Thursday, 26 January 2012
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Windshield Replacement Can Save Lives
Many car owners are happy to drive around with stone chips or even cracks in the windshield. They do not realize how dangerous it is. Windshield replacement could save your life.
It might seem like no more than a window to give a clear view of the road and keep the weather off your face. However the windshield is essential to the structural integrity of any modern vehicle. In the event a car rolls over, strong glass helps maintain the structure of the cabin. If it shatters or pops out, the roof may crumple. That reduces your chance of surviving without head or neck injury.
Sometimes people fear such a small fracture will cost too much to repair. It is another one of dozens of nagging details that demand time and money. We have too many of those and tend to ignore the small problems until they become big ones, or until it is too late. A damaged windshield is a tragedy waiting to happen.
Fortunately the cost of windshield replacement may be much less than expected. In fact it may cost the car owner nothing at all.
Indeed new glass is expensive: $200 or $300 depending on the car model. Insurance companies realise a windshield costs much more once it is broken. They also know how important this problem is, and how good glass can prevent a serious injury. That would mean a far more expensive claim than simple repairs.
For that reason, many companies will happily waive the deductible if the existing windshield can be repaired. So you may be able to have that chip or crack fixed without paying anything at all.
I discovered how easy it is last week when I went for a quick oil change. I had driven around with a chip in my windshield for several years. I reasoned that since it had not caused any cracks that it was not serious. It was 10:00 on a weekday morning, the shop was empty and the whole crew was ready to work on my car. The mechanic pointed out that they could fix the chip in 10 minutes with the other work underway.
Here is the easy part: the repair shop will contact your insurance company for you. You will not have to prepare ahead, phone anyone or fill out any paperwork. Just take your car to the glass company. If you wish, go to more than one garage and ask for price quotes. If the chip is small it may cost nothing at all.
When the garage contacts your insurance company, the windshield specialist will probably ask to speak to you. They will ask you to describe the damage and tell them when the incident occurred. If you are like me, the chip happened an embarrassingly long time ago. You might not remember and have to make a best guess. However if that is the worst part of the ordeal, we are silly to wait so long.
The mechanic had been overly optimistic about how little time it would take. Actually the procedure required more than 20 minutes. The repair must be done carefully because a sloppy job can cause the glass to crack. The repairer should clean the surface thoroughly and wear gloves to keep skin oil off the glass. If you do not see this happening, complain and ask to have it done properly. Then primer and resin must be applied and all air must be sucked out of the blemish.
Half an hour may be time well spent preventing a more costly repair, perhaps even a serious injury. However whether the damage calls for a chip fix or windshield replacement, do not put it off. This is not a lesson anyone should learn the hard way.
Found that informative? We have more articles on Windshield Replacement and information to lower your Windshield Replacement cost.
Art of Cramming
The best way to revise is obviously to start early, ASAP. However, that's not always possible. I mean, you have computer games to play, TV shows to watch, clothes to buy, and what not. By the time you finish all the "important" things, only the last 2-3 days have anything to do with school.
Bad idea.
I mean, cramming sucks. It puts you under a lot of pressure and the worst part is, you don't learn anything. After the exam, you literally instantly forget what you learn. So much for education.
But sometimes, cramming is the only option, like it was for me. I was messing around and only started taking things seriously for the last 10 days or so. I was playing with fire, but, hey, I had more important things to do
If you really want to cram, you better do it the right way. No, that doesn't mean getting out all your notes and reading them 6555 times hoping you will retain all the information. You won't, trust me.
If you want to cram, you must first get out your notes, and compress your 600 paged biography into something like 10 pages. Cut all the words that make your work longer. You will be surprised at how little useful stuff there is. This will make your revision much more efficient.
Next, start making flashcards with aa the definitions you might need. One side with the word, one side with the definition. Repeat this over and over and over and over again, especially on the morning of the exam. This is critical. Your memory experiences decay at an exponential rate and only by reviewing your flashcards at regular intervals can you retain what you learn.
For the concepts, structures, diagram, flashcard them as well. Make flashcards, loads of them, with the Question and the Answer. The KEY here, is to make the questions seem as "exam like" as possible, and you should be able to see the structure of exam questions by simply looking at a past paper. For example, if you're learning about "Transpiration", put on the question side of your flashcard, "How does Humidity affect rate of transpiration (3marks)". Try to simulate exam conditions as closely as possible.
1-2 days before the exam, do a few past papers. This is EXTREMELY important. After doing a lot of past papers, I realized that many of the questions simply repeated themselves over the years. This is very intentional because there are only a finite number of questions. Go on Google and saturate all the past papers and who knows, you might come across questions that will turn up in the exam.
(An anecdote: In the MCQ, there were at least 7-8 questions that were EXACTLY the same as questions I saw in past papers. Yes, there was not even a word difference in the wording)
What about sleep? I think its better to sacrifice a bit of that. Scientists say you must have a good sleep one day before an exam in order to perform better in a exam. However, we don't have time for that now. Its a matter of life or death. If your exam is in the afternoon, you might be able to catch a few hours of sleep. Otherwise, just sleep more the next day.
Spend the night wisely, you're forgiven if you want to pull an all-nighter. You can't believe how well the human brain is able to adapt to all-nighters if done OCCASIONALLY. If you do it daily...It'll just be one of many days. Drink some coffee on the morning of the exam, and really....
NEVER CRAM AGAIN!
Art of Cramming
The best way to revise is obviously to start early, ASAP. However, that's not always possible. I mean, you have computer games to play, TV shows to watch, clothes to buy, and what not. By the time you finish all the "important" things, only the last 2-3 days have anything to do with school.
Bad idea.
I mean, cramming sucks. It puts you under a lot of pressure and the worst part is, you don't learn anything. After the exam, you literally instantly forget what you learn. So much for education.
But sometimes, cramming is the only option, like it was for me. I was messing around and only started taking things seriously for the last 10 days or so. I was playing with fire, but, hey, I had more important things to do
If you really want to cram, you better do it the right way. No, that doesn't mean getting out all your notes and reading them 6555 times hoping you will retain all the information. You won't, trust me.
If you want to cram, you must first get out your notes, and compress your 600 paged biography into something like 10 pages. Cut all the words that make your work longer. You will be surprised at how little useful stuff there is. This will make your revision much more efficient.
Next, start making flashcards with aa the definitions you might need. One side with the word, one side with the definition. Repeat this over and over and over and over again, especially on the morning of the exam. This is critical. Your memory experiences decay at an exponential rate and only by reviewing your flashcards at regular intervals can you retain what you learn.
For the concepts, structures, diagram, flashcard them as well. Make flashcards, loads of them, with the Question and the Answer. The KEY here, is to make the questions seem as "exam like" as possible, and you should be able to see the structure of exam questions by simply looking at a past paper. For example, if you're learning about "Transpiration", put on the question side of your flashcard, "How does Humidity affect rate of transpiration (3marks)". Try to simulate exam conditions as closely as possible.
1-2 days before the exam, do a few past papers. This is EXTREMELY important. After doing a lot of past papers, I realized that many of the questions simply repeated themselves over the years. This is very intentional because there are only a finite number of questions. Go on Google and saturate all the past papers and who knows, you might come across questions that will turn up in the exam.
(An anecdote: In the MCQ, there were at least 7-8 questions that were EXACTLY the same as questions I saw in past papers. Yes, there was not even a word difference in the wording)
What about sleep? I think its better to sacrifice a bit of that. Scientists say you must have a good sleep one day before an exam in order to perform better in a exam. However, we don't have time for that now. Its a matter of life or death. If your exam is in the afternoon, you might be able to catch a few hours of sleep. Otherwise, just sleep more the next day.
Spend the night wisely, you're forgiven if you want to pull an all-nighter. You can't believe how well the human brain is able to adapt to all-nighters if done OCCASIONALLY. If you do it daily...It'll just be one of many days. Drink some coffee on the morning of the exam, and really....
NEVER CRAM AGAIN!
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
What Should You Expect From Schools For Gifted Kids?
Public educational institutions are working with fewer resources than ever before. Important programs such as ones for extremely smart kids are being shoved aside as educational institutions are working furiously to keep test scores up. If your child is exceptionally bright, she might flourish with a program that's designed especially for her. Special gifted schools should be able to tailor programs especially for bright kids, but what else should you expect from them?
Schools For Gifted Kids Should Employ Excellent, Licensed Teachers
It's a given that schools for gifted kids need to have excellent teachers. A teacher needs to be able to get creative and plan lessons that will keep kids engaged and eager about learning. They also need to be able to tailor lessons for students who are able to grasp the material quickly and easily. Contrary to what many people might believe, smart students don't need more homework -- they need different homework. Before searching for gifted schools, ask the teachers what kind of assignments will be given out if a student masters the material before the others. The assignments should be creative and engaging, no matter what the subject.
Also ask whether the school requires teaching licenses for each of its teachers. Although it might seem like a ridiculous question, some smaller private institutes may not be accredited, which means the teachers don't need to be licensed. An unaccredited institute isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it could mean your student has a more difficult time when it's time to apply to colleges and for scholarships. To save yourself that hassle, make sure the school is accredited with licensed teachers.
Gifted Schools Should Offer Unique Academic Experiences
Schools for gifted kids should offer more than just standard academic experiences such as classes in math, English, history and more. Instead of reading about the Civil War, some teachers in gifted schools might have students direct their own movie, or write an essay from the viewpoint of someone who lived in that time. Civics teachers could have their students monitor the passage of a local bill or even have them write one of their own to solve a common problem in the community. Before selecting a school, ask what kind of projects students will be working on during the year.
Education Shouldn't Be One Size Fits All
Students who are exceptional in math might not have the same experience in language arts. If this is the case, make sure any school you choose has multiple levels of classes for students with differing abilities in different subjects. However, students should never be made to feel like they're less intelligent than anyone else just because they're in a class with a lower difficulty level. A school should celebrate kids of all abilities -- in all subjects.
Finding the right place for your exceptional children shouldn't be terribly difficult, but it might take time to ensure that you're placing them in the right educational environment. Make sure to interview the school's principal or headmaster and take an extensive tour of the school and its grounds. Above all, follow your heart. If it's telling you that a school is the right spot for your child, it likely is.
The Chicago Area Independent Gifted School Network is a network of gifted schools in Illinois. Interested parents can receive information about Chicago gifted schools in one easy to navigate site. To learn more about these schools for gifted kids, visit their website.
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