Should I Go To Baylor University

Should I Go To Baylor University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Kat is a Dallas Fort Worth tutor specializing in Algebra tutoring, AP Physics tutoring, Calculus tutoring, and more. She is a 2011 graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelors degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. 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? Kat: The campus is safe, and its like a city within itself. There are buses you can take around campus, but I personally never used them. A lot of students walk or ride bikes across campus, and a car is only needed if you live off of campus or if you wanted to go to the movie theater. VT:How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Kat: The professors, advisers, and teaching assistants are always willing to find time to help. They typically have certain hours that they are available, but if you have class or duties during those hours, they will work with you to find an alternate time and schedule an appointment. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Kat: I did not have a good experience with dorm life, so I lived off-campus for most of my college life. You are required to live on campus your first year; afterwards, I highly recommend getting off campus if you can afford it. This is the only area of Baylor I have anything negative to say about. The dining options are good, but may be a bit limited for some. There is a Chilis Too in the Engineering building. There is also a small snack stand in the science building. There are three dining halls; one has a really awesome omelet bar, another has a great stir-fry bar, and the last one occasionally has fantastic chili cheese fries (and I am a person who normally does not enjoy chili cheese fries). There is also a little collection of fast food places within the student union building. It includes Chick-fil-A, Sbarro, Quiznos, and a tex-mex place. There are no Chinese restaurants that deliver to Baylor, but there is a Pizza Hut right on the edge of campus that does deliver to campus. There are also several social events throughout the year. Every week, there is a Dr. Pepper Hour in which students get free Dr. Pepper floats and socialize. The student union building has a pool hall and a bowling alley in the basement. Every school within the university hosts different events. The Engineering school has an event during which different organizations like ASME and IEEE put on little shows or contests. One example is professors and teaching assistants trying to find Skittles within a whipped cream pie. 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? Kat: I studied Electrical and Computer Engineering. I have always enjoyed mathematics and science, especially the electricity side of physics. I was also in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC). Both were well represented and supported. They also required a separate application from the admissions application for Baylor. Thus, I actually had three different applications that I filled out for Baylor: one to be a student at the university, one for the Engineering school, and one for the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core program. I do not know the acceptance rate for the Engineering school, but I do know that BIC only accepts 200 to 250 students each year into the program. Both the Engineering school and the BIC program had teachers and administrators that were very supportive of the students and the goals of those students. 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? Kat: The first week after moving in, before starting school, is all about meeting people, making friends, and learning about Baylor. For the first week of school as a freshman, a decent number of classes did not go diving into the subject material. They spent a day or two having the professor and students introduce themselves. There were a lot of events during the first week to encourage students to meet and mingle. I was not a part of the Greek life and did not see it play a significant role in campus life. There are others who would disagree with that statement. I just did not experience it, and it was not a significant part in the events I attended. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Kat: The Career Center is helpful for putting together a resume. There are a number of companies that recruit on campus and at the Baylor career fairs. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Kat: The study areas were nice. There was typically room, and they were easy to get to. The libraries had study rooms you could reserve. These were great for study groups or when I tutored others. They had dry erase boards you could use, if you brought your own markers and eraser. I used these rooms on numerous occasions. The student union building would have available space, except around lunch. The lounge area and the table area were packed then. Otherwise, there was usually plenty of room, and the chairs were comfortable. I would study there in-between classes often. The dorm lounges were roomy and sometimes students would get together for a TV-watching party. 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? Kat: There were some restaurants and fast food places right around campus. There was also one movie theater, but it required having a car or a ride to get there. Most students stay on campus because there is not a lot to do off-campus. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Kat: The student body is fairly large. All of my classes were six to 40 people each (not including Chapel, which was a few hundred people), and the average was around 15 to 20. I liked the size of my classes. The science classes were the only ones to reach around 40 students. The BIC classes were 15 to 20 when in small group, and they were around 250 for large group. The small group BIC classes were for discussion, homework, quizzes, and tests. The large group BIC classes were for lectures. The Engineering classes varied from six people to 25 people. The electives were on the lower end of the range because professors wanted to be able to devote more time to each individual student. The required classes were on the higher end of the range, but they never reached the magnitude of the science classes. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Kat: I really enjoyed and loved many of my classes. The most memorable experience for me was not tied to a specific class, but rather to how professors/students reacted to a situation. Fall semester of my spring year, my family was going through a hard time that ended with the funeral of my brothers first-born child. She was a micro-preemie on life support. I was walking into class when I got the call about how my brother and his wife were going to take her off of life support. I walked into my lab, and I did not have to say anything. My lab partner saw the look on my face (I had been keeping him up to date on everything going on back home), and he just told me to go. He said he would handle the lab and catch me up next week. In addition to lab, which was my last class that day, I missed three full days of class that week, as well as a quiz. I had emailed in all the homework I could, and I informed my professors of the situation and that some of the homework would be turned in late t he following week when I got back. None of the professors docked my homework for being late. In one of my classes, I had a quiz every Friday, and we were allowed one dropped quiz. When I emailed him, I told him I would take the quiz I missed as the dropped quiz. When I got back to school the following Monday, he pulled me aside and told me to not worry about the quiz. The quiz was missed for legitimate reasons and it would not count toward my total. Thus, I still had a dropped quiz to use afterward. I told him he did not need to do that, but I was very thankful. The professors and the students were supportive and worked with me to get things done at another time. They all understood that I did not miss class for a party or because I did not feel well. I missed class to be with my family during a time of need. The people at Baylor are very caring and supportive. Check out Kats tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Should I Go To Georgia State University

Should I Go To Georgia State University Galina earned her bachelors degree in Spanish from Georgia State University. She specializes in Spanish tutoring, algebra tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, she shares her experience at Georgia State University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Galina: I attended the downtown campus of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a big urban campus, with classrooms as close as 1 to 2 minutes and as far as 40 minutes walking distance from one another. There were buses that took the students around the campus, but I always walked. One aspect of being a downtown campus is, of course, the safety. We always had to keep our eyes open and pay attention to our surroundings. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Galina: For the most part, my professors were available both in-person and via email. I would receive a response via email within 24 hours, sometimes even within a few hours of reaching out. I did not interact with many teaching assistants as an undergraduate student, but I always made sure I was available to students who needed help when I was working as GRA myself. I did not seek much help from the advisers. After the initial dialogue, I felt I was not getting much value out of speaking with my adviser. However, right now my cousin is going to the same university, and she works a lot with her adviser. It may all depend on the individual adviser. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Galina: During my first year I lived in the Student Loftshousing designated for the scholarship students. However, for the following year, despite keeping my scholarship, myself and many other students were reassigned to the University Commonsbasically, the housing for anyone who wanted to live on campus. In addition, at the Lofts I only had one roommate, who was also a scholar and a dedicated student. However, when we got reassigned to the Commons, we were going to share a six-person dorm. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Galina: GSU has a very strong business school, best known for its risk management and insurance department and managerial science department. We also have an incredible foreign language department, specifically one of the strongest Spanish departments. I got my first undergraduate degree in actuarial science with a minor in Spanish language. But as I was finishing, I realized that my heart was really in something more international, and I did not see myself stuck with numbers all day long. As a result, I enrolled in a dual degree program of a Bachelors degree in Spanish and a Masters degree in international business with a focus in Latin America. I couldnt have been happier. 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? Galina: For me, it has always been easy to make new friends. I did not have any problems striking up a conversation with someone. I had my extracurricular activities outside of the university and was very happy with that. I had no interest whatsoever in the Greek lifeI didnt even know what that was, so I never got involved with it and have no knowledge about its importance to the campus social life. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Galina: The Career Center seemed somewhat helpfulsome students were more successful than others. Sadly, the key to that success seemed to reside in having previous internship experience, even when looking for an internship. So, many students, myself included, felt left out and helpless when it came to finding an opportunity for an internship. At the same time, there were many well-known and reputable companies often hiring students as interns or full and part-time employees, especially when it came to graduates. Those were companies from all over the nation, from every industry. Overall, I think this was a good pool of companies. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Galina: In general, the libraries were a very good place to study if on one of the top three floors. The first two were usually noisy. The student center would normally be a pretty quiet place; one could even fall asleep or see others take a quick nap. The Lofts did not have dorm lounges, and the Commons were very noisy. There were some additional study places, some of them were somewhat hidden, which made them excellent study spotsquiet and helpful in concentrating. Describe the surrounding town. Galina: Since we were in the middle of downtown Atlanta, we had a relatively easy and quick access to the main city attractionsthe Aquarium, the Coca-Cola museum, the CNN station, several parks, and the Midtown. I would say that the Midtown and the parks are the most picturesque and popular places to visit any time for the year, so there are always many students in those areas. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Galina: The student body was rather big; we were the second largest student body in the state. Also, our university is one of the top ones in the state for the first-generation college students, so many people celebrated the mere fact of being on campus and going to classes. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Galina: One of the most memorable experiences was my study abroad in Argentina, a course in Psychology/Spanish. We were learning about the Dirty Wars (Guerras Sucias) of the 1976-82, a time of military dictatorship. We learned not only about the history, but also about the people. That was an unforgettable experience, I highly recommend such a trip to anyone who wants to learn more, not only about the country and its history, but also about human nature. Check out Galinas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

4 Time Management Tips for Finals Week

4 Time Management Tips for Finals Week With the end of the spring semester in sight, this typically means one thingfinals week is approaching. Are you ready to be tested on everything youve learned in your courses? When preparing a study plan for finals week, its key to manage your time wisely in order to promote success on your exams. Time management tips for finals week include creating a study schedule, identifying which tasks to prioritize in your prep plan, and avoiding activities that may promote procrastination. Hoping to tackle finals week with the confidence you need to succeed? Keep reading to learn four time management tips for finals week. Finals week time management tip #1: create a schedule College is a busy time in a students lifeyour days are marked by classes and extracurricular activities, as well as quality time with friends. Your busy schedule can feel even more tightly packed when you try to fit in studying during finals week. Make the most of your time by scheduling everything you need to do in order to succeed this week. Items to incorporate into your finals week schedule may include: The times and locations of each exam Designated study times for each subject, as well as how much focus you feel is necessary for each class Any personal commitments, such as scheduled work hours Creating a schedule will help you see the tasks you need to complete, give you structured study time, and provide a good overview of your planned personal activities. [RELATED: How to Make a Smart Study Routine] Finals week time management tip #2: incorporate down time into your week With everything thats on your calendar, it can be a struggle to find time to take a breath and rest. When creating your schedule, make sure to add in some time for relaxation to be spent any way you feel will best benefit you. During the busyness of finals week, you need to remember to give your brain and body time for extra rest so they can perform their best, and you can avoid burnout. Too often, students find themselves over-worked and under-rested. Its important to take time to recharge in-between studying and activities especially during finals week. Remember to give yourself time during each day just for this purpose. It could be as short as taking 20 minutes between classes to grab a coffee, or setting aside an hour in the morning for a brisk walk. [RELATED: The Finals Week Survival Guide] Finals week time management tip #3: prioritize your time wisely Creating a list of activities you need to prioritize can be a helpful tool in making a productive finals week schedule. At the end of the day, having a schedule in place for this week wont be helpful if you accidentally place an item too far down your list and miss a deadline. In order to avoid disaster, try to maintain a running list of all your projects, activities, and studying tasks that you can edit on paper, on your phone, or on your laptop. It can be helpful to change the order and add new items as often as you need to so that you can keep it up to date. Be sure to check tasks off as you complete them, as this will reassure you that youre making progress during this often stressful week. [RELATED: 5 Ways to Stay Motivated During Finals Week] Finals week time management tip #4: avoid procrastination Even if youve created a tight schedule for finals week, it can be hard to avoid time-wasting activities such as surfing the internet or scrolling through your phone. Though its good to take breaks from your studying and other finals week activities, its easy to allow social media and other platforms to consume hours of your time. If you do feel pulled to a time-wasting activity, consider turning notifications off or putting your phone on do not disturb mode so youre not tempted to become distracted. Finals week can feel intimidating. In order to promote success, its key to create a schedule for the week, organize your time, and find ways to prevent procrastination. By utilizing these techniques, you can set yourself up for success this finals week. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

How to Help Your Child Read

How to Help Your Child Read Reading is something that many children begin to gravitate toward naturally once they reach a certain age. While your childs kindergarten class will help set up the basics for a solid reading foundation, there are many things that parents can do at home to encourage a reading-friendly environment. Ways to help your child read can include setting a good example, understanding his or her learning style, and encouraging consistent reading habits. Looking for ways to support your student, but not sure where to begin? Follow these steps to foster a learning environment at home that can help your child learn to read: Help your child read by setting a positive example At the age that many children begin reading, they are also very aware of the habits and practices of their parents. Children may repeat phrases or actions done by Mom, Dad, or other adults. Creating a reading-friendly atmosphere starts with the things you do as a role model. Let your student see you reading from sources like: Magazine articles Newspapers Novels. When applicable, explain to your child what it is you are learning or reading about, so your student can begin to connect the words on the page with the ideas and thoughts that they symbolize. For example, when putting together a meal while your child is nearby, reference a cookbook and show him or her that the recipe you are using comes from the words in the book. This is something that can begin while your student is still becoming comfortable with the alphabet and its sounds. Help your child read by stocking your home with age-appropriate books Aside from keeping the books that youre reading in your home, this is a great time to ensure that there are also plenty of child-friendly books in your living space. Your student may gravitate toward books with pictures and topics that he or she is interested in. Outside of the public library, there are second-hand bookstores that offer an alternative to buying new books for your child to read. Your local librarian can likely make some good title suggestions too. [RELATED: How to Enhance Your Student's Experience With Literature] Help your child read by understanding his or her learning style Once you have set up a home environment that exposes your student to books, you can begin working with your child on basic reading skills. Children will approach reading with different levels of enthusiasm, so its important to meet your student where he or she is. For a child who doesnt seem very interested, make it a habit to read together daily. While reading out loud, encourage your student to sit with you and to follow each word with your finger. Once your child gets the hang of following along, encourage him or her to use his or her own finger. This method works well with every level of reader, but it can be the first step in showing a disengaged student how to get involved. [RELATED: How Parents Can Help with Elementary Homework Challenges] Help your child read by reading together After your child has expressed interest in following along with a story, its time to start reading together. One great way to help your student gain confidence while reading is to simply have your child fill in words he or she already knows, such as short sight words. These words appear frequently enough in stories that you can simply pause and have your student sound out terms like is and it. Soon, your child will get the hang of sounding out a word within the context of a sentence. As your student gets older and familiar with more words, you can go longer and longer stretches of a sentence without reading, as your child fills in the blanks. Rather than discouraging him or her from taking a long time to sound out words, be patient! Once your student has finished the sentence, you can go back and read the whole thing from beginning to end. Help your child read by encouraging continual practice Now theres just one step left: practice, practice, practice! Make reading a priority using incentives when necessary. It helps to schedule reading into a regular part of the day, because this can help even disengaged children see how theyre progressing. If your student expresses interest in certain topics, visit a public library to look for books together. Always congratulate your child for successes, no matter how big or small. Before you know it, youll have a little reader on your hands! [RELATED: How to Create a Summer Reading Program for You and Your Child] Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

What if we all rode bikes English Listening Exercise.

What if we all rode bikes English Listening Exercise. Todays English listening exercise is about the amazing city of Amsterdam. They have an incredible bike path system that makes biking the preferred mode of transportation, and seems to make cars unnecessary. Listen to the video and see if you can identify some of the phrasal verbs and idioms that are used. After the listening exercise be sure to check out the English writing exercise on your opinion of cycle/bike paths.Listen to the first 3:05.1. The car is the ________. 2. Cars were ________. 3. People ______ __ and made a change for the better. 4. Explain the general idea for the city traffic plan in the 1970s. 5. Why were so many people opposed to the plan? 6. The cars arent driving __ fast and the bikes arent ____ going that fast either. 7. On the main artillery roads its a _____ ____ 8. So, theres off street cycle paths which range in between ____ and _____ feet in width and the cyclist then have a ______ shot to wherever they are going.Writing Assignment: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a city having this plan? Are bike/cycle paths part of your cities plans? Do people bike/cycle in your city? Would you like your city to be more bike friendly? LOIEnglish Silvia,Just to explain, the listening is generally gap fill, which means that one word or if there are two lines, two words fit in the sentence perfectly. This type of listening exercise is good practice for the different tests such as, CAE, TOEFL.So when you are doing the listening you have to listen for the word that completes the sentence. The answer to #1-future The answer to #2-progress The answer to #3-rose up Are you familiar with the above phrasal verb? Ilka 1. The car is the future.2. Cars were everything.3. People rose up and made a change for the better.4. Explain the general idea for the city traffic plan in the 1970's.They would enlarge the streets, so it would be easy to get anywhere by car.5. Why were so many people opposed to the plan?To make six length car streets thet would have to break down houses6. The cars aren’t driving so fast and the bikes aren’t even going that fast either.7. On the main artillery roads its a different story.8. So, there’s off street cycle paths which range in between six and eight feet in width and the cyclist then have a streight shot to wherever they are going.Really hard to understand, really fast A had to listen many times, and wasnt successful anyway. LOIEnglish IlkaGood listening. Your answer to Question #5 has a couple problems: to make six LANE car streets THEY would have to TEAR down houses. Tear down is the best phrasal verb; break down is a phrasal verb used usually when there is no outside force helping with the destruction process. For example: Plastic takes a long time to break down, that is why we should recycle.You actually did very well on the listening part. Dont be so hard on yourself. Anna 1.future, 2. everything, 3. rose up, 4. The idea was to make narrow street so wide. It would connect to a circu lar road around city centre. They wanted to make 6 lane by car to it would be easy to use the cars. 5. Many people realized that if there will be 6 lane by cars that they would have to break down some houses. 6. so even, 7. different story, 8. six and eight straight. Some bike paths have appeared in my city only this summer. This is an experiment for Moscow. People dont bike in my city because its very dangerous and not very convenient. Moscow is a huge city, to get to the office by bike you need to spend very much time. The second reason is climate. Winter continue about 6 months and its raining very often. But I would like my city will be more bike friendly. I hope next summer do my bike. LOIEnglish Good Anna. In the answer to Number 5, the correct phrasal verb is tear down. Break down is usually used when things tear down on their own.We dont use very much for time, a better choice is: a lot of time.The second reason is climate, winter STAYS for about 6 months and it rain s often. (notice the comma rather than the period.) But, I would like my city to BECOME more bike friendly. I hope, next summer, to RIDE my bike.

Cricket and Englishmen - English sporting traditions

Cricket and Englishmen - English sporting traditions As an Englishman I love sport but particularly football. However, in England football is mostly played in the autumn/winter periods.  Summer is cricket season and although it is not a game easily understood by non-natives it is  everything that summer should be. Warm days, slow lazy actions, picnics and dreaming.A day or afternoon watching cricket can be a really enjoyable way to spend your time. In addition cricket has given us a few metaphors. What is a metaphor? Well, simply it is a group of  words not used in their literal meaning but used as a figure of speech to transfer the meaning to  something else.For example:  he is over the hill  does not mean somebody has successfully  climbed some hill and is now on the other side. No, it is a figure of speech to tell you someone is no  longer able to do a job, or is too old to do a job and beyond his best years.My cricketing metaphors that I can apply to normal life situations include:That’s just not cricket!  When you do not like the way somebody does something or you are annoyed  when somebody acts in a sly way and they should have been more honest, you can say that’s just  not cricket!Example: I had agreed to buy a car from a guy I knew. We agreed a price and I asked for  a day to think it over. When I got back to him he told me he had sold it to someone else.. That’s just  not cricket! We had a deal and he should have honoured it.Caught out.  In cricket when you catch the ball without it hitting the ground first then your opponent  is out of the game.In real life to be caught out is when someone catches you trying to be sly or  sneaky (underhand) without anyone knowing about it.Example: I left my jacket on my chair in the  office. My boss thought I was working hard. Instead I had gone to lunch and sat in the park enjoying  the summer weather.However I was caught out when I returned to the office because my face was  all sunburnt!Bowled over.  This is a very technical cricketing term. The bowler bowls the ball to the man with the  bat (similar to a pitcher in American baseball who throws or pitches the baseball to the guy with the  baseball bat!). The bowler bowls six balls and this is referred to as an over. (simple really!!) This is  the literal description. However, metaphorically to be bowled over means to be surprised or  shocked.Example: My wife organised a surprise birthday party and my fr iends presented me with a case (box) of fine French wine. I was bowled over by the surprise and their generosity.Hit for six!!  In cricket when you score they are referred to as runs. The highest score you can make  with a single hit of the ball is a Six. To score a six you must hit it over the playing area without  touching the ground. Metaphorically to be Hit for Six means to be affected by something quite  devastating or destructive.Example: He has really been hit for six by the collapse of his company. He was  doing so well but the failure of the new product launch cost him a lot of money!

How to avoid cold feet The teach abroad edition

How to avoid cold feet The teach abroad edition Feeling anxious about teaching abroad for the first time? I know the feeling, trust me. When I first made the decision to move to Australia to teach and throughout the entire application, interview and offer process, it never occurred to me to feel afraid or nervous. It wasn’t until I broke the news to friends and family, and started making concrete plans for departing, like booking flights and organizing packing, that I started to feel those first stirrings of unease. And as the day of my flight loomed closer and closer, I realized that I had officially developedcold feet. I’d traveled around to different countries before, but this felt like a whole different ball game. It struck me that I would be moving abroad - totally alone - for a significant period of time. To say I started feeling just a little nervous, right before it was time to depart, is a bit of an understatement. It’s important to remember that fear is a completely normal, human reaction to the prospect the great unknown. While it’s impossible to totally shake away all those nerves, here are a few ways to ease yourself into your new journey teaching abroad and start getting excited about your new life adventure again! Do your research The scariest part about moving abroad is facing the unfamiliar. Based on my experienceteaching English abroad on three separate occasions, one thing I’ve realized is that it’s always a good idea to plan ahead as much as possible. Google is probably going to be your main source of information, like it was for me. From informative articles (the Teach Away blog is a great starting point), to blogs written by teachers who also teaching abroad (check our blog roundup of some of our favorite bloggers teaching abroad), there’s no shortage of helpful information on what it’s like living and teaching abroad for the very first time out there. Learn about the culture There will, of course, be some social norms that are completely unfamiliar to you right off the plane. That’s why it’s worth reading up on these in advance. The more you know about your new country when you arrive, the better your transition will be. Finding out more about the customs and cultural norms of your new home will not only make you feel like less of a tourist. It will also help ease your mind and make you feel like a part of the local community. Learning a few common phrases will go a long in making you feel a little more prepared when you first arrive, too! Talk to other teachers who’ve been in your place Maybe a friend of a friend has taught abroad before and can offer some advice to help put your mind at ease. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other teachers on teach abroad forums about anything that’s worrying you, either - they’ll be more than willing to share tons of practical advice to help relieve your worries! Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. Don’t let a fear of failure (or FOMO!) hold you back Moving abroad is a big decision and it’s easy to anticipate all the ways that things can go wrong. Maybe you’re worried about finances, homesickness, missing out on important occasions back home...the list goes on! It’s totally normal to start doubting yourself. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself this early on. There will be hiccups along the way, especially right at the beginning while you’re still finding your feet. Just remember, moving abroad to live is an experience and you need to treat it like one. Be open to change and ready to try new things. Turn that nervous energy into productivity You’re moving to a brand-new country with your job already organized - you won’t need to scrimp and save as much as if you were job hunting on arrival. Exciting times are coming, so it’s time to channel those nerves into planning all the fun things you want to do once you arrive at your new teaching destination. Make a list and start planning out your free time. What are your favorite hobbies? If you’re a yoga buff, a book lover or sports fanatic, for example, start researching yoga classes in the area you’ll be living or look up book clubs or sports teams you could potentially join. Moving abroad is also a great way to shake things up a little. You can even start afresh and pick up a brand-new pastime - try a cooking class or trampoline lesson - even ultimate frisbee! Finally, remember all the reasons why you wanted to start this big new life adventure in the first place. You’ve put in a lot of time and hard work to get this far, so give yourself a pat on the back and allow yourself to feel that sense of excitement and accomplishment all over again. Take it from someone who ended up going abroad to teach on three different occasions - you won’t regret it! What’s your biggest fear about teaching abroad for the first time? Let us know in the comments below!