The Basic Skills of Kindergarten

Children love to learn.  In the first years of life, there really is no distinction between learning and play to a child and they get as much fun and joy from learning new things as they do from any game they play.  So the years before kindergarten are a perfect time to use play time with you to begin their path toward conquering some basic principles that will be very helpful to them when they reach kindergarten.

Many children’s games and books focus on helping your little one learn colors, shapes and other basics that will be good to have a firm grasp of before they reach kindergarten.  You can make a game of knowing the color names and you will be surprised how quick witted your child is and able to pick up not just the basic 5-10 colors but many nuances of color as well.  The same is true of shapes.  While a child may have trouble saying “octagon”, don’t underestimate their ability to learn the names of the various shapes of their toys and blocks.

You can use play and reading time to also help your preschool child get a good grasp of the alphabet, how the letters look and numbers and counting.  These will all be excellent basic skills of kindergarten that will make the step into formal school easy and smooth for your child.  In fact, it isn’t out line to expect that your preschooler could learn to sign her name and do some basic letter shaping exercises before she starts kindergarten.  How great would it be for her not only to have these core skills and areas of knowledge well in hand before school starts but to be able to start with that much confidence that she is smart and ready for school?  That kind of confidence translates into big time success for any student starting on a big new adventure.

Along with using play time in such a productive way, there are many studies that have shown without a doubt that reading to your child every day is one of the finest ways to get them ready for school.  If you read stories to your little one and allow them to look over your shoulder, you will be surprised how many words they will learn to recognize just from that casual time of loving relaxation with mommy or daddy.  

But reading is also one of the best ways to improve your child’s vocabulary and ability to speak clearly and expressively.  Don’t be surprised if you find your child with books open early and often because you took the time to read to her even before she starts at kindergarten.  And that love of learning is something that will stay with that child for the rest of her life.  What a wonderful gift.

If your child loves to run and play as is very common in young children, you can use that to help them develop strong motor skills which will help in dozens of ways in school.  Hand eye coordination not only will help your child do well in gym and playing sports, it will help in learning to write and many other related physical dexterity challenges that she will face in school. 

By looking at many of life’s simple pleasures that you enjoy in raising a preschooler as also opportunities to develop your child intellectually, physically and even socially in preparation for kindergarten, you are giving your baby wonderful skills, knowledge and abilities that will pay off big when kindergarten starts officially when she is five.  And you will be thrilled to see her naturally step into the formal school world so well and begin to succeed because you took the time to get her ready well ahead of time.

Community College Disadvantages

While there are many distinct advantages that can be associated with attending a community college there are a few disadvantages that I would be remiss in not mentioning. We all like to look at the positive side of things and the good in my opinion of community colleges, at least as a springboard for university learning far outweigh the bad. However, if you are considering community college as an option whether for your associate's degree alone or have plans to move along to the university level upon completion you should see the big picture and not just the sunshine and flowers.

The first thing you should be aware of, and this applies primarily to those students with plans to transfer, is that you should always consult the college you intend to attend next in order to make sure that the courses you are taking on the community college level are compatible with the core requirements for the university. In many cases they are similar enough to be considered compatible but there are exceptions and it is better to find this out sooner rather than later. If you plan to attend a University that is located near the community college you are attending you should check and see if they have some sort of articulation agreement that will allow associate's degree graduates to transfer seamlessly.

Many states are stepping in and passing laws that require colleges in their specific states to accept community college credits as transfer credits in an effort to keep qualified workers in the state. Some universities are even offering distance learning programs to associates degree graduates in order to allow access to students who live a greater distance from campus to have access to educational opportunities that would have been denied to them in the past. Of course if you live in one of these states, a former disadvantage may now work in your favor.

Many community colleges do not offer housing opportunities and most of those that do are still largely commuter campuses rather than residence campuses. Rather than spending funds on housing these colleges tend to reserve their spending to assist in academic pursuits. Community colleges in rural areas are much more likely than those in larger cities to offer housing on campus. The lack of on-campus housing makes participation in sports and other activities a little more difficult than colleges that are largely residential in nature.

If you decide to make a community college your last stop when it comes to your personal educational experience you will be denying yourself a great deal of earning potential over the course of your lifetime. For this reason you should seriously consider the benefits that transferring to a university will present for your educational goals.

My largest complaint when it comes to community colleges when compared to larger universities was the fact that there are such limited opportunities to take specific classes than when compared to those classes on a university level. You will find that you must remain within your sequence of courses on the community college level or you risk needing an extra semester or year in order to complete the requirements for your associate's degree. Universities tend to offer greater flexibility, especially in lower level courses that are required by all in order to graduate.

My other major complaint when it comes to community college is the fact that they often have much smaller libraries than universities. This seriously limits the ability that students have to do extensive research with the exception of rare cases. Universities simply have deeper pockets than the average community college.  For this reason they will have bigger libraries and far more bells and whistles than the average community college. Hopefully we'll see this change over time as well. Despite the disadvantages that can be associated with community college educations, I feel that they are very much outweighed by the benefits that the community college learning environment offers.

What are Neurobics?

The term neurobics is one you may not be familiar with. It is similar to aerobics which are exercises for the body to take part in. They keep you fit and healthy and you should be taking part in them on a regular basis. Neurobics are very similar as they are exercises that you should take part in so that your brain gets the exercise that it needs. If you are someone that follows a routine day after day, this is going to create some fun as well as some chaos in your world!

Neurobics are fascinating to explore because they allow you to use all five of your senses to exercise your brain. At the same time it allows you to explore your emotional senses and to see how they should all be able to work together. When you engage in such activities your brain is going to get stronger. You will also grow new brain cells which is important for your overall mental well being.

There are some really fun activities you can try that fall into the category of neurobics. For example, try to do something such as eating or getting dressed with your eyes closed. When you do so you have to rely upon your other senses to help you get it done. Try to engage in a conversation with someone but no words can be exchanged. Instead you have to rely upon your other movements of the body to express yourself.

Another category of neurobics involves exploring two things at one time. This isn’t on the same level though as multi tasking though. You want to do two things that allow your mind the freedom to be creative. For example you can draw while listening closely to the music on the radio.

We all have many routine things about us that we may not even notice. These are habits engraved in our brain patterns. We take part in them without thinking about doing it differently. This form of neurobics involves changing those normal routines. Do you usually clean the kitchen first in your home? If so, then save it for last this weekend. Do you always start your day the same way? Now is the time to shake things up and do something different.

Identify which hand is dominant and then decide for an entire day to do everything with your other hand. It is going to be harder than you thought, and it is going to take plenty of concentration. You may discover that you get better at it though as the day progresses. It is going to alter the way that your brain has to think when it comes to accomplishing tasks that have become too single for you.

There are so many different ways in which you can experiment with neurobics. Have fun with it and do your best to learn all you can from it. Most of these types of tasks you can do at home, at work, and even when you travel. The key is to identify those things you always do one way. Then you can make a conscious effort to do it differently. It can also be fun to keep notes documenting what you have discovered as well as the outcomes of your neurobic activities.

Neurobics can be very fun to take part in as they help you to further develop your mind. They help us to appreciate what all our brain is able to assist us with accomplishing each day. However, it also gives us insight to the conclusion that our brains control a great deal of what we do. The fact that we often just go along with it and not question it needs to be something of the past. As you explore neurobics though you will understand that you have the ability to change things around and to always keep your brain learning in new ways.

Are you Thinking on Auto Pilot?

The brain is a fascinating aspect of our bodies because so much of who we are is controlled there. It is common though to get caught up in a pattern of behavior when it comes to thinking. If you are doing it all on auto pilot then it is time to change the way you think! You will definitely get more out of life when you take such an approach. It will improve your relationships, your attitude, your work environment, and even how you feel about yourself.

It can be hard to really assess your thinking process when you are on auto pilot. Try to do so objectively though so you can see things in a new light. Think about something you do at home or work all the time. Now ask yourself why you do it that way. If the answer is because that is the way it has always been done, you aren’t really thinking about it. Now that you have identified the situation, put some serious thought into the process. If there a better way that it can be done?

Relationships can be tricky as well as difficult. If you find some of them that you have to be stressful at times, you need to change your way of thinking. What is it about the relationship that doesn’t flow well? Do you have the same conversation over and over again with your spouse, child, or other person in you life? Is the outcome always the same no matter what? If so, then it could be due to the fact that one of you or both of you is on auto pilot when it comes to your thinking.

A great way to change that is to ask the other person what they are thinking. Once they tell you, ask them why they feel that way about it. When you respond to them, ask yourself the same thing. What is it that is triggering such a response? Is that the pattern on behavior that you always go with? If so, then why not try something new because obviously what you are doing now and what you have done in the past wasn’t productive.

The work place environment is a great opportunity for you to change your way of thinking. Many people go to work each day, do their job, and go home. There is likely to be many areas of you job where you can do it differently with the same or better results. As you start to identify those areas, write them down. Present your plans to your boss and see if they are willing to allow you to try them. Most employers love to see employees taking such initiative.

When you make the conscious decision to change the way you think, you can remove many of the negative things around you from your life. You can focus your energy on the positive around you. Look for solutions that fit the situation instead of going on auto pilot and doing what you always have in the past. At first you will have to really think about it to make it work. However, it will soon become part of your regular behaviors that you engage in.

Other people will appreciate you more too because you will be giving them a fair chance to explore their own ideas. You won’t be cutting them off with your automated response to their situation. As a result you will find that you are happier, you have less stress, and that your various relationships with others have improved. If you are thinking on auto pilot you may be getting several things done, but you are really only going through the motions with them.

You need to make sure you are fully exploring all your options. Don’t just accept what is in front of you at face value. There is certainly much more out there being offered to you if you are receptive to it. Once you have made the choice to change this type of thinking, you will start to notice those opportunities more and more throughout your day.

How to Choose a College that Fits

Heading off to college is a major step in life. Naturally you want to select the right university for the major you have in mind. This can actually be more of a process than you think initially. Start by pondering the type of career you desire in the future. This can help you figure out how to choose a college that suits your needs and preferences. However, many individuals have no clue what they want to do in the future. This is okay as well. Fortunately there are many options out there and you can always switch down the road.

Take a moment to thing about your future career. What do you enjoy and what can you picture yourself doing? This is crucial! After all, you certainly don't want to follow a path that you don't enjoy. Having the wrong career can make your life miserable. So, if you know you want to get into creative writing, then it's imperative to find and choose a college that offers a degree in creative writing. Maybe it will be located in your state and maybe you will have to relocate for your college career. Either way, it's worth it! This is how to choose a college in an effective manner that's right for you. If you're totally unsure what you want to do as an adult, then consider taking a career placement test. This can help you choose the right university as well.

When it comes to college, money is often an issue. There's no doubt that college is generally expensive. Therefore it's often prudent to think about community colleges when pondering how to choose a college that's ideal. You can begin your college career by taking a few courses at a local junior college. This won't cost you much! You can start with the basic courses. Get them out of the way first while investigating possible majors. How to choose a college that's perfect for you doesn't have to be difficult. If you can't decide on a particular university, maybe you should try a university transfer program from a community college. This will give you time to brainstorm and save money in the process.