhao. She is among the six percent of accepted applicants that will attend Harvard University this fall. Stephanie enrolled in Kumon in the second grade and completed both the math and reading programs in three short years by the age of 10 years-old. Her academic success didn’t stop there. She received perfect scores on the ACT, PSAT, SAT and SAT subject tests of math and chemistry. With the highly competitive admissions process, parents and students alike are always looking for tips and who better to provide them then Harvard bound Stephanie. Why did you choose Harvard? Harvard was always my dream school and first choice. In fact, I didn’t even apply to any other Ivy League schools. I spent two summers taking general chemistry and organic chemistry classes at Harvard and absolutely fell in love with the campus, the history and the city of Boston. I always knew that’s where I wanted to go. What advice do you have for other Kumon students with aspirations of going to an Ivy League school? First of all, don’t go to an Ivy League school just for the sake of going to an Ivy League school. Find the school that is best suited for you and your dreams. I want to become a doctor one day and fell in love with the biochemistry and sociology programs at Harvard. Once you have a list of schools you are interested in, focus on your extracurricular activities along with excelling in the classroom. Try to get involved in things you actually care about. In addition to building up your resume, it gives you an opportunity to discover more about your passions. How did Kumon help prepare you for the college admissions process?   I personally feel that Kumon is a big reason for my success. It laid a strong foundation for me in math and reading and cultivated a love for learning that I still carry with me today. And outside of the classroom, Kumon helped with my moral development and competitiveness. Because Kumon made my school work easier, I was able to devote more time to extracurricular activities and really build a strong application. Do you think Kumon played a role in your standardized testing success and what advice do you have for other Kumon students?   Kumon definitely contributed to my success with the standardized tests. The precision, responsibility, motivation and work ethic I developed while completing the Kumon program definitely carried over as I prepared for the standardized tests. My biggest piece of advice is to stick with Kumon even when it gets more difficult. Don’t see it as a chore, but as an opportunity. Take the work ethic that you develop and apply that to the practice and studying for the tests. Stephanie’s extracurricular activities: President of Amnesty International Club; Vice President of Green Club; Vice President of French Club; Student Council Treasurer; Volunteer at the Rockefeller Cancer Institute at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Volunteer at Local Domestic Violence Shelter; Pianist; Math Tutor. You might also be interested in: Finding the motivation to continue learning during the summer can be a challenge. 13-year-old Kumon dual program completer shares advice on perseverance. Kumon Program Completer Earns Perfect SAT Math Score as a 7th Grader From Struggling Student to Kumon Dual Program Completer Meet Elina, a Dual Program Completer Who Has Developed Independence in Kumon Harvard Bound Kumon Dual Program Completer Gives Advice on College Admissions Process Harvard Bound Kumon Dual Program Completer Gives Advice on College Admissions Process Less than six percent. That’s the overall acceptance rate into Harvard University each year. And it’s not just Harvard. In fact, all eight Ivy League schools have an acceptance rate below 15 percent. So what’s the key to helping your child not only get into their dream school, but one of the most prestigious in the country? Let us introduce you to Kumon Alum Stephanie Zhao. She is among the six percent of accepted applicants that will attend Harvard University this fall. Stephanie enrolled in Kumon in the second grade and completed both the math and reading programs in three short years by the age of 10 years-old. Her academic success didn’t stop there. She received perfect scores on the ACT, PSAT, SAT and SAT subject tests of math and chemistry. With the highly competitive admissions process, parents and students alike are always looking for tips and who better to provide them then Harvard bound Stephanie. Why did you choose Harvard? Harvard was always my dream school and first choice. In fact, I didn’t even apply to any other Ivy League schools. I spent two summers taking general chemistry and organic chemistry classes at Harvard and absolutely fell in love with the campus, the history and the city of Boston. I always knew that’s where I wanted to go. What advice do you have for other Kumon students with aspirations of going to an Ivy League school? First of all, don’t go to an Ivy League school just for the sake of going to an Ivy League school. Find the school that is best suited for you and your dreams. I want to become a doctor one day and fell in love with the biochemistry and sociology programs at Harvard. Once you have a list of schools you are interested in, focus on your extracurricular activities along with excelling in the classroom. Try to get involved in things you actually care about. In addition to building up your resume, it gives you an opportunity to discover more about your passions. How did Kumon help prepare you for the college admissions process?   I personally feel that Kumon is a big reason for my success. It laid a strong foundation for me in math and reading and cultivated a love for learning that I still carry with me today. And outside of the classroom, Kumon helped with my moral development and competitiveness. Because Kumon made my school work easier, I was able to devote more time to extracurricular activities and really build a strong application. Do you think Kumon played a role in your standardized testing success and what advice do you have for other Kumon students?   Kumon definitely contributed to my success with the standardized tests. The precision, responsibility, motivation and work ethic I developed while completing the Kumon program definitely carried over as I prepared for the standardized tests. My biggest piece of advice is to stick with Kumon even when it gets more difficult. Don’t see it as a chore, but as an opportunity. Take the work ethic that you develop and apply that to the practice and studying for the tests. Stephanie’s extracurricular activities: President of Amnesty International Club; Vice President of Green Club; Vice President of French Club; Student Council Treasurer; Volunteer at the Rockefeller Cancer Institute at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Volunteer at Local Domestic Violence Shelter; Pianist; Math Tutor. You might also be interested in: Finding the motivation to continue learning during the summer can be a challenge. 13-year-old Kumon dual program completer shares advice on perseverance. Kumon Program Completer Earns Perfect SAT Math Score as a 7th Grader From Struggling Student to Kumon Dual Program Completer Meet Elina, a Dual Program Completer Who Has Developed Independence in Kumon